So i stop spamming all of the garage with this crap but do have a place to post it for the 5 of you who do care.

61 gal
Current
352 big block
stock iron heads
2bbl carb
ford-o-matic tranny
big 9" rear
4 wheel manual drum

Plans are:
Black as black can be with very very few metal flakes (random sparkles so car looks like space)
trimmed fenders (think rolled but too heavy of gauge steel and none round wheel well)

1.5" drop spindles
Wilwood 4 piston calipers all around 12" fronts 11" light weight rears

bigger FE engine

t-56

1" front sway 3/4" rear

quick ratio steering box

completely rebuilt front end.

3.73 rear gears and some sort of non clutch posi rear that won't blow up under tons of power.

fast efi

and

these wheels




57-tbird

fix dumb shit on it to make a better driver but not go too far from stock

so... front disk brake conversion

electric choke vacuum 2ndary carb,

rebuilt tranny

new ball joints, sway endlinks and steering linkage.

new air shocks in the rear and new water pump.

[Edited on January 23, 2013 at 5:37 PM. Reason : .]

1/23/2013 5:33:32 PM

I dont like those wheels.

1/23/2013 5:43:57 PM

i've always been partial to the Salt Flat style wheels, but those are ok too. as long as they're massively wide in the back with meaty tires, who really cares.


either way, hooray for old t-bird things

[Edited on January 23, 2013 at 6:31 PM. Reason : .]

1/23/2013 6:30:44 PM

they need different center caps... those center caps say truck.... not car....



i could do giant red versions of these with the chrome centers.

it needs to have either a classic or a drag look... but torque thrusts, cragars, all the d spokes etc. are all plaid out...

also the centerline wheels posted are 15s mine will be 18s so the circles will be larger and the bolt pattern minimized


[Edited on January 23, 2013 at 7:16 PM. Reason : .]

1/23/2013 6:56:09 PM

this is what i really want.... but they don't make them in 10" wide wheels.

1/23/2013 7:29:01 PM

^OP rims + plasti dip

1/23/2013 7:49:19 PM

^ minus 6 inches

1/23/2013 8:11:56 PM

If you're spending so much on paint and chrome, why not get custom wheels?

1/23/2013 8:17:16 PM

$500 paint
forget all the chrome
make it fast and dirty

1/23/2013 10:23:47 PM

The money for paint is mostly to re-rustproof the car.

But where dies one have custom wheels made ?

1/23/2013 10:28:34 PM

Steelies plz

1/23/2013 11:09:31 PM

1/24/2013 8:41:58 AM

Red steelies with smooth center caps could be interesting, given that the car will be black. That'd give you more of a Kustom look, especially with wide whites. Red wheels on a black car always looks good though (obviously way different car but the look holds):


I presume all the chrome will be staying?

1/24/2013 10:11:00 AM

^this guy gets it

1/24/2013 10:18:11 AM

yeah it does look great... they're gonna have to be big though as i just ordered these....

1/24/2013 10:21:16 AM

Anyone know if you can accommodate rear doors in an NHRA legal Cage?

I don't want it to be a 4 passenger cage or anything just want a back seat to be usable and a sturdy place to mount shoulder belts or harnesses (lol wife won't ride in it without shoulder belts)

Still trying to find a 60s look racing seat. lol.

should i go bigger with the brakes? those are 12" with 4 pot calipers but i can go 13" with 6 pot ?

Car weights 3900 lbs now but should shed a few hundred when i build the engine.

1/24/2013 11:00:48 AM

I thought this was a grand touring project?

You dont need a cage unless you dip into the 9s?

I had an old Plymouth Fury with harnesses and a bench seat. Just bolt them to the floor.

1/24/2013 11:16:54 AM

I'd go bigger, with 6 pots.



Foose makes some nice wheels:

http://www.chipfoose.com/ws_display.asp?filter=FOOSE_Wheels

I like the Nitrous SE Wides




Also, if you ordered wheels from HRE, you'd tell them your offset and bolt pattern. You pretty much can get one off customs ordering from them.

http://www.hrewheels.com/wheels/

[Edited on January 24, 2013 at 11:21 AM. Reason : h]

1/24/2013 11:20:34 AM

yeah i really don't wanna do a cage but... i kinda do too lol.

1/24/2013 12:19:13 PM

Even though this type of car totally isn't my thing, I dig this thread. Post more pics of the car as-is?

Is NHRA full cage or nothing, or would a roll bar with harness bar help? I think it'd be awesome to have fully modern buckets and 5 point harnesses in a car that looks mostly stock otherwise. I wouldn't go full cage for the street though, crazy chance of cracking your head open

1/24/2013 11:27:42 PM

I think you are supposed to have the cage less than "6 from your helmet, with harnesses it shouldn't be hard to keep the cage out of your heads reach.

My thought is... If cage.... Then... cage! Lol

1/24/2013 11:54:34 PM

here are some more as she sits pics

i'm debating on switching to triangulated 4 link or leaving leafs with a big track bar and cal tracs

might just do leafs to piss of 1inacouple lol

dr. perky.... hows your rear end feel? (nohomo)

1/26/2013 2:20:52 PM

Pretty good, considering the driveway fab I need to tweak my geometry some, but it's driven quite fine for 4.5 years and ~15-17k miles

I feel like a decent 4-link & coilovers will be somewhat easy to set-up... although it would be hard to beat stock replacement leafs & caltracs...assuming you dont mind the pseudo 4-link look hanging below the bodywork.

1/26/2013 3:12:12 PM

don't mind 1 bit

1/26/2013 3:13:39 PM

I like the interior.

What are your plans there?

I think paint should be the absolute last thing done.

