bluecab

I started putting the brake lines on, beginning with the long one that runs along the driver's side frame rail that I had to jack the body off the frame for.
Originally this was mounted with some original OE clips that I could not remove without wrecking and I did not see any that looked like they would mount in the original holes. The new tubing is stainless so I made up some stainless clips and drilled and tapped some holes to mount them using stainless Allen head 1/4-20 bolts.






I got the rear hard lines mounted along with the original brass junction block also. The bends on these were a bit out of whack, but I finally persuaded them to mount up. Not having bought pre-formed lines before I'm not really sure how close I should expect them to be, but at least they did not end up with crimps in them.

bluecab

I did not find any vendors making fuel lines for the first gen Toronados so I ordered some stainless tube and made them up. There is just a slight bend at the forward end, but otherwise they are straight.


Because I do not have a tool to roll a bead into the tubing, I put a tiny bit of flare on the ends to keep the hose from slipping off. I will double clamp these when they are finished to be sure they stay on.

TripDeuces

How hard was it working with that SS tubing using that flaring tool?

My idea to make those ends was to use a double flaring tool but just do the first part of the process but only slightly creating a little bubble on the end.

bluecab

Hey George,
That flare tool is probably made for copper but it seemed ok for the stainless.
It did not grab the tube that firmly and slipped a bit, but I did not really crank down on the clamps.
What do you use to make the bubble flare? That would have been ideal.

TripDeuces

A double flare tool.
The first step is to roll the edge over that makes the inner part of the double flare. But if you stop halfway through that process you get a sort of bubble flare. That was my idea.

bluecab

Is a double flare tool for making brake lines?
I have seen the kits listed but never used one..

Got some POR15 on the rear leaf springs and the washers for the front body bushings and rear shackles

TripDeuces

Yes it's for brake, fuel, hydraulic, etc. lines. Most store bought lines have a double flare on them where you can see the outside has been flipped over the edge and is now inside the flare bell serving as the sealing surface.
Your stainless line would probably be too brittle to make a true double flare but bubbling it for a hose end should work. That way there are no sharp edges to cut the hose on the inside.
If you go that route practice on a few pieces to see what I'm talking about and only doing it part way.

bluecab

Finally got the heat and A/C parts back on the firewall



and the passenger side of the suspension together



and the steering box and drag link installed

bluecab

Another shot of the firewall

bluecab

I read a bunch of stuff about stripping chrome as I want painted bumpers on my project. Pulled out the front '67 bumper I had bought a while ago and figured I'd try peeling it. An hour or so later it was almost bare. Whoever did the GM chrome back then must have made a ton of money, this stuff is barely even stuck on..
A sharp blade to get under it and some small pliers to pull it off. Not too much blood in the end, but it is like juggling razor blades.

nonhog

Wow peeling chrome, very interesting. Have to try that.

bluecab

Got the body back on the frame after painting, new brake and fuel lines and a pair of torsion bar adjusters. Transaxle installed (now that's a word not heard here often) Take a look at the notch in the final drive pic #3 where the drag link goes by.. It's been apart so long I forgot how close some of this stuff is, and all done without cad-cam

bluecab

Found this fine Mallory billet gizmo on e*ay and got a coil, wires and plugs. Heading to the machine shop this morning to see what I can do to finish up the motor. Still on the fence: run it in at the shop or send it to the dyno to be run in there? The dyno will be a few bucks more, but may be a better way to reveal any issues with the build..I'm not sure the shop put in a thrust button for the cam. Does it really need one?

bluecab

Here's my motor update for the day; water pump, fuel pump and exhaust manifolds mounted. Driver's side manifold removed to install chrome aftermarket pos dipstick tube that had to be modified to fit.. Spark plugs, wires and hei installed. Still need the carb done and a few other bits but a pretty productive day.

m_brenema

Looks like it's come a long way...gives me hope for mine. Front disc brakes are at the top of my list. Were you able to find replacement hubs or did your knuckles come with them?

