Body Restoration Begins
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
Body has been cut in with the color coat, and now the doors and trunk lid have been remounted. We'll be bringing the car back home to soon so that we can install the engine and transmission, route transmission cooler lines, fuel lines, etc. Then it will be back to the body shop to have the "dog house" bolted on so they can spray the color coat on all the body panels.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
Thanks everyone! This has been a lot of fun.
"67 Cutlass"... I'm pretty sure the valve cover finish you're referring to is what appears to be a copper tint... which in fact is only a lighting effect... the valve covers are in fact bright chrome. What more would you like to know about the motor?
The accessory brackets, aluminum pulleys, aluminum water pump, Saginaw PS pump, and chrome 3-wire internally regulated alternator were sourced as a complete kit from Mondello. The entire system bolts to the 3 bolts on the side of the head except the alternator adjusting bracket, which bolts to two water pump bolts. The system is very compact, and the finish on all pieces is top notch. This particular system is non-A/C, but there is another version which include provisions for A/C, placing the unit near the passenger-side valve cover.
"67 Cutlass"... I'm pretty sure the valve cover finish you're referring to is what appears to be a copper tint... which in fact is only a lighting effect... the valve covers are in fact bright chrome. What more would you like to know about the motor?
The accessory brackets, aluminum pulleys, aluminum water pump, Saginaw PS pump, and chrome 3-wire internally regulated alternator were sourced as a complete kit from Mondello. The entire system bolts to the 3 bolts on the side of the head except the alternator adjusting bracket, which bolts to two water pump bolts. The system is very compact, and the finish on all pieces is top notch. This particular system is non-A/C, but there is another version which include provisions for A/C, placing the unit near the passenger-side valve cover.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
Finally some more progress!
Brought the car back home from the body shop so that I can get the drivetrain and supporting systems all installed back in the car.
You can tell she's a wild woman... it was freezing cold outside and she still ran around with her top down!
Once I have most of the stuff back in the car I'll send her back to the body shop to have the dog house put on so the whole car can be painted. Then of course they'll have to pull the dog house back off so the mouldings can be installed, then put back together again.
And even after that there's a ton to do (more wiring, convertible top, etc). I'm trying to just take it one step at a time.
Brought the car back home from the body shop so that I can get the drivetrain and supporting systems all installed back in the car.
You can tell she's a wild woman... it was freezing cold outside and she still ran around with her top down!
Once I have most of the stuff back in the car I'll send her back to the body shop to have the dog house put on so the whole car can be painted. Then of course they'll have to pull the dog house back off so the mouldings can be installed, then put back together again.
And even after that there's a ton to do (more wiring, convertible top, etc). I'm trying to just take it one step at a time.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
A buddy of mine (pictured) spent the last couple days of '09 helping me get the motor bolted to the frame rails, and the tranny mounted up behind it.
It's tough fitting a BBO in a 64-65 chassis... low and narrow. There always seems to be fitment problems. These are supposed to be the best fitting headers for a '65 I've ever had. Err.... right.
Some "hand tweaking" will be in order, mainly to resolve some drivers-side downtube to cross member interference. A 4-foot pry bar padded with some duct tape should do the trick... I hope.
It's tough fitting a BBO in a 64-65 chassis... low and narrow. There always seems to be fitment problems. These are supposed to be the best fitting headers for a '65 I've ever had. Err.... right.
Some "hand tweaking" will be in order, mainly to resolve some drivers-side downtube to cross member interference. A 4-foot pry bar padded with some duct tape should do the trick... I hope.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
Well, its been a long time since I've had anything significant to post. The budget really dried up, so the car has sat a lot, and I've worked on a lot of little details, like putting together a fan/fan shroud combination that will fit within the tight space, layout the fuel lines, replace the heater core and firewall insulation, etc, etc.
This past weekend things were ready to finally start the motor. I've been through this several times before, but my brother-in-law that was helping, and my wife and stepson that were watching, were all new motor virgins.
It fires right up on the first crank (lucky guess), and then it took us a bit to get things sorted out (I gotta remember to tighten down that distributer hold-down bolt).
My wife took some video (you'll see she's a screamer), and my brother-in-law can flinch with the best of them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuL4GkqBH8I
Motor sounds strong... gotta replace the exhaust system. The mufflers are trashed.. sounds like tin cans banging around in there at idle. I can see them swell up with each exhaust pulse. I ordered a Pypes 2 1/2" stainless header-back system from Summit. Maybe this weekend we'll get it installed, and I'll post more videos.
With any luck I'll get the paint work completed over the winter, and get everything put back together to have it on the road by the Spring. I'm a year behind schedule, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one who's missed a deadline.
This past weekend things were ready to finally start the motor. I've been through this several times before, but my brother-in-law that was helping, and my wife and stepson that were watching, were all new motor virgins.
It fires right up on the first crank (lucky guess), and then it took us a bit to get things sorted out (I gotta remember to tighten down that distributer hold-down bolt).
My wife took some video (you'll see she's a screamer), and my brother-in-law can flinch with the best of them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuL4GkqBH8I
Motor sounds strong... gotta replace the exhaust system. The mufflers are trashed.. sounds like tin cans banging around in there at idle. I can see them swell up with each exhaust pulse. I ordered a Pypes 2 1/2" stainless header-back system from Summit. Maybe this weekend we'll get it installed, and I'll post more videos.
With any luck I'll get the paint work completed over the winter, and get everything put back together to have it on the road by the Spring. I'm a year behind schedule, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one who's missed a deadline.
Last edited by Mongoose; Oct 21, 2010 at 10:32 AM.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 124
From: Ft. Wayne, IN
It's been discussed a little. A buddy of mine is getting his '70 W-30 just about all back together, and he mentioned it the other day. Not sure I want to drive it that far on drag radials. I went an hour south to Gas City last fall to the Duck Tail Run, so I guess two hours north to Lansing isn't out of the question.
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