Archive for March, 2008

Car restoration is not an easy undertaking. It takes a lot of passion and even more patience, but the end result will not only give you a sense of pride, but also many years of enjoyment. Since you already have a dream in mind, it is a good idea to make a list of expectations based on your ability and available resources. This should be an honest assessment because the end result will be what you put into it, and what you can afford to purchase. Research, research and more research will be your best asset in completing any restoration project.

Financially speaking, a full restoration can cost more than the vehicle’s gross worth when completed, and you should weigh the value of an already restored car on the market versus one that needs restoration. Shop around and do not be sold on a hopeless case based on sentimental value, or one that needs more work and money than you are able to give. Don’t fall for the misinformed theory that you have to have deep pockets to restore a car. Yes, it will cost you a lot of money and old parts are not cheap, but it can be done on a smart and realistic budget over time.

1) Plan your time and budget on a monthly schedule, and stick to it. This will help you tackle small projects and focus your efforts on completing a task. By setting small goals, you are less likely to lose interest in the sometimes-overwhelming process of restoration. Start with your strong points and what you know best. This will help you avoid incomplete projects or broken, irreplaceable disasters.

2) When you come to those tasks that can only be performed by a professional, get estimates and include this in your budget. Talk with the professionals to see what you can do to save time and money. If you can perform the grunt work preparation, than do it by all means. Just make sure you are not causing more work for them, which will wind up costing you more money in the end.

3) Documentation and pictures are not only a good idea, but can be a great asset to the value of the vehicle. When disassembling a section of a car you may end up with many pieces scattered about and you need to remember where each one goes. Pictures will help jog your memory. Good packaging and labels will keep parts and accessories together and complete. You never know when a project might get shelved for an extended period of time and there is nothing worse than having to track down an expensive small part that got lost in the shuffle. Staying organized will save a lot of headaches and frustration.

4) If a task becomes beyond your own capabilities, don’t be afraid to ask for help or recommendations. I have yet to run across a gear head that is not willing to put his two cents in. If you do not know a car enthusiast personally, the Internet has many great resources loaded with people who are as passionate as you are, and more than willing to share time and information on just about every vehicle ever made. Car clubs are a great way to share resources and knowledge and most are very open and inviting to new members. They are enthusiastic about the same things you are, so don’t be afraid to make new friends and ask questions. Books are also great resources, not only on correct vehicle options, but how to perform tasks that are unfamiliar. A little trial and error goes a long way; do not try something new to you on a part that might get ruined.

Honest assessment, patience and organization will carry you a long way and in turn, save you money in the long run. Taking small steps and not biting off more than you can chew will save you unnecessary frustration and keep you motivated, even when it seems like the project will never end. Research and knowledge will ensure that your end result will be exactly as you envisioned, and soon you will be cruising in the car you’ve always dreamed of.

The 40^th anniversary GT500KR is due out in the spring of 2008, and the anticipation has already begun. The all new KR is estimated at 540hp from its supercharged 4.6 liter V6. The Shelby GT comes equipped supercharged, but due to some ford racing tweaks, the KR one will outshine them all.

Shared similarities include; front functioning brake vents, Carbon fiber hood, 14” Brembo brakes up front, lanyard style hood pins and an upgraded suspension package. These were the main ingredients of the original that made the car so great. A six speed transmission now backs the power plant, which is a great improvement over the 4-speed of 68’. The functioning hood scoop doubles as a cold air intake while capturing the true essence of the original’s aggressive style. The KR has been lowered with stiffened springs to improve body roll and handling. One of the coolest additions yet, is the 20” speed rated Goodyear tires that adorn the classic Shelby styled rims. The interior is wrapped in leather with Carroll Shelby Signature seats and a 40^th anniversary GT500KR dash plate. Four exterior color options are available and they all look sharp, especially the black on black, which can be seen on the new Knight Rider television show.

With retro styling features similar to the 68’ Version and backed by all those ponies, this car will be sure to fly off the lot. The limited production numbers set to be around a thousand will drive the price even higher than the estimated $50-60k dealer price for the base model. The upgraded package will push the price tag to around $80k and I would not be surprised to see the first production one to match or surpass the $600k mark set by the 2007 Shelby GT at Barrett Jackson’s auto auction.

At the 1967 Auto show the Shelby Cobra GT500 “King of the Road” was introduced and it had heads turning everywhere. It is alleged that General Motors had plans to use the KR name in future production, but either way Carroll Shelby beat them to the punch and the KR was on its way. The car was not available until mid-production 1968, and was the first time the convertibles had been used in the Shelby line up along with the Cobra name.

The introduction of the Cobra name was based on the new 428 Cobra Jet engine and had the CJ logo proudly displayed on the rocker covers. The CJ produced a modestly claimed 335 hp which was about ten more horse than the 428 police interceptor engine from previous year. A beefier suspension was added to the front with sub frame connectors to eliminate chassis flex. The rear end included disc brakes and staggered shocks to eliminate axle wind and wheel hop. The upgrades made for a stiffer ride, but the handling was much improved. The standard option was for the manual 4speed transmission, but 251 were produced with the powerful automatic C6.

While all of the power and handling upgrades did improve performance over past models, the new aggressive styling really set this Shelby apart from the others. Truly fit for a king the new styling options included a restyled louvered fiberglass hood, functioning side vents and sequential turn signals out back. The gauges were updated, a roll bar behind the seats was added and wood grain trim rounded out the otherwise stock interior.

With all the kingly options and upgrades the KR was on its way to reign as one of the best muscle cars of its era.

stats:

1,571 Shelby GT500KR were produced in 1968, 528 were convertibles and 1 prototype coupe was built.

