1967 Galaxie 500 Project, aka Jules

[datsunfreak]

On 7/25/2023 at 6:51 AM, Netshark993 said:

Ended up rolling the fender lips and building some tubs for it. Drop springs are now on the rear but I need different shocks to get it down where it should be. 

 

Looking good. 👍

 

On 7/25/2023 at 6:51 AM, Netshark993 said:

Any updates on your car?

 

A few, I just haven't really been taking photos of anything. 😁

 

I'll try to update the thread this weekend. 👍 

[datsunfreak]

A friend who frequents a lot of old car junkyards found some bumpers on a '67 Galaxie last week. Not perfect, but straight and they still match the patina...

 

Old rear:

 

 

 

New rear:

 

 

 

 

 

Should get the new front on this week as well. 👍

 

Also installed the rear brake calipers so I could test fit the rear wheels. Tires are a bit too beefy, but they seem to clear everything...

 

 

[Draker]

The new rear bumper is an improvement! That bumper looks heavy

[datsunfreak]

3 hours ago, Draker said:

The new rear bumper is an improvement! That bumper looks heavy

 

They are easily 60-70+ pounds each. 😳

 

I had planned to use these to make a mold so I could make some out of fiberglass, but that will have to wait until a later date. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by datsunfreak

[datsunfreak]

Full disclosure, I am going to "finish" this car, but not for me. A friend decided he wanted to take over the project, and is paying me to get it road worthy for him. 

 

This is why I backed off on making the composite parts, why I changed wheels, and why progress has been slow lately. I will also be remaking the gauge panel to suit some gauges he bought for this.

 

I am keeping my Autometer gauges, my wheels, and my Recaros for my 240Z project. 

[EDM620]

That is kinda sad news, I was looking forward to the continued antics of the Galaxie project. I appreciate when a build doesn't follow the typical formula and the creative ideas flow freely.

 

Are you planning to continue to share the build or just Git 'er done?

[datsunfreak]

15 hours ago, EDM620 said:

Are you planning to continue to share the build or just Git 'er done?

 

I will continue to update this thread with whatever I get done, for sure. Believe it or not, sometimes keeping a journal of a project helps me stay motivated to move forward with it. 

 

But sadly, the wackiness will be toned down slightly. The new owner is a little too "old school" and set in his ways to appreciate some of our "outside the box" thinking. 

 

What is mildly irksome is that he said "I really like what you guys have done with it so far, and would like you to keep going" and then it wasn't a week later he was talking about changing a lot of what we had done on the car, and moving in a more "traditional" direction...  😋

 

15 hours ago, EDM620 said:

That is kinda sad news, I was looking forward to the continued antics of the Galaxie project. I appreciate when a build doesn't follow the typical formula and the creative ideas flow freely.

 

If I ever get my hands on my "dream project", this sort of wackiness will be revisited upon that car. 👍

 

(Dream project is Vega/Chevette/Maverick/Pinto, but really want an early Chevette)

 

 

 

 

 

Although, I gotta say, the 240Z will be very "non-traditional" in many ways. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by datsunfreak

[EDM620]

A good buddy of mine is building a very non-traditional duece, dropped low on a full tube frame chassis running a Datsun in-line 6 with 5 speed. Presently a long way to go on it...

[datsunfreak]

On 8/16/2023 at 9:54 AM, EDM620 said:

A good buddy of mine is building a very non-traditional duece, dropped low on a full tube frame chassis 

 

This is another dream build of mine, either a '31 or '32 A body on a nice sporty chassis.

 

Tim has a "spare" Lotus 7 kit car frame that he may never use, and I have thought a lot about buying a '27 T glass body and finding a way to make it fit. 

 

Imagine this, but it handles like it's on rails, and you sit down super low in the car...  😁

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by datsunfreak

[datsunfreak]

They look sharp with a cut down '32 grill too...  🔥

 

[EDM620]

I kinda prefer the Track T nose, makes me think of early Formula cars.

[datsunfreak]

On 8/17/2023 at 3:14 PM, EDM620 said:

I kinda prefer the Track T nose, makes me think of early Formula cars.

 

I like that one, but most of them have this kooky upside down T shape to the grill that I do not care for...

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by datsunfreak

[EDM620]

My fav is similar to this - ignore the rest of the car, just focus on the nose.

Narrow profile and a decent rake to it. A bit more rake gives a "more faster" look to it IMHO

[datsunfreak]

On 8/18/2023 at 10:26 PM, EDM620 said:

My fav is similar to this - ignore the rest of the car, just focus on the nose.

 

Narrow profile and a decent rake to it. A bit more rake gives a "more faster" look to it IMHO

 

Yeah, Speedway has a few that are similar. I dig that. 👍

 

As far as on topic...  😋

 

Old and busted...

 

 

 

New hotness...

