[72 GTS 429]

need to update the motor progress
the 2V carb started leaking at the accelerator pump so I ordered an intake gasket to swap on the Edelbrock Perfomer and 600 cfm Carter AFB I had on my other Cleveland I had since the late 80's
before with 2V set up

dirty Perfomer intake

after blasting to clean it

used a wire wheel to shine it a bit

installed on the engine

 

[72 GTS 429]

took a rusty chrome Ford Motorsport air cleaner and cleaned it up with a wire wheel then painted it with black wrinkle paint
before

after

4 barrel set up on now

Took the wagon to the shop for shelter from Hurricane sandy and put it in for the winter

loaded and headed to shop

getting ready to unload

in the shop

huddled up with the my 2 other Gran Torino Sport's

 

[Mroldfart2U]

Is it me or my monitor, but the inside pics looks almost photoshopped. (not the wagon but the other autos) Man I am glad that I live where hurricanes DONT happen, having to worry about the damage a strong one can do. Although Tornado Alley gives enough around here to worry about.....

 

[PSIG]

Nah, it looks like the same photoshop interior as before. I like the pink floor. It nicely softens an otherwise excessively manly environment. Oh, nice stable of Fords there, too.
:tup:
David

 

[72 GTS 429]

not photoshopped I got up on a 12ft step ladder and took the shots looking down on my cars.
Yes your seeing correct 3 Gran Torinos,the black GTS I have had since 2010 and the wagon I bought in June and the red oxide primer GTS is a parts car I picked up over a month ago
I parted it out and using some parts on my black Sport and the quarters will be grafted into the wagon to make a 2 door delivery with the fastback quarter windows.
It's a shame as that was a one owner factory 4 spd and was told it came with a leftover Boss engine from the factory but they let the car sit and go to heck and the body rusted out. would have been a rare car but the original engine and trans was long gone.it's parts will live on in others

 

[72 GTS 429]

I hate the pink floor as that is pink dust and nasty stuff when you try to sweep.
It use to be an artificial flower company and that is the pink dust from spraying the flowers.
I wanted to pressure wash the floors before I moved in but currently have no water as the well needs a new pressure tank and the guy ripped out he copper pipes so new pipe has to be installed.he wants to use PVC but just haven't got that far yet.
not many place around where I live to rent and that shop is about 20 minutes from where I live but just glad all my classic cars are inside for the winter and they weren't outside during the hurricane.Actually this area hasn't been hit with a major storm since 92.
I came from Florida and that was a common thing down there but they rarely come up to Jersey but it got major damage along the Jersey Shore and never this much damage so it will be in the history books for the state.the other major storm that wiped out the island I live near was in 62 before i was born but no where near the amount of houses and buildings back then.My dads house did fine and was built in 68 when I was 3 but he lives on the north end where the lighthouse is and they have built up their beaches and dunes over the years so it gave them protection from the ocean.they had some tidal flooding on the bay side but no major damage.it's a big fishing community and the fleet road out the storm fine and I hear the charter boats are running again and the commercial boats are back out fishing now cause for awhile the had the island on lock down and no one was allowed on or off and no marine traffic was allowed so the boats had to say at the marinas. my brother and dad were there as they are on the Vol Fire Dept. and are first responders. South end of the island has major damage from flooding and the ocean an bay met

 

[72 GTS 429]

finishing up some work on the shop and work on the wagon should start in a few weeks

 

[Mroldfart2U]

finishing up some work on the shop and work on the wagon should start in a few weeks

:tup: Pics and progress reports mandatory, you know that, right?

 

[72 GTS 429]

believe me when work starts you will be sick of all the pics cause I take hundreds of every little detail and different angles of the same thing.

