Wow, it's been almost a month since my last post! I have been busy accumulating lots of parts that I need, including:
- 15" x 7" American Racing Ansen Sprint wheels with a 5 x 4.5" BC from Summit Racing
- 205/65-R15 tires from a friend's old car, just to roll the chassis around on; the engine is still a long ways from actually running
- 11" Mustang II Disc Brake Kit + SS brake lines from RJay's Speedshop
- Pinto/Mustang II control arm kit from Speedway Motors
- 45.5" Aerostar Aluminum driveshaft from local pick-n-pull + new U-joints and U-bolts from RockAuto
- Ford 8" rear with TracLoc posi and 3.25:1 gear ratio (I wanted to modify the 8.8" from the 88 TC, but time was the ultimate factor...I'll save that for my next project)
- New axle pads from ESPO Springs N Things
- New leaf springs from JC Whitney
- New shackles & hangers from CarParts.com
- Every kind of polyurethane bushing that Energy Suspension makes for the Pinto
- Rubber steering rack bushings & sleeves from RockAuto
- Help! steering coupler from AutoZone
- A front sump oil pan, oil pickup tube and various chassis and trim pieces from Fred Morgan (thanks again, Fred!)
- And finally, today I plan to order a rear disc brake kit from The Streetrod Manufacturing Company, minus the calipers and pads. For those, I'll be going to RockAuto again, as they are a bit cheaper.
Last night I tackled a problem that's been a major thorn in my side. The driver's side steering rack sleeve and bolt were absolutely frozen together; no amount of WD-40, P.Blaster, Kroil or even map gas would unstick them... So my buddy and I resorted to using a Dremel to cut up the length of the sleeve, and finally we were able to hammer the damn thing out. The threads on the bolt are horribly corroded though, and I'm not sure if it can be salvaged. This may be a stupid question, but where does one go to purchase replacement fasteners for the steering rack? I've looked through the ARP catalog, but they only appear to sell drivetrain-related fasteners...
I expect by the end of next week to have the engine and transmission mounted, all new suspension and brakes installed, and to mount those tires on my new rims. I am horrible at posting pics, but I will try to post some by the end of this week.
Cheers!