View Full Version : My new car - American V8ness
Thought it was about time I got a 3rd car, but decided this time it would have to be a yank.
So... I got this '62 Ford Thunderbird with a 390CI (6.4l)
I've never driven a car where so many complete randoms in the street are kind enough to compliment the car as I cruise past
Some quick pics before it got dark
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2854023584_0959e7dc58_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2853189383_59b6957496_o.jpg
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Adam0bmx0
13-09-2008, 19:40
Sweet!! :D
I know these things aren't about speed, but does it pull? Looks very nice. :)
Love that:nod: looks in great condition
Wow, great looking machine!
Nice one!
:thumbs:
Lovely, there's just something special about them :smitten:
Dam you, i used to hate american cars and now i seem to like them more and more.
That car looks cool.
Sweet!! :D
I know these things aren't about speed, but does it pull? Looks very nice. :)
It does pull alright, it's nice and effortless. As you say it's not too much about speed, it's just great fun to cruise about in and occasionally open that throttle wide
beautiful car!!! looks mint!
It does pull alright, it's nice and effortless. As you say it's not too much about speed, it's just great fun to cruise about in and occasionally open that throttle wide
we need a video.
failing that, you only live a few miles from me, fancy a cruise lol
Thats lovely :D loving old american stuff more and more .
That sir is cool as fcuk:nod:
Bristol Blue
13-09-2008, 20:20
:smitten::smitten::smitten:
Whens the next HWH meet?
next thursday i think. please please please, bring it along.
if you take me for a spin then i will save up for the petrol lol
And now, you have to save up for pimp hat and coat. That is a very pretty car.
unknown source
13-09-2008, 20:35
That is gorgeous, we need a vid of the car and that beautiful noise it makes
If you dont bring that to HWH next week Martin I will fooking ban you :nod:
That is soooooooo sweet :smitten:
Duff Man
13-09-2008, 20:39
Thats phattt :D
blubb blubb blubb blubb :D
Chriscooke
13-09-2008, 20:44
That is beautiful:smitten: The white writing on the tyres finishes it off a treat:thumbs:
Davey3legs
13-09-2008, 20:48
you lucky, lucky barsteward, :smitten::smitten::smitten: if anyone keys that i will personally get on the ferry and drive over just to knock someones teeth out. :wack: :thumbs:
much as I'm not a fan of Yank tanks... thats actually very very nice looking indeed... (I'd love a Dodge Charger though :s)
Wouldn't want it myself, but it is damn endearing and looks full of character. :thumbs:
That's brilliant.
Sound please! :D
phat_gadgy
13-09-2008, 21:18
Very very nice :thumbs:
That is so frikkin cool :smitten:
You gotta bring to the HWH thursday :nod:
my mate had one / has one lowered it and put some MASSIVE chrome wheels from america and it was ace !!!!!!
gonzomagic
13-09-2008, 22:35
Thought it was about time I got a 3rd car, but decided this time it would have to be a yank.
So... I got this '62 Ford Thunderbird with a 390CI (6.4l)
I've never driven a car where so many complete randoms in the street are kind enough to compliment the car as I cruise past
Some quick pics before it got dark
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2854023584_0959e7dc58_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2853189383_59b6957496_o.jpg
Martin, that is cool as
I salute thee.
:notworthy
next thursday i think. please please please, bring it along.
if you take me for a spin then i will save up for the petrol lol
Let's hope the weather holds out
If you dont bring that to HWH next week Martin I will fooking ban you :nod:
That is soooooooo sweet :smitten:
:wack: I read that on the first take as 'I will fooking bang you' :ghey: :D
Thanks for the comments guys, I'm really happy :)
That is gorgeous mate :thumbs:
i normally think yank-tanks are proper puff-trucks, but thats cool Mart:notworthy:cool:
That is a stunning car, so well kept! What a fantastic purchase that was... any shots of the engine bay?
Should I mention offset? (Just messing, I know all the old school US cars are like that :)) Without those wheels/tyres it wouldn't look as good. Awesome bit of kit :)
Matthew
Does it sound as good as it should? :D
I'll put up some shots of the engine bay when I get a chance to taking some.
It's reasonably loud actually, the system is straight through to little cherry bombs, so it gets attention on full throttle. It would sound a bit more decent with some proper steel packed boxes on the back. Something which I will sort out in due course.
A car that is 46 years old did come with some problems though:
Starter motor hates engaging when hot,
Rear lights and brakes lights don't work (sorted)
Brake pedal doesn't return properly
Might need a choke connecting
Illegal numberplates
It's quite advanced for its time. It has electric windows all round, electric adjustable seats, power steering, power brakes, air con was an option. All the lazy things you want in a car lol.
Haven't driven it today which is a shame because the weather was really nice. I had to devote today to some engine work for the old Datsun which oddly doesn't have adjustable seats, electric windows or power steering.
it's ace, that rocks - :notworthy's where due fella, :notworthy
That's just sex. Can I have a go? :wack:
wow.. thats awesome, and the spec list for its age is awesome.. pimp:nod:
Christmas
14-09-2008, 20:22
that is piiiiimp daddy!!
love it!:thumbs:
Davey3legs
14-09-2008, 20:25
I googled the model to see if they had any videos of the car starting/running, but i couldn't find much, just plenty of people talking about it though. :(
Gotta hear that v8.
Sounds like this but more louder
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A gorgeous black 60s Mustang convertable came burbling past my house this afternoon... I love 60s yank tanks. :)
Daz - Was that you behind me earlier this evening in your 14a?
That's gorgeous Martin, good find :nod:
Stunning car mate,love those bodywork lines :smitten:
Nismo_Freak
16-09-2008, 00:31
Not a huge Ford fan, but it looks sharp.
Doesn't sound like a Chevy though :P
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FullMetalGasket
16-09-2008, 09:52
:wack: I read that on the first take as 'I will fooking bang you' :ghey: :D
Worryingly enough so did I! :wack:
That's shweet! :D:notworthy
'I want one' :smitten:
Wow. Thats gorgeous mate - a mate of mine has a white T-Bird but that one is much nicer. :nod:
Good choice matey :thumbs:
Not a huge Ford fan, but it looks sharp.
Doesn't sound like a Chevy though :P
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Which doesnt sound like a Hemi :p
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Seriously though it's a bit unfair to compare a stock 40 year old T-Bird with a modern V8. If it had a Tri-Power setup on trumpets on the other hand then we'd be talking, no injected cars sound as throaty and burbly as good high performance carbs :)
Well here's the sound :D
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Daz - Was that you behind me earlier this evening in your 14a?
Yup, that was me. As i pulled out of the petrol station near the Queens theatre you drove past so i had to go your way to hear the car.
My god did it sound nice.
I can see why it turns so many heads. Can't wait to have a closer look at the HWH meet.
:thumbs:
Ahh nice one Daz, I could only guess it was you, I recognised the car.
Was it too loud when I pulled up the road, or just about right?
