I installed the studs and mounted the my grille bars today. I’ll do final adjusting when the headlight assembly is back on the car.
Steven
Nice job on the grille bars and the modified emblem. I’ve always thought all first gens would look great with grill bars but no emblem on the headlight door.
Top notch work, Steven (as usual). The grill bars look awesome. Are you going to clue us in as to how you made them?
You know, I’m thinking you fudged it all up. It just doesn’t look…right. Tell you what, box them all up, send it to me, and I’ll fix them proper, and put them to use. No, don’t thank me, I’m just trying to help a guy out here…
Are you going to make some for the taillights as well?
Thanks for the compliments guys and the good laugh T3. I can always count on you for good humor. 
Jody I’m kicking aroung the idea of the taillight bars. I just have to come up with a good way of mounting them.
I like the look of them on HFII’s XR7S and Mustangs Unlimited GT-E.
Jody I used a 1-3/16" aluminum channel and for the center (black area) I used an Alumacore insert.
Steven
Don’t distract him by changing the subject, I’m trying to bamboozle him!!! SHEEEEESH!!!
Since this could be an extrusion, the tooling would not be horribly expensive. Is there enough demand for these to make this a worth while project? I think maybe $80 for a set front or rear, maybe $100 with the reflector and black powder coating.
Now you got me thinking… in my head I see grill bars with a textured, deep red insert. I bet that would really pop on an augusta green car.
I always wondered if you could get that look with an LED strip
That is food for thought Leon. I was thinking more along the lines of reflective material but the LED’s are coming into their own in popularity.
Steven
I received an awesome care package today from my brother Dennis. I know just what to do with these items. 
Schweet! Is that equalizer bar for a small block or big block? Definitely different than 69/70 small block (but have seen yours on diagrams).
Bob it’s for a small block. It came out of a 68 Cougar with a 302. He also included the pivot bracket but I had not noticed it when I unpacked the assembly.
Steven
Your brother is awful nice to you. Did you beat him up as a kid or something?
I’m the youngest of 6 boys. I was on the receiving end the “beating up’s” and picking on the “baby”. 
I’ve really got a great family although we are separated by hundreds of miles we speak at least once a day.
Steven
More like the bro is making up for dishing out all the beatings…
I know it’s been a while since I last posted an update. Things are moving along with my project, albeit slower than I’d like but some progress is better than no progress.The slowest part of the project has been the front end rebuild. I hope to complete that part of the project this weekend when I install the new control valve and power steering cylinder. It will be great to have Top Cat back on the ground. I’ve completed the headlight assemblies restoration/upgrade. The last couple of months I’ve been gathering parts for the transmission swap from C4 to 4 speed top loader. One small item that I picked up is an early 70’s NOS AMCO Cougar shift knob. I like the look of it and for the $30 I paid for it the price wasn’t bad either.
I also found this advertisement for AMCO shift knobs and handles. I found it interesting that the T-handle knob looks very close to the XR7G T-handle. I wonder if they made the G handles or just fashioned theirs to look like them? I also got a kick out of the old style phone number at the bottom of the advertisement, TR 7-5347.
I now have a console, it needs to be restored and I’m excited to bring that part back to life as it’s an original part not a reproduction. I’ll post up some progress pictures soon.
Steven
Good looking shifter knob!! Did you do a stock front end rebuild and what brand of parts did you use? Just curious since I’m about ready to get a front end rebuild underway.
Look forward to progress pics.
I used a stock type front end kit from PST. Here is their website info Performance Suspension Technology.
Steven