Thread: new guy with 1st project

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hey guys just wanted to say hi. i just purchased a 36 ford 5 window coupe. got a long road ahead of me, pretty much it is just a shell on a rolling chassis. looking for some ideas on what to do to make it stand out from the rest and looking at many other peoples rides to see what they have come up with. anyway, looking forward to getting a lot of information from experienced builders to help get me on the right foot. thanks guys

Welcome, Keane. Sounds like a neat project to start on. You might want to consider some "unconventional" drive train combinations, also read anything other then another 350 / 350 chebbie. Nothing against them, just getting to be a real belly button set up, everybody has one.

Depending on what kind of perfomance level you want, and what you intend to use the car for the possibilities are endless. A 5.0 Mustang set up with either the five speed or an AOD Transmission would probably be my choice for a cruiser. Maybe instead of the conventional 9" Ford rear you could consider one of the IRS set ups out of a T-Bird.

You should probably first decide what the car is going to be used for, then go component shopping for parts that fit that criteria.

".........looking for some ideas on what to do to make it stand out from the rest......."

Hi Keane. That can really be a rough to do sometimes especially with a popular body style.

The first thing is to decide what look your going for and stick with that. Gererally speaking a mis-mash of themes does not work well (mixing elements of say retro/modern/Yuck Rod/Etc).

On the top of the list for me would be quality of workmanship in every detail of the car.

The first thing that will cause people to take a look at the car will of course be the overall look of the car, which will include paint, stance, and tires and wheels.

Next will be the details that catch peoples eye. The engine naturally, but also things like that dash and pasenger compartment. Depending on your skills or how deep your pockets are, custom one off pieces or scrounged period correct pieces often work well.

Of course a big one is the engine. Like Dave says, alternative power can rqally make the car stand out. Rather than going the traditional SB Chevy or even Ford route, consider other options (that may be more expensive or harder to do). Some things that come to mind are if your going retro/period maybe a Y Block with a Paxton Supercharger or multiple cars, or an FE with dual quads or Tri-Power, or even a 50 Caddiliac or Buick nail head engine. If your going for a slick modern look one of the newer modular Ford V8s would be interesting.

Good luck with your project and keep us posted.