Ahh nice one Daz, I could only guess it was you, I recognised the car.
Was it too loud when I pulled up the road, or just about right?
sounded about right to me, couldn't really hear the car on tickover as i was a few cars back (plus mine was running), but when you turned onto the highstreet in hornchurch it sounded lush, nice growl coming from it. Then again past the sixth form college it sounded so nice pulling away.
If you wanna hear it then i'd be more than happy to drive it for ya :D
Nismo_Freak
16-09-2008, 21:55
That sounds good 30!
FullMetalGasket
16-09-2008, 22:31
Can I borrow it for the Goodwood weekend please? :D
I was going to take the 7 but it has no fuel tank :wack:
Can I borrow it for the Goodwood weekend please? :D
I was going to take the 7 but it has no fuel tank :wack:
Lol na its ok :wave:
Why's that :whip:
I want both of your cars. Im going to come and visit you to see that 'Bird soon :nod: :D
Datsun will be for sale in 2009 I reckon.
How's the missus? ;)
Shes well - hows your Mum? ;) :D
Dunno, you see more of her than me, why not ask her. Or is her mouth always full?
The old engine:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2865245261_6782767f67_o.jpg
The interior:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/2866073140_131160f24f_o.jpg
That is a cool looking car:nod: thinking about getting a yank tank next, i'd like a pick up though:thumbs:
I took some more pics this afternoon
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/2876279456_b0dbe2c14c_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2875450047_7ef6aca089_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2875451055_7745d7e8c7_b.jpg
Django67
21-09-2008, 22:14
Gorgeous. Just gorgeous.
Not bad photo's............infact, thats a lovely building in the background of number 2 :D
After seeing this in the flesh and those latest pics i would say you have to leave that front piece off :nod:
Gotta say the detailing on this thing is incredible - the metal grate type thing that runs right around the interior is the bollox, the guages with that mad tunnel look and those rear lights :smitten:
Thats deffo got to be a 4 person gangsta boot too :thumbs:
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice :notworthy :)
gtst lad
22-09-2008, 19:53
i likes this alot :nod: nice buy!
Dave270R
22-09-2008, 19:54
That looks feckin awesome :cool: :smitten:
I bet plod love your numberplates!
JulesS14200
22-09-2008, 20:20
That is so so cool :nod:
I bet plod love your numberplates!
The old bill have shown quite an interest in the car, but I'm yet to be pulled up. But I agree, they're dodgy.
Going to order some US size black/silver metal plates for it tomorrow. The only company that does them is on holiday till tomorrow.
Is that the one from practical classics feature, this month? Uber sexy, but a 6.4L V8?
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
That interior is the shiz :indiff:
Needs to be riding on bags though! :D
That is so badass Martin, loving it. :thumbs:
If you don't mind saying, what sort of cash does something like that fetch? It looks awesome for it's age.
Is that the one from practical classics feature, this month? Uber sexy, but a 6.4L V8?
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
Yeah its the same model but that one is a different car, mine is a 6.4 too though
That interior is the shiz :indiff:
Needs to be riding on bags though! :D
That would be fun, maybe something I might look in to. It has airshocks on the back so I can change the height of that, but I want to see the front at least an inch lower
That is so badass Martin, loving it. :thumbs:
If you don't mind saying, what sort of cash does something like that fetch? It looks awesome for it's age.
I paid £5k. Now people who aren't in to yanks would say thats expensive, but anyone who knows their yank prices would say its quite cheap because £5k doesn't buy much yank. You'd be looking at late 70's trans ams or firebirds instead for the cash.
Mustang's are at least £10k for anything reasonable and all the good ones are more like £20k. The prices have really shot up over the last 10 years, which for the buyers is a real kick in the balls.
Maddog1982
23-09-2008, 13:07
5k ? you are joking? you got the bargain of the century. I have been into these things for around ten years, can remember when you could get a 79 trans am for around 1500 quid. My friend has a road runner which is all done out for a circuit racer, he is asking 20k for it.
:eek: to me 5k seems like an absolute steal for a car that age, if it's in as a good a condition as it looks!
Django67
23-09-2008, 13:25
£5k is an outrageous bargain!! :nod:
I was expecting it to have cost at least twice that. I'm now even more jealous. :mad::D
mattlake
23-09-2008, 13:27
that is sooo awesome
*goes off to persuade nearest and dearest than a DC2 isn't the way to go... :wack: *
Jeffers_S13
23-09-2008, 13:33
£5k ! ! ! :eek: Awesome ! that is a massive surprise, I had no idea they were that price, I was thinking more like £12k when I saw it :notworthy It looks like its in great condition.
Thought I'd provide an update...
On Friday just gone I decided to do some work on the old girl. Sometimes the car has suffered from a cough and splutter either after sitting in traffic for ages or at high rpm with the juice pedal planted.
It felt like fueling so I check the carb's float levels and they're fine. Whilst I'm there I checked the ignition and the rotor arm and cap were worn. Also the temp gauge wasn't really coming up much, so I assumed it didn't have a thermostat installed.
So Saturday, I did plugs, new cap and rotor arm and changed the thermostat. It did have a thermostat in there but a 160 not a 180 like it should have.
Good news was that in ran a bit stronger but the issue was there at the top end. I can now only assume it's down to the float levels dropping on a boot or the secondary jetting is too lean. So might be the fuel pump not supplying the fuel when its on demand. I've ordered a new one, was only £40 and if I'm going to remove it I may as well just replace it with a good one.
That was saturday and all seemed good.
However Sunday went down hill a little. I decided it was a good time to remove the starter with the view of cleaning up the drive mechanism and maybe get it to shunt further so hopefully it will crank the engine when its hot.
Well its really bloody worn out and nothing can be done to save it. A few adjustments didn't see any result and in fact made it worse as its so tired. Funny thing is, it's the wrong starter motor. And then thats because its got the wrong gearbox on it. Oh and if you think a starter on a 200sx is hard, just try to get the 3rd and final bolt in place when refitting this bugger of a motor. I had to take the bonnet and passenger side mahoosive hinge off to be able to get the right angle to fiddle the bolt tighter.
Oh and don't ask your dad to help. The silly bastid came over and asked how I was getting on. I explained the bolt was being a bitch so he offered to help, but I told him the only way I can see round this is to remove the bonnet. Nope he doesn't listen, and guess what... Somehow the bolt ends up falling in to the bellhousing which was nice. Luckily I got it out, with a magnet but I did cry at the thought of removing the box.
Today the starter found its way to a rebuilder who said its really badly worn, and I have a new one on order to replace this one.
I'm just hoping it resolves the issue and matches the box properly, tonight I'll get under to try to ID it.
I always thought owning a car like that was going to be a proper wallet killer.
