The SN65 project car

Hi All,

I would like to thank all who sent in an entry to the design contest. There were many fine ideas, all of which would look great on this car. I now have enough ideas to last me through the next 15 to 20 project cars. :-)

Every single entry made the decision VERY difficult. As a small token of my appreciation, I am going to send off a memento of the project to all who entered. You should be receiving an e-mail requesting your mailing address in the next week or so. Please e-mail me if you do not receive notice by the 22nd of April.

With that said, the design we chose was turned in by a J Trudeau (a high school junior). The drawing is kind of rough, but you get the idea. Also, the wheels shown are 19" not 17" and look a bit to large for my taste. I think the over sized rim fad is going to fad out over the next year or two. Time will tell if I am right or wrong on this one.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2156

He said he has been following the project ever since X-Mass break. He said he worked up the design NOT as he envisioned the car (He thought his tastes would be a bit to “wild” for my liking). Instead he worked up the design as if I were his client and used all the forum comments as a guide.

As you already know, the car will be 05 Ford Screaming Yellow and the graphics will be gloss black. The hood will be blacked out between the body lines that "line up" with the edge of the grill opening. The "black" will stop at the back of the hood and not continue onto the cowl panel. The grill and the brushed trim pieces will also be blacked out.

Also, the winner wished that "Man o' War" the greatest Thoroughbred of the 20th Century --and the millennium be painted (in phantom) on the flat area at the top of the drivers door. He also wants a plaque describing Man o’ Wars accomplishments mounted in the trunk.

Man o' War's time records included:

New World Record, Dwyer Stakes, 1 1/8 miles
New World Record, Belmont Stakes, 1 3/8 miles
New World Record, Lawrence Realization, 1 5/8 miles
New American Record, Jockey Club Stakes, 1 1/2 miles
New American Record, Withers Stakes, 1 mile
New Track Record, Kenilworth Park Gold Cup, 1 1/4 miles
New Track Record, Potomac Handicap, 1 1/16 miles
Equaled Track Record, Travers Stakes, 1 1/4 miles

On nearly a dozen occasions, the interior fractions of his races were completed in times that would have broken American and/or world records.

His records stood the test of time. His 1-1/2 mile American record stood for 17 years.

He didn't just take a tick off time records, he obliterated them. Up against Triple Crown winner Sir Barton, Man o' War took more than SIX full seconds off the track record for 1 1/4 miles at Kenilworth Park.

He won easily over tracks labeled fast, good and sloppy.

He won at distances from five furlongs to 1-5/8 miles.

He won on straight courses and on both clockwise and counter-clockwise courses.

He carried and won with 130 pounds five times as a TWO-year old.

At three, he won with 131 pounds in the Miller Stakes, 135 pounds in the Stuyvesant and 138 pounds in the Potomac.

He gave extreme weight concessions to the competition. In one race, the second high weight carried 32 pounds less.

At three, he consistently gave major weight concessions to, and beat, older horses.

He retired as the greatest money-winning Thoroughbred ever.

Writing in the 1947 volume of "American Race Horses," another legendary racing writer and historian, Joe Palmer, said of Big Red:

"He did not beat, he merely annihilated. He did not run to world records, he galloped to them. He was so far superior to his contemporaries that, except for one race against John P. Grier, they could not extend him. In 1920 he dominated racing as perhaps no athlete -- not Tilden or Jones or Dempsey or Louis or Nurmi or Thorpe or any human athlete -- had dominated his sport."

I love all his ideas. What do you think?

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

And so it begins.... :-)

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2157

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2158

Working our way through this rat's nest is going to take some time, but nothing we can't handle. I should have the harness installed by the end of the day.

Also, we are picking up some of the parts from the powder coater today. I am looking forward to assembling the front and rear end of the beast.

Catch ya'll l8r

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Geezzzz....

I am going to have to rethink the graphic, etc... I have been getting a VERY strong response via e-mail saying that ANY graphic would be a mistake. In the past, I have received e-mail with comments on the project before, but these e-mails are bordering on the "scary" side. For example...

"Any graphics on this car would be a big, big mistake. I would tattoo my 1 year old daughter with gang symbols and sell her into a life of prostitution before I would defame, what has up to now, been one of the most incredible Mustang projects I have ever seen. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t do it.

OBTW, just in case I did not mention it before. DONT DO IT."

I know that the sender was just kidding about his daughter and all, but maybe, to be on the safe side, I should consider changing my name and moving to another state. :-)

The gist of all the e-mail is...
Just paint the car and let it stand on its own merit. The CAR is the statement and any graphic at all will detract, not add to, the overall appearance of the car.

Confounded in Chicago...

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

I would have posted these photos earlier, but yesterday, my computer took a dump. :-(

We received the powder coated suspension components and had to send them back. There was some confusion over the color we wanted and the coater color-matched the wrong components. We should have those items back by Monday. :-(

In the mean time, I have been plugging along, assembling the items in the engine bay while Wayne has been working on mounting the rear wheel flares.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2159

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2160

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2161

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2162

We are going to have to modify the wiring harness, in a couple of places, in order to reach some of the components. Relocating the shock towers 7" forward has altered the way the harness fits, but fortunate for us, we only have to change things like the length of the lead going to the WW pump, etc...

As far as the mechanical systems, we are going to have to come up with a way to support the intercooler radiator and re-route the front break lines. Other than that, everything has been bolting right up.

Please speak up if you see something that does not look quite right. There is so much going on right now that I am afraid I might make a mistake in assembly. It is easier to correct these things now than to wait until it is done and have to fix them then. Thanks for your help.

Catch ya'll l8r

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Thats alot of clamps...

Did I count 15?

Thats alot of clamps...

Did I count 15?
Hi 351,

There are so many there that I don't actually know myself.

Wait a minute and I wil go check......


I'm back. You missed two, there are 17. :-)

Catch ya'll l8r

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

What kind of glue did you use to attach the fender flare to the car? I will be doing the same thing in a month or so.

