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Joe Oldham seems to be one of the best writers about the glory days of muscle cars and street racing during that period, so if you google him, you should be able to find some decent material.
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Hi Everyone..new to the forum, but I found the post concerning the Gapp and Roush - Ruggirello Mustang II and wanted to let you know I am currently restoring it back to its original April 1977 Hot Rod Magazine article condition.
I'm hoping Mr. David Rifkin can help me with some history on it, since I have not been able to find out anything on previous owners since it left Detroit in 1981. More to come! Tom Tate |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi Everyone..new to the forum, but I found the post concerning the Gapp and Roush - Ruggirello Mustang II and wanted to let you know I am currently restoring it back to its original April 1977 Hot Rod Magazine article condition.
I'm hoping Mr. David Rifkin can help me with some history on it, since I have not been able to find out anything on previous owners since it left Detroit in 1981. More to come! Tom Tate </div></div> Welcome to the site........Don't be bashful about posting pic's either........LOL Ken |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi Everyone..new to the forum, but I found the post concerning the Gapp and Roush - Ruggirello Mustang II and wanted to let you know I am currently restoring it back to its original April 1977 Hot Rod Magazine article condition.
I'm hoping Mr. David Rifkin can help me with some history on it, since I have not been able to find out anything on previous owners since it left Detroit in 1981. More to come! Tom Tate </div></div> Cool car! A Woodward feller or two here might have some background on it, as well ... http://forums.performanceyears.com/f...03&page=24 |
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Tenney..I'll have to register on that forum and talk to Eric Shiffer, as it seems he is a wealth of information on these cars!
Back to the Ruggirello Mustang II...I had searched for this car for years and finally located it in a storage lot in New Jersey. I saw it once before at Gainesville Raceway here in Florida for sale in 1995, but it got away not to be seen again. It appears it left Detroit for Florida back in 1981, then left Florida for Indiana around 1995, then New Jersey in 1997. However, I have not spoken to anyone who actually "owned" it or was close to someone who did yet. I got the car in January 2010 and have been restoring it since. Currently doing paint/body work which should finish next month. I spent months just getting the car safe to start/run/drive again after many years of neglect and poorly done modifications to the rear suspension. This is how the car looked when I found it. Photo taken in the NJ storage lot. I'm sure hoping Mr. Rifkin might be able to shed some light on it. http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...denDeath61.jpg |
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Here is an article done in late summer 1975 while the car was under construction.
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...sc013044da.jpg |
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Here is the car in January 1977 with Jack Roush behind the wheel. Photo taken on or near Farmington Road just blocks from the Gapp and Roush shop during the photoshoot for the Sudden Death article by Baskerville.
This appearance is my goal for the restoration. http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...vingSD1977.jpg |
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This is the car after a few months of work getting it sorted out. The fuel system was so rotten when it arrived to me, it was literally dripping fuel on the floor! You wouldn't believe how much research it took to get the hood/scoop exactly as it was in those photos. The rear suspension was another challenge, since someone had changed it to coilover/ladder bars and very poorly done at that. I've restored the rear suspension back to the original setup in every detail, down to an original 70's vintage pair of Lakewood bars.
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...lSDdrive26.jpg |
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Right now we're working on body/paint to be completed next month to get the car back to its original silver coat. Thankfully, the body survived in great shape under the 6 layers of paint/primer and surface rust here and there.
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...imerCoat14.jpg |
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This is the engine as I saw it in 1995. The twin turbos were done by Jack Roush in 1980/81 not long before Ruggirello sold it. From what I've read, it was lifting the front end under boost. I don't know if the car ever made a full pass under boost. It had no electronics, waste gates, nothing.
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...shMustang2.jpg |
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This is the engine shortly before I took the car apart for paint/body work. It does still have the original 505" stroked 460 that Roush built for it years ago.
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...Randomeng2.jpg |
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I think this is the article you wanted...It was in Hi-Performace Cars-July 1970 issue
http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...oor/img122.jpg http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...oor/img123.jpg http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...oor/img124.jpg http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...oor/img126.jpg |
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Wow!!