Amazing at how little the car and parts seem to be costing :eek:
zeppelin101
29-09-2008, 19:55
Does it do MPG or is it GPM :D
Love old school yank tanks, silly engine sizes and V8 noise FTW
Martin T
29-09-2008, 22:50
Just looking at that car makes me sex wee. I couldn't own one though. I'd ruin it by making the engine use electronics for timing and fuel.
scimmy ben
29-09-2008, 22:52
Wrong gearbox? Wrong Starter Motor? for the model? year? Is it a problem e.g. do you get meshing of the drives?
Just looking at that car makes me sex wee. I couldn't own one though. I'd ruin it by making the engine use electronics for timing and fuel.
Some people have converted yanks to fuel injection, but I don't really see the cost benefit. Mapped timing might be beneficial and maybe a lean cruise but fuel economy doesn't worry me. I don't drive to work in it.
Wrong gearbox? Wrong Starter Motor? for the model? year? Is it a problem e.g. do you get meshing of the drives?
Well the starter wouldn't engage properly when hot. So I wipped it off and it was different to the starter motor shown in the service manual. I then thought about things and realised that a pull drive starter wouldn't fit inside the bell housing. I then realised the box was changed and have spent some time ID'ing it. Good thing is it's a C6 box which is a much better stronger box.
It's either from a '75 Ford Truck or a '75 police car.
Well a motor has been ordered and the starter motor shop will have it in tomorrow and hopefully I get a chance to fit it in the next week.
Why would you want one of the yanky gasguzzlers?
:rolleyes:
rich damms
29-09-2008, 23:42
my cousin just sold a white one of these looks nice
Just watched the Vid :thumbs: Is there a better sound that a dirty vintage V8 :no: :D:D:D
Martin T
30-09-2008, 08:28
Some people have converted yanks to fuel injection, but I don't really see the cost benefit. Mapped timing might be beneficial and maybe a lean cruise but fuel economy doesn't worry me. I don't drive to work in it.
Very true but I just have so many bad memories of distributors and carbs it's tainted my view of them :(
IMO a car like that should be left with carbs and mechanical ignition anyway hence me saying i'd ruin it :)
geavesie
30-09-2008, 08:56
very nice car 30PSI :thumbs:
you cant beat the sound of a V8 :smitten:
i've grown up with them, here's a pic of my dads 440ci 1970 plymouth duster's V8, tunnel ram, twin double holleys, msd ignition and noz are just a few mods he's done :D
he's had it since i was about 8 or 9, i'm now 34 :wack:
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=57367&stc=1&d=1222760960
That looks cool Greavsie, whats it go like?
Very true but I just have so many bad memories of distributors and carbs it's tainted my view of them :(
IMO a car like that should be left with carbs and mechanical ignition anyway hence me saying i'd ruin it :)
The only thing I hate from those days is points/condensor, thank god for electronic ignition I say, but dizzy's and carbs are ok. Well as long as its not Ford VV carbs that is :D
Mine's been converted to an optical electronic system instead of points luckily.
geavesie
30-09-2008, 19:49
That looks cool Greavsie, whats it go like?
well to be honest i dont really know :wack:
it's only got 2 seats now (my mums normally in the other) and my dads getting on for 60 and way too sensible on the road in it lol
it's never been down a drag strip either but he's preping it for this, line lock, rear disc conversion, he's tubbed the rear wheels which are wide as fook and shortened the rear axle, the fronts are really thin with motorbike tyres on, some fancy gear shifter, shift light, you get the picture :thumbs:
it's never been dyno'd so dont know power/torque
BUT i do know the G's this thing pulls really does pin you in your seat, before he changed the gear box and diff it did some nice wheelies too :D
geavesie
30-09-2008, 19:51
lol forgot to mention that my dad looks like your avatar mate :D
and his nick names ZZ :rolleyes:
Lol I like ZZ Top
It's quite funny how easy it is to get parts in for this old Ford.
Within one day I have had this delivered:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_4069.jpg
geavesie
01-10-2008, 06:55
yes some parts are easy to get and cheapish even in the UK :thumbs:
he gets a lot from the states because the duster is quite a rare machine here in the UK. i found him a second hand damaged front grille (cracked and bits missing) because his was melted in an engine bay fire, cost around $400 just for the grille :D
Thought I'd update, and so today I fitted the new starter motor. I've been away in France each weekend so not had a chance :rolleyes:, so this morning I decided to take a day off work. The solenoid was clicking like mad so I started it up with another battery and all is good. Hot starts work well too. Have kept the other battery (off my citroen diseasal) on it as it seems that the smaller T Bird battery isn't up to the job if not used very frequently.
Also I got a bit legal and bought some number plates. Will need to get hold of some fittings to get the front bumper fitted which has the plate fitting or I might not fit it and make a bracket up for the plate. Something to toy with if the weather is nice at the weekend.
Here's the back with the plate, it looks a lot smarter with the vintage plate imo
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2964773909_e6d90a30bc_b.jpg
Thats a cool photo :nod: :thumbs:
awesome car Martin :) You can be proud mate :thumbs:
Had the day off work today so decided to make the T bird more legal with a front number plate. Easiest way was to fit the centre bumper that had previously lived in the boot.
Just gotta decide whether I prefer it this way, or without the bumper. What do people think?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/3029387569_e132733751_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/3029387697_73eae20e31_o.jpg
I think i prefer'd it more without that front bumper.
Car looks very nice.
Shame I haven't seen you driving around lately in it.
Yeah I'm in 2 minds about the bumper. Would otherwise need to make something up to mount the plate to.
I've been driving it, but only when its dry. So only about once a week at this rate.
Yeah I'm in 2 minds about the bumper. Would otherwise need to make something up to mount the plate to.
I've been driving it, but only when its dry. So only about once a week at this rate.
Do you legally have to have a front plate as its an american car though??
I just looked back at the pic without the bumper and plate and it looks a lot better I think.
Its been dry once a week lol. I must of stayed in on that day lol. You bringing it to the next meet if its dry or you gonna bring the datsun?
Yeah I'm in 2 minds about the bumper. Would otherwise need to make something up to mount the plate to.
I've been driving it, but only when its dry. So only about once a week at this rate.
Cable tie it on you muppet. I dunno - 2 minutes out of an S chassis and hes already forgetting his roots :rolleyes:
Cable tie it on you muppet. I dunno - 2 minutes out of an S chassis and hes already forgetting his roots :rolleyes:
You saying that, I helped fix a mates range rover the over day (failed waterpump) and I managed to get some cable ties in there to hold the fan cowling to the radiator lol.
Cable tie it on you muppet. I dunno - 2 minutes out of an S chassis and hes already forgetting his roots :rolleyes:
Lol, well if the plates were drilled then of course I would have used cable ties :nod:
Do you legally have to have a front plate as its an american car though??
I just looked back at the pic without the bumper and plate and it looks a lot better I think.
Its been dry once a week lol. I must of stayed in on that day lol. You bringing it to the next meet if its dry or you gonna bring the datsun?
