Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. My goal to get the engine by Christmas is in jeopardy, so I need to get cranking on getting it all back together.
There’s been a few set back – like losing a couple of bolts that had to be ordered. A career change has slowed me down some as well. But I’d like to have the engine in by Christmas and driving it by the end of Jan. 2017.
So, as my self-imposed deadlines are coming fast, I picked up with the adjusting the lifters. Here how that looked:
These will have to be adjusted several times when after it’s run a bit.
Coming up next I have to put the intake on, carb, distributor, fuel pump, so check back and see the progress. Grab my feed and you’ll get notified when I up date the progress.
If you look back at #ProjectSportsRoof post you’ll see the condition engine bay. During those videos I mentioned that I was going to clean it up and hit it with a rattle can. Again this isn’t going to be a concours restoration, it’s going to look nice and it’s going …
Oct 22, 2016 … I didn’t purchase the window sticker for 1970 Mustang but I did for # ProjectSportsRoof. Check it out: 1973 Mustang SportsRoof Window Sticker.
I haven’t done one of these in a while, but I was reading an article from the ” Worlds Most Excellent” automotive publishing enterprise – Hemmings. An article in the January 2017 issue of Classic Cars publication is a piece written by Jeff Koch (who is their – West Coast/Southwest guy) on GM’s Flattop designed cars of the 1959-1960 era. These were massive cars with huge trunks and tons of wrap around glass.
This a 1959 Pontiac Bonneville Flattop 4 door- ain’t it huge?
According to the article these were just a two-year deal – ’59-’60. So that got me to thinking how many were made?
Over all car production for 1959, which still saw the likes of DeSoto, Edsel (its last gasp of breath), Studebaker, Imperial (as a separate brand…again) and even the Metropolitan, as producer of cars. The leader for that year was Chevrolet in first place with just over 1.46 million cars produced followed by Ford in close range with 1.45 million cars produced. The rest of the field looked like this:
Plymouth with 458, 261 (in third place which gives you an idea how the rest fared) followed by Pontiac with 383k, then Oldsmobile with 382K and Rambler with 374k. Buick managed 285K and Dodge produced 156k, which was just slightly than Mercury with 15ok and Cadillac with 142K cars produced. The field rounded out with Studebaker driving 126k out of the factory and a substantial for Chrysler with just 69, followed by Desoto with 45k, Edsel with 44k and Lincoln/Continental with just 26k. At the bottom stood Metropolitan and Imperial 22k and 17k respectively.
So an estimated 2,655,686 cars were produced by GM in that year. That’s a lot of flattops this include Cadillacs that didn’t escape the design.
Nor did the Corvair!!
So where are the now? I just don’t see that many around and I’m sure it’s due to the 2 year only style and finding all that wrap around glass.
Have you seen one of these cool designed GM Flattops? Drop me a note and pic and I’ll publish it up.
This is it. The beginning of it all. What were they making in 1901? The top producer was the Locomobile car company with a total out put for the year 1,500 cars. Winton was second with 700 cars. Oldsmobile (ahh one we’ve heard of!!) was third with 425. White came in fourth with 193. Autocar was next …
1911 oh… that was a great year! Well I don’t actually have any proof of that, but there sure were a lot of new car makes that year. Here the list: Alpena; ArBenz; Atterbury; Carhartt, Case, Chevrolet; Colby, Crow-Elkhart, Dalton, Gaylord, Havers, Hupp-Yeats; King; Lenox; Mighty Michigan; Motorette; Nyberg: Penn; Rayfield; …
It is 1922 and the car industry is moving right along. Small start-up car companies pop up here and there in the 1920’s. Here is how they stacked up for 1922. Top spot was Ford producing 1,147,028 cars. Dodge was a very distant second with 152,653 car rolling off their assembly line. Chevrolet ran …
The Roaring Twentys – a great time in US social and economic history. 1928 things still looked pretty good and no indication of the tough economic times that would lead to the terrible 30’s. 1928 saw 8 car companies fighting it out for market shares. Chevy lead the way with just over a million …
Oct 22, 2016 … I didn’t purchase the window sticker for 1970 Mustang but I did for # ProjectSportsRoof. Check it out: 1973 Mustang SportsRoof Window Sticker.
