# 1:1 O/T - Project 21



## NTxSlotCars

Having little or no money to work with, I got this granny car for a project.










I couldn't pass it up for the price, and because 70s 2 doors are getting harder to find.










I always liked the 70s cars profiles.










First thing that needs to go is this vinyl top.










Nice choice granny, it's got a 400M.










I'm gonna repair what I can, and leave this interior though.
It's just too funky cool. Might replace the carpet and the dash gauges.


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## ParkRNDL

SWEET! I have a soft spot for '70s barges. And with a 400, that one will move pretty well. I had a '77 Cougar with a 302, and it desperately needed more than that...

--rick


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## 1976Cordoba

Nice project :thumbsup:

All of those around here are decaying in the junkyards - haven't seen an Elite since the early '90s.


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## Hilltop Raceway

Cool project!!! Inside looks pretty good for it's age. Have you checked inside the trunk yet for...well, have you checked yet??? RM


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## NTxSlotCars

RM - Yes, all four hub caps are in there.

Doba - My TM got passed by one on the highway, running in the 90s.


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## Heater

Wow, that brings back memories. One of my buddies had one of those. Used to cruise around and get hammered in it. I had a 73 Dodge charger SE with a 400 2brl. Dark green with a white Landau roof. Hope to see some restoration pics.:thumbsup:


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## slotcarman12078

Nice project Rich!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## NTxSlotCars

Other than the split in the passengers seat, worn carpet, broken window crank handles,
gauges falling into the panel and maybe some dash cracks, the interior is perfect.


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## resinmonger

It needs a BIG Wing on the roof and a small wing on the front - sprint car style! :freak:


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## 1976Cordoba

Heater said:


> . . . *I had a 73 Dodge charger SE with a 400 2brl.* . . . :thumbsup:


My parents had one of those, red with white top. I would love to get one someday when I have more space to park 1:1s.


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## NTxSlotCars

*Makin some progress.*

Okay, so I pulled the granny trim and the vinyl top off.



















I'm gonna try to get some bodywork done before nightfall.


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## slotnewbie69

nice boat rich!my buddy had a tbird from the same era,the thing was just too huge!good luck with the resto!


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## bobhch

*How many marbles do you need?....hahahahhahahaha*

Rich,

A little black paint, some sheetmetal work & some red detail with some teeth!! ATX....Animal House DEATHMOBILE...DO IT! :devil:

Nice 1/1 car purchase Rich. Very Cool to go back to the Old School instead of new and boring overpriced junk. Yeah gas is gonna cost more as you will be burning a bunch but, who cares? I'm betting that you aren't making payments on this. :lol:










http://spencer1984.com/my_models/deathmobile.php

If I new you were coming I'd a baked a cake....gotta have the cake. How Cool would this be to enter in your Hometown Parade...Vroooooooooom, vrooooooooooom, vrooooom Rich just ask Coach to lead the band into the dead end alley...hahahahahhahahahahahaha ( he will know what to do ...)










Bill Hall had talked about making one of these in ho scale during Chat one night. Bill are you seeing it now? Oooooooooooh yeah!

Sure the Deathmobile was built from a 64 lincoln but, you got the size & steelie rims already.

Ooooooooooooh & can I take it for a spin when you get it all done....Pleeeeeease?!!

Bob...Think About It...zilla


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## AfxToo

Coming of age from an automobile fascination standpoint in the mid 1960s, everything from 1972 or so onward through the leanburn, insurance neutered, and smog choked era up through the late 1980s causes deep bouts of serious depression. The 50 mph park bench bumpers and gaudy opera windows - what were the designers of that era thinking? 

In two short years (!!!) we went from Hemi 'Cudas, Challenger R/Ts, RoadRunners, GTXs, Buick GSX, Mercury Cyclone Spoilers, Yenko Novas, to ... opera windows on behemoth barges with 180 HP V8s and Corinthian Leather. Egad and gasp. I think we need to seriously rethink any lingering doubts about alien invasions and what REALLY happened at Area 51 and what was was REALLY recorded on those gaps in the Nixon tapes. There is no logical reason why an entire generation of automotive designers could have collectively flipped the switch, the same switch, and descended into such great depths of undesirable automobile design. Did I miss a second comet strike on the Earth, in the Detroit area - circa late 1971? I've been through Detroit and this would explain a lot....

Anyway, good luck with your project and please realize this is all in fun. It's true that I would rather pedal a moped with a dead motor and seized wheel bearings than drive one of those things, but I totally understand the appeal for those who have an attraction for the cars of the era that they grew up in. As a motorhead I totally respect anyone who's willing to skin a few knuckles to bring their pride and joy back from the brink. 

Happy wrenching!


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## NTxSlotCars

AfxToo said:


> Coming of age from an automobile fascination standpoint in the mid 1960s, everything from 1972 or so onward through the leanburn, insurance neutered, and smog choked era up through the late 1980s causes deep bouts of serious depression.
> 
> Happy wrenching!


Well put Too. One one hand I would have to whole heartedly agree with you.
I'm a big fan of 60s and 50s cars as well, and maybe a couple of 80s cars.
I really like the throw back styling of the 70s. I think if they could have kept the power of the 60s cars, they could have been the best cars of the bunch. The low impact bumpers were an eyesore, and having opera windows didn't _make_ any car a luxury car, although I think they were a nice touch on some cars, like the Lincolns.


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## NTxSlotCars

Okay, so I got the tabs ground off the doors that hold the trim on...










and the trim holes sanded...










but the hardest part is gonna be under that vinyl top.










Other than that, it looks pretty straight.










Instead of using bondo, I'm gonna fill the trim holes with pop rivets.










It'll give it a more fabricated look.


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## resinmonger

Dang Rich, you don't mess around! I reckon this puppy will be lookin' better than show room new in under a week at the rate you're going! Shoot, it'll be the biggest Tyco in your herd!!!!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Bill Hall

I "Too" suffered a complete disconnect with that particular era. Finding myself having difficulty remembering any redeeming moments. I'd like to try and think that there is an upside to most things. 

The demolition derbys later in the era and shortly following had it great!

Think of it...a never ending supply of victims to choose from....virtually no guilt involved cuz they were still born to begin with...AND they were doing the planet a great service by putting us out of their misery.

Good luck Rich! All kidden' aside she looks like a great candidate for a down and dirty!


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## Pomfish

Here's my favorite example of American excess in the 70's
http://blog.al.com/engine-block/2008/11/Pontiac GP frt.jpg

Even the 36" wheels can't save this thing.

These 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix's are my vision of the original "Pimp Car"

Thanks,
Keith


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## Pomfish

Then you have the "Special 50th Anniversary Edition" with the desirable Gold On Gold interior.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...dIv&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbs=isch:1


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## Pomfish

The there is this monstrosity;
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...x-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbs=isch:1

Love the Mr. Magoo front end!
Later,
Keith


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## ParkRNDL

Yeah, sure, the '70s weren't exactly the high point of automotive design OR technology, but the old Malaise-era barges do have a certain appeal. A buddy of mine calls cars like this "floaters". Perfect description, and that's part of what's cool about them. Sure, I'd love to drive a late '60s Torino, but I'd also love to drive something like this project for totally different reasons. Both are attention getters, and to the majority of the non-car-nut public, they are both cool-looking, unusual (for today) old cars. I often think that if I were to find another driver/beater/project, I'd look for a mid '70s Monte Carlo or Chevelle or Charger. Look at the price (and availability) of a '75 so mid-size Yank 2-door as opposed to comparable models made from '65-'70. Unless you get REALLY lucky, you can't touch even a rusted-out '68-'72 Chevelle for less than a few thousand dollars. You can pick up a later one for a few hundred, and they take the same motor mods, are only marginally heavier, and a case can be made that they are nice-looking cars, too.

http://www.cargurus.com/images/2009/02/09/19/56/pic-44287.jpeg

http://www.americandreamcars.com/1974cougarrx7081605.jpg

http://image.highperformancepontiac.com/f/9174249/hppp_0801_01_z+1975_pontiac_grand_am+side.jpg

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/3049/3481/7621740001_large.jpg

I will acknowledge, though, that it's an acquired taste. Back in the '80s, it would NOT have been cool to drive one of these. I think time has done good things for cars of this era.

MOO, YMMV...

--rick


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## resinmonger

Pomfish said:


> Here's my favorite example of American excess in the 70's
> http://blog.al.com/engine-block/2008/11/Pontiac GP frt.jpg
> 
> Even the 36" wheels can't save this thing.
> 
> These 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix's are my vision of the original "Pimp Car"
> 
> Thanks,
> Keith


Keith, you've decoded the riddle of Auto World ride height with this photo! Good work! :freak:


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## NTxSlotCars

I like the way you're thinkin Rick. The 60s cars were pretty much smooth lines, kinda boxy, but made up for the lack of styling with a lot of power. The 70s would be the opposite. Lots of styling in efforts to make of for a massive loss of power. Some of the styling went whacked. (Keith, that Gran Prix always reminded me of the Batmobile.) But some of the most distinctive lines in automotive history came out of the 70s. Quite a feat, considering they had to work around them stupid bumpers.


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## 1976Cordoba

I like the cars of the 70s . . . and I agree that the passage of time has helped in the appreciation of them.


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## ParkRNDL

Man oh man. Now you guys have me jonesin' for a '73-'77 Monte Carlo. Just spent a few minutes trolling Google Images for them. There are some years I don't like the taillights, others I don't like the grilles, but it all looks interchangeable enough...

--rick


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## NTxSlotCars

Well, this stuff under the topper has proved to be a pain in the butt.


















I do like how the front bumper looks without the rubber stoppers. Much cleaner.










I'm actually gonna pull the chrome for now, til I get it painted.










