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as a young boy every day while playing outside, some guy driving his 73 Mach 1 would slide around the corner and burn up the street just after 5 pm...... I said "when I grow up, I will have one of those." Years later.....well 1982..... the family genes kicked in.....(2 uncles and a cousin FORD dealership employees)..... my uncle had a 1973 Mach 1 for sale......"Q" code 351C 4V, C6, 3L25 gear, P/W, Red with Black int., front and rear spoilers, Alum turbine wheels.....it went!!.....that was my first REAL car (BITE ME British Leyland!)....then I got my 68 Shelby GT500KR..I ended up trading the disassembled project for 2 more 73 Mustang Sport Roof cars.....another "Q" code with 4 speed and 3L25, Pewter with black int. the other a "H" code 351C 2V, FMX, 2.73....then parts cars......A blue 72 S/R, a red 73 S/R, another blue 72 S/R, a black 71 S/R, a green 72, ........... 1982 off to college for Auto Tech....my parents bought a 1982 Mercury Lynx.....Hmmm....this would really go with a Cleveland.......So.....I think in 85 I bought a 1981 Mercury Lynx body.....stripped the floor and eng compartment out of it and started to build a frame...Mustang II front clip and 8" rear with the leafs...made engine mounts and dropped it in...351 C fit nice except for steering/exhaust. SO........"If I am going to go to all that trouble, lets go 429!"....Engine plate....trans crossmember....OUCH! that didn't fit any better.........so I set the engine back 18"......The carb was now sucking through the speaker grille on the dash.......cool......can you say WHEELSTAND? oops.....where do I put my legs?? Well scrap that idea.... So......I got myself a Mustang III (Fox) front end and rear sump BB oil pan...... Did you now that a Mustang II front end has 24" between the frame rails ......and a Mustang III has 36"? modified the frame, tilt front end.......Boy did that baby fit nice!!!! and in the right place too! that looked good.........so I decided to redo the rear...... lost the 8", I narrowed a 9" housing, ordered short 31 spline axles....42" drum to drum.....got a set of ladder bars, built the cage, made a coil over mounting setup and L/bar front crossmember .....added 295/50 T/As on 10" wheels (shown in the few picturs that I took) and it was rolling..... I shortened a drive shaft to 23", rubber hosed the trans cooler lines, electric fuel pump from a gas can to the carb, hot wired the "Dura-Spark" box , more crazy "I wasn't that stupid?" stupid rigging (Vise-grips, tie-straps, coat hanger and twine)....but I want to go for a ride!!!! I had a gas pedal(no rad).....who needs brakes.....I will go real slow....(SURE!) down the driveway onto the road, straight...... slowly, in neutral, coasting.....just touch reverse.....oh that works good, then park......that folks is a do it yourself brake system.....So I popped it into 1st, idle nice and low .....barely moving..... and I nailed it for a split second (remember no floor in this car...just like the Dart story), nothing...no G's....then choking tire smoke, Hmmmm? still barely moving ..."What happens if I hold it for .....2 seconds?" ...lets just say any speed without brakes is too fast!!!! I'm guessing...30 mph, 500 feet from the "T" in the road and the swamp....I rev'd it in neutral, pegged reverse...stalled the engine, I'M STILL MOVING!!!!.....got park.....click click click.......Bang.....there's park! Good thing I didn't go for the "hold for ten seconds" plan....First and last adventure for that car till its finished.... since then got rear rotors, 15" wide wheels, 17" wide McCrearys, went to 460, got a 4 speed, added March 14, 2002 I decided to go with Ford's 521 stroker kit, and I want a ZF 5 speed from a F series or B series try and find one!! more to be added |