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FEATURED MEMBER RIDE

David Ayers’ 4-Speed ’68 Standard

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This Cat’s Tale

“I purchased this car at least 10 years ago. It had been sitting for years and needed considerable work. I tackled the drivetrain first: a 302 engine with .030-inch overbore, 238-degree to 248-degree solid lifter cam at .050, and a 670 cfm Holley Street Avenger carburetor. Then, 2.5-inch dual exhaust through Flowmasters.

I added new leaf springs and removed one turn from the front coil springs, which lowers the front about 2 inches and makes the springs stiffer. Other upgrades include frame rail connectors, a 1-inch front sway bar, and Magnum 500 wheels (14-inch front wheels with 1-inch less back space than from the factory and 15-inch rear wheels).

The car has manual brakes, with discs up front and drums in the rear, but it’s still hard to stop (I’m working on that). It also has manual steering, which I could handle 10 years ago, but it’s kind of hard now (working on that, too). The battery is in the trunk, with a cut-off switch. It’s a very nice looking car and pretty quick (273 rear wheel horsepower).”

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Notes

David, one of the Delmarva Cougar Club’s earliest members, was born and raised in Roanoke, Va., and has lived in Richmond since 1984. He’s a two-Cougar owner, with a Glacier Blue 1968 standard cat in his stable to keep his green ’68 company. David, who is retired, also owns a 1986 Nissan 300SX, with a Ford 5.0 V8 and 5-speed TREMEC tranny. His dream car? A Sunbeam Tiger.