Good conversation goin on here.
Time has been favorable to the Pinto, Monza/Vega, Pacer and others.
I don't think time will ever repair the EuroSport, Citation, Horizon, Colt or K series.


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## Pomfish

Great work NTx!
Those vinyl tops are a bugger, I think the glue used back then may actually dig into the metal, thus making it that much harder to remove and blemishing the metal.
I can usually tell if a car has had a vinyl top removed in a previous life.

Anyway I love the de-triming look that this car is getting.
The bumpers may look tons better in flat black or color keyed with the body color. Would help them blend in.
Thanks,
Keith


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## NTxSlotCars

Whew! Well, this has reached "Close Enough" on my work meter.










You can see how these rivets save time and look kinda cool to me.


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## NTxSlotCars

Rain has kept me form making any progress today. Its supposed to rain again tomorrow.
I hope to have it done in time for Daytona.


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## resinmonger

NTxSlotCars said:


> Rain has kept me form making any progress today. Its supposed to rain again tomorrow.
> I hope to have it done in time for Daytona.


Rich, NASCAR will make you run some new fangled restrictor plate at Daytona... :freak:


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## 440s-4ever

Good luck with the project

70s cars may not have exceedingly graceful styling but they're built like half ton trucks underneath and can take ENORMOUS amounts of gravel road pounding. 

If you really wanna jump something, 70s cars are where it's at!

If you change the timing chain/gears in that motor to an aftermarket version it'll run far smoother, cooler, get better mileage, and make more power. Ford did goofy stuff with cam timing for emission reasons and ruined a whole decade of V8s. The M series of engines were the worst for this and if you want it to run like a 400 instead of a 305, head straight for that timing set. It's the cheapest horsepower you're gonna find and will allow it to respond to other modification (hedders, intake manifold, etc).

BTW, the rivets are kinda neat but what happens when the center drops out and you're left with a hole?


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## NTxSlotCars

440,
I had some GM cars and it was always a good idea to replace those nylon timing gears.
I know nothing about Fords, other than some good things can be done with a 400m.
Would I keep the same cam and just change the gears and chain?
Any suggestions on this after market set up you refer to?


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## 440s-4ever

The deal is ford built several degrees of retard into the stock M timing chain/gear sets, and actually most of their 70s V8 timing sets. It's hidden to the installer, you think you're installing it straight up but it's several degrees retarded. 

On 429s and 460s you can correct it with a 1960s era 390 timing set, which doesn't have the retard built in. But since Ms were smog-era only, I'm not sure if you can do the same thing. You may be pushed to an aftermarket cloyes, etc to get a true straight up timing set. 

I'm all about high performance cams, but they're a bag of worms and 3X the cost of a timing set. If you're just wanting to make it run like 400 cubic inches should, timing set ought to do it. 

Good luck!


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## 440s-4ever

What the heck, after hot rodding a ton of 70s barges, here's how I'd extract the most fun for the least dollars.......

Engine-
Timing set
Hedders
High output ignition coil, recurved dist
aluminum intake
edelbrock 750 carb

Transmission-
B&M shift improver kit
2400 rpm Saturday night special torque converter

Rest of car-
3.20 gears 
dual exhaust with crossover pipe

This recipe ought to waste an IROC and is doable for a thousand bucks if you're a careful shopper. It also positions the car to accept things like a bigger cam without fuss, yet is mild enough for the Mrs to take grocery shopping. 

Good luck!


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## NTxSlotCars

I have a hot rod magazine somewhere that has a killer build for the 400m.
They had a lot of info on where the motor came from and said it was basicallya variation of the 351c.
I like the direction of you build better. I'm not lookin to pour a ton of money into this.
Wikipedia has more info on it here...



Wikipedia said:


> *400*
> The big-block FE engine family was getting outdated, and the 385 family could not meet the efficiency requirements of the time. At the same time, the small-block Windsor engines were too small and high-revving for Ford's fullsize car and truck applications. So the company went to work on a new small-block to meet the desired levels of economy while still providing the kind of big-block torque that was needed to move 2+ ton vehicles.
> The Ford 400 engine was based on the 351 Cleveland but was produced with a taller deck height of 10.297 inches compared to the 351C's 9.206 inches. This allowed for a longer stroke while retaining the 351C's rod-stroke ratio. These blocks also share the same oiling route in the block. The 400 also featured larger (Windsor sized 3.00 inch with Cleveland cap register) main-bearing journals and had "square" proportions, with a 4.0 in (102 mm) bore and stroke; it therefore displaced 402 cu in (6.6 L), making it the largest small-block V8 made at that time. It was introduced in model year 1971 with a full half-inch (12.7 mm) longer stroke than the 351 Cleveland, making it the longest-stroke Ford pushrod V8 engine. A long-stroke engine has good low-end torque. This was a good compromise given Ford's requirement for an engine to power heavier mid-size and full-size cars and light trucks. The M-block, as it later became known, was the last pushrod V8 block designed by Ford. The M-block also shares some elements with the Windsor engine family: bore spacing, cylinder head bolt-patterns and crankshaft journal dimensions.[3]
> The 400 was seen as a smaller and lighter replacement for the big Ford 385 engines, the 429 and 460, in Ford's big cars. Weighing just 80% of a similar big block, it was originally available in Ford's Custom, Galaxie and LTD lines, and in Mercury Monterey, Marquis, and Brougham. Later, it would power the Ford Thunderbird, the Lincoln Continental, Mark V, mid-size Fords and Mercurys, and Ford light-duty trucks.
> The vast majority of 400 blocks use the same bellhousing bolt pattern as the 385 family big-block to make it compatible with the higher torque-capacity C6 transmission used on the large cars and trucks. There were a small number of 400 block castings that use dual bellhousing patterns for mounting an FMX transmission. These castings are rare. The 400 was modified in 1975 to use unleaded gasoline.
> 
> *351 M*
> Engine dimensions
> 351M/400	351C
> Nominal main bearing size	3.000 in (76.2 mm)	2.750 in (69.8 mm)
> Rod length	6.58 in (167.1 mm)	5.78 in (146.8 mm)
> Deck height	10.297 in (261.5 mm)	9.206 in (233.8 mm)
> When the 351 Cleveland was withdrawn after the end of the 1974 model year, Ford needed another engine in the 351 cubic inch (5.8 L) class, since production of the 351 Windsor was not sufficient and the 390 FE was being retired as well. To replace the 390, Ford took the 400 engine's tall-deck block and de-stroked it with the shorter throw crankshaft from the 351 Windsor, and taller pistons, to produce a 351 cubic inch (5.8 L) engine whose components were largely compatible with the 400. This engine was called the 351M and as a back-formation the taller-deck block became known as the M-block.
> The M designation is commonly referred to “Modified”, and is derived from the use of both "Cleveland" (block, heads) and "Windsor" (crankshaft) components in the same engine, a modification for the parts' intended application, so to speak.
> Another origin of the M designation may have come from where the engine blocks were cast. It follows the naming convention set forth by the 351C (Cleveland) cast at the Cleveland Foundry and 351W (Windsor) where the majority of the blocks were cast at the Windsor Casting Plant. From the introduction in the model year 1975, the 351M engine blocks (which are the same as the 400 engine block) were all produced at the Michigan Casting Center (MCC) in Flat Rock, MI or at the Cleveland Foundry (CF) also known as the Cleveland Casting Plant (CCP). To help distinguish it from the other two different 351s, the logical choice was to use the Michigan Casting Center, hence the “M” designation for 351 Michigan.
> The 351 Cleveland had a well known, good reputation in the public. For a few of years after the introduction of the 351M, Ford marketing called the engine the "351 Cleveland". This led to confusion as to what 351 version was actually in the vehicle.
> Later, car enthusiasts incorrectly referred to this engine as a "351 Midland" presumably a reference to Midland, Michigan, a city just northwest of Saginaw or reference to an iron foundry in Midland, Texas. But the Ford Motor Company never owned a “Midland” factory.
> 
> *Light truck usage*
> For the 1977 model year, Ford decided to replace its aging FE big-block 360 and 390 engines in its light truck line with its new 351M and 400 engines. For light truck use, beefed-up blocks were designed. These enhancements were added to all M-block engines starting with the 1978 model year.
> 
> *Replacement in cars*
> The final year the M-block engines were used in cars was 1977. After that, the Ford 351 Windsor at 5.8 L was the only large car engine used. Reduced demand for large engines due to fuel economy regulations led to the abandonment of the Cleveland production line, that produced the 351M and 400 engines, after 1982.
> 
> *Replacement in trucks*
> The M-block engine was designed when first-generation pollution controls were already in place. Most Ford V8s required bulky and unsightly external tubing to feed Thermactor air into the exhaust manifolds and exhaust gas to the EGR valve below the carburetor, but this was all built in to the M-block engine.
> This all made adapting the M-block to the second generation of emissions control equipment harder. One requirement of the second-generation equipment was an oxygen (O2) sensor in the exhaust, which had to be placed before the Thermactor air was added. Since Thermactor air was injected right into the block's exhaust ports in the M-block, there was nowhere for the O2 sensor to go.
> It would have been possible to alter the M-block to work, but it would have required significant effort and cost. Ford decided to simply scrap the M-block engines and replace them with updated 351 Windsor engines at the small end, and a combination of the 6.9 L Navistar International diesel and the 460 at the top end. Sales of the M-block ended in 1982.


I thought it was interesting.


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## ParkRNDL

Very cool. So essentially, the 400M was built for the same purpose as Chevy's small-block 400: a torque monster for increasingly heavy mid- and full-size cars without having to resort to big-block weight and fuel consumption. Not that either would ever win a Mobil Economy Run or anything...

