mcdarrunt
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Posts posted by mcdarrunt
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Original parts for the Pacer IFS are extinct so we use a Monte Carlo upper ball joint and a Chrysler lower---fab required. The disc brake hardware is of the Ford design and drums were used only the first couple years. The caster/camber eccentrics can be scavaged from a Chevy pickup. Drums from (?) require sleeves and spacers. Your shoes can be relined.
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Wish the 35 we did would have been this nice but it had a steel building collapse on it and smashed the roof down to the seat tops. Even crushed the top of the dash. Ended up winning the Dallas Autorama as best in class and Peoples Choice.
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We donated a Yugo to an elementary school in west Plano, Texas as it would fit through the classroom door opening. It was used as a "reward car" for which kids that did good were allowed to sit in and pretend drive. When I asked the other guys in the shop how I could list it as a deduction one replied "Trash Removal".
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If you walked into my shop with this "dreamers fantasy" idea I would say we could build it for about $500k. It would have zero iron/steel but a carbon fiber floor pan (Indy car style) with everything attached to it being stainless steel, carbon fiber, or plastic. Weigh under 2000#'s and have fuel sipping 4 banger. All cables, brake/fuel lines, driveshaft, fuel tank also of rust proof material. Could it be done---yes but those that dream should be willing to pay big.
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This is not the worse one we have worked on but it had a big torque 455 Olds in it for several years before owner told us to put an LS in it and maybe "clean up his welds a bit". Nova IFS grafted to a 50 Ford pickup frame.
Right frame rail splice and left frame rail splice:
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Stick an LS in it and have a ball. We have a former Jag V12 convertible in the shop right now getting the LS treatment and one of the most fun was an MGB with a 400 sbc. Figured the puny rear end would give up but it outlasted every right sized tire on the place. Finally pulled engine/trans and gave it to the chaplain at a nearby prison that needed parts. Only complaint on sbc in XJ's was they no longer leaked oil and driveways got rusty.
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Had mice chew the injector wires off my newer Buick. Found out the insulation is a soy based plastic. Was told to spread dryer sheets (like Bounce) around engine compartment. Worked so far but would like to hear from others that did the same.
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Everyone has my permission to use my scammer buster I used for 45 years. It first worked by accident but then became a regular part of my routine. I had a nephew, now retired, that had an international trucking company (U.S., Canada, Mexico) so I told the scammer he would route a truck by the scammers location and pay cash for the part if it passed inspection. Never heard back from A SINGLE ONE.
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I find that one has to compensate for diminishing physical abilities. Eye sight is a given but strength must be tested with each new task and is an unknown. I too will be 86 on my next birthday and am in the middle of a head gasket replacement on a 37 Buick straight eight. I know I cant muscle the head off so removed hood, core support to firewall rods as well as miscellaneous hoses and wires to be able to use a hoist. Maybe the big lift will happen tomorrow or if not the sometime next week---not on a schedule. Friend looked at it and remarked that it used to be a 30 minute job but have to accept reality.
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I used an adapter from Bengston's in Minnesota in my 37 Special with a 52 263 straight eight and a Turbo 350 trans.
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Thanks Tom,
I am aware of Jack's install and garnered much info. Mine is actually going to be like the install on a Suzuki Samarai which currently has a U-tube video running on a "how to" site. We currently have a Factory Five 33 Hotrod in the shop with this set up so have real time example on hand. The hang up is no shop work for a feeble 85 year old till temp is under 95---October maybe???
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We specialized in Corvairs at my old big shop. We had a template to cut a three sided hole in the panel behind the rear seat to r&r starters. About a half hour job. The factory starters had cast aluminum snouts and cracking was frequent. The folded down flap was put back in place and tacked then dum-dum used to seal. Steel replacement snouts stopped the problem.
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Adding epas (electric power assist steering) to my 37 and will snap a few pics. Have measured and there is room between the toe board and the gear box if the horn contact hole is eliminated. Using an 09-13 Corrola or a Prius unit. My parking spot is getting congested and 85 year old muscles need help.