Project looks good, as always.

What tranny is to be used? The T56 should be one of the disputed trannys to choose, only real mustang guys know its possible to accomplish, but putting that in will get more of a custom look and feel.

Hi All,

Making a little more progress. Mounted more items in the engine bay and mounted the rear drivers side fender flare. For those who wish to know, we used "Duramix 4040" to bond the FRP fender flare to the steel quarter panel. 4040 is a specialty adhesive used for both structural and cosmetic repairs.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2163

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2164

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2165

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2166

Today we start assembling the front and rear suspensions. If everything goes as planned, we should be ready to mount the engine and trans by mid week.

Wish us luck.

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Thanks for the info.

You guys are real craftsmen!

Hi All,

Yesterday was a tough day.

After much debate, we decided to powder coat the front spindles and the rear lower control arms. I was wishing to keep them natural, but I was beaten into submission by the rest of the guys in the shop. Both items had a few cosmetic issues (stains in the castings and inconsistent surface texture) that just did not look right. I dropped these items off at the powder coater, but they will not be ready until Thursday, which is going to slow us down a bit on the assembly.

Also, I found out that it will be a week or two before we can receive a cooling mod kit from LDC Chicago. This means that we are going to have to continue with the Apten kit and make it work as best we can. I am sure we can get it to fit up right, but it would be a lot easier with the LDC Chicago kit. This is also going to slow us down a bit.

Wayne finished off the interior of the flares by grinding all the surfaces smooth and "filling / skim coating" the inner gaps and contours with the same 4040 material used to bond the flare to the quarter panel. Once we apply the undercoating to the inside of the wheel housing, it will look perfect. When he was done with the flares, he started skim coating the roof and the top of the cowl area.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2167

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2168

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2169

Just for grins I posted a close up of the chassis (of the fuel and brake lines between the rear frame rails). If you look close you will note that we are using 3m strip caulk at all the pop riveted and screwed components (you can see it ooze from behind some of the mounted items). This may be a little excessive, but we feel it is good insurance against any rust weeping from where the fastener scratches the coating during installation.

Today we continue to detail and assemble as many parts as we can. We will concentrate on the suspension and chassis as well as finishing off the engine cooling modification.

Wish us luck today, we are going to need it. :-)

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

We did not get as far as we had hoped yesterday. Work raised it's ugly head and I had some issues that needed my personal attention. Also, I will have to go out of town next week so the schedule will slip a bit more. I guess that ain't too bad in that we will not have some of the parts needed to install the drivetrain. We really need a new clutch pressure plate, etc... and Centerforce says that they currently have 300 03 Cobra clutch setups on backorder.

Anyway, we have been plugging away on the IRS. The re-assembly and the installation of the Maximum Motorsports bushing kit is a bit more complex than we thought it was going to be. We thought "just insert the bushings and bolt it up, but no such luck. Lots of shimming and alignment issues. And you know us, we are not happy unless this thing lines up right on the button.

Anyway... Here is a shot of the IRS as it sits this morning.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2170

While I am working on this, Wayne will be finishing the FRP work on the rear fender flares.

Well it is time to get back to work. Wish us luck.

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

WOW!

Thats KEWL.

Hi All,

Well... I almost have the rear end assembled. I should have it finished today. I just have to shim and mount the upper control arms and we are done.

What a project.

You have to be very anal when replacing the IRS control arm and center section bushings. The factory bushings bent the mounting tabs to conform to the steel bushing housings. The replacement bushings need to have these tabs flat and parallel. Achieving this is no easy task and requires a lot of fiddling about.

Our tabs were so out of alignment that we could not just bend them back into alignment. We had to take a 1/2" bolt with nut and use it as you would a small screw jack. We positioned the bolt in the bracket and unthreaded the nut until it came into contact with the area we needed to expand and then applied as much elbow grease as physically possible. Lucky for us, this expanded the bracket enough to give us the flat and parallel condition required. I do not know what we would have done if this did not work.

Anyway... Here is a photo of the IRS as it sits this morning.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2171

You all have a nice day. I will just keep plugging along.

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Making a little more progress. Mounted more items in the engine bay and mounted the rear drivers side fender flare. For those who wish to know, we used "Duramix 4040" to bond the FRP fender flare to the steel quarter panel. 4040 is a specialty adhesive used for both structural and cosmetic repairs.

snip...

SN65
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/
HI ALL

FIRST TIME ON FOR ME. JUST EDITING BOBS POST 4040 WASN'T USED TO BOND THE FLARES. THAT PRODUCT IS USED FOR REPAIR OR BONDING OF SMC PLASTICS. WE USED 3M 8115 PANEL BOND ADHESIVE WHICH IS MADE FOR NON STRUCTURAL BONDING OF PANELS.

FYI I HAVE BEEN BUILDING OR REPAIRING AUTOMOBILES FOR 28 YEARS AND THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO DO.

I APPRICIATE ALL THE SUPPORT & COMMENTS ON THIS BUILD.

WAYNE JULIAN
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Sorry I have not posted any updates lately, but I had to fly to Houston and solve a wastewater treatment problem at a Texas Instruments chip manufacturing facility....

Anyway, I am back in Chicago and itching to get back to work.

Here is what has transpired in my absence.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2172

Wayne has been continuing with the bodywork. The fender flares are looking real good at this point. We have contacted LDC Chicago ad should be receiving their cooling mod early next week. We have contacted CenterForce and we should be receiving the clutch kit early next week. We have received the Magna Flow Cobra exhaust system. We have picked up some misc hardware to install the revised steering linkage and the revised oil filter casting modification. Etc...

It is good to be back.

Also, since Wayne is now posting every now and then, I guess I should start using my real name.