--rick


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## 440s-4ever

It really is a shame ford compromised the valve timing on an engine with cleveland heads and 400 cubes. SBC guys would kill for stock-issue heads that flow like clevelands. 

Sure is hard to belive the small block designation. Small it ain't!

What kind of rear suspension is in that thing? 4 link with coil springs? We had a 351M Tbird that had enough rear suspension bars for two cars. Never seen anything like it in my chevy-centric world. I heard torinos etc had a simpler suspension.


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## NTxSlotCars

Hey Rick,

I thought I would throw these on the fire for ya...

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1814394418.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/1770944977.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/1770257355.html

Food for thought.


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## ParkRNDL

yer killin me, especially the first one. i had a '70 in college. ya know that car we all had that we never shoulda sold...










and posing with my brother's Chevelle, which HE never shoulda sold...










although if i was in the market now, the one that appeals to me most is that black '74. it's also more in keeping with the theme of this thread... the '70-'72s are more like the muscle cars of the 60s. i LOVE the big round headlight look on the '73, 4, 5... the '73 had a KILLER taillight treatment, but the '74 is close.

i better cut this crap out before my wife gets wind of it and calls a divorce lawyer. :freak:

--rick


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## NTxSlotCars

ParkRNDL said:


> yer killin me, especially the first one. i had a '70 in college. ya know that car we all had that we never shoulda sold...
> the '73 had a KILLER taillight treatment, but the '74 is close.
> 
> i better cut this crap out before my wife gets wind of it and calls a divorce lawyer. :freak:
> 
> --rick


Here ya go...

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1804429520.html

:thumbsup:


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## 440s-4ever

Great bunch of A bodies. Someday I hope to molest a low mile GM 73-77 survivor with a grand national 3.8 & cragars. Nothing else. Then daily drive it a few years. Have been close to the right car several times......


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## 1976Cordoba

I told the TM we need to buy another Firebird and she said "We don't need 12 cars!" Hahahaha

I dont know how having 2, then adding 1 = 12 but whatever. Maybe the motorcycle counts as 9 more cars somehow . . .


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## Rolls

440s-4ever said:


> Great bunch of A bodies. Someday I hope to molest a low mile GM 73-77 survivor with a grand national 3.8 & cragars. Nothing else. Then daily drive it a few years. Have been close to the right car several times......


It'll handle great with the lighter 3.8 and since its the front 2 cyls cut off, weight distn really improves. The GN engine is *stout*. Great idea, I think.


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## bobwoodly

*Dreaming of a 12 car garage....*



1976Cordoba said:


> I told the TM we need to buy another Firebird and she said "We don't need 12 cars!" Hahahaha
> 
> I dont know how having 2, then adding 1 = 12 but whatever. Maybe the motorcycle counts as 9 more cars somehow . . .


Was single with 3 relatively cool cars - '55 TBird, '76 Lotus Eclat, '85 Audi GT - 20+ years later married with kid drivers and a pedestrian group - Honda CRV (wife), Colorado Pickup (daily driver), Pontiac G6 (#1 son), Mini Cooper S (midlife crisis car). If I had stayed single I would have had a 1 bedroom apartment over a 12 car garage!


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## 1976Cordoba

I've been without Pontiac Excitement since January and it's starting to get to me I think.


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## 706hemi

hey bob, you had a 76 eclat? you are one brave man! i got a 76 elite but i popped in a lil' 4.5 litre v8, ran a best of 10.4 with some nitrous assistance, its a full street legal car on pump fuel, here it is running at avon park here in the u.k, had a little nitrous "burp" on this run! it was in stright red when i first built it, i think it looked much better, will return it back (one day!)










also to help defend rich on his 70's trip, this is my 73 deville, whilst i agree with many that there was some absoloute bot coming out,i think there were also a couple of nice (ish) cars available too, i think the 80's had as many undesireables, like many i dont think you can beat the stuff from the 50's and 60's 










take it easy
tony


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## bobwoodly

*Yup I had a stock Eclat*



706hemi said:


> hey bob, you had a 76 eclat? you are one brave man!


Yes I had a orange/red one like in your earlier picture but it was stock. Still pretty quick, cheap to buy and fun to drive. Only stranded me once with a failed alternator. The goofy vacuum headlights took awhile to troubleshoot. Wish it was as cool looking as an Esprit. Your Elite looks cool.


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## 706hemi

hey bob, you did real well to fail only the one time, i broke down a few times when she was stock, yeah, the esprit was a better looking car, you probably heard what lotus actually stands for, but for those who don't

L ots 
O f 
T rouble
U sually
S erious

take it easy


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## NTxSlotCars

A little red.


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## resinmonger

Then you'll shoot on a little Petty Blue?


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## Hornet

You can make a 400M run pretty good,way back when i was a kid,i had one in a 77 Shortbox Pick-up,i started with Fords HO series 400 shortblock assembly,with flat top pistons,threw a small Crane blazer cam into it,hunted up the early 70 2bbl Cleveland heads,spent a bunch of time porting the crap outta the exhaust side ports,and port matched the intake ports to a Holley Street Dominator intake, threw a set of cheap headers on it,with 3.50 gears the little truck weighed 4400 lbs across the scales,and ran high 13's to low 14's all day long at 4,000 feet of elevation.
I had close to a 100,000 miles on the motor when i sold it a buddy,he dropped it into his early 70's Cougar,stuck a set of 4.11's into it,and the car ran 12.80's at Mission BC for a couple more summers,i lost track of the motor after that.
Just look at the last few Engine Master's shoot-outs,the 400M with CHI heads has been cleaning house,it's a boat anchor of a engine concerning weight,but it can be made to run pretty decently with a little work


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## 1976Cordoba

I think I know where this is going . . .


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## Pomfish

So.............I am on my way to the Demo Derby at Buck Motorsports outside of Lancaster, PA last night and I see 2 cars for sale about a mile before the track and..............they were 2 of the exact car you are modifying!
http://www.buckmotorsports.com/


Don't know the cost as I had cars on my bumper, but it made me laugh.

The demos were awesome, they added a teaser class off Mini Vans and they were a crowd favorite.
I expect they will be a new class next year.

July 31st they are going to have Farm Combines going at it in a Demolition!
Never saw that before.
Thanks,
Keith


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## NTxSlotCars

*Ding Ding Ding*

Yep, I've had this on my mind lately...










It will be the biggest Tyco ever...


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## Rolls

That red is looking *very* good! Love the progress!


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## NTxSlotCars

Well, I got it home, and primered the sides the rest of the way.


















But, it's monsoon season in Texas. Don't know when I'm gonna do the white on it.


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## 1976Cordoba

I like it :thumbsup:


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## bobhch

*Sweeeet red paint job so far....*



1976Cordoba said:


> I like it :thumbsup:


Me too....#21 :thumbsup:


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## NTxSlotCars

I have some more updates on this project. Anyone wanna see some pics?


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## Lype Motorsport

SURE!:thumbsup:


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## ParkRNDL

Yes yea yes uh huh affirmative...


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## Dslot

Yeah. And a pic of you collapsed across the hood from heatstroke, a piece of clogged sandpaper still in your ashen grey hand. Just part of doing bodywork in a Texas August...

Stay hydrated, bubba.


----------



## resinmonger

Heck yes, Rich. I've been saving up some drool for the occasion...


----------



## slotcarman12078

Yeah!!!! I want to see too!!!


----------



## plymouth71

Nah I'm good


----------



## SplitPoster

Man, I wondered about the weather and painting.... heat, dust, bugs and the monsoon.
We had a 76 Elite, I think the steering wheel was connected to a rudder as it felt like a boat! Getting all that padded vinyl off was a great start! Probably reduce pitch and yaw a bunch getting rid of those battering ram bumpers as well. The sportscar trick when no pre-bumpercar chrome is available is to go with fiberglas replicas and don't use your front end to feel the car in front of you any more. 

Have to agree on the whole mid 70's identity crisis - "personal luxury" and inexplicable marketing direction gave a lot of market to imports. I figure the big 3 fired most of their engineers to save money, how else do you explain it? They had to tack on a bunch of that stuff to break up the huge expanses of sheet metal. After all the buildup into the late 60's, how far they fell.


----------



## gonegonzo

Waiting !

Gonzo


----------



## Slott V

Actually you can lay most of the blame on the Gov't mandating safety regulations, emission controls and MPG expectations from cars that couldn't reach the goals. The "5 mph bumper" was started in the mid 70's and went through a bunch of phases through the early to mid 80's and part of that was a height minimum as well. That in itself led to all the ugliness and economic shortfalls with manufacturers. Then there was increased pressure for manufacturers to meet certain EPA emission standards and the engineering that ensued after that was pathetic. Being that fuel injection and computers didn't really go into production until the 1984-5 Corvette and wasn't offered on full sized cars until 87-88 manufacturers had a horrible time trying to make a carburetor do what the EPA demanded. I had a 1985 El Camino and while it was a pretty attractive car, the engine was an unbelievable abortion of emission controls that was a can of worms. The Gen I computer system was an open loop design and was nearly impossible to diagnose if something in the system failed. The carb on it was one of the last before F.I. and it was the most whacked out carb I've ever rebuilt and was impossible to tune without elaborate meters and sensors. The whole idea of trying to burtn fossil fuels and not stink up the environment is nearly impossible without robbing any engine of power and efficiency. Today they are able to achieve much better emission controls through the use of better closed loop computer systems, more efficient ignition syste,s and precise fuel mixture control with individual fuel injectors for each cylinder. This technology wasn't affordable 20 years ago.

Back then another popular aftermarket item was the "Test Tube" that allowed you to remove your catalytic converter for "off road" applications. It became a huge seller as it free'd up horsepwoer that the early cat cons killed as a result of poor design that literally clogged the exhaust flow. Along with those there were also special funnel-like adapters sold to allow you to use a leaded gas nozel in the smaller no lead neck hole before they completely eliminated leaded fuel for public use on highways.


