case closed.

Topic: case closed. (Read 11783 times) previous topic - next topic

Reply #30 – April 19, 2009, 04:00:56 AM

Yeah man, not that I'd know half as much as the fellas on this board would, but I know enough to say with confidence that taking up cars as a hobby (especially old cars, and old American cars in particular) is a labor of patience and love.

I learned this from my two previous ventures into American automotive technology, a 1985 Ford Mustang GT (Which I should have kept, dammit!), and a 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais I-Series. Both cars taught me a lot about American rides. They might have problems, might get eaten up or twist a cylinder head like a sheet in the wind (olds) or have 7 mashed valves on a frauded odometer block running 214,000 miles (mustang)...but nothing will be as fun or fill me with more pride than driving them.

I spend a lot of my time frustrated these days about money and lack of know-how. This is my first real venture into building anything as complex as a running vehicle from scratch, and considering I'm really doing it custom, it's been hard to make any headway...

But I learned from the last two that anyting worth having takes patience and an understanding that sh#t's gonna break, lol.

The first time that block wheezes to life and I get to hear my hand built 302 to sputter and kick and shake screws out of my headboard and piss the neighbors off...it'll all be worth it...and when the rod bearings sieze and completely total the thing within 20 minutes...WHo's counting anyway right?!

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Reply #31 – April 19, 2009, 11:33:21 AM

Quote from: FordTruckFreeek;268098

So it's been awhile since I last posted, thought I'd post about the bit of progress made...

I STILL have not tracked down my (un)power seat issue, but since the cars is sort of half apart, I've put that on the back burner for the immediate future.
I'm going to pick up my calipers for the 11" brakes here in a few, and I have the 8.8 with 3.55 gears waiting to be installed. I just have to grab some brake pads for it. The rear is from a Stang, so I'm going to have to change out the quad shock mounts, as they mount to different locations. Strange thing is, the brake stuff was missing on it, as in no shoes, none of the push 'n' twist clips, or the adjustors or..well, you get the idea.

So, I'm going to try to swap over the brake pieces from one of the other rears I have here, and see if something will work.

The T5 is fun...I miss driving a stick...can't wait to get the 8.8 in and have some more acceleration!

Hopefully my work will pick back up, the last few weeks we've only been working 32 hours, and it's kinda made a dent in my paychecks..ughh. I'm holding back on the HO swap/conversion/install because I'm going to put in a new timing set, water pump, oil pump, head and valve cover and intake gaskets etc. It's going to be in for awhile before I have to pull it again, or least that's my hope for the engine. *knocks on wood*

I've only driven it a little bit since the T5 went in, but it's good to putter down the road a few miles and back with it..

Either tonight, or tomorrow, I'll get my TC struts on the front, with the big(ger) brakes and try to nab some pics of my (slight) progress. I've been slacking on it, I know.
I'm so fed up with the rain on my days off...but I'm lucky to have a shed big enough for several vehicles and the room to work on the car to boot, so I guess I don't have much to complain about.

I've got it up on blocks again, this time for the brakes, and the rear. (as soon as I see if I can swap brake stuff over, that is)

Check for a pinched wire under the seat. Thats what happened to me.

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Reply #32 – June 13, 2009, 05:47:57 AM

...

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Reply #33 – June 14, 2009, 12:22:28 AM

Well, since I was up so late this morning, I had a late start today, but did manage to get the PRC struts, TC spindles, and 11" rotors swapped onto the car. The calipers and new rubber brake hoses will come later, as I just want to be able to get rubber back under the front so I can begin pulling the SO sometime later tonight, or tomorrow. Here's a quick pic of my bit of progress. I borrowed a spring compressor outfit from a parts store, made it pretty easy to get the TC springs in there.

After I get the HO in, I'll go back, pull the a arms off, clean, paint, and slap on new ball joints, tie rod ends, and bushings. Sucks I'm gonna have to take it apart a coupla times...but that's how it goes, right?

