What the World needs now is... a progress thread, An update after 2 years? Unpossible! Yet, true. Options

[VaccaRabite]

No pics. Its dark by the time I get home, and I have been keeping my camera at work lately.

Yesterday I dropped my Cyl 1&2 head at a local shop to have a spark plug insert installed. Some of you may remember my posting on it from last week or so. The plug had been helicoiled, but the coil was coming out. I was going to do the insert myself until I saw the price of the install kits. OUCH! For a 1 off job, it was way cheaper to have my local shop do it.

I'll get the head back today, but a grad school final on Monday will keep me from putting the head back on. I really need to be studying. The course is billed as the hardest one in the program, and I believe it!

I was thinking I'd put the motor back in over turkey day, but then I remembered that the good Dr is not done with my tranny yet. So, I guess that will have to wait to go back in for a little while longer.

I put my SS fuel line into the tunnel last night, but did not have time to force it through the grommet at the front, so I guess that job is only 1/2 done. I still need to seal the insides of the gas tank, so I am not in a big rush there.

zach

[Dr Evil]

Dude, your tranny is only a few hours from completion. The fact that is is in YOUR garage and not mine is why it is not done (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) I can do it the weekend after TG.

[VaccaRabite]

Mike, i am so not complaining. Just sayig that I was starting to put the cart before the horse. It will get done when it does.

Zach

[VaccaRabite]

So, more progress made, and still no PICS (looser!)

All of the silver trim pieces that I am keeping (save the door handles, and those might change too when I find the buggers) are now the same color green as the body.

I was going to paint them flat black, but I started thingking about it, and thought they would look better as body color. I painted them last night in my basement.

I also took all my engine tin to my favorite FLAPS (Broadway Autoparts, in Red Lion, Pa - if you live near there, you should shop there). I asked them for a referral to have the stuff degreased and bead blasted. "Oh, we do that. Just drop it on by." I love these guys. Their shop is a little farther away from me then the local Autozone, but I will drive that extra 1/2 mile every time. They actually know what they are talking about, have a machinist on staff, and have low prices. I also had them punch the roll in out of my pedal cluster, and install the timecert in my stripped spark plug.

When I get my tin back, I think I am going to paint it some sort of really loud, obnoxious color that contrasts with the obnoxious conda green the rest of my car is. Black is for sissies! I am thinking high temp candy apple red or something like that - so it will always be like Christmas in my engine bay. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif).

Now that grad school is done until January, i have time to actually get work done. And I have a lot of work to do. I am behind my schedule to have the car done by mid April!

Zach

[VaccaRabite]

I'm becoming a DAPO! Well, not yet I supposed, but if I ever sell the car.

Today I painted the engine tin.

Ford Red! Krylon! Somebody stop me!

I got my tin back from the bead blaster. Man did it look pretty. I got the reddest hi-temp paint I could find from my favorite FLAPS, which happened to be Krylon Ford Red engine paint. Not as brite as I had hoped, but it will keep the tin from rusting, and will show me if I have a bad leak somewhere. And make my bay look festive, and thats what really counts.

I welded shut a hole that I know that I don't need in the tin, and painted it. In the basement. On a laundry rack that I did not think my darling wife ever used.

Turns out, she does use it. So I got in a spot of trouble for that one. But I did a ton of household chores, and that seemed to make it all better.

I also put the head back on my T4. I forgot to borrow the leak down tester from Mike (who borrowed it from Chris). So, I'll send them both an email and see if I can get it to do leak down and see if I have made things better or made them worse.

I get the last two bits from Broadway Autoparts tomorrow, and will paint them, then put them on the engine and maybe remember to take a picture Tuesday.

Also, I am ready to put back together my doors, and glue the trim back on. The doors are a huge PITA, but I guess I do need to do it. One less thing to worry about.

I need to make a chart of the work to be done over the next month. its quite a lot. Hopefully, I can take a big chunk out before classes start again.

