1967 Mercury Comet - '67 Comet Stock Replica Engine Rebuild

Here's the installed radio antenna-delete button. Dig the subtle 320-grit sandpaper brush job.

Because race cars don't have side glass, there's a tremendous pressure buildup inside the cockpit at race speed. To keep the backlight from blowing out and smashing all over the track, racers apply retainer straps. Stevenson fabricated a set from 18-inch aluminum strips that are secured to the body by trick threadserts.

The initial pilot holes were made with a 18-inch drill bit, then the final holes were made using a 2564-inch bit to accept the Marson 14-20 aluminum threadserts (PN 47950).

Much cleaner and faster than installing a welded nut, the threadserts are tightly locked in place and resist twisting to well over 20 lb-ft. How many uses can you think of just by looking at this picture?

The backlight retainer straps were fastened in place using stainless 14-20 Phillips head screws for extra NASCAR vibes in about an hour.

A similar strategy was applied to the windshield except that the retainers were small brushed-aluminum tabs instead of vision-obscuring full-length straps. The threadsert retention method is the same. Darlington, here we come.

Stockton Wheel 15x7 steelies with 378-inch backspacing accept repop Firestone F60-15 Wide Oval skins all the way around. The tasteful burgundy wheels harmonize with the similar hues of the interior and number graphics to pull the visual package together with class.

Kenz Muffler in Oxnard, California, whipped up this NASCAR-inspired side-exit exhaust setup with a pair of glasspack mufflers. The H-pipe milks even more torque from the burly 390.

Gold Coast fabricated and installed the bolt-in four-point rollbar so that it can be removed temporarily if rear-seat passengers are along for the ride.