If you look back at #ProjectSportsRoof post you’ll see the condition engine bay. During those videos I mentioned that I was going to clean it up and hit it with a …
Jul 31, 2016 … Getting closer to pulling out the engine for #ProjectSportsRoof. The 1973 Mustang (last of the big ‘Stangs) 351C will be pulled part and rebuilt.
I just love pics of abandon cars. Not because I hate cars, but because it’s interesting to think what they could be if restored, or even ponder why they were left where they sit.
There a place in Arizona called Verde Valley. There’s a train that runs through the beautifully green valley that you can pick up in Cottonwood, AZ. As the train reach the end of its trip there is a farm that is home to a couples horse and a few cows. The train stops there and make ready to head back to Cottonwood.
This jeep has seen service around the area, maybe hauled hay bales from time to time or feed sack. It’s was modified at some point in its life to a flatbed.
Steel wheel partly buried in the stand and the highly sought after Arizona paint scheme.
It’s no frills dash still intact.
Looks as if all you need is to air up the tires and grab a cushion for the bottom of your seat and ride off in to the sunset!!!
If you look back at #ProjectSportsRoof post you’ll see the condition engine bay. During those videos I mentioned that I was going to clean it up and hit it with a rattle can. Again this isn’t going to be a concours restoration, it’s going to look nice and it’s going to get driving and it’s going to sound awesome and yes it will be entered in to local car shows and a trip now and then down the strip!!!
Here is the engine bay work.
Here is the right side?
Right side – Before
Right side shock tower – painted in Ford Blue
Right Side After
One more after for the right side
Here is the left side:
Left side after
Left Side After
Left Side Shock Tower
Here a quick little video showing the wire work in the engine bay.
I’ve got a a little more work up near the firewall before I’m done.
Still have a little more electrical work to do as well.
Coming up more on the heater box and final components going on the 351C.
Thanks for checking back in on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you recall there was a lot of damage to the heater box, but rather than purchase a new one I opted to see if …
Thanks for checking back in on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you recall there was a lot of damage to the heater box, but rather than purchase a new one I opted to see if I could repair this original.
As of this post I’ve cleaned up the box and used JB Weld to put the pieces back in place and I’m ready to apply some fiberglass to harden everything up.
Here is a look at the fiberglass work.
What’s coming up next on the heater box work is a good look at the kit that you can buy that has some of the rubber seals, clips and replacement pads for the internal air flow doors. We are going to install those and but the box back together. I know you are on the edge of your seat for that one.
In these next two videos, you’ll see just how ‘off’ these fenders are in some areas and surprisingly how well they fit in other areas. If you have an experience or a hit for anyone taking on this part of a restoration – drop a comment here and we’ll share them. https://youtu.be/Ga9EHbDpSfg https://youtu.be/FBKs7EG4kK0 Thanks …
I know…it’s a bit of let down moving back to the heater box for # ProjectSportsRoof when the beautiful 351 Cleveland that’s going to power the 73 Mustang is …
I know…I know…it’s a bit of let down moving back to the heater box for #ProjectSportsRoof when the beautiful 351 Cleveland that’s going to power the 73 Mustang is sitting in the garage waiting to roar back to life, but the heater box has to get done.
As I showed you in the previous heater box post is was pretty much a mess. So after accessing the damage and apply epoxy to the broken pieces, I needed to clean it up before applying the fiberglass. Here’s a little look at that:
I need give a bit of caution here when doing the cleaning. Take a look at the part numbers on the heater box:
Those number are no longer there. The Simple Green clean removed them. I’ll mention again that this is not a concourse restoration, but nonetheless it’s always sad when you change or remove something that original that didn’t need to be. Yes it’s just the heater box and not something anyone is going to notice, but I know it’s gone as do you and all 17k members of this blog.
Coming up next on AG Car Restoration is fiberglass repair of the heater box and maybe I’ll sneak in sometime on the Cleveland.
With the heater box for #ProjectSportsRoof out form under the dash, I now have to do the repairs and replace the heater core. Here’s what needs to be done and …
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 …
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 …
