Man, it's one thing right after another. I just got my new tire and rim mounted at the garage today. The guys had a heck of a time getting the bead to seat.

I got home and began cleaning the rims and tires so I could rotate them and remount all four and have it looking good. Well, I get the front passenger side off to find grease flung everywhere. Great. Found a small pinhole in the cv boot. Unwilling to remove the axle and all the fun associated with that, I got a quick-boot and installed it instead. PITA. By the time darkness fell, I had the former rear wheels rotated to the front. The rear is still running my GP wheels.

While I was at the garage, I got to see a nice GTX in sublime green that appeared to be a project car. He said it had a 440 in it and it sounded great when he fired it up... The guy driving it into the garage kept smiling.

Nothing like running up on a guy who is rebuilding a classic musclecar...just makes you feel like what youre doing at home is just so much small potatoes.

But take heart my good man...cuz years ago that man was plugging away just like you are now...and someday people will "OOO and AHH" over our GPs like that (or at least I hope so)

I gotta tell ya Rook, I've got a pic in my mind of your Panther finished and rolling sweet, and I say thats a pic worth chasing...I'm very interested to see how far my mental image differs from where you wind up.

Sometimes I wish I could wangle getting your car on "OverHaulin"...the look on your face would be priceless.

the GTX makes me long for my old RoadRunner...but my GP will be nicer ride when I'm done

Don't let it get you down, Rook. You'll get it done and soon enough, you'll be cruisin' and smiling too!

Tbat, what year Road Runner did you have? Here's a pic of my brother's black '69, which he ordered from New Haven Chrysler-Plymouth, still wearing its original paint and Bird decals:

Oh man, wouldn't that be something! I can see us talking to Chip and telling him what all we'd like to see in the car .... RWD and of course, keeping the original color of the car, some Foose wheels .... the pink panther graphics on the back ... "hey Rook .... your car?? ... nope, haven't seen it .... stolen?? ... dang .... ... don't worry, they'll find it ..."

yup, that would be something!

Chip Foose FTW

BlackArrow...you are killin me with those pics...I wish I could say I owned one of those classic musclebirds but alas, my 'runner was a 76 Volare w/small block & 3spd overdrive tranny...but in classic youngster fashion with a new decent paying job, I proceeded to flog it to death and make many upgrades along the way. Many 340 parts were added to the 318 and the 3w/OD eventually went to lunch in favor of a close ratio 4spd lifted from a 'Cuda...then a nice, drunk elderly gentleman removed the driver side sheetmetal for me...which had its silver lining...I had all the remaining tape stripes removed and the whole car shot with metallic hemi orange...cragar rims, thrush sidepipes and a trans am shaker hood rounded the package out...the white leather interior really popped with the hemi orange paint...I was eventually forced to sell it or lose my driving permit

I thought I had a pic of it loaded up on photobucket but I must have dropped it...I'll have to get a couple up later.

Tbat, I remember those cars well, and still see a few at the larger Mopar meets. My first car was a '77 Dodge Diplomat w/318, and white leather interior. I had it repainted in a dark blue(GM Code 35), and modded with hi-po parts, hood scoop, and Radial T/A tires on Cragar S/S rims w/30th Anniversary centers, which are on my brother's 'runner now.
I had a lot of good times with that car; it was still in great shape when I sold it, fifteen years later..

they aint great pics (pretty old) but so am I :p

heres the before the drunk whacked me



and after...


T/A shaker hood scoop....