----------



## Slott V

I was at a Ford dealer a few weeks ago test fitting some prototype parts and had to laugh when I saw this Lincoln in the showroom. 1978 Mark V with 1,600 original miles. I think it was from the owners collection. It was ugly yet cool for some reason.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Ah yes, the Mark V was actually one of my favorites from the late 70s Ford stable.
Sorry about the delay, I meant to post some more last night, but the TMs at 9 months this week, so I'm on call.

First thing I did was to finish installing rivets in the rocker panel holes.









This was early morning, when it was cooler, 
so I taped it off and let the sun beat on it a bit to make sure it was dry.









Before, I believed that you could just rough up the surface of the original paint, and the new paint would adhere.
Much to my dismay, this isn't true. You really have to primer between coats, at least with this stuff you do.
Part of what makes a rattle can paint job look so is the fact that you are painting a large surface area, 
and the can is designed to cover a small area, so as you are spraying,
the fine mist around the outside of the spray actually dries as it's hitting the surface.
This makes the awful spray marks as you are painting.
I picked this up painting forklifts. What I do is install a brake cleaner tip on the can.
The idea is to throw the paint on in one coat, leaving no spray marks
You have to stay back about 2 feet to spray. Side to side from bottom to top seems to work the best.


























It's late August, no breeze and no pesky bugs (they're all dead, except the ants.)
I repeated the process for the other side.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

All in all I think it worked out okay.










It's supposed to rain a little the next couple of days.
I'll shoot the hood and front fenders sometime this week.
It's industrial enamel, almost as good as engine enamel.
After I get this stuff on and cured I can do some color sanding.

Can't wait for the decals!!!!!


----------



## resinmonger

Beautiful finish, Rich! That bad boy is shaping up into one very fine ride. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## 440s-4ever

That car looks great! The brake clean tip/tip is an interesting notion. Will have to try that sometime. 

Having rattle canned a number of cars in a similar fashion, here's something you probably already know......Cheaper to spray with a gun, and if you have enough "eye" to rattle can without runs you'll do great work with the gun. My best luck with cheap enamel is to add hardener (farm store) and thin it with the cheapest reducer sold at an automotive paint store. By using an auto grade reducer it dries with higher shine and minimizes orange peel. Total car cost ends up lower than pre-canned and film thickness is greater. 

Congratulations on having it turn out so nice. Keep up the good work!


----------



## Dslot

> _Rich sez:_
> 
> Can't wait for the decals!!!!!


Yeah, Coooooool!!
Are ya gonna use _"Hot Dog," "Bandito," "Slickster" or "PHANTOM"_?
And maybe some undersized yellow racing meatballs put on a little bit crooked? 
And for the final touch, an irregular black area around the rear wheelwells that looks like they've been enlarged with a giant X-acto knife.

I can hardly wait to see it!!!!!

-- D :jest:


----------



## Joe65SkylarkGS

plymouth71 said:


> Nah I'm good



Hahahahahaha!! Your not right!!!!!


----------



## Joe65SkylarkGS

NTxSlotCars said:


> All in all I think it worked out okay.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's supposed to rain a little the next couple of days.
> I'll shoot the hood and front fenders sometime this week.
> It's industrial enamel, almost as good as engine enamel.
> After I get this stuff on and cured I can do some color sanding.
> 
> Can't wait for the decals!!!!!


Looking great dude!!!


----------



## ParkRNDL

NTxSlotCars said:


> All in all I think it worked out okay.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's supposed to rain a little the next couple of days.
> I'll shoot the hood and front fenders sometime this week.
> It's industrial enamel, almost as good as engine enamel.
> After I get this stuff on and cured I can do some color sanding.
> 
> Can't wait for the decals!!!!!


Oh man, I can't begin to tell you what you got me thinking...

Every day on the way home from work, I pass a rustbucket '73 or '74 Charger that has been sitting for sale for months. Beige, dull, original full wheel covers, has been sitting under a tree and looks like it.

I'm thinkin' I need it, and I also need a whole boatload of STP red-and-blue spray bombs... Anybody know where I can get some white 43s?

Looking great, can't wait to see the stickers on it...



Dslot said:


> Yeah, Coooooool!!
> Are ya gonna use _"Hot Dog," "Bandito," "Slickster" or "PHANTOM"_?
> And maybe some undersized yellow racing meatballs put on a little bit crooked?
> And for the final touch, an irregular black area around the rear wheelwells that looks like they've been enlarged with a giant X-acto knife.
> 
> I can hardly wait to see it!!!!!
> 
> -- D :jest:


I always wanted to do that with a 1:1 Falcon or '67 Camaro or early Mustang. Didn't someone recently post a 1:1 Galaxie painted in a dead-on match for Aurora turquoise?

--rick


----------



## slotcarman12078

Looking great Rich!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Dslot

_Rick sez:_


> I always wanted to do that with a 1:1 Falcon or '67 Camaro or early Mustang.


Or set a junker XK-E body in the front yard, blacken the bumper edges, spray the headlight covers silver, paint it solid tan and punch a ragged 12" hole out of the top of the hood right behind the grille.

"It's not an abandoned car, officer; it's ART."


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Fun comments guys. Thanks!
I guess I could use some cardboard and mock up a 1:1 J car in teal with the usual damage.

The rain is supposed to be done. Hopefully, I can finish the white this weekend.

Just stayin focused here...


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Hey Rick,
Did you get that Charger? Take a closer look? Any pics?


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Man, if I ever find a cheap white Monte Carlo...


----------



## noddaz

*Nice...*

Looks nice...
Ever see one of those threads about painting a car with Rustoleum?
You thin it, roll it on and then color sand when dry... (Really...)

This guy actually sprayed it on:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/


----------



## ParkRNDL

NTxSlotCars said:


> Hey Rick,
> Did you get that Charger? Take a closer look? Any pics?


Funny you should ask. The day after I posted that, I finally stopped to look at it. 










It's a 318 auto, for what that's worth. Can't remember now if it was column or floor shift. Probably not a bad starting point for a runner/driver/beater, except for one detail: the asking price. I should have taken pics of the signs in the window. The guy wrote some kind of sales pitch about how there's still time this season to get it fixed up and hit some cruise nights with it. He wants...




are you ready?....




$3800!!

And the first price posted is $4k, and he makes a big deal about how he's knocked 200 bucks off that. hmmmm... check completed listings on Fleabay. not a CHANCE...

interesting side note: the same house has two '68 Chargers in similar shape under the carport...

:wave:

--rick


----------



## 440s-4ever

Hate to say it but if that charger had hideaway headlights and was a better color, it'd be well worth the money. Prices on 70s cars are spiraling upward, especially above the national road-salt line. Those chargers have sexy lines but so few end up done properly.

When I look on craigslist texas cities, 73-77 montes are underpriced by $2k per midwest standards. So if the purolator ford is gonna have a garage mate, act soon! Cause if you don't and I get a car hauler, ain't gonna be none left to buy


----------



## Slott V

Some of you guys know I'm a bit of a gearhead/classic car collector and looking at that Charger it honestly doesn't look that bad from the photo and IMO doesn't rank as a "rust bucket". Depending on the mileage and the bottom of it I'd say the guy isn't far off the mark if you look at estimated values for that car today; 

http://collectorcarmarket.com/menus/ccmprcs/73docher.html

If you offered him $3k you wouldn't be insulting him.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Well, it's kinda hard to land a 70s Charger for less than 2k, but it's doable.

I have my eye on this one, wish I had a little more cash on hand. 

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/1853083300.html

Looks like you could just buff it, and apply Gatorade decals.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

noddaz said:


> Looks nice...
> Ever see one of those threads about painting a car with Rustoleum?
> You thin it, roll it on and then color sand when dry... (Really...)
> 
> This guy actually sprayed it on:
> 
> http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/


Looks good! I am actually using Rustoleum industrial enamel. (with a brake cleaner tip)


----------



## ParkRNDL

Guess I stand corrected. I kinda wondered after I posted that if I wasn't being a little hard on the guy. To be fair, there's stuff you can't see in the pics... the paint is completely chalky and shot, there's rust bubbling up at the bottoms of fenders and wheelwells, the bumpers are spray can chrome... but I guess I'm also stuck in the '80s when my brother bought a decent-running '72 Chevelle 307 for $700, and i bought a rusty '70 Chevelle, also with a 307, for something like $150. heck, I paid $2700 for my '65 Impala in '93, in MUCH better shape than this Charger, and I thought it was too much. i guess the moral is that prices/values ARE going up so hang on to whatever you got...

--rick


----------



## tjetsgrig

noddaz said:


> Looks nice...
> Ever see one of those threads about painting a car with Rustoleum?
> You thin it, roll it on and then color sand when dry... (Really...)
> 
> This guy actually sprayed it on:
> 
> http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/


Did my wheels and engine block with Rustoleum! Love the stuff!


----------



## resinmonger

Sano ride, TJG! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## 1976Cordoba

ParkRNDL said:


>


That never was a great color on a Charger, but that right there is a damn shame.


----------



## bobwoodly

*Rustoleum*



tjetsgrig said:


> Did my wheels and engine block with Rustoleum! Love the stuff!


Now I'm going to make everyone cringe. My brother took an old pickup with rust holes - duct taped over the bigger holes and then painted the truck with Rustoleum, using a roller. Looked shiny from a ways away.

Painted the wheels with a politically incorrect term for spray chrome.


