Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

I agree Mark, that's why I was disappointed when the "official" answer from IHRA was no.
However, that was 2005 so maybe things have eased a bit or there has been a change of heart. Hope so..still haven't pulled them off the mustang yet.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

i have run them on a et car for years re drilled for chevy and ihra had no problem

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

They are engineered for a 3500lb car, mine is just shy of 3000. I printed the email and put it in my logbook!

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Good call. I`ve done the same regarding 2 Steps in Sportsman ET Racing. Corrected one local track's rule.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

junkyard joe, how many projects are you currently
working on? maverick? buick? any others?

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

I took some excellent advice and have whittled everything to one project, the Comet. The Buick got parted out and the shell is being restored by a Buick fanatic.

I am working on focusing on one car, which is hard for me, but so far has results, thanks to some encouragement from fellow members. I am putting all I can into getting the Comet on the track, with the plan to upgrade things as I can afford to each offseason. Matter of fact, it's 45 outside, so I'm headed out to work on it some more today.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

super! your enjoying the same great weather we are in denver.
The smelly description of the buick interior would have had me.
great luck on the comet. should work out great. hopefully all the
players behave themselves and don't "AHFS" it to death....

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Thanks. The smell was a pain, and will always be there short of replacing everything, which defeated the purpose.

I decided not to build mine as a 75, for the AFHS reason, I figured that would be the one everyone builds. Hopefully mine gets left alone...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

I have a pair of the 4 bolt aluminums. I paid $50 for them. I polished the heck out of them. I also screwed generic center caps on them. If anyone wants them, give me something for the polishing and shipping, and I'll let them go. I can text pictures.
Oh, I also have zinc plated open ended lug nuts, too.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Damn! The 4-bolts are usually 80-100 each! If I had an older 4-lug Maverick or Comet, or a Pinto/Fox Body/Stang II I'd be all over that!!!

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

i hope so. hopefully you qualify top half and go rounds.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

I appreciate that. I hope it qualifies at all lol!

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

it should. keep the faith and ambition...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

A new item to share; if you convert a 75-77 Maverick or Comet to manual steering, make sure you get the proper center link. They are unique to those years only, the tie rod taper is different than 70-74. It cost me $38, but it's now right on. I also had a slightly tweaked left strut rod, so I grabbed one from the wrecking yard last week, before it hit below zero. As I sit I am a Blue Streak converter and a little cosmetic work away, and after totaling costs and deducting what I sold off the car, I am still under my $2014 budget, after converter and some rustoleum I will have just enough to drag it to the alignment shop...after that the real work begins!

Maybe I should have built a garage first?

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

throw a bunch of dryer sheets in it and change 'em out every couple of weeks...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Oh I did, I even stripped the interior, shampooed it, and scrubbed the shell with water and bleach. The mouse piss just soaked in that bad :(

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

febreeze has worked well for me too.
haven't tried the unscented stuff yet...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

A negative ion generator (ozonater) WILL do the trick. I have rescued several with them. Smells like an electrical storm has just passed over when done, rather fresh smelling. The mouse smell never returned even on the hottest days with windows closed. Some water treatment plants even use negative ions. It will neutralize bacteria. Hotels use them to turn smoking rooms into non smoking rooms. One word of caution is I've found some rubber trim items such as Hurst shifter boots tend to deteriorate from this. You may want to read up on negative ions first as my disclaimer.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Good to know in the future. The car is long gone now though. The Comet is clean as can be fortunately.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Try using a bag of new charcoal briquetts (not the matchlite stuff) in aluminum roasting pans along with several boxes of baking soda. Used this in an old camper that a mouse or too had used over the winter and it helped absorb a lot of the odor.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Quick update: it's cold, snowy, and it sucks!!! I haven't had a good day to work on the car since last time, and we have more snow and -20 (straight) temps for the weekend. I can't even get motivated at this point, I am so discouraged by the nasty weather. The build plan is still in place, although I did go ahead and call Comp about a cam. My home track has a test and tune weekend the week before the Divisional, so June 14th is my target to be on track, unless it's still freezing or the weight of the snow collapses my carport and crushes the car lol...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

joe i had that happen in mich car port fall on 4 pontiac 78 79 80 grand prix and 82 bonnie wg all pontiac power

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Man, sorry for your loss. Let's face it, this has been a real winter. Here in the lower Midwest, we haven't had any real bad weather for a few years. I'm in the same boat, I have heaters for my building, it's hard to get it warm enough to accomplish much. Have a rare Friday I took off, have things that need done, working on the race cars (once again) takes a back seat.

Afraid in my case as well. Getting the car ready and out, going to be later than I'd hoped. In addition, I'm on "Gatorwatch" to see what Gary Summers does to the Mustang II combos. If he's converted to U/SA, imagine he'll dust the record, then this combo, probably and rightly so, takes an AFHS hit. In my case, may have just poured a bunch of money down a rathole for a combo that suddenly is dead in the water.

