Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Way cool Paul...I'll have to post a photo of my 57 oval window beetle with my 325 JL...Two of my favorite things in the world..Of course the Rickenbackers came first, then the VW. I sweated my a*** off restoring that VW, but it is truly a beauty today. Like Rickenbackers...they are lovely to look at, but you have to take them out and play with them from time to time.
( OK, my wife and daughters didn't hear this... )

Cheers, Gary

incubus2432 wrote:It's easier to find a photo companion if your Ric is JetGlo.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Jetglo is the new BLACK. It's ALWAYS in style.

incubus2432 wrote:

Is that the Green Hornet's car (the Black Beauty)?

incubus2432 wrote:It's easier to find a photo companion if your Ric is JetGlo.

Nice!

That sea green color is way too 50s for my taste

Maybe Brian can give rides in it at RIO!!! You know, for 25¢, or something like that!

jwr2 wrote:That sea green color is way too 50s for my taste

Didn't you have a Sea Green Fenderbird?

jwr2 wrote:That sea green color is way too 50s for my taste

I like 50s stuff

jps wrote:Maybe Brian can give rides in it at RIO!!! You know, for 25¢, or something like that!

I think everyone would rather be drooling over various Rics AND a quarter wouldn't even cover the gas for a burnout.

aceonbass wrote:Hey Brian, what mods have you done to your GN? I just had a 200-R4 tranny from an '86 GN installed in my '66 Buick.

It's a pretty good, sturdy transmission that stands up to torque well. What '66 Buick?

By GN standards my mods are pretty tame. A "mild" ball bearing/water cooled turbo, larger/more efficient intercooler, 3" downpipe, 2.5" cat-back exhaust, and methanol injection (allows for 25lbs of boost vs. stock 17lbs and allows running 94 octane instead of race gas). That's most of the big stuff but for all of that to work the fuel/air intake system was also upgraded along with a new "chip". Most of that was done last winter and this winter was upgrading the brake system so it can keep up with the power. I'm in the process of replacing the stock gauge set with some aftermarket goodies so I'll be able to tune it more efficiently and monitor for issues. I also swapped in a stout stereo system so I can enjoy my Motorhead at speed. Next year 17" wheels, HUGE 4 wheel disc brakes and a road course loving suspension are planned......I would have done it this year but house projects ate up some of my toy $$$$.

Everything I've done is completely reversible and I saved all of the original parts. The car just turned 20K before I parked it in the Fall and is in excellent condition so I'm choosing my mods carefully. It'll go on the dyno when I get the chance but judging by it's speed in the 1/4 it's putting out 475-500 HP. Not too bad for a 21 year old 3.8 V6 that still has cold a/c and gets 22mpg on the highway. The best 1/4 I've pulled out is a 12.2 (pathetic) BUT that's due to poor traction on street tires. It's trapping at 118 MPH which translates to mid-low 11 with some drag radials or slicks. My tune is somewhat conservative since I don't want to risk hand-granading the motor just yet. Plus, too much more power and I have to start beefing up the transmission and lower end of the engine so I'm pretty content with it as it sits.

This is probably more info than you wanted (believe me, it could have been worse)......this is my other big hobby/past time that keeps me busy when I'm not playing with my Rics. Sorry for the babbling!

jps wrote:
It's a pretty good, sturdy transmission that stands up to torque well. What '66 Buick?
THIS '66 Buick.....
This is probably more info than you wanted (believe me, it could have been worse)......

Not at all. Speed is my other need. I've had this car since high school. The stock bottom end of a 3.8 will take about 600 HP, so get ready for some machine work to install a block girdle. My cars not as radical in the power department as it's got a Buick 350 putting out about 350 HP with a realatively mild cam, but the motor has been balanced and blueprinted. This has been Dane at the SPEED CHANNEL. Back to you Brian.....

Nice!

The brunt of my knowledge and experience is in '67/'68 Mercury Cougars. I've owned quite a few since high school and they were always my favorite. I ended up just getting burned out working on 'em. My last was a GT with a 390 FE that I built (well, overbuilt) and it evolved into more of a road race track car then a fun driver so I ended up selling it and plenty of my restoration type tools just because I thought I was done......just tired of all of the work and never ending projects. I bought the GN because it was in excellent shape already and my mods have been bolt-on rather than full out rebuilding and restoring. If I need to rebuild the motor or tranny I will but it's just nice that the whole car isn't in "need" of anything. Knowing the original owner of my GN and having wanted one since high school when they came out helped me get suckered back into car shenanigans.

My ex-'67 Cougar GT.....

That's the way it came (minus hood scoop and wing). I would have had it done back to it's original color had I kept it. A nice dark green with flat black Shelby style stripes and blacked out chrome was the plan.

Actually for vehicles I prefer silver or gray or something bright like yellow or lime green.