----------



## noddaz

ParkRNDL said:


> Funny you should ask. The day after I posted that, I finally stopped to look at it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's a 318 auto, for what that's worth. Can't remember now if it was column or floor shift. Probably not a bad starting point for a runner/driver/beater, except for one detail: the asking price. I should have taken pics of the signs in the window. The guy wrote some kind of sales pitch about how there's still time this season to get it fixed up and hit some cruise nights with it. He wants...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> are you ready?....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> $3800!!
> 
> And the first price posted is $4k, and he makes a big deal about how he's knocked 200 bucks off that. hmmmm... check completed listings on Fleabay. not a CHANCE...
> 
> interesting side note: the same house has two '68 Chargers in similar shape under the carport...
> 
> :wave:
> 
> --rick


Oh please...
That is a $500 beater and it is going to sit there and rust away at $3800
There.
I said it...


----------



## noddaz

*Since we are talking about cars...*

I can't help but post this...

Historic 1983 Chevy Malibu Wagon - $800 (Middle River Md)

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/1856107063.html

Historic? :dude: riiight...


----------



## ParkRNDL

Wow. Wasn't '83 or '84 the last year for the Malibu? That's about the time the Celebrity came out to replace it...

--rick


----------



## NTxSlotCars

*Almost done spraying...*

Well, I painted the bumper trim and installed the parts on the rear.










Today, I'm doing the hood and front fenders.










I wasn't going to do this, hence the red, but I decided to go all the way to the front of the hod on the stripe.


























With the point on the hood, I just had to go with that.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

I think it's turning out okay.


















Rich
www.northtexasslotcars.com :hat:


----------



## 1976Cordoba

Heck yeah that's cool! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## noddaz

*Nice!*



NTxSlotCars said:


> I think it's turning out okay.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rich
> www.northtexasslotcars.com :hat:


You are darn right it is!


----------



## resinmonger

OK? OK? Turning out awesomenariously sweet I say! Rich, you're doing yourself proud. Even Sparky would say so. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## bobhch

Rich,

Man you have kept on going like crazy on this. Nice work and love it!

Bob...you are building a time machine dude...zilla


----------



## SplitPoster

noddaz said:


> Oh please...
> That is a $500 beater and it is going to sit there and rust away at $3800
> There.
> I said it...


1. They don't rust away to nothing in Texas like they do in MD and DE. I was there. We brought a 63 Galaxie 500 2 door south when we moved from north of Balitmore way back when, the cancer had already taken hold..... I would have loved to have had that car when I started driving.

2. Let's see, a pre-1974 2 door full size Mopar, all there, not bent and presumably running and driving is a $500 beater? When you go to sell your own project cars - I mean beaters - call me first, OK? When I think of $500 beaters, I am visualizing K cars with plastic trim missing and garbage bags where at least one window should be LOL.


----------



## fordcowboy

Hey NTxSlotCars!
I don't know if you have thought about your decals for your car or not, but here in Missouri I worked for a company that put vinyl lettering on the company trucks. After several years you can take a heat gun to the vinyl lettering & remove it. And if you outline the number in black you can use Final Net Hairspray to remove the black outline without harming the background paint. 
Just passing on info.....
Also - Is this going to be HobbyTalk's next "traveling" car?
You could take some copper & make a guide pin & pick up shoes under it to make it look like a slot car. LOL 
--Fordcowboy


----------



## ParkRNDL

Dude, you are living the dream. Watching this thread in eager anticipation. :thumbsup:

--rick


----------



## roadrner

Can't wait to see it finished. :thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


----------



## NTxSlotCars

*Okay, almost there...*

Well, painting the hood AND fender may have been a little too ambitious.
It turned out a little too orange peely for my taste. It's just too big an area to cover with a can.

Today, I'm scaling back a bit, just gonna do the hood.
I'm running out of materials, so I got to get a little creative with the masking.
The mild cloud cover is nice, but the cooler temps have brought two unwanted guests, bugs and lots of wind.
The early morning yard work isn't helping either.










I got it but the wind is just killin the whole deal. I had to spray with the wind.










It turned out alright, but with the wind, not much better than the other side.










I'm sprayin on thick so I can correct when I color sand it.










It still looks tons better than it did. I've been out with my brother looking at old cars.
What I've seen in after market paint jobs has actually made me feel good about this whole car.










Thanks for all the kind comments guys. :hat:


----------



## slotcarman12078

Lookin' good Rich!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## coach61

Yard work??? thats what those guys at Home Depot are for.. you sure your a Texan?


Dave


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Yard work??? Me???? NO, it was a neighbor, throwing grass up in the air.
I guess I shouldn't have said anything, this whole week Texas is covered up by a left over hurricane.
No more painting here til at least the weekend, so they say. You know, they could be wrong.


----------



## SplitPoster

Look at the bright side, all that rain will knock the dust down! 

Making the transition from slots to 1:1 and back again! It's all good!


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Monsoon.


----------



## Lype Motorsport

Hi Rich
Are you a dad yet?? Were all wonderin?

Larry


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Not yet, and the tornadoes were on the other side of town.
TMs mom is here, so that's a big help. Workin long hours right now.

Thanks,
Rich


----------



## NTxSlotCars

*Couldn't stand the weather.*

Whew,
I've been offline for a few days, so here's an update.

I was too excited to snap a before pic, but I got the last fender done over the weekend.










































Dude, I'm about ready to drive this thing. :hat:


----------



## kiwidave

Looking good Texas. Well done!


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Next is the bumper trim...


















The bumper cleaned up nice with some scotch brite and a grinder.










And after a small storm of unrepeatables, I got it lined up and bolted on.










Next I need to install the backrests, foot pegs and belts on it for extra passengers.
You know, it only took half the bolts with the little bumpers gone off the front.
I sure hope it stays on at 180mph.

Rich
www.northtexasslotcars.com :thumbsup:


----------



## Lype Motorsport

Hi Rich
Glen & Leonard will be proud of ya! Just stay away from the 43 car, remember what happened at Daytona on the last lap........

Larry


----------



## NTxSlotCars

*Grilling out.*

I took all the granny trim off the car, and what a difference,
but I can't do a whole lot about this granny grill.










Somehow, I gots to make it look better, so I'm gonna throw some dark grey on it.


























Not a whole lot of difference. 
Back in the day, we used to black out the grill and some trim with flat black.
I may have to resort to that, but I'm gonna put it together to see what it looks like.


























Man, that really grannys it up, especially, with those hamster cage turn signals.
I went with the dark grey to match the bumper trim, but I may have to go with flat black.
I'm also considering blacking in the headlight bezels, leaving the outer trim, or not.

Any thoughts?


----------



## 1976Cordoba

Was thinking of this car the other day . . . and how the old stock cars always had the headlights removed and covered with tin / sheetmetal.

What if you were to fashion some sheetmetal covers in the approximate size & shape of the headlight openings and turn signals (front & rear) paint them up to your choice of colors (maybe silver or gray for the headlights for instance) and then use some magnets glued in place to mount the covers to the car when you just have it sitting out or displayed . . . 

You can see the fab work on the headlights and stuff in this pic:










Maybe you could fashion a screen for that unattractive grill too, like the one on the car pictured. If you want to drive the car, just pull the pieces off and you still have the functionality & legality of all your lights.

And I agree that flat black or a dark charcoal gray might be the right color for the front end paint.

Looking great so far Rich! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## resinmonger

Thanks for posting the awesome vintage picture, Doba. It should help Rich and it sure is fun for the rest of us to see. :hat: :thumbsup:


----------



## Rolls

Yeah, GREAT pic, 'doba! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

NTx - If you can rig up the lights/grill as suggested, that'd look killer. But this pic 'doba's unearthed has two other cool things... 

1. Great hood detail, if you ever wanted to some taping off and rattle can details (or it might be cheap to have a vinyl skin for the hood with the detail. It seems that vinyl skin technology keeps getting more affordable.

2. Super cool windshield hold down pieces around the windshield trim. Those are awesome and they should be pretty easy to duplicate. Very nice touch, I think, if you like it.

Good stuff!


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Great pic!!! 
The window hold downs are a thought. I like the magnet idea for the front detail.
It's gonna have hood pins, although only two. I'll have to have that "competition proven" decal made.
The paint lines on that Cougar/Montego don't really work on this car.
They had a bit flatter front, this one is too pointy. I am gonna rework some of the red.
While I'm at it, I'll round off the stripe at the back of the hood.

On the grill...
I thought leaving the cross trim would give it a more sinister look, but no.
Dark grey is going on the rest of the grill.

Thanks for the input guys :thumbsup:


----------



## NTxSlotCars

1976Cordoba said:


> Was thinking of this car the other day . . . and how the old stock cars always had the headlights removed and covered with tin / sheetmetal.
> You can see the fab work on the headlights and stuff in this pic:


This pic is worth repeating.

Hey Look!!! It has the stock bumpers with the stops removed! LOL


----------



## 440s-4ever

Thoughts on headlights and turn signals.....

There's a VHT product called niteshades. Red/orange-based tail light tint. One light coat will take the whiteness out of the parking light lens and make it less noticeable. Two light coats is what OEM blacked-out lenses looked like. Three coats and they're black but still illuminate. 

Headlights- 4x4 style wire mesh covers screams stock car even though it's more dirt tracky than nascar. Chrome if you want less noticeable. Black or body color if you're emphasizing the mesh. A similar mesh over the parking lights could be a nice touch. Or just a smidge too much. 

Window straps could be attached with 2 sided 3m trim tape.


----------



## 1976Cordoba

I can suggest a link: HERE

It is kind of pot luck on what you're gonna find in some of the folders, but dang it's a lot of pics :thumbsup:


----------



## Dslot

Well, Rich, there's always the Big Hole In The Hood approach.











Beefing up the wheels always makes a car look more serious.










Well, almost always.

Little hole in the hood, same-width stripe(s) has a gutsy elegance.










