When Torinos fly.

:lol:

Yer cold DG...

so who moderates the moderators in this place?

He probably is cold if he is still back with family for the holidays. :lol:

I think I'm going to put a sweatshirt on in case it's a little cold, and go work on the little Mustang for a bit.

I've mostly been in the hunter gatherer phase of building again. I bought gauges from Speed Hut, and oil coolers and a third member from Roush Yates.

I also think I'm going to run the Shelby in a few of the USCA events. Running that car will probably be less expensive than running the Camaro at everything. Last year the Camaro really stole from the Fastback budget.

Mattman --- Ya know I love ya buddy --- but I don't know what would have you thinking that the Mustang is cheaper to race than the Camaro... I had the motor out of the Mustang 3 separate times last year - rebuilt the Jerico - replaced the clutch/pressure plate... hoovered thru some Hoosiers...

They're all cheap - until you start beaten' on 'em... hahahahahahahaha

That would be the big boss, Jody. Want his email to file a complaint? Wouldn't be my first. :lol:

I am back in 60 degree Norcal and adjusting nicely. Although my attitude might still be back in the frigid homeland. :D

Dig those gauges. Those will look killer in there. Did you get the locker with internal pump from Roush?

The Shelby is cheaper because I won't be tempted to cut up the fenders and widen them, or build a new more powerful engine, or simply get carried away modifying things to try to run toward the top of the heap.

Replacing axle bearings and normal things is no biggie. I think the Mustang, overall is simply just a little more reliable from my experience running it while waiting almost a year for the Camaro's engine to be built.

If I throw a set of good tires on it and it is almost as fast as the Camaro, all bets are off and I won't be able to help myself trying to make it faster.

You know I was just yanking' your chain --- but I do actually agree with you on it being less costly to run. When you're trying to do "work" on a beautiful show car (as the Camaro is!) everything takes longer to do... with having to protect stuff etc. I think the guys at McGee Motorsports can rip the motor out of the Mustang in very short order ---- and it's funny because they were telling me how much "care" they have to take because it's "so nice". HA!! Well yeah - it is far nicer than "just a race car" but it's still just a race car.

I have no idea why you've had so much trouble with the LS motors.... But you've certainly seem to have had more than your fair share! My motor issues were very minor --- a crack in an intake runner --- and a broken rocker arm... but they're expensive "repairs" non the less. Ordinarily I'd have done the R&R part of this stuff myself - but I really haven't been "home" very much and it would have just taken too long.

.

Ask Mike Maier what its like pulling a motor at an event. 2013 SCCA SOLO Nationals first day of a 2 day event while his wife is driving, the windage tray comes loose and gets sent through his oil pan. He and his codriver have to drive later that day. They pulled the motor via a forklift, welded the hole in the oil pan and got everything back together in a mater of hours just in time for his run group. He and his wife went on to win their class National championship with the car.

Moral of the story is never give up and when handed lemons make some lemonade...

I don't remember how it came up, but I remember talking to Mike about that. It's really nothing too unusual to him. Don't know how he has the energy.

I've been getting a bit more fab work done on the Mustang recently. I can't wait until I get to the point where I can assemble things rather than make them. designing stuff is very time intensive, not necessarily just in the labor hours, but also in the amount of time spent approaching the design. I often find myself stopping and taking a break until I figure out, what I feel is a good way of building something.

Since the I can count on one hand the number of time I have had passengers in the back seat of the Camaro, I figured having a back seat wasn't a concern this time around.

I've also gotten a roll bar mocked up since the last time I posted up any pictures of the car.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...psc2a94185.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...psc907897a.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps0c73b312.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps56d42d05.jpg

Sill have some final trimming to do, but it is etch primed so I can leave it alone for a while, if I like.

Not sure if this helps, but your design kinda follows a pic I have been using as guide for a project we have going. Might help you see the end result.

Looks good.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ompartment.jpg

Wow, that's a Bentley, isn't it?

Our interior guy is much handier than I am, and I was thinking of having him build a removable section that would cover up the shocks, and look a little more similar to the Bentley's design, in that I wouldn't have as large of a big flat shelf behind the rear seats. I also wanted the rear cover to try and dampen some of the noise from the shocks if I'm going on a long drive.

Yeah it looks clean. Car is coming along. Keep it up

looks really nice Matt - it was hard to picture when you were explaining it to me... but I like that a lot.

Looks great Matt!

Nice progress Matt! It's come a long way since I saw it a couple months ago.

Looking good Matt! Way to represent the home builder!

Nice job Matt, Its looking good.

That stuff looks super sexy. I was thinking of using the horizontal shock arrangement on my AMX, even went as far as to make up some of the parts. I just think the exposed shocks are coolest thing ever. I then remembered this one squeak that I have been chasing in my Mustang since I built it. It has driven me crazy, it has taken me 3 years to find and correct it. I then thought about what kind of squeaking and creaking the coilovers would make inside the car, and decided to go conventional. That look has me regretting my decision a bit. Love the build.

