Thanks for the kind words, Steve. She's a work in progress, as seems to always be the case with any of these antique machines.
There's little remaining on this car that's original, so pursuit of originality isn't the reason the sidepipes will be gone. It'll be done in an attempt to avoid further destruction of my already damaged hearing. These 2-1/2 inch manifolds and pipes are just way too much. It's like driving down the road between a pair of un-muffled Harleys.
The wheels are definitely staying. When I bought the car from a friend three years ago, it had direct-bolt wheels and very old whitewall tires. I've never been all that enthusiastic about the KO wheels look, and mine were a bit oxidized from weather exposure. I've always been more into the Day Two look on vintage muscle cars, hotrods, and Corvettes. I swapped out the wheels and tires earlier this year. The wheels I removed will be disposed of, although I haven't yet made an effort to find them a new home.
This car's original wheel covers are long gone. The car had true KO wheels on it when my pal bought the car back in the late 1990s. He lost one of those wheels while underway, and decided to replace them with the direct-bolt wheels after that mishap occurred. So, this is at least the fourth set of wheels that this car has worn in its lifetime. Another chore I've been working on, concurrently with the PS issues and starter solenoid failure, has been fitting a fifth six-inch TT wheel and matching 215/70R15 Yokohama Avid tire into the spare tub. It's been a wrestling match and I'm still not completely done with it, but it's nearly sorted out now.
I've done a lot of things to this car since I acquired it, and there's more that remains to be attended to. I chip away at them when I find the time and enthusiasm.
Live well,
SJW
It always amazes me how a simple change of wheels and tires can so dramatically alter a vehicle's "personality." Here's how she looked before I bought her a new set of shoes and feet, and during the transition:
|