bluecab

The hubs came with the knuckles ( all 3 of them! ) but I am just now thinking about finding bearings and getting the hubs on so I can turn the car into a roller again.
I bought a whole front end assembly off of a '69 and then let it sit for a year before I looked at it. That's when I discovered that it had two different spindles; one early, one late with two different ball joint taper sizes. I eventually found another early spindle assembly to make a matching pair. Note that the early disk brake cars ('67, '68) had one piece hubs and rotors and four piston calipers that are no longer generally available. For photos and more specific discussion of part numbers have a look on the Toronado forum here: http://www.toronado.org/forum/viewto...=1342&start=10

m_brenema

I'll have to read though that this evening. I found this website a couple years ago and it's been really helpful. http://www.breznick.com/toronado/brakes/index.htm
Going by everything he found, I'm looking for a 75-78 Toro or Eldorado.

bluecab

Finishing up the rear wheel wells so I can get the shocks on.
Driver's side trunk drop and wheel well.

bluecab

Got a few more bits on the motor, belt to run the water pump, hose from manifold to pump, put the wires on the distributor. Found a choke coil in my boxes of spares. Needs a carb and it will run.. It will get detailed when I get it home

bluecab

Back in the garage. Mostly trying to finish a bunch of 3/4 done welding projects around the tail panel and rear wheel wells. Grind, fill, grind, fill. I did repair the rear airbox which involved some upside-down welding in the trunk. A very convenient way to set your hair on fire and torch the worst of the winter garage garb. I have pledged to dispose of at least a few of the worst hoodies. It will be easier now that they are full of welding slag holes. I picked up a few spot weld drills at HF last week and decided to give them a try on the Core support as I am getting a better one from the far northwest courtesy of 2blu442 who does not seem to be snowed in..Seems hard to know when to stop drilling with these things. I do wish I had had them when I was working on the tail panels and a few other spots that needed taken apart

bluecab

Not much progress, but I did manage to find some wheels that fit the high offset 5x5 Toronado application. They are actually Jeep wheels or Chrysler Pacifica..
18 x 8 and the backspace is a little bit less than the stock6.5" backspace on the factory 15 x 6 rims so most of the extra wheel is pushed out to fill the wheel well. I'm still working on a tire selection, but 255/45 looks like it may be a good fit and just a little shorter than the 235/75-15 that is the original size. And HEY LOOK my garage door is open and there is no snow to be seen.. Yay Spring!

miked

love it! wheels look great...can't wait to see completed.

nonhog

Gold accents on those wheels and the right center cap it could have a Hurst look to them.
Look great as is too!

bluecab

It was nice out today and as part of the spring rearrangement of snowblower/lawnmower etc. I pulled the gas tank for the toro out of the shed.
I had looked for a better one on and off but not found one. I had a POR kit on hand so I decided today was the day to see if this rusty, weeping tank could be fixed. I rinsed it out with hot water a few times and then washed it out with the POR cleaner. I remembered that it has (had) a fuel sock just before I was about to dry it and put the sealer in. I tried for quite a while to pull the sock off the end of the pickup tube, but it was just not happening so I cut the pickup and return out. I'll weld it back on after I'm done sealing the tank. Looks pretty good inside considering how bad the outside is.

bluecab

While I was etching/ rinsing the tank I found a few pinholes, so I used the Metal Ready to etch the outside of the tank as well. The instructions say to patch the pinholes from the outside using the tank liner and fabric. At first the tank liner coating seemed way to thin to hold the fiberglass on, but I let it set up for about 20 minutes so that it was a little tacky and then put the 'glass on and laid the tank coating over it. The fabric patches seen here are very oversize considering the size and amount of pinholes, just a bit of overkill. The last two shots are of the pits that did not leak (!) After I coat the interior, the tank will have the pickup welded back in and the exterior coated with POR15. Am I wasting my time? Have any of you repaired tanks this bad? Can any of you tell me if you think this tank is going to work long term? Comments welcome....

bluecab

I called the POR15 tech line to ask them if the exterior patches on the tank needed to be top-coated.

The tech guy I spoke to explained that the tank coating is similar to the normal POR15 coating, but with the addition of aluminum power to improve viscosity and make it more impermeable. It would need some kind of UV protection if left out in the sun, but other than that it is ok outdoors as opposed to just inside a tank.

So, because I hate to throw anything away, I coated the outside of the tank with the coating after using it on the inside.

I'm hoping this will help it hold fuel, and I think it looks half decent for a tank that probably should have gone in the trash.

PS; Do all GM tanks have the weld flanges turned up so they catch water and rust? Seems like a bad idea.

bluecab

Last few weeks have been working on getting wheels and tires together.