Matt I love it! This thing is going to be off the hook.

Looks Good Matt. Keep at it!

X2 not only is he doing it himself but also learning as he goes. Great job Matt :thumbsup:

X2! Leave the shocks exposed! Don't make me beg...

Thanks for the kind words guys! It has been a great learning experience and an exercise in patience. Short of some really boring office work where I had to compile a list of invoices for city reimbursal on road improvements, I never really had any individual projects that took more than 20 hours to do. Working on all of the little components in this has forced me to stop trying to rush to get things done, just to move on to the next sub project.

Next sub projects to be addressed will be fabbing the gauge cluster, steering column w/variable assist electric power steering and quicker 15:1 manual rack. I also want to build brake cooling ducts, and a rear diffuser, which means I probably need to order brakes and a gas tank. :G-Dub:

Oh, and the last of the wheel hoops I have been in need of finally shipped, so I can send those out to the powdercoater/annodizer. I need to pick a color that will complement the brake calipers and over various accent colors being used. so many little details to obsess on, and I'm not sure which ones to attack first. :willy:

The car sure has come a long way sense I saw it when I was in Cal. in 2012. Great Job!

Well, I'm still chasing down the right combination of steering hubs, couplers, adapters, bushings and mounts to make the electric power steering unit fit under the dash with a nice simple race type column. In the mean time though, I did a few quick sketches. I generally like to sit on ideas for quite some, and have a solid concept to work from before I ever start drawing anything. Some people can come up with an idea as they sit down and sketch something, I however, cannot.

One of the ideas that I've had since before I ever started cutting up the car two years ago was to create a different front lower valance. I've never liked the bumpers on the 65-66 or 67-68 Mustangs, but I was never able to figure out how to get rid of them without modernizing the look of the car too much, or making it look like the front was just one big slab. I bought a GT350R valance for it, and went as far as filling some holes and adding driving lights, but I haven't been able to get past how "tacked" on the part looks, and that awkward openness in the middle. I remember thinking that blending certain aspects of the newer Mustang front end might look good. I saw what Ron S did on his Mustang and I really liked it, but I didn't want to just copy his design. I feel like I've said this before, but if I was going to make something similar I had to make it my own. Fog lights, brake ducts and a different lower treatment should get the job done, I hope.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps9eb3b37a.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps6e4c7ca6.jpg

... And we're on our way to making something. Kyle at BOS is really handy with an english wheel with all of the curves and shapes I decided to hand this project off to him he will undoubtedly do a better job than I will.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps8674c26b.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...psa39ba9ed.jpg

Looks like fun!

too bad we don't know each other/live close, I've got dozens of ideas for vintage mustang front ends. My last valence was a no bumper wraparound to the flares style, but my latest version is actually going back to using the bumper. Integrating the bumper is actually much hard to do IMO, but if you don't like the look of it then that's an easy decision. I am working through using the bumper again because I'm going back to a more vintage style.

I'm totally with you on the Shelby/R style valences, I hate that big open hole in the middle of the front end, never looked right to me. Needs at least a 2-3" high separator there, whether it be a bumper or sheet metal.

Cool! I'd like to see the latest evolution of your car with the new more vintage look.


This last week Kyle put in a lot of time making the lower valance from scratch, and I think he did a really great job! Since it is really difficult to build identical to a sketch due to variances in proportions that may be off in the drawing, physical space constraints, functional differences, etc. we are rethinking fog light and brake duct placement. I may be moving the fog lights to the center of the lower grille opening. Not sure yet...

Anyway, here is a shot or two of it on the ground. The shape of the lower grille opening isn't set in stone yet and was painted in to give an idea of what could be done.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...psc61956d1.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...psdb37e39c.jpg
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps09f29719.jpg

Looks good matt

I like where you're going with this Matt. Front view looks great, but if I can make a suggestion the transition to lower front fender (ahead of the wheel) needs a little adjustment. It could just be the raw metal pics that accent what i'm seeing?

I know you said it's not done, and with your eye for design I'm sure you'll nail it. :cheers:

Funny Ron --- I thought the very same thing -- I just didn't want to post it because I didn't want to been seen as being critical.... But I totally agree that transition needs something.

Ron clearly has no issue with that.

:poke:

The rendering sums it up which is killer by the way. I think the piece is "chubby" in comparison. (Not near as chubby as a Torino or Dave's ponch after his road trip)

Since when does GW worry about being seen as 'critical' :lmao:

Ha, Matt posted a chubby on the the internet :headspin: :D

(Quoting myself here...)

Just a thought and before Rob mentions it, Camaro owners don't have to worry about that! :lol:

I might have posted a "chubby" Ron, but you had to go back at least twice to look at it, seeing as you quoted yourself and all. :lol:

Don't worry guys, I won't let it leave looking like this. The bottom two inches of the fascia will be getting a little chin spoiler, which will help to shorten up the big slab looking sides and blend the fenders into the fascia.

This build has all the right stuff:thumbsup: