Thread: Hi Guys I'm roid from Kitchener

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

This is Dale's thread so I'll leave it to him to post up whatever he wants of our conversations in email. I've begun what data dumping I can recall via email. Gotta say though, this just tickles me to no end.

Dale, if you click on my name at the top of this page it will take you to my profile page. On the left side will be a small picture from my gallery marked "random photo" , clicking that will take you to the gallery. There's another pic of the coupe sitting in the corner of the shop.

Ok Guys: Here is up to date on Bob and I getting to know one another!! ha ha .. This is the best thing that could ever happen to a guy with a new car and a million questions. Like what is this and that? Well when Bob found me here on this site was like I won the lottery!! Bob is very generous with his time and memory ( he says some might be shaky LOL) anyhow he has given me lots of info to work with today on parts that would have taken forever for me to find. I thank him for that.

Dale,

This is going to be fun! No need to include me in your car, once I’ve let go I have no stake in them……….each new owner will make their own contribution. Speaking of that, for reminder sake, it sounds like there have been at least 4 owners between you and me so some of what I did may have been changed/modified. I’ll do the best I can for you, but I’ve been thinking about responses for the past hour or so and some stuff I can’t retrieve from the memory bank. I’m a hot rod addict and a lot of cars have passed through the shop over time. I probably had a couple dozen cars during the time I did this one, so I will apologize now if I accidently mix up some of the details. If my reply sounds firm I’m pretty darn sure I’ve remembered correctly, if I hedge a bit then my memory is fuzzy. Hope that doesn’t disappoint. And thanks for the compliment on build quality, though there were a lot of hands involved, so while I did a fair bit of the work I’ll only take credit for being a project manager. Sounds like the fellow you bought it from was fed a line of bull, hopefully that’s a no harm no foul deal.



Let’s start with the front brake thing. I’m pretty sure that the entire front suspension is made up of pieces from Magnum Axle Co. The brakes likely came from them. If you can post a picture it might help, I looked but didn’t see any specific pics in my file. The rear brakes would be typical Ford to match the rear assembly. Pretty sure I remember that being an 8” rear such as was used in Mustangs, some Fairlanes, and V8 powered Mavericks. I usually put in a 3.25 ratio, but a 2.79 is a low probability option…….probably not a posi, but that’s easy for you to check. Wheel bolt pattern should be 5 x 4 ½”, typical Ford. Wheels were from Wheel Vintique, powder coated.



Back around 1990 the idea to build this popped in my head. Sometime within a year after that I was walking through the Portland Swap Meet and spotted a pair of rails with a title that were for sale. Just as I was getting ready to have a friend with a frame jig weld the frame up for me I got a call about a complete rolling chassis with title that another buddy decided to part with. He wanted a quick sale, so I ended up saving time and money buying his. That chassis (the one under your car) was built by a local pro name Denny Olsen. I don’t usually go for the chrome and polished stainless thing, but this came that way so what the heck.



The body is a Gibbon, built back when it was a good company. That being said, it still needed a fair bit of work, primarily around the deck lid area to get decent fitment. The body came with the power windows and all hinges and the wood bracing. We added steel bracing in the cowl/dash area (you can see it in the pic I posted) both for strength and to hang things from. The gauge opening in the dash was my design and fab, so there isn’t another exactly like it that I’m aware of. The steering column is a ‘66/7 GM midsize tilt (Cutlass, Skylark, etc.) I had a relay setup made up to use the cruise control button at the end of the signal stalk for the dimmer switch, but I think Denny, the guy I sold it to, put on those billet knobs, so that may not be there. The gauges I put in were from Classic Instruments, but may be different now (?). That park brake handle is from an early ‘60s Dodge truck. The shifter mechanism is from Windsor Fabrication, though they may not be in business anymore. The fenders were from Wescott, running boards from The V8 Shop, fuel tank from Tanks Inc., hood from Rootlieb, and the grille shell is an original that was filled and a repop insert, I think from Dale’s but could be a Vintique. The door latches are typical Bear Claw, the deck lid latch is from an ‘80s Honda hatch back.



The radiator should have been a Walker, but I don’t recall if it came with the chassis. My memory tells me the grille shell came with the chassis so maybe the radiator did too. Depending on what was done with the A/C install, the rad may not be high enough capacity if it’s still the one I had. The engine (if it hasn’t been changed or modified) was a standard 350 crate motor from Chevrolet, nothing fancy (210 or so rated hp ?). Just something reliable and easy to live with. I did have a rebuilt TH350 trans with a shift kit and a 2200 stall converter.



I’ve attached some pics and have more, not sure what you’d be interested in. Feel comfortable ringing my chime whenever a question comes to mind, I’ll do what I can for you.

Enjoy,

Bob










Bob: Wow what a surprise your message on Club Hot Rod. I have always been into muscle cars, this being a !st at Hot Rods. Am 66 but never to old to learn! Maybe remembering will be the tough part? Anyhow this past weekend was looking over the car, and by the way you do excellent work!! If you have the time any and all info on frame, front rear brake parts, (calipers/rotors) have never seen covers like on ends of spindles before. Wheel bearing were loose, so was snugging up. would like to repack would be great help to know what they are from.Took a bit before I realized they were Torx screws holding them on. Front Axle? Who's body Fenders. Wheels Ford, GM. Engine was it rebuilt old?? I'll stop for now Thanks for any help talk soon. We can put this in the thread, I tried to copy and paste would not? dale

Bob: Last question for today... The Tail Lights in the car, Do you remember what they are? Dale (roid)