As I have said, wheels for the Toro are a little tough, 5 x 5 BCD with a high offset.

These wheels will need a bit of machine work as the hub bore is just a tiny bit small so the photos don't show them fully seated against the hub

I settled on 245/45-18 Sumitomo HTRZII tires that are a little shorter ( 769 revs/mile) than the factory 8.85-15 size that was 713 revs per mile.

I think these tires are discontinued now...

This will lower both the final drive ratio and the ride height a little.

bluecab

Looks like the server where the photos are has crashed, I'll try to re-post them later

bluecab

Never had any comments on this nasty tank.

Just wondering if it is a waste of my time to install it.

Would any of you serial restorers who have had experience with this sort of thing please comment...

nonhog

I'd consider putting in a new tank depending how the pitting sits. If its structurally sound on the bottom go for it. If its weak on the bottom maybe mod a Chevelle tank if nobody repops a Toro tank. Not that I'd be afraid of it leaking. It'll probably seal up just fine, I'd be concerned with strength. Would it withstand a bump or smack against who knows what? Someone with your talents could make another (new) tank work. IMO.

bluecab

Thanks for the reply, Nonhog.

As far as I can tell, there are no repop tanks available for the first series Toronados (66-70)

There was a guy on the Toronado Facebook page that claimed he had found something else that fit but he has not been forthcoming with the application or a part number.

I think most of the rust was on the top of the tank, which was from the rear window and airbox leaking into the trunk that then leaked onto the tank.

Guess I'll throw it in there and keep an eye on it. I've got other fish to fry, like an upcoming trip to the dyno

Thanks for the compliment, it means a lot to this novice as this is my first try at rebuilding an old sled..

bluecab

Really excited to say that there is an exhaust system on the UPS truck for me today!

Will post some photos later.

The dyno shop needed exhaust stubs off of the manifolds to run the motor, so this will be the last piece of the puzzle (I hope) before I can continue with the project.

TripDeuces

Bluecab, who is doing the dyno stuff in this area for you?

bluecab

Hi George,

It's going to Larry's Auto Machine in Groton, CT as they have a working relationship with R. Johnson & Sons, who built the motor.

bluecab

Well, for some unknown reason I got only one side of the manifold pipes after telling the exhaust guy a bunch of times that I need the stubs to take the motor to the dyno room.
He said they were short on tubing; they must be trying to maximize every inch of stainless tube that they use...

I may need to make the flange plates, or whatever they are called, to attach the exhaust to the manifolds. They are supposed to have springs and long bolts (to allow for flex?) The 2 1/2 pipe seems to mate with the exhaust donuts that I have but I will have to try to fit it to the manifolds to see if it will really work....
Do other Olds have this type of setup in the manifold - to pipe area?
Are the Toros unique in this respect?
Happy beginning of summer to All! and if I can figure out how to use apple's new Photo thing I will get some shots up soon

bluecab

Not sure if sideways is better than no photo at all. At the far end you can see the single manifold down pipe.
The rest looks pretty good...
The ends that turn in go to the muffler and from there on to the tailpipes.
Anybody have recommendations on what would be the best clamps for the slip fittings?
I'm not set up to weld stainless and I think it would be better to use clamps until I get the system adjusted really well

nonhog

Band clamp, I think they are called. Got mine from Summit. Not proven yet in my case. Car is still not a driver. I figured if they work out great. If not I'll weld up later. These wont crimp the pipes like standard exhaust clamps.

2blu442

Are you needing the exhaust pipes that fit against the manifold for the dyno trip? If so, I could cut off about a foot or so from the ones on my parts car, then you don't have to mess with your new pipes. I also have the flange plates on them that I could include. I can provide pictures if it would help to verify they're what your looking for.

John

bluecab

Nonhog, Thanks, I was thinking of those clamps.
Wonder if the stepped version of those will really seal up a slip-fit pipe long term?

John, I hope to have the rest of the system here next week, before the dyno trip.
Good point on the pipe length though, I'm not going to cut a set of brand new stainless pipes to fit on the dyno..
Thanks for the offer;I'll let you know how that works out.
I don't want to slow down the hunt for the elusive core support tho

Charlie Jones

Yes they will , I have used them on trucks and buses for years . They seal very good and are a permanent thing. Much better than conventional clamps.
Can only be used once though.