We interrupt this Heater Box restoration for an important announcement.
THE 351 CLEVELAND IS BACK!!!
The main piece of this project if finally complete.
Here’s what we have now: 351C bored .040 Crank .020 and Stock cam Flattop pistons Double Roller Timing Chain
Here’s what I’m going to add: Edelbrock 4bbl CARB 800 CFM ELEC CHOKE Edelbrock Performer 2750 Intake Manifold
Heads have been restored and upgrade as follows: Bronze valve guide, stainless 1 piece valves, MATCHING retainers, a proper 3 angle valve job, springs matched to cam and set up to proper height and pressure checked and hardened seats.
Here a more complete look:
The change in the bore only increased the CID (Cubic Inch Displacement) from 352 – 358 and that’s not a lot. But keep in mind that this is a 1972 engine and the 351C with a 4bbl carb was rated at 285 bph @ 5400 rmps (The Boss 351 was rated at 330bhp @ 5400). So I’m guessing with the Crank .020 milled, Edelbrock 4bbl 800 CFM, Edelbrock Performer 2750 Intake Manifold and the slight change in displacement that the horse power of this 1972 Cleveland will be about 300 hp – maybe.
Keep checking back as I have to finish the heater box, engine bay and the top half of the 351C. Lots of fun coming up!!!
While the block is out for machining I can turn my attention to one of the MANY other sub-projects on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you’ve followed the blog you know …
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
1 day ago … I didn’t purchase the window sticker for 1970 Mustang but I did for # ProjectSportsRoof. Check it out: 1973 Mustang SportsRoof Window Sticker.
While the block is out for machining I can turn my attention to one of the MANY other sub-projects on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you’ve followed the blog you know …
I’ve mentioned a few times here on Average Guy’s Car Restoration the great work that Marti Auto Works does to help car owners discover information about their Mustangs and other Fords that are important to being able to restore the cars and even help establish a value. They own the rights to the Ford databases and records prior to 1974 (some models up to 1989). These guys have everything..I mean everything. Give them the VIN number and they’ll pile on the data (it’s not free but very reasonable). They are authorized by Ford to reproduce window stickers and Protector Plates (identification plates that go on the inside door jamb) and more.
I didn’t purchase the window sticker for 1970 Mustang but I did for #ProjectSportsRoof. Check it out:
1973 Mustang SportsRoof Window Sticker.
That’s pretty cool but if you want the coolest thing (in my opinion) that they offer it is this:
The original Invoice!!!
This is the original – THE ORIGINAL – not a copy, not a reproduction – but the original – complete with pen/pencil marks and water stains – tucked way in a folder – invoice for my car. That is beyond awesome. The edges of the form didn’t make it into the scan but it all there.
The fact that it still exist is unbelievable and that I was able to purchase was great. It’s a great piece to have and I couldn’t appreciate the folks at Marti Auto Works more!!!!!
Check out the cost of 10 gallons of gas – $4.00!!!
Thanks for reading
Tim
You can find Marti Auto Works @ http://www.martiauto.com/
While the block is out for machining I can turn my attention to one of the MANY other sub-projects on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you’ve followed the blog you know …
While the block is out for machining I can turn my attention to one of the MANY other sub-projects on #ProjectSportsRoof.
If you’ve followed the blog you know that I’ve tackled the heater box (more to come on that) and as well as cleaning up the engine bay. As you’ve seen the interior needs work. I’ve completed floor pans (sealed/coated), new under-layment and new carpet. That was just the beginning, so much more to do on the inside.
One thing that makes restoring the interior go a bit smoother is having all the little things like screws and other fasteners. That’s where AMK Products comes in.
I saw an AMK commercial on one of the car restoration shows.
Here’s a brief look at what it contains:
It is pretty complete and well labeled for application. You can find more on their website. Go to https://www.amkproducts.com .
Thanks for checking in on #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m working on the heater box and it is now out from under the dash. Although the box was easy to remove, …
Thanks for checking in on #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m working on the heater box and it is now out from under the dash.
Although the box was easy to remove, unfortunately that might have been because the two brackets that hold the unit to the firewall were broken and dropped down only hanging by the A/C block still sticking through slot in the firewall.
Take a look:
The rust isn’t too bad. I’ll clean that up and see how much damage exist, cut out what I can and make a patch for it. You can clearly see the condition of the brackets and the box.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took forever!!! Seems longer since I have driven it in months. Now if you missed …
I’m finishing the labeling of the components for the heater box before I pull it out. These videos help with replacing any “left over” parts and memory joggers.
Unfortunately I did discover an area of rust and that is never a good thing!!!
Take a look:
Coming up next the box comes out and we take a good look at it.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Maybe one of the worse task to tackle on a car is the heater core. In particular on some older cars. In most cases you have to remove the entire dash. I know this because when the heater core sprung a leak in my 1974 Cobra Jet Torino, I didn’t have the time to fix it. I took it to a shop and the cost was hefty.
Since I’m doing a lot more of my own work on #ProjectSportRoof and I’m going to dive in and replace the heater core and like the Torino it is an A/C car.