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Cool stuff!
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This is how I saw it about 4 years ago at a car show in English creek nj.. What part of Jersey did you find it in? English creek is not to far outside Atlantic City
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Tenney..I'll have to register on that forum and talk to Eric Shiffer, as it seems he is a wealth of information on these cars! Back to the Ruggirello Mustang II...I had searched for this car for years and finally located it in a storage lot in New Jersey. I saw it once before at Gainesville Raceway here in Florida for sale in 1995, but it got away not to be seen again. It appears it left Detroit for Florida back in 1981, then left Florida for Indiana around 1995, then New Jersey in 1997. However, I have not spoken to anyone who actually "owned" it or was close to someone who did yet. I got the car in January 2010 and have been restoring it since. Currently doing paint/body work which should finish next month. I spent months just getting the car safe to start/run/drive again after many years of neglect and poorly done modifications to the rear suspension. This is how the car looked when I found it. Photo taken in the NJ storage lot. I'm sure hoping Mr. Rifkin might be able to shed some light on it. http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...denDeath61.jpg </div></div> |
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I got it from a guy in Sicklerville, NJ. Looked to have spent years outside in the weather, paint peeling, tires dry rotted, all aluminum oxidized, etc.
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Are you going to replicate the mismatched silver paint?? LOL
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Tom thank you for taking the time to return this car back to it's original state. I remember reading the articles about that car when it was first built and fell in love with it.
Imagine how I felt when I saw it years ago for sale at the Atlantic City auction in such horrible shape. I guess it sold during the auction and I lost track of the car until a year or so later when I saw it parked in front of a freight service company on Delilah Road in Egg Harbor Township, NJ with a for sale sign in the window. (I can get the name / number of that company for you if you'd like to try and contact someone there) Keep the pictures coming of the project; looks great so far. |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got it from a guy in Sicklerville, NJ. Looked to have spent years outside in the weather, paint peeling, tires dry rotted, all aluminum oxidized, etc. </div></div>
Wow! Thats one town over from me and I have never seen that car before! -Matt |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: whitetop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are you going to replicate the mismatched silver paint?? LOL </div></div>
Actually, I considered it, but thought thats one thing I'm not going to do. It deserves to be done with some quality paint work this time around. In fact, we just sprayed the inner cowl today. First silver paint back on the car in over 35 years. It had been painted white twice! Wow, was that stuff tough to get off! |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave Rifkin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Tom thank you for taking the time to return this car back to it's original state. I remember reading the articles about that car when it was first built and fell in love with it.
Imagine how I felt when I saw it years ago for sale at the Atlantic City auction in such horrible shape. I guess it sold during the auction and I lost track of the car until a year or so later when I saw it parked in front of a freight service company on Delilah Road in Egg Harbor Township, NJ with a for sale sign in the window. (I can get the name / number of that company for you if you'd like to try and contact someone there) Keep the pictures coming of the project; looks great so far. </div></div> Dave, I'm the same way, I remember reading that Sudden Death article in high school and never forgot it. For some reason, there is something about this car that just stuck with me all these years. I just thought it was the coolest Ford I'd ever seen! Sounds like it was in poor condition when you saw it at auction. Do you remember what year that was? I'm guessing 1997? The car had been in Fort Wayne, Indiana in early 1997 being prepped for auction at a shop there. I wasn't able to get an ID on an owner though. I've already been through title history attempts, but unfortunately, Florida, Michigan, or Indiana do not keep title histories over 10 years, so I came up empty handed. I'm thinking of trying a private investigator in NJ to see if he can get me records, since being out of state, I can't access them there. Any help is greatly appreciated!! Will do on pics! Tom |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fast67VelleN2O</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got it from a guy in Sicklerville, NJ. Looked to have spent years outside in the weather, paint peeling, tires dry rotted, all aluminum oxidized, etc. </div></div>
Wow! Thats one town over from me and I have never seen that car before! -Matt </div></div> I don't know if he had the car near his house or not. I don't know the location of the trucking company storage lot where it was kept. I'm hoping maybe Dave can help with that. |
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Here are some more in progress pics taken awhile back.
