Chris_WNC
Well-Known Member
I'm going to go ahead and start my build thread. I have been looking for a fun car to drive around town here in rural NC. It's a small town. Lots of back country roads to enjoy. Searching for kit type cars led me to this forum and I got hooked. I am all in and can't wait to get out on the road!
I paid my deposit for a full kit last week. Email confirmation said that I am either chassis #331 or #338 (it mentioned both). I'm having it set up for a base/auto donor. Full frame. Easy entry double bars. Plus some extras. My order sheet.
My goal is to use the base/auto chassis config and swap in a turbo engine. I ordered the LDK / ZFR 6750 crate engine. Freight truck should deliver it next week some time. I know I need some different parts from Lonnie and I'll make sure to ask for them later on when I lock in the build. I'm also scouring the other build threads and making a list of parts I need to buy.
I knew I wanted a square wheel setup. Larger diameter with wide tread. Instead of dealing with spacers, I found these 0 offset 18x9.5 Riddler wheels. They have a resto mod muscle car type look with the chrome outer ring and grey coated center. I found some good priced 275/35-18 Potenzas to start out with. I order 4 of each and received them last week. Already had a local shop mount them up for me.
I've also been thinking heavily on how I wanted the nose and side panels finished. Flashy, basic, bright, raw, camoed? I talked myself out of learning how to paint and think I will go with wrap. I found a color that I liked and ordered a sample swatch. Here it is near the rim.
I know. Weird rim choice. Weird color choice. I have inspiration though.
The 1959 Thunderbird that my wife's grandfather bought new. We inherited it about a decade ago and are working on getting it back on the road. We'll be making grocery runs in it this fall I think.
I also ordered a set of custom seats from PRP. They have a two month lead time so I wanted to get it in early. A mix of grey and black vinyls with some tweed. Weird again! lol.
Today I finalized my choice for a donor. I found it on FB Marketplace last week and the price dropped a couple times over 7 days. I made the two hour round trip this evening to pick it up. It is a $900 2009 LT, auto, 4 door. It has bumper light front damage and a trashed out interior but runs and shifts well. The transmission was rebuilt about 20k ago so I will clean it up and reuse it. I'm not sure how much of the other stuff I'll be able to sell after I strip what I need out of it. Here is the beauty before I got all the straps off and got it off the trailer.
I didn't tell my son about it. When he went to take out the trash this evening he came back in real fast and said that he though some crack-heads parked their car in our yard. lol. I brought it home so that I can play with the HP Tuner thing that I bought. I have no idea how to use it but wanted to do a scan and start tinkering with it. I'll haul the donor to the laser shop that I work at in a few weeks to get started tearing it down.
My build and log will be scattered about and random. That is my warning to you all. Ha! I know the outcome that I want but am not sure all of the dots I have to connect from this point and the end. This will be my diary of all the mistakes I make. I hope you all enjoy the ride!
CHRIS
I paid my deposit for a full kit last week. Email confirmation said that I am either chassis #331 or #338 (it mentioned both). I'm having it set up for a base/auto donor. Full frame. Easy entry double bars. Plus some extras. My order sheet.
My goal is to use the base/auto chassis config and swap in a turbo engine. I ordered the LDK / ZFR 6750 crate engine. Freight truck should deliver it next week some time. I know I need some different parts from Lonnie and I'll make sure to ask for them later on when I lock in the build. I'm also scouring the other build threads and making a list of parts I need to buy.
I knew I wanted a square wheel setup. Larger diameter with wide tread. Instead of dealing with spacers, I found these 0 offset 18x9.5 Riddler wheels. They have a resto mod muscle car type look with the chrome outer ring and grey coated center. I found some good priced 275/35-18 Potenzas to start out with. I order 4 of each and received them last week. Already had a local shop mount them up for me.
I've also been thinking heavily on how I wanted the nose and side panels finished. Flashy, basic, bright, raw, camoed? I talked myself out of learning how to paint and think I will go with wrap. I found a color that I liked and ordered a sample swatch. Here it is near the rim.
I know. Weird rim choice. Weird color choice. I have inspiration though.
The 1959 Thunderbird that my wife's grandfather bought new. We inherited it about a decade ago and are working on getting it back on the road. We'll be making grocery runs in it this fall I think.
I also ordered a set of custom seats from PRP. They have a two month lead time so I wanted to get it in early. A mix of grey and black vinyls with some tweed. Weird again! lol.
Today I finalized my choice for a donor. I found it on FB Marketplace last week and the price dropped a couple times over 7 days. I made the two hour round trip this evening to pick it up. It is a $900 2009 LT, auto, 4 door. It has bumper light front damage and a trashed out interior but runs and shifts well. The transmission was rebuilt about 20k ago so I will clean it up and reuse it. I'm not sure how much of the other stuff I'll be able to sell after I strip what I need out of it. Here is the beauty before I got all the straps off and got it off the trailer.
I didn't tell my son about it. When he went to take out the trash this evening he came back in real fast and said that he though some crack-heads parked their car in our yard. lol. I brought it home so that I can play with the HP Tuner thing that I bought. I have no idea how to use it but wanted to do a scan and start tinkering with it. I'll haul the donor to the laser shop that I work at in a few weeks to get started tearing it down.
My build and log will be scattered about and random. That is my warning to you all. Ha! I know the outcome that I want but am not sure all of the dots I have to connect from this point and the end. This will be my diary of all the mistakes I make. I hope you all enjoy the ride!
CHRIS
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