Racer - taking stock

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>]

OK, my new racer is across town.. I'll bring it home tomorrow after work 
(spent too much time yakking while in Bozeman)..

I think the actual race car is about done for.

It has a frame.  It appears straight, etc.

It has a 345 that needs rebuilt (bent push rods I'm told, bad bearings, 
who knows what else), 4bbl intake, and a 4bbl carb (needs rebuilt.. sat 
outside for 6 months w/ water in it now).  

The front "clip" is only the exterior fenders and hood, welded together.. 
no inner fenders.  This was hinged to the front frame piece, but it 
wasn't when I picked it up.. at the moment, from the firewall forward is 
the frame and the motor and a destroyed radiator.

It does have a working p/s setup.

Full cage, welded to the frame (this is good)
Steering column, less wheel and ignition switch.
19gal gas tank
No seat, no belts
Brake and gas are there.

No mastercylinder, prop. valve, or booster

Rear end has only the outer fenders, attached to the truck via some 1/2" 
steel tubing that extends off the frame to hold it away.  No inner 
fenders, and most of the bed is rusted away.  No tailgate.  One set of 
lights, but no end caps.

727 automatic and Dana 20.
This 727 has no 3rd gear, and reverse is messed up... if you put it in R 
and give it some gas, it'll engage.. you can then idle in reverse.  But 
if you just shift into R, it won't move 'till you throttle it.

Tranny cover w/ automatic housing, etc.

One Travelall Dana 44 rear axle, supposedly 3.73 gears.  
One set of rear springs.  No front springs.  

2x4s on either side are used where the front body mounts should be.

Now, the Scout I brought home yesterday sports a pretty solid body, tho' 
it's dented on the exterior.  No hood, but good front fenders (one is 
straight except for the front grille area of the fender).  Tailgate, 
endcaps.. all in fair/good shape.  One door is hashed, one works.  Both 
doors lack the wing windows (cut off at the top of the door).  

The hardtop is in good shape w/ good sliders, no liftgate glass.  This'll 
all get set aside for later.

It also came w/ exhaust manifolds, a full exhaust lying around, but no 
steering column, no brake parts.. the whole front end is bare.  There's a 
heater core and blower in the cab area... full set of stock gauges in the 
dash.

Stock bench seats.

I'm not sure what else is in there.. I haven't cleaned the back out yet.

No steering column.  No engine, no tranny, no axles, no springs, no 
crossmember (in fact, part of the crossmember mount is hashed)

I can buy a set of headers for the 345 for $100 (Stan's) used.. 

I also have another 727 lying in Bozeman waiting for me.  This one has a 
shot pump.  It was suggested I take the pump from the one in the racer 
and put it in the tranny in Bozeman and I should have a good 'un.

What to do...

Here's today's thought.

The racer is a lost cause.  Yank the 345 for rebuilding later.  Pull the 
727 for rebuilding sooner.  Cut the cage from the frame and yank it.  
Keep the front clip (the "camo" Scout doesn't have a hood), turn the rest 
of the sheetmetal into patch panels.  Remove the steering column and 
pedals, p/s box, gold box, gas tank.

Toss the radiator (someone drove a tractor w/ forks on the front through 
it.. thought that was the best way to push the Scout around in the family 
junk yard)

That'll pretty much leave a bare frame left.. told ya, there's not much 
there!

Clean the frame up a bit, then put it against the side of the garage.. 
never know when I might need that! :)

Then I'll drag the "camo" Scout around front, and make *it* the racer.

Front sheet metal comes off (fenders, inner fenders, grille) and gets 
replaced with the one-welded-piece front clip from the racer, with the 
front tilt hinge.

Put the p/s and column from the racer into the camo Scout.

Remove doors (keep one, toss one) and bench seats.  Remove tailgate (good 
shape, and could be used).  Cut the body tub where it needs to be cut, 
and mount the 'cage from the racer into the camo.

Reinforce cage some more (can't be too safe.. it needs a back bar anyhow)

Fab a bumper for the rear of the camo Scout (yes, I want to add weight in 
an attempt to balance it a little bit)

I bought a '71 F250 w/ 390 and NP435 and other goodies - I'm giving it to 
my friend Mike to earn brownie points.  Which it seems will include some 
help on a 727 rebuild..

Take the 304 I bought, put the 345 flexplate on it, and drop it into the 
camoracer.  (Hey, that's kind of a cool name..).  Rebuild the 727, and 
put that in w/ the Dana 20.

Reverse the front shackle setup.  Here's my chance to experiment. :-)

Install the 3.73 Travelall rear axle w/ new perches in a spring-over on 
the rear end.  Double shock it.

I think I'll leave the rear quarters un-cut for a while.. 

Mount the battery inside the cab, no heater.. 

I'll use some 4" Superlift springs up front, with the Nissan bump stops 
(the stock bump stops take a brutal beating when you jump)

I have 2 spare radiators now..

So.. I'm going to need to add to my parts pile to make this all work.

I'll need:

disc/drum mastercylinder, brake booster, prop. valve.
Dana 44 front axle w/ 3.73 gears (yeah, there's one in the garage.. but 
it's for my '72!).  I *may* be able to get my hands on the matching 
Travelall front axle.. which means I'll be running full width T'all 
running gear!

Custom drag link to make this stuff work.
Racing bucket seat
Steering wheel (sure, just dumped all of our non-functioning 70s GM stuff)
driveshafts (I have a few spare stock ones.. came w/ the camo Scout.. but 
I'll probably want/need custom)

I think I'll need one tailight assembly.. the racer has one, the camo has 
none.

I *think* that'll get my racer on the road!

If I put the lights on the back, and wire up the headlights (did I 
mention both Scouts came with 2 perfectly good headlights on 'em?), I 
think I can actually make this racer street legal... just for fun.  

Oh.. I'll need to do a shock setup on the front end, too.. double or triples.

Gee, doesn't *sound* like much work at all, does it?  :-)

What, a 3hr job, right?  :-)

Well, it's a start... 

Yeee-haw!

Naturally I've taken a few pictures already.. and when I get it 
developed, I'll have a 3rd main section my webpage.. I'll have "'72, '77, 
and Racer" :-)

Hmm.. when am I going to get my RMIHR, NWBRU, HolyCross, Nationals, 
Deerlodge, 33" Install, and Bozeman racing trip reports written??!!!  AND 
detail (and perform) the racer buildup...

Wow.. 

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'72 Scout II - work in progress "resto-mod" street/trail
'77 Scout II - daily driver - street/trail
'77 Camo Scout II - parts truck / future TuffTruck racer
'78 Scout II - it's days as a racer are over.. now it's parts!