Hitman's Pontiac Trans Am Forum
Trans Am Photos => Restoration Projects => Topic started by: Mongo on August 31, 2009, 01:16:00 AM
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So I finally had time to set up a Photobucket account so I can post pictures. I bought this car in March and started the restoration in April. It has since been stripped, sent to the body shop and returned home. I am in the process of reassembly now. It is slow going but I'm plugging along. The interior should have been finished by now but a heart stent slowed me down for about a month. Since I know we ALL love pics, I will be adding some here and there throughout the process. Heres a few pics from when i got her. Enjoy.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA15.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA1.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA2.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA12.jpg)
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MORE PICS OF THE CAR. STRIPPED AND GUTTED. WHAT A CHORE THAT WAS.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA21.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA25.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA30.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA35.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA35.jpg)
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i like that 1st shot w/ the older cars... i had a m/c like that blue 1.... also see g/p g/n caddie and maybe a goat
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Looks like a great project, I can't see any rust
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I bought the car from a guy in California and had it shipped here to Michigan. I didnt find any rust at all. lots of dents and dings but no rust. Heres a couple pics of the floors. The first picture was taken when the shipper dropped it off at the place where my wife works. He gets a lot of cool stuff there.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA40.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA41.jpg)
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loooks like my kind of restoration no rust :) con grats looks like a great car.
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Yeah, looks solid. Garage kept?
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Dont know about then but it is now. It was the guys daily driver for quite some time.
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Nice T/A you have there ,I'm impressed by how clean and rust free it is . Are you going to paint it the same color?
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Great looking body! Good luck with the resto!
Pat
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THANK YOU. When i bought the car the pictures on ebay made it look blue but when it got here it was really this flip flop blue/green color. The guy told me it was an original black car so i found the build sheet and verified it was. It will be going back to the original color. Here are a couple shots after the shop used DP90.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA46.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA48.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA47.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA49.jpg)
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whats up with the cottage cheese look on the pass side front fender?
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I think that's primer right? As I'd be tweaked if that was final color with that lovely dent in the pass side front fender.
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That is a preprimier. DP90 is a spray on coating that replaces the factory ecoat. It seals the bare metal. All body work is done over that. That is a pretty nasty dent isnt it? Before I stripped the car, you couldnt see that at all. The rear quarters were the same way. Who ever did the bodywork previously made it look good but never bumped it out properly.
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Heres a few body work shots prior to prime
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA50.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA52.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA56.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA51.jpg)
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good work there. I used the DP90 on mine to. good stuff, hard as nails.
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Thanks. Rattle can primer would have looked better then the green gunk that was on there.
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Looking good!
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Fred looks good keep up the good work. Nice find.
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Heres a few more pics. The car is now in high build primer and being blocked. Paint pictures coming soon.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA63.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA81.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA64.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA67A.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA78A.jpg)
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Coming along nicely
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Thanks. Just not fast enough. I wanna driiiiiiive it! probably wont be till next year now though so Im in no hurry.
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THE SHOP DIDNT TAKE MANY PICS AFTER PAINTING BUT HERES A FEW
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA85.jpg)
THE GRAY GHOST
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA1118.jpg)
HOOD AND DOOR IN BLACK
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA1119.jpg)
WET SANDING
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA89.jpg)
TONY RUBBING AND POLISHING
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(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA93.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA94.jpg)
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Heres a few more of the bird when it came home. I put the tail and bumper together and refinished the dash.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA98.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA95.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA99.jpg)
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Whose car is your avatar? Its looking great BTW
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mine. same as in the pics. thank you. lotta work
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Nice ...
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Time to add a few more. I am actually ahead of what the pictures show. Tonight i have been fighting with fit and finish issues with the mirrors and rear flares. The fit is terrible on these. What a pain in the arse! I'll post those at a later date. These are the start of reassembly.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA92.jpg)
touch up prior to the rear glass being reinstalled
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA100.jpg)
FatMating the entire interior. (thanks to scottd3 for this idea.)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA43.jpg)
Making a shifter plate for my dual gate
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/000_0492.jpg)
package shelf, speakers,insulation and quarter trim panels installed
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/000_0494.jpg)
home made headliner, sail panels and deluxe dome lamp installed.
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Lookin good, reminds me of my black 79 I went and saw in paint today.
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Thanks for the compliment. Isnt that a cool feeling when you go see it for the first time after painting?
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the best was for me when i got my audi painted. i bought it at an auction under florecent lights and i thought it was black then when it went out into sunlight the damn thing was purple. well after someone backed into me i decided to take the money and get it painted. it was tucked away in the corner so as i walked iinto the shop i didn't see it right away and when i rounded the corner there it was a matallic blue. that was a great feelin driving it home.
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More photos. Got my dash back in and capped, console in, doors on, handles and mirrors on, rear flares on(again)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1183.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1180.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1171.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1172.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1176.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1169.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1173.jpg)
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did i notice a tach/speedo swap?...nice touch
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You caught that huh? With the 455 engine swap, I hope to peg that!
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did you have to do anything else to swap in the 160 mph speedo, or can you just use the same cables?
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The speedo swap is plug and play. No changes necessary.
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You are ready for the bezel....will ship it out to you this weekend, Fred....custom shift bezel looks sharp!
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Ready and waiting bro! Thanks. Shifter plate is all do to you dude!
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great looking project.... the paint looks good...
Liked that way you did the fat mat...
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Did some interior stuff this week
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1189.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1187.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1188.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1186.jpg)
gotta restretch the seat covers. too many wrinkles still
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1184.jpg)
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One of the better looking vinyl seat jobs I've seen lately. Did you use steam or lay them in sun first to help w wrinkles? What year model did your speedo come out of? :)
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looking real good fred. interior is next on my to do list.
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Thank you. Actually did them cold. Its been really gloomy here and not much sun. I think that is why there are so many wrinkles. I tried a heat gun to warm them up but was afraid of getting them too hot.
Your paint looks awesome Rick. I need to wet sand mine again. Interiors are time consuming but the results are well worth it.
Im surprised that no one has noticed a major change in there yet.
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I believe the speedo is out of a 73. The tag on the back says 73 but im not sure exactly.
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I believe the speedo is out of a 73. The tag on the back says 73 but im not sure exactly.
thanx, lookin good! the 80 mph speedo is a constant reminder of stoopid policy makers! ;)
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see i kinda like the smaller speedo. to me it makes my car look mean and fast when i punch it and the needle goes past the last number on the speedo. idk im weird like that though.
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see i kinda like the smaller speedo. to me it makes my car look mean and fast when i punch it and the needle goes past the last number on the speedo. idk im weird like that though.
The needle would be pegged all the time on my norman driving! haha
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fred whats the big change for people to notice? I have been staring at your pictures trying to figure it out. still lookin good though.
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Sorry Rick, been up north closing up for the season. Look at the close up of the gold wheel and hub. Anything look wrong?
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i noticed you installed an se wheel and dash plate but i was looking beyond that.
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Fred, it was good to meet up with you and Shane today. Good time.....you said I should notice something about your interior that is not stock. Quickly I see the Rear speaker grills aren't factory and do you plan to paint the fender flare welting? I can look more is these are not them later.
Hey Mike, just got finished putting the engine away. It was really cool meeting you guys and hope to catch up soon. The speaker grills are pretty obvious arent they? I dont plan on painting the welting. Neither are the mod you are looking for though.
i noticed you installed an se wheel and dash plate but i was looking beyond that.
Those are not factory as this is not a true SE but that isnt it either.
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Is it the short hub for the steering wheel?
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Is it the short hub for the steering wheel?
I would have to agree... never seen a hub that short.
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bobspacin80ta......you da man!
Virgil, I made it so I would have a little extra room.
Hammer, bobspacin80ta beat you to it.
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bobspacin80ta......you da man!
Virgil, I made it so I would have a little extra room.
Hammer, bobspacin80ta beat you to it.
thats where a telescoping wheel would have come in handy. they are really nice.. have one in the Vette and its great. a little custom work and I am sure you could do one in a T/A.
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ah hah i was looking right at it the whole time. lol oh well. so clean it goes unnoticed
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My 69 Vette had a standard column in it when I got it so I added a tilt tele column. Made it much better. I dont know what telescopic column would fit in the TA though. The hub is approx 3.5 inches shorter then the stock hub. I also made brackets to relocate both front seats back an inch and a half. Those are not so noticeable. Im 6'2" and a light 385 so all the room I can get I will take.
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I to was going to move the seat tracks back an inch. Im getting bigger too.
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geeze guys. well im 5,6 and 160 so i fit in them just fine :) you guys would make me look like a child driving. all tall n stuff. golley to be that tall. lol.
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Bein tall aint my exact problem bro!
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looking very nice. what did you use for insulation and sound deadening?
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fred, shapes dont bother me its the height since im vertically challenged
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Height is not a good thing sometimes either Rick. That is one reason I never drove my Vette or 35 sedan. I hated being crouched down all the time.
I used FatMat. Still have to do the doors though. Not ready to yet.
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Ginger??? I'll have to hit him with that one. LOL! I dont know if im gonna leave that hub in there yet. I will have to drive it first and see. Gotta have gut room ya know, but with the seats back an inch and a half, that may be enough.
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FREDBO99, can I ask how you moved the seats back 1 1/2". I had thought about this too, it just seems like the seats should go back farther. Do you have a pic of the brackets you made?
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I may have an extra bracket I can take a pic of when I get home. I used 3/8 thick bar stock. Cut 8 pieces approx 2.5 inches long. Then measured in 1/2 in from each end and drilled pilot holes on center. I then drilled one hole large enough for the factory size bolt to fit through and one hole that fit the factory seat bolt exact. I tapped that hole. The brackets bolt down to the floor in the original positions and the seat tracks bolt to the brackets
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Started putting T Top seals in. Originally I bought Metro's from NPD but had a drag of a time trying to get them to fit correctly. After reading another thread I decided to go with SoffSeals. What a difference. Dry fit was ALOT better. Rubber quality might not be as good as these have some airholes in them but when sealed to the glass it shouldn't be an issue. They look closer to the factory seals also.
Drivers side dry fit, Pass side glued down.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1221.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1222.jpg)
Drivers side rear glued in. Read to use lots of tape. I also used a piece of heater hose on top to make sure the seal was tight against the body while taping in place.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1223.jpg)
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you are haulin a55 on that. want to take my car next?
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Not
you are haulin a55 on that. want to take my car next?
Not really Rick. It has taken since June to get the interior back in. If you were a bit closer I would be happy to give you a hand.
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Nice day today so I cleaned the garage and moved her. T Top weatherstrips and moldings are done. Glass is all in and adjusted. Doors all sealed up with Fat Mat. All thats left inside is door panels, T Tops repaint and the dash bezel. Going to go see Randy next weekend and pick that up. Then its bath time and ready to move to the other side of the garage. Leave it to the "Fun Governor" to mess me up just because she had to scrape windows.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1225.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1226.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1227.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1230.jpg)
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Looks really good - you've done a bunch of nice work on that. Congrats.
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Thank you!
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hard work payin off :)
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Got the T Tops painted and installed the other day. New weatherstrips make em sit high. Hopefully the will drop with time. She needs a bath bad. Finger prints and dust everywhere.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1234.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1235.jpg)
Installed the new door panels today. What a tedious PIA! They look really nice though. Especially after seeing bare doors for so long. Thanks Hitman!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1232.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1233.jpg)
Going Sunday to meet Randy Combs and pick up my dash bezel. Cant wait to get that installed.
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Yeah they will. I had same prob w my new door weatherstripping. Had to slam doors to make em sit flush. Took about a month. On your door handle estucheons, you can paint black then spray the chrome spray paint on paper and touch them to paper to outline the trim. Works for radio bezel too.
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The car is comming together nicely, post some pics when you get the dash bezel on
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Yeah they will. I had same prob w my new door weatherstripping. Had to slam doors to make em sit flush. Took about a month. On your door handle estucheons, you can paint black then spray the chrome spray paint on paper and touch them to paper to outline the trim. Works for radio bezel too.
Must be the light in the pictures. The door handle escrutcheons are new. Thats a good tip though. never thought of that. I outlined my radio bezel with a paint pen.
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Well, Its been a busy week. Went to KY last weekend. Met Randy Combs on the way home and picked up my dash bezel. (Thanks again Randy) Real nice guy. Great work. Looks real nice. I Recommend Randy to anyone looking to have their dash redone. I installed the bezel. Tight fit with the dash cap but looks awesome. I needed to adjust the pass side door panel to make a tighter fit. When I opened the door, I heard a loud POP. My NEW door hinge broke so I had to pull the pass side door off to replace the upper hinge. >:( Check roller pin pulled out. NPD had no problem giving me a free hinge though. Glad they are so close to me. Got that installed and the door back on(without a scratch or nick! ;D ). You know how hard FatMat is to get off? GEEZ whatta a drag. Once I got that all done I spent the rest of the weekend readjusting and tweaking everything on both sides. Got my T Top to door glass weatherstrips on also and had to massage everything to get the tops to close. Once it was all sealed up I decided to wash and wax her. I still have 2 tiny leaks but hey, T Tops leak right? Im tired!!!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1263.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1264.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1266.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1262.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1237.jpg)
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Sharp eye. 455. That would be cool. Hopefully in the spring. I was figuring Steaks and beers too!
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VERY NICE CAR. ALOT OF HOURS ARE PAYING OFF NOW. GOOD JOB ON EVERYTHING
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Thanks. Every hour has been fun! PIA but fun. Gonna start on pulling the engine in a couple weeks. That should be enjoyable.
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Interior is FINISHED! Once dusted and vacuumed everything on the inside is ready to go. Going to start pulling the front sheet metal off again tomorrow so I can get the 403 out, engine bay detailed, suspension rebuilt and the on to the 455 rebuild.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1279.jpg)
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you have done so much work to your car. looks amazing what you have done.
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Thank you. Lot left to do too. Im about halfway done. Gotta get moving, Summers coming.
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Vacuum it and get some floor mats down!! - nice work.
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Yea, it need it. Floormats for christmas I Hope
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Floormats make all the difference in the world. Here is a picture of mine. Really finished off my interior.
You car is looking great! Keep up the good work.
(http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/15847-2/DSC03034.JPG)
(http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/15845-2/DSC03033.JPG)
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Been busy the last couple evenings. Front end is all off (again) and the engine is ready to come out. I will have it out tomorrow. Anyone need a good running 403? CHEAP!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1283.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1282.jpg)
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be careful with them freshly painted body panels fred. but on the other hand, now is the best time to clean up your frame. Is that the original motor for your car? if so you may want to just tuck it off to the side somewhere.
