Parts Hunting - Part 4
As I mentioned in my last blog, I am trying to put together as many parts as I can to make the rebuild process as quick and as trouble free as possible.
I have already purchased quite a few of the parts I will need to rebuild the Punky Manor - Torino GTS Tribute car, but there always seems to be new things added to the list that need to be tracked down and purchased. I am chipping away at the list of goodies as rapidly as the current budget allows.
I have already found and bought most of the body panels that will be replacing the old race car body. Most recently I was able to find a lower front valance panel (which are hard to find in good shape), and a "new" deck lid or truck panel. As I was paying for the deck lid, I was asked if I had motor mounts for the engine. Shortly afterwards I was handed a full set of motor mounts by Joe down at Joe's Auto Sales in Hastings, MN.
I decided to go ahead and make a spread sheet of the main parts I still need for the major rebuild session I am planning in the near future. A couple of things are a bit more costly, so they are on the waiting list. One of those items is the fuel cell. I checked out the one that came in the Torino but it is in rough shape, so I will be getting a new 16 Gallon fuel cell from Summit Racing.
In order to hang the entire new set of body panels and establish the new wheel openings, I will need to buy wheels and have them mounted inside the set of vintage McCreary racing tires. Finding wheels that match the style that Punky used during the 1974 season has been challenging. If you look at the photo below, you will see that the wheels are steel slot style that were painted instead of chrome plated.
I managed to find a brand of powder coated steel wheels that are a bit different than the steel slots, but they are closer in appearance than modern dirt track wheels. I have so far ordered a pair of Cragar (V-5) 15" X 10" and will need to test fit and paint silver over the black.
Another major element for getting the body panels properly located is having the car weighted as close to the finished weight as possible. This means that the engine and major components need to be installed as well. I now have the correct motor mounts, so I will be bolting the engine, bellhousing, and transmission together and setting them in place. I also need to make sure the hood will clear the air cleaner so I picked up a reproduction mid 60's style Ford Mustang air cleaner. Other air cleaners might be cheaper and easier to find but I wanted something that looks period correct.
I have also started working on how to finish or detail some of the new body components that will be going into the rebuild. The current front grille area of the race car is a mess. Headlight buckets are broken or missing. Little attention was given to signal light openings, etc. I am planning on filling the headlight openings with aluminum covers. I have already cut and drilled all the aluminum panels that will cover up holes in the various body panels. The headlight area presents a design problem that can only be sorted out once the front end has been properly put in place. Below is a steel frame I fabricated that will provide a mounting surface for the aluminum headlight covers.
Both of the original front and rear bumpers were in rough shape and needed to be replaced. I have already built a tubular mounting support for the rear bumper. The tubular structure will be welded to the frame and roll cage and is built in such a way that the bumper itself will be removable if repairs are needed in the future.
The "new" front bumper has been cleaned up and aluminum signal opening covers have been cut and drilled and are ready for installation.
Then there is a bunch of smaller parts to be considered. The 460 engine that I purchased had been sitting for quite a while and rust and grime was present on most of the parts. I have started taking inventory of all the hardware that will be used on the engine and car.
Each bolt, nut, and fastener will need to be checked and cleaned or replaced. I have started prepping all the bolts for the engine so it can be bolted together enough to test for location and fit.
In my next Blog Post, I think I will talk a little bit about something I hadn't given much thought at the beginning of the project....Tools! Now that the assembly phase is getting closer, I have started to think more about what all will be needed to make that happen. Take care until next time!
