Just another Family Truckster replica

Well I thought I'd start a thread of my own Family Truckster replica. I've been working on it for about 5 months now and it dosen't seem to be getting any closer to completion, but I did get it running last weekend, and actually drove it around the block, no exhaust, hood, bumper, or header panel. But it seems to run pretty well, ALOT more power than when I bought it. I started doing the body work around the rear windows the other day, looking like its not gonna be as hard as I thought. I'll try to keep this updated, but really just spend most of my free time working on that damn car.

 

I forgot to put the front end pic up here. So here it is, just not a real good pic.

 

All my respect to you and the other Truckster fans. That's a humongous replica job.

 

geez...were gonna need a seperate section just for Trucksters

you guys can start your own club

lota work...much respect

 

Wait until they have to make up all the extras used inside the real Truckster!

Ejection seat, port-a-potty...

 

How many is there now!

 

I don't know!! When I bought my car last September, if someone would have told me that there were others being built I would have laughed at them. I've been going to carshows my whole life and never saw a Truckster. Around here I've seen way too many 'Bandit' TransAms, a couple of General Lee's, one Back To The Future Deleoren, one Ecto One Ghostbuster's car, several Elenore Mustangs, an American Graffiti '32 Ford coupe, and probably some others I can't think of right now, but NEVER a Family Truckster. I'd kicked the idea around for years before actually starting this project. And when I bought this car, my friends all thought I'd lost my mind, finally gone off the deep end. I just told them that it would be really funny and different. I mean when you go to as many car shows as I do, you see alot of cars that are just all the same. Now if you go to those same shows in something totally off the wall, you stand out. Thats what I was going for. When people leave the show and talk about what they saw there, most people are not going to remember "that red 69 Camaro" or "that blue 65 Mustang" but ask them if they remember that green wagon! I'm thinkin' they will.

 

Holy crap, an LS1 powered squire! You are my hero...

Might want to upgrade the brakes and suspension on that thing....

 

nice project. with that ls1 ole clark could smoke that Ferrari :banana:

 

I thought about upgrading to later model Crown Vic suspension and bigger brakes, but then I can't put the stock 15" wheels back on. So I guess I'll just leave the stock stuff on it. It stops good, but it dosen't handle as well as it could, but oh well.

 

Well, you can upgrade to rear discs and keep the 15's. You could run 16" steelies and hubcaps, or some newer stock 16" aluminum wheels and do the big brakes. The stock brakes on these cars always scared me. Even the 12.5" and 11" discs I have still have a tough time hauling my car down with it's 250hp....

Making it handle isn't tough. Toss in some dirt track springs and shocks....And a police rear swaybar.

If you plan on replacing any bushings, newer application energy suspension stuff works. I've got all poly on my car.

Where are you located?

 

I was considering the rear disc swap, there are ALOT of newer body style Crown Vics at the 'pick-your-part' salvage yards around here. I think I'll go down there monday morning and see about the rear sway bar, that seems like a good idea as it kinda rolls into turns, not like it's going to roll over, but I'd like to tighten it up a bit. I've also had poly bushings on cars in the past, but they always started squeaking after the grease I put on them while installing them went away. Some people said I shouldn't have put grease on them but then they seemed like they squeaked worse. Anyway, I'm from the Kansas City area. Also if anybody has, or knows where there might be a 79 or 80 Country Squire, I need the upper two pieces of door trim, and another front bumper. Thanks, Eric.

 

The disc rears are bolt in from 92-97... they are a tad wider, which is nice the way the stock rear wheels sit so far in. Find a K code car axle.... 3.55 traction-lock. If you don't want to do the whole axle swap, the brake setup bolts right on. Parking brake cables are wierd though.

I've heard of people having issues with the polys back in the day. Not much anymore though. I grease the crap out of mine.

Good luck with the trim... Those dang aero mirrors huh?

 

Well I got some bodywork done this weekend, got both quarter panels in primer, and everybody who lives in the 'rutsbelt' like me should be able to appreciate the only small amount of rust I had to fix.