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Reply #34 – June 20, 2009, 03:57:48 AM

Well, not much to report, except that it puked up a well worn 5.0 SO about 2 AM central time, lol

Now, the construction part begins....errr, after some cleaning anyway. It's filthy as all hell, but will clean up.

pics in the morning...

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Reply #35 – June 21, 2009, 06:32:50 AM

Here's a pic from out in front of the shop (would you believe there's 4 Fords in here, along with an old hay baler, and a buncha other shiznit?)

the SO on the ground, getting it ready to donate to a buddy for a rebuild, and install in a 4x4 truck (by the way, dirt floors suck f*ckin' ass to pull engines on...just a fyi if you didn't already know this...)

empty hole (next time i WILL remember to drain the T5)

coming soon! and the plaque will be painted better, along with NO overspray...ughh.

the next pics I'll post will be of the HO in the car, and the int. put back together.
Or of the car on a trailer, headed for a j-y. NOT.

It might be awhile, as I'm trying to get about 10 things done roughly all at once, such as cleaning the car, from the doors forward, inside, out, and underneath. putting the rear back in with new bushings, shocks, and whatnot. and basically juggling all this with the responsibilities that come with a new family. Nicole DOES allow me some time on weekends to tinker with it, but I'm trying to not let it become my obsession, I may go 3 days without even thinking about it, then I'll spend 4 hours straight in the shop, either doing little things here and there, organizing the stuff thats going back into it, or just making sure I have the bolts for a certain part...I do tend to let it consume me at times...and it's good to step away once in awhile...

Anyway, there it is. more pics when it's cleaned, and the HO is in.
:D

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Reply #36 – July 25, 2009, 08:20:32 PM

BTW, I had an '88 Tbird Sport with everything but leather. Yours has all of the options.

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Reply #37 – July 25, 2009, 08:48:06 PM

coming along nicely....

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Reply #38 – July 25, 2009, 08:56:16 PM

What kind of fog lights were on it in the 11th pic on page 1? How well did they fit? I'm curious.

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Reply #39 – July 26, 2009, 12:57:36 AM

Beats the piss out of me...there was only one when I got the car, the other had been broken. Next time I'm out there I'll look at the other one...I kept it for posterity' sake, lol.

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Reply #40 – August 08, 2009, 10:53:20 PM

I have an 8.8 from a GT Stang...but since I want to sand and paint it before I put it in, I just stuck the 7.5 back in so I could roll outside.
Going to powerwash the engine bay, clean it up, and paint it before I drop the new engine in. Nothing spectacular, but it rolls once again. Unfortunately not under it's own power...

Most people would have had this done 2 weeks after getting the car initially, but well, I tend to move slower. :hick:

The Sport, new pics 8-30

Reply #41 – August 30, 2009, 08:20:16 PM

Before cleaning:

and after:

my helper lol

kinda shiny for a piece of shiznit...

next pics will be of the HO/T5 installed. I promise. :D
And Graham...I got your dash cubby sittin' here ready to go in a box, just gotta get that wiring from the white car taken off...

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Reply #42 – August 31, 2009, 10:28:15 AM

remember to watch your ankles

Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

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Reply #30 – April 19, 2009, 04:00:56 AM

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Reply #31 – April 19, 2009, 11:33:21 AM

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Reply #32 – June 13, 2009, 05:47:57 AM

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Reply #33 – June 14, 2009, 12:22:28 AM

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Reply #34 – June 20, 2009, 03:57:48 AM

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Reply #35 – June 21, 2009, 06:32:50 AM

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Reply #36 – July 25, 2009, 08:20:32 PM

case closed.

Reply #37 – July 25, 2009, 08:48:06 PM

case closed.

Reply #38 – July 25, 2009, 08:56:16 PM

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Reply #39 – July 26, 2009, 12:57:36 AM

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Reply #40 – August 08, 2009, 10:53:20 PM

The Sport, new pics 8-30

Reply #41 – August 30, 2009, 08:20:16 PM

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Reply #42 – August 31, 2009, 10:28:15 AM

case closed.

Reply #43 – August 31, 2009, 10:54:12 AM

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Reply #44 – August 31, 2009, 11:22:11 AM