Well, with that said, it is time to get back to work.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Wayne is still plugging along on the fender flare / rocker panel areas. He has trimmed the inner lip of the flare so that it is consistent all the way around (compare photo one to photo two). We will have to trim for clearance the very top of the flare once we install the wheels and suspension. We don't want the wheel to bottom out and hit the inside lip of the flare now do we. I am betting that we end up tapering the inside lip down to about 1/4" at the points closest to the wheel.

Also, we are going to keep the lines around the flare crisp, similar to the 03 flares. When finished the only difference between these flares and the 03 will be that the outside "flat" area will only be about 1" where it is about 2" on the 03.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2173

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2174

Wayne has gone through great pains in order to maintain all the factory date stampings and spot welds on the bottom of the rockers. Details like this (even tough you will only see them from below) will help set this car apart from the crowd.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2175

I am pretty much at a standstill until I receive the clutch and cooling modifications. Once I receive those, I will be able to install the drivetrain and get this sucker on its wheels for the first time (at least with the drivetrain totally installed). That is going to be a really exciting day for me. There are some issues that need to be resolved and we will only be able to address them once the drivetrain is installed with the car sitting on the suspension.

Well, with that said, it is time to get back to work.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

We continue to patently await the clutch and cooling mod. In the meantime we continue with the trial fit of the components we can.

We have installed the new oil filter / lower coolant casting to the block (new gasket and bolts). I am going to have to do a little research into the lower connections on the casting. the one facing down is plugged, but the one facing forward is currently open. I have no idea what these connections are normally used for. Anyone out there have a clue???

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2179

We are going to have to make a few adjustments to the two lines that come off the front rack and connect to the hydraulic system. Remember that we moved the rack forward 7" so these lines will have to be modified accordingly.

Also, the sway bar is now 7" forward and it appears that we will have a minor interference issue with one of the radiator coolant tank support brackets. We will just have to remove this item and bend accordingly. We are going to wait on this one until the front end is installed and we can run the sway bar through it's full range of motion.

We have the revised steering linkage installed and ready to go. I think this is going to work just great.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2180

On another note, one of the body men glued a rear emblem on the tail light panel as a reminder to Corvette owners worldwide that this is the only part of the car they are ever going to see. :-)

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2181

Catch ya'll l8r, it is time to get back to work.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Well... We have the front assembly just about as far as we can take it at this point. All we have left to do is paint the sway bar and the lower control arms and we are done.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2182

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2183

We should have the clutch and the cooling mod in house by Monday. At that time we will assemble the engine and trans. Then the rear-end and the entire front suspension, engine, trans, etc... assembly goes in and we can roll this beast around the shop on it's own wheels for a change.

The tension mounts. Will the components arrive on time? Will Wayne be able to finish the chassis detailing before Bob is ready for assembly?. Will they meet this incredibly tight deadline or crash and burn along with all their aspirations? Tune in next time to the REAL American HR and see true personnel conflicts as Bob fires everyone in sight and Wayne turns around and hires them all right back.

Catch ya'll l8r, it is just about time for me to fire someone.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

The drama continues on this issue of American SN65 as Wayne gets the jump on Bob. While Bob is still frustrated by the delay of key components, Wayne surges ahead and gets the Wheel housings undercoated. Bob, frustrated by his brother’s progress, sabotages the entire build by putting a giant butt print in the newly applied Kent quick seal. Even though this meant Wayne had to rework the entire area, he still had the last laugh as Bob was rushed to the hospital for an emergency butt-ectomy.....

Anyway... I digress.

The Kent #P-13706 is a sprayable seam sealer. It is similar to the material applied to the factory wheel housing. The Kent material should be a bit better as far as mechanical properties (stone chips etc...). After the material completely sets, we will be painting it with satin black paint.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2184

The rest of the materials I need for assembly should be in the shop on Monday. Next week is going to be great. I can't wait to get the suspension and drivetrain installed.

Life is good.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

The drama continues on this issue of American SN65 as Wayne gets the jump on Bob. Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/


Hi all
I think bob has been back in the paint room agian.
But anyway hopefully parts will arive monday and the beast will roll under it's own power by the end of next week. As long as we don't run into any problems. :nonono:

Hi All,

Yesterday, I took a drive to the south side of Chicago and picked up the LDC Chicago 4.6 cooling mod (I left at 6AM and returned to the office at 10AM). I just have to say that it looks very impressive. I will be installing it today. I will be posting photos and comments, but I am sure that it will work just fine. Also, they seem like a dedicated group of guys who have given a great deal of thought to the design and installation of this product.

You will notice that we now have the car up on a lift instead of the rotisserie. We are now ready to start another restoration if anyone is interested in rotisserie time.

Wayne and the crew installed the rear end after I left last night. When I rolled in this morning, at about 5:45AM, I fired up the lights and ran to get the camera. I was both very impressed and very happy to see how far they got after I left last night. Now I can install the fuel tank and the rest of the fuel system and chassis components.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2188

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2189

All we need is the clutch from CenterForce (they assure me it is on the way) and get the lower front control arms painted, and we can install the front suspension and the rest of the drivetrain.

Wo Hoo!!!!

We are getting close now. So close that I can almost taste it.

Today is going to be a good day.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Yesterday we installed the LDC Chicago cooling mod.

What a nice piece of work. I am VERY impressed with this well thought out engine modification. Where Apten just gives you $30 worth of parts (for $125) and leaves all the custom modifications to you, LDC Chicago actually put some thought into supplying a totally engineered product.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2190

If you want to view a detailed discussion on the product follow the link below.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165799&page=3&pp=25

Also, yesterday I was working on installing the gas tank / fuel system. I ran into a bit of a hiccup when I realized we (Bob) broke the small check valve off the bottom of the filler neck. :-( We did install the carbon canister and finished the brake line, anti-lock break sensor hookups.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2191

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2192

On the negative side, I made a slight miscalculation on the installation of the rear wheel impact lock system. These are the mechanical assemblies that impale the rear tires in the event of a heavy impact from the rear, stopping the car from rolling after the impact. I can install the device, but it would be tied to the rear frame rails and not the rear bumper reinforcement. Making this change will greatly alter their operation to the point where I am afraid they would become useless. That being the case, we are not going to install these devices. :-(

On the positive side...

