The first order of business was to take Old Bleu back to Limeworks Hot Rods in Whittier. A new chassis was ordered from Total Cost Engineering (TCI). The chassis incorporates a modern A-arm, Mustang II front suspension and parallel leaf springs in the rear. Once we took delivery, the engine and transmission were mocked up, making it possible to install the motor mounts and other essential brackets.

After much thought, I decided on a manual transmission instead of an automatic. This 5-speed transmission has an all aluminum case and was taken from a 1992 F-150 Ford pickup truck. The shift lever comes through the floor in the exact same location as the stock 3-speed.

Since I wanted to keep Old Bleu all Ford, I decided on a 5 liter Ford V-8 GT-40 crate motor which was purchased from Summit Racing Equipment. The GT-40 comes with bigger heads, stainless valves and an SVO roller cam. The ignition is a GM HEI unit that has been modified to work in a Ford Duraspark distributor. Motor mounts were purchased from Butch's Rod Shop.

Currie Enterprises, in Anaheim, California, supplied the Ford 9 inch rear end. The third member contains a 3:50 gear set and posi-traction. Currie also supplied a set of forged steel axles and the 11 inch rear drum brakes.