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sooner ta, how much did them floor mats run you? this is a detail that I over looked with my car. I cant run without mats in there.
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be careful with them freshly painted body panels fred. but on the other hand, now is the best time to clean up your frame. Is that the original motor for your car? if so you may want to just tuck it off to the side somewhere.
I taped up the edges of the doors prior to removing the fenders so no chipping....so far. I have them hanging side by side and covered so they wont get messed up. When I bought the car I was told the 403 was a number matching engine that had been rebuilt. When I got the car here I looked at all the documentation he sent and found out it was a Jasper rebuild. If it would have been a number match, I would have left it in. Since it aint, no worries now.......455! Since it is modified and a clone of sorts now, I figured I would name her
7 of 9. She's hot, she's modified and she's a T/A.....resistance is futile!
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lol there you go. what are you doing to your 455? just plain rebuild or?
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Not sure yet. I need to get it pulled down. Hopefully a rering, cam, 6x heads, ported, RARE manifolds. Nothing huge!
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sooner ta, how much did them floor mats run you? this is a detail that I over looked with my car. I cant run without mats in there.
I think I paid around $172 with the "Trans Am". The mats start at $130 just plain. There are a couple logos you can put on the mats, on there site. The company is ACC.
http://www.accmats.com/Commerce/Search.aspx
Hope this helps. The look great in person!
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Heres how I spent my Saturday and Sunday. Engine is out. Subframe is completely dissassembled and cleaned. What a mess. Felt like 10 lbs of dirt. No rust though so that good. A little touch up and I will be ready for POR15. Im going to have the springs, control arms, steering knuckles, backing plates and sway bar sand blasted then POR them also.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1286.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1284.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1285.jpg)
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I NEED A RUNNING 403!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PM me how much!! I need the tranny/ driveshaft too
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wow that looks great im in the middle of doing the exact same thing.
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I NEED A RUNNING 403!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PM me how much!! I need the tranny/ driveshaft too
Make me a reasonable offer. How will you get it? I have no way to band it or ship it
wow that looks great im in the middle of doing the exact same thing.
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Thanks. Dirty job but someone has to do it.
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oh i know. what did you use. i am using a grinding wheel it worked great.
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Wire wheel
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this stuff is the bomb. it almost as hard as powder coat
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/006-9.jpg)
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yeah and very expensive too but i agree that stuff is the best.
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I got the regular POR 15.
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I paid 20 per qt. ;D
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Thats cheap, mine was 40
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It goes a pretty long way though. I painted my subframe with it and used much less than I originally anticipated.
Oh and the car look great! Love the dual gate shifter! I had one in my first car and loved it.
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Thats cheap, mine was 40
I'm pretty good friends with the guy at the paint store. the mark up on paint is nuts. buy the way , you car is sweet. hell of a job.
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Thanks Doug. The prices on EVERYTHING is nuts. I havent restored a car since 1992 so everytime I check prices I fall over. What happened? I appreciate the compliment. Lotta work so far (as you well know)
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Got some more done the last couple evenings. All my components are at the sand blasters, Frame is cleaned and por15'd, Firewall is done. Waiting for new suspension bushings and stuff.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1291.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1292.jpg)
POR 15 is the poop. Just dont get it on your hands and forget.
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looks great!!! i'm at the same stage in my resto. i've been trying to figure out what to use to paint my firewall. you guys seem to love that POR15. did you spray it or use a brush? i just got my frame back but i had it stripped and powdercoated...
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I used a brush. The firewall i used semi gloss gravelguard. nice finish.
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sweet! was it down to bare metal? did you use any kind of primer or did you just paint it on? i'm starting to like this stuff more and more
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the Frame was wire wheeled to bare metal. The firewall was scuffed and sprayed.
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FREDBO99, everything looks great! the por15 makes a great difference.
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looks good. now you get to put it all back together. thats the fun part.
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I hope my parts are done tomorrow.
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the Frame was wire wheeled to bare metal. The firewall was scuffed and sprayed.
ok so i'm now totally confused haha. i spoke to guys at Eastwood and POR15. they both said thier products are only to be used on bare metal!!! i wasn't going to take my firewall and undercarriage down to that. i was just gonna scuff it up with a scotchbrite pad or something- ugh...
they said if i didn't the product wouldn't stay on permanently...
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I didnt use POR15 on the firewall. Only the frame. The frame was down to bare metal. Not too tough, just dirty.
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so what did you use on the firewall and undercarriage?
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so what did you use on the firewall and undercarriage?
The undercarriage isnt done yet. I used semigloss black gravel guard on the firewall. Turned out nice though.
I did some more parts cleaning and also refinished the booster today. A wire wheel, a little self etching primer and 2 coats of Duplicolor Gold. Looks real close to the original finish. I was going to go with Eastwoods coating but 50 bucks was a bit much for 2 parts. 5 bucks is better. Check it out.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1293.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1296.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1295.jpg)
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ah i bought the Eastwood brake booster kit! if i had known, after i used it, i would've sent you the rest. i won't use the entire contents just for one booster. oh well...
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whats the part number on the can of gold
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I will have to check. It is like their chrome paint but gold.
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ok i know which one you are talking about now
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Started reassembling. Cleaned and refinished the proportioning valve, steering gear and intermediate shaft. Cleaned all the stainless brake lines, fuel, return and evap lines. I also had to reroute them since they are different from 403 to 455.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1304_00.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1309.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1305.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1308.jpg)
I also got my front end parts back. I sent the control arms out to have the bushings pressed out. I refinished the spindles. Going to do the springs and control arms next.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1303_00.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1307.jpg)
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dam , I like the booster. I did the kit from E-wood and don't like it. yours has more of a shine to it than mine. that why I got a new one for the 77.
do the wiper motor and the knuckle joint on the steering ,( under the booster. you got it silver or cast color.) it looks real good bub.
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Thanks Doug. Do the wiper motor and knuckle joint in what? gold? I did the knuckle joint in gold first but thought it was supposed to be silver so I redid it. Are they supposed to be gold?
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you can kinda see it in my pic. on my 79.
(http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/15861-1/Picture+or+Video+008.JPG)
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here is the one for my 77.
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/004-21.jpg)
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4SPEED where are you getting the rubber ring that goes on the end of that steering shaft. mine is junk and i cant find one anywhere.
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mine was good. I will check the parts cars for good one's and let you no. try napa, or car quest
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this one is looking good!!!
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Well the holidays are over and I actually got something accomplished. I got all the parts back from the blaster the other day. I cleaned and coated and or painted them all. Had the bushings pressed in. Started putting everything back together today. Doing springs by yourself sucks! Anyone need a slightly used F body spring compressor? Got the motor mounts in also.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1311.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1312.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1314.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1313.jpg)
Does this drag link look correct? Is it supposed to sit high on one side?
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1315.jpg)
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looks good from here. do you got a low drivers rear tire? something looks out of level. don't forget to leave all the bushings loose until the full load of the car is on them.
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looks good from here. do you got a low drivers rear tire? something looks out of level. don't forget to leave all the bushings loose until the full load of the car is on them.
what do you mean leave all the bushings loose? explain yourself....
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I think that's how it settles ... I want to say you tighten it up with the load on the front end.
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looks good from here. do you got a low drivers rear tire? something looks out of level. don't forget to leave all the bushings loose until the full load of the car is on them.
The rear of the car is up on jack stands also. Do you have a photo of your draglink installed? I want to make sure before I torque everything down.
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(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/000_0150.jpg)
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/000_0151.jpg)
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/000_0152.jpg)
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/000_0153.jpg)
about the upper and lower bushings. leave the bolts and nuts loose. don't tighten them until the load of the car is on them. or the front end will be sticking up in the air .
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Looks nice Doug ... is that all stock members just powdercoated with a bushing kit?
FredBo - it's hard to tell if the suspension is off with the lean in the shot (either a low rear as Doug says or a camera held at an angle).
Snap on - I agree with Doug's comment above about having the load on the car.
I think that's how it settles ... I want to say you tighten it up with the load on the front end.
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Doug is right on the money. If you tighten the suspension with no load, it will sit high and eventually lead to premature bushing failure as well.
Doug, Thanks for the shots. Your drag link seem to sit higher on the pass side in relation to the lower edge of the subframe as well.
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all the same parts that were on it. with new GM bushings. and didn't do the powder coating. it all POR 15 sprayed on.
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about the upper and lower bushings. leave the bolts and nuts loose. don't tighten them until the load of the car is on them. or the front end will be sticking up in the air .
[/quote]
hmmm, i didn't even think of that! thanks...
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your center link looks fine. I do not recall ever seeing an f-body with a drag link in it before. I do know the older chevy k-series pickups were notorious for bad drag links.
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Man it's lookin good Fredbo.......
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Thank you. Gonna start on the engine this weekend.
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I got the brakes and rotors on during the week. Pulled the trailer with the 455 over today. Started to get that torn down and off the trailer and the 403 on the trailer so I can move that back to moms garage. I was surprised how clean it was inside. I was kind of expecting a sludge bucket but not so. I will be pulling the heads and pan tomorrow so I can check the crank and pull pistons. Maybe I will get lucky and be able to stay with stock bore. ;D I also got lucky and out of all that dissassembly, I only broke one bolt. >:(
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1352.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1353.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1359-1.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1360-1.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1361.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1362.jpg)
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I WANT ONE!!! haha. Thats is going to be a great engine!
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I hope so. I should come close to doubling the horsepower. The original 403 was like 185 hp.
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I don't think you will have a problem doubling the horsepower. 370+ HP should be easy to get.
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awww the best part of the build. I cant wait until I get to crack mine open. 370+hp you should get. I got almost 400hp with my 400
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FREDBO99, your car looks incredible man. Following your build helps me keep up the desire to stick with mine. The crazy cold weather out now kinda works against it, but it will get done. I wish I had the time a know-how. Great looking car and keep the pics coming! I'll do the same.
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Thanks Bro. All the great comments, help and support from the people here keep me going. Cold weather really sucks. I am lucky to have a heated garage or I wouldnt be doing much till spring. I cant wait to see the gas bill. :o
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isn't it funny to think what the original HP ratings were :-\? these days we have little 4 cylinder engines in rice-rockets doing that, let alone a "mighty" V6 somewhere that has 300HP LOL. so yea, doubling that 185HP shouldn't be a problem at all ;)
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sooo sad but true. cannot wait to see this car on the road fred. is it going to the nats or metro cruise ever?
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I hope to do both.
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Dundee and the nats , Tipp city. it will be a good time . you 2 are buying ;)
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I forgot about Dundee
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Man good lookin motor, Where did you get something like that. lol ;D
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some used car guy in ohio. Im only usin half of what he sold me though.
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dam used car salesmen lol.
fred, will you be in dundee this year? nats? I know i owe doug atleast 2 beers by now what do you owe him?
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Im hoping to be either with or without the car. Dundee is not to far from me so it shouldnt be a problem. I owe him a couple as well.
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Well I got my heads and intake from New York (thanks Lobsterbak). It is amazing to me how a shipper can totally destroy a package. At least the contents survived. I will post pics of those in a couple days. Heres a couple of the block I forgot to post.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1366.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1365.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1364.jpg)
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when you get done with that block, send it to me and i'll give you mine as your core thanks.
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are you doing the assembling or is a shop doing the engine?
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You wont want it. It will have paint and all kinds of non stock parts in it.
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yeah just give it to me so i can dispose of it properly so the epa doesnt come down hard on you.
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Im taking it tomorrow to be cleaned and have cam bearings put in it. I will do the rest.
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if you give me a 250 core I will bring you a 403 im not using
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lmfao i dont think a 403 will push my 71 very well. you know that nose and smaller back window add too much weight. wouldnt want to stress out the cam in that poor motor.
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Nothing a 125 NO2 wont cure.
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I got the block, pistons and rods back today. Not much done this week. Too friggin cold.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1384.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1383.jpg)
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uhhh ohhhhh someone is going to have to buy a reddy heater and get workin real fast.
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ahhhhhhh the smell of new parts. just put on 2 pair of socks and get to work.
is that a new code on the block?
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My garage has a furnace but im trying to save cash. The Gas company Loves me when winter comes and I work out there. It will be fired up this weekend for sure.
new code? yea, know what it stands for?
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fred..... that is the code for that block to be the only #s mathing 455 made for your year car wow a 1 of 1 car cooooooooooooooooooooool lol
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That car has a FRED in it. F**kin Real Engine Dude
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that works too.
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haha make sure you paint around that. that is one rare block you wouldn't wanna cover that up.
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I got the block prep all done. Holes all bottom tapped, Casting flash all ground off, Bores all cleaned out and the inside all Glyptal coated.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1388.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1390.jpg)
I had to get a new oil pan too, The original had rusted away and had pin holes in it. I POR15'd this one so that should never happen again.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1389.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1391.jpg)
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very nice. I may need to give my motor guy a call in the morn.
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FREDBO99...Things are coming along nice! Keep up the good work and keep the pictures coming!!! Thanks
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Now I remember why porting heads is expensive........Its a PITA and a makes a mess everywhere. I did my heads today. They came out OK. Still need a touch up but not bad.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1396.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1395.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1394.jpg)
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wow those came out great nice work.
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UMMMMMM...
What is glyptal? :)
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UMMMMMM...
What is glyptal? :)
that red coating on the inside of the motor, supposed to help with oil drainback
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UMMMMMM...
What is glyptal? :)
that red coating on the inside of the motor, supposed to help with oil drainback
is it a paint or hard surface coating, baked or air dried
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more of a paint, air dried, but i wouldnt see why you couldnt kinda bake it on
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Thanks for the compliments. Ive only ported a couple time before and last time was 18 years ago.
Glyptal is an industrial paint used mainly in electric motors. It is also used in machines, engines and rear axles. It helps with oil return and is more for racing engines then stockers. It helps with oil return to the block by sealing up the porous castings. Easy to clean too if you ever have to pull your engine apart. Looks nice too(even though no one will ever see it).
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Cool...I like the idea and I like the look of it
You say it is not ideal for a stocker type application?
How come?
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Cool...I like the idea and I like the look of it
You say it is not ideal for a stocker type application?
How come?
It is Great for stockers too just alot if time thats all.
Nice port polishing and (I assume) gasket matching on the heads. It looks like a PITA....dod you use a dremmel to do that? I did the same on my intake and it came out nice but took a long time to get it right. NICE WORK!