1/26/2013 3:31:43 PM

Still working on interior plans back seat is staying as is, carpet is coming out because its new carpet they just put over the original so there is significant nastiness under it and a couple rus colored spots I can't see how bad they ar cause the original stuff is like muck to dig through.

The front seats may be modern racing buckets either straight black or re-covered to match the rear, or 60s buckets from a galaxy, mustang, bird or any other ford with cool buckets I could cover to match the red white of it.

The rot in the trunk and the possible rot in the floor plan are the only reasons I'm pushing for paint sooner than later.

1/26/2013 3:52:49 PM

- I'd have some new buckets covered to match the rear seat
- fix the carpet like you mentioned
- i'd honestly just fix the rust in the floor, and paint/seal it and be done.
- drivetrain
-wheels
-fuzzy dice
-......
- $profit$

1/26/2013 4:55:46 PM

The paint is a lot worse than it looks... Just looks good covered in ice.

1/26/2013 6:16:49 PM

power over paint, bro.

1/26/2013 6:18:28 PM

It will happen... Ohh yes it will happen :-)

1/26/2013 6:33:31 PM

Are you building the motor yourself?

1/26/2013 6:48:14 PM

Who wouldn't....

1/26/2013 11:47:06 PM

So I think I'm going to phase the engine with fast efi first, then get that all sorted and debugged then ill build the shit out of the engine.

1/27/2013 12:28:14 AM

Just my two cents, but given the nature of this build I think the cage isn't needed, and 450-470hp can easily be had in a very drivable FE.

I think you should build it to stock 390 size. Nothing exotic required!

1/27/2013 4:23:03 PM

maybe

i don't really want a big inch motor but all the good cranks are for big inch motors.

i mean mine's a 352 so i'd have to go .050 over just to get 390 shit to fit. Part of me is thinking that would be plenty.... part of me is thinking... fuck it... let's go all out...

Phase 1: brakes and suspension making sure everything is sturfy

Phase 2 is to have an EFI FE...

Phase 3: rear end work. Get a good limited slip, locker, or something in the rear end with a 3.55 gear.

Phase 4 is to have a monster of an EFI FE.

Phase 5 is paint at tranny time.. going to do a t-56 with a circulation pump to make sure they don't run dry.

possible phase 6.... b00st
[Edited on January 27, 2013 at 5:58 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on January 27, 2013 at 6:22 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2013 5:53:34 PM

Good 390 cranks are easy to find.

If you buy a stroker kit I wouldn't advise going oversquare (especially under boost) because the rod ratio will then be shit.

Going to stock 390 size on the bore gives plenty of piston choices with lots of meat still left in the cylinder walls.

Again, without boost (and especially with EFI) it will be very easy to approach 500hp with a mild build. There are articles on Car Craft, Hot Rod, or Popular Hot Rodding (I forget which one) which details a very good 390 build.

I would crossbolt it regardless.

1/27/2013 7:28:28 PM

Not many cross bolted blocks.

Not going over sqare. I like long rods and high revs especially with v8s.

Big bores also lead to more instances of knock so its a damned if you do damned if you don't kinda thing.

Cross bolted blocks are a fortune. And I really thought only the factory tri power 390s had forged steel cranks the rest were in 406s and 427s. Large bore engines allow you to run some nasty heads that the small ones don't.
Huge valve blue thunder heads for one. I think a 447 would be a good setup 427 bore & 428 stroke. 4.23/3.98

With a *mild* (for a roller cam) hydro roller setup

1/27/2013 9:24:50 PM

Goddammit. I'm starting to drool here. I LOVE FE's. LOVE them.

1/27/2013 11:14:09 PM

You can crossbolt any FE block if you buy the hardware and arent scared of drilling it in the appropriate places.

1/27/2013 11:32:39 PM

Yeah but if the fit isn't perfect it doesn't do much to help.

1/28/2013 8:09:12 AM

I personally think it's a waste of money for a nice warm to hot street setup. Start with a well-built and balanced bottom end, and you'll be just fine. You're not gonna be spinning 9 grand all the damn time.

Though I have to admit, it sure is a shame to waste the extra skirt of that Y block design. And crossbolting does have to be done PERFECTLY...

1/28/2013 6:38:20 PM

Thanks zx. Just ordered edelbrock efi intake fuel rails, walboro 400lph, filters and fast efi setup.

Kinda want her to be low comp for turbos later but part of me is like... That just ain't right...

1/28/2013 10:08:22 PM

Just get a very competent shop to do it!

1/28/2013 11:10:26 PM

Spending $ on bottom end using edelbrock or survival heads with stock valve-train components as i can upgrade that easier then i can swapping in oliver rods later.

1/30/2013 11:00:05 AM

since it's gonna have a 427 ....maybe give a subtle clue?



[Edited on February 4, 2013 at 11:25 AM. Reason : .]

2/4/2013 11:23:51 AM

Next best thing to steelies IMO.

I'm happy you're improving this a little bit at a time lol.

Did you decide on crossbolts? You could also get one of those girdles that bolts in.

What about Dove heads?

2/4/2013 12:46:02 PM

I'm getting the survival heads as barry literally wrote the book on FE engines.

it has most of the benefits of the huge blue thunder heads without all the rigging to make them fit an efi capable intake.

2/4/2013 12:57:34 PM

^^^I like...I like.

2/4/2013 5:22:25 PM

staggered tires/wheels or 285s all around?

[Edited on February 5, 2013 at 8:06 AM. Reason : .]

2/5/2013 8:04:01 AM

Who cares about wheels. Show us the megasquirt build and rust repair!!!

2/5/2013 8:10:02 AM