Latest engine restoration- really off topic.

Oldenginerod wrote:Been rebuilding an engine a little different to what we normally see on these pages.  I really enjoy putting together something like this.  302 Ford Windsor.

Owner picked it up this morning & will probably get it fitted some time today.  Going in a domestic Aussie 1965 fairlane.
Then it's my job to get it all plumbed & wired up, distributor timed and fire her up.
Did just about everything.  Fully machined, 4V heads, duel plane Edelbrock manifild & 4bbl Holley 600, Power-Master cam, indexed timing gears, HEI distributor, plus lots of "Bling".  Here's hoping all goes well on the test run.

Rod.

Rod: what Cox engine is that? a Cox 22,000cc.?

happydad          

happydad wrote:

Rod: what Cox engine is that? a Cox 22,000cc.?

happydad          

No, only a small one at 4,900cc.  Actually, with my failing eyes and lack of dexterity in my fingers a job like this is in some ways easier than working on a Cox.  There are a few more moving parts though.
The customer kept showing up with more shiny parts to bolt on.  It certainly won't make huge horsepower, but it sure looks fast.
Spent more time cleaning and painting parts than I did assembling it.  My cousin's husband (huge Mopar fan) works in an engine machine shop so I got an extra careful & thorough job done.  Can't wait to hear it rumble.

Nice Job Rod.

Marleysky wrote:
Sure would enjoy hearing the rumpty, rump, rumpty, idle of the open headers of that 302!

This one will travel low and slow, with the cam grind designed to be torquey & smooth, developing it's power down low.
Unlike another vehicle I have here.  A 5lt (308) GM V8 (local variety) as fitted to a domestic Holden "Ute".  This thing is wild.  It has been here for about a year.  ("In-between" job).  Rebuilt the diff.  Had huge chassis cracks welded around the rear axle mounts. Replaced clutch & flywheel (Racing type). Removed and re-gasketed/sealed the engine.  Replaced engine mounts which had been twisted up by the extra power.  New high performance headers not yet connected to any exhaust system.  Man, does that thing bark, and bite.  Huge lumpy-cam idle at about 1,200 rpm.  Sounds like something you'd see on the drag strip.

Hope I'm not boring people.  While I'm not into high performance as such, I do appreciate a nice engine.  
I figured that if Jim can ask about his GE Softwater unit (I actually have no idea what that is), my story is fine for this forum.

Rod.

Sweet !!! Nice restoration there Rod , While I am not a big ford fan Pretty is Pretty ! Hope she don't give no problems with the shake down . Eric

You have done very well!

Rod,

I think that is quite welcome here. Personally, I think it is big time eye candy. I even drool a little over such clean work as yours. It makes me miss working as an aircraft mechanic.

Fred,

I feel for you with regard to the ex-wife thing. Mine made off with most of my log books totaling several thousand hours of flight time. If I am ever able to purchase or build a plane (probably not, but still hoping) that might pose some issues for insurance rates.

Just to string out the story a little, the reason I got this job was because I did a rebuild on a 289 for this guy's father about three years ago.  Nowhere near as pretty.  Full mechanical rebuild but only gave it a rough coat of Ford blue- he wasn't after a show car.  That guy goes cruising around every other day because he just likes the rumble.  He called in here about every week for six months just to tell me how nice it was & how much he enjoyed driving around.  Here's my son on his way to a school formal.  

Guy was happy to drive him & his date to the dance & show off the car.

The guy's son was so impressed he went out & got the same model car & has done a full ground-up rebuild, but he wanted it far prettier than his dad's.  I'd hate to think how much it's gonna cost once it's finished.  I think it's one of those jobs where you reach your budget and then stop counting.

Well, the title says "Off topic" so this should fit in well with that theme.

Our city has an annual "circus" and many years ago, would offer a nightly attendance draw of.....a new car.

My 18 year old brother attended one night in 1971 and was the lucky winner of an orange Chevy Vega.