Does Ginger help with any of this? LOL
Air die grinder. Ginger has been busy with a kitchen remodel. He will help put the fenders back on though.
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Cool Thanks
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Impressive stuff there FREDBO99. L@@kin good....
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Thank you. Stuck waiting for parts now.
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Are you going to get a N O Saints Tag for the front..
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uh........that would be no. Why would you ask that? I live in Detroit(sort of)
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Because of the Black & Gold.. lol, Just kiddin ;)
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, Now I get it.
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Got the short block together yesterday. Anyone know how to get the screen in the pump? Heres a couple before and a couple afters.....
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1365.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1366.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1412.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1413.jpg)
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perty!!!!
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I got the rest of the bottom end pretty much done today. The oil pump pick up was a royal pain. All painted up and rarin to go. Does this color look correct? It looks a little too greenish to me. I was going to use the older metallic blue but Hammer talked me out of it. Maybe it the lights in the garage.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1414.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1415.jpg)
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What is the red paint and what is it for? (Never mind, Just read back on the other pages, haha) Looks like you are doing a great job.
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Dude! Homegrown porting is the bomb! And you look like a pro at it. Have you run it on a flow bench to calculate the numbers? Looks impressive, as does the rest of your engine. Can't wait to see more when she's all buttoned up and makin' music!
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lookin good!!
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I got the rest of the bottom end pretty much done today. The oil pump pick up was a royal pain. All painted up and rarin to go. Does this color look correct? It looks a little too greenish to me. I was going to use the older metallic blue but Hammer talked me out of it. Maybe it the lights in the garage.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1414.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1415.jpg)
looks correct to me looks like mine
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man shes looken perdy. do you have a estimated horse power?
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man shes looken perdy. do you have a estimated horse power?
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how did that happen , I got a 2 for 1 post.
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You've got twice the skills of most of us? ...
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lol...deal day I guess
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weird and 2min+ apart
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man shes looken perdy. do you have a estimated horse power?
The HP estimate is 375 to 405 depending on exhaust. I really like the 405 number but dont really want headers.
Dude! Homegrown porting is the bomb! And you look like a pro at it. Have you run it on a flow bench to calculate the numbers?
This is my second set of hand ported heads. I dont have a flow bench and probably dont want to know real numbers cuz then I would know just how crummy of a porter I really am. ;D
Thanks for all the compliments. Spring is almost here and Im not even close to done.
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Fred, can you post some pic's of the tools you used to work on your heads? I am going to work on mine. I am going to take my new motor back apart . gasket match the heads and intake, and some port work. any tips?
one more thing the bolt on the crank? counter clock way to take it off? I cant turn it. braker bar and hammer ? and do you have any of that glyptal paint left you want to sell? how clean does the block need to be to apply it? and how do I get the freeze plugs out?
sorry for all the questions. thanks bro.
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To get the Freeze Plugs out, take a flat tipped chisel and a hammer. Put the chisel on the inner edge of the plug and tap it in towards the coolant jacket. You may need to whack it pretty good depending on what he used to seal it. When it breaks loose and the bottom goes in, The top will come out. Grab that part with vise grips and pull it out of the block.
Crank bolt is counter clockwise to remove it. It is torqued to like 160 ft lbs so you will need to stop the crank from rotating or use an Impact. If he put locktite on it it may be a b*tch to get free. Put two flexplate bolts in the rear of the crank so you can wedge a pry bar between them and your engine stand to stop the crank from moving.
The block and heads need to be very clean. After mine came back from the machine shop, it was clean but I washed it again with brake clean and again with laquer thinner. I only paint the Non Machined cast pieces and the bottom of the valley pan. I am almost done with the Glyptal now. I need to finish painting my heads so I will have quite a bit left. More the a half a can.
I will post pics of the tools needed in a bit. I wish we were closer, I would come help you out.
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Heres the tools needed to port and gasket match,,,,,
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1426.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1428.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1427_00.jpg)
Here a couple of the heads after Glyptal
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1421.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1424.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1423.jpg)
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those look like tools i saw on a horror movie that were used to tortue someone. haha but they look like they would get the job done.
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Looks like everything is coming together nicely. Keep up all the great work! Your heads look Great.
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I picked these up on Ebay. Got them yesterday.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1430.jpg)
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Are those PC seals on your heads?
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Not yet. The guides are cut for them though. Im waiting for them to get here.
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Not yet. The guides are cut for them though. Im waiting for them to get here.
Thanks, everything is looking great!
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This has been road block weekend for me. So the other day I get my heads back from getting the valve job done. Wayne also cut my guides for PC type valve seals. I lapped all the valves in and started to measure everything prior to assembly. I put 2 valves in and 2 valve seals on and it just didnt look right. I checked the clearance between the valve seal and the bottom of the retainer had .320. My cam lift is .480. That aint gonna work. The guides are gonna need to be cut down some more. I checked the installed heights and they were way off also. I came to find out that the valves that I used are approx .160 shorter then the valves the 6X heads came with. I used the valves from the 6H heads because some of the 6X valves had damaged tips, I figured they were all the same length.
Not being able to do heads I decided to drop the short block in the car. Nope! Another road block. Engine side motor mounts are not correct. Here a couple pics dropping the block in and the mounts.......
4speed is gonna help me out today and meet me with the parts I need. Thanks Doug.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1431.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1433.jpg)
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PM sent with pics and part # on the mounts.
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Damn thats nice. Isnt that jkust a silly place to put the oil filter? I have such a hard time getting my filter in and out through the headers
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Thanks. I hoping to get away from that by using the RARE manifolds.
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fred will be doing my 455 soon enough. im thinking fred will have to book me more into the fall though.
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Short block is in. :) Center link doesnt hit, ;D Every thing is cool now. 8)....WHERES MY HEADS! >:(
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1440.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1443.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1439.jpg)
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Just watching the progress.................................
(http://bestsmileys.com/eating1/16.gif)
Me too...Are you going to share the popcorn
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looking good!
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Looks fantastic. I love reading this thread.
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lookin' good my friend? did you figure out what the HP output will be based on your mods?
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Approx 375 with manifolds, 421 with headers according to the Comp Cams CamQuest program. Not sure how accurate that is but close enough for me.
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fred before you get much farther and put that front clip back on, i suggest you jumb on the band wagon with us and detail that ac box you can do it right on the car if you choose to. trust me you will be happy you did it will help compliment that nice engine work your doing.
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wow that looks great. nice work.
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fred before you get much farther and put that front clip back on, i suggest you jumb on the band wagon with us and detail that ac box you can do it right on the car if you choose to. trust me you will be happy you did it will help compliment that nice engine work your doing.
Funny you say that cus I was just staring at that and thought the same thing.
wow that looks great. nice work.
Thanks Kyle. Its getting there. Slow but sure.
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pics of it done by this evening? ;)
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Looks great:)
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fred before you get much farther and put that front clip back on, i suggest you jumb on the band wagon with us and detail that ac box you can do it right on the car if you choose to. trust me you will be happy you did it will help compliment that nice engine work your doing.
agreed! i wasn't gonna do mine, but it turned out great and made the engine bay look that much better!
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Looks good Fred.
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Hopefully some pics by the weekend.
I wasnt going to but RICK......talked(pushed) Me into it
Thanks Conrad.
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You weren't going to take pics!!!!
For shame
I'm glad you changed your mind
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no no no no, I wasnt going to do my A/C box. I love posting pics!
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ahahahahhaa...sorry I a little coffused
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Well, I didnt remove the box from the firewall but cleaned it up better. Here ya go Rick! ;D
I am going to convolute all the wiring to make that all look better too.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1447.jpg) (http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/?action=view¤t=100_1447.jpg)
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Hopefully some pics by the weekend.
I wasnt going to but RICK......talked(pushed) Me into it
Thanks Conrad.
he's a good one for that.
she's looken good Fred.
the bracket on the trans kick down. thats for a 403 ?
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Rick can be very persuasive. He MADE me do mine, haha. Your evap case looks great!
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Not perfect but better then before. Thanks.
That is the original 403 trans kickdown cable and bracket.
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HEY thanks guys!1 Im glad I can be pursuasive. now tell me out of any of you that did this trick, say that you wish you never did it and left your poor a/c box all dirty?
Looks great fred just one more detail that you will be happy you did when done.
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I didnt do it for me.........I did it for YOU BUDDY! Glad I did though. Maybe next time I restore this car, I will take it off the firewall. Not now though.
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riiiiiight say what you want.
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I got the heads back today. I just need to put them together. I wasnt able to do much over the weekend So I refinished and installed my starter. Then I disassembled my alternator. Sand blasted the case, cleared it and put it back together. Came out nice. Heres pics.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1454.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1450.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1451.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1453.jpg)
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Everything looks great. You scratched your oil pan :-\ I hate when that happens.
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Aint that a Beotch! I will touch it up.
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hay there , got another one of those starter brackets. ;)
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The 403 might have one on it. I gotta go to Moms and see. I will let ya know.
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looks good! was the alternator pulley fan origianlly gold?
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gold anodized i believe
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here is a pic of a new alt. not a reman.
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/PARTS/002-26.jpg)
fuel pump is the same way
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/PARTS/001-27.jpg)
;D
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She's turning out sweet FREDBO99.... :)
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Thanks buddy. Glad to see you back!
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looks good! was the alternator pulley fan origianlly gold?
I believe it should be silver cadium.
I just read through this thread, you're doing a GREAT job! Keep it up.
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fire it up fred fire it up!!!
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Soon my brother Soon. Still need some stuff. Got a P/S pump pulley?
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what size you need? i have 2 pumps with pulley's laying in my garage.
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The one I have is a single groove and is approx 6 inches in diameter
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Put the heads together tonight. Need one valve seal to finish the up then on they go.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1462.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1466.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1464.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1465.jpg)
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How do you remove the middle console?
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remove 2 screws, 1 on each side up at the front, remove the shifter knob and bezel, remove the console glove box and the screws under that and out it comes.
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looking good fred. I have two single pulley pumps. I'll check the diameter out for you.
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Finally got the heads finished up and back on today. It is starting to look like an engine again. I have ordered a set of new chrome stock looking valve covers from RARE but I set the OEM ones I have on it. Should I use them or go with the new ones? What about the water pump? Paint or no paint?
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1469.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1470.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1471.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1472.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1475.jpg)
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I see that you drink alot of Diet Squirt. Oh and the engine is pretty.
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Everything is coming together Great! If you are going for the stock look paint the water pump if not I like the aluminum color. Breaks up a lot of the blue.
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I would replace valve covers...On something that nice you want prestine parts to showw through
Unless you can work the originals to look flawless
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They are pretty good but NOT flawless by any means. I didnt think Factory Chrome covers were Mirror shiny. Are they supposed to be?
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don't know...probably not but when you looked at them you could tel they were new...when you look at your's you can tell they are used
know what saying?
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heck no factory chrome valve covers actually sucked. your good on that department fred. once you put a shaker on and some hoses you can hardly see them anyways
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I say putt some BLING on that sucker. if you keep it clean, and I know you will. that chrome will shine thru .
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They are ordered but havent arrived yet. I HATE waiting for parts. >:(
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So I am waiting for parts I figured I would dry fit some stuff and make sure it all went where it was supposed go to correctly. Nice job to do when everything is clean.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1476.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1477.jpg)
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looking good!!
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Everything is looking great! You may have said already but what are you using for your exhaust, manifolds or headers?
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Thank you. RARE manifolds and 2.5 inch Pypes exhaust.
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done yet. ::)
snow will be on the ground soon :P
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LMAO!! good one doug.
fred scratch the 455. i need to talk to you about this here 400 i'll get details for you soon on it
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Thank you. RARE manifolds and 2.5 inch Pypes exhaust.
Which mufflers from Pypes? Thanks for the info!
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rick , isnt the block bored and honed already? and the N crank mains need turned, right? should be an easy build for Fred.
I have some boots for the rod bolts so you dont hit the crank when you put the pistons in. Fred knows what that are. we used them on mine.
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I have The Violator muffler on mine. If you want to be noticed... this is your muffler!
they are loud.
I wish I would of got the Race Pro Muffler. or the Street Pro.
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I actually dont remember. Street Pros I think. I will take a look this week and let you know.
Rick, No Problem. 400, 455, S.S.D.E. LOL! The rod booties are nice to have.
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looks good! doesn't it suck that the A/C compressor covers up so much of the engine? i wish GM used a smaller compressor- ugh :-\... i even considered using a serp belt set up on mine to have a smaller compressor but i think it might ruin the look i'm going for....
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Some of my parts came in. The adjustable rocker studs and pushrods showed up so I was able to install them and the roller rockers. Adjusted the valve train. I also received my power steering pulley from Damian.(Thanks Bro!) Refinished and installed that as well. I need to figure out the pump spacing as it doesnt sit quite in line yet. I was also able to pick up my core support and intake from the media blaster this morning. The intake came out GREAT. Looks new. Im going to finish bolting it down tomorrow. Right now it is just sitting on the engine. I also received the box of RivNuts to fix my sway bar mounting holes also. Gonna do that tomorrow also. I will have extras if anyone is in need. Heres some pics......
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1480.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1481.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1482.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1483.jpg)
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That looks awesome! Great work.
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FREDBO99...Is there a reason you didn't use polylocks? You are doing a great job! Thanks for the pictures!
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wow very nice, i need to hire you to do my engine bay. very nice work
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Fred, not much to say. just , AWESOME
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Thank you. I am hoping to fire it up when the kid comes home from boot camp!
FREDBO99...Is there a reason you didn't use polylocks? You are doing a great job! Thanks for the pictures!
The ones I have wont fit under the stock rocker covers and they are for the factory size stud.
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Thank you. I am hoping to fire it up when the kid comes home from boot camp!
FREDBO99...Is there a reason you didn't use polylocks? You are doing a great job! Thanks for the pictures!
The ones I have wont fit under the stock rocker covers and they are for the factory size stud.
Is that true for all polylocks? They won't fit under the stock covers?
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I tried a set of short polylocks , they dont fit either. and with roller tips you cant use the stock covers with drippers . the rockers will hit them. that how close the rocker is to the stock cover.
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With roller tips you cant use the stock covers with drippers . the rockers will hit them. that how close the rocker is to the stock cover.
I didnt know that one. Glad I ordered new ones now.
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how's she coming Fred? how did the core support turn out?
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The core support came out real nice. Clean as clean can be. The painter is spraying it with POR15 this weekend. Got my distributor the other day. Nice piece and reasonable cash. radiator and manifolds should be here next week. No work getting done here though. Gotta go north and open the trailer. YAY!
