Build Thread 1978 Fairmont. I bet somebody back home’s thinkin’…I wonder why he don’t write..?

Don’t know what to tell ya.

It hasn’t failed.
It hasn’t broken, dug into the ground and caused a F&F 9 pole vault endo.
It hasn’t popped, pissed, moaned or otherwise complained when I go into angled drive ways.

I’m guessing it’s ok.
That probably means no clunking, either.
So does that mean the rear end whine is on the list for years winter?
 
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That probably means no clunking, either.
So does that mean the rear end whine is on the list for years winter?
The rear end whine is ambiguous.

in other words…

I have no clue where it’s coming from. I don’t know if it’s a bad pinion bearing, a carrier bearing, an axle bearing, or a bad pattern on the gear setup itself.

Im gonna let that dog eat through 2022.
 
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The rear end whine is ambiguos.

in other words…

I have no clue where it’s coming from. I don’t know if it’s a bad pinion bearing, a carrier bearing, an axle bearing, or a bad pattern on the gear setup itself.

Im gonna let that dog eat through 2022.
Since we helped talk you out of a project, I thought we could help talk you into another one. The next best I can think of is building a monster stereo, and that’s Bill’s specialty. Light, sounds good and is louder than the exhaust would be a worthy challenge.
 
Since we helped talk you out of a project, I thought we could help talk you into another one. The next best I can think of is building a monster stereo, and that’s Bill’s specialty. Light, sounds good and is louder than the exhaust would be a worthy challenge.
Of all things, I have an audio back ground. While certainly not any contender for any SPL level competition, the audio system in this car is more than adequate for my needs, yet goes way beyond what most here would deem as adequate.

I will not be changing anything in this department.
 
If it's any help at all, I think you made the better choice.

It's not a Barra, it's better. Why would you make a one-of custom look like a clone that 90% of the car world wouldn't recognize in the first place?
 
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What you have looks much cooler than the Barra pic. Fix the hose, but forget the rest.

Amen!

Clean up what you want, but don't try to clone anything. Your build is unique and should stay that way. It stands on it's own two feet (or six coils in this case). I've always thought that function was much sexier than form when looking under hoods anyways.

Wtf are you doing. Leave all that sh*t as it is, it looks to damn good now. Take the current "cover" off & have a Ford oval CNC etched into it right in front of that last coil pack. If you want to further perpetuate the whole "Ford" thing have a one off replica tag made that mimics the one on the old Powerdyne "Ford Motorsport" superchargers. Rivet it to the volute on the turbo. Done! Yep, factory inline turbo six "Cyclone Spoiler", only made a handful

The engine looks great as is,but......would look a whole lot better if it wasn't sitting in a black painted engine bay:shrug:

It needs t tops :runaway:

If it's any help at all, I think you made the better choice.

It's not a Barra, it's better. Why would you make a one-of custom look like a clone that 90% of the car world wouldn't recognize in the first place?

Engine bay looks awesome now. Cleaning up the braided PCV hose was a good choice. Glad you didn’t go overboard on anything else.
And giving credit where credit is due.
Despite my hard headed approach to doing things sometimes, the fact that all of your opinions, and advice kept going contrary to my direction, eventually brought me back to rational thought.
So you aren’t wasting your breath on me sometimes. I always appreciate the input.

I have “ entertained” T tops for about a minute. The fact that I can’t get doors for a mod like this, and that it’s from a completely different roof line have always killed that thought as soon as it pops into my head.
( That, and the fact that I’d never drive the car w/o the roofs in place, so they effectively become useless to me)

Im at the point where I have been several times with the car now..It’s back to “ Now What?” status. If I was content to drive it, I’d be set. But we all know I’m not ( content to leave well enough alone).