Datsun doesn't have an engine at the moment. If its dry I'll come in it. It was dry last Sunday, hopefully this Sunday is good too
Oh yeah, still need a front plate. Although I've got away with basically not having one so far, and I've seen enough plod about in it
FullMetalGasket
14-11-2008, 18:24
Better without the center bumper :nod:
I think I'd be seriously tempted to get someone to paint the number onto the metal below the front grill - You see loads of classic/historic cars with this and they don't get greif from the plod :)
Think of all the E-types out there with just the letters painted onto their bonnets ;)
Hell, both my front and rear No plates on the 7 are stick on ones which are aparently not legal* (The front reg is ontop of the nose cone) and I've never been pulled up on them - dispite even having been pulled for driving sort of quickly on a country road ( :o :wack: )and having the copper take a look at the car :D :thumbs:
*Mine have what look like kite marks on though :confused:
There are stick on letters under the grill, but they're very difficult to see tbh.
Where did you get the stick on type plate from? Is it legal sized letters? I can use the smaller vintage sized letters coz of its age
FullMetalGasket
14-11-2008, 18:35
There are stick on letters under the grill, but they're very difficult to see tbh.
Where did you get the stick on type plate from? Is it legal sized letters? I can use the smaller vintage sized letters coz of its age
It was on the car when I bought it I'm afraid :)
I'm currently in the process of making the fual guage live again though so will see if anything's writen on them for you when I'm at the lockup tomorrow :thumbs:
Letters are full legal size I think and the background is mega reflective - possibly one of reasons I've never had hassle :D
Had the day off work today so decided to make the T bird more legal with a front number plate. Easiest way was to fit the centre bumper that had previously lived in the boot.
Just gotta decide whether I prefer it this way, or without the bumper. What do people think?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/3029387569_e132733751_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/3029387697_73eae20e31_o.jpg
Take it off :whip:
I'm in two minds about that bumper.
Yeah, the front looks less "clean" with it on there, but at the same time it makes the car look more aggresive and breaks up the grill a bit.
tractorboy
15-11-2008, 17:58
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2854023584_0959e7dc58_o.jpg
Love it, yank tanks are the best for bringing a permenant grin to your face.
Had a 66 buick electra a few years ago and was pure joy.
I salute you in your choice of car!:thumbs:
p.s please keep the bumper, looks spot on
FullMetalGasket
17-11-2008, 13:52
will see if anything's writen on them for you when I'm at the lockup tomorrow :thumbs:
Had a look and there's nothing that suggests where the stickers came from, It looks like some sort of BS number rather than a kite mark though :confused:
Still think you'd get away with painting if you could find somewhere down the front to do it :nod:
Looks like I've settled on what to do, I thought it myself and most people have confirmed my thoughts, and so the front bumper will be coming back off...
When I was floating about the states at Xmas I bought a hot rod mag in an airport and found a pic of the same year Bird as mine.
This pretty much is how I'd like mine to sit, with whitewall tyres, but probably with Radir wheels, not steelies.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6907.jpg
What are peoples opinions of these wheels?
http://www.radirwheels.com/aIMG_0969.jpg
Not liking the wheels, but that stance is hotness. Whitewalls are a legal requirement on a car like that.
To be honest I think it looks amazing on those chromed steelies :nod: But what yours is wearing right now really suit the body :nod:
Slam it to the deck ftw :thumbs:
On the wheels i think it will look v good with either set in place and white walls
FullMetalGasket
16-01-2009, 09:11
Serious awesomeness :nod:
On the wheels front, I'd go:
1.Chromed steelies :smitten:
2.Your current wheels
3.those other ones.
The ones you posted up have too many details I feel, at the very least they need to loose the ridge down the middle of the spokes :)
Off the wall here, but I reckon it might look quite cool slammed on Wolfrace slotmags .......... chrome, of course. :cool:
Na sorry Doc, I really aint fond of slot mags. Unless they do 18" versions lol?
God I'm loving that car... very very cool:smitten:
Being winter it's time to get the carb off.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6922.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6924.jpg
It shouldn't take too long to rebuild, something I'll do one night this week inside in the warm. Rebuilt kit comes with loads of gaskets, accelerator pump diaphragm, needles, power valve, vac secondary diaghram and arm and a fair few o rings.
It's actually the wrong carb for the car, it shouldn't be a Holley. The date stamp indicates it was made in 1973. Wonder how many times it's been rebuilt since then...
Have also found the water pump is enjoying a leak from the rear plate. On the basis that it has to come off to be repaired and I might find its rotten to hell in there I just went and bought a new one. Went to a local american spares shop to order one, and they actually had it in stock. Don't think I'll ever struggle with spares for this car.
scimmy ben
01-02-2009, 20:55
Judging by the look of that inline fuel filter, it doesn't look like its never had maintenance but a carb service isn't exactly routine - have you been having issues with it or do you just fancy a couple hours with your hands in paraffin?
Spares do seems easier to come by :nod:
I too think it's been rebuilt at some time, probably when it was on the donor car.
The car has been missing a bit and feels like its running lean. Go to accelerate and its like the accelerator pump doesn't work or the float level drops too much as it will want to conk out. Fuel pump is fine, but I have a new one to replace it with. Am going to drain the tank out in case there's water and dirt in there.
Didn't do anything until today and even this it wasn't much... Have reassembled the float chambers and metering block, but annoyingly the time consuming bit is removing the old gaskets. Rebuilt them with new fuel inlet valving, new power valve, idle needle, accel pump and fuel level sight plugs.
I've heard some people say that Holleys can leak and it's easy to see why. The bolts go through the float chamber rather than on the outside so they can leak from behind the head of the bolt if the sealing washers don't sit down properly, or even if a bolt was slightly loose.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6961.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6963.jpg
I finished the carb.
I have noticed a few issues with the carb which might have caused some of the odd issues.
First is that the throttle plate had 2 screws missing. Probably not an issue but I need to find some more really (3/16 24TPI, 1 inch long if anyone some lol)
Accelerator pump was setup up wrong so the diaghram wasn't fully returning. I will make adjustments and try a bigger cam too, as it often bogged on when stamping on the throttle.
The linkage that opens the secondary's needs some adjustment. If I firstly open the primary's then the secondary's and quickly shut them, the secondary's stay open about 10%. The primary linkage should force the secondary's fully shut but I will need to bend the link a bit to close them properly.
I also modified the choke mechanism so that it doesn't click in to the open position. Should make pulling on the cable easier (it was very tight before) and also return the cable easier.
I took some more pics:
The main components:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6974.jpg
The gaskets and remaining o rings:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6979.jpg
An all reassembled:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6981.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_6982.jpg
FullMetalGasket
15-02-2009, 22:40
Nice job :)
Would be nice if I could stop mine bogging down at low revs, don't think that's a problem caused by the carb's though :wack:
Well there's nothing to report really, so only posting here to whore a picture. But now I'm getting a lot more use out the old girl since the sun has started shining more.
