Tag Archives: Mustangs

Average Guy – Increasing Skill Set Training Parts

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Now, I keep saying I’m an average guy with an average skill set and frankly there’s no one I know that will argue the point.  That being the current situation, it doesn’t mean that I don’t try to pick up new skills, I do.     

So since I also have an average guy’s budget (selling cans back to the recycler for car parts…ok…just kidding there) I don’t have what I’d really like to have for “training purposes”.  If I did however, I have two of each car (in this case a 84 Vette with a Crossfire engine –has to be exact there and a second Mustang with a V8) and I’d experiment with parts cars until I get it right and then I’d work on its twin.  Of course that’s not affordable, so I next like to have a spare Crossfire engine to mess with and a Ford V8 do to the same.  Now that might be possible, budget wise (I know a couple of guys that will let me pick up a an old engine for free) but I have an average garage, with my cabinets and work bench, I can only get one car in there–nope no 3 bay garage for me.      

My garage with the Vette in it.

 

(Was I kidding???? NOPE!!!) Errrk…..And don’t think I haven’t approached the subject…but the misses doesn’t see the need to move to a larger house just so I can have a place in the garage to play.  So having two engines on stands won’t work out too well. So how do I get around this……I purchase a part to “study”.   Back in the day you’d have to go to the junk yard and pick your part and you can pretty much do that today as well.  There are drawbacks to that, though… here in a AZ during the summer time…taking the parts off the a hot car is a killer…not stolen…but a car that’s been sitting in the sun when it’s 110 degrees out.  Those metal part will be a bit warm…trust me.  But the Internet is a great thing and I’d like to take a minute and personally thank former Vice President Al Gore for inventing it…nicely done sir!!!  I’ve found most of my training parts online.  But don’t over look the local car clubs either, you can get help and I can assure there’s one or  two guys there that have or know a guy that knows a guy that has the part you are looking for.    

  When I first got my Mustang, it had a 1 barrel Weber carb, so I purchased  an old one online to take it apart and look it over.  Then I order the kit and rebuilt the usable one.  I’ve done the same thing for my C4.  I needed a rebuild of the fuel injector towers, so I went online and found a set for $20 plus shipping and took them apart and back together and used them as a model for when I did the real set.  Worked perfectly.    

 Here is my next piece:    

84 Vette Crossfire Intake Manifold

 

Which is seen here on the Vette:     

Corvette Crossfire Engine

 

The manifold is unique enough that I wanted to learn more about it before messing with it.  Now if you’ve been reading my blog since the beginning or are new and went back through my older posts, you’ll know about my psychological issue with breaking it myself. So the test part makes it even odds…ok..fine 40 – 60 that I won’t screw it up. (That’s a 60% chance that I’ll eventually have to take to someone and have it fixed when I’m done fixing it myself.)  Now I’ve mentioned that an up and coming mod will be to put on a newly designed manifold for the Vette, but I need to keep the original and will eventually rebuild it myself…or attempt too. Look this picture over and you’ll see why I love working on my C4:    

Hood up.

 

 Yeah..no fenders to lean over!!!!  It’s great.  Easy access to the engine. Just toss an old blanket (STOP..NOT THE ONE ON THE BED..NO NO..BAD….) over the wheel and you are home free.     

 Thanks for reading.  Always up for a comment or two.    

Tim

Average Guy’s Drag Racing Part IV

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Being an average guy …say it with me…..”with an average budget and average tools”…I travel light to the drag strip.

I don’t have a trailer and I don’t have spare tires, or worry have about NOS (Nitrous Oxide System).  I don’t carry a timing light (but that might be handy) or dwell/tach.  What I do carry with me is a small toolbox with open-end and box-end wrenches, socket set and screw drivers.  I also bring along a lawn chair, a cooler (No Alcohol) and Fire Extinguishers.  Now it helps that the strip is less than 10 miles way and I have a very nice GM towing/travel package (AAA like coverage  – under 10 miles the tow bill is free) so I don’t really need a trailer and the works.

The tools I carry are just enough to make carb adjustments and plug adjustments. (I have replaced the points and condenser with the Pertronix electronic ignition parts in the Mustang…(very smart idea by the way) and there really aren’t any adjustments I can make to the Corvette as it is currently configured – the computer which is crude 1980’s technology – just returns the car to original operation specs (fuel to air ratio) or close to it anyway.

So I look really small compared to the guys with the covered trailers and the double axle pick-up trucks.  But there are a lot of average guys there, taking up no space in the parking lot.

At the drags Pic 1

 

At the Drags Pic 2

As you can see by these pics there isn’t a giant tool box there and no pit crew.  BTW these photos are from my first time at the track, right after the new engine:

New engine just before installation.

And before the new paint.

I have a ton of fun at these events.  I’ve attended to two charity events, Race for the Cure, in support of cancer research and a several weekly test-n-tunes.  Generally at the test-n-tunes you see a lot of kids (relative depending on your age) with their imports.  You can tell there isn’t much of a budget there and that I think is what makes it fun.

