68 Road Runner "The Motovator"

[JERICOGTX]

In a effort to make my 499 to appear more like a "stock" 383, I bought a used set of stamped aluminum Moroso valve covers and hammer and dollied the lettering flat. When they are finished and painted, they will look just like stock valve covers. Also this is one of my new breathers with the logo milled off. Originally 383 Road Runners had a chrome oilfield fill/breather. This is as close as I could get. They will be the only non painted piece of aluminum on the car minus the wheels.

[JERICOGTX]

One advantage to building a race car from a stripped shell is you get to decide what goes on and what doesn't. Since you then also must touch every part you can then decide how can I make this lighter? The steering column is made out of aluminum tubing. HEMI Joel machined out a couple end "pucks" on his lathe, and then I had a coworker weld them on along with mounting brackets. It was then powder coated black, and the part that shows in the interior was painted in the factory blue suede.

Since the car has a full roll cage without swing out door bars, a removable steering wheel is a must. I always like stock looking interior so a stock wheel had to go in. I used a Wilwood release and made an adapter to fit the stock wheel on it. The tapered ring covering the adapter? A old Grant piece flipped backwards. Both were painted the factory blue suede also.

[JERICOGTX]

Another looks stock at first glance piece. Road Runners in 68 had a "unsilenced" 14" round air cleaner. So to make my own to fit a Dominator carb I have a 14" base from Summit, a 3" tall K&N filter and then took a lid used on later model big blocks. I found one at a swap meet for $5. Cut it down to 14", bead blasted it and had a wrinkle finish powder coat applied at work. A reproduction pie tin finishes it off.

[JERICOGTX]

My initial plan for this car was to be low budget and take off as many usable race parts off my GTX, and transfer them to this. Well as things have progressed and my desire to have things look as stock as possible, my current Afco radiator wasn't going fit the bill. I found a place here in Minnesota that sells a very nice looking aluminum radiators that look very close to the original 26" that was in the car when new. I picked one up this last summer and had -12AN fittings welded in place of the stock pieces. I've ran this setup for year in my GTX and personally stock type hoses and clamps have no place on a race car.

[JERICOGTX]

A good friend of mine is a CNC programmer/ operator, and has his own CNC. He makes some of the parts I dream up. The '50 Chevy pickup cab you see next to my Road Runner is his. The black pieces are my low mount alternator bracket and crank pulley. The other parts is my Kirkey seat mount. I still have to have them powder coated.

[JERICOGTX]

My Kirkey seats. You can order the covers without the logo direct from Kirkey.

[JERICOGTX]

The clutch and brake pedals. I drilled speed holes all over these, bead blasted and powder coated everything 9 years ago. They have been boxed up and just waiting to be reinstalled.

[JERICOGTX]

Parachute mount and battery push/pull lever. My buddy did the engraving on the lever handle. Doubt the car will ever need a chute, but it will have one from the start.

[DanStokes]

NICE stuff!

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

no factory-correct parachute? lol
looks great, I like the aluminum steering shaft - neat way to make it lighter.

[JERICOGTX]

Picked up some aluminum for my motor plate. Need to lay out a pattern, give it to my buddy to have it CNC'd and off to powder coat.

Bringing my heads in next week to have them freshened up. All that should be left engine wise is to refreshed the shortblock.

[6 Grrrs]

Subscribed. Awesome story of how you found the old owner. Great to see another one saved!

[JERICOGTX]

In a effort to de-advertise the parts I am installing on the car, I spent some time in the garage tonight. My INDY intake was the victim. I took a sawzall to the EFI bosses and the used my 4" grinder with a flap disc to shape the rest. After that, it was blasted with coarse sand to give it the as cast look. When it goes back on the engine it will be painted the correct for 68 turquoise.

[JERICOGTX]

This is another new piece my buddy made for me. In the past I ran a CSI throttle bracket, a safety plate under the Dominator carb, and had the fuel regulator mounted on the inner fender. Wanting to clean things up I drew up this mount on paper and then cut it out of thin plywood, before giving my buddy the final design. It will be much easier to remove the carb, or adjust valves without the fuel lines in the way of removing the valve covers.

[Criscobath]

Like what you did with the intake.