Paul Wong may have been right in a comment he made on my car. Maybe I just wasn't meant to be in stock. Just don't seem to have the money, time, knowledge and luck to get a combo together (boo hoo, I know, lol). I've got work to do, sittin' on a MB is not productive time.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

It's a bummer, but it was one of the risks we took looking at the refactored 302's. I was kinda waiting for the ball to drop on other combos too, especially since my race season doesn't start until late May, making my project equally unsustainable. I will hope for nice weather and wait and see I suppose, and have a plan B in mind...

I sent you a PM, I have an idea that might help us both...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

You've got to stop worrying so much! You've got other options.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Billy,

This is the problem with internet communication. We can talk but can't properly display emotion or expression. I'm not as concerned as my whining here on the net may make it appear.

Whatever Summers does, I have no control over that. I'm already scratching around and searching for alternate year parts for this combo, if that becomes the necessity, that's what I'll do. Yes, there are options. Truly, I want to see what comes out of the Gators. I'm primarily a local boy anyway. Combos, the NHRA points meets and maybe the IHRA regional meets will be the only places I'll take this car. It'll likely never venture more than a state away from home.

I really wish I had taken more time up at the Nationals this year and searched Matayas and yourself out and introduced myself. The information I've gotten from you, Mark, Bob Shaw and Dwight Southerland and I'll add Ron Seibenek and Art Leong also, has been invaluable. Just need to get off my dead a%& and get the car done.

I apologize for hijacking Joe's thread. We are trading some of the same information and building a form of the same vehicle, just different bodies.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

No worries, we're in the same boat. My worry is I am doing this on such a tight budget that if my particular combo gets hit I may be in trouble. I know I could do much more on my build, but that means either it sits longer while I save up, and then get zero track time, or I do the minimum now, and upgrade as I can, and I at least see the track. Waiting for it to thaw out with little to do is my enemy right now...going stir crazy, wondering what will happen, overthinking things, etc...

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Fear not 302 guys. The way the AHFS is set up a car that gets hit will still be 1 second under or faster after the horsepower is added.Whereas an overrated car will only be .65 under at best; that's where the gifts stop.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

At the current level. Even if the combo gets wacked, there's still a little left in the tank. Plus there are still different years to move around. It will take awhile to legislate the cars out of existence.

I'm with Billy, need to look at other 2 barrel combos. I already have a friend that has asked me about a 318 Mopar for his 71 Dart. Told him I'd look at the options and see where a "best fit" for the car might be. Which might entail changing sheet metal, he's onboard with that. Told him we need to sit down and build the various combos on paper first.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Awhile back, I did score a particular carb and intake combo for a not as controversial "dime" Ford, just in case ;)

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Robert, I have the heads off my 1986 Chrysler 318 #302 if anything works out for the guy with the 71.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

sure hope no one smacks this deal for you guys..

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

I'm stepping back to do things just a little less "budget", so I don't have to worry as much, or do it twice...gives me time to see how this year plays out, and if things change drastically I can react.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

great plan. no sense in loosing sleep over..

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Joe any progress ?

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Yes, and no. Details to come soon! :)

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Any updates yet. Joe?

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

Not much new to report, family stuff took over so I have kept pretty quiet as to not jinx myself too bad lol. Engine is complete, trans less converter, body and suspension done, interior needs a little help as does the body. I hoped to have it complete by the end of July and make some passes by August. Not sure if it will happen, but once I have a timeslip in hand I will update the whole deal, good or bad. I need to find some extra funds or a temporary converter option. I guess I am not even able to afford a dime rocket lol!

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

It's over. I have had to put things to paper, and a harsh reality has hit me. I personally lack the capital and the patience to do this. This is really not easy. Class racing is an enormous challenge, and not one for someone strapped for time and/or cash. For me, staring at an almost-yet nowhere near completed project, and my bank account, and factoring in the odds-and-ends, fuel, and entry fee, and the fact that beyond 1 LODRS race and 1 National Open this is basically a Sportsman bracket car unless I want to leave the state (and it's a BIG state), and I see this is not going to give me what I am searching for. I'm not mad about it, if anything maybe I put unrealistic expectations on what I could do. I was not meant to be a Class Racer, no matter how much I like the challenge or the concept. So with that, I have put the car up for sale, and am dusting off the fwd dirt car. I will always be a huge fan of Stock. I think it's not a matter of making it affordable, or watering down or dumbing down the class, but more about finding those people whose personality suits this. I am very grateful for all the people I have encountered and all I have learned. In the end, I failed. But, I tried, and that's something. Thank you all, and good luck.

Re: Project Junkyard Dog
 

No shame Joe...it's a really expensive hobby for sure. We don't have a world beater by any stretch and probably never will. I still enjoy attending the Combo events even tho I would likely lose in a heads-up pairing. We took our car to a local bracket race last weekend for some carb TNT and ended up in the final. We have a blast with it no matter the venue. :)