A mate of mine asked me to shoot pics of his Beetle. Whilst I waited for him to faf about washing his car, I couldn't resist taking a photo of mine...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3455902375_418936d062_b.jpg
FullMetalGasket
20-04-2009, 22:19
Had an email notification for this and couldn't find it - didn't realised it had moved to here now :wack:
That looks abso-fecking-lutely gorgeous :smitten:
Bet that the highly illegal front plate doesn't get any attention until MOT time either :D
I'm willing to take the risk with the plate...
ewings999
23-04-2009, 21:13
that car is so so cool, going to be proper for pimping around in the summer
Fake Ben Taylor
23-04-2009, 21:15
so so so nice :nod:
Thought I'd post up that I've now done 2,500 miles in this.
A lot of people always ask how many gallons it does per mile, but I've never bothered to measure it. Well yesterday I drove to Santa Pod in it and with a few bootfuls here and there it averaged 15mpg.
I think I can live with that
I don't know how I missed this thread, so have just read it through from the start. What a gorgeous car! :notworthy The front plate you've decided on is definitely the correct choice.:nod:
15mpg is a very good figure, I'd have thought it would be much worse.
Whoop Whoop :wack:
I'm WFH today so got this MOT'd and it passed :thumbs:
I had to leave it there this morning and got a call saying they couldn't start it up, some noob boy flooded it :rolleyes:
I told them to leave it alone and so at lunch I went down there to start it up for them. Had to go home again to get something done and then got the call to say it passed :whip:
Got a few bit's I need to sort. Main thing is some suspension joints and the brake pedal links need greasing. Also had to quickly fit a temporary windscreen washer switch to pass the MOT though, the wiper switch in the car works except for the squirt.
Good news on the MOT :thumbs:
Martin gave me a quick ride around in this beasty last night and wow
I absolutely love it, its massiver than any other car on the road, made them look tiny as we went past. Its so comfortable, soaks up all the bumps no troubles. Does lean a little on the corners :wack: but thats all part of the fun. Still goes really well for a 40+ yr old car
Is it me or is the front end fitment off on the drivers side?
Is it me or is the front end fitment off on the drivers side?
You mean the bonnet? Yep. Until I have some people round I haven't had a chance to realign the bonnet and bumper. But i'm not bothered for now.
MEL - Glad you liked it :)
Insurance is due on the 11th, so got my renewal letter from Performance Direct for £322. Thats £4 less than last year.
I thought I'd have a ring round to see who else is cheaper. Unusually, the quote from other brokers are coming in alot cheaper than last year.
Classicline - £212.50
A Flux - £172.35
For once I've smiled once whilst receiving a quotation :D
dartford tunnel + t-bird = :smitten:
Lol, what does it sound like from behind then?
Lol, what does it sound like from behind then?
Next time you and me can swap places so you can hear it for yourself :D
Yeah bollox ;)
Maybe if you tempt with a kebab, I can let you have a drive
OMG!
Only just seen this!
Wow - that is one hellof a car! :smitten: hubba hubba!
Thanks I thought you and dan had seen it. Anyway, Spirit how are you? You gonna come HWH this month? Remind Dan I've got a gauge to give him
Yeah bollox ;)
Maybe if you tempt with a kebab, I can let you have a drive
Done, this can be our little secret :)
This car has been really reliable this year. Not had one single problem with it. So nothing really to update on other than I've now done 3,000 miles in it. That's cost me £1,050 approx lol
Sometimes starting this car when cold is easy. It can start on the twitch of the starter motor 75% of the time. When hot, it again starts on the key if its only been left for 5 mins. If it's been left for an hour it needs a good 5-10 secs of cranking to get it running. It would idle a bit poorly unless the revs were held up to clear it through.
I've learnt to live with it but the other day I could smell some petrol about half hour after I got home so had a look over it. The fuel in the secondary float bowl was boiling up. You could see it bubbling away through the sight plug.
I never noticed doing it before so I thought I'd better fit the phenolic spacer that I bought some 6 months ago. Didn't fit it then as the saying if it aint broke don't fix it sprung to mind.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_3905.jpg
Nice easy job to fit. Just needed to get longer studs than the ones in the pack as I had a hot water carb heating spacer. If the car wasn't used in the winter I'd be diverting the coolant from this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_3906.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_3910.jpg
I took it for a drive in traffic and made sure it become nice and hot.
Took it home and laid it up for 20 mins. The carb now is just nice and warm to the touch, where as before it was untouchable. No boiling in the floats this time.
Starting it is slightly improved, but most noticeable is that it idles alot better straight away.
As some may already know this car has drum brakes all round. In all honesty they're ok for normal driving. Beyond that though they suffer from fade probably equivalent to a worn out set of disc brakes.
So been wondering what I can do and it would appear that the hub and knuckle from a '65 Thunderbird has mountings for calipers.
Been keeping an eye open for them in the UK and found nothing, so broadened my search.
Won these on ebay US. Just got to wait for them to be shipped now.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/Tbirddiscs.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/Tbirdcalipers.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/Tbirdbrakeparts.jpg
These are standard brakes for a 1965 car. 12" x 1.29" (305mm, 33mm thick) with 4 pot calipers
Quite impressive spec for a 44 year old braking system.
I will need to see how rebuildable these calipers are. If they're no good then I'll look in to something like Willwoods. Will also need to work out a suitable M/C size and use an adjustable proportioning valve.
The only thing that hasn't worked all the time since I got this car was the electric seat motor. Will be nice to see it working, it goes back & forth and also up & down...
The previous owner attempted to fix it but it looked a bit of a jigsaw puzzle with lots of small bits scattered in a box.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_3938.jpg
It wasn't an issue really. I got under the seat and span the mechanism up to move the seat forward to suit my shortness and there's been no reason to adjust it since. I haven't got any shorter...
Last week whilst looking at US ebay I also found a spare motor. Got it today and it came faster than any recent mail I've been getting.
It's all complete with the relays, switch and little microswitches.
If it was dry tonight I'd have a bash at fitting this but I'll see if I can get it working at the weekend.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_3944.jpg
Result with the seat motor :eek:
That looks like fun...:smash:
s13silvia
08-10-2009, 11:42
jeeeeeezus, did you win the lotto??? That is ferking GORGEOUS!!
jeeeeeezus, did you win the lotto??? That is ferking GORGEOUS!!
Cheers, na I just work for a living. If I won the lottery, I'd have about 10 different American cars :wack: Can only afford one yank at the moment
Today I got the power seat working. Was a bit of a bastard to work out was going on.
The motor itself is weird, it's got no magnets in it. It's got 4 wires. One is the earth, one powers the brushes and 2 power coils that are electromagnets. This seems to complicate things a bit, along with 4 limit switches, and 2 solenoids that lock the seat in position when the motor stops spinning.
A lot of testing was carried out and I soon realised the relay wasn't working. Maybe there was nothing wrong with the original motor after all, but there was no way I could work out how that went together as I didn't pull it apart.