When it gets really cold here ( i.e. below 30* ), I‘ll not even drive the car, so it usually enters a danger zone. Either I’m doing something, or I consider selling it. In lieu of that I could plan to do one of the following projects:

1. If I wasn’t content with how much power it’s making, ( I am) I’d consider a forged bottom end, new cams and porting.
But that seems unlikely, as that would just be that much extra that I’d never take advantage of.
2. I could focus on fixing the heater/ ac plenum, since it doesn’t work other than one mode. Defrost doesn’t work, and right now the vent mode it’s stuck in is floor/ dash. That means blowing the charge, removing the dash top ( maybe the whole freakin dash I don’t know) and messing with the plenum to find out whether it’s a control panel, or vent mode solenoid that’s broke.
3. Ive talked about getting the existing seats reupholstered in a two tone leather to match the rest of the interior.
4. Ive talked about getting different wheels, but that leaves 6 custom sized wheels that I’d probably never be able to sell at any remote chance at making back anything on them. New forged wheels are just stupidly expensive, and it seems like every other premade wheel is incorrectly backspaced. I actually built it to allow me to use SN 95 wheel back spacing, but I just can’t have a 17 x 9 wheel up front. So weirdly enough, I gotta have a 17x8 front with 6” of back spacing. And that just isn’t common.
In reality, I want a bronze wheel if I was to replace these, maybe I could send the existing wheel to a refinisher.
( Like that’ll be cheap)
5. I could just sell the whole thing, and put the money in a coffee can and bury it in my backyard.
 
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I got to the place where all I need is new tires, exhaust welded ( it's clamped right now ) and a real alignment. What do I do ? I went and bought a t top car so I can contemplate chopping my roof off. Smh

I know I needed another project or I'd just be finding things to bastardize on my current car. Hence, why I tried to buy the 64 fairlane. If I don't stay busy with something life gets boring. That leads to thoughts of ditching the current project for money to fund another. The vicious cycle continues. I've noticed that I think about all the cars I've put together over the years. Really, I wish I still had them all. Even the 1989 geo spectrum with the turbo Isuzu i mark swap would be a nice conversation piece now days.

If I had your " do it thrice " skill I'd be doing all types of wild stuff to my cars.

Keep the car, Mike. Jazz it up a little and get another project of some sort. It'll keep you busy.
 
I swear.

Maybe I’m just too critical. Maybe it’s just the cars I deem cool enough to photograph aren’t so common.

I just walked around the venue…There are a Butt load of 67-69 Camaros, 55-57 Chevy’s, a stupid amount of pick ups from all eras. Easily 30 64-67 Chevy II’s, and A pretty decent collection of Mustangs through 95 ( yeah, they let em in). Old assed 100k dollar street rods from the 30’s and 40’s rolled in and out all day, as did scores of skanky assed rat rods
Yet,…..Did I bother to take a pic of any of them?

Nope.

If there was more than few of them here, they got passed by.

But…

There were a few that I found amazing and rare enough to catch.

2CB5C786-55C8-4929-9B28-830A9B028B1F.jpeg
When I was in the 5th grade, one of the neighbors who was a year older than my brother came by every day and picked us up and took us to school in his 304 4 speed 71 Javelin. It was really cool. My brother's high school parking lot was a muscle car show every day in 81-82. Camaros, Mustangs, Javelins, Maverick (my brother's) Barracuda, Challenger, Charger, and my brother's best friend's 68 F100 with a 428 in it.
 
After this mornings’ thinking out loud session here on the website, Ive decided to do #4, and #6…..
:shrug:
( But there ain’t no number 6 LT. Dan…..)

Every Bronze/Copper/Gold wheel I like is…..Powder coated. I just learned that today. That discovery led me to this epiphany…..

Why wouldn’t I just have my wheels powder coated bronze instead?

So I checked into it. Rather than finding some new set that are the color, and maybe spending some stupid assed amount for new two piece custom wheels, or having to settle for incorrectly backspaced OTS pieces for the sake of getting this color, why don’t I take what I got, and have them refinished in the bronze I want.
Something like this bronze:

1634596668614.jpeg

The whole wheel has to be finished this way though, so the two-tone, polished spoke/black hub look goes away. At the same time though, After I have them coated, It looks like the indirectly lit parts will take on a darker hue…
So,…..I think i’ll still have a Magnum 500 style, that may still have a contrasting two tone vibe. I think it’ll be different enough to scratch my itch.
The issue is that the powder coater is backed up…it’s gonna be 6 weeks before he’s caught up, so This is a December thing. The car will be in the air with its wheels off in December, perfect opportunity to turn them into bronze.

#6. Not this Thursday, but the next one, I leave the car for half a day to get its windows tinted.