Sorry I couldn't find one closer to yours. Here's an approximation:










And, for the grille, flat black or dark metallic grey, but leave the 3 main horizontal bars chrome. No time to do a mockup right now. Later, maybe.

I've really enjoyed watching this thread.

-- D


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Cool, I forgot about those wire mesh thingys.

Hey Doba, even funnier is your post is #121, Dan Gurneys old # when he drove for the Wood Brothers.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

wow, what a carp load of pics!!!

D, I walked out this morning, and someone had painted stripes on my hood...
how'd you do that?


----------



## Dslot

Hey Rich,

How 'bout the *Slotsky & Rich* treatment?











And this one's such a great custom, that you almost wouldn't know it was a Torino Elite at all.










Hey, this pic comes up when I google *custom Torino Elite*, so it _must_ be one, right?  And you _*can*_ see the same overall shape under the graceful restyling and detailing. 

Here's the competition version:










See, you just rig a cargo net across your side window, and it really makes it look, y'know,_ TOUGH_.  And it helps to have a grandstand permanently reflected in your hood.

Now, about the grille and the turn indicator cages - flat black or met. dk. grey on the grille, with selected verticals or horizontals (or maybe only the horizontal center bar) masked off to leave them chrome. On the turn indicators, clip out or black out the top and bottom horizontals, darken the lens at top and bottom but leave the middle band clear or hit it with transparent orange stick-on film. Gotta have some part of it showing full-legal amounts of light. If you'd rather, you can flat-black all the chrome bars on the t.i. cage.

Oh yeah - flat-black the square bezels around the headlights, all except for a thin edge. That'll de-grannify it. Something like this:










Just a couple of suggestions to give you something to think about. It's been great watching you do this project. Makes me think maybe I could even do something similar - but not in August. This is _Texas_, bro. 

-- D :wave:


----------



## Dslot

Another grille treatment, this time leaving only the horizontal bar chrome.










Also the front sheet-metal is flat-blacked, from the turn indicators on down, and the squinchy stuff forward to the bumper. You might prefer to paint what's left of the indicator cages body-color red, instead of black.

An' ya need another air hole in the bumper to get rid of that massive quick-job federalized 5-mph '70s Dick Tracy jaw look, so I gave you one.

Couldn't sleep last night. Can you tell?

-- D :wave:


----------



## 440s-4ever

I was thinking about a bumper slot/duct too, that's a great photoshop and a good overall shape for the car. 

Here's something I've done to a 1:1......
Similar bumper slot. Then cut the width of a license plate about an inch deeper across the bottom, generating a flat surface. 

Mount the license plate at a 45 degree-ish angle like a spoiler. Allow it to rest against the flat relief cut so it sticks out of the bumper halfway. Brackets are simple strips of sheetmetal that attach to the bolts for the inner bumper and hang down for the top 2 plate bolts. 

By shifting the plate to center, there's 2 more areas freed up for holes. 

good luck


----------



## 440s-4ever

Looking for a cheap and cornball way to skirt the bottom bumper edge, or perhaps the bottom of the radiator support? It'd not only mimic a high speed racer's touch, but would make the car seem lower.

Black plastic landscape edging. One edge features a heavy ring that will allow it to attach with sheetmetal screws. Easy to trim and work with, and if corners or other exacting shapes are needed it's easy to pop-rivet a small sheetmetal support in place on the backside. 

Also good for skirting inner fenders on trucks with body lifts :thumbsup: No more see-thru.

You've got an awesome project there. 

PS- consider a graphite color if you're gonna do mass-blackout up front. Will shift it from sort of a hooptie missing-part look, to more of a crisp, factory look. Many racers of that era ran stock grilles with screens on short tracks.


----------



## 1976Cordoba

Another replica out there somewhere . . .


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Another cool pic! That's a 73 or 74 Montego.
Really cool, cuz he drove on of those too...


----------



## resinmonger

Sweet picture Rich! You can never see too many vintage NASCAR pics!!! :thumbsup: :hat:  :dude:

(Hard to get quite that excited about COTs though...)


----------



## Rolls

1976Cordoba said:


> Was thinking of this car the other day . . . and how the old stock cars always had the headlights removed and covered with tin / sheetmetal.
> 
> What if you were to fashion some sheetmetal covers in the approximate size & shape of the headlight openings and turn signals (front & rear) paint them up to your choice of colors (maybe silver or gray for the headlights for instance) and then use some magnets glued in place to mount the covers to the car when you just have it sitting out or displayed . . .
> 
> You can see the fab work on the headlights and stuff in this pic:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe you could fashion a screen for that unattractive grill too, like the one on the car pictured. If you want to drive the car, just pull the pieces off and you still have the functionality & legality of all your lights.
> 
> And I agree that flat black or a dark charcoal gray might be the right color for the front end paint.
> 
> Looking great so far Rich! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


Just looking at this excellent photo again and noticed that they sliced out an HO car length out of the behemoth bumper to to tuck it in close on either side of the car. They taped over the joint. I guess it keeps it out of the wind and lessens the chance of cars getting hooked. Hmmm... now that bumper laws have relaxed a little, you might have some freedom to slice and dice your bumpers as you see fit.


----------



## tjd241

1976Cordoba said:


> Another replica out there somewhere . . .


Once you get decals on the body, rims, and white letter tires, you eye does not get drawn directly to the grill. With this one pictured here I don't think the stock grill is as noticeable because of everything else going on with it. There is an even spread of detail.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Well, I went with the dark grey all over the grill...


















It looks much better.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

So, now I gotta do something with the holes in the back panel.










I considered fabbing something, but decided to just paint over the non reflective reflector thingys on the back.










Funny thing is, that reflector lens will pop right off, leaving a flat plastic panel. Perfect.


























A little soap and scrubbing, and these painted up nicely.


----------



## 1976Cordoba

Good stuff!! :thumbsup:


----------



## Rolls

Great progress! Grill and tail treatments are both big improvements.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Dslot

NTxSlotCars said:


> Well, I went with the dark grey all over the grill...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It looks much better.


You can tell the car likes it. It's smiling.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

I was playing around with some decals, but I'm nowhere near this point yet.










The front fenders and hood have remained true white.
The doors to the back have turned kind of an antique white, kind of weird.
I thought maybe the front fenders would catch up, but it ain't gonna happen.
All you pro paint guys can laugh now. I'm gonna have to repaint one or the other.
I think if I had it to again, I might have it painted all white and go from there.


----------



## resinmonger

Looking way awesome, Rich. I dig the running comentary of progress. BTW, the new grill looks very sweet - like a race car should. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Stay thirsty...


----------



## Dslot

NTxSlotCars said:


> _Rich sez: _The front fenders and hood have remained true white.
> The doors to the back have turned kind of an antique white, kind of weird.
> I thought maybe the front fenders would catch up, but it ain't gonna happen.
> All you pro paint guys can laugh now. I'm gonna have to repaint one or the other.


Nah. Just get a rattlecan of the true fender-white, and spray the doors, gradually fading out to the antique white about a third of the way back. As long as the fade is gradual, most people won't notice, and the ones who do will think you're a genius designer for doing a such a subtle intentional fade.










Just learn to look wise, and say "Yes, I thought it added a certain subliminal dynamism that was lacking in the basic color combination." 

A true cheapskate can always find a way. :wave:

-- D
P.S. Oops. Just noticed I left the red nose paint off the lower one. Sorry.


----------



## slotcarman12078

It's a good thing the livery police aren't around... That Hurst decal is 3/8ths of an inch too low! :lol:


----------



## resinmonger

slotcarman12078 said:


> It's a good thing the livery police aren't around... That Hurst decal is 3/8ths of an inch too low! :lol:


Good to see someone is maintaining the standards, SCMan! :thumbsup: :hat:

Happy Thanksgiving! :hat:


----------



## ParkRNDL

Dslot said:


> Nah. Just get a rattlecan of the true fender-white, and spray the doors, gradually fading out to the antique white about a third of the way back. As long as the fade is gradual, most people won't notice, and the ones who do will think you're a genius designer for doing a such a subtle intentional fade.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just learn to look wise, and say "Yes, I thought it added a certain subliminal dynamism that was lacking in the basic color combination."
> 
> A true cheapskate can always find a way. :wave:
> 
> -- D
> P.S. Oops. Just noticed I left the red nose paint off the lower one. Sorry.


Dude, what graphics program are you using? You're, like, the master of whip-it-together illustrations... wasn't it you in the turn borders thread doing those cool 3-d cross sections?

--rick


----------



## Rolls

I don't care what the topic is... if it's got one of DSlot's graphics in it, I'm gonna read it.


----------



## Dslot

Garsh.  Thanks, guys.

The software is Adobe Illustrator CS for Macintosh (several releases back, now). And yes, Rick, I did the turn-borders diagram, but that one didn't exactly whip together - it's a simple picture, but for some reason it took a lot longer than I expected.

I retired from doing tech illustration, graphics, editing and display for Mobil's Dallas Research Laboratory, and many years before that, I did a few years as a designer and Art Director for a medium-small game and hobby company (now defunct).

I'm retired now, but have a couple of select freelance clients. When that slows down, I like to keep in practice by using the software to do hobby stuff for myself or friends, Carol's projects, this forum, Wikipedia, or whatever catches my fancy. A lot of it's probably overkill for the forum topics, but it's fun, and I don't have to get out of the recliner. Besides that, it runs in the family; my sister did the same kind of stuff in the aerospace industry - but _she_ can animate. 

-- D :wave:


----------



## resinmonger

Dslot... Wow! No wonder your illustrations look like you got skillz. It's because you got *SKILLZ!* :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Overkill is a good thing. I really enjoy your posts and illustrations. :thumbsup: :hat:

I went into management/project management just as we were transitioning into 3D solid models. My ability to ink on mylar is a wee bit old tech and my pens are all dried out... :freak:

Rock on Dsolt!!! :dude:


----------



## bobwoodly

For yellowing just soak the whole body in Hydrogen Peroxide, several hundred gallons should do....


