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Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
Here's the guy who bought it http://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=46045.0
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
Originally posted by BobStuartHere's the guy who bought it http://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=46045.0
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
Rough is putting it nice. I have taken on some rusted and beaten cars, but despite being a Boss 302 that thing doesnt have enough to work with. The roof and cowl are toast, and what good are the vin stampings in the engine bay if every piece is rusted or cut up and needs replaced? Is it the same car if you replace everything except the chunk of firewall/cowl where the vin is located?
This Navy guy better have gotten a big reenlistment bonus. Been though the whole rusty Mustang thing already and I had quite a bit more car than he does. At least the rockers, frame rails, and roof were in good shape on mine. This poor thing doesnt even have that going for it. I finally found a Mustang that makes me feel good about mine.
This is mine in all its oxidized glory..
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
Theres a big diffrence in restoring a car where you can get every body panel.A Mustang is easy.You can buy a new complete body,if you want.Every panel is available.There are lots of mustangs being restored today,that 10 years ago where a bad parts car.
If you have a,lets say a 2007 Mustang,and wraps it around a pole.You can get a new body for it.If some one will restore a 69 Boss 302 with new body panels welded in,i will call it restoring.
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
I agree with Joe and Thumpin'. There's simply not enough metal on that car to restore it "the hard way" as the buyer puts it. My bet is with the camp that believes he's going to do a VIN swap. Sure, you can buy every single sheet metal piece for that car, and weld them together and call it restored. And that's legitimate, I suppose (heck, I'm doing something very similar to a prototype Polonez 3 door, of which only 5 are known), but my bet is that he'll source a good body and switch VINs (if his are even readable). That's the easier approach. I don't know which approach is more or less valid; both lead to the same thing and if there's a legitimate car to be restored (and not simply VIN-switching for theft or fraud purposes), there's nothing wrong with that and there's really no other alternative, as Arild concurs.
To salvage this ultra-rare 3 door Polonez, I used many NOS sheet metal (and other) parts, a complete regular 5 door donor car, plus 3 other donor cars. So altogether, I had to sacrifice 5 cars to get this car back together. The most valuable and unique parts (rear quarter panels and glass) were salvaged (actually, only the top 2/3 of the rear quarters minus the top 6 inches). You can see why:
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
and to think during my divorce I sold a running driving painted full interior boss 302 with a 351c in it,
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the numbers matching boss302 block, crank, rods, arias pistons, all balanced and ready to assemble,
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a bunch of spare parts..
for $7500 > > > > >There's always something new to learn.
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Re: Say you need some Boss 302 parts..
Good question, Arild, and I don't really know the answer. It's more like a re-bodies... LOL The thing is, with this car, it already had a duplicate VIN given by the diagnostic station 15 years ago due to the front clip that was attached due to it rusting out the first time. And in the next 10 years, it rusted out so badly that what you see is what you get! But that's pretty much irrelevant because 1) even if it still had the original VIN, I'd have needed to do the exact same thing to save it, 2) everything's legitimate because of the paperwork and the duplicate VIN was done in accordance to applicable laws, 3) since it had a newer front clip and rear hatch installed 15 years ago, there was no reason not to return it to its original specifications (older style front clip and rear hatch) and 4) it's still a "real" 3 door (prototype) Polonez and not a replica because of the paper trail; in other words, it was born as a 3-door and still is.
As you can see, salt is not kind to vehicles here, and this thing narrowly escaped death 15 years ago, only to rust to the ground again (and split!! while driving it to this location). Nonetheless, when I got the car it still had the original interior upholstery, cowl, roof, floorpan, rear quarters and glass. You can still see traces of the original green (code L64) paint on the floorpan. The engine might have been original as well (can't be sure if it was a re-stamped parts block or not). In any case, I replaced the engine with a 2.0 DOHC from a Fiat 132, which was optional factory equipment on the early Polonezes, so that's pretty much "legit" as well. But to save this car, it was necessary to find a donor car from the same year in good shape, and basically attach the rear quarter panels to this body. The VIN tag and stamped numbers were transferred to the "restored" vehicle. Additionally, NOS front fenders, doors, lower rear quarter sheet metal from a similar crew-cab pickup, bumpers, and other parts were added. When NOS parts weren't available (they're rare), other cars were cut up to donate their metal (parts of the rocker panels and front fender extensions and parts of the floorpan). A super-rare navy blue interior was sourced from another car which was parted out; only 3 such interiors are known in that color. Door parts from another donor pickup were also used, mainly for the chrome trim on the doors and interior panels, which are to be reupholstered in matching blue.
So you tell me, what is it? A rebody would have been too easy, if such a thing even existed. We just did what we could to cut away the rust from the original 3-door, down to healthy metal, then welded in donor parts. That qualifies as a restoration, correct?
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