My project has started well. The Pinto engine is sold, as well as a few other things, and still have more to sell (good thing). I should have right around $12K when done unloading Pinto/FC parts.
I thought I was ready today to purchase some of the Honda kits and parts and get started with engine/transmission assembly soon, but, after doing the math, realized my Plan A (to buy the engine, engine kit and *some* of the chassis kit parts now), would end up costing quite a bit more. Turns out, not too surprisingly, buying the HPD DB-1 Complete Kit saves quite a bit compared to buying things individually.
That revelation may delay my debut a bit, but that's OK. I don't have a self imposed deadline (although being ready for the ARRC would be nice).
Speaking of revelations, for some reason I thought FF used 6" wheels, of which I have six from the FC fronts. Duh. So, that means selling sets of FC wheels and getting 5.5" wheels.
My new-to-me DB-3 chassis seems quite nice. From what I gather I will be able to use the same bodywork in FF. I think the bellhousing is the same as the DB-1, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the DB-1 kit from HPD will be pretty close to what I need. If I'm lucky I may get away with only fabricating a front engine mount to accommodate the slightly longer engine bay.
I'm excited. I think the end product will be a great combination of performance and reliability and will let me concentrate on driving a fun car in a great class.