These "giveaway cars" were the cheapest, totally stripped vehicles that could be purchased for reasons that seem obvious now. After all they gave away something like 7 cars over the week and we are not a large city.

The Vega came with an awful 4 cylinder aluminum block engine and in this case, hooked up to a three speed manual on the floor. There wasn't even an ash tray, floor mats or glove box in this car.

So, totally out of the character he has since become, brother dear wanted to stuff a small block Chevy into his "free" car after he had owned it for about two years.

As a result, we created probably the first V8 Vega in our city.

We used a mildy warmed over 283 driving a 3 speed automatic and bought a kit containing headers, motor mounts and not much else.

The end result was a car that was quite fast, couldn't corner or go over railroad tracks without bottoming out and which tended to overheat. In this configuration, the Vega was approximately equivalent to your typical 396 Chevelle or GTO.

After a year or so (for reasons that escape me at this time) we stuffed a 327 into the car (punched out to be about a 340ci) and put deeper gears into the (stock!!!) rear end.

Now the car had enough power to spin the rear wheels at 60mph and brother wisely sold the car.

Certainly an interesting experience for the two of us.

These wheels are super rare around here, they were factory on a 64 Ford Galaxy500XL I owned.
The car had fantastic trim inside and out, 390 engine highway cruiser.

They were a common wheel out here on 60s & early 70s Fords. Affectionately known as the "Twelve-Slotter". Reproductions are still readily available as are the caps.
Our 60s Fairlanes were very similar to the Galaxy only smaller. Based on a Ford Falcon with a stretched weel-base.

ahhhhhh Fairlanes there is a guy who lives in our town and he has one on airbags and a blown v8 but its a sleeper (I can tell its blown because of the supercharger wine!)

Thought it was about time I updated this thread.  Here's the finished product.

Engine in the slot.  His attention to detail isn't quite what mine would be.

Custom dash.  Full gauges with GPS speedo.  All the woodgrain on dash & doors has been done with brushed stainless steel.

Engraved with "Tinkerbell" on the dash to match the "Tink" registration plates.

Had me tricked initially.  "Tink" being for Tinkerbell, being a fairy.  Apparently some call a Fairlane a "Fairy", hence Tinkerbell.
"67" is obviously the year it was made.  Same model as his dad's car which is the blue one in my previous posts.

Rod.

What a great story! My wife has told me that her dad always used to ask; "who wrote the book".. whenever she cited some fact. Having a firing-order be incorrect in a manual is just heinous.

When I was high-school age (1978 grad.).. my friend bought a 1966 Ford Fairlane GT390/4sp. trans. I knew the car from years earlier. I'd say around 1970.. when another guy had it.. and bracket-raced on the road I lived on. I was ten years old.. and I remember my dad getting [bleep] when they were staging after a run or two.. and walking down the street with a garden rake in his hand yelling.. MOVE OUT! (remember it like it was yesterday..)

My friend later beat the lips off that car".. He often ran "Cam2 racing fuel".

I will explain further.  The reason I had the car back was to repair some damage.  The brand new Holley carb I fitted had a "flat spot" just off the mark.  I suggested he took it to a place with a dyno and exhaust gas analyser.  He did, explaining to them that he wasn't after maximum output as that is not what it was built for.  Just fix the jetting issue & get it accelerating smooth.
They rang him and said to bring a tilt-tray to take it away.  At 170 KMH (105 MPH) the front u-joint in the prop shaft popped, bending the prop shaft and tearing the extension housing off of the rear of the trans.  Then they charged him for the time it had been on the dyno.
I had a new prop shaft made and fitted a replacement housing- everything looked ok apart from several dents in the floorpan.  Drove ok but wouldn't shift out of 1st unless I pulled the stick down to 2nd.  Drop it back in drive and it went into neutral.  Trucked it off to the guy who rebuilt the C4 trans and it's cracked the main trans case internally.  Needs a new case plus whatever else they find.

Owner is not happy