Old Man's 66 Cuda Funnycar build

-
funnykarman

funnykarman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
169
Reaction score
268
Location
Georgia
I was born in N.C. and lived there for 55 years before moving to AZ. Was able to see all the AFX and Funnycars in the 65 thru 66 time frame , Sox and Martin being my Hero's . When we lost Ronnie Sox in 2006 my thought's turned to building a 66 cuda , altered wheel base and stretched nose car for the street . I ended up buying 4 1966 parts car's . One of them had a clear CA. title and pink slip so that was the one I stared with . Most of it had been parted out but was able to use parts from the other 3 cars to help out . Needing to move the ft. wheels forward 20 inches. I used 2 sets of fenders and body lines from a set of doors to do it , six pieces in all for each side . not perfect but will work . After getting the fender tacked up , the next issue was the front end . I had used the mustang II set in a few streetrods I built for customer's so I found a stock crossmember on Ebay for $35.00 and a set of upper and lower control arms for the same price and dummied them up to see if it would fit . I made spacers for the shocks to keep the lower control arms in the correct location . With the tires and a set of old spindles and used 9 1/2 disk brake rotors in place I rolled it under the frame and cut the frame until the tires were centered in the wheel opening tacked it in place and started to figure out how to brace all this in place . I used 1x2x1/8 tubing anong with 1/8 flat plate to weld it together and brace it with the roll cage I installed later . By the way I started ths build 8 years ago , still have a way to go been down with health issues for a while but doing better , I have been buying parts so I have a stash when I get back to it .:eek:ops: View attachment cuda-afx2 052.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 048.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 063.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 065.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 066.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 083.jpg

View attachment afx2 001.jpg

View attachment afx2 003.jpg

View attachment afx2 006.jpg
 
After getting it welded up and setting the lower control arms level , the car had the right stance I was looking for but the tires rubbed the fenders when turned all the way left or right . Had this problem with a Willy's coupe and solved it with the control arms narrowed . Used 1 inch tape as a guide and found places on both upper and lower arms that could be cut and rewelded with no change as to were the shocks would be mounted . I cut them , braced them with 1/2 steel rods and plated inside both top and bottom arms with 1/8 plate. I also boxed the lower control arms with 1/8 plate across the bottom for added strength . I used QA1 coilover shocks for a stock Mustang II set with 500 # springs . For brakes I used a set of Wilwood brakes with 11 rotors . I am using M/T 26 inch tall tires up front with 4 1/2 by 15 Cragar wheels . rebuilt the control arms with Moog ball joints and rubber bushings .
View attachment cuda-afx2 038.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 033.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 052.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 082.jpg
 
After getting the ft.end squared away the steerings assembly had to be worked out . I ordered a 40 inch column from speedway and cut the lower tube back about 10 inches , I wanted to get the first u joint as far down as possible , used a bearing support at the firewall and a steering drop off the roll cage to support it . I ended up using two u joints and two more shaft supports to get to the rack . With the motor moved back 10 inches you had to be moved back to be confortable driving this thing . So you get set back as far as the rear frame will allow you to be . Also clipped the front edge of the frame in order to use a 31x19 2 flue radiator I bought for another project that would not work . It has two 12 inch Spal fans plus has louvers punched to let the hot air out while moving down the road . The last PIC say's it all , after 30 years of being married to me my wife just shakes her head and say's what ever ! At least I know where you are , in the shop ! :blob:
View attachment cuda-afx2 036.jpg

View attachment afx2 004.jpg

View attachment afx2 005.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 006.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 009.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 035.jpg

View attachment pic's2 327.jpg
 
6pkScamp said:
Looks sweet, keep us up to date on the progress. Lotta fab work involved in your project
Click to expand...

Most of the work is done I am just filling the holes , I am still down with my health but an bored out of my mind , one of the board members told me to post my build so here it goes . Again Thanks
 
thanks for sharing and I hope you feel better soon! I love the AWB scheme.

I have toyed with the idea of a build off and on several years, but yet to start one!

there is a thread on FBBO resto thread where a guy in Tx is building a AWB I believe 63 or 4 car. not being made a race car but more street car theme, which is what I would do. he is very talented, a must read...

keep the info and pics coming!!!!!
 
View attachment pic's2 148.jpg

View attachment pic's2 149.jpg

View attachment pic's2 150.jpg

View attachment pic's2 151.jpg

View attachment pic's2 152.jpg

View attachment pic's2 154.jpgHere are a few pic's of the work on the control arms , The reason I used mustang stuff is I am cheap and still do things the old way , use what there is on hand ! Lower control arms braced and boxed with holes for access to the struct rod arm bolts and lower shock mounts . Also strut rod mount points . used 3/16 angle for strut rod mount , drilled holes and used cap screws to attach to frame , heated and bent strut rod outward until it was in the correct location to weld in tab for end with urthane bushing . when finished welded it and bolted it to frame . Heavy DUTY .
 
Believe it or not I also have a 65 dodge coronet AFX car I have going , again my wife just looks at me and shakes her head and said I can't believe you are starting a nother project , I told her that I was just putting the parts that I had for the car on it from 15 years ago ... got to love em . and thanks The AFX car is on the fbbo web site under 1965 coronet afx P.S. All my cars are for the street . Race cars , boats and airplanes , have to have drag strips , big hole of water or a runway to be able to use em. I like to think of my build's as I.R.C. or imatation race cars !
barbee6043 said:
thanks for sharing and I hope you feel better soon! I love the AWB scheme.

