Project cars/hotrods you've built.

[KevinD]

As much as I like looking at them, I'd like to leave out the cars that get built with a credit card IE: shop cars.
I being married with kids/house/bills etc haven't really built anything in a while, but have built a few decent runners over the years. Of the vehicle I currently have, I'm seriously considering rebuilding my old orange truck. It was my dad's work truck, I drove it all through school, and bought it from him after I got out of the Air Force. It's a total rust bucket, and wouldn't really be worth restoring except for the sentimental value. The cab of the truck is going to be the hardest part to fix if I ever start on it.

The first car I ever modified was a 68 Camaro I bought for $300 in High School. It had a 3 on the tree, and a 250cu inline six when I bought it. No AC, but even better, no rust!
I went through several motor and trans combos, until the last I had in it was a 468ci big block, Doug Nash 5 speed overdrive, and 2.73:1 rear gears. I sold it in 86 (iirc) for $5,000. I wish to heck I still had it!
First car I ever put nitrous on was a 73 Challenger. The previous owner had put in a 340ci six pack with a slapstick, and a friend and I rigged nitrous to the middle carb. I couldn't tell you what jets were in it, but I remember you had to hold a red PB switch in your hand to activate the Nitrous when we first did it. Then I switched to a throttle linkage micro switch, and that was the end of that car.
I had been out street racing one evening, came home, and left the bottle on. I parked behind my dad's truck, so he got in the car to go to the store. When he left the neighborhood, (according to him) he floored it (just to check it out, not knowing about the nitrous, and first time he'd driven the car) He said it spun around on him twice. He drove it back home and told me "Boy, I don't know what the hell you've done to that car, but you're selling it RIGHT NOW!"

I never really modded my 99 Z28, other than some intake/exhaust stuff. I did run nitrous on it for awhile (125shot) but, mortgages, kids, etc kinda put the ole kibosh on the hot rodding.

[Noilly Pratt]

I modded my first car, the Ford Fiesta with stuff from a wrecked Ford Capri of a similar vintage. I found that most of the stuff would interchange well. So, my Fiesta became unique in having a console, 2 mirrors and a day/night mirror which no Fiesta ever had available.

I was never savvy nor brave enough to tackle the engine myself.

My Nissan has a K&N intake nearly from day 1, and when 200,000kms came up and I blew out my bottom end (of the car! ), I had them put in a used Japanese import engine from I don't know what. All I know is that it had 80,000kms and it needed a different induction system retrofitted because the existing one didn't fit. My car had 140hp and it now has something closer to 180hp and a way-deeper exhaust tone, even though I didn't change the exhaust.

[KevinD]

Cool..I wouldn't say I'm a mech genius or anything, but the old style small block chevy doesn't have many surprises for me. I tore my first one apart at about 12 yrs old, and got it running when I was 13. hahaha. I dunno how many times I've rebuilt a SBC now.

[Goofy]

Retrieved from the temp site

This is whats keeping me busy at work atm, the car has been bought by some rich bugger who wasnt happy with the previous restoration job so brought it to us to get it done correctly......... must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around

Pics i took this morning..... (cameraphone so not the best of quality)





















Having lots of fun getting the front nosecone to fit correctly Fibreglass pish :X

Once the car is finished ill post up more pics

Finally remembered to bring my camera home redred

[fricnjay]

My first car I ever had I bought with my own money when I was 16. It was a redish orange 1970 Plymouth Duster. It had a little 318 in it with a mild RV cam in it, Edlbrock single plane intake and a Holley 650 dbl pumper. It had a 727 trans with a reverse manual valve body and a 83/4 rear end with 4:10 posi out back. I had that car for a few years and got hit by a guy in a white Ford F-250 and totaled the car. I salvaged everything I could, the intake, trans and rear end and bought another one a few years later. It was a straight 6 car so I had to buy a V-8 cross member. Then I bought a 360 had it totally machined, decked, honed, planned..the works. Dropped a pretty nice Edelbrock cam in it, cast rockers, dual valve springs, Crome Molly rods and lifters with my old intake and a new reworked Holley 750, headers and a Mallory Billet ignition. It was estimated it would put out around 500 to 550hp. Had to beef up the tork converter amongst other things. Started it only a couple times and it sounded mean, lots of loap in the cam had a real nice sound to it. I sold it for music, wish I would have keeped the car. I plan on getting another one day...

[KevinD]

I'm still keeping an eye out for a 70 duster. Never did make it back where I saw the two dusters in a yard. May head up there this weekend if I can remember where exactly I was. Pretty sure neither of them were 70 models though.

[fricnjay]

Yea I would only have a 70, I dont like the rear end look of the other years.

[Yt Trash]

I have some to post, but Flickr is not letting me post small size photos, only originals.... too big. Although most of my stuff is more modern, nothing older than 80.

[Noilly Pratt]

Thanks for the update, Goofy. That (Escort?) looks really nice.

My uncle had a '70 duster. Brown with a slant 6. I remember even then (at age 6) remarking how it sounded like Mr. Hagerty's laundry delivery van. It too was a Dodge, and my dad said it probably had a 6 as well. That was back when engines were distinctive.

I remember not liking the taillights of the '70 Duster Sowwy. In 1974 I fell in car lust with a Hang 10 Duster (a special edition)



I'm derailing the thread ever-so-slightly because I've never had one, just lusted after it.

a current lust object -- don't know why because I haven't seen one for a while but if I had spare cash I'd get an mid 80's Monte Carlo. Would love one kind of like this one:



Saw one in the local paper for $4500...

[Noilly Pratt]

I've changed my mind...with a spoiler, and this rear-end treatment, I like this '70 duster...

[Yt Trash]

I've always liked trucks. To me they're functional when you own a home. When I was 24 I bought a used 1984 GMC Sierra Classic with a 6 cylinder in it. Drove it for a while the way it was until motor got tired. Bought me a 350 4 bolt main, lowering spindles and an air ride rear suspension, since it still was a service/towing vehicle. Build pics below. Took me about a 1.5 years to build. Custom interior, Audi power leather seats, and full blown stereo. All work was done by me including paint. It was my first custom paint job, and "my own hot rod"

Night I bought it.



After I initially lowered it.



First Paint job..



Withing 3 months of the fresh paint job, a friend borrowed it and rear ended another vehicle, had some work done to it and I updated the front end at the time to newer lights and grill treatment. I also added the yellow, I looked plain with the blue and red.



shaved mirrors, all mouldings and emblems and filled all holes, added 91 Suburban grill and lights.

[KevinD]

Nice one YT. You still have it by any chance? I just joined this site:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/

They have an awesome section on the 73-91 body styles, (as well as others too)

[Yt Trash]

Nice one YT. You still have it by any chance? I just joined this site:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/

They have an awesome section on the 73-91 body styles, (as well as others too)

No sir. But it is still around. I have friends in my home town and they still see it from time to time. I sold it to a kid, and some old guy has it now. Still looks the same from what I've been told, other than paint chipped here and there.

[KevinD]

I sold my 68 to a friend of a friend around 86 or so. last time I saw it was around 95 (didn't recognize who was driving it) but it still had the rattle can flat black, and custom widened steel rallies I put on it ( along with a certain whiskey dent hahaha)

[Goofy]

Thanks for the update, Goofy. That (Escort?) looks really nice.

Yep, Mk2 Escort RS2000