Most grateful for any help

Hello All,
I introduced myself on the newbie board a week or so ago and was actually in the negotiation stages of buying a 73 2dr. sedan with a grabber hood so I spoke as if I already had it(I felt that sure I would get it as I was going to pay to get it if I had to).

Well now it is officially mine/my son's as this is a father/son project and our plan is to have it ready for him to drive to school his senior year, he is a 10th grader this year, roughly we have about 19 months to complete this project.

First let me tell you what we got:1973 2dr sedan with luxury package with 302 and C4 auto, no ps, no pb and 4 wheel drum, it came with AC but all of that needs to be replaced, here is the upside the fellow had rebuilt the motor and here's whats in her:12k miles on a rebuilt short block without boring as it only had 33k original miles on it, Edelbrock Performer RPM Top End package which includes Edelbrock Peformer RPM heads, Edelbrock Air Gap intake, Cam is .496 lift, .224 duration on intake and .520 lift, .234 duration on exhaust (edelbrock tech guy supplied me with the cam specs, I had no idea) edelbrock timing chain and gears, Crane 1:6 Roller Rockers, Performer 600 cfm carb, 12k miles on new C4 with shift kit and B&M Shifter, 9" rear but geared too tall guessing 3:1 or there abouts. oh yeah it has Hooker headers.

Tech service says this set up should run 3:70 or lower gears and a 2500 stall as it makes its power from 1500-6500 RPM.

What it needs:trunk floor pan, new interior, dash, AC, disc brakes on front min., paint, ps, pb. this is just what I can think of right now. Anyone that can tell me where/how to go about swapping parts that will fit I'll be forever in your debt, and I'm attaching some pics I paid $2000 cash after negotiating as I thought the motor was worth that alone. Oh it also has American Racing Wheels with 4 brand new tires, do ya'll think it was a good deal?

I tried to upload pics but I have to have 10 or more points so I'll upload when I get them if I can figure out how to get points.

P.S. It has a grabber hood and I would like to go with the 71-72 bumpers also

 

Where do you want to start? We're here to help!

 

links to pics

here are some links to pics as this might help since I can't upload pics yet.

http://picpaste.com/1-siMjtncB.JPG

http://picpaste.com/2-GkMZAGEE.JPG

http://picpaste.com/3-Av4qW43q.JPG

http://picpaste.com/photo__74_-E1mYesY1.JPG

 

where to start

Well I suppose finding a replacement pan for the trunk is where I should begin but then locating a ps sector, pb with front disc preferably 4 wheel disc, any sources or parts that crossover?

And the dash and all the AC components I guess is a good start.
Thanks

 

For a trunk floor, you'll have to find one cut from a car, since nothing like that is reproduced. Post in the "wanted" section, someone should respond, same with most of the other parts you want. The "tech" section, will answer most of your questions.

 

help

OK thanks will do.

 

Looks like one hell of a buy! Had to skip one picture, it was too big to post.

 

There you go.

 

Looks like a decent car! You need to find some 70-72 rear bumper brackets, and pull that back bumper in, and do a bumper tuck on the front.

 

help

Yes I plan on going with the smaller bumpers and I thought it was a good buy also, actually it's a bit more motor than I would have built for my 16 year old to start on.

 

That looks like a great deal as long as nothing serious is hiding behind the paint.
Have fun fixing her up!

 

Looks like bought well as long is hidden rust isn't an issue. Did you check the cowl area to make sure it doesn't leak into the car? That is a common trouble area for old Fords.

Sounds like you have a solid plan overall. Discs on the front are a must if you want to share the road with modern cars. The factory power booster is pretty large, you might want to look into smaller alternatives. I have manual brakes and front discs .... the car stops really well now, but you have to throw a lot of leg at it if you need to stop fast.

Power steering ... if you are really intent on that, I would be looking at the Borgeson conversion. The factory set-up is a pain (leaks often), takes up a lot of space under the car, and has too light of a feel for my taste ... floaty. I have a PS car that has had the assist removed, so the box is a quicker ratio. It feels great at speed, and is heavy at parking speeds. I have a 13 inch steering wheel and am switching back to a 15 to get some leverage back.

Bumpers .... do a search here for 73s with a front bumper tuck. If done well, they look quite good.

 

As long as that cowl doesn't leak, I'd say you got a good deal.

Like others have mentioned, I would tuck the front bumper, rather than try and find a 70-72 front bumper. If you use the earlier, smaller bumper on the front, your 73 front valance is going to look out of place, as it will leave a huge gaping hole under the smaller bumper. A 70-72 front valance will fix this, but it'll be another part to find, and they are in high demand.

Maverick/Granada front discs are still somewhat cheap and can be found if you look hard enough. Don't forget the proportioning valve, too. Several members here have gone with the 98-02 Crown Victoria rear discs, as they are basically a bolt-on solution and cheap to buy and service.
http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=85043
http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=96019


If your car was originally an LDO (Luxury Decor Option) car, it seems odd that it wouldn't have had power steering. I would suspect a previous owner may have removed it due to leaks, etc, but may not have changed the steering box.

Good luck with your build and I'm sure you'll find the answers to all your questions as you start navigating the site.

 

Thanks

Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate all of yall's input. The cowl is in good condition, after lifting the pad the trunk is rusted out bad and the right passenger side floor pan I'm going to go ahead and replace, it's not rusted through but it's halfway, might as well do it now than build this car and skip a floorboard,

I'm thrilled about this project as my son is 16 and while I grew up working and rodding cars the kids these days are far removed but so far he is really excited and wants to just be around the car even if we are not working on it.......and the obvious father/son bonding time spent together cannot have a price attached, thanks again and I'll be posting progress along the way.

 

Depending on where the trunk floor is rusted you may consider adding an older Mustang drop in fuel tank as the top of the tank acts as the trunk floor.