The clutch has arrived, the clutch has arrived, the clutch has arrived!!! Yes the clutch has arrived and we can assemble the trans and the motor and bolt up the K member and install the power-plant at long last.

Well, I would love to tell you more, but I really have to get to work. Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

I hope that 4" is enough ground clearance, because that is where we are at right now. Man does this car look low. Real low. Low, Low Low. How low, you ask??? Real freakin low!!!

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

4" that has to look cool, i have been watching your build-up from the start and i cant wait to see it done. my dad is restoring one just like it, if the guy ever gets it back from the sand blaster!

Hi All,

Here is a photo of the car with Wayne as a height reference (Wayne is 6'-1" tall). We will publish the actual clearances after we have the car on all four wheels.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2193

We have installed the gas tank and connected all the lines. We noticed that there is a connection on the top of the gas tank that is not connected to anything (see photo). The best we can determine is that it is a safety release valve. Anyone know for sure?

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2194

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2195

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2196

Also, I have included a shot of the modified drip rail areas. It is hard to tell in the photo, but the finished detail will be very similar to that found around the fastback "C" pillar vents.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2197

I am currently assembling the trans, etc... More photos will follow.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

I love this project :D

Hi All,

Yesterday we got the trans modified with a new D&D 26 spline input shaft. We installed the new CenterForce flywheel, clutch, pressure plate and throughout bearing.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2198

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2199

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2200

What a project...

After a lot of fiddling about, we finally got everything bolted up and installed properly. Note to self. ALWAYS READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ENCLOSED DOCUMENTS. Also, ALWAYS HAVE THE FACTORY SHOP MANUAL HANDY AND REVIEW IT PRIOR TO INSTALLATION. That is all I am going to say on the topic. You can't make me say any more.

Today we install the engine, trans etc... Wo Hoo

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

This is going to be real tight!!!

Will the valve covers clear the frame rails? Will the steering linkage line up as designed? Will the repositioned front suspension cause any problems (the connections for the hydralic lines are now 7" farther forward than the factory design)? How far will the engine "stick up" through the hood? Did we make a mistake when we relocated the motor mounts? If the engine hits the firewall, I am going to shoot myself...

Tune in next week to "SN65 The Series" and find out. We will be busy going over all the mechanical and electrical assemblies this weekend. Monday I will be posting photos of the installed drivetrain. Until then, here is a little preview.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2201

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

You know what, if this really were a show.. I would stare at the tv in awe.. I love it man. Really really impresive.

Hi All,

As promised last week, we have posted photos of the installed drivetrain. :-)

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2202

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2203

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2204

I was going to list the items we installed, but rather, I will list the items we have yet to finish. We need to attach the clutch cable. We need to finish aligning the MagnaFlow exhaust system. We need to install some rubber around the AC line to keep it from rubbing on the relocated shock tower. We need to finish "tweaking" the break lines. We have them in place, but we need to get the contours and alignment correct. We need to relocate the intercooler pump to clear the front wheel. We have to modify the horn bracket for tire clearance.

And the biggie is that we need to have a custom "oil filter relocation" fitting fabricated. The steering linkage fits as designed, but when we tried to install the oil filter relocation fitting, there was about 1/2" of interference. We examined the billet fitting and decided it should be easy to eliminate at least 1/2" from the design. We just have to find the right shop to do the work. I wonder if the people who manufactured the kit can help us out on this one?

Getting this engine to fit was not without it's issues. Clearance between the frame rails is very tight. And, once the engine is in place, there is very little room to work. We found that we would get so far before we would have to remove an item from the engine for clearance or install an item that would not fit when the engine was fully installed.

Getting the break lines reconfigured was a rather tedious process and we still have a ways to go. After messing with the lines for a while your hands just get to sore and tired to go on.

With all that said, the installation went pretty much as planned. I feel as if we made significant progress over the past few days. Now we have to knuckle down and keep pushing toward the finish. Today we will double check the installation and make sure we did not miss anything (loose bolts, fittings, electrical connections, etc...). After we are sure that everything is in order, I will move on to the dash / interior installation and Wayne will concentrate on the exterior bodywork.

Wish us luck

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

The past two days have been spent reviewing the connections over and over again. I have been concentrating on the engine bay and the suspension. I am at the point where I have to start thinking about installing the dash and steering wheel.

I have attached photos of the rear wheel mechanisms I will not be installing, the car sitting on its wheels (I still have to fine tune the ride height, but that will have to be accomplished on the laser table, and the car from the front showing the engine height.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2209

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2210

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2211

Today I will go over everything one more time and if satisfied I will start on the dash. I can't wait to get started on that rat’s nest of wiring and vacuum lines. I hope upon hope that I don't have any wiring issues when we go to fire this sucker up.

If there is a problem I will have to call in the big guns, because I will be totally lost... without a rudder... without a compass... in the dark... sad... alone...

Say a little prayer for me.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Yesterday we installed the dash. Most of the issues were with the defroster ducts, but I think we have them figured out. Wayne was a madman with the pneumatic saws-all. He has things roughed in. He will be doing some fine tuning today while I continue with the interior.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2212

Damn, am I sore today? Being bent up like a pretzel on the steel floor pans has really taken its toll. Also, my hands and arms are bruised and cut from all the contortions required to get the wiring installed under the dash. I really shouldn't complain. Wayne really has the tougher row-to-hoe. All of the filling, sanding, filling, sanding, filling and sanding really takes its toll after a while.

I just need to find a quality interior shop in the Chicago area. There are a number of shops in the area, but I want a shop that is capable of doing invisible dash modifications. And while the shops I know do good leather and upholstery work, they have no experience with the type of mods I am looking for.

