At this point all I needed to do was add an exhaust system and the basics would be done. I had spent quite a bit of time trying to decide how to go about it but finally figured to keep it simple. A pair of coated Patriot Lakester headers did the trick, and a pair of slip-in baffles and a couple of homemade block-off plates for the under-chassis exits worked out perfectly. The headers look great, and the baffles did a much better job of muffling the rumble than I thought-plus it saved me a chunk of my budget by eliminating the expense of a full exhaust system. Speaking of budget, you'll have a full, item-by-item accounting of how I fared in the final installment.
Next issue we'll cover the installation of the shifter, windshield posts, and the door latches. Until then check out this month's images.