Hot Rod Tempest

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Welcome to Hot Rod Tempest.com! A full restoration of my Tempest is underway as of 03/20/06. I am anticipating its completion for the summer of 2010. I will update the site regularly with details and photos as I perform the restoration. I am performing a full frame off restoration so there will be lots to see. There will be nothing stock about this car. This is a high performance oriented restoration. I am on a strict budget with this project so I will be doing most of the work myself with exception of the paint. Check back frequently to see the progress! Let me know what you think of the site.

     Updated November 19, 2009 : Nothing too much to report this week. I was in a car crash recently and injured my shoulder and back so I have not been able to work on the car. I bought a B&M Quick Silver ratchet shifter that fits real nice inside the factory 65 GTO Console. I included a picture of it mocked up. I also added an MSD roror and cap. The body and paint guy is continuing to work on the the panels and mating the Harwood scoop to the new fiberglass hood. Its getting closer and closer ready for paint. He mixed up some of the the Project Copperhead Orange paint which looks outstanding! I had Norm "Mopar" Ziccardi mix me a can of the Copperhead Pearl in a a spry can. Wow does it pop! Now I have to decide on a stripe color. We are thinking Silver frost. Some of the items left to buy in the near future include a March Serpentine conversion kit next which cost $650.00, Ouch! New headers, Quick Fuel Carb, Nitrous Oxide Kit, solid motor mounts, and a billet steering column, steering wheel, Painless wiring kit, 3 inch exhaust system with electric cut outs, and a full roll cage. That adds up to at least about $8,000.00. Thats not even including getting the bumpers re chromed, new rubber seals, new interior kit, door handles, mirriors, and misc, BS. I am taking donations! Hot Rodding It is a sickness! And I am an addict in need of a fix! HELP ME!! LOL.

The engine is finished.  The engine put up some impressive numbers on Desk Top Dyno. I bought a pair of 71 HO superduty round port heads off of friend.   He also threw in a high rise vintage Warrior intake. Thank Dave Cagno! The intake has been port mached and machined. I cleaned up some of the machining marks and powder coated it. The intake is very tall plus there is a 2 inch spacer that sits on top as well.  Adding a nitrous plate will make it even taller, hence the reason I need a hood scoop. Ge tting back to the engine, It is going to put out close to 600 HP and 550 pounds of torque. That is without the nitrous oxide. I am adding a 200 shot of nitrous for thrills as well. I will most likely need to upgrade from a 10 bolt to a 12 bolt or Ford 9 inch with those kind of numbers. I just hope I can get the car to hook!

As for the body, It is completely stripped to bare metal. Its pretty much ready to go to the body shop and re-unite with its other body parts for paint. The doors, fenders, trunk, and misc. other pieces have all been media blasted and already at the body shop getting blocked and prepped for paint.   I'm still shooting for the Father's Day Car show next summer to have it completed. Dont see it happening on my budget, but you never know. I added some ne pictures to the site so be sure to check them out.

The winning paint scheme that received the most votes is the Project Copperhead Pearl and black. I think I'm going with a silver frost stripe. This picture is an actual pint of the mixed color. I love it! Thanks to everyone who voted! I am going to have a fan appreciation night when the car is finsished! I am going to schedule a crusin at a location to be announced where I will unveil the Tempest. Again I appreciate all the fan support I have received throughout the build! Keep the e-mails and suggestions coming!