will do - I already checking a few possibilities
It seems Australia has been in the news buying cars a lot lately…
It is a very small world these days. I’ve spoken with a couple car haulers over the last few years and even the Chinese are buying a lot of classic American cars. Apparently they really like Model As!
Stand by for a ram – I’m informed that the high bidder is trying to weasel out of buying the car. More to follow when we know it.
The buyer is following through with the purchase so it looks like it will end up in Australia.
Dan
bugger - now I won’t have the rarest Cougar in the country
Guys,
I just bought this GT-E, and appreciate the insights on this forum post. Currently getting ready to ship to Brisbane Australia (Leon, we need to link up!). I will also be seeking some of the parts I need to start the restoration and shipping them with the car. I am looking for a Holley List #4088 with a build date in Feb or 1st week of March 68!!
My aim will be to keep it as original as possible- reuse and refinish rather than replace wherever possible. The shock towers, particularly the right one, are probably my biggest concern right now.
Mike
Mike, congrats on your purchase. You might consider starting a thread in the project forum when you get started on the restoration. Many of us here would enjoy following the progress. It should be pretty easy to find a replacement shock tower.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Mike welcome to the Classic Cougar Community and congratulations on the purchase of your GT-E. Like Randy stated in post it would be a great idea to start your own thread in the project section of this site. There is also a thread in the GT-E section “Post up your Pictures” that you could add to.
Steven
Mike?
Ought to cause a bit of confusion. Mind if we call you Bruce?
From one Mike to another, congrats on your new purchase!
Queue the “Spies Like Us” doctor scene… but for the Mike’s!
Mike, Mike… Mike, Mike…
Mike: Congrats on the purchase and don’t loose site of the goal!
Make us Proud!
“Good ain’t cheap and cheap ain’t no good!”[album]1700[/album]
Guys,
My first questions to the forum:
As you have seen in the photos, both shock towers have had holes cut to access the UCA grease points. The hole in the passenger side shock tower is the worst side, with cracks/tears extending from the hole, back an inch or two towards the center of the shock tower.
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Is this repairable or is it time to replace the shock towers?
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If i replace the shock towers - use a pair of original standard unreinforced towers, as per the current configuration? Or, use a pair of original big block towers with the reinforcement plates?
I am leaning towards fitting standard towers to keep it factory correct, but the idea of having them crack again under the load of that big block is definitely unappealing.
Mike
Right tower
Left tower
Keep it stock!
Maybe I don’t understand the question, but it should have come with reinforced towers. Get an original pair and replace them.
Like Al, I’m confused also. Were the towers replaced at some point w/the small block (unreinforced) version?
On that car I’d want to fix them if they were original, to preserve the date stamped into the original panels. If they are not original, I’d want to find used parts, date-coded within reason, and use those (even if they needed repair).
That’s the tough part about restoring/preserving a rare car. Your options are somewhat limited if you want to protect your investment. I would not worry about the shock towers failing again, I doubt the car will see the same use/abuse that led to the cracks originally.
The other side of the coin is that the car is history, including all the things that happened/were done to it along the way. You could preserve/protect & leave it alone, so future generations could say: “can you believe people used to hack up the shock towers to grease the UCA”. You’ll save $ that way. 
68 was the first year for reinforced shock towers. It was a late in the year running change. Most GTEs and GTs did not get them. I’m sure when Don or Jim P. see this they will chime in with the date they were introduced. I don’t recall.
Thanks Neal, I did not know that. I wonder if the change coincided with the avail of the CJ in mid '68?
All of the CJ cars were supposed to get the reinforced shock towers. My GT-E is a February 23rd car and it doesn’t have the reinforced towers. My CJ car is a May 15th production date and it does have them.
Totally off topic Bill, but which one of your cars would be the quickest in the 1/4?
They are very nearly identically equipped: both have 3.50 ratio traction lok rear axles. Both are running the 735 CFM CJ carb, both are even jetted the same. The CJ is stronger off the line and then the 427 will reel it back in. The 427 does have a solid lifter cam, but factory specs. I think with a little more tuning that the CJ would probably beat the 427. I think the difference is the exhaust. I suspect that if i put CJ manifolds on the 427 it would probably be the quickest. They are very close but they feel different. If you have ever driven a 289 A code and then a 302 J code, back to back, it is very much like that. The 289 revs quicker, but the 302 has more bottom end torque. End of hijack.
Getting back on topic, I would fix the stock original shock towers since the crack is already well in progress. Then I would the outer shock tower reinforcement and the export brace. If the car were going to be driven really hard or raced, I would do the reinforced shock towers just to keep thing from tearing its self apart. Modern tires get so much better traction that it puts greater loads on the body.