I then got full electrics to the motor and each circuit inside had nice continuity so the only thing stopping the new motor working was that it was seized. Half an hour opening it partially and some plug gas saw the phosporbronze bearings freeing off.
It was dark by now, but I pressed on with a lamp. Got it all together now and it works pretty well :D
Ford's :rolleyes: :wack:
Drivers electric window fekked up big style today :annoyed: It wound down fine and then made a big bang. Then when I when flicked the switch to get it back up, it kept going bang, bang, bang, bang :wack:
I swore and then turned round to head home. But then I pulled over and managed to get the window back up.
I thought sod it, so I turned around again and headed on to continue having fun and give it a drive.
The painful exercise of fixing that can be done another time :whip:
Oh dear, problem no.2 :rolleyes:
Brake servo now gave up doing it's job.
Brakes are so heavy, it's dangerous. Off the road :indiff:
fukc slowing down this tank without the servo's assistance!
Went and got a second hand servo. Bit of a difficult job, but sorted it in the end. Now I can stop the car :wack:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/photo4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/photo5.jpg
Thought I'd update the recent bit of fun :wack:
As some may have read elsewhere 2 weeks ago the brakes on this completely failed. A few things happened; brake pedal hit the floor, car didn't slow down, my arse shat itself, but somehow I kept the car away from people and hard objects.
Quite ironic that the last problem I posted about was the brakes. Instead of the pedal being v hard, this time the pedal went v light :wack:
As can be seen in the 2nd image up, I removed the BMC from the servo last time. Getting a new BMC was fairly easy. Fitting it was again fairly easy, but setting up the adjustment rod between the servo and BMC takes a nack.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_4889.jpg
Had to bleed the brakes. I was half expecting the bleed nipples to snap off, round off or not seal up again. Luckily they were all great but who ever designed the front hub should be shot. (he's probably died of old age now though)
Anyway, normal service resumes so I can still drive it, phew :D
Lucky escape :D Or did you embelish the story a little :p
Nope it was a lucky escape, managed to stop it hitting a wall. A few seconds later and it could have been a different story
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=452276
When you've finished with the hand of god can I boorow it, before giving it back to its rightful owner, Yak!
: phewsmiley: :luckybastewardsmilie: :thumbs:
tokyo-ben
13-04-2010, 15:12
nice mate im not a big yank fan but that does look cool,i had a brake pedal fail on me before but was comming down a big hill to say i shat me self would be an understatment all goes slooo moooo:thumbs:keep up the good work:thumbs:
Nope it was a lucky escape, managed to stop it hitting a wall. A few seconds later and it could have been a different story
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=452276
Damn. Lucky you werent an American in a Prius eh?? :D
Damn. Lucky you werent an American in a Prius eh?? :D
Dont think he would have struggled to remove the floor mat stuck on the accelerator though :rolleyes:
At the moment the car went wildy out of control, I did give thought to ringing a friend though :nod:
So about a month ago someone decided to sit on my the bonnet and cracked the paint.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/photo2.jpg
At the same time as thinking about getting that sorted I decided to look over the car and see what else needed attention. Found a few chips here and there but noticed that the driver side corner of the bonnet was starting to bubble. This was coming through inside the seam from underneath.
Grinding it back showed some rust and consequently some holes
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/01062010.jpg
A bit of buzzing later
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/01062010002.jpg
The boot was off today as well to have the paint taken completely back to metal. There's some minor micro blistering in it, unfortunately the only way to solve it is to start from scratch.
Will put some more progress pics up soon...
Bonnet stripped to bare metal. I'm glad to see no bodges, rust or any gremlins in this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/02062010001.jpg
Now just lacquer it :wack:
Na... Gonna have it chromed. Or maybe I should go rat look.
Or maybe I should go rat look.
lol :wack:
You'd have to have a lot of balls to leave a bonnet thats made it 50 years without a dent outside to get rusty. Or a spare :D
I think people that do it on purpose are a bit mad. If it's genuine, sun bleached oxidised, rustyness than fair enough, but people who throw nitromors over their perfect bonnet and then chuck battery acid over it because it's cool need a bit of help imo. Especially when it's on a modern car lol
ZXSpectrum
03-06-2010, 08:11
Ooooh its just like an episode of Overhaulin :wack:
Car was finished on Friday. No pics though, and no new ones of the car as it basically looks the same as before :wack:
Whilst sorting one problem another one appears. The electric window drive was buggered in the winter so I left the window fully up and decided not to fix it due to the weather. Anyway someone today (not me) lowered the window and it refused to go fully back up, leaving 1" gap at the top.
Had to take the door panel off and check out what it was.
Circled in red here should be a piece of casing on the assembly that holds the gear pinion up against the geared arm. That has cracked and fallen off
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/dfa26d6f.jpg
And the bit of casing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/5e2fd8ff.jpg
It looks like a right pain in the backside to get this unit out so I've implemented a tube inside to hold the window up.
Will do a bit of research, hopefully get a diagram of the mechanism inside the door and see how hard it will be to remove, weld that piece up and fit everything back together. Gonna be a pain as the car lives outside
Got a replacement regulator off of ebay for $16, it landed in this morning, so I had a bash at doing this.
With the replacement regulator I rotated the shaft by hand to get it in to the low position. Took 10 mins but I figured it would make the job easier.
To get the regulator out I undid the clips from the rollers so that the arms popped free of the window and there was one to pop free from inside the door. Then I undid the 4 bolts and moved the mechanism over to get the motor undone and off. Unfortunately because the mechanism was bust the spring rotated the mechanism round so it was up at the top of the door. But a quick wiggle and it came down, and out of the inspection hole.
Putting it back together was easy I slotted the rollers in the runners and then popped the arms in to them, then just bolted it all back up.
This was rumoured to be a proper pain of a job and I've heard of people having to cut open the inside of the door to get stuff out. So when it turned out to not be a pain, it's always a nice relief :)
Here's the busted regulator. As you can see the gear drive, and housing are not in their normal locations :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/tbirdregulator.jpg
As I may of mentioned before, I got an Edelbrock intake manifold, but I weren't in a rush to fit it. I've had a look around for stuff for sale as I really wanted dual carbs. This would be quite a traditional modification. So I came across this low riser 427 setup and damn, I bought it :wack:
It's not an all that common to find over here. It's an original performance item made in '63 and fitted to a Galaxie 427. Essentially it's not all that different from an AC Cobra 427 intake.
