Old Race Cars Never Die [56 Build]

Renchermh · Post by **Renchermh** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 1:03 pm

This 56 was going to the junk yard almost 20 years ago. I keep it not knowing what I was going to do with it. It was just a shell and part of a cage. Like this old car I am a old 1600 racer. I decided that I wanted a play car, and I was going to make this a street car. It's coming along. I had a old race engine that will go into it. The old trans I had freshened up. I had a front end off my race car that I put on the 56. And have just been going through all my old parts. What I don't have I have started to purchase. To pass safety in Utah I had to fix some items. The e brake had to go back in luckily the tubes where mostly there. I will let you know more as I go along. the car is not perfect. it has been rolled a few times and it has holes cut all over it. I am not trying to make a new car just a play car out of it. Here are some pictures more to come as I start putting it together. Nothing set in stone so if you have any suggestions would like to hear them. It has been fun to start to use some of my old race parts.

dustymojave · Post by **dustymojave** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:47 pm

Looks like a pretty nice Baja. Glad you saved it. Some folks will throw away just about anything.

TimS · Post by **TimS** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:40 pm

Nice transformation! I hope to see you at some of our slc off road events soon.

Chip Birks · Post by **Chip Birks** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:29 pm

Just register it as an antique. Never have to have a safety inspection again. $10 a year to keep it registered every year after the initial $80 for the new tags. It's kinda what we all seem to be doing now. Makes life so much easier.

Looks like a fun project!

Ol'fogasaurus · Post by **Ol'fogasaurus** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:13 am

A very admirable rebuild so far. I don't know how Utah is but in other states the "Antique" license does limit your use of the car so I would check into that for sure.

Unless I already missed it... what are you going to do for propulsion on it?

Lee

What was good can always be better as you learn.

Renchermh · Post by **Renchermh** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:32 am

I know that if I register it as a antique you don't have to go get a safety inspection but by law you still have to meet the safety items and they can ticket you if your car does not pass all safety items. It also says that I will drive under 2000 miles a year. That being said, I want the antique plates so that is how I will register it.

As far as propulsion goes. I have a extra motor that was used for a backup in my 1600 race car that I will put into it. A bus IRS trans.

Because it has sat so long with open brake lines, I am replacing all the brake lines. Just finishing that up now. I am putting a CNC turning brake and Park lock in and will have pictures coming.

I had a pair of seats that came out of a Ford Mustang that are nice to sit in. It has been a tight fit but looks like they will work. Just finished making the set brackets for them.

Chip Birks · Post by **Chip Birks** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:26 pm

The safety is definitely an honor system type thing. But it's also common sense I'd hope. The mileage limits are a joke and they know it. They have never asked for an odometer reading, so they have no way of judging you on that one. The docs do say limited daily driving, or something to that effect. My car tends to get driven for 6 months of the year, if I'm lucky. I think it definitely did into the limited use category. I assume the Baja will see similar use right?

Renchermh · Post by **Renchermh** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 1:16 pm

Everything you said is true. It seems that I am always getting hassled, something is always wrong, to noisy, fenders are to short, something wrong with the bumpers. Just easier to try and have everything working and right the first time.

Big Dave · Post by **Big Dave** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:33 pm

Welcome to STF. Sweet car! I hope to see it in person one of these days. I love watching purist's heads explode when they see an oval baja.

CentralWAbaja · Post by **CentralWAbaja** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 9:33 am

Big Dave wrote:........ I love watching purist's heads explode when they see an oval baja.

......and in the early days my dad and uncles were cutting the tops off those things to make dune buggies.

I am way to claustrophobic to have a full bodied car in the first place. I cannot imagine having one with small windows and a small windshield also. But man they are so cool looking as a baja.

Love this car! Welcome to STF

Renchermh · Post by **Renchermh** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:19 am

New CNC brake and park lock With Bracket.

Ol'fogasaurus · Post by **Ol'fogasaurus** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:51 am

You do realize that with that with using the single handle turning brake under hard use you could either go blind or need glasses don't you.

Actually, w/o the use of both handles to "lock" the spiders, when needed, so that the application of both brakes can cause the open diff to act more like a locked setup (a light bit of pull on both handles at the same time). You can also accomplish the same thing with the single handle by a placing foot (if both are not being used at the same time) lightly on the brake pedal; that is what a lot of the rock climbers do if they don't have air lockers from what I understand.

Be careful with the park lock. They have a nasty habit of either releasing pressure to the rear wheels and letting the car roll or locking up so tightly that you have to open a bleeder valve to release the pressure. One reason they are not allowed in most states as a viable (mechanical) parking brake. My buggy still wears the branding of the park-lock letting loose.

Lee

Renchermh · Post by **Renchermh** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:10 am

Thanks for the info. I did know that they will slowly bleed off until they unlock. I have not heard of them not releasing pressure before. It will not be my main E-brake. I put the old cable e-brake back into the car. Some times it just easier to use the park lock for some things.

Ol'fogasaurus · Post by **Ol'fogasaurus** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:35 am

They are not meant to do either problem but they can. The releasing might be just as simple as worn or not tight joints or components. The lock up I am not sure why but they do. I have had one side of a turning brake do the same thing also; it tured out to be an old flex hose being the problem.

As a secondary component they could still impead things but less likely to release when not wanted and the car not occupied assuming you also use the parking brake.

PhillipM · Post by **PhillipM** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 8:31 am

Yeah, I have a line lock and a mechanical handbrake for the same reason.

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Old Race Cars Never Die [56 Build]

Old Race Cars Never Die [56 Build]

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