getting my 65 formula s back on road

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65cudalover

65cudalover

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Location
Wheeling, Illinois
:happy10:After two years waiting my 65 cuda formula s will be back on road like new again! Sent car to vocational class in New Jersey (I am in Maryland) two years ago to be restored by class. They have done all the work except paint. List includes new front k frame and suspension (bent in accident), new front disc brakes, new fuels lines and brake lines. Car was on a rotisserie and all bottom rust was repaired, new door, new front fenders, new fuel tank. SUb frame connectors. Motor was replaced (old 273 4bbl) with newly rebuit 318 4bbl, used my valve covers looks like 273, used my newly rebuit trans (built for bracket racing good to 500hp). Replaced rear end with 81/4 inch rear, nothing special but bigger than original. Powder coated ralley wheels new rubber. Now ready for daily driving. Interior refurbished, new radio, wiring repaired, everything now working. I will pick it up end of may or early June. Hope to drive it to Carlisle! Then hope to get painted this fall, probably dark blue, was orininally black , but now blue. I used to have a 66 cuda many years ago bracket raced in Md then in Wisconsen when I lived in Chicago area. I am back Jack
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some work completed.
new tank, brake lines, 7.25 LBP rear, LBP 73+ disk brakes, cowl rot repair, floor repair, replaced doors, rebuilt heater box, repaint eng. bay, upgrade to 318 (273 was NOT orig. to car anyway), new shift cable, new ujoint on driveshaft, lots of other little stuff. 600 cfm eddy carb with elect. choke, LD4B intake too. all new brake hose and prop valve. LOTS of hours went into this work.

Waiting on the repaired radiator for startup.

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more. bottom shows some stress cracks in the old, bent K frame - which will be discarded. It got replaced as well as both control arms, LCA struts, sway bar and links. all the TREs and adj sleeves were also replaced. pitman, centerlink and idler were OK. L frame rail was bent in ~ 3/4" too, now straighten as best a could be.

THey yellow you see is fireproof caulk over the welds where the new "hat" section was welded in. The drivers side was capped with flat plate. Therefore, there is no drivers air drop box.

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A few pieces were sourced for members here: HL ring, Front Bumper, Left Fender, K-frame, swaybar, LCAs, Formula "S" button......
 
That's some good work you got under way, nice job!! I had to repair a few issues with my K-frame too, just like yours, the strut rod bushing seats were coming away from their spot welds.
 
fenders on (in epoxy prime), replacement doors on (blue is close!), front valence blue is rattle can. It will need final bodywork and paint....but its getting there.

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Just fitted the rebuilt headlight buckets and put in some sealed beams. I took out the halogens; they are a nice way to overload the stock light switch and melt the harness! We don't want that!!! HB and LB; tails, stops, signal lights all work! yippee!

Just got the radiator back! It will fire up either Friday or Monday!! more to come!!
 
4spdcuda66 said:
That's some good work you got under way, nice job!! I had to repair a few issues with my K-frame too, just like yours, the strut rod bushing seats were coming away from their spot welds.
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The worst thing was the K frame was bent at the steering box and a the entry point of both LCA stuts into the K frame. Both LCAs and struts were trash....uppers too!!
 
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