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Freakin hilarious!!!
Wait, that just might work. ????


----------



## resinmonger

What ever you do, save some space on the rear view mirror to hang some baby shoes... :hat: :hat:


----------



## Lummox

Man, I usually got no use for sleds past the 1972 mark, but this thread is a blast!!!!
And a post '72 ride done up Grand National style just makes it bitchen the core!
Congrats on taking such a hum-drum snoozer and making it into something to be very proud of, and kind of flying a banner of the historical significance of what REAL STOCK CARS USED TO BE...and never will be again.

I commend you my man, you are creating a teaching tool of sorts. A rolling exibit of what STOCK cars once were. Proud Detroit iron, not some stupid kit car basically with more corperate logos than horse power.
This will show the kids passing by in their moms mini van what Grand National is all about.

Do you somehow get the feeling I HATE modern Nascar?  Well. you'd be right.
Keep this thang a-commin' and please keep us posted!!
I have a small resto shop in Maine, I wish I could lend a hand! 

Dave :wave


I'm a diecast customizer and got word of this thread and had to invade.
Here's ONE of my many big battle ships
Large and in charge...
Sgt. Few-So-Large....aka, the Mighty Pimperial!!!


----------



## ParkRNDL

That car is EVIL. And by evil, I mean completely awesome. Fuselage Chryslers ROCK. 

--rick


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Dude, that's an awesome barge!!!
My dad had a 70 Newport with a 383.
I still remember the my ears would pop when he hit the accelerator.
I thought is was gonna suck the hood right into the carb, or start a black hole.


----------



## Rolls

Imperial LeBaron... dang!! Imagine the mass size and power of the machines that stamped out those long, sleek panels! Sweet!!


----------



## NTxSlotCars

*Yeah, what Joe said.*

I have found out the hard way that the antiqued white is not as hard as the pure white. I guess the paint was old or something. I sure hate to put money in buying the vinyl decals and putting them over this paint. Joe had a great suggestion, tape em off and paint em on. Stenciling. I wouldn't feel so bad about that if I had to redo the paint in a year or two.

Any thoughts?


----------



## tjd241

*Neighbors got a pool?....*

Dip it in Future before you decal it. :dude:


----------



## 440s-4ever

The antiqued white will probably reach the same hardness eventually, low cost enamels can take forever to cure. If you ever take the step to cheap paint in a cheap gun, the ability to add hardener increases workability for custom stuff where additional steps happen after spraying. 

If the soft areas aren't getting max sun exposure, a few days of 90 degree surface temps ought to firm it up to safe levels.

Stenciled decals sound like a nightmare. Sprayed golds are finicky about sheen and would be easy to get something goofy looking. Guess it depends on the cost of the decals? 

good luck!


----------



## NTxSlotCars

I've really thought about the 'future' thing before, and have asked about it several times in other threads.

Has anyone ever tried Future on a real car? (I mean a 1:1)


----------



## Hilltop Raceway

I don't see any problem with using Future on a 1:1 car, seems finding big Q-Tips, for soaking up the extra, might be a problem or finding a tank to dip the car in. Then again, I don't use Future very much, so I'm just rattling...RM


----------



## 1976Cordoba

NTxSlotCars said:


> Dude, that's an awesome barge!!!
> My dad had a 70 Newport with a 383.
> I still remember the my ears would pop when he hit the accelerator.
> I thought is was gonna suck the hood right into the carb, or start a black hole.


 
Rich - You & Bill Hall always say stuff that just cracks me up.


----------



## ParkRNDL

1976Cordoba said:


> Rich - You & Bill Hall always say stuff that just cracks me up.


yeah, me too. when I read "suck the hood right into the carb", I immediately filed it away... now i can't wait for an opportunity to use it in conversation... :lol:

--rick


----------



## Lummox

ParkRNDL said:


> yeah, me too. when I read "suck the hood right into the carb", I immediately filed it away... now i can't wait for an opportunity to use it in conversation... :lol:
> 
> --rick


Yeah totally, I'm gonna steal it and pretend I made it up!


----------



## plymouth71

NTxSlotCars said:


> I've really thought about the 'future' thing before, and have asked about it several times in other threads.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried Future on a real car? (I mean a 1:1)


As long as you never wash it or leave it in the rain. Future is acryllic which is water based and will breakdown if left wet, the the issue is cleaning solutions. Windex has ammonia which will break down future as well, if I'm not mistaken windshield washer fluid also contains amonia.


----------



## plymouth71

440s-4ever said:


> Stenciled decals sound like a nightmare. Sprayed golds are finicky about sheen and would be easy to get something goofy looking. Guess it depends on the cost of the decals?
> 
> good luck!



I have a friend with a General Lee Replica and what he did was have some Magnetic numbers made up, as well as letters and a Rebel Flag. What about looking into a magnetic sign company. It can't be very expensive, plus you can remove them when ever you want!


----------



## Dslot

plymouth71 said:


> ...have some Magnetic numbers made up, as well as letters and a Rebel Flag. ... It can't be very expensive, plus you can remove them when ever you want!


Unfortunately, so can anybody else.

(Unless, of course, you clearcoat them with Future.)


----------



## bobhch

Rich,

Still watching and your stocker is looking good!

Bob...Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...zilla


----------



## SplitPoster

I have bought magnetic sheet in the past and put decals on it, or cut out numbers for 1:1 autocrossing, even racing when I started out in a (very modestly) converted street car. The stuff I used came in white but can always be painted. Always had to put some tape on the leading edges for speed, cause the bond wasn't that strong, especially where paint was thick or maybe a little filler was underneath- given that there were places it didn't stick at all. 

Plus's and minus's. The sheeting I used and still have is thin and looks right under decals - not too thick- but isn't that flexible and won't necessarily follow sharp body lines at all. It also has ferrous content and could rust along the edges. Might be a problem with sticking if the paint is soft or not cured.


----------



## resinmonger

Hey Rich, have you got the pedals adjusted for the new driver? :thumbsup:


----------



## Dslot

resinmonger said:


> Hey Rich, have you got the pedals adjusted for the new driver? :thumbsup:


First, ya gotta start him on the _slot version_ of the Richmobile. Here's a *body* that looks like a good start - do a bit of filing and maybe some filling to change the paneled side to a more rounded look. Not sure about the rear, but the front looks pretty close.

-- D


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Man, if I had the cash...

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/...948285/1976-MERCURY-21-PUROLATOR-MERCURY.html


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Just an afterthought, but with the pointy features on the front of this car,
I wonder if it would look close to the 72 car. 










Dslot, maybe you could mock one of my pics up?


----------



## Lummox

The pointy nose is sooo cool looking!


----------



## 1976Cordoba

NTxSlotCars said:


> Man, if I had the cash...
> 
> http://www.racingjunk.com/category/...948285/1976-MERCURY-21-PUROLATOR-MERCURY.html


 
NO KIDDING! That's awesome:thumbsup:

You need to e-mail the seller and find out how he is attaching his headlight & taillight covers.


----------



## Dslot

> _Rich sez: _Just an afterthought, but with the pointy features on the front of this car,
> I wonder if it would look close to the 72 car.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dslot, maybe you could mock one of my pics up?


Trying to keep the cost low, I did you a mild pointification, using the stock grille and over-grille section of the front molding, but bringing them forward to the bumper and doing a simple fill behind them. I also built out those side windsplitter things forward to the bumper. A somewhat more aggressive Mercuroid look with not much parts cost or complex puttying required.












> Man, if I had the cash...


Well, yeah, now that you're a Dad, you might as well get _that_ tattooed on your forehead. 

-- D


----------



## resinmonger

DSlot, that mod suggestion is sweet - nice work!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## Dslot

Oops. I forgot you'd already blacked out the grille detail and the headlight bezels, Rich. So I updated the Mild Mod photo to reflect that. I also blacked out the lower part of the 5-mph bumper and the flexible stuff behind the bumper.










Lightens up the Ford's blockiness and makes it look more aggressive, more like the Mercury's front-end styling
-- D


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Hey, I could use those side vents to cool my brakes!!!

Cool, what if the front was white?


----------



## Dslot

> Hey, I could use those side vents to cool my brakes!!!


Sounds like a lot of work. I'd just paint them on.

Or or make darkened turn indicators that look like vents except when they're lit up. You're going have to put TIs somewhere to be street legal. Would they be legal if you can't see them from the turn side? Where did the stock Merc have its turn signals?



> Cool, what if the front was white?


 

Well, if it was white - I mean, if it was _white_ - it would look a lot like _this_,










only without any red. 

-- D


----------



## Dslot

resinmonger said:


> DSlot, that mod suggestion is sweet - nice work!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


Thanks, RM.


----------



## tomhocars

*nomad*

pictures of my 55



http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii245/Tomhocars/nomad/?action=view&current=DSC00453.jpg


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Awesome! :thumbsup:

Project 55?


----------



## slotcarman12078

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet Tom!!!! Them two belong in a thread of their own!! I'd love weekly progress pics on both!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Lummox

The BLACK Nomad is bItChEn!!!!!! Black is beautifull, baby.


----------



## Lummox

The diecast board gots a way cool 1:1 forum now. The only one on HT.
C-ya there!


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Thanks for the heads up Lummie.
I put a thread over there, maybe get some new ideas.


----------



## 440s-4ever

David Pierson is one of the new nascar hall of fame nominees. I'd guess your car just gained a bunch of public recognition.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Congrats to David Pearson. It's five years over due.