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Fred, are you not using the rear A/C brackets that bolt to the manifold? i'm running into an issue with mine, but thats due to the larger valve covers. i really don't want to buy a whole new serp belt set up if i can help it...
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I will be using one if I can find one. I dont have it yet. Wanna sell yours?
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Not much work done this week but Santa finally came here.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1496.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1491.jpg)
These look much better then the stock ones.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1492.jpg)
New balancer too. Ricks post scared me.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1490.jpg)
Why Be Cool(and broke) when you can be a Champion....
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1494.jpg)
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looks good , did you get the fans with the champion Rad? I did , but never use them. I put a new clutch on the fan and it works grate.
there's another big hit to the spendo-meter.
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Not much work done this week but Santa finally came here.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1496.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1491.jpg)
These look much better then the stock ones.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1492.jpg)
New balancer too. Ricks post scared me.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1490.jpg)
Why Be Cool(and broke) when you can be a Champion....
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1494.jpg)
i love it when santa comes! ....new valve covers, new distributer, new radiator, new exhaust manifolds, AND he brought some glazed, sliced ham! mmmmmmmmmm
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yea that ham looks good!!
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Ham is a good thing!
I didnt get the fans. I remember you had said you never used them and had no problems. Spendo meter? I dont have that problem. I have a money tree out back.........or at least my kids think so!
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Ham is a good thing!
I didnt get the fans. I remember you had said you never used them and had no problems. Spendo meter? I dont have that problem. I have a money tree out back.........or at least my kids think so!
money tree? really? i thought i was the only one ;)
still waiting for it to bloom- how about yours?
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Looks like a lot of fun new toys! Everything is looking great. Keep up all the good work!
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looking good
so fred, do you fertilize your money tree?
I just planted mine in miracle grow
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With Industrial strength Creditcardmium! Works great and fast too :)!
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oh yeah i forgot about the platic visa mulch keeps everything fresh
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Nice part's Fred..That bird's going to have an attitude.....
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With Industrial strength Creditcardmium! Works great and fast too :)!
ah- great advice! i'll go ahead and pick some of that up today ;)
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yeah where did you buy yours TSC?
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Chase depot!
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Put the RARE RAIII manifolds on today. Real easy. Slid right in and bolted up No Problems.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1497.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1498.jpg)
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Fred what kind of exhaust & muffler's ya going with...Hmmm Maybe X pipe.
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Fred, Great job with your RARE manifolds. I love how easy they just bolt right in. Great job!
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you cheated you need to be doing this with the motor mounts bolted up and no jack lifting the engine fred!! booooo cheater boooooooooo lol
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Fred what kind of exhaust & muffler's ya going with...Hmmm Maybe X pipe.
Pypes exhaust with an X pipe, spiltters in the rear.
Dude, I tried like hell to do it without lifting the engine. No Way Jose! The passenger side might have gone in had I removed the oil filter adapter, The drivers side is a very tight fit. The fuel return line sits real close and the hold down bracket had to be squeezed down or it hit the manifold.
The only hard part of the install was trying to torque them to spec with a 1/2 drive torque wrench. Other then that is was a breeze. Had I gone with headers I would have still been cussing and trying to get bolts in.
you cheated you need to be doing this with the motor mounts bolted up and no jack lifting the engine fred!! booooo cheater boooooooooo lol
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yes i know when I pull this 400 out of my 77 me and the sawsall are going to join forces to remove the header.
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Fred...What mufflers are you going with? Pypes or another brand?
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Pypes!
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Pypes!
Street Pro, Race Pro or the Violater (I don't think I spelled that right)?
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I think they are Street Pro. Ben so long since I saw them I dont remember
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When do we get a sound bite?
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Gotta get it running first. Gonna be a while still.
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I have the the Violater, you herd it. its a little loud.
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I think they are Street Pro. Ben so long since I saw them I dont remember
I know the feeling. I have had mine forever and still haven't really heard them.
I have the RacePro's and hope they are not too quiet. I am a little worried about that. I want a nice aggressive tone. I guess we will see when I get my engine together.
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that is why i went with a sound i know how it will sound in the end. flowmaster super 40's on my car.
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pypes say the race pros are the quietest thay make.
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pypes say the race pros are the quietest thay make.
I didn't know that when I got them. I called them up and that is what they suggested. Oh well, I guess I will find out. I can always change them.
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better too quiet rather than too loud
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well the older they get the louder they are. kinda like you two. ;D
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WHAT CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH AM I TOO LOUD FOR YOU DOUG? =)
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When I fire it off and break it in it will be with open pipes. Should be quite loud. ;D
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i thought the mufflers i got with my pypes system sounded a lot like flowmasters. reminded me of when those 5.0 mustangs were running around all over the place ::). i wanted a more classic, throaty sound, not the flowmaster sound- but then again, a lot of people like that tone.
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my car sounds very throaty with flowmasters on it. its as loud as dougs ta just a different tone to it.
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I love my flow masters too at idle but when it's at wide open throttle. I do think t can be too loud
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try them with no tail pipes and just down spouts at the rear axle thats loud loud even at idle. when i had my tails put on it sounded like my car was half the engine it was
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Put Flowmaster Super 44's on mine /Xpipe /header's.. It's about 49 degree's here, & was kinda cold natured. You can hear it here, Me likey the throaty 44's...
(http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn204/bacnblk1/Blackys%20Exhaust/th_BlackiesExhaust.jpg) (http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn204/bacnblk1/Blackys%20Exhaust/?action=view¤t=BlackiesExhaust.flv)
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from what i can tell, it sounds alot like my car does. very hard to compare via internet
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mine to.
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I got my core support back today. Looks brand new. I port matched my intake last night and cleaned(polished) my a/c manifold line and the accumulator. Check it out.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1499.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1500.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1501.jpg)
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Sweet N Clean Fred.. all your hard work is paying off. Look's great!
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looks good bro. you going to be done by Dundee? I havent had mine out to play in 3 weeks now. it rains evey weekend. suppose to rain this weekend to.
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fred to what grit are you finishing on with your intake? i have put mine on the back burner as it seems its just not good enough.
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Thanks buddy! Im trying for Dundee. It may be without decals though.
Im not really sure. I will have to check. It is the same that I used on the heads.
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if you could let me know man. hammer and doug mention theirs looks like glass and im depressed over mine as i finished in 120 grit and still not up to par
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They dont need to be THAT smooth. You will never tell a difference.
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when i find a pic of it then i will send you some to let you tell me if its good enough then as it is my personal first time doing it.
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Looking great. All you guys are my inspiration not to give up hope. Thanks.
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this month is about gone bub, any updates?
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Just little stuff. Intake is on, put the valve covers on and bought the wrong bolts. Did some a/c line work, plugs and wires, new fan clutch, radiator,evaporator and core support are on. I will get pics posted tomorrow. The kid killed my camera batteries and didnt say anything. Go Figure!
Can you tell me what holds the bottom of your radiator and stops it from moving front to back? I have the rubber mounts in but I can move the radiator almost an inch.
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I pushed the radiator forward and put some trunk weatherstriping on the shroud to hold it and also to close the gap so the air would go threw the radiator and not around it. my temp went down almost 5 *
(http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/19718-1/install+rad+016.JPG)
(http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/19720-1/install+rad+017.JPG)
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what a good idea!
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Pics as promised. I made a couple brackets that bolt to the bottom of the core support so the rubber mounts cant move. Worked good. Fan shroud fits tight too. Things are gettin awful crowded in there!!!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1544.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1543.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1537.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1539.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1538.jpg)
Modified my oil cap with an extra horn bird,
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1541.jpg)
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Very nice. I like the custom oil cap. Looking great. I like a clean engine bay and this fits the bill nicely. Great work! Can't wait to see more.
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Very nice oil cap detail! You are going to get a lot of complaments on that. Keep up the great work. Everything is coming together.
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Thank you. It breaks up the chrome. The cap was too plain and needed something.
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ive been wondering what the rest of the car looks like since i joined this forum? im sure in time i will find out, keep up the great work!
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Here ya go. Its been covered for 7 months now, I almost forgot myself.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1230.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1262.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1237.jpg)
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thats purdy!
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Little by little. heres a before when i got the car a year ago.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/TA15.jpg)
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boy, she has come along ways
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Thank you. The uncovered pics are from October or November. Funny you say that. That is Gingers wifes name. I have been calling it 7 of 9 but Im not sure that will stick.
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Lookin good Fred...Real Good !
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really nice fred. I am proud of you!
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call it "fo fitty fie" lol
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I knew things were going too good. I have started to button stuff up and get the motor ready to fire. I put coolant in it tonight and it promptly started leaking all over the floor (and front of my nice clean engine.). Freeze plug behind the A/C compressor bracket has a pin hole in it. Saw a drip from the bottom of the water pump too. I now get the enjoyment of pulling the whole front of the engine back apart. Yippee! I have never seen a head freeze plug do that. I thought they were new but I guess not. Oh well, better now then later I guess. I'm gonna replace at least the three I can get to. Those back ones are now a pain to get to so I may cross my fingers and see what happens with those. We'll see what the others look like when I take em out. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!
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oh no, its the fight of the bird that wants to stay nestled up. that is until she see's the road then she wont fight as much. oh the joys.
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oh no, its the fight of the bird that wants to stay nestled up. that is until she see's the road then she wont fight as much. oh the joys.
You ahh....Don't get out much do ya!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Fred you know how it works with thees cars. 3 steps forward and one step back and the occasional 4 steps back.
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so i take it you got motor mounts, cause I have a set now
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yep i offered him a set yesterday but doug beat me too it a loooooong looooong time ago.
nexus.... this year seems to be that way for me.
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Fred you know how it works with thees cars. 3 steps forward and one step back and the occasional 4 steps back.
OH, I got that part down part bub!
so i take it you got motor mounts, cause I have a set now
Yep, Got that handled awhile ago but thanks.yep i offered him a set yesterday but doug beat me too it a loooooong looooong time ago.
nexus.... this year seems to be that way for me.
Thanks too Rick, Nice to finally meet you face to face.
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yes manno e' manno oh hey i didnt get a chance to show you my mafia meeting room up in the attic of the pole barn lol.
:( now fred can tell you all how ugly my y82 is in person and also how uuglay my y88 is lol
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Dude, The Y82 is pretty nice and the Y88 is a diamond in the rough. It will look awesome im sure. Just takes time you know. Now that 71, What a CLUNKER, I think I should just tow it away for you and save you the hassle of foolin with that one. ::)
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lol come get it lol
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Well, The time is getting near and Im almost there. A couple little things and it is time to fire this bad boy up. All the fluids are full, Oil system is primed. I need to hook up the starter, battery, a couple vacuum lines and plugs and one exhaust pipe and then it's liftoff. I installed the carb from the 403 so I can break her in. The original carb from this engine is out being redone.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1562.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1561.jpg)
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nice i assume you got past your freeze plug problem?
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YEP, A little JB weld, silicone, some stop leak and were all set............oh yeah, some duct tape too!
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a project is never complete without the use of duct tape.
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speaking of i havent used any of that on my car but i will be needing to remove the back seat and duct tape the flap down to the package tray so it stops getting caught in the wind and pulling out.
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That is what I did to mine. Black duct tape and called it good!
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It's ALIVE! At 9:35 pm EDT, June 6th 2010, 7 of 9 took her first breath of fire breathing fury!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/th_100_1565.jpg) (http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/?action=view¤t=100_1565.flv)
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Wow awesome build Fred I'm jealous..you have done one awesome job ...like others have said "You keep the Hope alive"
Great job
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alright fred, after talking to you on the phone, i just had to take a peek. GREAT JOB!! I am happy for you man.
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Congrats on the start up! Everything looks Great!
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sweet. about time, right? :D I'm glad it's coming together for ya. see ya in Dundee, I hope.
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yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! feels good when they fire up
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fred if you happen to have a spare vaccum line that goes from the carb to intake for the choke stove man i could really use one.
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Congrats - sounds strong.
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Fred your coming to the hardest part of the build. ( trying to keep the rubber on the tiers and off the quarters ) good luck with that one, as I have failed to do this a few times. ;D
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RIGHT ON FRED!!!
THAT PUT A SMILE ON MY FACE!!!
THAT SOUNDS GREAT!!!
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Thanks, I was pretty stoked last night. I even cracked a beer! Now I can wait to hear it with the rest of the exhaust on. I put some of that together tonight.
Rick, lemme look. I may have one from the 403.
Doug, I got a ways to go to get there but Im sure I will fail as well.
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Did a little rearranging today. I got to drive the car out of the garage under her own power.....and WITH brakes this time! . ;D. Yippee! She doesnt wanna idle though. She has a major base gasket vacuum leak. That will get fixed when my card shows up. I put my THIRD set of spoiler end caps on. These finally fit correctly. I did some of the exhaust today too. I got whats left of the old exhaust out. The new tail pipes and over axle pipes in. Was going to put the X pipe and mufflers in but something is too long. Either the X pipe needs to be cut or the down pipes need to be cut. Heres some pics.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1574.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1576.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1577.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1578.jpg)
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looking good Fred! yep i had a little fitment issue with my Pypes as well. i've decided i'm just gonna have a custom exhaust done when it's time.
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happy B-Day big guy.
I had to cut my X-pipe to get it to fit. and did the best I could, but still took it to a muffler shop. they did a much better job installing it then I could.
about 11 weeks till the Nats. seems like a long time. but it will be here before you know it.
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looks great fred ,and happy b-day!
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I thought you hd to cut the downpipes to fit. Thats just what I have been told. Everything looks great. You are doing an amazing job! Which Pype mufflers do you have?
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Youre going to love that X-pipe exhaust. Use plenty of insulation under carpet.
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Hey Fred, your car looks great especially the Fat Mat. (LOL). Everything looks awsome and I need you to make me a dual gate shifter plate. When doing the pypes exhaust go from back to front when installing I found that out when my exhaust guy did it front to back and it doesn't fit right. Keep up the good work.
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There is alot of "massaging" that needs to be done for this to fit correctly. I tried front to rear install and that how I figured out something was too long. I started rear to front install and Ginger and I have decided that both the down pipes AND the X pipe will need to be cut. The rear tail pipes need to be shortened and expanded to fit the 2.5 splitters I have as well. If I use the adapters, The splitters hit the tail panel. I love Fabricating!
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happy b-day fred and also im betting no matter what the end result of your exhaust will be much nicer than the one on my 77' im not happy with the local muffler man's job at all!!
