Mark this one down in the "unrealized project" column! We picked this beauty up about 7 years ago- saved it from the wrecking yard with a bad transmission and a few sucked valves. But the body was REALLY straight and clean! Just some minor rust in the tailgate and two door jambs, which in my eyes was easily remedied with a little elbow grease and welding rod.
The plan was simple- repair the engine, fix the rust, and lay this beast on the ground on some big billet wheels! My wife, Vicki, and I agreed that the body was good as-is; no shaved door handles or custom tail lights required with something this unique! Even the factory grille looks like something custom:
The stock bumpers, tail lights, even the two-tone paint just looked "right"! It totally reminds me of one of my other favorite classics- the Lincoln Continental (look for a blog post on my experiences with those at a later date!).
The first roadblock in this project was the "repair the engine" step... you wouldn't believe how expensive parts are for an International 392! So, plan B was to swap the 392 and the broken TorqueFlite transmission for a Chevy 454 and Turbo 400 automatic. I found a great deal on a complete fuel injected drivetrain, so we pulled the trigger!
The SECOND roadblock was actually swapping this engine and trans into the TravelAll chassis! Unfortunately, my fabrication skills at the time (as well as my equipment for safely maneuvering a big block engine/transmission package inside an engine bay) weren't up to the challenge. Other projects got bumped in front of the poor International, and we ended up giving it away and selling the Chevy motor when we moved from our last home a few years ago...
The SECOND roadblock was actually swapping this engine and trans into the TravelAll chassis! Unfortunately, my fabrication skills at the time (as well as my equipment for safely maneuvering a big block engine/transmission package inside an engine bay) weren't up to the challenge. Other projects got bumped in front of the poor International, and we ended up giving it away and selling the Chevy motor when we moved from our last home a few years ago...
If another one of these with a straight body comes my way for the right price, I'd love to give it another try. There aren't a lot of them on the road around here, but I'm sure if I start looking the right one will come along!
PS- sneak peek of my old Scion in the garage- look for the full story in an upcoming blog post!
This one is truly the one that got away. Even though I helped roll it out of the side yard, I regret letting it go. Especially after the guy who took it rammed the door into the trailer as he was loading it.
ReplyDelete