finally got around to actually joining - something I probably should have done a lot earlier. I'm in the process of restoring/updating my '72 Sprint and (of course) have tons of questions.

1. I like the SS/CI style hoods, and have to replace my bent one anyways - I'm currently in Colorado, and it would only see about 2 winters here (no telling where I'll be after this) - would an always open 'cowl induction' setup (the vented screen, a flexi-tube, and a box around my K&N air filter) be bad/have drawbacks? A true CI setup would be nice, but I have a limited amount of cash, and a lot of other things I also need to do to it. I searched for CI stuff in all threads, but everyone else is either in a nice warm climate or has some other circumstance that doesn't match mine. (would water be a problem either? if not, why did they make it a mechanical system instead of 'always open' in the first place?)

2. Have any of you replaced the 1/4's with 'full 1/4 panels' offered by OPG/year 1 etc - do they fit well 'as is'? A better alternative for fixing the rust around the wheel area?

3. My speedo (sweep style) flutters/gets stuck etc. Is a speedo rebuild 'worth it' or is there likely a cheaper 'do it myself' solution?

4. any chance any of ya'll shaved the door handles and used a auto-popper door opening setup? (or is that just something I'd be better off asking at a lowrider forum?)

5. When I'm stopped, and press the gas, theres a 'pop' and a jerk before movement starts very well - loudness and force of it varies based on incline/load etc - if I baaarely creep on the gas, I can avoid it (but with a stiff gas pedal its really hard to do) - I was thinking its tranny or drive shaft problem - chem tool didn't help, and I'm looking at an 800 dollar rebuild for my 400 - if thats even the real problem - any ideas?

I'm sure I've got a lot more questions, but that's all I could really think of right now (besides if any of you know the quality/looks of an Earl Schieb paint job...) anyways, thanks for reading this long post, and even more thanks if your Re:!

#3 I would check the ends of the speedo cable first. It may be loose or the plastic gear in the tranny might be missing a tooth. Second, I would pull the speedo out of the dash and see if there were any moving parts that looked like they need lubrication. If it still doesn't work well I would check eBay for a replacement or post an ad here. I'm sure there's more than a few here that have done the gauge conversion and have the old sweep speedo laying around collecting dust.

#5 I would crawl up underneath and check the U-joints on the driveshaft. It's easy enough to drop the whole driveshaft for a closer inspection, but you can just twist it by hand and observe the U-joint and look for play.

Not much experience with the other questions. Good luck with your Sprint! graemlins/waving.gif