1976 Ford Torino wip

[MarkJ]

Got my decals finished so now I can start on the wip. I'm using the last of my 45 year old glue bombs as the chassis for this build. The body ,dash ,engine, and glass will come from the Starsky and Hutch kit. The tires and wheels will come from an AMT  91 Olds Nascar kit. I already stole the engine from this kit for a build, I did a while back. I know the chassis wont be right for this build, but it wasn't right for the 71 mercury that it was kitted with. It will serve my purposes. I just have to lengthen the floor a little to get the tires in the tire openings correctly. I will probably cut the tranny off the 429 and install it to the 351 Cleveland. Another one of those builds I always wanted to do and I'm finally getting around to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[yellowsportwagon]

Who’s car will it be?

Edited March 9, 2019 by yellowsportwagon

[MarkJ]

Just now, yellowsportwagon said:

Who’s car will it be?

As usual, I will reveal that at the end. But it wont be hard to figure out.

[yellowsportwagon]

Sounds fair!

[bbowser]

Looking forward to it.  I'm gonna guess a #9.

[Dave Van]

FYI I used a Monogram 83 Thunderbird chassis under my NASCAR build. It fits with very little mods and is more correct for that era. Good luck...I'll be watching. 

[MarkJ]

4 hours ago, Dave Van said:

FYI I used a Monogram 83 Thunderbird chassis under my NASCAR build. It fits with very little mods and is more correct for that era. Good luck...I'll be watching. 

Thanks, Dave but I believe the monogram is a 1/24 scale model and the body I'm using is 1/25 scale. I had the same problem with my 77 Earnhardt Monte Carlo that I used a 1/25 scale "wheels of fire" kit for the body. The 1/24  scale monogram chassis will  work, but the engine looked huge under the hood compared to reference pictures,  so I had to go with the 1/25 scale amt  91 thunderbird chassis with a 91 1/25 amt olds, chevy engine, for under the hood. That's why when I found this mpc 1/25 scale 71 mercury model which is only 4 years older then the 76 torino , I knew it would work with the 1/25 scale "Starsky and Hutch" thunderbird kit. That's why I included a picture above of the torino sitting on top of the mercury. They are almost exactly the same length. Thanks again for the input.

Edited March 10, 2019 by MarkJ

[Sledsel]

Gonna watch this. Do not like the S&H kit because of body issues, but should make a good Nascar build. The S&H engine is incorrect for the build tho. It is incorrect for the S&H build too. The block is Cleveland, but heads and intake are Windsor.

The best Chassis for it would be the kit supplied one, just add the bracing and roll bars.

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Sledsel

[Dave Van]

By 1976 99% of Cup cars were GM long trailer arms rear suspension and not the stock short arms. 

[MarkJ]

21 hours ago, Sledsel said:

Gonna watch this. Do not like the S&H kit because of body issues, but should make a good Nascar build. The S&H engine is incorrect for the build thos. It is incorrect for the S&H build too. The block is Cleveland, but heads and intake are Windsor.

The best Chassis for it would be the kit supplied one, just add the bracing and roll bars.

 

The S&H kit supplied chassis would be nothing like the chassis that  was under the real car Im doing.  I'm better off with my approach.  Like I said at the top . I know this nascar chassis is not correct for the car im doing . Its not even correct for the 71 merc kit that the chassis came from.  but I don't feel like doing an entire scratch built chassis for this car with long arms and all the other stuff because I have no reference pictures for this car ,Chassis wise, interior wise ,and engine compartment wise. in fact I think this wip is being terminated  right now. There is really no point in continuing with it.  Someday, I will post the finished build.

[james460]

Hey Mark go with the wip. Your stuff is so innovative and your ideas, I would never think of. I'm sure it's going to be a beauty no matter what chassis it has. I have been wanting to do a 76 Torino just not sure where to start. Keep it going.

[Sledsel]

4 hours ago, MarkJ said:

The S&H kit supplied chassis would be nothing like the chassis that  was under the real car Im doing.  I'm better off with my approach.  Like I said at the top . I know this nascar chassis is not correct for the car im doing . Its not even correct for the 71 merc kit that the chassis came from.  but I don't feel like doing an entire scratch built chassis for this car with long arms and all the other stuff because I have no reference pictures for this car ,Chassis wise, interior wise ,and engine compartment wise. in fact I think this wip is being terminated  right now. There is really no point in continuing with it.  Someday, I will post the finished build.

Fords used the same basic frame design from 65 til 79. In 72 the Torino got a frame very similar to the Galaxies and although there were modifications, the basic Torino/Montego,Cougar frame was used under the stock cars. The Revell/Monogram or AMT chassis from the Thunderbirds would be very close to correct.

Here are some photos of the Woods Brothers car and you can see some stock components and even the stock rear spring location and frame rail. Don't shelf it, keep going. It will be an interesting build

[vamach1]

Is the Boss 429 engine going to stay?

[Dave Van]

What Wood's car is that????  The LeMans Torino??? Tube trailing arms were never legal in Cup. Just like the front almost stock lower control arms with forward strut........the rear would need to be production trailing arms. Hand made trailing arms would not pass......like said before by me and others a 1976 era Torino would have GM type truck trailing arms. If you want 1/25 scale in place of the 1/24 I used (looks fine) use two AMT 90's era Thunderbird chassis. I did this on a Moore Torino I built a few years ago. (two needed to get correct WB)

[Sledsel]

6 hours ago, Dave Van said:

What Wood's car is that????  The LeMans Torino??? Tube trailing arms were never legal in Cup. Just like the front almost stock lower control arms with forward strut........the rear would need to be production trailing arms. Hand made trailing arms would not pass......like said before by me and others a 1976 era Torino would have GM type truck trailing arms. If you want 1/25 scale in place of the 1/24 I used (looks fine) use two AMT 90's era Thunderbird chassis. I did this on a Moore Torino I built a few years ago. (two needed to get correct WB)

Yes, it is the LeMans Torino. The pics are to show that the Torino Frame would be the basis of the Nascar of that year. As for the forward strut on the front suspension, the Nascar Fords and many GM's used this configuration for years.  Through the 70's, modified stock components were the norm unlike todays 100% fabricated cars 

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Sledsel

[yellowsportwagon]

There appears to be major confusion on this photo. That Torino was not even built by the Wood Brothers. That was a Jack Bowsher built USAC chassis. Dave is correct completely illegal for  NASCAR cup series. Aside from that Mark said he wanted to use up an existing chassis. He knows it isn’t “Correct”.

[Dave Van]

I agree the lower control arm with strut was 100% perfect for a Cup car. Maybe I didn't say it right.  Thanks for confirming it was the LeMans car......doubt I have seen under it before!! 

[MarkJ]

2 hours ago, yellowsportwagon said:

There appears to be major confusion on this photo. That Torino was not even built by the Wood Brothers. That was a Jack Bowsher built USAC chassis. Dave is correct completely illegal for  NASCAR cup series. Aside from that Mark said he wanted to use up an existing chassis. He knows it isn’t “Correct”.

Tim , check your private messages. I have a question please.

[DoctorLarry]

Does anyone make a kit with short rear trailing arm suspension? I assume the chassis you used had rear leafs?