Orange and White 73 Grabber Restoration

I got the car back home this weekend and got a chance to test fit the taillights in the Shelby Rear panel along with the rear spoiler. I think it is going to look nice when done. I also got a flip up Mustang Gas Cap to replace the original gas cap. I think the original cap looks lost with all of the other items being somewhat larger than the stock tail lights and spoiler.
I did look into the LED backup lights mentioned earlier and it seems the units themselves at flat but they do indicate you can use your original housing with these lights. It has been so long since I bought the back up light units, I need to dig them out to see what the back of them look like once mounted. I am hoping that it works.

 

looking good allen

 

Very nice. I'll be over to check it out soon...

 

Installed my new camshaft this weekend and piddled around with some a few small things. I need to get my headers boxed up to send to Jet Hot Coatings for them to coat for me.
They surprised me on the cost on coating them. If the headers were like Hooker or Headmen which are two pieces the cost would be $345.00 plus the shipping. Being the Crites headers are individual tubes that slide into a collector, they are considered 10 pcs (8 tubes and two collectors) the cost is $445.00 plus shipping. I was just a little surprised there was a difference in the cost but I guess handling the extra pieces the cost adds up. They said it would take a week to get them done plus the shipping time frame which is 2-3 days from Burlington NC which is their closest facility.
I will order by clutch and pressure plate with throw out bearing sometime this week. My goal is to still try and have it running at the end of February.

Thanks
Allen Small

 

Looks GREAT

 

Nice job Allen!

 

Well I was finally able to get into the garage this past weekend. I could not do any painting yet since it is still a little to cold, so I tried to finish the assembly of the motor up. I have been really struggling with getting all of the correct bolts for the final assembly. I had ordered a complete ARP polished stainless steel accessory bolt kit only find out that hardly any of it worked. Valve cover bolts and oil pan bolts are to short which is not their issue but mine. I had no idea that they kept the bolts so short that and extra 1/8" to 3/16" in thickness would make a difference. The water pump bolts set does not have enough of the proper length bolts. I went back and double checked to make sure I had ordered and received the correct kit and that all checked out. Not quite sure what the issue is with the water pump bolts. I did look to see what some of the ratings/comment where for this kit and now see that others have had the same issues with the front cover and water pump set. The oil pan I am going to run has thicker rails than a stock pan, so I needed to go with a stud kit to correct that issue. The valve covers I am going to be running, I am having to use a spacer to clear the roller rockers which I did not think I would have to do at first, but I was wrong on that so I am now going to have to run a stud kit on that also. It is frustrating to research ARP's website, they do not give you any bolt lengths or sizes to go by. The only time they give you a length or size is with the studs. So I have ordered the stud kits needed and I am waiting for those to come in. I do have to say the motor looks sweet all assembled/parts set in place and it has the old school look I was going after. Once I get it all together and before I set it in place I will take a pic and post it.
I did pull the trans out from under the bench and started cleaning and detailing it up. That is coming out nice also. Again when it is done I will post some pics of that as well.

I am so glad spring is almost here, just need it to warm up just a little more so I can do my touch up painting then I can set everything in and get it hooked up.

Ohh I almost forgot to that on top of the ARP bolt issues, I noticed when I had the aluminum edelbrock water pump in place working with the bolts to make sure I had the correct lengths that there was a small gap at the bottom of the bump and saw that the back bolts on the pump are too thick to allow it to seat up properly. The ones on there are at least three times the thickness of the bolts on all of the other pumps I have. I will need to correct that issue too. I am not sure why they used such a thick bolt at that location.

Maybe this weekend I will have it all together finally. I can not wait to fire it up. I have decided to do the engine break in myself. My wife and neighbors will have to get over the noise issue. I will set it up to take it to a dyno machine after the break in is complete and it is moving under its own power. Most shops around here that I have found with Dynos are set up to handle running moving vehicles, not just motors alone.

 

This sentence says it all Allen

 

Looking great. Hope you make it to the Roundup. Is that the Unisteer set up?

 

Dennis,

It is not a unisteer unit, I am not actually sure what the make is. I bought it of Stephen Moore (CometGT1974) from the forum here when he took it out of his race car. It was practically brand new, bolted right in where the steering box and idler arms mounted with no mods except the steering shaft had to be cut and a couple additional holes drilled down through the flanges of the frame for additional support. I know Stephen told me who made it but for the life of me I can not remember who. I have sent him a message and an email asking him to refresh my memory but have not heard back from him yet.
I am doing everything I can to get it ready for the Round Up. If it is running and I can get it past inspection, it will be there even if it is in primer. I also plan on my son coming with me and bringing the 72 Grabber I gave him to. The more the merrier in my book!
Thanks for the kind comments!! I look forward to seeing you there hopefully.

 

Sounds awesome allen

 

The car is looking great Allen! Very clean work. And I'm not convinced that spring is ever going to get here! Lol

 

We got a dusting of snow on the ground Friday night and it was still pretty cold all day Saturday. I spent Saturday doing a small side job for a lady helping her remodel her house some so that it did not have to do it once it gets warm here.

Sunday I did get in the garage for most of the day and spent it trying to fit my T shapped Finned Aluminum oil pan that I bought of Tony Branda, but finally gave up on it late last night. The bolt holes casted in the side rails are about 1/8" off to one side kicking the pan over to much so it will not seat correctly, if I enlarge them to shift it over, then they are to close to the pan drop to get them to align correctly on one side so you can bolt them down. Plus I will be hitting the main girdle that I have installed. Very frustrating being that I paid almost $400.00 for the pan about two years ago and now I can not return it. I am not a happy camper about that.
So I dug out an new Chrome front sump pan that I had stashed away and installed it so I could at least complete the assembly of the motor. Not the pan I wanted or prefer to run but it is all that I have right now. I may change it out later, but I was dying to see the motor all assembled. For the most part it is assembled. I need to figure out some the dual quad linkage set up. I got one bracket I can not figure out where it would go or how it should go, but I will get it figured out. I need to decide on the pulley and bracket system I wan tot run. The car will have the factory air conditioning and alternator, si I am not sure if I will run the factory brackets and the 3 groove pulley even though it does not have power steering any more or look at March's brackets and pulley system to see if they have a two groove set up that I like. I wanted to try and keep it looking as close to a factory unit as possible, but I am not wild about having a empty groove for a belt not needed or used anymore. But the good news is that I did get the motor all together last night.
Now it is on to detailing the top loader trans and bolting it up to the motor. The Lakewood bell housing is all done and ready and I have my clutch and pressure plate in hand and ready to install.
Attached are a couple of pics of the motor. I think it looks rather nice for what it is.

Thanks
Allen Small

 

Looking good....

 

Looks great, Allen!