Coyote Swap

[Ferari]

This came across a newsletter that I've subscribed to. Thought I'd share, especially for those Ranchero aficionados!

http://www.fordmuscle.com/news/driving-cross-country-in-a-coyote-swap-ranchero/

[Luva65wagon]

Pretty cool. Maybe someday when they are cheaper...
;)

But it is pretty interesting to walk up to a car this weekend and see one of those motors stuffed into it:

6402

And realize you are seeing a Coyote motor, with Powered by Ford...

... in an AMC Javelin.

I just found an article on it on-line:

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/check-coyote-engine-1970-javelin/

[BadBird]

That car should have won best of show. IMHO, which doesn't stand for much. I voted for it as "Participants Choice" and the 56 Ford station wagon as "Peoples Choice". The article in the magazine doesn't give it justice in the quality of the build. Absolutely beautiful car.
His brother had another AMC car there which was very nice also.
For some reason, when I talk to folks about their cars, I don't get too excited about the real big dollar cars that the owners paid for everything to be done by someone else.
I remember the year that the Falcon station wagon won best of show at Hot August Nights in Reno. I talked to the husband and wife owners who told me they spent over a 1/4 million dollars getting the car done.
I am not jealous of the money, just doesn't impress me as much after putting thousands of hours in my own car to get it finished. In defense of the Falcon at Reno, the owners were older than me, and don't think they could have built a car too well.
I would probably be driving around in a car built by some specialist if I had millions, so I am getting off my high horse now. Larry

[beerbelly]

The "built or bought" question is a dilemma to me. I'll never be in the "bought" crowd, always owning drivers that I could afford to make reliable and drive a bunch. But like BadBird says, it might be a different story if I had the $$ to have one built. Of course, then I wonder if I would drive it, which, to me, is the purpose of a car. Or would I drive the hell out of it, knowing I could have any problem fixed with a big check?

I'm certain I'll never know the answer!

[SmithKid]

My feeling on this question has always been on the build-it side for the simple reason that it has been FUN for me. I took the auto trade classes in HS and have enjoyed the work/fun ever since. Along the way there has been a financial benefit in keeping my family cars in good condition too. However, as I age, the fun factor is decreasing and the big $$ scenario is increasingly attractive, though I would never want to have a “trailer queen” type show car. I do enjoy having a nice “driver” car that I try not to let out of the garage in the inclement conditions we so frequently experience here.

Alas, I fear the big $$ scenario is going to continue being elusive.

[ew1usnr]

I remember the year that the Falcon station wagon won best of show at Hot August Nights in Reno. I talked to the husband and wife owners who told me they spent over a 1/4 million dollars getting the car done. Larry

Is that for real? $250,000?

[BadBird]

Yep, $250, 000. The more I have seen these high dollar car shows it is easy to see how they get to that number. Just drive down to Dreamers in Everett some day and take a tour of their paint area. The head painter there gave me a lot of great tips before I painted my car. They had a 32 Ford getting painted while I was there. He told me that body work and paint was going to be over $40 K. When I took my car into his shop for him and the other guys to see, he said the amount of hours to get my cars body work, paint and color buff and sanding would have been a minimum of $40 K.
I did everything myself on my car except the exhaust and Falcon Comets did the interior, which I installed.
If I would have had someone do all the work I've done, it would easily be triple or more what I've spent.
The quality level of that station wagon put my car to shame, but mine didn't cost me more than my house.
If you haven't been to Hot August Nights in Reno, you should go, at the judging for the top ten cars you will see cars that cost a whole lot more than $250K. Larry
__________________

[Luva65wagon]

[SIZE=3]If you haven't been to Hot August Nights in Reno, you should go, at the judging for the top ten cars you will see cars that cost a whole lot more than $250K.

And then watch them sell at Barrett Jackson for 1/5th of that. :bicker:

Building cars, when you are paying others to do it, is a loosing endeavor. You'll rarely see a return on that money. I remember (how could I forget) paying $2800 to have the two front fenders repaired and painted on the wagon. When my jaw dropped to the floor at the estimate the owner tallied it all up and I said , "oh well - I really need them." It was a rare time I had more money than time. I had just got a big tax return and squandered it. Shoulda/woulda/coulda done a lot of things with that money. The sad part is the job they did wan't to the detail I would have done on some of it; like the little patch pieces you can see just under the leading corners of the hood when you open it. The originals had step flanges and they did just made it a flat piece.

Anyway, I could not have collector cars if they were being done by others and I was paying for it, but I know there are a lot of people out there who could and do spend that. Keeping places like Dreamer's afloat.