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  1. #1
    Mike1157
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    Default The path less traveled: 1978 Turbo I6 Futura (The Gila Monster)

    Gi·la monster
    noun \ˈhē-lə-\
    [count] : a large orange and black poisonous lizard of the southwestern U.S
    Illustration of GILA MONSTER
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    Origin of GILA MONSTER
    Gila River, Arizona
    First Known Use: 1877

    It came about 3 months ago.

    After 6 weeks of waiting, the driver finally pulled up at my door, and offloaded the project I've decided to name after the ugly little dude above.

    So that you're on the same page,...Lets compare the car to the lizard for the sake of this thread:

    1. A Gila Monster lives in the Southwest,..named after a river in Arizona.
    1a: My Fairmont was bought, and lived its life in Arizona.
    *check.:nice:
    2. A Gila Monster is considered a dim bulb, and slow moving.
    2a My Fairmont is slow moving, the dim bulb is directly behind the steering wheel.
    *check:nice:
    3. A Gila Monster is considered ugly.
    3a. Most consider a Fairmont ugly.
    * check:nice:
    4. A Gila monster is various shades of yellow, orange, and black.
    4a. My Fairmont is various shades of yellow, orange, and black.
    *check:nice:
    5. A Gila Monster is venemous.
    5a. My Fairmont is not,..........maybe one day?:shrug:
    * :notnice:

    Based on my 4 out of 5 grading system,...I'd say I got a bonafide Gila Monster.

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    check out my bad assed headliner.
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    So you're looking,..and thinking another fade
    d yellow car???, ...And to that I'm saying "I know,..Right?"
    It seems that every one of these things I get are either this color,..or baby blue,....I'm just glad the thing is as straight as it is,..and is 99% rust free. The only deviations are the hood hinge areas,...but not even the Arizona desert could stop that from happening.

    The interior is obviously trash,...the dash is atrocious,...I know all of that that can be easily replaced.
    (And of course, it will be) The bench seats are short lived as well,.. but they'll do for now,..I got suspension to deal with first.

    So,...Now that you can see I haven't been blowing smoke up your asses for the last month and a half,...here's the build plan:

    #1. get the current car running right. This is going to be a "build while I drive it" build.

    Chapter 1: Suspension/brakes/wheels-tires/ Cosmetics
    I need an 8.8,...front and rear coil overs,...a Cobra M/C, and an adjustable proportioning valve to allow me to convert the car over to the Cobra brakes that have been in the basement for a month now.

    The 17 x 9's, and the 17 x 10.5 Bullitts w/ 255/315 Sumitomo rubber will go on after that. (Also currently in basement)
    I may have to mini tub the rear wheel wells, and narrow the rear end,..because I'm not gonna do a redeaux of the fast and loud drift car w/ quarter panel extensions.

    The factory 4 link will stay initially,...until I decide if I want to spend the time researching, and building, then sorting out a torque arm/panhard bar on what will essentially be a daily driven street car.
    That said; all suspension bushings will be upgraded, I'll invest in a good set of control arms.

    Cosmetically,...I'll buff existing paint,...black out trim,...and have the windows tinted.

    Chapter 2:Interior

    If I can stand to wait that long,...I'll replace the dash pad,...and upgrade the factory gauges to the Summit digital units that sit on a wish list in la la land.
    Two Summit branded Corbeau wannabes w/ their respective sliders are also slotted.
    A pretty serious audio system, made up of two pairs of components speakers mounted in the doors and quarter trim. Two 10" subs,.one 4 channel amp,..and one sub amp will take up the space that used to be the back seat. New carpet,.sound deadening will be included in this chapter.

    Chapter 3: Powertrain:
    This has been a point of contention for me for some time,...as I want it to be different while trying to keep it Ford. After considering about 4 different paths (one of which was an LS option),...

    I think I've decided to do all the work required to make a 4.2L inline six fit the car ( Something that it currently will not do) I have acquired a rare Australian Crossflow head that will allow me to individually port inject each cylinder. Build custom intake and exhaust manifolds and turbocharge the combo. Back it up w/ a manually shifted 4R70w, and complete the drivetraing w/ a disc brake 8.8 sporting a 3.73 reargear.

    Chapter 4: Exterior Cosmetics:

    We'll have to see how this one goes,...by the time I get to this stage,....I expect that the car will be retired as a daily driver. After the last car,...I will not opt for a buddy deal paint job,..and will more than likely paint it myself.

    The plan is to do all of this for a total investment of 6k. The 6 k number is the bail out sell price of the car should I decide to sell it. I've wanted a clean fairmont for so long now,..and this one will make my 6th., so clearly, I have it bad for the body style. No plans to sell anytime soon
    Last edited by Mike1157; 11-06-2015 at 06:04 PM.

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