 

 

 

Which now really accentuates how rough that grill is...  😄

 

Oddly, all of the bolts came out smooth except one, the same one on both sides. Must be in a spot where the tip of the bolt easily rusts? They both backed out 3-4 turns then seized. Ended up cutting the old brackets in half to get the bumper off the car...

 

 

 

Then cut the head off the bolt to remove the bracket, then cut the bolt flush with the frame to fit the new bumper...

 

 

 

Seems to do fine with just 3 bolts instead of 4. If it becomes an issue, I think I can remove the seized bolt fairly easily by pulling out the captured "clip nut" from the frame. 

 

 

[EDM620]

4 hours ago, datsunfreak said:

New hotness...

Look up, my eyes are up here... 😁

 

Ya that sure draws the eye to the bent grille

[]2eDeYe]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:44 AM, datsunfreak said:

 

(Dream project is Vega/Chevette/Maverick/Pinto, but really want an early Chevette)

 

 

 

 

https://www.shoppok.com/saginaw/a,45,168169,1982-Chevette-Diesel----1100--Caro-.htm

[datsunfreak]

2 hours ago, ]2eDeYe said:

 

 

https://www.shoppok.com/saginaw/a,45,168169,1982-Chevette-Diesel----1100--Caro-.htm

 

That's got a lot of potential.  👍

 

But also a lot of rust potential. 😋

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I think there were two major sources for the track nose style - oval track racing and salt flat racing. And from those two came two different styles, the inverted T and the oval hole.

 

The oval hole shape goes back to European race cars of the early 1900s, like Morris and Alfa Romeo.

 

I do like the oval nose better, but nothing beats a '32 grille.

[EDM620]

6 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

but nothing beats a '32 grille

I am kinda partial to the sloped nose from the Factory 5 kit

The chin way out there... agressive

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

The rake on that 33-34 is massive. Yes, they look cool, but less rake also looks nice.

[Duncan]

I remember quite a few years back, Hot Rod Magazine tried to buy a car and get it to run under 12 seconds for a very low sum of money.  They bought a Chevette and put a 472 Caddie motor and (I think) a transaxle in the back seat area.  They did it, actually, but it was a flaming pile of crap.  It was a print version of Roadkill, basically..

 

A Vega would have been WAYYY easier, and the motor would fit in the front..

 

Went back and found an article on it.  As usual, I was wrong on a few things, and it looks less like a piece of shit than I remember.  Also it was an 11 second car.

 

https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/bangshift1320-drag-racing-feature/magnante-speaks-the-story-of-the-bad-seed-chevette-cheap-project-car-insanity-part-2/

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Duncan

[datsunfreak]

On 8/22/2023 at 6:12 PM, EDM620 said:

I am kinda partial to the sloped nose from the Factory 5 kit

 

The chin way out there... agressive

 

On 8/22/2023 at 6:51 PM, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

The rake on that 33-34 is massive. Yes, they look cool, but less rake also looks nice.

 

I love the factory Five kit, and would really like to build one some day, but the sloped 33/34 nose is a little off putting for me personally. 

 

On 8/22/2023 at 6:51 PM, Duncan said:

I remember quite a few years back, Hot Rod Magazine tried to buy a car and get it to run under 12 seconds for a very low sum of money.  They bought a Chevette and put a 472 Caddie motor and (I think) a transaxle in the back seat area.  They did it, actually, but it was a flaming pile of crap.  It was a print version of Roadkill, basically..

 

Went back and found an article on it.  As usual, I was wrong on a few things, and it looks less like a piece of shit than I remember.  Also it was an 11 second car.

 

https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/bangshift1320-drag-racing-feature/magnante-speaks-the-story-of-the-bad-seed-chevette-cheap-project-car-insanity-part-2/

 

Still have that issue on my book shelf, actually. 😋

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

46 minutes ago, datsunfreak said:

 

I love the factory Five kit, and would really like to build one some day, but the sloped 33/34 nose is a little off putting for me personally. 

 

I've seen guys build them with '32 grille shells. The build quality on the kit is not great, but whatever. It's affordable and it gets the job done.

 

I guess I should say the design is not great. Quality-wise, nothing glaring. I just really dislike square tube chassis. Like the Polaris RZRs. Cheap .060" wall square tubing. Weak and dumb.

[datsunfreak]

45 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I've seen guys build them with '32 grille shells.

 

I've seen that, don't love it. On the 33/34 it's not just the grill that's slanted, it's also the hood/door/firewall that is slanted. On a 32, all of that is straight vertical.

 

To my eye, this just looks a bit off...

 

 

 

48 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

The build quality on the kit is not great, but whatever. It's affordable and it gets the job done.

 

I guess I should say the design is not great. Quality-wise, nothing glaring. I just really dislike square tube chassis. Like the Polaris RZRs. Cheap .060" wall square tubing. Weak and dumb.

 

You get what you pay for, though. Their kit is pretty cheap for what you get.

 

There are plenty of other better kits out there, but usually for a lot more money.

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Even against the hood louvers, the straight up hood stands out.

 

Nothing should stand out.