With the 427 being an FE engine, this intake will fit on my 390. To get it to fit I need to modify rocker covers for a breather/oil cap, or I could knock out the blank for that on the 427 intake. Also the angle of the base is about 5 deg's out. I will need to get wedge plates to correct both carbs and get them both at the same height. The kickdown mechanism bolts to the intake, but not the 427. I will need to work out what's easiest - make up a new mechanism or convert to a cable. I'll also have to work out how Carter/Edlebrock carbs work. Will also have to check the difference in thermostat size and how the port sizing can be matched.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4924878426_ae379bd1ae_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4924283945_0cfb767d5b_o.jpg
Edelbrock vs Ford 427 dual carb
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4924284565_7b000279a3_o.jpg
It's interesting just how large the ports are for an early intake when compared to the Edelbrock.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4924280955_9c60b26aac_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4924875424_07572ed02a_o.jpg
Both these manifolds were a bit corroded and crappy. So I've spent quite a bit of time since Friday cleaning these up.
I think the Edelbock has finished up the nicest as the casting on it is better and more consistent than the Ford one.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4938009963_2cf77f542f_o.jpg
Dual carb 427
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4938600502_0456c22d09_o.jpg
And with the Carter's
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4938602102_fdc4cc5da4_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4938016841_ff62f3fdbd_o.jpg
And the firing order in case I forget (and an example of the less than perfect casting on the O
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4938015217_348288cf60_o.jpg
Today I had late delivery of the wedge plates and the lowest air filters I can get.
The wedge plates are made by Offenhauser (or in that trade name). These have the most awful maching and finish I've seen on a product since the school idiot at my school made a metal box in D&T. For a start the casting is very poor, the machining of the barrels looks like they've been spun out too fast and every machined edge needs taking down with a file. If I'd have known I'd have just spec'd up something for the machine shop to make. Anyway rant aside, they're to level out the carbs as the engine is practically level unlike every other car the FE engine sat in at a ~5 deg slant. The manifolds were cast with the carbs sat at an angle to correct it. Well this is to reverse the correction
Anyway, a quick assembly was needed for the purposes of checking height. The rear carb is 8" and front is 7" from the edge that the rocker cover sits on. A little trip to the Tbird with a tape measure reveals that the rear carb is about 1/2" higher than the big 14" air filter at the rear. I'm now even more confident that this will fit under the bonnet without surgery.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/photo5-1.jpg
Next task is to make the dual linkage up and have a look at the kickdown arm on the gearbox to see if I can use a Lokar cable.
Got an Edelbrock linkage from the states. It was supposed to be universal. It's not though so I asked Ricky's Dad to kindly knock up a new rod, but 2" longer. Their kit is designed for their small block chevy's so the carbs are about 2-3" closer. Also they didn't supply enough brass bushes that allow you to clamp the rose joints up. It works as a progressive linkage at the moment but I'll have to get hold of 2 more to try out 1:1. Also need to get hold of a smarter locking collar rather than the clip I'm using on the lower bar.
The rear carb (on right) opens up first. When the clip on the lower bar hits the brass block it then starts opening up the front carb.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_8750.jpg
I know next to nothing about american cars and wasn't really interested in them......then I went to Cuba and now I'm getting a serious yank tank itch :D.
Really enjoying this thread, looking foward to more updates :thumbs:
Cheers. If you do get a yank, be prepared they're quite expensive to run.
It's my fault though, I've done more miles in this over the last year than I did in my daily :wack:
I kinda thought I could justify the running costs to myself because of the free road tax, or atleast thats what I've been saying to my other half :D
I really like the early 60's continentals with the suicide doors, I think they might be based on pretty much the same chassis as your thunderbird from what I've read? Anyway I will stop cluttering your thread up, good luck with it!
You mean the Lincoln Continental, like the one Kennedy was wiped out in? Not sure if they're the same floor pan as that's a bit larger than my car and had a larger engine of at least 7L
Yep, the Kennedy spec one :wack:
http://rantonthiscar.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/lincoln-continental.jpg
I'm pretty sure I read this shape was originaly destined to be a Thunderbird, or was a concept for a future Thunderbird model. I could well be wrong though, my American knowledge is still sadly lacking.
marko14a
16-09-2010, 16:56
http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO10&CarID=r170#
:D
Sold for $429000 :eek:
Are bits of Kennedy included with that? :wack:
The missing bits from Edelbrock turned up. I changed one of the rods and altered the way it works.
Can set it up so both are operated at the same time/rate
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_8752.jpg
Or progressively. Right carb opens up before the left and then the right one opens up at a faster rate as it's connected lower down on the throttle arm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_8755.jpg
I'm also waiting for a shipment from Summit. I figured that when I take the intake off and remove the rockers and pushrods it would be good to change the cam.
The only true way to compare cams is at 0.050" of lift. Whilst the standard cam was rated at 270 absolute, the duration at 0.050" is 186 deg's. So it has a really slow ramp.
The cam I'm getting from Crane has advertised duration of 260 inlet and 272 exh. However at 0.050" the duration is 204in/216ex, so has a faster ramp. This won't be a lumpy cam, it should still provide loads of torque from idle but will help the engine breathe better.
marko14a
04-10-2010, 08:10
I don't know why I find that carb linkage so cool. But it is!
CamInHead
11-10-2010, 17:38
you took down the exhaust vieo from a few pages ago ? :(
Which ones was that? Don't think I've deleted any from pootoobe
Had a look, both are on youtube, I suppose this is the better of the 2
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just looking at that linkage, if it works both ways either progressive or 1:1. then that must mean that the carbs have the same ammount of throttle throw for them to work 1:1,
so when they are set up progressive surely the second carb will never open fully by however much the first carb moves by before it touches the stop for the 2nd carb. whew...
or can you adjsut the ratio that the 2nd carb takes to open so it opens up fully with a lesser amount of throttle movement.
When on 1:1 the rod is connected at the same location as the other carb. When on progressive you lower the connection so one carb opens at a faster rate, therefore catching up the first one to open to full throttle at the same time
got ya. i did wonder how you would do that. is the progressive opening to give better fuel consumption?
Well it's to stop the throttle being twice as sensitive but also more economy. That said I've now got the ideal carbs for the job, 2 holley 390cfm's so won't have that issue.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_8771.jpg
There's the carbs. A combined flow of 780cfm instead of the 1200cfm I would have had. Not too much of a jump from 600cfm that I have now. Also removes concerns I had about too much accelerator pump, the nozzles on these carbs are much smaller and they're basically setup for a 3.5L engine.
I'm going to have to wait until end of November for the kickdown cable and cam. Summit are annoying when they don't have stuff in stock, they now don't think they'll get the cam in for 6 weeks when originally it was just 2 weeks.
arse. what sort of increase in power should all this have over stock?
Prob not all that much of an increase as I still need to get headers and a better exhaust
Summit were a bit of a headache, they changed their minds and then said the cam would be ready for shipping on the 16th. Got a delivery on Saturday.
So the cam is pretty big and heavy. It's nearly 2 foot long. I got new hydraulic lifters too
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_9013.jpg
New timing gear set. This allows -4,0,+4 on the timing. I'll be setting it to 0. Despite Edelbrock saying that it fits all Ford FE engines, like feck will it. I'm pretty sure the timing cover is too shallow so I'll have to get one from a 428 or 427 engine.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_9015.jpg
In addition, I got a thing called an Isky spacer, which is used when a later cam is used in the early block. Another great bit of machining here :rolleyes:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/IMG_9009.jpg
Kickdown cable has also arrived. Not sure when I'll get going on this as I have a few occasions I want to use the car for in the next month or so and I can see it taking a while to sort it all out.