It is now time to drag my tired old bones out to the shop. :-)

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Yesterday we were moving along just fine when we decided to trial fit the seats. I plugged the driver’s seat into the harness and applied power to the battery terminals and thought that would get power to the seat, but nothing happened. I still have to finish a few things as far as system grounds, etc... I am sure that everything will work just fine when I get the last of these wiring items resolved. At least I hope so.

But...

The Cobra seats are great, and I really like them, but I can't use them. I need to lower them 2" front and back and there is not enough "play" in the track areas to allow that. I could alter the cushion (remove foam, etc...) but I do not think removing 2" of foam is a good idea, even if it was possible. If you are wondering why this is an issue, the interior height of the 65 is just about 2” less than that of the 03 Cobra. I was hoping that this would be something we could resolve by modifying the seat tracks, but, as I stated above, there just is not enough room to shave 2” from the tracks.

So, I need new seats. I would like seats similar to the 03 Cobra’s with good, lateral support.

Also, I talked to Ford and their recommendation in regard to the air bag use in this car is....

If we use the air bags, we need to use the factory 3 point restraint. If we go to a 4 or 5 point harness, we should disconnect the air bags. I really wanted to use a 4 point harness tied into a rear roll bar assembly, but if I do that I will have to disconnect the air bags. THIS IS SOMETHING EVERYBODY SHOULD TAKE NOTICE OF. If you have altered the restraint to something other than the factory system, you really should disconnect the air bags. The factory restraints have a certain amount of give to them and this is factored into the air bag system. If you use a 4 or 5 point system, there will be no give and if the air bags deploy, you will be smacked in the fact with a fully deployed air bag. For the air bag system to work properly, you should contact the bag before it is fully deployed.

So, the seats and harnesses have to be addressed as a single issue. If we go to the 4 point restraint, we should get seats designed for use with a 4 point system. The people at SVT suggested using the same setup they used in the GTR concept car.

Any recommendations??? What do you all think???

Also, another wiring item I can't figure out is the use of two grey, two prong plugs in the under dash wiring harness. They are located to the far right and the far left among all the connections right at the kick panels. Any ideas???

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I took some time off to lazy about the house and also knock a few items off my “honeydew” list. It is good to be back to work. I sent a lot of my free time puzzling out some of the issues we have been facing.

I have resolved all the electrical connections in the 03 harness save two. There is one grey two prong connector near the driver’s side kick panel and one small black connector located over the drivers side rear wheel housing. I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and pick up the 03 Cobra wiring diagrams.

I have found replacement seats that should fit just right. They are Recaro LXF seats. They should sit exactly 2" shorter than the stock Cobra seats. They are seeing if I can get them with the same charcoal leather and grey suede as the Cobra seats. Now, I just have to figure what I am going to do for seat tracks.

With that said, I am also installing a rear roll bar and 4 point harnesses. This will require the disengagement of the air bags. I know I have been struggling with this for a while, but (as far as safety goes) the 4 point harnesses will do us just fine. Many feel that the 4 point restraint is a step up from the 3 point air bag combo.

Also, we are getting down to the short list. Today, I will be reviewing all the tasks left to accomplish, organizing them and prioritizing them.

Again, it is good to be back.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

We are plugging along, slowly but shirley. Wayne is concentrating on the bodywork and I am concentrating on the dash right now.

Wayne is sanding his little heart out, and the attention he is paying to all the little details is nothing short of amazing. For Example, the bead he has sculpted along the passenger and driver’s side windows are just fantastic. They are faithful reproductions of the bead around the perimeter of the "C" pillar air vents. (Actually, they are more exact and precise than the factory castings, but don't say that to Wayne, it will just go to his head) This detail, while very labor intensive, is light years ahead of the typical "chop off the drip rail and smooth" process used by others in the past. I am very impressed. And while it is not something that will reach out and grab your eye, like 22" spinners or a chrome blower sticking through the hood, it is the subtle detail like this that will make the car stand out from the crowd.

Wayne’s goal is to have the body (sans doors and fenders) in primer by this weekend. Mine is to get the items completed that need to be finished before he can proceed and try my best not to get in his way.. I will post photos as soon as he is done.

I am working on the dash. The path we have decided to walk is going to be a bit tricky, but we expect the results to be worth the effort. We have trimmed the factory dash pad back to a point that will give us a nice transition from the 03 pad to the 65 cowl. We are then going to fab a mettle filler panel that will span the gap from 03 to 65. This panel will then be covered in vinyl that matches the dash. It will even have the openings for the defroster. We are going to take the same approach to the dash side trim panels. When complete, it should look better than our original plan which would have required us to black out the bottom 2" of the windshield.

Even though I do not have photos of the car to post (it looks like a bondo bomb just went off), I can post a photo of the current task list. Also, here are some photos of just a few of the items we will be listing on e-bay over the next week or two. We have a seemingly endless supply of parts to sell. I guess when you think about it, we have half the parts of one car, and half the parts of another to sell.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2215

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2216

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2217

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2218

Anyway... Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

I am getting a lot of requests for pricing on the parts I am going to list on e-bay.

Here is the deal. I will accept offers that are in line with the price typically achieved on e-bay (search completed auctions for finished auction results).

If we can't come to terms, I will list the item on e-bay and you can bid on it then. Maybe you will get a deal, maybe not. :-)

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

This car is just amazing! You really do need your own TV show to gain the exposure that this car and your work really needs!

Hey I saw this car linked on another site. You should go post up on lateral-g.net and see what all they have to say. I think the skill required and the effort put toward this project is amazing. Keep up the goodwork and i look forward to seeing a truly unique mustang with the best of everything.

In awe,
William

Hi All,

Things are moving along a bit.

Not to beat a dead horse, but these are the two connectors we are having trouble identifying. Wayne has ordered the shop manuals, but if anyone knows what these are, I would appreciate any help.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2219

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2220

Here is a shot of the car on the ground. We have adjusted the coil over shocks a little bit. We still have to tweak them a bit, but we are close for now. When all is said and done we should end up with 4" of ground clearance (plus or minus 1/4").