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There is alot of "massaging" that needs to be done for this to fit correctly. I tried front to rear install and that how I figured out something was too long. I started rear to front install and Ginger and I have decided that both the down pipes AND the X pipe will need to be cut. The rear tail pipes need to be shortened and expanded to fit the 2.5 splitters I have as well. If I use the adapters, The splitters hit the tail panel. I love Fabricating!
I wish my guy had fabricated and massaged just a bit more than he did. My mufflers are in the wrong spot and hang to low.
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So I ended up having to cut the down pipes AND the X pipe. I got the system in and mocked up. I still need to work on the tail pipes and splitters. Here's a few pics so far. And for all you's guys who have wondered (like me) what it was gonna sound like, I also added a short video. The video does NOT do the actual sound any justice. This thing sounds bad a$$ from behind. This sounds exactly like I was hoping it would.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1585.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1588.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1587.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums
/vv321/FREDBO99/th_100_1583.jpg) (http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/?action=view¤t=100_1583.mp4)
yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. The underside of the car is filthy. That is this winters project.
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sound really good Fred. is that the race pro setup ? I have the violator mufflers. you heard mine run, are they about the same?
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Street Pro mufflers. They are pretty comparable.
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Great work Fred. It sounds great. I have the RacePro's and haven't been able to hear them yet but by the sounds of yours that is what I am wanting! Great job!
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The little white truck came today and dropped off my carb. Check it out..... got this from Mr,Qjet on Ebay. Very reasonable price. we'll let ya know how well it runs with this on there.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1589.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1591.jpg)
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nice ;)
did you take it around the block yet?
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fred, please get me a pic of your throttle linkage and kickdown set up from mounting bracket to carb. my kickdown cable looks crooked and i dont think its right to me it should be straight.
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I gotta get base gaskets and stuff first.
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no problem i just think something is totally wrong with my set up either in the brackets or carb just not sure which one because i have nothing to compare to.
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Fred I'm totally late on the B-day wishes...so...Hapy belated Birthday. I hope it was a good one!!!
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Thanks. Im old now, was it my birthday already? LOL!
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its always freds birthday yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
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looks amazing what you have done
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Thats a great job! I love the attention to detail, that is an art.
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It is getting to be a pain. But I guess if all my pains were this cool That would be OK too. Thanks for the compliments. That makes it worth it.
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what did you use to strip your car. it looks great. was it a stripping wheel on an angle grinder? I have lots of rust to remove and heard bad things about sandblasting.
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I used aircraft stripper, ALOT of razor blades, a D/A. I didnt have any rust to deal with though.
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what did you use to strip your car. it looks great. was it a stripping wheel on an angle grinder? I have lots of rust to remove and heard bad things about sandblasting.
I've seen the pics of your car and the rust on it, so I'll tell you what I would do with it. First of all, those rust holes will have to be cut out and patches welded in...no way around that. But before you do that, you can continue sanding off the rest of the paint. The only way for you to do a good job of removing that surface rust would be to sandblast it. But, you do need to sandblast it lightly to avoid warping the metal. You would do that by sandblasting at angles to the metal, so the sand strikes at an angle and not directly straight into the metal. Sandblast one way and then the other and maybe a third angle, until the area is clean. Hold the nozzle a safe distance away from the metal too, so there's not too much force applied to one spot. And keep it moving...don't linger too long on one spot. You need to have a decent capacity air compressor to be able to produce enough air pressure to sandblast, hopefully at least 5 hp 60 gallon. You can use a a siphon type blaster that blasts out of a bucket of sand. Those are very cheap to buy. It would take longer to do the job, because a siphon blaster is not as powerful as a Pressure Blaster. A siphon blaster will be safer on your metal because it isn't as powerful. But, a pressure blaster is better and could be used, if you use the precautions I listed above. You must remove all those trim moldings and glass from the car to avoid damaging them with sand. As for the type of sand to use, I suggest finding some Dupont Starblast Staurolite sand. Get the regular Starblast. I get it at a local abrasives company. You might have to check with a local body and paint supply store to see where to get some. It's been several years since I bought it, and it was around $10 for a 50 lb. bag back then. Expect it to be higher now. But, don't pay the over $40 prices I see online for a 50 lb tub of it. I like the Starblast because it's finer and more uniform than regular sand so it works better on rust like yours. It can take many 50 lb. bags to clean all the rust off, so you could lay out some plastic sheeting around the car and sweep up and re-use some of it to save some money. A piece of window screen could be used to filter the used sand when putting it back in the blaster. Be sure to wear face protection, like a sandblast hood or at least a face shield. And wear good dust masks...at least the thick type with the little breather on front, since you must not breathe the sandblasting dust. Starblast has low amounts of silica, so it's safer that way too. But if you have to use regular sand, it's really important to protect your lungs from its dust.
Also to save money, you don't have to sandblast the whole body...just the rusty, pitted areas. The rest of the metal may have some light surface rust, but you can handle that with sanding(80 grit discs), and some acid metal treatments. After the sandblasting, clean all the metal with some metal cleaner acid, which is a phosphoric acid mixture. I use PPG's DX579 metal cleaner. Follow the instructions on the label. You can use coarse steel wool, and wear rubber gloves to scrub the metal clean. Once it's been applied, scrubbed in, rinsed and dried, then I suggest using some DX520 metal conditioner. It cleans a little more and applies additional protection against future rust. I use chemical trigger spray bottles, available at the hardware store, to squirt these products on the metal. Once the metal has been cleaned and treated and dried, spray the body with one good coat of PPG epoxy primer, and it will be protected from rusting from then on. Then you can cut out and weld patches where you need them. And you can do the rest of your body work and paint over the epoxy primer.
That's it in a nutshell :) .
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Fred in tights with a cape on !! :o
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if fred had fangs i could see the cape thing. maybe really dark black eyes too.
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Fangs possible, Cape maybe, Tights......uh I dont think so Tim!
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notice i didnt say tights buddy. you dont seem like that type from back in the 80's to me. lmao. rainbow tights
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the 80's for me were jeans, t-shirt and a leather jacket
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oh you werent part of the crazy hair bright colors and lots of cocaine?
for some reason i can totally believe you on that. you dont seem like a bright color coke sniffer.
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NO COMMENT.......well no bright colors anyway.
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lmao
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Not much accomplished lately since I am waiting for my carb to get here(again). >:( I finished the exhaust, refinished the front bumper and brackets and have them installed. I finally got my thermostat housing to quit leaking. ;D This morning Jim (a guy my wife works with) came over and we loaded her up and took her to probably her first dealership visit in decades. Jim has access to a new Hunter alignment machine and was cool enough to give up his Saturday morning and align the front end. Since the hood and front sheet metal is not on we added about 200 lbs of weight on the bumper to simulate the weight of the clamshell. He said it was nice to do an alignment on something clean and easy to access. Thanks Jim!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1595.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1596.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1597.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1599.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1600.jpg)
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yay for freddy yay is it done yet is it done yet? lol
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i bet it was scared being surrounded by all those fords lol
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Scared hell, It knows it is a SUPERIOR automobile! The Fords all scampered to the farthest corner of the dealer when she rolled in.
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aahahah...that's funny
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lmao lol lol
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So in between all the darn yard work stuff, I managed to get some small things done. I repainted the jack I got from Roy (Thanks Roy), I restored my recirculation door assy and also cleaned, etch primed and painted the cowl . Gonna try and get the fender wells in tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1601.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1602.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1605.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1606.jpg)
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go fred go fred go fred fo gred no bed lol
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Rick you really need to open that garage door buddy...i'm worried about you!!
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or the primer is etching his brain
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lol...maybe both!!
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Cowls done. Am I missing a weatherstrip?
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1608.jpg)
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thought there was one that ran across the whole cowl along front edge?
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thought there was one that ran across the whole cowl along front edge?
that one is on the hood.
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oh ok!!!
good to know I guess, been solong since mine was on I couldn't remember!!
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OK, So I havent posted much in a while but have made a little progress. I have been having an idle issue That has finally been traced down to the Quadrajet I purchased from Mr.Qjet in Arizona. Nice looking carb but I cannot get my engine to idle with it installed. It must have an internal vacuum leak since it idles very nice with the 4speed supplied Holley! Thanks Doug! I have been waiting to sort that problem out before putting my front clip back on so as not to scratch any paint. Hopefully MrQjet will contact me back on this but I doubt it.
I now have the fenders and inner fenders installed as well as the front spoilers. I am now working on the front nose. Im going to have the metal reinforcement and the headlamp buckets blasted so I can the repaint or POR15 them and install all new headlamp hardware. Once that is done I will reinstall the nose.
She desperately need a bath and a wax too. Gets real dusty just sitting. Anyone know how I can get the wave out of the passenger side spoiler?
Mr.Qjet carb that will not idle for crap!
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1591.jpg)
4 speeds old Holley that idles real good.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1691.jpg)
fenders and spoilers
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1692.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1694.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1693.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1695.jpg)
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very cool fred
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It looks like Mr.Qjet is NOT going to contact me back so if anyone has a carb body, I may be needing it.
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Is that what a 79 400 q-jet is supposed to look like? I haven't gotten a chance to see a 78 or 79 400 q-jet, so I don't know. I have 403's in my 79's, and the q-jets in them don't look like that one. I'd like to see some q-jet pics from 78-79 400 cars. I may start a thread if necessary :) .
What idle problems are you having with it...in other words, how does it act when you have it on there? I suppose you've tried adjusting the choke and idle mixture screws?
Have you thought about using an electric choke on whatever q-jet you end up using?
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The carb is the correct carb for the 74 455 that I have installed. The 78/79 400 carb is different im sure. When this carb is installed I can get the car to run at about 1000 rpm. If I block half of the primary side with my finger or a shop rag, the RPM goes way up. I can then reset the idle back down to around 850 and the car runs nice. If I take the rag or my finger away from the chike plate, the engine dies. The thing has a vacuum leak and I have checked everything except the under side of the intake to see if there was a leak in that area but since a different card doesnt have the problem, the intake and engine are ok.
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If you've given up on Mr. Qjet, I wonder if you could fix it by getting a $25 NAPA carb kit for that particular carb number, and going back through the carb with the new parts and gaskets? It'd be pretty easily, since it's already all cleaned up :) . Hopefully, the problem isn't the result of warped parts.
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when the guy built the carb he may of ripped a gasket and its not sealing or put the top gasket on upside down.
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see if y88rick still has the 73-74 455 carb I sold him for choke parts.
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I havent given up on him yet but Im getting pretty annoyed that he hasnt responded to my email or called yet. The carb body was modified. He removed the outer primary venturi's and I believe that is where the problem is. I sent Y88rick a PM a little bit ago so we will see. There is a guy local who had one on Ebay that didnt sell so I sent him an email also. If I can get another body, I can fix it........I have this ultimate set of tools.......I can fix it! LOL!
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YAAAAHOOOOO. :D It idles!!! :D I was able to pick up the 73 455 carb from the guy local to me. 75 bucks but it was real clean and complete. A few spider webs but thats all. I dissassembled it and the Mr.QJET POS, Cleaned the new body, swapped it with the POS body and reassembled it. Put it on and hit the key. Finally She runs like she should. Click on the first pic to see..... ;D
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/th_100_1698.jpg) (http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/?action=view¤t=100_1698.mp4)
I have also started to work on the nose. I stripped everything down and have sent the header and headlamp buckets to be glass beaded. Should get those back soon.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1696.jpg)
I cant do much till that stuff gets back and since I am so low on cash I figured I would try and make a shaker seal. I had a brand new Corvette hood seal that I have had since 1992. It is about a 1/4 inch short but thats ok. I added the old plastic push pins from my original door seals(I knew I kept those for a reason). Didnt turn out too bad. Not correct but the price was right.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1701.jpg)
Heres a couple extra pics. One of the holley 4speed loaned me as a test carb. One of the new carb and one of the BENT primary metering rods that were in the Mr. QJET carb.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1691.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1697.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1700.jpg)
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thats frigen cool beens.
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gred good news. the car is looking good dude.i cannot wait to see it in person one day.
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Sweet! Sounds good too!
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Fred, way to go, enjoyed the video. This does mean we will see this car at the '11 Nat's, Right?! ;)
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If everything goes well, YES! I have to get some cash so I can get tires and decals. Wanna buy a wife or an extra kid or two? LOL!
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sounds good fred, bet you cant wait to go for a spin.. maybe i will see you at the 11 nats?
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she sounds great. nice work.
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Thats one sound that ill never grow sick of hearing , well done.
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Thanks guys. Now all I need to do is finish it!
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Glad to hear it run Fred!!!
Gets me all excited
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Small update. Got my header panel and headlamp buckets back from the blaster. POR 15 tonight and tomorrow and then primer and satin black.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1703.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1702.jpg)
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Looks good.
Probably too late now, but I'm wondering why you'd use POR-15 over clean, blasted metal though, since POR-15 is really for "Paint Over Rust" situations where you can't remove all the rust, thus the name POR. No advantage to using it in this situation. Just some black epoxy primer(PPG dp90lf) and then your satin black paint, preferably single stage urethane, would be perfect for the panel and buckets. FWIW :) .
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That stuff if tough as nails so I know it wont chip or peel. Beside, I have almost a quart left over so I fiigured I might as well use it.
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hey now it should never rust right?!!
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Thats the plan Rick!
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Yes, I've used quite a bit of POR-15 and it's good for its intended purpose. I've used it on floor pans, inside floor braces or body cavities in situations when I couldn't sandblast and get sand everywhere, so I'd wire brush off the loose rust and POR-15 over it. You may already know, but just in case, since it dries hard and slick, you need to sand it before painting over it or the primer or paint won't stick.
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You may already know, but just in case, since it dries hard and slick, you need to sand it before painting over it or the primer or paint won't stick.
Self etching primer should stick shouldnt it?
Thanks Mikey!
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Still waiting for parts to finish the nose so I figured I would post these.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1704.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1705.jpg)
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Looks.great. did you get your radiator off ebay?
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Sure did. Nice piece and reasonable price too. I had to notch the core support a smidge on the bottom of each side for clearance though. Other then that it fit real well. I like the look of that better then the original.
Parts for the header panel came today so partially assembled it. Turned out pretty nice.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1706.jpg)
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Heres the cruise servo I picked up from Y88Rick. A litte spit and polish and she is as good as new. Thanks Rick.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1708.jpg)
I hope it is in the right spot though. Not sure.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1709.jpg)
I put the Gold arrow on her today as well. Does that make her a real SE now? >:D
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1710.jpg)
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very nice!!!
all the little things that take time eh but finish it off just right!!
