- Joined
- Sep 15, 2023
- Messages
- 31
- Reaction score
- 61
- Location
- Nevada
- My Car
- 1972 RamAir Conv, 351C 4v, 4-spd
2008 Calif Spl Conv
The car has has been sitting way too long, because of real life priorities, but my kids are out of college and I'm done shoveling money out the door, so it's officially time to get this guy dusted off and finish the build. I figure if I post this, then the project is official and it'll add some mental motivation for myself (always good to have friends check in on you and give you a nudge when needed). So here's what I have, and what I'm doing, and some brain-dump stuff just so it's all out there.
My original 72 coupe (bought in 1979) got a new motor in the 80s - a 351C M-code that I bought from a boneyard and rebuilt. I put tons of driving on that motor. The car was too rusted to restore, so I bought a 72 convertible and swapped most of the coupe parts into it - interior, drive train, etc. I had it on the road about 10 years ago, so it won't take a lot to get it on the road again, but the body needs a ton of help. I live in the desert, so with it in my garage, there's little concern over rust anywhere.
The car: 72 convertible, with a 1970 351C M-code, 4 spd, limited slip 9-inch. Boss 351 intake, Ram air, deluxe interior, gage/tach setup, staggered shocks. I put "era-correct" because I want to try to keep everything Ford. It has a Ford 8-track player, Ford Boss 351 valve covers (even has the baffles and drip rails inside) ... you get the idea. No after-market gages, etc. It's a Frankenstein car in a sense, but everything on it will be from Ford and from that era as much as possible. I'll get some photos when I'm out there next and get under the hood a bit.
Goal: a fun and fast Sunday driver that is nice enough to have at a car show, even if it never wins a thing.
Steps, in priority ... and some misc thoughts
1) Space: I still have the old rusted donor car. Get the last of the items off it and get the space back in my garage - this is mandatory so I have room to work.
2) Drivetrain: It needs a check. Ran fine a few years back, but it's been sitting, so flush out everything, prime, etc. before restarting it. Fix any leaks that show up and install the few needed parts that I already have (pertronix, a new radiator). Driveable state is mandatory, but I'll hold off on the other fun stuff for later so as to not slow the project down.
3) Paperwork: DMV, etc - it is titled and previously registered, so easy to do here. Mandatory so I can bring it to any shops if needed, even if it is an eyesore still at this point.
4) Body: Bondo and Paint. Need to decide how bad it is (there is cracked bondo) and how much I'll do vs. $$ at a body shop. Also need to decide color, and if I want to use the urethane bumper or not (already have it)
5) Top: Replacement. I'm not doing this ... this needs an expert and not something I can screw up three times and retry. I know my limitations
. The frame, hoses and pump are in good shape. Mandatory, but after paint.
6) Wheels and tires: The car has old rusted Cragar SSTs on it ... and while it was kinda cool in 1983, I think I'll do oversized Magnum 500s. It's driveable as is, so this will be later on, once the more important stuff is done/decided.
7) Interior: It's clean, but needs to be restored. I have some fun optional things to add down the road - stuff I own but isn't installed yet: power windows (I have the glass and door panels), tilt wheel with a rim blow, center console (it needs fixing), and new seat upholstery. All of this is nice-to-have, as time/money allows. Without all this, I still have a running car...so this part will be last.
So ... there it is. It's officially a project now. I just plugged in the battery charger ... so it starts
My original 72 coupe (bought in 1979) got a new motor in the 80s - a 351C M-code that I bought from a boneyard and rebuilt. I put tons of driving on that motor. The car was too rusted to restore, so I bought a 72 convertible and swapped most of the coupe parts into it - interior, drive train, etc. I had it on the road about 10 years ago, so it won't take a lot to get it on the road again, but the body needs a ton of help. I live in the desert, so with it in my garage, there's little concern over rust anywhere.
The car: 72 convertible, with a 1970 351C M-code, 4 spd, limited slip 9-inch. Boss 351 intake, Ram air, deluxe interior, gage/tach setup, staggered shocks. I put "era-correct" because I want to try to keep everything Ford. It has a Ford 8-track player, Ford Boss 351 valve covers (even has the baffles and drip rails inside) ... you get the idea. No after-market gages, etc. It's a Frankenstein car in a sense, but everything on it will be from Ford and from that era as much as possible. I'll get some photos when I'm out there next and get under the hood a bit.
Goal: a fun and fast Sunday driver that is nice enough to have at a car show, even if it never wins a thing.
Steps, in priority ... and some misc thoughts
1) Space: I still have the old rusted donor car. Get the last of the items off it and get the space back in my garage - this is mandatory so I have room to work.
2) Drivetrain: It needs a check. Ran fine a few years back, but it's been sitting, so flush out everything, prime, etc. before restarting it. Fix any leaks that show up and install the few needed parts that I already have (pertronix, a new radiator). Driveable state is mandatory, but I'll hold off on the other fun stuff for later so as to not slow the project down.
3) Paperwork: DMV, etc - it is titled and previously registered, so easy to do here. Mandatory so I can bring it to any shops if needed, even if it is an eyesore still at this point.
4) Body: Bondo and Paint. Need to decide how bad it is (there is cracked bondo) and how much I'll do vs. $$ at a body shop. Also need to decide color, and if I want to use the urethane bumper or not (already have it)
5) Top: Replacement. I'm not doing this ... this needs an expert and not something I can screw up three times and retry. I know my limitations
. The frame, hoses and pump are in good shape. Mandatory, but after paint.6) Wheels and tires: The car has old rusted Cragar SSTs on it ... and while it was kinda cool in 1983, I think I'll do oversized Magnum 500s. It's driveable as is, so this will be later on, once the more important stuff is done/decided.
7) Interior: It's clean, but needs to be restored. I have some fun optional things to add down the road - stuff I own but isn't installed yet: power windows (I have the glass and door panels), tilt wheel with a rim blow, center console (it needs fixing), and new seat upholstery. All of this is nice-to-have, as time/money allows. Without all this, I still have a running car...so this part will be last.
So ... there it is. It's officially a project now. I just plugged in the battery charger ... so it starts
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