It's a Gas!

Project Tin Can: Part IV

Mission accomplished … Project “Tin Can” is a runner! We think it came out just right, and already it has become an amusement ride for the neighborhood.

Project “Tin Can” is complete. Sure, there’s the possibility of a new coat of paint down the road, but the car is so much fun to drive that it will probably be a long time before we’ll let it out of our hands long enough to do so. A new 2-1/2-inch exhaust system is tucked up way under the car, so only the header caps and small downspouts in front of each rear wheel show.

Tin Can’s Biscayne body has simple, attractive lines and a hard-to-miss attitude that lets onlookers know she’s no stocker.

The combination of the high-winding 283 flowing through 2-1/2-inch turbo mufflers, along with the unmistakable whine of the close-ratio Muncie four-speed provide an aural treat, while the acceleration from the 4.56:1 gears simply make the car a blast. In fact, we may to have to start charging admission.

Tin Can will be running hoodless until we can get the hinges and hold-down parts restored. The front bumper is gone forever, and we chose to leave the headlight bezels off after seeing how mean it looked without them. The front grille, outer grille moldings and parking lenses are all exceptional reproductions from Classic Industries.

Hysterical laughter can be heard from inside the car at every intersection as shocked onlookers gawk at Tin Can. The car is more fun to drive than a barrel of monkeys and attracts a huge amount of attention wherever it goes. Innocent passengers are forever changed and kids go crazy over it. If only one kid gets into cars because of seeing and hearing Project Tin Can, our job is done.

Who would have ever thought that our little 283 would have this much poop with only a shave and a haircut? Seriously, the combination of a new Melling solid-lifter 30-30 Duntov camshaft and lifters, vintage Edelbrock C4B intake manifold and a “loaner” Holley 650 double-pumper carburetor, along with the close-ratio M21 Muncie four-speed and 4.56s, make Tin Can feel like an honest 13-second car. We’ll let you know…

Although this is the final part to Project Tin Can, we will be using her for occasional testing of products and such. We would like to thank everyone who helped with the car during its buildup, especially Rick “D/G” Del Gado, who wrenched on the car from day one. We would also like to thank the many new friends we’ve made from readers who sent in letters and e-mails about Tin Can. Keep those cards and letters coming. Old-school rules!