In most of these events you aren’t running against the other guy (not really), you are running against your own skill as a driver and a mechanic – your own tune-up work and your last run’s time.  The kids with the tuners (a slang term for modified imports) generally have a Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS) and a lap top to adjust the computer that controls nearly everything to do with the way the engine runs.  I know some old school guys that really frown on that but I think it pretty cool.

Do you have a racing experience?  Drop it in comment.

Coming up next (if I can find it) is an article I wrote that covers the finer point of bracket racing and some tech tips.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Up and Coming Projects – Mustang’s Dash and Corvette’s Intake.

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I plan on getting back to the pieces on drag racing, as I have a couple more parts to post.  However, I have two projects coming that I thought give you all a heads up on.   

The first is a new dash for the Mustang.  Dashboards were  never made to last, even back in the 70’s.  They sure as ‘heck’ don’t last here in the Arizona sun.  It doesn’t matter what that the dash is made up of, the heat will eventually mar it or destroy it all together.  Painted metal with fade, at the least, if not peel off.  Plastic will crack and the vinyl composite like the original dash in my Mustang will crack and curl up. 

Take a look: 

This the Dash with the custom cover.

 

Now it’s going to get ugly.  Beware, send the children from the room and hide pets.  Disclaimer: I’m not responsible for malfunctions of pacemakers, prosthetic limbs or dental work fall out of your head when you gasps at the next few pictures. Don’t view if you are in your lasts trimester or if you spouse in her last trimester.  Side effects are severe headaches, nose bleeds, loss of voice and black-outs have been report but rarely occur.  (Law school – money well spent!!) 

Split dash on speaker cover.

 

Grand Canyon

 

Son of Grand Canyon

 

Tough to see here but the corners are curled up.

 

HAD ENOUGH?!?!?!!?  Yeah…I thought so. 

So I order a dash sometime ago and I’m ready to get it put on. …..eeeerrrrkkk….don’t get a cap (dash cap), they are the worst!!!  They almost never fit right and they are normal waving and the glue doesn’t hold…especially here in the big AZ.  I tried one on my ’74 Torino (I loved that car…I’ll tell that story another time…someone remind me!!!!) and it did all of those things plus it looked cheap.   If you can buy the orignal equipment, NOS (New Old Stock) do it.  Of course you can for Mustang’s and other popular cars and keep mind some fit other models of the same make.  If you can’t get NOS then look for the advertisements where they are using the original tooling (molds etc.).  Those are the best….  end of eeerrkkkk…  While I’ve got the dash apart I’ll redo any wiring necessary and place all the bulbs.  I might even replace the original speak which isn’t hooked up to the new stereo.  And I’ll do some cleaning as well. 

All this I will film with digital pics and digital movie clips and post them up.  Every one can follow along.  And if you are in area you can swing by and see the progress. 

The second project I’ll be doing with a few professionals at Dynamic Crossfire Solutions.  Met these guys through the Arizona Corvette Enthusiasts club (ACE).  …eeerrrrk…..For an average guy with average skills, car clubs are a great resources…end of errrkkk…  These guys, Tom and Jim have developed a new intake manifold for the lowly crossfire engines.  I’ll talk more about that in the another post, but for a fair price, I having the newly developed (first of its kind) intake manifold for my 84.  The Corvette will get a new fuel pump and the injectors will be modified to allow manual adjustments and a fuel pressure gauge will be added to help refine the flow.  Why???…more HPs car peeps, up to 50 more for, what is really, just a bolt.  Tom and Jim are going to let me turn the wrenches and I’ll be filming that was well and will share it here. 

I have a new contest coming up (looking at $50.00 gift card) and some tips that might help with the project you are working on. 

Thanks for reading. 

Tim

Drag Racing for the Average Guy

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In a previous post I talked about  psychological hurdles that an average guy, with average skill, average tools and an average budget has to deal with when he owns a classic car (ok…doesn’t have to be a classic…just “loved”).  One of those was the fear of something breaking, either while you driving it or working on it.  Can I fix it? Do I have the right tool?  What if I can’t?  Do I know anyone that can?  For free?  Can I afford to get it fixed?  Even worse – long will I be deprived of driving it? 

These are my concerns–always. 

So with these worries..what in H….E. double L (does everyone get the H..E double L??) am I doing drag racing!?!?!?!   Where’s my head at?!??!?!?!! 

I hope you aren’t sitting there waiting for an answer!!!!   ‘Cause I don’t know.  I just do it. 

But dude….you are so average….especially  in the budget….heck..in all the areas listed above…oh and BTW….how about SWMBO (she who must be obeyed)…how’s that going to go…..”Hey honey guess what?  I was at the tree and the light turned green and I got a huge jump on the V.W. next to me and the darndest thing happend…little pieces of my u-joint flew everywhere.  Would you mind moving your car so the tow truck back into the driveway…thanks snookems!!!”….Um…sure…… good luck with that!!! 

So over the next few post, I’m going to give some average guy tips for handling a little test and tune drag racing. 

