my grandads '74 restoration project Options

[_stickykitty79_]

just want to say hi to all you crazy people trying to revive these things like me. this is a bit of a sentimental project as its been in the family 3 gens now. was a Michigan car, suffered the consequences as the pics show, trailered it to california where it will remian.
my plans are to address all the obvious rust issues and do some fun upgrades along the way, some chassis stiffening, some minor engine tuning. (webers instead of fuel injection...yes i know the forum doesnt like it but it was always a disaster and carbs just sound better)
im a realist so heres what im prepared to face:

- tons of welding, i can do and thanks to Restoration Design i have plenty of metal to purchase as i go
-spending a few thousand here and there to do this right and time to do it. its a passion project and im in no hurry.
-building a chassis rig as i tear into the longitudinals, along with temp supports in the door jams.

i know this will seem daunting but i also dont think its at the point of scrapping based on what we can buy, and what im willing to do.
thanks

[_stickykitty79_]

learning alot here. didnt even know there was a sticker in the engine bay

[wonkipop]

learning alot here. didnt even know there was a sticker in the engine bay

ok sticky - i can really fill in the picture for you now.

your grand dad's car was originally a california car.
thats what an EC-A engine was.
california compliant.

very interesting.
would have been a lot less rustier at one point in its life.
probably why your grand dad picked it up when he did, he was after a californian non rusted car (they rusted back then pretty quick in the snow belt. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

which means if it still has its 3 digit paint stamp on the engine tin (and its still the original engine) the number there will be 606 for a standard spec 1.8 or 607 for an appearance group 1.8 with the guages/console package.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

the difference between an EC-A and an EC-B was very subtle.
on an A the hose from the advance can on the distributor was not hooked up to the throttle body port above the throttle plate. meant the car did not vac advance its timing over and above centrifugal timing at cruise but ran slightly retarded at constant speed cruise. meant it ran hotter but produced less NOx.

all the 1.8s (A and B) had retard can hooked up to throttle body with a green hose.
this meant they all ran retarded at idle in stand still traffic. less NOX but hotter head temp around the exhaust valve.

looking at the photos of engine bay it is clear that presently your engine is hooked up with the advance can via as per the B. someone did the mod. which might have been easier to do with the 74s. not entirely clear to me what the throttle body was like on the 74 california cars. so few reliable original survivors exist. they might have just had a plug over the port you pulled out and hooked up the hose. or they might have had a throttle body without the port at all. in 75, the 49 states cars duplicated the 74 californian cars and those cars had no port on the throttle body.

useless trivia i know.

but your car was originally a california delivery. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)