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Customer and good friend had a 1969 427 four speed Biscayne with radio, heater, and anything else that could be deleted that had never been licensed. Spent its life on the drag strip and it showed. When he passed it still brought good money.
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You are just too young to know one reason why the lock was on the passenger side---MUD. The only paved streets in the county I grew up in were in the county seat and just the main streets there. It made perfect sense to slide across the seat and get out on an all weather sidewalk rather than get out on the drivers side and slog through the mud to reach the sidewalk.
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First thing I do when an electric wiper ride comes in the shop is pull it off and replace with vacuum. The problem is with the vacuum source and NOT the wiper motor. Send motor off to Ficken and use a electric vacuum pump off a 300D Mercedes and you have a unit that can make one sweep a minute or three sweeps a second and that is going uphill pulling a loaded trailer and on bone dry glass. Since my 37 travels at left lane speeds the wipers have a higher tension spring to keep against the glass which causes no problem. Most of our Texas builds have a-c and the electric set up uses up very limited under dash space.
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We have built, restored, resto rodded, street rodded, etc many rides over the last 40 years so I often see one of them for sale. Without identifying as the builder I ask for details on the vehicle and get answers from near accurate to fantasy. A 56 Ford F100 big window pickup was shuttled about after the owner died and the stories grew wilder with each relocation. Just a few examples: it was the golfers Lee Trevino's personal truck, it had a MII ifs (actually a Volare/Aspen), engine was a 429 Cobrajet (actually a 351 Cleveland), four link rear (actually ladder bar) and any other catch phrase item that was hot button at the time. Lesson is to only trust your own eyes or the eyes of an expert in that field.
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If you have your old bearings, races, and seals you can do a search for "buying bearings by size" and get part numbers. The charts list ID, OD, thickness and seal type.
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After finally getting a roll back wrecker it has sat unused because of insurance rates. The insurance companies just won't believe one is for shop use only and the rates for a commercial one are near a thousand a month. I told them the ones we haul to the shop are incapable of receiving any additional damage and the finished ones can drive on their own. Falls on deaf ears. We do most work in shop but make trips for exhaust, upholstery, and alignment. Would be nice and quick to not use a trailer which being a combination rig must be more accident prone than something designed for the task. Nearby ranchers use them for hay hauling with cheap farm plates but I fear even a rookie cop can tell the difference between a round hay bale and a 1940 LaSalle.
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Usually drive the 1937 Buick at least once a week on sunny winter days but this year I've had to run the a-c so far in December. Supposed to change this coming week. Had a South Wind gas heater but it was removed 30 years ago. Being a dark color no heater needed on sunny days.
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Ben is right, as usual. Looked again with my glasses on and spotted the oil holes. Better pop out and do a little milling and drilling.
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Replaced my points distributor with an HEI unit and noticed the factory distributor has a notch milled on each side that fits down into the block. Shows good oil pressure without the notches and rockers oil good so wondering why they were there. Previously ran an HEI for thousands of miles with no notches and no problems. Anyone know the reason for the notches?
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My old shop was 225' long by 185' wide (just under an acre of floor space) and it was too small. New shop is a closet at 60 x 100 but tires the old man using it by noon or shortly after. I tell people if I work on a project all day I can only charge for two hours as that is all the work I get done. Guess at very near 85 I should be happy to wake up on the right side of the grass and not complain about being crowded.
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Ben,
I think he is pretty much on call for Saturdays as we pay much better than his full time job and Christmas is near.
Starts great cold. Not so much when hot.
in Buick - Pre War
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On my 37 Special with a 52 263 I tried everything I could think of to stop fuel percolation during a hot shut down. Run gas line completely away from exhaust, set float at minimum height, had fuel pressure at 2#, and even installed a ball valve at the float bowl that could be manually turned off. Still had to grind for at least ten seconds and always a big cloud of black smoke. Finally modified an Olds V8 HEI to fit Buick block and gapped plugs at 0.060. Did NOT cure perk problem but arc welder hot spark fires engine in about three seconds. The big HEI unit means no plug wire tin shield and is ugly so Ben Bruce had HEI guts put in a factory distributor and the module mounted of the firewall---works good and looks good.