Meanwhile, can someone buy me this block please? I can use it to increase size up to 7 litre...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FoMoCo-FE-427-GENUINE-CENTER-OILER-Block-Crank-RARE-/280577356503?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4153b6b2d7
Trying to do little things before doing the main job, so I knocked up the fuel lines with aeroquip style fittings tonight. I missed off a piece from the order as I got confused after changing carbs so I got one off of ebay. Won't be doing that again, it's a different type of blue :wack:
These bits seem to have gone down in price since I last looked in to it but its alot more reasonable now. Ordinarily I'd bodge up some rubber hoses but I thought it might make a change to have a smarter look
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/5121402980_a6a60e2849_z.jpg
That looks really smart to say the least.
Cheers Cloudy, hopefully I can keep it clean
Looking good Martin, you gonna change that dark blue ebay bit before you fit it all?
Yeah will try to find a less crap piece
Yeah will try to find a less crap piece
Good good, it's the only bit letting it down.
I love the parts you do on your car as they look so well thought out and not rushed in the slightest.
When you gonna fit it?
Not rushed is a result of being a lazy bugger :wack:
Not sure when I'm going to do it yet as I don't want it to be off the road for too long. As I'm going to change the cam at the same time, but due to not being able to get upgraded cams for the earlier version of this engine this job might make the job take a good few weeks if I then realise I need to get original Mustang parts from the US
Lol, the laziness is making a good job though :).
Let me know if you want a hand when you do start the work on it :).
The front wheel bearing went on the car so needed changing. Banged out the old races and seal. I've got a proper bearing driver set. Using the right tools makes a job like this really easy and quick. The driver fits in to the outer race
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/6db5bf5e.jpg
And banggg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/a9194029.jpg
dunno if i missed some big arguement but what happened to the picture of the manifold? im still wondering about what those take offs were on the front runners?
Pics are all still there? What takes are you referring to?
Meh, just twat it out & in with a "close enough" socket like the rest of us :wack:
Well I didn't pay for the kit as my mate has a lot of tools he no longer needs so be silly not to...
Nearly a year since an update...
Due to various reasons (aka shite excuses) I haven't started on modifying the engine.
Been 3 years I've had this now. Mileage has been alot for this sort of car, I've done 8,000 of them.
I had the car dated from the VIN number. Although it's a '62 model, the build was finished on the 18/12/1961. So this Dec it will be its 50th birthday. I think I'll treat it to a drink of petrol and a drive on that day.
I've been having a problem with the car recently which has been a bit hard to resolve. It's been getting a bit hard to start. Often would kick but let go of the key and it will die. Also when it got started if I turned the lights or wind the window down it would start misfiring and want to die and it would do this for about 15 mins until hot.
I looked at the aftermarket breakerless ignition module and re-earthed it. It's very old but I found out that it's ok to run on a ballast ignition system. I then assumed the alternator wasn't kicking out enough guts... Wasn't that.
After peeing around alot I found the source and that was the ballasted voltage was dropping too far. Today I hunted for the resistor but couldn't see it. I took some of the dash out to look at the ignition switch and found the wire going to the coil/ignition module. Seeing anything behind the dash even with half of it removed is near impossible. The wire was labelled 'resistance wire do not cut or splice'. Looked at the service manual and thats what it should have.
I was tempted to setup a new ballast via a relay just to get some more voltage. But then looking along the wire looking at its condition, I found the wire had burnt through. Cut this bit out and reconnected it up. Probably lowers the resistance a bit but its still doing the right amount of dropped volts.
This could have been dangerous... I think it's been slightly earthing out. Anyway all sorted and it starts up better than ever.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/c76d5fac.jpg
MagicMat
20-10-2011, 15:32
Gorgeous :)
marko14a
20-10-2011, 15:36
Proper wiring that!
After an entire year the only picture you have is of a wire :wack:.
:D
Ok, here's another pic, taken by Delboy after we cheated death
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/baf6eb55.jpg
MagicMat
20-10-2011, 16:03
lmao "T-bag me"
The rear lights on that thing look cool, in fact the rear looks cool full stop.
Not so sure about "T-Bag me" :wack:
Ah the T-Bag thing was down to Mel. I turned my back for 5 seconds and he wrote it on.
I'd forgotten about that :D
Just read through this. Lovely car and top notch upgrades and repairs. Nice one!
Balls. Went and got the car yesterday to drive to a wedding. Stopped back home to get something and then noticed a small bit of water on the floor. Thought it was best to swap back in to the Crapsun. Water was spraying out the rad in the end.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/676df9fa.jpg
Not sure if I should get a re-core as its been ok cooling wise, or just get it sealed up again :confused:
Luckily I wasn't the wedding driver, as I doubt the bride would have been happy if I drove the Crapsun :wack:
Went to a rad man on Monday and he jet washed it and soldered the known leak up. Checked in the tank and there was tiny leaks on each end tank. It also showed up that some of the core was blocked.
Could have got it sealed up and went on my way but thought it was better to get it re-cored. Then I'll never have to worry about it. Cost £260 though
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/94bce8c9.jpg
Small update... On Sunday (18th Dec), the car reached the grand old age of 50! It got a nice drive that day, despite the crappy rain.
So as a present I got a new MSD disributor off ebay for less than half price of a new one. This will replace the current ignition setup completely and will be better that the 30 yr old system currently on there http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MSD-8595/
I also got it a new home. It's been quite hard to find a garage that the car fits in, luckily I managed to find one 24ftx x 10ft not too far from home. It's faired up well for 3 years outside, but it really wants to be inside in the winter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/496c2839.jpg
oscar-silvia
20-12-2011, 22:41
you just instantly won at life!
That garage is MASSIVE if there's room around it lol.
The car broke down on me for the first time properly on Xmas Eve. Alternator light came on earlier so I checked the voltage and it was 14v, so I assumed something was up but not the alternator.
Bought some beers, went back to car and no starty. 11.5v at battery (i had a multimeter on me). The rescue service called Dad came along with jump leads and it started, again knocking out 14v :confused:
I assumed battery was dead. Got hold of the one of my Dad's corvette, drove it Boxing day and the battery was discharging. I looked in to the alternator wiring and it became apparant that the rotor windings weren't taking current from the main alternator windings, hence why the lamp stayed illuminated.
The car originally had a dynamo but been converted to alternator with some old Lucas jobby off something like a Landrover.
Went to Broadway Electrical in Grays, like I did with the starter motor when i first got the car and yep they had a new one in stock too. £52 too! Legends!
Service is now resumed, but the car has cost £300 in repairs in one month :indiff:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v210/30psi/41442e4f.jpg
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