Thanks to all who replied on my query. I see some mixed feelings, everyone has their own opinions, glad to hear them.
After 40 years of hoping the car will start, not overheat, not breakdown, etc., I finally decided to get off the wallet, spend a few bucks on the old girl, & pull the motor for the first time in its life. That may have had something to do with getting my first Social Security check the same month. Now, the motor is waiting patiently for Bill Martin’s 5-spd conversion to be available. I can’t wait….
With the front end out, I went ahead & changed the convolute covers on the rack. After filling it with the proper lube, we noticed that the rack felt “notchy” as we turned the shaft. My towers are sagging again after having them bent once decades ago. With the stories about how Shelby said “just bend the arms” to make the rack work & all the ways that owners have tried in the past to fix the geometry problems & Ackerman angles, I started thinking that maybe a custom front end might just be the answer.
In a time when on one hand I am wanting to “undo” all the hokey things I did to that car especially when I was young, the other side of me says function should take precedence over originality to make the car as safe as possible. Purists will say that especially a MK-2 should be kept stock to retain value, but since the car is already written in my will to my 32 year old gearhead nephew when I croak, monetary value doesn’t mean anything to me.
I suppose that Dale’s front end is overkill for my intended use which is rarely entering an autocross or an open track event at a Shelby annual meet (last one for me was in 1995 at Atlanta Motor Speedway). Not clear if “Toyzjunkie” has his unit available. Still, I feel that a new front suspension would do wonders for the car even on the street. More research is needed here. Thanks, again.
