THUMPIN455

It seems that an idea for one of the cars I have had for years will invade my brain and bug me until its done. All through other projects that are more important to me its there when I go to sleep, or when I am reading a car mag on the throne in the office. Its sort of all consuming, but it does keep me from dwelling on things I'd rather not think about, so its a good thing for me.

Well the one I have had rattling around for the last few years is a car I bought from a junkyard as a parts car for my 72 GTO. Its going to look painfully stock, have a bench seat, column shifter, appear to be all steel and very heavy, run near stock sized tires and stock steel wheels. The engine will look like a stone stock 350 4 barrel, but it will actually be a high compression beast with over 480ci. The car will be very light, no heater, no AC, manual everything. Think a ten second car that looks like it will run 15s on a good day with a tail wind. I will build it within the next year or two, the engine is already in the works, and most of the parts are here.

But....

There is a new one forming..

It is Ford based.

I have a 64 Fairlane 500 2 door rusting peacefully at the farm, its been there for 20 years and hasnt moved two feet in that time. The floors are gone, its missing a fender, some glass, and the grille, there is a blown up 260 that is probably rusted solid by now in it. What on earth would I want to do with that other than scrap it? This is how warped my mind really is....

Jegs sells a chassis kit for $600, it comes without the suspension but the cage and frame is there. I have 9" rears, and a straight axle from an old van, a spare 351C and some 4V heads just laying in the shop with nothing to do. You see where I am going now... Since its rusted out on the bottom, the engine bay is too small for a real engine, and I have a welder, sawzall, and a big pack of blades, I can make anything fit. The hood, fenders, doors, bumpers, and trunk lid are all available in fiberglass, and without most of the heavier stock stuff still attached it will be rather light. Stuff some 15" wide wheels and tires under it, stroke the 351 and raise the compression to run my alky, then put a tunnel ram with 2 Holleys on top poking through a big hole in the hood. I would do injector stacks if I could but thats out of my price range.

A 64 Fairlane gasser built out of a rusted hulk in my dads back yard. It is in there now, and I cant get rid of it. What would make this really fun is if I decided to build it for $5000, give or take a little, use as much stuff as I have laying around as possible, and buy only what I absolutely need to buy. Paint it either refrigerator white or flat black. We have even thought of a name to paint on the door, The Cleveland Steamer.. it has a Cleveland in it and it kinda fits.

My mind is twisted, its a good thing I dont have Jay Leno's money.

Stepman

Ummm....WHAT?! Your mind IS truley warped! You basically have a couple of body panels and...you want to make a, um, car out of it? I would take what's left and see what I could use it on. Not to say I don't have dreams but, you're wanting to spend 15k to build a 7k car...!

hiboostwoody

Fawk the hood! That's just more weight to haul around!

THUMPIN455

If I spend $15k on a car its going to absolutely perfect in every way. Also I am not looking to sell it, for me the fun is the build and then driving it until it wont go anymore. I dont need to pay anyone for labor other than machine work, and $15k would buy LOTS of parts. I am pretty sure I can pull it off for less than $10k, not with a stroked Cleveland and a narrowed rear, but the a stock crank and the rest of it with the 9" from my Maverick hanging on a 4 link. Maybe I still could if I do it right, it depends on what the stuff I cant make will cost.

Very few other people would have considered rebuilding the 71 in my sig, and even fewer would rebuild the GTO I am working on now despite it being a real 65 GTO. Mainly because most dont have the time to spend making parts to replace the rust, and the rest cant afford to pay someone to do all the work. When I say build, I mean I do it, I dont haul it around to shops and have work done then write a check. I have never been able to afford to do that, and never will.

Body work and paint is not a problem. I build engines, transmissions, set up differentials, do wiring, plumbing for brakes and fuel, and even do my own interior work, not that this thing would have much more than some sheet metal interior and a couple glass buckets in it. I have been fabricating parts and stuff since I was about 10 years old, welding since I was 9, and a complete car junky since I was 12. I have the shop space and my only real deadline for anything is the day I get to room temperature.

Its safe to say I dont do things the same way as most, but I dont have bad results with the methods I use. The Cougar has come out pretty well, and I have less than $4000 in that entire car at this point. I kinda went nuts on the Cleveland thats in it, most of the cost of that car is in the engine, I just went for overkill reliability on it. I get one of these ideas in my head, and it will come to be. Especially now since all the other pieces are in place, like time and place to do it with the money to get what I need in a timely manner.

This isnt so much a dream, more of an obsession. I get that once in a while, and the Pontiac I mentioned first has been eating at me for a few years now. I should drag that thing up here on my trip home for Christmas so I can build it this summer. The Fairlane would be next year, or maybe after the 70 GTO is done. Regardless, its stuck in there now.

THUMPIN455

It will have to sleep outside when its done, so a hood and something to cover the carbs would be mandatory for winter. Besides man, its more aerodynamic with a hood on it.. lol.

darkngtz

i say go for it man!!! i wish i had the skills you do, i have all these ideas for my car but no place, tools, and not much skill in which to do it, and since im still a student definitely not much moo-la to spend on such endeavors....

64.5stanger

word to lack of sleep, I cant turn my brain off sometimes for hrs. thinkin bout our stang(only child/project), there are nights i just kant stop thinkin. I gota start thinking bout a welder/compressor/ and shed/shop, proly poly vinyl car port, Just kant get the s out of my head. Gota love the pipe dreams

hiboostwoody

I used to have that same problem back when I was building customs snowmobiles and parts for a living. Finally had to get medication for it because I was only sleeping about 2hours a night.

THUMPIN455

I dont mind as long as its productive thinking and I figure things out. Its not like I have to get up and go to work every day like most people

1965screamer

When I get thoughts like that it usually turns into me spending hours researching on the internet and flipping through the Summit catalog. Ahhh I love my car addiction...