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...
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