update

I found the perfect hubcaps on Craigslist. My neighbor put a bug in my ear couple months ago said I should put moon disks on the car. I finally came around. They're Hollywood brand hubcaps and I bought 'em in the original box from 1972 in good condition. They come to a sharper point in the center than the moon disks, I like the chrome - it ties in with the side pipes. I put the studded tires on some old 15" Dodge steel wheels i bought from Beacon Battery in Grandview - great place! the old guy was able to set me right up. I learn something new about tires and wheels every time I go there. The snow tires I found on Craigslist are 205/75s and are 5% smaller than stock/original Ford Explorer O.D. - much better on the freeway. The car is still geared wrong for my taste, 2500rpm at 75mph...

A little early for studs but I'm excited and it's 40 in the morning. Still no side windows...

Spent all day Sunday fixing the exterior lights. 3 of 4 corners i had wired wrong (three wire not 2, thanks Dad!) and still i had to jumper from relays under the hood for rear tail and brake. The wires are screwed up somewhere under the dash and I couldn't find it.

With the taller tires on now, I can start moving the front wheel wells around and fab the body kit for the front. Looks like the wheel wells are going back and inch and down the same 2.5 inches as the rear. I'm gonna add a bunch of metal in the front corners to fill in in front of the tires (as your looking at the car). Maybe fog lights

I did get ALL of the guts removed from all four doors over the weekend so i can start setting tracks for the windows. I cut the first window wrong. 3 templates and a $25 dollar sheet of acrylic but now I know how to cut it so it'll track up and down inside the door. Looks like the angle of the B-pillars will work but its close - less angle would have been better.

I started this project last December, I kinda just realized its been almost a year so here's a picture taken after the first work weekend at my Dad's mid-December 2010. I built the roll bar, lowered the rear and started setting the removable hardtop in place.

welder cart

Well this picture is super fuzzy but check out my welder cart i made, its so handy better than the cheezy ones they try to throw in with a welder purchase "$59.99 dollar value" . It has a really low center of gravity, the welder sits really low. It just dominates in the gravel!

rear body kit

I've always heard this type of thing called a "body kit" or "ground effects kit" I think its a tuner crowd thing? Anyway the rear wheel wells wern't very centered from when grandpa out the rear clip on originally so this was also a way to center up the rear wheel wells.

I lowered the wheel wells 2.5 inches, it gives the car a lower stance and makes the tires seem bigger. It gives the rear of the car a cleaner line too. Its hard to see it but the bottom of this flares out a little because it has a dish to it.