 

[72 GTS 429]

It's been a long time since I posted progress but alot has been done to the car since I left off
I will post the progress photos in order of what was done

 

[72 GTS 429]

Last left off with adding the Edlbrock Performer intake and Carter AFB 600 cfm 4 barrel carb. I redid my old Ford Motorsport valve cover with fresh wrinkle paint and gave them a custom touch this time by adding blue to the center around the logo

Installed the valve covers added a chrome coil bracket ,added 8mm wire and my Ford Motorsport wire looms I had. bought new Hooker headers for 351C 2V and installed them.also bought a black Ford Racing wing nut for the air cleaner that i painted with black wrinkle paint

 

[72 GTS 429]

Next I put new 2.5 inch exhaust which I custom made myself using a Summit Racing x-pipe kit and bought stainless Magnaflow performance mufflers

I layed out the pipes on the ground with the mufflers so I could figure out the best configuration for my car

I then fit the sections on the car and bolted it to the collectors and held it in place and positioned the pipes and then tack welded the joints

After it was all fit i removed the x pipe section and mig welded it then painted it with VHT High Heat exhaust paint

 

[72 GTS 429]

After completing the exhaust it was time for some body work so I started working on the passenger side quarter rust on the bottom rear where the spare tire well is

I cut off the rusted metal and prepped it for a new panel which I fabricated a patch panel for it

I decided I didn't like the hump the factory put in the bottom for the spare tire and wanted it flat and even with the bottom of the quarter like the driver side and redesigned the bottom section
First I made the patch panel and welded it in place

Next I had to stiffen up the bottom spare tire well so I added a piece of angle iron to the back panel then welded in some flat stock bars for my new floor panel to weld to so the metal would have the strength to hold the spare tire

After the framing was welded I cut a piece of 18 gauge sheet metal and welded it in place to cover the hole

Here is the finished redesigned spare tire well from the bottom

 

[72 GTS 429]

Next I started stripping the paint off the quarter and found some previous repair with body filler and they just filled the dent so I reshaped the metal so it would have less filler
before

after

After that I removed the rear side glass and got ready to make the skin to cover the window are transforming it into a panel wagon
I had to put some structure in the opening to give the 18 gauge sheet metal some rigidity so the metal wouldn't flex

I welded in C channel vertical supports to the center and flate stock in between horizontally

 

[72 GTS 429]

Next I held the skin in place and trimmed the edge so it fit just inside the edge of the opening so once it was welded on I it was recessed slightly to give room for the body filler to make the seam flush and the side of the panel smooth

I marked the inside where the framing was so I could drill holes where the frame was to plug weld the skin to the frame and welded the perimeter with the MIG welder

After it was finished welding the panel, I ground down the welds smooth and put a coat of body filler to make the panel smooth and flush

Next was to give it a coat of primer and i used some Marhyde High build primer

 

[72 GTS 429]

I had a photoshop rendering done of my wagon Sport panel concept to see what it would look like

 

[Gydyup]

The photo shop is of a two door Torino, I think, What are you gonna do with the back doors. I like it.

 

[72 GTS 429]

The photo shop pic is my wagon with the center B pillar post removed the longer 2 door doors added and the fastback quarter section welded where the rear door would be. here is the photo that was used to make the rendering

 

[72 GTS 429]

ok more progress photos.
The tailgate bottom was completely rusted away

I cut off all the rusty metal and got ready to rebuild it

Corner brace I drilled the spot welds and removed it

looks like it needs alot of work

I welded a piece of angle iron to the back edge to give it some strength

Then I welded some heavy metal to the center brace that the window regulator bolts to and connected it to the angle iron

Coated it with POR15 so it won't rot out later

Added some new metal to the corner brace that holds the latch

made a new piece of skin for around the latch and welded it in the bottom corner

 

[Gydyup]

The photo shop pic is my wagon with the center B pillar post removed the longer 2 door doors added and the fastback quarter section welded where the rear door would be. here is the photo that was used to make the rendering

ARe you gonna do all that, looks sweet with the longer door and two door quarter grafted in. Lots of work, but would be so worth it.