Zach

[Gint]

I went through the last 24 post od this thread and guess what I didn't find? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)

[koozy]

Oh man, I also read through the thing thinking "oh yea... here comes the pics" and..... "uh... what the...???" Yikes.... no pics. I'm soooooo ready for a picture of that thing. I'm a hair away from tearing into mine. I'll be pulling the motor next weekend. Maybe I'll start a progress thread too. Looks like it's theraputic to sit and type after working something out. Zach, nice job bro. Keep it up and take a look at mine when I start it so you can yell at me when I am about to do something stupid.

[VaccaRabite]

I went through the last 24 post od this thread and guess what I didn't find? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)

I will. I promise. I just want to get something done that is picture worthy. Everything of late has been dippy little stuff that does not really look much different from what I did in June.

Zach

[VaccaRabite]

LOTS of imperfections, and a ton of paint work still to do to even everything out. But the painting is pretty much done, and I am getting towards putting it back together. Hey, its the first time I ever painted a car. A ton of stuff I learned, and a ton of things that I will want to do when I get mad and repaint it down the line. When (if) ScottyB comes up a few weekends from now as (hopefully) planned, I hope he will be able to give me some pointers on how to fix some of the weaker points without needing to re-shoot it.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378262.1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378262.2.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378262.3.jpg)



I am going to go back into the basement and put another coat of paint on my engine tin. I need to be done painting before Erin gets home from class, or its (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif) for me.

Zach

[jonferns]

looks good zach...nice stripes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

-JON

[scotty b]

Absolutely Zach. I'll also help you string some lights on the car. Green car w/ red engine tin HAS to have some lights hung on it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

[jd74914]

From this chair it looks pretty good Zach (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

I really like the color and the stripes. Are the stripes painted on or decals?

The assembly from this point is the fun part . . . my car looked like yours about 3 months ago, now its complete save for the front bumper. I found that the assembly got a lot faster the close I got to finished.

[VaccaRabite]

No decals. I painted the stripes on.

It looks better in pictures then it does in real life. There are quite a few "iffy" areas. They might just need color sanding and re buffing.

As for Christmas lights.... Don't think for a moment that I have not considered putting a short string of LED lights in the engine bay. I figure they would wire into the trunk light. Probably pull less power then the trunk light too.

Zach

[scotty b]

How about an inflatable snow globe in the front trunk ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

[snflupigus]

has anybody ever seen a progress thread that didnt just sort of leave you hanging because it wasnt done yet... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I guess thats why the call em progress threads. LOL

[VaccaRabite]

Its really (REALLY) nice out right now, and supposed to get crappy later AND I cleaned the garage last night so I thought I would take some pics of the engine in is freshly painted tin.

The patient is being patient. Has a little while yet before the motor goes back in.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378345.1.jpg)

Motor on my kit-bashed engine stand. Not pretty, but it works.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378345.2.jpg)

Some welding. My butt welding sucks (as can be seen (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) ) so I decided to just spot weld the heater vents closed. So much easier, and it looks nicer too. I did the butt welding as practice. I need to practice more. I'll paint the vent plugs when the weather warms up a little.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378345.3.jpg)

Passenger side (also needs painted):
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378345.4.jpg)

From the front (yes, the coil needs to be secured. I need to get the part.)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378345.5.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-179-1274378345.6.jpg)

Thats all I've got right now.

[jonferns]

still have that rotisserie?

-JON (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[VaccaRabite]

Nope, sold the rotisserie back in September or so.

Zach

[Allan]

How are you going to access the alternator in the event the belt breaks or needs adjustment with the access hole welded shut?

[VaccaRabite]

Find a way. With all the FI stuff gone, Engine drops would be a snap. If I broke a belt on the road, I'd just get home on the battery. The car won't have much that draws anything. Heats gone. Radios gone. FI gone. Battery just needed for lights and ignition.