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2221

We have resolved the issues we were having with the cold air induction system. K&N, BBK, etc... were of no help what-so-ever. Anything out of the ordinary, and they have not a clue. I finally came across a company called Western Motorsports www.wmsracing.com and they are going to help us out with one of their high velocity intake systems. They are even going to help by supplying a number of alternate tube configurations so that we can piece together something for this rather unique installation. :-)

Western Motorsport and LDC Chicago, along with Maximum Motorsports, NPD, MagnaFlow and CenterForce Are all on my preferred vendor list.

We have figured out how to reconfigure the intercooler plumbing (the original factory configuration was interfering with the front sway bar. We now have to solve the same issue with the engine coolant lines and we will be able to push toward firing up this beast for the first time.

We should be receiving the revised oil filter relocation kit today. If this works as planned, we should have a pretty slick setup. I will post photos of this setup next week.

Well that’s enough for now.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

SNIP...

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2220

SNIP...
Hi All,

Darren over at Corner Carvers has solved this riddle. This is the rear window defroster feed.

Thank you Darren.

Only the two prong grey drivers side connector to resolve and the electrical will be complete.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Yesterday we installed the oil filter relocation housing. Because space was a bit on the tight side, we had to be a little creative in our approach.

As you most likely recall (from previous episodes), we could not use the Cobra oil filter casting with integral oil cooling jacket because of interferance with the relocated steering rack (7" forward). To solve this problem we ditched the stock Cobra casting and replaced it with the typical 4.6 (sans oil cooler) casting. In order for that to work, we had to have the castings radiator connection (see photo) altered from the standard 90 degree configuration to a straight neck.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2223

This was all fine and good until we received the oil filter relocation kit and the item (item #1) that was supposed to bolt up to the oil filter casting was about 1/2" to thick to clear the rag joint on the steering linkage.

AAAUUUGGG!!!!

Not to be deterred, we started evaluating our alternatives, and since we felt running without a filter was not an option, we came up with the following game plan. The item designed to fit to the block (item #1) did not have enough meat on it to allow for modification. As we looked at all the parts we had to work with, we noticed that the remote housing (the one designed to mount the remote 5.0 oil filter, now known as item #2) was 1/2" shorter, narrower, thinner than item #1. To make item #2 function properly was fairly easy. First we had the mating surface machined with a groove to accept the oil filter gasket. Then we machined off the now useless mounting ears. Then we removed the threaded nipple (from item #2) that received the 5.0 oil filter and had that hole bored and threaded so that it would screw on to the engine just as a oil filter would.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2224

Now it sounds like that should solve all our problems, but...

When we threaded item #2 onto the block, we found that, when tight, we needed about another 300 degrees of rotation. To gain this additional 300 degrees, we had to remove about 1/32" of material from the rubber gasket. To do this only required about 2 hours of sanding, fitting, sanding, fitting, sanding, fitting, etc....

In order to sand the gasket, Wayne used item #1 to mount the gasket and slowly sanded the surface over and over again until we removed just the right amount of material.

With all that said, here is the device mounted in the car. We now all we have to do is locate the in line oil cooler and remote filter housing and we are finished. Well, finished with this item anyway. Only another 100 or so to finish this month.

OK, it is now 7:30 AM, Time to make some coffee and get back to work.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

God, with all the work you guys put into this, it would suck so bad if it wrecked the first time out.

Good job, it looks awesome.

God, with all the work you guys put into this, it would suck so bad if it wrecked the first time out.

Dude, quit hitting us with those negative waves!

Anway, this is an awesome car you guys are building here.

Hi All,

We are patiently awaiting the delivery of some key components, so today, we reviewed the status of the project and organized our thoughts.

First, we reviewed the intercooler installation and came up with a solid plan of attack. Due to interference with the relocated roll bar, we cannot run the lines, as the factory does, under the frame rail. We plan on running the intercooler lines from the engine, through the opening at the top of the core support on the passenger side and down to the recirculation pump and intercooler. These lines will end up underneath the cold air intake system. We are going to use as many of the factory pre bent tubes as possible. Some look to be almost exactly what we will need. A little modification and we should end up with a pretty slick installation.

Second, we trial fit the lower front valance and discussed how to route air to the intercooler radiator. We decided to locate two 4 inch diameter holes on either side of the license plate mounting area. Wayne feels that the round holes will fit in with the overall design much better than the rectangular trapezoid shapes I had originally worked up. We will connect the two holes together with 4 inch diameter tubing. We will then section off the back half of the tube, and fit it with a rectangular transition that will mate up with the front of the radiator. This is probably hard to picture in your minds eye, but we will be following with photos of the finished installation next week

Third, we reviewed the oil filter, oil cooler routing. We haven’t received the oil cooler yet, but we figure it will mount in front of the air conditioner condenser. The oil filter itself will mount to the inner cowl panel on the driver’s side. At this point I have to say that I don’t really care for the appearance of the anodized fittings and the braded SS hoses that came with the kit. Don’t get me wrong, they are very high quality items and they should work very well, but they don’t really match anything else on the entire car. Maybe if I keep the hose ends and just trade out the hose for the non-braded variety it will be less “flashy”. I guess, if I want to go off the deep end and also drive Wayne totally insane, I could paint them all flat black to match the look of the rest of the fittings.

Next we found a supplier of electric actuators for the 65 door locks / latches. The problem we were having is that the typical actuators used in classic applications come with 5 leads that tie in to a separate dedicated controller. We needed actuators that would function with the 2 lead, 03 Cobra electrical systems. After talking to the staff at NPD, they suggested that I call their supplier Electric-Life directly. After talking to a few of their techs, I finally found the right setup for our project. Also, we found that the “door ajar” lead is at the very end of the door harness. We will have to unravel the entire harness, pull the wires all the way back to the door jamb and rewire them to tie into the old fashioned door plunger switches.