Smoked and Bronzed,…Thats how the Monster will exit 2021.
 
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Of all things, I have an audio back ground. While certainly not any contender for any SPL level competition, the audio system in this car is more than adequate for my needs, yet goes way beyond what most here would deem as adequate.

I will not be changing anything in this department.
I was always surprised to see such a “system” in your car as far as audio. You don’t come across as a guy that would be into that ...... at least from what I’ve read.
 
I was always surprised to see such a “system” in your car as far as audio. You don’t come across as a guy that would be into that ...... at least from what I’ve read.
Every street car that I’ve ever had since……2000???… has had a pretty decent audio system.
I managed a boutique stereo store in the mid 80’s before going into the US Army. Judged the very first attempts at “ Crank it up” competitions in the early 90’s as a rep for JVC America.
The Chrysler Conquest in 2000 had MB Quart 6.5” Component…don’t remember which amp
My 2003 Avalanche had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ ” “ “
My 2005 GTO had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ “ “ “
The red car had 2 Dual voice coil 8”s and Pioneer Components. Power Bass amp
The Monster Has a single 12, pioneer 6.5 components, pioneer 6x9’s Pioneer 3/4 channel amp.

Its never been about rattling the trunk lid. it’s always about clarity, and punch….a lot of punch.
Just ask the LJK,…..he’ll tell ya.
 
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Every street car that I’ve ever had since……2000???… has had a pretty decent audio system.
I managed a boutique stereo store in the mid 80’s before going into the US Army. Judged the very first attempts at “ Crank it up” competitions in the early 90’s as a rep for JVC America.
The Chrysler Conquest in 2000 had MB Quart 6.5” Component…don’t remember which amp
My 2003 Avalanche had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ ” “ “
My 2005 GTO had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ “ “ “
The red car had 2 Dual voice coil 8”s and Pioneer Components. Power Bass amp
The Monster Has a single 12, pioneer 6.5 components, pioneer 6x9’s Pioneer 3/4 channel amp.

Its never been about rattling the trunk lid. it’s always about clarity, and punch….a lot of punch.
Just ask the LJK,…..he’ll tell ya.
Awesome man! I always liked a nice stereo, but it was always last on my list so never quite got to where I wanted it.
And in the end...... I really only wanted to hear the sound of the motor.
 
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I was always surprised to see such a “system” in your car as far as audio. You don’t come across as a guy that would be into that ...... at least from what I’ve read.
Every street car that I’ve ever had since……2000 has had a pretty decent audio system.I managed a boutique stereo store in the mid 80’s before going into the US Army. Judged the very first attempts at “ Crank it up” competitions in the early 90’s as a rep for JVC America.
The Chrysler Conquest in 2000 had MB Quart 6.5” Component…don’t remember which amp
My 2003 Avalanche had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ ” “ “
My 2005 GTO had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ “ “ “
The red car had 2 Dual voice coil 8”s and Pioneer Components. Power Bass amp
mustangbuild374_zps1lnv6d4v.jpg


The Monster Has a single 12, pioneer 6.5 components, pioneer 6x9’s Pioneer 3/4 channel amp.
Awesome man! I always liked a nice stereo, but it was always last on my list so never quite got to where I wanted it.
And in the end...... I really only wanted to hear the sound of the motor.
Try driving 5.5 hours one way.
The sound of the engine gets old at about 90 minutes in.
 
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Every street car that I’ve ever had since……2000 has had a pretty decent audio system.I managed a boutique stereo store in the mid 80’s before going into the US Army. Judged the very first attempts at “ Crank it up” competitions in the early 90’s as a rep for JVC America.
The Chrysler Conquest in 2000 had MB Quart 6.5” Component…don’t remember which amp
My 2003 Avalanche had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ ” “ “
My 2005 GTO had dual 10’s and Phoenix Gold Components. “ “ “ “
The red car had 2 Dual voice coil 8”s and Pioneer Components. Power Bass amp
mustangbuild374_zps1lnv6d4v.jpg


The Monster Has a single 12, pioneer 6.5 components, pioneer 6x9’s Pioneer 3/4 channel amp.

Try driving 5.5 hours one way.
The sound of the engine gets old at about 90 minutes in.
All I’ll say is...... I was much different in my younger years as well!