The 428CJ produced: 335 horsepower @ 5200 rpm and 440ft lbs torque @ 3400rpm.

0-60 mph in, 6.0 seconds
1/4 mile: 14.3sec @ 100mph

With the Heidts Mustang II setup for the front, and the Cobra Independent rear suspension (IRS) in the shop, I was ready to begin the tedious task of trying to make it all fit. The Heidts kit was pretty straight forward and was designed to be easily adapted to fit and reinforce the frame. As for the rear end, it would not fit with any stock configuration, so I decided to get rid of everything from the rockers down and build from the bottom up.

Before any cutting or removing of any components could be done, many measurements had to be taken. Starting with a basic sketch of the front end and a tape measure, the recording process began. The front half of the car was going to remain in a stock configuration and was fairly easy to duplicate. Having all the pieces cut and laid out, the assembly process began. Using levels and squares, the pain staking process of welding was underway. Small tack welds were used to keep things square during the assembly process. Once the front section was assembled and square, I went back through and finished my welds. I jumped around to different sections to ensure no warping would occur from the heat caused by the welder. The frame was complete from the rear axle forward.

The tricky part was trying to figure out how to position the IRS to match the front suspension. After hours of pondering and measuring, I came to the conclusion that it would be easier to attach what was made to the car. This required welding in reinforcements to the shell and removing the floor pans, frame rails and rocker panels. New rocker panels were in hand and every other aspect was going to be fabricated. Once the shell had received the new rocker panels with no floor and the frame rails removed, the process of aligning the body to the frame began. Lots of reference points were marked during the planning and measuring stage, which helped merge the two pieces together. At one point in time I had nine levels scattered about to keep things true. Supports were added to attach the frame to the shell and the reinforcements used to keep the shell square were also removed.

The IRS was positioned under the car in its correct position and brackets were made to attach the front mounts to the frame. This kept the rear end from moving until the frame could be extended past the axle to the rear bumper. Because of the location of mounting for the springs and shocks, and the geometry of the IRS, it was a basic step up and over the rear end. After checking for square and true position, brackets were added to the rear mounting points of the IRS.

With the frame complete, gussets and reinforcements were added to triangulate and reinforce the frame, brackets and body. After a month or so we could finally see the car role on its own, with all four tires on the ground.

Spring has arrived and it has quite possibly been six months since your classic car has been started. Hopefully before the snow hit last year you took proper steps to secure your vehicle to get it ready for its winter slumber. But even with proper preparation, there are important steps necessary to check your vehicle over before you turn the key for that first drive of the spring.

VISUAL INSPECTION

Start with a visual inspection of the entire vehicle.

Begin with the body, work your way around and get under the vehicle to look for leaks or any areas a critter may have nested. You can usually find nest particles that have dropped down on the floor or on top of engine. If you are lucky, no critters have nested. If they have, try to use a shop vac to suck out the debris instead of using your bare hands. Throughout the inspection you have probably noticed all of the dust and grime that has built up and you may feel inclined to wipe a few spots while you are overlooking the car. Stop right there. Do not do this until you can wash the car properly so as not to scratch or dull the finish.

UNDER THE HOOD

Before attaching the battery, test it and/or give it a charge. While it is charging you can check belts, hoses and wiring to make sure everything looks good. Pump the brake pedal a few times to make sure it has a good pedal and no leaks. Change your oil and filter; moisture has had time to gather and pool inside the block. The same can be said about all lubricants and fluids, but use your discretion; the longer the vehicle has been sitting the more crucial this becomes. Remove the spark plugs and check for moisture and measure the gap. While the plugs are out you may choose to add a small amount of oil to the cylinder walls to lessen damage on initial start. With oil in the motor, turn the vehicle over by hand to get the lubrication process started. Disconnect the “+” coil wire and attach the battery. I would recommend turning the key to the run position and inspect the cars wiring. Look, feel and smell for shorts. Once the wiring appears to be o.k. go ahead and crank the engine over and check your fluid levels again. With the plugs out it will turn easily and hopefully clear out any junk in the combustion chamber. Check your fuel lines, carburetor, clutch and shifter for proper movement and operation.

BRAKES AND SUSPENSION

With the weight of the wheels, wiggle the tires back and forth and up and down. This will make sure that the wheel bearings and suspension links are ready to roll. Remove the tires and check the brakes for rust, leaks, frayed hoses and adjustment. A wire wheel can be used on rotors and drums to remove rust without damage. With correct air pressure in the tires, torque the lug nuts back and roll the car out a few feet. This will assure everything is free and ready to go.

INITIAL START UP

Go easy on the cranking and do not be worried if the engine does not fire up right away. Never use starting fluid to help speed this process (it can crack your heads). If you have a mechanical fuel pump, it may take a few cranks to build pressure. It may be necessary to squirt a small amount of fresh gas in the carburetor and then try starting it (never squirt while cranking or running. This will start a fire). When the car starts, hold the throttle around 2200rpm to insure proper lubrication. This should be done for about 60 seconds. Let the car idle down and shut off and take another general inspection for any surprises that may have slipped past or occurred while running. If no problems exist, restart the car following the previous procedure. Run all the controls, lights and accessories and move the car back and forth a couple of times in the driveway. Once the temp gets close to operating range you are ready for a short trip around the block.

No one knows your car better than you, so pay attention on the first drive and take it easy. After a couple of laps around the block, shut the car down and recheck everything again. Most failures will occur in these first few moments, so stay close to home. If everything is humming along great, put about 40 miles on the odometer (half city/ half highway) and you should be good to go. I perform this operation on ten different vehicles every spring, and I have yet to be disappointed by the outcome. They sometimes need some work before I leave the shop, but I have not been stranded on the side of the road after following these steps.