4 needles in a haystack...
I swore after restoring the '78 turbo Macho that I would never buy another project car that wasn't complete. Ask me how that worked out? Not so good. The allure of an Atlantis blue with white and blue appointment mix interior, W72 project made my eyes glaze over and my judgement fail miserably. Five years down the road I have been on many of parts chasing trails. Here are my top four trails that were the needles in the haystack...
1. Center console, manual transmission, non-power windows. I purchased a nice unit for a Camaro several months after purchasing the car. Later I realized the mounting brackets were different and I decided to find a unit for a Firebird. Of course, the Camaro unit sold very quickly. I have been looking for about 3 months and every so often someone says, yes I have one but am saving it for a future project myself. Some even laugh after my inquiry! Max from down under has been on a search to help me. I have a Rayjay turbo charger he wants that I said I would trade him for a console. He can't believe how hard they are to find either. Long story short, he came across one that I am assuming was in a show car and covered in velour material. We are both gambling that the unit under the said material will be nice. Time will tell. Any guesses as to whether it is the golden needle or a nasty turd?
2. Reverse lock out linkage. Again, I looked for several months and nothing. Obviously, everyone has the linkage sitting around for an automatic set up, but nothing for a 4 speed. The one I found turned out way nicer than I could have ever expected. Thanks Don J from IN!
3. Distributor, 1103315. So how many folks have thrown out an OEM distributor for an aftermarket unit for better performance? Evidently more than you can imagine. This took several months of searching before finding one to purchase. Thanks Paul Knippen from IL now TX! No doubt Paul took pity on me for this purchase, and I sincerely appreciate your generosity, sir!
4. Quadrajet carburetor, 17059263. The carb was a challenge for sure but at least folks weren't laughing at me. Legitimate need and who doesn't have an extra carb sitting on the shelf. I actually found several before making a purchase! Thanks Poncho Dave from NY!
The car is far enough along now that I would say the needles are almost all found. Let's see if I eat my words down the road.
I am certainly not an expert, but if someone was to ask about a project '79 W72 car, these are my warnings for parts searches for sure!
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