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yes but fred, you do know that 15+ years of sanding dust compiled onto them parts, made them worth more right? lol nice clean up on them parts man. glad you could put them to good use.
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All that sanding dust just means a little bit of your birds are now safe with me. Like car DNA.
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or trans am HIV. remember the cars that stuff came off of mostly died of cancer. hope you gave it some kind of shots before installing them. lol
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California cars DONT rust!
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Fred , any idea when the decal install party will be?
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I am figuring after the weather breaks in spring. Probably March or April. All depends on you guys and when we can all get together.
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Fred, I can help you. bring the car, decales and diet coke man and we got a stickered up chicken.
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Anytime brother. You are always welcome!
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Progress has been slow the last few months. Im running low on cash and have had other projects to get done before the snow flies so unfortunately the car has taken a back seat. Most of that stuff is done now and I am trying to clean my mess of a garage so I can move the car to a different position and be able to park in there over the winter. I did get a few parts last week and was able to get some odds and ends buttoned up under the hood. The engine bay is almost done. I'm waiting for the fender braces and fuel line to come.
Passenger side...
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1740.jpg)
Drivers side...
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1739.jpg)
Before.....(This was a year ago)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1282.jpg)
After..... Boy how time flies.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1738.jpg)
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She's come a long way, Look's good Fred, & sound's Beastfully.
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Fred, you have done an amazing job!
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Almost done...what will you do with yourself when it's finnished
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Thank you!
I got some more little stuff taken care of today. Got all the headlamp harness routed secured and grounded. The fuel line and fender braces are installed. Gonna attempt fitting the nose here in a little bit! ;D
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Almost done...what will you do with yourself when it's finnished
I cant post that here. Remember.....This is a family site. LOL!
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I installed the hood and nose today as well as got some small stuff done. The nose was a ROYAL PITA. I could not get it to go on with the bumper installed so off it came and now the nose is on. Kind of a dry fit because im sure it will have to come back off to get the bumper in but I am gonna try to squeeze it up in there first. I also need to regap the hood. Too close on the front of the drivers fender.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1750.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1751.jpg)
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looks like I'll have some stiff competition next year , come Nats time. very nice.
I bolt the piece to the frame first. then the skin.
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Thanks Doug! What pieces? The bumper mounts?
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ya the part on the floor , I put that on first. then fight the other. get momma to come out and help.
once on I use a floor jack and a 2x4 to push it up and hold it to tighten up the bolts. the 2x goes up in it, on something metal not the plastic.
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The black looks sooo good 8) .
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very nice fred.
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Looks great Fred.
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I started to work on the wheels today. What a tedious job this will be but I cant wait to see them done though. I am fortunate that the wheels that came on the car are in really decent shape. No bends or corrosion to speak of. Some curb rash but all in all very good shape to start with.
BEFORE
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1758.jpg)
STRIPPED( twice with bumper stripper)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1759.jpg)
Back 220 sanded and cleaned. They were really dirty but cleaned up well.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1760.jpg)
Front started. Curb rash removed(well, most of it anyway. ) This wheel had some serious curb rash and most of it has been removed. There are a couple spots that are just too deep.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1761.jpg)
Anyone need a set of Dunlop P225/70R15's? These will be dismounted shortly. They are in pretty good shape. Lotta tread left. To good to trash or burn off. Lemme know.
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More shots of the wheel in progress.
Preliminary sand and polish :)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1762.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1763.jpg)
Taped off. Whatta pain...... >:(
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1764.jpg)
Etch primed. Had to order paint so hopefully tomorrow I can paint this one ;D
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1765.jpg)
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Looking good Fred ;D
I gather there is no easy way to tape the rims up
Once you've done those rims can you pop over and do ours please 8)
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How did you do your polishing method or how much did you sand beforehand
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Big difference in the rims already!!!!
Nice work!!
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Thanks Mal. No easy way. Tape and an exacto knife. I will do em for you but you gotta pay for gas....... :P
Evan, I used a right angle die grinder with a polishing pad and then a buffing attachment. Couple of hours sanding and not all the factory tool marks are out yet. Im gonna hit em one more time after they are painted and dismounted from the tires.
Thanks Charlie. Got #2 halfway done this evening.
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Wish I had the patience for something like that. Looks good man.
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One done, next one ready for final sand and polish
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1767.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1766.jpg)
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Sweet as mate..the wheel that is not about paying for the gas ;D
Looks great..how much time was involved to do the one rim from go to whoa?
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About 5 hours
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very nice :o
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looks good fred real good. this is what helps make the car the "end result" very good work dude. how did you get your fingers inside the snowflakes to sand the crevices? the hub hole almost cannot take it from you...mr big fingers......bet your wife dont complain +LMAO~ oh god I kill myself....now to get the bad image out of head ......wash wash wash all better now.
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Great job Fred, but you can save yourself a ton of time and taping. I have done several sets, and you just need to wipe the rim with lacquer thinner between coats. Just make sure you have a good Lift-free/ Dust free rag.
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I was thinking of trying that Russ but as Rick mentioned,,,My huge fingers are a liability. Gonna try anyway though. That taping in a time consuming PITA!
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Big fingers mean less wiping. LOL
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lol im shocked fred didnt blow his drink on his computer from that statement i made...i was trying to get a laugh maybe next time.
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Oh....I did! She doesnt. Insert mental image here Rick! Get out the bleach! :o
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Nasty curb rash
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1770.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1775.jpg)
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ok, i would like to know how you did that one? did you just sand it out? or have a wheel shop fix it ?
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fred if your doing this good of a job. it wont be your last set.
call it FRED's WHEEL RESTO
would be a nice side gig.
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Thanks! They are not a nice as Bretts or Petes I'm sure but they are turning out better then expected. I could use the extra cash for new tires and decals. ;D ;D ;D
Curb rash sucks! I used the Die grinder and sanding cones I had left over from porting and polishing my heads.
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on mine i used mothers polish and then painted the the whole wheel ,the gold will come right off with a plastic window stick, and leaves the polished surface
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I used Mothers too. Nice stuff to work with but drys out and get hard if too much speed is used with the buffing pad. I finished the last wheel today.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1778.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1780.jpg)
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well done my friend..
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Those look great. did you have issues with the paint running off the polished areas creating paint drip on the painted services
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WTG Fred ! ! !! Really Nice....
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Thank you! Lotta work but well worth the effort!
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I got bored this weekend so I figured I would polish up a couple center caps I scored on Ebay this past week. Not bad for 15 bucks. Then I got really bored and figured I would try repainting the center emblems.
Stripped
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1782.jpg)
Gold repainted
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1784.jpg)
Black repainted
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1786.jpg)
Done.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1787.jpg)
Not perfect but good for spares. I will get new emblems for the caps and keep those for spares as well.
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Very nice work! I have stripped mine and man does it take some time.
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dude you must have been too bored..... I wouldnt have had the patience for that. good job though.
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I was. Thanks.
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That's cool!!
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Welcome to the Ohio Firebirds Fred.
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Nice work Fred 8)
Did you apply it using a brush?
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Thanks Doug!
Naaaaa, Rattle can. lol!
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that would have taken a bit of time setting it up
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Thanks for the good to know that the owner has set the topic.
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fred ohio firebirds? really? neat way to go fred. I wish i was cool enough to be a member, but they wont accept a trans am logo stapled to paper :(
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Started trying to get the ward out of my nose. I dont think it is going to work but it is worth a try... I made foam forms to go on the underside to try and get the shape back. Even if it turns out 50% better I will be ok. If not I will need to get a new nose.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1802.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1807.jpg)
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Guess who got a new set of shoes today. Whatta difference they make too.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1829.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1834.jpg)
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Soory to say Fred, but the valve stem is in the wrong position. It should be at the bottom of the wheel, pointing at the A in Radial.
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Says who? ;D Is that a show thing?
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thats 5 point at the Nats.
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/th_transamNats062.jpg) (http://s846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/?action=view¤t=transamNats062.jpg)
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Are you serious? They have to be on the bottom?
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100% serious, and YES. The valve stem at the bottom and the Bird tail feathers on the center cap pointing to it
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yep if you want the points. for some reason the Nats is like that. POCI does not.
the nats is judged on how well your car looks. ( as close to new show room look) ( show stance ) POCI is how correct is your car.
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Well Damn. >:( I guess I lose out on 5 point then. Buzzkills..... ;D
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Can't imagine the factory cared where the valve stem wound up in relation to the letters on the tire, if that's the reason for the points. The factory didn't even use Radial TA's did they? I thought they were all either Uniroyals or Goodyears originally.
What size tires did you get there Fred?
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It's not the factory that cared, it's the Judges at Nat's that do. Attention to that kind of detail when these cars were built was never to that extreme! LOL!
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Can't imagine the factory cared where the valve stem wound up in relation to the letters on the tire, if that's the reason for the points. The factory didn't even use Radial TA's did they? I thought they were all either Uniroyals or Goodyears originally.
What size tires did you get there Fred?
P255/60R15
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Thanks, they look purdy :) .
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Can't imagine the factory cared where the valve stem wound up in relation to the letters on the tire, if that's the reason for the points. The factory didn't even use Radial TA's did they? I thought they were all either Uniroyals or Goodyears originally.
What size tires did you get there Fred?
the Radial was used from 74 on ,,, the GR70-15 was till 1977. then in 78 it was the 225-70-15
and no one repros a Radial with GR70 -15 so the BFG is as correct as we can get for the look.
and no one repros the Uniroyal tire . and the tiger paw is not correct.
this is the correct tire for our t/a's till 77
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/77%20W72/body%20fix/CqJsEgBmkKGrHqQOKjwEzm9B1-qIBND87Zrrw_3.jpg)
correct for 78 on is the Polysteels if your car got them.
http://www.kelseytire.com/pages/preformancetires3.html
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Can't imagine the factory cared where the valve stem wound up in relation to the letters on the tire, if that's the reason for the points.
exactly...thats what makes the judging so absurd
oh, BTW mongo...nice skins
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fred. nice shoes. as for the nats and that being 5 points, I would slap a judge for that if they couldnt provide documentation stating gm did this with all cars and knowing how cheaply and quickly and out of alignment they were from the factory, id fall over on a detail like that especially when they couldnt stripe an se straight if their lives depended on it. what a fricking joke.
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i think the nats compares your car to one that would be seen in an ad from the era and apparently some of the cars got that detailed? it is a really stupid way of judging if you ask me, ive seen survivor cars with original tires be knocked those points, its all about presentation there not about the actual work and time in a car......
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Nice Tires Fred--- When spring hits burn 'em down (with video)!!!!! They have best traction when abused/burnt down.
Good old tire smoke and racing fuel ='s big smile on the face.
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i'de tell them to keep the 5pts and while walking away call them a douche...
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Nice boots Fred
I wish we could get those tyres at the price you pay for them ;D
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i'de tell them to keep the 5pts and while walking away call them a douche...
yea but dont you lose five points for talking to the judge, so now your up to 10 points ...lol
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i'de tell them to keep the 5pts and while walking away call them a douche...
i will set an apt. for us to get our valve stems lined up in the proper position since we both just got brand new tires installed on our ta.'s and we did not know about this tiny important detail. i think the nats should post stuff like this and other judging criteria so there is a level playing field for all.
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TRUE , copy and past from the site
WHEELS/TIRES - Are wheels & tires clean and in good condition?
Do either show signs of curb scrapes? Grease, brake dust, tar
and road grime in crevices cost points. Are tires in good condition and clean?
CLEANLINESS - Get the wax out of the crevices & wipe that big
greasy blob of Armor-All off of the tires!
but also in the OVERALL APPEARANCE
The overall score should be consistent with the
scores in the prior three categories. Is the workmanship,
craftsmanship, maintenance and/or cleanliness of the car
consistent throughout? Is the car displayed as if it were being
photographed for the sales brochure? Has the vehicle owner
paid attention to all of the details?
I have a 1976 Motor Trend with the new 77 SE on the cover . and the tires and caps are mounted in random positions
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thanks for posting doug, but i have seen all that which is a little general, where does it say that i have to spend $100 to get my valve stems lined up on the second "a" of radial, what if someone has a different set of tires where do they have to line up the valve stem? not bitter, just wish i knew all the rules and guidelines, i guess leaning them is part of the fun?
would like to see a pic of the mag. cover of the new SE.
-
(http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/20807-1/LastScan.jpg)
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what a great pic, thanks for posting doug.
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that picture really makes me miss mine. throw on a different set of tires and lose the front plate and bingo.
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Is the car displayed as if it were being
photographed for the sales brochure? [/color] Has the vehicle owner
paid attention to all of the details?
I have a 1976 Motor Trend with the new 77 SE on the cover . and the tires and caps are mounted in random positions
They also look random in this 79 advertisement and brochure.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/67SS427/79taadb.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/67SS427/79TAbrochureb-2.jpg)
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What else you got going on with the T/A, Fred?
-
Working on the nose. I was able to get about 50 percent of the warp out but ended up cracking the paint trying to get 1 headlight trim ring to fit. AAAAARG! I'm not satisfied with it and will probably end up getting a new one later on
-
yeah i think these noses came warped from the factory fred. they werent built ford tough lol
-
This one was really nice when I bought it. Alot better then the original one. I think it being off the car for so long and sitting in a hot garage all last summer didnt help it. The passenger side above the headlights look like I sat in it for a week. LOL!
-
is your garage heated currently?
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yeah. no lower then 55 all winter
-
hmm thought maybe cold weather had a factor in it. have you tried putting it on something that would have pressure on that area to gradually reshape it? i have had to do that once before. I had to hang the nose of the 78 upside down on the wall for a while and that stretched it back into place.
-
Did that. I made foam forms to go underneath. I left it clamped for 2 weeks. This took about 50 percent of the warp out.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1807.jpg)
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yeah i think these noses came warped from the factory fred. they werent built ford tough lol
Sir---- could you please refrain from those curse words?
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Hey, I didnt know FRED was a curse word?
-
me either.
FORD couldnt be one either as who would want to talk down todays #1 AMERICAN motor company?
must be
noses, warped or factory one of them has just got to be a curse word.
if Fred is im going to put Fred a hundo times in my signature lol.
-
That does have a ring to it ya know?....... Git the FRED outta here!......Shut the FRED up!..........aaaaah Go FORD yourself!.........You're FORDING kidding me?