Today is going to be a good day. We should be receiving the cold air induction system, the oil cooler and a bunch of other miscellaneous items.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Well we have received the cold air induction system today and have started the fit up. Opening the package was both exciting and anticlimactic at the same time. Because, unlike the kit you would receive, ours comes unpainted and un assembled (nothing welded together).

After examining all the parts we had to work with, we started trial fitting things together. We installed the rubber boot over the throttle body and were thrilled with the configuration. This was a big deal for us. In order to get the proper orientation of the pipes, we ordered the kit normally supplied for the 01 Cobra. With the boot in place we positioned and started rough trimming the pipes. Once we got a feel for the positioning of the pipes, we positioned the fender apron mounting flange and cut a hole in the apron. We have positioned everything in line and are ready to tack everything together. We will then disassemble the whole shebang and weld everything up. After that, we just have to fit the Mass air sensor and the rest of the vacuum lines and sensors.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2225

We have also received the Maximum Motorsports shock tower brace. We will have to modify it to fit, but that has become the norm on this project. Doesn’t anybody manufacture standard products that fit a minor grafting of two cars 40 years apart?

The oil cooler has arrived, so we can now plan for the installation of the oil filter / cooling plumbing. In order to get the lines routed and looking correct, we will have to combine ½” diameter aluminum tube with formed rubber hoses. To get the tubes looking correct I will have to purchase some sharp radius tube bending equipment. Anyone want to loan me the one they got laying around their garage?

Wayne has been busy. He has laid the first coat of primer to the roof / top of the quarters / trunk surround areas. He will then start on the tail light panel and rear valance. He cannot start on the sides until we get the doors and fenders mounted.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2226

We have an aluminum fabrication specialist coming in early next week. Their task, if they choose to accept it, will be to cut, shape, trim, bend and smack, and tweak and hammer the dash trim panels into submission.

I sent an e-mail request to NPD. I need a custom warranty plate for the door. I am going to intermingle the codes (as best I can) as there appears to be no relevant correlation from 65 to 03.

How does “63B-7-26-16B-13-E-5” sound???

I am also going to locate a “VIN” number (on an aluminum) panel with 67 VIN trim in the original 65 location. I will be keeping the original VIN info in my office. I was thinking about mounting the info under the rear package tray, but I think that that would just be asking for trouble.

We received the battery box and are struggling with the location of this monster. While of heavy construction, it is not exactly what I pictured in my minds eye. It is rather on the large side. Maybe I can have it covered in leather just like the rear fiberglass surround panels.

Enough for now, we need to get back to work.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Man, ill tell you what, this is the most beautiful project that ive ever seen. Good luck finishing up on it.

Hi All,

I am writing this note late at night. The house is quiet. Both the wife and our dog are fast asleep. Not a sound save the soft, cool breeze through the trees.

I am sorry that I have not been posting as of late, but Hydro-Flo (you know, the wastewater treatment company) has been very demanding of my time. We have had one of our sales staff and our project manager both leave in the past 3 weeks and I am the one who has been taking up the slack.

Is there anyone out there looking for a sales or engineering job???

Sigh….

Anyway…

This past weekend (and this week for that matter) Wayne has been concentrating on getting the tail panel, quarters, doors, etc. in primer, while I worked (Saturday only) on getting the inner fender details complete. We are doing everything we can to get the fenders mounted so that Wayne can start on the front fender flares and also complete the detail work on the sides of the car.

That being the case, I worked on finishing off the inner fender wiring details. I drilled the holes in the cowl panels for the door looms and also finished off a few misc details, but I have not finished the inner fender wiring or any of the other details I was hoping to finish this week. I am just a few details away from getting the fenders mounted. Wayne has been very understanding, but I know it must be wearing on his nerves. We are so close to the finish and yet I am the one holding the project up. I am so depressed. I cannot even find the time to take the occasional progress photo.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2228

We set the Maximum Motorsports strut tower brace in place and were trying to picture how we were going to get it to fit under the hood. We discussed a number of alternatives, but all of them seamed to interfere with one device or another. Wayne said, “To bad we can’t run the brace in front of the engine”. I took the brace flipped it over and rotated it 90 degrees and walla, it fit. We just have to remove and re-weld the mounting brackets for the revised positioning.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2227

After we get the doors and fenders mounted, I will concentrate on getting everything associated with the engine complete. If there were only 48 hours in a day, I might be able to spend some time on the car, but I do not see any free time in the immediate future. I have to find replacement personnel, train them, etc…

On another note, we are listing things for sale on e-bay starting Friday night. We are going to list everything with a starting bid of one dollar and no reserve. I will post a link to the forum for those interested in bidding on some of these items. The demand for some items may be high, but the demand for many others will be very low. If there was only some way for us to create some demand for these miscellaneous items.

Hummm… Let me think….

I know…

I can pull a Shelby.

Some of these low demand items may be of interest to those who just want a small inexpensive souvenir of the project. If that is the case, we will be happy to autograph the item for display in your garage.

It must be getting late. I can’t stop laughing. Damn... I just woke up the dog. You ever get so tiered that you just can’t stop laughing? Anyway, if I really wanted to pull a Shelby, I would have a minimum bid of $500 for everything and then charge an additional $250 for the autograph.

BRAAAHHHAAA!!!!!

I know this is going to sound really stupid in the morning, but you know what. I am going to post it anyway. I really need to get to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

I noticed that you mounted the air filter where it is actually going to be behind the wheel well in your finished product. Isn't that going to make it extremely difficult to remove it for cleaning? I could see putting it in the stock location and perhaps making some ducting to go into the wheel well opening or even down lower where it would get more of a ram air effect, but where it is now just looks like too much trouble to ever think about cleaning it! Just my $0.02 worth...Otherwise, an awesome project!

Hi All,

Below is a link to the infamous Cobra seats currently for sale on E-Bay. Click on the "View sellers other items" button to see all the other items for sale.

