are you going about solving the potential issues your facing logically

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
At times I.m forced to ask myself, just like most of us do at some point,
"are you going about solving the potential issues your facing logically"
John , one of my local performance car enthusiast friends,
was stopping over for a cup of coffee, and wanting to discuss his future project, choices.
I was struck by his questions simply because so few guys step back mentally and don,t start off the projects they are involved with, by simply starting the project ,
by looking over the car they own, and simply making a list of what they think needs to be upgraded , or modified on that car!
but John had the fore sight too question,what he might be getting involved in,
and even if he had an unlimited budget and all the help he needed,
too think, about the potential results.
John had purchased an abandoned previous project, at a bargain price,
it was a rather abused,
but mostly rust free 1970 torino , that was missing the interior and its original engine was a total basket case with many of the original component parts,
or parts the original projects owner had supplied, in non-re-build-able condition
.the car has been sitting for over a decade in a home garage.

the car should look similar to this but its black
u1

the original plan was to swap a , much modified and upgraded, 460 ford engine into the car.
the problem, was that the original owner had passed and the guys wife had either lost or had most of the components,
that were too be used in the engine swap, and or performance upgrade at some point had gone missing
(probably due to family members stealing, borrowing or just taking anything they wanted without her knowledge.)
now he has basically a mostly rust free car, without an interior thats worth saving or re-upholstering, in a car that was originally going to be built into what was intended to be a very fast street/strip car with a roll cage and a 460 ford based engine.
the car has a good 9" differential, all the glass and most of the original body panels , gauges wiring, lights, look reasonably decent, the roll cauge is missing but at some point it was obviously partly installed but never welded into the car, the transmission is missing, the block he has is obviously not what the original car had nor is it even a performance engine, it looks like it was a salvage yard pull, that was dropped off when the performance engine that was being built was (STOLEN/SWAPPED) at some point after the original owner passed, but before he purchased the car project from the guys widow.
he asked me what I would do?
I asked him what he wanted too spend on the project and if he had the room and knowledge to build the car or if he wanted to basically follow on the original planed path or had some other ideas?

now I would not have any issues building a series 385 ford (429,460,514)
but its not cheap and its certainly not a weekend project,
you can complete in a couple months or for under $20-30K
if it to be done well and an impressive result obtained.

http://grantorinosport.org/70torino04.htm

https://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/classic-muscle-cars/1970-ford-torino-cobra.htm

https://www.myclassicgarage.com/vehicles/27474/1970-ford-torino-429-cobra-jet
 
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I suggested he write up a rather detailed wish list,
I pointed out, hes starting with basically a rust free body and not much else.
and price out the major components, in the engine drive line, suspension,
interior, that he might envision using ,

think about the total cost, the time frame and if he realized the true total will be closer to double what ever that wish list shows and its likely to be a 2-3 year project at best.
I also told him to think about the project and understand he was very un-likely to get back even 30 cents on every dollar he spends once the projects completed,unless he did an exceptional quality frame off restoration and that could easily boost cost well north of $60K
and that yeah, I'm sure we can build a car that will be rather fun and nice looking and depending on the budget,the car certainly has potential, and it could be a very good looking car once completed,
getting a 10 second to 12 second performance street/strip car,
should not be difficult at some point!
I also suggested he look into what the body could be sold for, but he at this point stated it has some emotional and physiological value to him and he un-willing to sell at this point!
I suggested he think about his options and if commiting the time effort and considerable cash was what he wanted to do?
you sure don,t want to have put months of effort and thousands of dollars into a project , only to find youve lost every desire to continue.
 
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A 351 Cleveland with Iron 4V Heads will give good results.

A 351 Windsor be most affordable.
Leave money for aftermarket heads like Trickflow.
Specialist in Fords.

Could go Overdrive Ford.

I Would use a C6 auto.
Or A Turbo 400 with an aftermarket SFI Bell for the specific Series of Ford V8.
 
Couple of different methologies can be brought up Grumpy.
With much work to be done and parts not all there forgetting about super drag race fast might be best.
Pro Tour is stupid insane expensive.
Think the entire premise of Pro Tour is BS.

Powerful Street driver on pump gas be best.
87-93 octane gas burner.
Get it driving again for what he can actually afford.
 
I've never worked on such a large project as a full bodied car like above. Is there are right sequence
to working thru such a project? Do you start with the interior or body or suspension or engine/drive line.
What comes first and then next?
 
thats a good question
remember the outside paint , and much of the interior is rather easy to damage,and you can,t trust people you don,t know to protect your cars components, and its aesthetics.
so if your pulling major drive train components and interior parts in and out that car and its components and condition needs to be protected.
and then the engine and transmission tires, bigger brakes , better cooling, larger radiator ,more powerful alternator, etc, needs to be installed and tested and set up,
last comes the body work and paint as thats all too easily screwed up.
but I generally will have the good tires and engine and drive train stored while the cars body and engine compartment is finalized,
I generally cover the interior with lots of plastic sheet and duct tape, and use junk tires and wheels while the cars in, its final paint
and only when the cars looking pristine will the final drive train and engine Re-install be done!
(at your shop or garage, only after its trailer-ed back too your shop, from the paint shop, you don,t want the cars expensive components up for grabs by any unscrupulous yahoo.)
this also tends to lessen the chance of some idiot driving the car carelessly and damaging it or having it stolen, when youve got a ton of cash invested,
or having the drive train stolen or damaged when the cars not in under your personal control.
I certainly don,t want to have a $15K-$30K drive train and suspension and tires on or in my car while it sits for days in the body/paint shop, with access by dozens I guys I don,t know or trust,
in total control of the cars movement and access.
 
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Making a full assement and value as is and when done should be done 1st.

See if he can actually afford or not.
 
A guy I knew many years ago had a 1970 Torino 429 Cobrajet.
It was 1983 year.
Car dissapeared.
He eventually got it restored.
Seen it last about 1998.
 
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