Project Midnight Swinger

Nirvana said
Oh yeah, and barely mocking it up, I knew I was gonna have to mod the rad support, so I just took some pics for y’all.

The plan is to pull as much as possible from the engine bay, clean it up really good and the attempt to make a rattle can silver paint job look decent. I can’t stand having a white engine bay with a silver car.

The PO was also in the process of converting the interior from B7 blue to Black. So the steering column has to come out to get painted. Once the engine bay paint is dry I’ll swap the 383 in and then install the rad and steering column.

I hope I’m not getting in too deep, my goal is to drive this thing and not have it sit. So far the only thing that is stalling the project is a rear end. 8 3/4 around me are $1500+ with SBP axles. The only 2 8 1/4’s I can find are $650 for an open 2.76,and $1400 for a rebuilt sure grip 3.23. Looking at ford options. I can get a 9” from a Versailles for $300 or an explorer 8.8 for $150 plus the cost of modifying it.

Gotta borrow a big hammer from work and I’ll post pics of the rad mounted.

Jared

I measured for the biggest radiator I could put in my duster and bought an aftermarket aluminum from summit for $140... As far as the rear end goes I think your 8.8 is probably going to be your most budget friendly one... If you can find one from the scrap yard.. I was $1,200 into my 8 and 3/4 and blew that up within 20 passes at the drag strip... I spent the same $1,200 on a Dana 60 and haven't worried about it since.. on the Dana 60 I found one on craigslist for $150 from an old truck with good 410 gears in it. I bought $300 green axles from Dr diff and a spool. For another $125.. I think I spent $75 for the end pieces and another 350 to have it chopped down to a body size and the perches welded on at the right with an angle... Anyways it was a lot of leg work but $1,200 in the end and I could use my brakes from an eight and a quarter which can be gotten at the junkyard as well...
Anyways onto the rattle can of the engine bay.. what I did to mine was stripped it of anything and everything I possibly could and pushed it outside or I could use the hose and scrub the hell out of it like three or four different times... Trying to remove every bit of grease I could using degreasers and any chemical I could find... I did use a good primer and for me I wanted to paint it gold... It seems to look okay with its little 408 small block...