69 Torino on the build - Page 2 - Ford Muscle Forums : Ford Muscle Cars Tech Forum

fefairlane · 12-17-2006, 11:06 PM

Clean prime and paint. Then test fit the set up including some overpriced TCP lower control arms. Hmm.... Looks like it will work. May have a balljoint clearance issue due to the longer shaft on the screw in balljoint TCP uses.

gotyurback · 12-29-2006, 06:06 AM

Any new pics of the installation?

fefairlane · 12-29-2006, 11:28 AM

Not yet.

I finished cleaning the passenger side wheel well and painting it. I should make some more progress this weekend. I hope to have both sides fitted. I am replacing all the brake and fuel lines along with redoing my rear suspension so I am a few weeks out from the car htting the ground. I will probably post some pictures of the complete strut with a wheel mounted by the end of the weekend. Stay tuned.

Nice Ranchero. What size are your wheels and tires?

gotyurback · 12-29-2006, 03:45 PM

Thanks, wheels are 20X9 and the tires are 255/35/20.

fefairlane · 06-23-2007, 09:20 PM

Well I haven't visited for a while and I haven't finished my RRS installation. A few things to keep in mind if you are considering the kit. Global West and TCP tubular control arms will ot work with the struts. The steering arm hits the control arm before full lock. Modified stock arms from Global West of the Open tracker racing control arms will work. If you run TCP strut rods you will have to trim about a 1/2" off the top of the steering stop. It is higher than the stock strut rods stops by about 3/4" for some reason. I'm hoping to actual have the car on the road in a couple of weeks, yea I know you've read that before, and will have some thoughts on the performance of the kit. I will say that Jeff Ford is the best product representative I have delt with and has been very helpful in working out some of the kinks in the road I have encountered.

torino420 · 06-24-2007, 08:46 AM

Cool, thanks for the update. Post some more pics once its on the road.

fefairlane · 12-22-2012, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by torino420

Cool, thanks for the update. Post some more pics once its on the road.

Jason

If I only knew in 2007 how far out of control I'd get.

[quote author=fetorino link=topic=729.msg5896#msg5896 date=1352867271]
I've been a member of some FE forums for years. I've always wanted to build a stroker 427 with Tunnelport heads. I've never seen a true high effort TP build posted. Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen anything with TP heads that screamed.

Most of you have seen Jays post about dyno days at his house with the 498 Blair built for me. It tells a story but not the whole story.

Three years ago I found a nice set of heads and intake that I bought from Rich Mastro. I found a nice used Pond Block. A couple years ago I found Blair Patrick a true gentleman and a savant with the FE.

I had several restrictions with my TP build. Like his stock class 352 that Jay posted and performed really well for what it is, Blair got stuck with many roadblocks to building max hp on my build.

My TP build does not represent a max effort TP from Blair. It was build first with durability in mind. I wanted several things and some of these "goals" fight against each other. I am building a street legal road racer. Yea than makes sense right?

1969 Forino - Page 25 - Lateral-g Forums

1. I wanted it to run on pump gas so I can drive it whenever I want.
2. I wanted it to be mild mannered enough to drive it on the street without hating it.
3. I wanted 650+ hp
4. I wanted 650+ hp with as broad and flat a powerband as possible
5. It needs to be able to run 20-30 min sessions on a road course.
6. I don't want to be tearing it down all the time

I bought the block, heads, intake, carb and oiling system.

Blair listened to what I wanted and said he could do what I wanted. He didn't force me into anything but educated me on the pros and cons of each choice. He built what I wanted not what he wanted me to build. In the end he nailed it and then some.

It isn't 13 to 1 so it's giving up a lot there.
The cam makes more than the power goal I originally wanted but is "small". The lift at the valve is only about .630 well under where max flow of the intake is but also it's easy on the valve train. It also appears to idle with authority but still pretty mild at a reasonable RPM.
The exhaust side of the head suffers from Fords mistake in design. Blair could have fixed it and it would make a lot more hp. I just didn't want to spend the extra $$. He said he could meet my hp goal without filing the floors and he was dead on.
We could have gone bigger on the bore and gained CI but it cleaned up at 4.255 so Blair said leave yourself room for the future we'll still make your hp goal.

All I can say is anything Blair said the motor would do it does. Hearing it on the dyno it just wants to keep running. Smooth as silk it never seems to labor, no hiccups, it just pulls. He brought a 4150 carb he said would run as well or better than my Dominator. I have no reason to think it wouldn't since the one he brought to Jay before did the same thing.

When I first contacted him he said "I like building these things and don't cost any more than a chevy guy" Man that was the truth. He didn't blink an eye about the idea of taking it to Jays dyno to prove what it would do.

I've spent the same or more on heads and machine work before but never got the level of performance. I've seen plenty of stories on forums of problems with parts and machine work. I think as a paying customer it is as important to tell people where they should go to get what they want.

Thanks Blair

[/quote]

fefairlane · 12-29-2012, 05:06 PM

Motor done... check

Chassis done.... check

Time to assemble

fefairlane · 12-31-2012, 10:52 AM

Mario had asked me about the step by step in how the chassis was built. At this point I can only take credit for having the idea to build the car, finding the shop and stripping the car down and getting it to them. I made some design decisions along the way but the heavy lifting was done by the guys at the Roadster Shop. Well I am picking out all the parts and will be doing al the plumbing, wiring and final assembly work.

But building a chassis like this way over my head.

Cut out the old frame rails front and rear.

Measure and make a template to cut some frame rail sides out of 10ga on your high dollar living room sized cnc cutting table.

Then take those sides and put them in a jig and mig weld the seams in 4" increments so they don't warp. They do it numbering 1-4 weld all the 1 sections then onto the 2 and so on. This gives you frame rail parts.

Then it starts looking like a frame on the table.

Then you test fit repeatedly

Build a set of rear rails and add them into the equation. Oh and keep measuring.

Easy right?

The front crossmember is a modular design that they make in two widths. All the pickup points for the control arms, steering mounting points are fixed on the crossmember. This allows them to have all the suspension geometry sorted out and then plug it into any frame rails they build. For the rear they have an IRS with a 9" based third member $$$$$ but super trick and then they will build you a 4 link, 3 link or truck arm if you want for your solid axle. The 4 link on mine is a compromise for packaging ease and cost but they have run their 4 link geometry in plenty of events and it works well. I have a budget so I had to back away from my original plan of a custom 3 link or my day dreaming of their rear IRS.

wizardofx · 12-31-2012, 12:57 PM

Holy ****... that's one amazing project! The front suspension is so trick!! Ugh... There are so many times I wish Torinos were body-on-frame cars.

Keep posting pics please!

mdula · 01-21-2013, 10:56 AM

Holy schnikeys...My car ego just dropped two points lol. That is very very cool. I wish a company made that frame to sell for our cars. Makes my car look like a hack job. But tru fact is that frame probably cost more than my cars worth!

Anyways, love watching progress on this one.

chunger · 03-10-2013, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fefairlane

... I have a budget so I had to back away from my original plan...

Good thing you have a budget, otherwise this build would get *really* out of hand!

ROG30Y · 03-20-2013, 11:13 AM

What a cool build,keep us updated.