-
kind of like go smurf off you smurfing smurf face! LOL
-
FORD------------
I can't believe I just typed such a curse word.
I'm speechless.
-
hey now i love BOTH of my FORD trucks! and shortly (march 19th) there will be a 78 FORD LTD II SPORT in my gargage (not mine though) that will be my dads car i'll be restoring for him along the way.
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I can't hear you. I block stuff like that out. Ha Ha !!
Fred--------What is up with your T/A lately?
-
Gonna work on the nose some more this weekend. Waiting for the weather to break so I can get it turned around and pull the tank and rear axle.
By the way, I wont tell you I work for Ford........
-
I love Fords... ( big trucks )
Fred if you need a bumper let me know.
-
I love my BIG FORD!!
hey Fred since you work at FORD, do you get a FORD EMPLOYEE discount?
My next truck is going to be another FORD!!
I love my FORD wish i could turn the hands of time and shave the miles down to like 10 so i knew i had atleast another 146,000 to go but i say
wouldnt it be cool to put a FORD Logo on your garage fred?
I have my FORD Logo right next to my trans am one on my garage door.
(http://i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu249/y88rick/DSCF0538.jpg)
but I do wish you luck on reshaping that darn nose on the t/a Fred.
-
It is as good as it's gonna get. I will either get a new one down the line or have this one filled. not sure yet. I get a supplier discount since I am a contract employee.
-
fred if you want send me some pictures of the nose through email, maybe i can donate some help and get it fixed for you. or atleast try.
-
one without the clamps on it would be better just so i can see it all
-
I will try after I get it all mounted this weekend. I think it will be hard to see in photos though.
-
if you want to pay me a visit before trying to mount it, i have an idea that may or may not work fred.
-
Had a good time reading through this project thread - really good info and pictures in it! You've done an outstanding job!
-
Thanks Yukon. Always nice to hear a compliment.
-
if you like this, you should see the amazing restoration job he performed on his crown vic ;)
-
Did you get the car finnished last night?
-
Well the weather has broken enough and I am bored as heck waiting so I moved her out today. I couldn't help taking her for a drive around the block either. :) She feels really stiff and very touchy steering. Maybe it's the wider tires. Maybe I need a gear overhaul too. Dunno yet. Here's some pics of her all in one piece. First time in 2 years.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1856.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1858.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1859.jpg)
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She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
I love it!!!!
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Me too 8) .
-
that looks outstanding fred , my steering is very touchy to maybe all the new componets need broke in? i too just took mine for a short trip to my parents house and back
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looks great im jealous of you guys driving your cars. it just snowed about an inch again last night maybe by the end of the month i can get it out
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We started to get freezing rain about a half an hour after I took the pics. Will winter just GO AWAY? PLEASE!!!!!
-
Beautiful. Seeing your work keeps me smiling while I attack the rust.
-
the bumper looks good in the pics . what did you do? the t/a looks very sweet bro.
-
Thanks Steve. Ya gotta keep smiling, otherwise you go crazy!
Thanks Doug. Bumper looks OK from a distance or in pics. Up close it is not acceptable but will have to do for now.
-
Started to disassemble the rear of the car today. Got the lights and bumper cover off, sway bar and links off, shocks off, rear axle ready to come out and the tank is out. The shocks were trash as are all the bushings. There was a BONUS though.......
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1861.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1862.jpg)
Look what was hiding up there.....
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1863.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1865.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1866.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1867.jpg)
This is build sheet number three. Im glad that number two was salvageable because one was minced up and this one is missing a part where the tank insulator was but still legible for the most part.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1864.jpg)
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very cool on the build sheet. did you put that load bar on the springs? does it help when pulling the camper to the lake? lol
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wow you sure are lucky. that is in great shape for where it was located in the car. You are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.
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looks great... i like it ;D
-
She is gorgeous. Congrats on the build sheet
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aaaah man 3 build sheets? I had the whole car a part and didn't find one. :-\
Great job!!! She sure is lookin' fine.
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Thanks everyone. I did a bit more this weekend. Worked on my dented fuel tank(Thanks UPS!). A friend of mine used a stud welder to pull about 80 percent of the 4 dents out but it still looks crappy. With all the grinder marks in it I ended up priming and painting it but am not sure it if will stay that way.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1869.jpg)
I pulled all the rest of the rear components, springs, lines cables,axle assy and the whole exhaust(wont come apart, LOL). Lotta dirt and grime under there. Lotta cleaning to do. Hopefully the hover kit will arrive this week. ;D ;D ;D
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1870.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1871.jpg)
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VERY SLICK project buddy, I love a black T/A. Looks like just some elbow grease and rags and that car will look pretty good underneath. You might consider having the exhaust welded up and rid yourself of all those clamps. I did that to mine, tho it's a pain to remove with the axle in it. ;)
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Cool. No rust. I have the same exhaust except the tips and manifolds.
So you had the tank shipped and it arrived damaged? couldn't you return it?
-
Looks good and solid, that's for sure.
Took about 3 going overs to get mine clean. Wear good glasses, because when it drips....it will find an eye.
-
So you had the tank shipped and it arrived damaged? couldn't you return it?
I bought the tank from Renovations so I couldnt really take it back. UPS paid the claim on it though and I got to keep it so I cant crab too much. Just didnt want to paint it thats all.
VERY SLICK project buddy, I love a black T/A. Looks like just some elbow grease and rags and that car will look pretty good underneath. You might consider having the exhaust welded up and rid yourself of all those clamps. I did that to mine, tho it's a pain to remove with the axle in it. ;)
Thanks. I may do that if it isnt too expensive.
-
Looks good and solid, that's for sure.
Took about 3 going overs to get mine clean. Wear good glasses, because when it drips....it will find an eye.
So far its just 32 years of grime and gunk. no rust anywhere.
-
Man, That black paint is awesome. What size tires are on your car? Was your exhaust a mail order or muffler shop?
-
255/60R15 It is a Pypes system I actually got off Ebay
-
Those tires are perfect fit for the wheel openings. I likey. The pipes system looks awesome too? Is it 3"?
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2.5 sounds awesome too
-
I think my local muffler shop charged me less than $75 to weld everything up. He said at the time that he actually enjoyed doing it because he wasn't standing on his head with welding slag raining down on him. ::)
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Im gonna check on Saturday. If I could get ahold of a decent Mig I would do it myself.
-
Did some cleaning today. Whatta drag. Laying on your back on cold concrete with arms over your head all day Blowz but it has to be done I guess. Floors are pretty clean though. No rust. I was going to undercoat them but I think I will just touch up some spots and leave them original.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1871-1.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1872.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1873.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1874.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1875.jpg)
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Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
mate that has come up a treat 8)
Were you using mostly a degreaser spray pack and a whole lot of elbow grease?
-
Brake Clean and lots of elbow grease. Im sore today!
-
Shiny hiney! LOL Nice work.
-
Cleaned the driveshaft today. Used Scotchbrite and mineral spirits to remove all the dirt and get it down to bare metal. Repainted the stripes. Looks almost new now. ;D I notice that this has the ORIGINAL u joints still installed. :o 140,000 miles on this car. Must have been very easy miles. I think I will replace them.........Just because!.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1876.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1877.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1878.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1879.jpg)
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Wow. How did they do that? Is it injected plastic?
-
Wow. How did they do that? Is it injected plastic?
yup! to remove you have to melt it out, more of a wax and usually the rubber dust caps will pop and send the cap flying....
-
I thought that was kind of amazing they were still original after 32 years and all the miles. Then again, They were probably made in the USA and not overseas.
-
Nice work on the D/S too.
-
Just checked my build sheet and found out the proper stripe colors for the drive shaft are Brown and Brown. I guess I will be changing them tomorrow. Sheet!
-
Consider the yellow a base coat?
-
I figured that since today was a Family day and I wasnt gonna get a lot of time in the garage I would just start something small. The new gas tank I bought a while ago was damaged by UPS. Although we were able to remove most of the dents, You can still see them and the tank had to be painted. It came out ok but Im not really satisfied with it so I figured I would try and clean the original fuel tank. This tank has a small road dent in it as well but If I can get the rest this clean, I will use the factory one. Anyone want to buy a slightly dented NEW Spectra fuel tank? Lemme know.
slightly dented new one...
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1869.jpg)
Partially cleaned original
before
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1865.jpg)
after
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1881.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1882.jpg)
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kinda cool that your tank was stamped with the section of the steel sheet that was stamped from the steel factory
-
Did some more cleaning and restoring. Oven cleaner and a good power wash cleaned the axle of all the grease and grime. Now the Scotchbrite and elbow grease is needed to get it back to new looking.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1886.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1887.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1888.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1890.jpg)
Almost finished...
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1894.jpg)
-
looks great!!
-
Mongo,
Good job this is coming together nicely. I was just wondering if you still had that new gas tank? Mine has old jelled gas in it.
-
I do. PM sent.
-
Got the rear end finished.
Before...
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1868.jpg)
After...
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1896.jpg)
-
Looks great. Cleaned up quick
-
you sure you dont work for GM and not Ford? I dont think you can get any more correct then that. (http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/33669-1/eusa_clap.gif)
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While I had the exhaust out I decided to get rid of all those clamps. Borrowed a Mig from my buddy Brad(Thanks Brad!) and welded all the joints today. Looks WAAAY better.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1897.jpg)
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looking great fred, you taking it to the nats this year?
-
Hopefully! Still have 2 major parts to finish before that though. After I get it back on all fours, I need to wet sand and polish and then decals
-
very impressive!!
-
Hopefully! Still have 2 major parts to finish before that though. After I get it back on all fours, I need to wet sand and polish and then decals
well hopfully i will see you there!
-
very nice fred. i'd also be interested in that gas tank.
-
Been working a lot lately your car is looking great Fred.
-
Thanks guys . More motivated now that the weather has changed.
-
fred you can take your motivation over here and give me some. my motivation has plumeted severely.
-
Got a better idea. You come here. I will give you all you want and we can wet sand the car. Then you can take the gas tank home.
-
lol can i take the ta when im done? i'll leave you mine. your t/a hasnt been wet sanded yet? i can look into a weekend at fred's to play.
-
It has been but it needs to be done one more time. Couple weeks?
-
I didnt even know this was your thread! Looking really really good their Fred, imma have to give you a run for your money once we start racing
-
after all this hard work, I cannot see Fred beating on this thing. I could be wrong but I just dont see it.
and Fred, I will get my wifes weekend work schedule and get with you on it.
-
Cool Rick. Lemme know.
Brendan, Soon as I get the 125 shot installed and the drag slickies on, I will call you...........BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOT!
-
Brendan, Soon as I get the 125 shot installed and the drag slickies on, I will call you...........BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOT!
thats what i thought.
-
you got me excited for a second, but i mean everyone doesnt drive their muscle cars like they are meant to be driven, so no biggie
-
tickets are no fun to pay and neither is fixing something again after you already fixed it before.
-
yeah but 100 years from now, arent you going to wish you did wat is was made to do, I didnt but a trans am to baby around, i bought it to have fun with. My idea of fun is playing with the thing i just spent all of my time on plus countless dollars. If it needs fixing it was going to break in the first place.
-
Ah,.......To be 17 again. In a hundred years, I will be 151 years old and probably wont care! But I know MY car will still be around and not all messed up! LOL!
-
yeah in 150 years i will be a name plate on the wall of the shop and something people can google and learn about unless the net is no longer around.
-
well seeing as how the world will end in 2012, i need to finish my car
-
Aw damn, You had to remind me didnt you. I better get busy too. Sheet!
-
lol you finish your car the day before the world ends
-
Started putting the rear of the car back together this weekend. Installed the Vapor and Return lines along with the E-brake cables. Cleaned and painted the springs, installed all new bushings and put the rear axle back in. Should be back on all four this week.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1899.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1900.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1902.jpg)
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Damn!!!!!!
That truly does look nice.
Awesome work Fred!!!!!
-
If i was actually going to restore my car to the way it looked when it came out of the factory, i would pick you Fred, you do some really amazing work.
-
looking really good fred.
-
Got all of the rear reassembled this week. Got the new shocks(Thanks Damon) installed, sway bar and links, e-brake cables. All fasteners torqued to book specs, Original cleaned fuel tank installed. Still need to torque the pinion nut. I know now that I should have done that when the axle was out of the car. Not alot of room now. Put the driveshaft back on and hook up the e-brake cables.
BEFORE:
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1867.jpg)
AFTER:
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1903.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1904.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1906.jpg)
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ooohhh...looks shiney
-
Great pics!
-
well fred your going where no man has gone more than once with your car. exceptional job you will love yourself in the end.
-
Oh man! Thats looks awesome.
-
Real nice Fred. Now I know what the sway bar is "supposed" to look like. Mine looks like the PO was running over stumps or mail boxes or something!
Rick c.
-
Good stuff, Fred.
-
Thank you.
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Started wet sanding with 1200. 2000 is next.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1914.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1915.jpg)
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the shine is gone, NOO!!!! i still need to finish wet sanding mine.
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Very productive day. I got all panels except the hood wet sanded, Twice, 1st pass with 1200 and second with 2000. Tomorrow I need to cover the engine bay so I can do the hood. Once that is done I will sand the whole car again with 3000.
Kinda liking the RatRod look......
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1919.jpg)
difference between sanded and not sanded.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1921.jpg)
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Oh man that top pic looks kinda like you have a split rear window..How cool would that be a T-top car with a split rear window .. Might look cool?
JOSH
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looks great Fred can't wait to see it shineing in the sunlight. carefull Josh you may give SirEnglish some ideas. lol
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carefull Josh you may give SirEnglish some ideas. lol
I thought about it all day today, I wonder how it might look?
what do you think SirEnglish?
Might be worth a try on a parts car just to see how it would all work out.
JOSH
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That would look kinda cool. Maybe Rainman can photoshop one so we can see. hint. hint!
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Yeah Rainman ...I second that motion ..HINT.HINT.
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Looking great Mongo. I really like watching this one come together.
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Thanks bro! I enjoy posting the progress too!
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Man, your car is pretty! Very nice touch on all the details! With your Pypes exhaust, how did you attach the T/A spliiters? Did you have to trim the tailpipe section any, and does the splitter touch the quarter or the spring shackle? Having a little issue with mine......
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Fred , do you work Friday. I can be up there Fri insted of Sat. but Sat is still fine to. just Lori wont be able to come up.
also I have some milk crates so I can stand on to work the top of the t/a.
