Just wanted to share my new project with you, I recently sold my 64 Country Squire with the sole purpose of building a streetable STOCK CAR CLONE more specifically the Holman Moody 1963 1/2 Dan Gurney Galaxie. I picked up a nice project car all of the engine trans work done. Its a 63 1/2 Z code with the factory 4 speed originally out of Virginia but was down in Deltona Florida. Body not great he put new lower QTRs, patched the doors and front floor pans lots of little dents / dings but fixable. The car sometime in the late 60's had the motor replaced with a 390 1963 Police Interceptor "P" Service Replacment Block" per the casting numbers, it was built correct it has the late model 1963 406 tri-power solid lifter heads and cast iron headers, it has a posi rear end versus the orignal dog leg. NO Options on the motor manual steering and brakes just like the race car. I am not doing any major suspension stuff just dropping it lower to get the race profile and may do a dual Master cylnder conversion, It has a nice 3 core aluminum radiator. I will be adding a remote oil filter set up to give a race vibe. I have had the car 3 months and have stripped the interior to a bare shell, I have installed using a 12 point roll cage kit from JEGS a new roll bar set up matching the orignal HM Race car set up wit hthe exception of the bar going thru the fron floor to the frame as I may add a passenger seat in the near future. It will have a custom made 6 gauge pod set up, toggle /push button start, period style race seat with 5 point harness, I have a new set of Wheel Vintque 15x8 Ford Steelies and a set of street tires matching the original race tire height /width /sidewall which I will shave the black letters and spray the Firestone logo. I am creating the frame thru exhaust just like the race car whcih will require cutting the qtr panel and adding the notch for the exhaust we will run a 3" straight exhaust. It will have functioning lights /turn signals but with wire mesh custom made covers for the headl /taillights which will be painted and the race number added. I have set of delete plates Heater / Radio /Clock just like the race car had. I am working on a potential "Batwing" aircleaner build with Spectre Performance out in California me and one of my Engineerr budys created the CAD Drawing design to emulate the orignal air cleaner with the option to connect it thru the firewall for a true cowl induction set up like on the race car NO ONE makes this and if it is built I will have the first prototype before they offer it for sale. Probably late spring before it is actually built. It wil have full race hood and trunk pins, the car will be painted via amatuer paint job me doing all of the work, it will have three coats of 2 k gray primer, 1 coat of White sealer primer, then a few coats of Wimbelton White and interior/wheels in 58 Chevy Cashmere Blue almost a bright turqouse original race colors. I have a freind who will do the old school sign painting of the race graphics no decals here it will be hand painted to match the race car. Well I will add photos as the project moves in the summer the goal is to keep the overall project under 10K which included the car purchase I am on schedule so far $8500 car and parts so far, it wil be a driver not a race car but have the race car vibe. Thanks
I'm doing mine with kinda a NASCAR look, but no cage...Will most likely have AC by the summer.....Happy Motoring.....Jim
What size wire mesh are you using to cover the head and taill lights? I often wonder what size is ideal to make it look just right. Also - what is the best way to paint this material? ( http://www.bwire.com/index.html - mesh measurement guide) Spray paint best? Pics look great and good luck, looking forward to following this closely and seeing some great results.
It sounds like it's going to be a kool car,thought about doing the same thing with my Catalina,but going with a factory drag type care instead . subscribed Jratz
From the image in MeanGene 427 that is the correct car I am building. I have some really good pictures to use in the build following site: http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/388035,10448/1963-Ford-Galaxie_photo.aspx#photo It wont be that nice my pockets are not that deep, my look will have older "raced look" bumpers have a few dings and scratches aluminum lower tunk trim and grille are old and the worn so the goal is to give it "Barn find" look remember these cars were not pretty when the raced them at 20 FT they look alright up close lots of battle scars. May keep the original steering wheel and do the race look wrap in electrical tape like they did in 63 today we start on the seat bracket creation. I am not a mechanic or body man but I am not affraid to build something that is out of the box from the show and shine crowd, the end result wont win any show prizes that is not my intent my goal is to show an average guy with general skills a small budget, using inginuity lots of blood ,and sweat equity can build purpose built car that will look cool in my eyes. So thanks everyone for the encouragement and keeping the hobby alive.
joncro55 thanks for the wire mesh info good information to have. I did find a company selling actual headlight wire mesh gravel guards for the small headights that you mount with the headlight retainer trim ring they run about $20 they are on ebay and come out of Australia. I may get a set of these and prime/paint them for the tailights may use your site info an buy some flta stock to make some covers for them. Thanks again for the information.