I have toyed with the idea of a build off and on several years, but yet to start one!

there is a thread on FBBO resto thread where a guy in Tx is building a AWB I believe 63 or 4 car. not being made a race car but more street car theme, which is what I would do. he is very talented, a must read...

keep the info and pics coming!!!!!
Click to expand...
 
After tying up the stuff on the ft. end I moved to the rear frame assembly . Wanting to have a dana 60 for strength I found one from a 79 3/4 ton ford . The truck housings tubes are little thicker than the car tubes by a 1/8 inch thickness . I wanted as big a tire and wheel combo as possible . Keeping with the old school look I purchased 2 15x14 Cragar SS wheels , I sent them up north to a company that widens wheels and had them opened up to 15x17 . The reason for this was the M/T pro-street radials call out of a minimum of 15 wheel to a max of a 17 wide one . Did the measurements and the math and ordered a street machine rear clip from Chris Alston with the outside measurements of 20 inches wide with 4 link with poylurthane bushings . Had shop in town cut and weld on the new ends , used a set of old axles with the end cut off so I could roll the car around after installing . leaving the old 7 1/4 rear end in the car I used it to measure from . I moved the rear assembly forward 8 inches from stock . welded in 1/8 plates on both sides of the iner rocker panel , had to pie cut the crossmember and move the lower edge up so it could be welded to the plate in the rocker panel . I cut and welded a piece of 2x4x1/8 tubing across the end of the car and drilled holes in it so the bumper cound be attached back in the stock location . by the way the frame from Alston is 2x4x1/8 construction looking for strength ....View attachment cuda-afx2 096.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 093.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 092.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 087.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 094.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 111.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 115.jpg
 
funnykarman.Looks great.I am a BIG fan of "Usin' what ya got".Better than letting it sit.Will be watchin' this one.
 
Finished up the rear assembly , on a dana the rear cast section is about 15 1/2 wide , take notice that my rear frame is 20 inches wide , the inside of the frame at the 4 link is 16 inches wide , only a 1/4 inch left over . Had to slant the rear QA1 coilovers to get it to fit . Also have Wilwood disk brakes with parking brake for the rear . When I installed the rear frame I placed it at inner rocker level , I was shooting for a flat floor , gives you a little more exaust clearance . Used a 2x4x1/8 tube to tie the front and rear frame together .. cut into the stock frame and pushed the 2x4 tubing in as far as it would go keeping flat . After I got the front to rear frame rails in I cut out the last two sections of the old trans crossmember and welded in a couple of 2x3x1/8 inch piecs of tube to the rocker . Used the gas tank from my 65 AFX project 20 gal. with fuel level sender .. Plans are for a track locker with 4:10 gears , this will give crusing speed of about 72 mph at 3000 rpm. Note on one pic you see a circle drawn this is were I am going to put in exhaust ports that will let you run 3 inch exaust thru them View attachment cuda-afx2 014.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 031.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 042.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 041.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 099.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 101.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 091.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 116.jpg
 
Last edited:
This will be a short one , with the back wheels moved up I needed to address the quarters .
When I cut old ones out I saved the front sections to be reused later . I purchased a set of repair lower quarters from Layson's . Had to do this , all the other cars I had were rusty or just plain beat to hell . It hurt my feeling and wallet but there no other way . I moved and stretched the first side and then did the same on the other side , came out pretty good , lap welded them in to keep warp down , just a little mud work and the seam will be gone .

View attachment cuda-afx2 008.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 007.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx2 027.jpg
 
Wow! This is so cool, and some fantastic fab work going on here. My first real car was a 66 Fish and I practically lived in that thing before Uncle Sam got me. I can't wait to see this completed. Get well and thanks for the thread.
 
Blown Hemi altered wheelbase early A Barracuda! Very nice build and excellent fab work!!!!
 
Now for the good stuff ! The Hemi is a 472 crate engine , I bought 13 years ago to go in 65 AFX car . The blower is from Don Hampton , great guy to deal with , 6/71 set up for 5 lbs boost . Will use one QFT 1050 blower carb with manifold ref. power valve set up . The bug catcher is from Don Garlits Performance . The carb sit's inside and will have a K/N filter , bought it used on Ebay $300.00 new costs about $1600.00 . Have milodon dual remote oil pump and an older oil pan off a dragster , will change this out for a little shorter pan for ground clearance . Headers are TTI units from my 65 car , drivers side fits like they were made for car , passenger side has one tube that hit 2x4 frame , just cut a 3/4 in. section out and reverse boxed it for that tube . using a 727 trans and will do a performance upgrade on it with manual vb. and looking for a 2500 stall convertor . to install the engine I made a jig that bolted to the water pump bolts , put in threaded rods on both ends so I could move motor up and down as needed . Motor mounts were made from a set I bought for the 65 car and could not use . Cut the tube off of the mounts, welded on a piece of 1x2x1/8 tubing to the poly bushing tube set all this at a 8 degree angle from motor down to frame and welded all this to a 3/16 by 5 inch angle plate . This plate will be attached to the OEM frame with 5 1/2 grade 8 bolts on each side . To help take a little strain off the frame ( motor and blower combo is almost 950 lbs ) I will use a 1/2 set of left and right hand rod ends bloted thru motor mont and attached to the roll cage , will work like a turnbuckle and pass some of the weight thru the cage bars. Guy's if you want to see any more pic's of any of this post just ask and I do my best to post more pic's of what you want to see ! View attachment pic's2 144.jpg

View attachment pic's2 145.jpg

View attachment pic's2 094.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx 004.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx 007.jpg

View attachment cuda-afx 008.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top