Well, it drives great folks. I got the tags, but I can't get it to pass inspection.
The freakin tail lights won't work right. The running lights work correctly all the way across.
The brake lights work excepts for the far right tail light, same with emergency flashers.
The blinkers won't work in either direction. I've swapped the wires around on the RH tail light with no better results.

sux, I could be driving it today.


----------



## 440s-4ever

*I'm a bad Pearson speller*

Consider replacing the flasher. You may have 2 seperate on the fuse box, one for emergency, one for signal. 

Also verify somebody hasn't stuck a single post bulb in a dual post socket and connected/shorted em both. Really easy to overlook, has caused me to head scratch more than once on a new-old ride with screwy taillight function. 

Good luck!


----------



## Bill Hall

Numero Uno: At the first sign of trouble when working with old tail-light crap, er new tail-light crap (front markers/signals too) ; I ALWAYS use a jumper and verify GROUND!

Find/make a clean spot on the lamp bucket and one on the chassis... then gator them together...or investigate the ground tangs for the individual sockets if they're twist ins.

Might be magic.


----------



## resinmonger

Get SlotCarMan to visit you. He's pretty good with lights...


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Well, I figured it out. Tagged, inspected. I been floatin round in my 5.0hhhh.
Oh wait, it's a 6.6. ExxxCCCUUUUUUUUSE me.

Man, its a blast driving this old thing around. 
I wore a helmet and racing jacket and just drove it around this after noon.


----------



## Rolls

Congrats, Rich! That's awesome!


----------



## 1976Cordoba

Cool!


----------



## bobhch

*Gentlemen start you engines....Vroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom*

:thumbsup:Rich glad you are having fun now driving it around:woohoo: !!

Race Jacket and Helmet....Far out 

Bob...drive, drive, drive...zilla


----------



## E-Force-1

Any pictures of the finished project car yet?


----------



## NTxSlotCars

No finished pics. I have some touch up I need to do and it's too cold for that here now.
I guess I'll have to wait for next year. Right now, I could throw a wreath on the hood,
and put some green 24s on it???? :hat::tongue::jest:


----------



## bobhch

NTxSlotCars said:


> No finished pics. I have some touch up I need to do and it's too cold for that here now.
> I guess I'll have to wait for next year. Right now, I could throw a wreath on the hood,
> and put some green 24s on it???? :hat::tongue::jest:



nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that would be like painting a rainbow on it & then having Jeff call his buddies Rue Paul and Boy George over for a race....hEY jEFF bet you can't catch us....ooooh man :freak: :woohoo: :roll:
:roll:

Bob...Rainbow wussies...zillla


----------



## Rolls

*Reminded me of Project 21*

Saw this in Hemmings. Couldn't help but remind me of your Project 21, Rich.

*Darrell Gwynn Foundation to auction Wood Brothers replica Mercury at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale*



Pic linked to cool story in Hemmings.

Good stuff!

Rolls


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Nice story!


----------



## Super Coupe

Darrell Gwynn and his foundation always have a great car to auction off and for a great cause.Hope this one brings in some big money to help find a cure. "GO DARRELL"


----------



## NTxSlotCars

On hold at the moment....


----------



## beast1624

Man, Rich. That reminds me of my old '76 Cougar. Black with half vinyl white top and interior. Hood 7 miles long...you could land F-14's on that thing. Good memories in that car...GOOD memories.


----------



## cwbam

*next project ?*

I was thinking of a Subaru joke , then I remembered seeing this.
Maybe a GM project next?


----------



## Dslot

Oh, man. Look at all that nice fluffy snow. Wish I were back in Dallas. 

Down south of Austin, all we got was about 1/2" of snice. And it was mostly gone by noon.

-- D


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Well, I guess I better finish this thing up!!! 

Congrats to the Wood Brothers and Trevor Bayne on the Daytona 500 victory!


----------



## pshoe64

NTxSlotCars said:


> Well, I guess I better finish this thing up!!!
> 
> Congrats to the Wood Brothers and Trevor Bayne on the Daytona 500 victory!


I knew you were a trend setter. Now everyone wants a #21 car!

-Paul


----------



## CTSV OWNER

I'm happy for the Wood Brothers. GO TREVOR!

I remember rooting for them long before I was a Chevy fan.

Dave


----------



## Super Coupe

CTSV OWNER said:


> I'm happy for the Wood Brothers. GO TREVOR!
> 
> I remember rooting for them long before I was a Chevy fan.
> 
> Dave


Now your starting to see the light. LOL. >Tom<


----------



## pshoe64

I was checkin out the new/retromod 1968 Steve McQueen Mustang (150K, from Gateway Classic Mustang - order yours soon) and saw the 76 Wood Bros. Montego build and thought "where'd I see this before"???

http://www.gatewayclassicmustang.com/bridge.asp?pagenumber=52968&x=&txtSearch=&page=47

-Paul


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Sure would be fun to have the resources to do something like that! Thanks for the post.
It's been warm enough to paint, but super windy. I hope to get back to it soon.


----------



## slotcarman12078

The wind die down yet Rich?????


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Nope, and storms this weekend. I'll take the cooler weather though.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

*Breaking News!!!!!*

I ran out of money last year to go any further with this project.
It just sat over the winter, no progress. Things have picked up a little this year though.
I got it inspected again in April. I never thought, and didn't notice at first, but the 
big numbers on the sticker are 4 - 3. Sweeeeeet!!
I've been driving it around again on weekends with a huge smile on my face.
It needs shocks, and one tire keeps going flat. I hope to get them fixed one day.

I was driving down the highway yesterday when I hear BIONK!!!! CLATTER CLATTER>>>etc.......
Yes, it threw a rod on the highway. Fortunately, it threw the rod cap, and pushed the 
rod up into the cylinder. The clatter almost disappeared, and I was able to drive
it home at normal speeds, although the engine felt noticeably different.

Sigh......... now what....


----------



## 1976Cordoba

ka-BLAMMO


----------



## WesJY

OUUUCCCHHHHHH! Sorry man.

Wes


----------



## slotcarman12078

Have you driven a Ford, lately? :tongue: :jest: 

Sorry to you Ford guys and Rich.... I just couldn't resist!!


----------



## JordanZ870

erm...Crate engine?
buy a short block. :thumbsup:


----------



## ParkRNDL

Awwwww. Well, sounds like a perfect excuse to get out there and wrench. Maybe you can find a running beater with a body too rotted to save as an engine donor? Or do they get rusty in TX?

--rick


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Actually, it's runnin pretty good on 7 cylinders.


----------



## slotcarman12078

They do make great conversation pieces Rich!! Put it on the coffee table when friends come over to visit!!


----------



## gomanvongo

NTxSlotCars said:


> Actually, it's runnin pretty good on 7 cylinders.



NTX, I'm feeling your pain. Hopefully there's a donor found soon!

This thread just resurfaced, and though i've read through diligently, sadly the pics of your car are no longer there... just a couple of photoshop teases. how's about a pic so's those of us who missed it first time around can see the beast in all it's glory, to better commiserate your suffering?

john


----------



## bobhch

NTxSlotCars said:


> Actually, it's runnin pretty good on 7 cylinders.


Hey....glad it's still running!

Bummer but, hey your car project is still way, way cool Bro!!

Bob...Drive on...zilla


----------



## Lummox

2 words...460.


----------



## NTxSlotCars

Lummox said:


> 2 words...460.


I don't always swap engines, but when I do, I install a 460. :dude:


----------



## Lummox

NTxSlotCars said:


> I don't always swap engines, but when I do, I install a 460. :dude:


Haha! That is...most interesting!
And also words to live by :thumbsup:


----------



## NTxSlotCars

I guess I'm gonna try reposting the pics from the beginning sometime this week.

Stay tuned.


----------



## beast1624

NTxSlotCars said:


> I don't always swap engines, but when I do, I install a 460. :dude:


Not sure about the Elite but I know it's twin, the Cougar, from '74-'76 could be had with a 351, 400 or 460 so the motor mounts are definately out there. You could even do a 429 Cobra Jet! :thumbsup:


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## plymouth71

just remember that increasing the strength of the motor will also require increasing the strength of the rest of the drivetrain...


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## slotcarman12078

plymouth71 said:


> just remember that increasing the strength of the motor will also require increasing the strength of the rest of the drivetrain...


And the frame too...


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## 1976Cordoba

This is the way you do it: Replace the motor with something stronger. If something else breaks as a result, replace it with something stronger. If something else breaks then, replace that with something stronger too. Eventually stuff quits breaking. If something doesn't break, it doesn't need to be replaced.


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## beast1624

I used to have a '76 Cougar (same basic car as every Torino/Montego/Elite/Cougar since '73) and for the most part the drivetrain was the same as the half ton pickup. The rear gears for the cars were about a 2.9 causing lackluster acceleration but helping gas milage (age before EEC). Since the cars were designed for small and big blocks the only thing I found I would need to worry about in upgrading to a larger engine (aside from swapping motor mounts) might be the front springs/suspension and a sportier rear end, maybe a swap from a truck. The cars with the big blocks had heavier front spring than mine with the 351.


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## 440s-4ever

I don't always install 460s, but when I do, I install them with pre-smog valve timing.


Mid 70s ford big blocks had something ridiculous going on with cam timing, like they retarded them for emissions. The hot tip is to use a timing set spec'd for like a 71 FE big block if you're using a smog era 460. The power increase is significant. Do a bit of googling to learn what's going on with your specific 460 timing set before it's in the car. 

good luck


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## TGM2054

1976Cordoba said:


> This is the way you do it: Replace the motor with something stronger. If something else breaks as a result, replace it with something stronger. If something else breaks then, replace that with something stronger too. Eventually stuff quits breaking. If something doesn't break, it doesn't need to be replaced.


That just means it time for a bigger motor! :thumbsup:


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