Next up…do I need different tires????? 

Thanks for reading.   

My Coupe taking of from the line. Before the new paint!!!

 

Tim

Auto Factoids for the Week of 2/21/10

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2/21/1948 – First NASCAR Race in Daytona, Fl

2/24/1968  AMC brings  the AMX into showrooms

1968 AMC AMX

Project Car? Get it Featured here.

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Just about every auto blog, has a place where the reader can upload their cars.  I think that’s great but I’d like to take it a bit further.  If you have a project car, no matter the condition or state of restoration it’s in….erk….even if it’s just sitting out in the backyard and you’re thinking about restoring…let me know.  I want to feature it on the front page this blog.  There is a following for the Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing blog, (over 60 view in one day) and it’s followed on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

So become part of the Average Car Guy’s Nation.   Drop me a comment and we’ll get your car featured.  If we can muster up a good flow of cars, we’ll have a car of the month contest with a gift card give away.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Art Questions?

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I received a couple emails referring to the images on the blog.  Generally, I can’t get copies of the Robert Hooper’s prints, but I can get copies of the Mustang interior.

If you are interested let me know…sorry..they aren’t free…but very reasonable.

Thanks for the interest.  Remember, a blog’s life’s blood are comments.  Drop me some.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Barrett Jackson Auction Photo

Car Art…Love it.

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I love car art…anything from poster, to quality prints  to cartoonish drawings.

On my wall in my office here at home I have 4 beautiful pieces done by Robert Hooper.  We ran into him in Prescott, Az and at a street fair and, I just have to have these pieces.

I can’t them off the wall and scan them.  So you’ll just have to stop by and see them….little joke there.  I tried to capture them with the digital.  Not great…but here ya go.

Next

Next

And the last of Mr. Hooper’s

I like these.

I really like this next one in particular…why?  It’s an image of the interior of my Mustang.  Let me know what you think.  This one hangs up in my office at work.  Little washed out as posted here but much better in person.

You have a piece of car art?  Let’s hear about.  Drop a note, post a pic or email an image to me and I’ll put up on the blog.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

A Restoration Tip: Keeping the Quarter Panels and Doors Dry.

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As I slowly start to bring this  blog back to the core of why I created this blog (Restoration, Modifying, Race..etc) I’ll begin to post some restoration tips.  This will be things I’ve actually done, or friends have done that I know worked.

So here is one:

Most of the old cars with manually roll down windows have felt window seals.  You know,  the two cushions on either side of the door that the window slide up between.  Those are normally rubber with felt covering and over time they get hard and shrink.  The next thing you now you have water in the bottom of your door.  That water will rust your car, even in Tucson, AZ where I live. 

I don’t know if you are like me but I drive my cars, no garage babies or trailer queens and I drive them while they are in the middle of being restored…..erk…as long as they are safe to do so (had to through that in there…just in case!!!).   This means they get wet, although here in AZ, it’s mainly from a weekly washing, it’s still water.  I bring this up because, besides the door felt leaking, other rubber areas can leak as well.  The very thing  that makes AZ so great, the abundance of sunshine, can be harmful to your car.  Sure it’s great for getting a tan and raising cactus… not so great for plastic and rubber parts of your car.  

I know this because I had a problem with my Mustang and a rear window leak.  Water would puddle up (slightly) in the trunk.  If you are familiar with the older cars you’ll know that many of the trunks have a drop off on each side of the trunk floor that leads to the side lamps.  This forms a nice little well in the bottom of the rear quarter panels and water collects there.  Where water collects, water rusts….ya don’t need a degree in chemistry to figure that out.

So now I have water in both my doors and both of my quarter panels.  NOT GOOD!!!!!   Some cars were built with in drains in the quarter panels…my Mustang has them.  However, if you remember back a few post (errkkk….Hey if you are new to my blog…go back and read the older posts..there’s some good stuff there…) I mentioned that my Mustang was rear ended.  During the major reconstruction the body shop left debris in the quarters and it plugged the drain.  Unprofessional, for sure (we’ll talk more about picking the right place to have the work done in another post), and dangerous.

So make sure you check this area out and keep the drains unplugged.

Now I went a step further…I took an 1/8 inch drill bit and added a couple extra holes in the doors and quarter to ensure that air gets in there and the water can get out.

Ok..anyone freaking out yet??  Good!!!  I placed these where they can’t be seen (unless you are laying on your back with the door open in the very bottom of the door between the weather-stripping and the outside of the door, where it meets the rocker panel. And in the quarter panels I just drilled in  the 1/4 space that  is the width of the bottom.

I took a very small round file and smoothed the holes up and then took a little touch up paint to them.

Works like a dream and but you still have to check them and ensure they don’t plug up.

Any other good idea? Drop in a comment.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Show pics.

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Here are a few picks from a past car show.  Enjoy..  that’s my Corvette next to the Stang. 

Pic 2

 

Trophy Winner with the 70 coupe

 

Mustang took 1st in Under Construction and the Vette took 2nd in its class