Here's mine, It's a 1964 Galaxie Custom 2 door post. It has a 351 Cleveland 2V engine in it with a 700 Holley DP carb, Edelbrock Performer manifold, Hilborn belt drive fuel pump, Accel tach drive dizzy, MSD 6T, Hooker Headers, Ram clutch, Howe hydraulic throw out bearing, and a Tex Racing Borg Warner Super T-10 4 speed. The rear end is a full floating Frankland Quickchange with 3.80's in it, but gear changes are only 15 minutes away. It also has Pro Shocks, aluminum drive shaft, aluminum radiator, full roll cage, weight jacks in the front and a stock car style spring loaded pull bar to control rear axle wrap. The car is fully streetable, and insured. Everything works, including wipers, roll up windows, turn signals and the heater, no radio though. It also retains the bench seat and back seat. The rear end is a full floating Frankland quickchange: Rear end wrap is controlled by a pull bar with a progressive rate spring. The instant center is the same as the front eye of the leaf spring: Engine is a 2V 351 Cleveland: Fuel pump is a belt drive Hilborn with a return line setup on a diaphragm bypass: The front end has weight jacks, Pro Shocks and tubular A-arms I built with screw in AFCO ball joints: The clutch is setup with a Southwest Speed hydraulic throwout bearing and aluminum brake master cylinder: The car has a full 8 point roll cage: It has 15 x 10 steelies that I built in back, and 15 x 8 in the front:
That is one badass stock car...would be great to see them races in the old cars again. Can't stand the new stock cars. $.02
Well today we where supposed to start on the seat bracket fabrication but my buddy got tied up working on another vehicle so hopefully tomorrow. So as not to waste the day I decided to prep and paint my new Wheel Vintiques Ford steelies 15x8, of course as I start the prep work it starts raining so I have to move inside my covered shop to start. The paint color 1958 Chevy code # 910 Cashmeir Blue looks completely different in the can almost has a metallic color but whn you spray it comes out bright blue. Of course since I have not used my NAPA HVLP paint gun since last year I did not have the paint volume set good so I got few runs which I will attempt to wet sadn and then add another top coat. I also started on the letter shaving for my new tires the tires have white letter on one side and black raised letters on the other so since I am using the black wall side; off to the races with palm sander and 60 grit of course its easier when they are installed and have air but I will make do. Got one shaved down almost smooth no letters or info the tire at all as to make a nice base for when I spray the old school whiet Firestone logo on them. Well just thought I would share the info.
I think these type of builds are just cool as hell. Always wanted to do something similar, along the lines of a Saturday night short tracker, streetable. Mid-60s era is my favorite. But it really takes some sack to do it, IMO. Tuff call when you find domething decent enough to begin with, then start cutting on it. Especially when the street value of some of these (even low end) models are getting pretty crazy. Regardless, love what you guys are doing, and like to see more done in this style!
Well today started very early as I had lots of runs in the first paint job for the wheels yesterday I started the wetsanding about 6 AM and got them prepped to spray another few coats of paint. Had to wait till around (AM as to not wake up the wife with the compressor kicking on an off in my work area. Well I added 3 more new top coats on the fron and two more on the backside. Not bad for and amatuer 3rd time using a paint gun. The were dry about 2-3 PM, so as they sat up I spent them time sanding with my palm sander and 60 grit on the new tires as to shave ALL the big raised letters pain in the ass, all of the small letters and DOT stuff so they look smooth like a race tire look they have very large side walls. I had an old 60 Fireston tire with molded Firestone logo this tire had the version where it is recessed so some tracing adhesive paper and a razor I got the logo and cut it out. Got new can of Krylon white plastic /vyinl paint and prayed my logos on all four wheels like the race tires would have looked. The tires I have look big , but according to my research the race tire size Goodyear or Firestone in 63-65 Front: N.O.S. Firestone racing, 8.00/8.20x15 Rear: N.O.S. Firestone racing, 8.00/8.20x15 of course no specs on the actual metric equivalent so I used the drag tire equivalent as a reference. The problem is 275-70 not good as the sidewall is to small, BFG 285 -70 would have worked but not available only from Coker in white wall $250 a pop. So from my calculations I fgured out what size I needed and purchased a radial tire from Summit 265-75-15 give me the correct OD , Sidewall width and about a 1" short of the race tire contact patch width. Paid $500 for the set and I beleive they wil be dead on to the race profile. Well I hope you like the pictures and progress its the little things that take the longest so I fgure why waist the day. I will provide more info in the following weeks. Regards, Tony
Looking good, Stacked........I put 275-60/15s on 8in wheels on mine. 28in tall. Good job on the tires.....
Keep on rolling with it Stacked65. My neighbor has a '64 XL he is restoring, and I'm hoping to build the same type of car with the parts car and some leftovers.
I hope I'm not wrong, but I think it's OK to do something besides gassers here. This is a cool build.......
Very cool guys, I think these are ultimate street machines. Should make some eyes pop when you roll these babies around the hood. Thanx for sharing! ~sololobo~
There is a huge "Race car look for the street" Thread. I'm thinking dry sump came a lot later & the remote fuel pump some time in the last decade or so.
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