Had to fabricate a repair panel for the notched area of the cowl recess. Here's a before pic of the engine compartment right after we pulled the engine. Note the gaping holes in the aprons and the rounded out cut in the center of the upper cowl: http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...tmentEmpty.jpg After completing the cowl repairs: http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...ntrepairs2.jpg http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...owlrepair3.jpg |
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This is the rear suspension as I got it, after someone hacked it up installing a coilover/ladder bar setup. They beat the floors in with a hammer until they ripped open, cut holes in the upper floors for the coilovers to mount to the roll bar of all things. I don't know what they were thinking. Thankfully, they didn't cut out the original leaf spring perches and mounts. It took me months of research to get the original setup right, including talking to Wayne Gapp about the car! Funny, once I had removed all the coilover brackets and collected all the correct parts, it just bolted right back in, in an afternoon.
BEFORE as I got it: http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...hMustang25.jpg NOW back to the ORIGINAL setup! http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...ionResto20.jpg http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...ionResto18.jpg |
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That is one Bad Ass ride you have
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Plans for a reunion w/the Lisk Challenger (did they ever end up running in the day?)?
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I think this is one of the few cars from that time that retains its original engine. I know the Lisk car no longer has its original radical pro stock Hemi (or the lenco trans), although it does have a Hemi in it. That would be interesting. Heck, would be great just to see some of these cars together again in any setting after all these years.
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Heck, would be great just to see some of these cars together again in any setting after all these years. </div></div>
MCACN Woodward display? |
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I like how you think.
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What were the holes cut in the apron for? Header tubes I presume??
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That guy with the timing light looks alot like Joel Rosen.
DH [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img] |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tenney</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuddenDeath</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Heck, would be great just to see some of these cars together again in any setting after all these years. </div></div>
MCACN Woodward display? </div></div> I do plan on getting SD to the Woodward Cruise. Possibly 2013. |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: whitetop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What were the holes cut in the apron for? Header tubes I presume?? </div></div>
Roush cut them away to clear the turbo manifolds and down pipes in the back. He used factory pieces, flipped them upside down, the welded turbo mounts on them. Worked great, but required much more room than headers. |
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tenney</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Plans for a reunion w/the Lisk Challenger (did they ever end up running in the day?)?
</div></div> I haven't gotten anyone to come forward with any real info on the car. From what little I've read (who knows whats true and whats not), Joe ran Lisk and beat him the first time, then Lisk won the next one. I don't know if they ever ran after the turbos were added, since if the mustang could have been managed/driven, it should have been capable of high 8's with that kind of HP. It still amazes me that the little Mustang ran as fast as it did considering how mild the engine build was originally. It really wasn't anything radical and the car's setup was basic, nothing fancy. Thats how Wayne built the car though. |
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<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 11pt">Back to the Street Racing POST.
</span></span> Here's what the West coast was up to in '74-'75 DH [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img] |
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Sorry Dicky, didn't mean to alleviate from the heading. I was asked for some pics, so offered them up.
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The best street racing stories were written by legendary auto journalist Tony DeFeo of Cars Illustrated fame. You can still find him over at the H.A.M.B. under the name "WhitePunkOnNitro".
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I remember reading that article in one of my sister's old boyfriend's mags that he gave me.
I never did find out, but it always seemed that The Brotherhood never got their strip, right? Whatever happened to that whole deal and Big Willie? I remember a couple articles about his Daytona, I believe, but never heard the whole story. |
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I was in high school at the time and happened to pick up that copy of Car Craft in the school library and that story has been locked in my memory ever since.
There's some pretty cool info on Steve Lisk's Challenger floating around the web with pictures of it still in great shape today being freshened up. I wonder what happened to Scott Browns Camaro? That was a cool article. Thanks for filling in some of the info that I couldn't remember. |
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