Now the goal is to attempt to remove the box without taking the entire dash out – that is a huge time sync and it leads down the road of ” since I have it out, I might as well fix…”.
I refer to the heater box as the portion to the right of the blower, there are some references that include the blower as well. There are only 3 bolts holding the heater box in place, two are behind the unit and poke through the firewall and one is in the front. I’m hoping the rest is just getting it in the right angle to pull it out.
I don’t have a camera guy only a small tri-pod that I can set in limited flat spots and record what I can.
HINT: Remove the passenger seat, it sure does help.
Here we go:
Coming up we’ll take a close look at the box, access what needs to be done.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Well we are finally at the next to last post for the tear down of my 1973 Mustang SportsRoof 351 Cleveland. Everything has been removed and we can not get a look at the last piece of the puzzle in figuring out what needs to be done to make this thing run again.
Take a look at the cylinders.
All the indications are that this engine was oil starved at some point. I’m sure it was a result of the valve supporting the #2 cylinder being fired shut, but that is still just a guess.
If you look back at earlier posts, I waffled between guessing if this Cleveland had been apart and worked on. Well by the sight of the cross-hatching it’s clear that the cylinders have been worked before and I’m guessing the rings are well.
Next the block, crank and cam are headed off to a machine shop and things become very clear after the experts look at this 351C.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Thanks checking back in with the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof). … the knocking in the bottom end and if the 351 Cleveland in #ProjectSportsRoof is going …
Welcome to #ProjectSportsRoof and the seeming never ending processing of tearing down the 351C. We are in the final stages and I wanted to show you the crank and cam condition. I put together the video below.
As you can see the crank is not in great shape and the cam is a bit worn. The crank is going to have to be turned and the cam might be beyond polishing.
Leaving the flange on was a time set back as I had to stabilize the engine with the hoist so that I could unbolt it from the engine stand. I had intended to drop it on an engine cradle but I hadn’t even un-boxed it yet so I removed the flange and the flex plate and bolted it back on the engine stand.
It’s now clear that the engine had severe oil starvation at some point and this caused all the damage – ring wear in the cylinders (you’ll see that coming up), severe wear crank and main bearings.
It just about time to get this block off to the machine shop. I’m going to have them do some measurements for me and help decide what needs to be done to save this engine.
I have a couple more posts for the tear down and those are coming up.
The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof. Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took … Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m getting ready to pull the 351C …
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
I haven’t written a Parking Lot Spotlight (#ParkingLotSpotlight) in a while, but this beautiful Bonneville was worth breaking the dry spell for.
Spotted this beauty just today as I had to run back to the grocery store because there are days, although armed with a list, things just don’t make in the shopping cart. This particular return trip paid off.
The ’67 Pontiac lineup these days are pretty much dominated, at least in the collector world, by the Firebird, GTO, Tempest, LaMans, Gran Prix but I love the other two door offerings you could find in the showrooms. These include some awesome cars with long, low lines, roomy interiors and massive trunks. They came in hard and soft tops as well. Some of those sported model names like Executive series which in NO-WAY looked like a stuffy exec car. These were muscular and sporting. Cars like the Catalina 2+2 with (eight lug wheels) and the Pontiac Executive are exceptional looking cars and powered with V8s and 4bbl carbs.
I have always coveted the Bonneville models of the mid-1960, they remind me of my first car, 1966 Impala. Same long lines and big interiors and I loved the dash and instrument setup.
So check out this beauty:
Great looking paint – not original but beautiful
These are the lines I’m talking about. Long and low….AWESOME.
HUGE trunk!!! Love those inset taillights and how the bumper is incorporated into the design of the rear end.
Long and sleek belt lines and the white-painted top does this car justice!!
Over/Under headlights with the bottom set incorporated in to a beautiful distinctive chrome bumper. (One drawback of having to manage a good pic in a crowded parking lot – I couldn’t get the perfect front end shot.)
That year the Bonneville came in a 2 door hard top like this beauty as well as 4 door sedan, 2 door convertible and even a station wagon. Engines available were the 230 CID in various configurations as well as the 326 CID and the 400 CID engine and the 428 CID all as options. Sychromesh or Turbo-Hydromatic transmission were available. There were 96,708 passenger Bonnevilles produced. Of interest was that 483 Bonnevilles were sold to car converters and at least one of those turned up as the car that the fictitious (at the time) band the “Monkees” tooled around on the television show of the same name. Oh, you might have heard of the guy that bought at least one of the Bonnevilles and turned it into the this cool car – George Barris!!
MonkeeMobile
According to the for sales sign this Bonneville is powered by the 400 CID topped with a 4bbl carb which would put this between 333 HP and 350 HP. The transmission is the 400 Turbo-Hydromatic.
I love the interior of this factory air car!!!
Love the linear gauges!! Is that a factory 8 Track!?!?!!! Come on that is SO COOL!!!! Options list I found doesn’t show this as an option.
Cloth seats and look at all the room!!! Love the large center speaker and it has the front bench seats with the pull down arm rest. It looks as it should!!!
Of course I’m at the grocery store and no time to hang around and wait for the owner to show up.
As a side note I don’t know this car nor the owner.
