Unfortunately, like most project cars, it never came to see the original plan. I ended up putting my 1915cc motor in it with 44 IDF Webbers. I had a turbo manifold on it while it was in the build stage, but I rushed to get it running before moving cross-country and I fabbed up a downturn with a muffler. It was ugly.
I narrowed the beam 8″ and bought some Sprint Star repro’s – these fit the theme perfectly because they were aluminum repops of wheels that were originally steel. A new take on the old model – like the car. I ended up putting some Smart Car 175/55/15’s on the front, 205/60/15’s on the rear. I loved the final ride height.
The dash came out great, with the silver Autometer gauges and stereo. There was a ton of silver powdercoating that made it onto the car (like the gas tank and all the access panels). The engine lid
was removable with
quick-release hinge pins and wiring. I added a second dome light on the passenger side, and built a sub-box/ speaker tray/ amp rack that fit nicely behind the rear seat.
I did eventually get the car on the road while I lived in AZ, but my heart was not in it at the end. I really liked the look of the car, but to see my original vision, there was a ton more money to spend. My son was just born and it was time to lean out New Dad’s fleet.
I ended up selling it to a guy from Colorado who ended up finishing up the upholstery and put a real exhaust on it. He detailed out all the stuff I never finished, which was awesome.