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carefull Josh you may give SirEnglish some ideas. lol
I thought about it all day today, I wonder how it might look?
what do you think SirEnglish?
Might be worth a try on a parts car just to see how it would all work out.
JOSH
Did think about it, but the smaller rear window gives dreadfull rear visibilty, hence the switch to the wrap arounds, its a shame but sometimes i do have to reverse. It may look a bit Vette.
I could do with another shell though, for the next project idea i have......
( sorry didnt mean to hi jack ).
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Gotta work Friday. If You wanna come up Friday evening, you can crash here. Saturday is ok too though. Tammy is going to Grand Rapids to see her Mom.
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mens night in?!
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Fred,
You sure have came a long way with your T/A.
She has a touch of class in so many areas of detail.
Not to mention the personal and custom items are done very tastefully.
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Today is the day! PICS to follow! have a safe trip 4Speed!
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Great car fred thanks for sharing your restoration :D
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I'll make sure Fred gets pics of my good side. (http://www.78ta.com/gallery2/main.php/d/35362-1/smooning_smiley_mooning_100-100.gif)
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swing by the gratiot cruise when you guys get done, me and Roger are going to be chillin there all day
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Had a great day. 4Speed made the 4 hour drive from lower Ohio to Michigan and spent the day and half the night getting down and dirty with my car. The car is looking so much better now then it did. No orange peel left. Still have some polishing to do and then cleaning. What a mess that stuff makes. But the results are oh so worth it. I dont know how to say Thanks enough.
;D THANK YOU DOUG! ;D
here are a few pics of 4Speed in action.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1963.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1964.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1969.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1970.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_1971.jpg)
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what a stud muffin. wish I could have done more.
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Nice to see others helping out. Especially with a 4 hour drive, good on you !!
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wow that is like a perfect paint job, its like glass
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looks great. 4speed is good people, he is helping me with my ta too.
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Thanks. Yes, Yes he is!
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Now the PURE RESPECT level for 4SPEED (Doug) is up another notch!!!!!
That's just so right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hummmmm----- it's been a couple weeks?
What's up with you and the SWEET T/A lately?
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Working on paint issues. Hopefully be resolved this week and decals in a couple weeks.
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You should have taken down the SLOW sign a long time ago!
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You should have taken down the SLOW sign a long time ago!
If I had an "Unlimted Cash" Sign, I would have. LOL!
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I just did a 60 mile test run and everything seemed to be good. It does seem to run a little high on the temp gauge at higher speeds or at an extended idle. About 220 to 230 I would estimate. That is with NO stat in it. Didnt boil over though so that is good.
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put in a high flow water pump it did wonders for me... and 60 miles on the highway or 60 miles traffic? I would ask you about timing and running lean but you know more about that than i do... Good luck
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I just did a 60 mile test run and everything seemed to be good. It does seem to run a little high on the temp gauge at higher speeds or at an extended idle. About 220 to 230 I would estimate. That is with NO stat in it. Didnt boil over though so that is good.
That has to be a great feeling to finally be taking her for a longer drive that just around the neighborhood.
Happy for Ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It felt really good. Now I need to get it finished.
There was a little bit of both traffic and highway. Im going to put a stat in it and then recheck it. Water pump is new so that isnt being changed anytime soon. I still need to set the mixture and play with the timing. I will say that it is quite quick on the roll and will sink you back in the seat when floored! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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It felt really good. Now I need to get it finished.
There was a little bit of both traffic and highway. Im going to put a stat in it and then recheck it. Water pump is new so that isnt being changed anytime soon. I still need to set the mixture and play with the timing. I will say that it is quite quick on the roll and will sink you back in the seat when floored! ;D ;D ;D ;D
I'm glad you won those hood/hose clips from the reaper---- because I forgot to put them in that other box. Baggy of clips was on the kitchen counter. Strange how little things just work themselves out in the long run. (Thanks Bob)
Fred--- I truly am happy for you and your Trans Am project. Once again--- Congratulations Sir--- You deserve it!!!
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its been a long journey and your towards the end good job man... How fast did you take her? Burning any rubber? ahh i need to find out the power of yours compared to mine. Mixture for me is 30/70 seems to work good. Just saying about the water pump, pretty cheap like 80 bucks, your radiator defn isnt the problem seeing as how it is a 4 core aluminum radiator, so i would play with the timing, see what that does, and then if that doesnt work switch to aftermarket. What is your goal for temp?... Just again Im happy that your finally doing what these things were made to do.
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definatley double check the timing and the mixture. I rarely get above 180 on mine. but before I had carb dialed it was a little higher.
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Are we there yet Fred?
Nats not that far away ;D
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new pictures yet bro?
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Not yet! It is going to the Nats either way though!
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Hey Rick. How the heck are ya friend? Come on Mongo. I saw this had a new post and was hoping for progress pics. How is everythig coming along?
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Nothing new to take pictures of unless you wanna see my new thermostat. LOL! Gonna try wheeling the paint again next weekend. Should have some pics of that I hope!
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I found this, do you still need one?
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x466/rogerbb/carlyscamera913.jpg)
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Ok how in the WORLD did i miss out on this threat. Mongo that thing is gonna be a MONSTER when you get done with it! How much are you lacking for completion?
Gunner
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Not yet! It is going to the Nats either way though!
well if you get stuck mate just get Jeff and Bec to help ya when they pop in..make sure you give Jeff the pita jobs
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I will do that Mal. He can clean all the nooks and crannies underneath........oh wait. Already did that. LOL!
It is almost done Gunner. There are alot of sanding scratches in the paint still. We are going to wheel it again next weekend. Once that is done then the decals can go on.(cross fingers here) After that there is only little piddly stuff left to do.
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Not yet! It is going to the Nats either way though!
well if you get stuck mate just get Jeff and Bec to help ya when they pop in..make sure you give Jeff the pita jobs
::)
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Does this mean I will be there for the grand unveiling? Can I cut the ribbon!? :P
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Hmmmmmmmm?
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man, if you were closer id be there helping you get it buffed back out!
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Thanks Steve. 4Speed was here and got most of it. Looks way better then it did but it needs to go 1 step further. The body shop manager and the detail guy from the wifes dealer is going to help finish it up. Hopefully next weekend.
Charged the air tonight and IT WORKS. Not right though. Blower quit running and the pressures are too low. I think the compressor is weak. Only building 110 psi on the high side. Now I have to figure out how to reclaim the R12 I just put in. Any ideas?
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r12 machines are easy to find and cheap ,because they have no use any more, we got one with a foot of dust on it lol
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ok , after i posted this i looked and i was wrong there not as cheap as i thought,
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Does this mean I will be there for the grand unveiling? Can I cut the ribbon!? :P
Ive got dibbs on that :D
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It is almost done Gunner. There are alot of sanding scratches in the paint still. We are going to wheel it again next weekend. Once that is done then the decals can go on.(cross fingers here) After that there is only little piddly stuff left to do.
I wish I could say that. Mine's been two weeks away from completion for 3 weeks now ::)
Gunner
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tick tock goes the clock Fred
do you feeeeeel the pressure mounting :P
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I do, I do. It is back on blocks, all taped off. Mirrors, sweeps, door panels removed, Gonna work on wheeling it again on Sunday. Gotta be ready me mate Jeff ya know.
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I love seeing these Cars saved from the junk yard and get second chance at life!
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I love seeing these Cars saved from the junk yard and get second chance at life!
x2 :) I wish every one of them could be saved :)
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JUNKYARD?..............JUNKYARD???????? WHOA! LOL!
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I love seeing these Cars saved from the junk yard and get second chance at life!
Whatcha talkin bout Willis?? :D
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The battle of the scratches continues. Round 2. This round requires a TAG TEAM! Dean and Steve both work with my wife at the dealer. Scratches are no match for this assault.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2013.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2014.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2015.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2016.jpg)
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hey bud, when you assembled your car you did it sideways.... looks like you are either going to have to take out a wall.... or reassemble outside...hahaha
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Looks like its coming along nicely
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Happy for you and all your progress.
Congratulations Sir!!!!!!!
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The operation was a success and the scratch battle has been won. ;D For a while I was really beginning to think "It is what it is" and I was going to have to live with it the way it was but due to the efforts of 4Speed, Dean and Steve, The scratches are gone and she now looks like a BLACK MIRROR. Thank you Doug, Dean and Steve. Some beers are on me at the Nats. Oh, wait, Dean and Steve wont be at the Nats. I guess 4speed gets their share the eh? 8)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2018.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2019.jpg)
Now it is detail time, reassemble what I took off and then we should be ready for decals.
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Glad to hear the battle has been won. Now get those decals on and get us some pics.
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FINALLY!
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Is RELIABLE taking your fresh TA to the Nat's? LOL!
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Is RELIABLE taking your fresh TA to the Nat's? LOL!
Really! I think the plan is to drive the whole way but have a truck and trailer on stand by if need be. Plan B is to trailer it to Lima and then drive it from there with the caravan. I believe Hammer and crew are going to do the decals AT the Nats. I guess we will see when we get there.
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looks great Mongo I am glad to see all the hardwork pay off. Your car looks amazing.
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Is RELIABLE taking your fresh TA to the Nat's? LOL!
Really! I think the plan is to drive the whole way but have a truck and trailer on stand by if need be. Plan B is to trailer it to Lima and then drive it from there with the caravan. I believe Hammer and crew are going to do the decals AT the Nats. I guess we will see when we get there.
So does that mean Hammer will be doing them as you go through tech inspec ;D
Looking good Fred :)
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Looking good Fred!! 8)
Are you getting her ready because I am sleeping in the TA?!! :P
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in the last pic are you giving a thumbs up? I cant really tell... ;D
I see the pads they are using, they are what I have. and what compound did it take to get them out.
Im really glad they all came out.. I should of worked another day on it , but dont think it would of helped without the right pads.
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They worked on it about 6 hours. The used the same stuff we did and 1 more plus a finishing glaze. I will have to get the number from it though. Dude, without all you did, it would have taken 2 days. Dean said there are still a couple in there but I have only found one so far. The bird will cover it. He said they were really deep and he did want to sand too far.
Jeff, you can sleep in it if you want, just no Taco bell the night before eh mate?
Not sure what Hammer has up his sleeve Mal. I guess we will see in a couple weeks. When does your flight leave anyway?
Thank you Flyboy. The long part is almost over.
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They worked on it about 6 hours. The used the same stuff we did and 1 more plus a finishing glaze. I will have to get the number from it though. Dude, without all you did, it would have taken 2 days. Dean said there are still a couple in there but I have only found one so far. The bird will cover it. He said they were really deep and he did want to sand too far.
Jeff, you can sleep in it if you want, just no Taco bell the night before eh mate?
Not sure what Hammer has up his sleeve Mal. I guess we will see in a couple weeks. When does your flight leave anyway?
Thank you Flyboy. The long part is almost over.
Dont forget to take some photos when its getting done mate ;)
I tried to fit into Jeff's suit case but it aint gonna work ::) ;D
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They worked on it about 6 hours. The used the same stuff we did and 1 more plus a finishing glaze. I will have to get the number from it though. Dude, without all you did, it would have taken 2 days. Dean said there are still a couple in there but I have only found one so far. The bird will cover it. He said they were really deep and he did want to sand too far.
Jeff, you can sleep in it if you want, just no Taco bell the night before eh mate?
Not sure what Hammer has up his sleeve Mal. I guess we will see in a couple weeks. When does your flight leave anyway?
Thank you Flyboy. The long part is almost over.
Dont forget to take some photos when its getting done mate ;)
I tried to fit into Jeff's suit case but it aint gonna work ::) ;D
Ever seen a suitcase with arms and legs?!! Looks silly! And would not stop complaining! :P
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LOL!
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Redid my window trim moldings today. Chipped one and have to redo it.....again. I started to put the trunk back together today as well. I still need to get some primer over spray off of the trunk lid but heres pics.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2020.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2021.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2022.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2023.jpg)
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So are we ready to roll?
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As ready as it is gonna get this year! CANT WAIT DUDE!
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So are we ready to roll?
Mal, she is looking good, runs awesome and sounds fully sick dude!!
Had a blast cruising with Fred!
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lookin really good fred.
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Thanks bro. I am gonna try and come to GR with it before the c...c.....cold hits. I hate winter!
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I have your shaker hose in my trunk so I wouldnt forget......
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Cool. I was going to call and remind you. Thanks.
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so have we got photos of the car with the Bird on?
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Gonna download em later tonight.
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Just some quick pics from the nats........
Ready to leave
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2033-1.jpg)
BanditAlex, Mongo and the Stinkin Lincoln.
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2034-1.jpg)
Laying the bird
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2051.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2052.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2053.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2055.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2066.jpg)
Yin and Yang
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2059.jpg)
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LOOOKING REALLY GOOD... Ive been waiting for these pics haha
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we want more photos,we want more photos...please ;D
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sweet pic , this one is on my desktop now.
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab27/4_SPEED/my%2079%20trans%20am/100_6047.jpg)
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4Speed,
You are just like my dad when it comes to your computer. need all your files on the desktop. Me on the otherhand have millions of folders!!! Sometimes it can get confusing as to which folder i put a file in.
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;D It is on my computer at work as well but I cant seem to figure out why it wont stay there.
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The car looks amazing, those decals really make it stand out.
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(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2087.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2088.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2089.jpg)
(http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv321/FREDBO99/100_2090.jpg)
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well, you did a lot of work to it
I'm happy to see it all together and show's!!!
nice work!!!!
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are you done with your car now
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Wow Fred that big Bird came out awesome!! Can't see where that worrying spot was at the tail of the bird.
You have to chaffed about that. Good to have mates that know how to do that stuff! 8)
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dont see any horse food (you galah) but i got to say i think Fred is very chuffed with the end result
Fred,she looks grouse mate...well worth all that hard yakka
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Fred----- Brother she's an absolute beauty!!!!!!!!!
The above picture of Doug's '79 and your '79 side by side is too perfect.
I had to save that picture in my files. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!
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dont see any horse food (you galah) but i got to say i think Fred is very chuffed with the end result
Fred,she looks grouse mate...well worth all that hard yakka
Lol, thanks for the spell check!! You guys are too much into checking things now, you editors!! :P
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LOVE IT!!
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Here is the link to the decal install video. Thanks to Pete and Heather for this. AWESOME guys!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=939A7czGjeI
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Sweet video Fred!! And even sweeter, I was there to witness it all!! :P
How did those bubbles go?
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99% Gone!
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99% Gone!
sweeeet!!
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99% Gone!
sweeeet!!
x2
beauty mate