SNIP... I have to list this later

Good luck to all who bid. I hope you find the items you need at a price you can afford.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Oops... I tried linking to the auction before it actually started. I guess they frown on that. Here is a link to all the items I have listed.

http://motors.search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZiQ5famQ5fnotQ5fbob

Hope this works.

Again, I hope you find the items you need at a price you can a-Ford. :-)

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

After hours of debate, we have decided to come clean. The entire project has been an elaborate hoax. All of the work we have been showing has been done in PhotoShop. All this time we have been working on a typical 66 "rest-o-mod".

Here is a photo of the real project. A little more work and we will be ready to start assembly.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2229

I know what you are thinking. What about all the people who have seen the car in person. Well... Have you ever heard about group hypnosis???

Again, I am so sorry for my deceitful ways. I am so ashamed. :-(

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

The entire project has been an elaborate hoax. All of the work we have been showing has been done in PhotoShop. All this time we have been working on a typical 66 "rest-o-mod".

Here is a photo of the real project. A little more work and we will be ready to start assembly.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2229

I know what you are thinking. What about all the people who have seen the car in person. Well... Have you ever heard about group hypnosis???

Again, I am so sorry for my deceitful ways. I am so ashamed. :-(

:wtf:

I hope you're just joking and this isn't true. If it is true though and you hoaxed us then you deserve a good kick in the nuts :nutkick:

I don't think so, Tim! :D

Hi All,

Well that was my attempt at humor. I guess I should stick to the serious stuff. Also, I couldn’t PhotoChop my way out of a paper bag. The green car shown is a 66 coup that my brother is “rest-o-moding” for a local fire fighter. It is one of the cleanest 66 coups I have ever seen. He is having the car built for his sons. His personal stang is a 71 Boss 351. They are some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet and we are proud to build this car for them.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2232

Anyway….

This weekend Wayne spent all his time on the passenger side quarter panel. This panel has been a royal pain in the butt. In fact, every time Wayne has had an issue with the bodywork, it has been with this panel. He finished all the revision to the flare and sealed the entire area with feather fill. Feather fill is a polyester product similar to Bondo, etc. Wayne likes to use it as a sanding base prior to applying the final coats of primer. The advantage of this material is that it will not shrink up over time.

If you look at the photos, you will see that the flare is very close in design to the 03 flare. The lines are sharp. The angle and width of the flare are very close. The only difference of note is the width of the “flat”. Ours is about an inch whereas the 03 is about 2. I am very happy with the results and believe that they fit in with well with the 65 bodylines.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2230

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2231

While Wayne worked on the quarter panel, I worked on a number of miscellaneous items. I painted and mounted the front core support / hood latch brace. I cleaned, sanded, primed and painted the brackets and mounts for the intercoolers heat exchanger and a number of other odds and ends.

That’s all for now.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

All the items up for auction on e-bay closed last night.

The entire 03 interior went for $1,076. It looks like someone got a pretty good deal.

Someone bought the 65 rear bumper for $1.25 and after the auction declined the purchase because the bumper was sand blasted ready for paint or re-chroming. All of that was stated in the text, but I guess they did not read it until after the auction was over.

Other items of interest were....

The 03 doors went for about $65 each.

The used clutch, PP, FW and input shaft went for $90.

The Cobra oil cooler went for $125.

The Cobra front control arms and coil springs went for $165.

The Cobra mirrors went for $130.

The Cobra tail lights went for $115.

All in all I generated about $3,700 for the project. This will allow us to hire a full time helper to get this project moving over the next 3 weeks.

And, we still have a bunch of stuff to auction off.

We should get a LOT accomplished next week. Wish us luck.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

I noticed that you mounted the air filter where it is actually going to be behind the wheel well in your finished product. Isn't that going to make it extremely difficult to remove it for cleaning? I could see putting it in the stock location and perhaps making some ducting to go into the wheel well opening or even down lower where it would get more of a ram air effect, but where it is now just looks like too much trouble to ever think about cleaning it! Just my $0.02 worth...Otherwise, an awesome project!
Hi MJ,

Actually, all that will be required is the removal of the front tire. You will then have easy access to the filter for cleaning. The wheel wells are all open on the 65, so there will be nothing in the way for cleaning, etc. Although, we are going to fab a small shield so that the filter will not be damaged by a loose rock or drenched with water if we ever get stuck in a freek rainstorm.

We looked at locating the filter inside the engine bay with ductwork into the fender, but we just could not configure all the items to fit in the space we had left.

Thanks for the input

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Let the blocking begin. :-)

After a day of blocking, this is what we have accomplished. Both quarters. Sides and top.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2239

WoHoo!!!

Now on to the roof and trunk.

Here is a photo of the collision center from the outside (for anyone who is a bit curious).

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2238

Also, here are some photos of the battery cable run. We are pretty much set except for the final location of the battery box. We just need to find a location that will clear the gas tank and any existing wiring. Sounds like a snap, but I am sure that this will give us a bit of hartburn before it is all over.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2240

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2241

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2242

Also, when we ran the chassis grounds, we tied a couple of seperate of items together and grounded them with one terminal. I hope this dosen't end up biting me in the butt. A ground is a ground is a ground.

Right???

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Into the booth we go.

Wayne finished the blocking of the quarters, roof, etc...

Here are some photos of the car in the booth after it was primed.

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2249

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2250

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2251

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2252

http://www.horsepowered.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2253

Now we will mount the doors, fenders, trunk, hood, front end, etc... and go through the same priming and blocking procedure.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Also, here are some photos of the battery cable run. We are pretty much set except for the final location of the battery box. We just need to find a location that will clear the gas tank and any existing wiring. Sounds like a snap, but I am sure that this will give us a bit of hartburn before it is all over.

Have you thought about mounting it like the ('68ish) vettes? In the floor behind the driver's seat? Maybe under the rear seat of the '65? Make a 'trap door" in the trunk to get to the battery box mounted in/under the back seat? See what I'm talking about? It may just be a lot of work for nothing.