Willow Springs, Spring Fling, MATS 1600 mile road trip

[hemiken]

  yea i know what you mean.............. Somethings come more natural to do than some other things, and it is a comfort thing to when you really enjoy what you are doing seems to be a better job done this way.   Looks tuff, are you doing anything fancy with valve covers ?

[Jacksboys]

Looking Good 

[ntstlgl1970]

Ken: I have some aluminum covers from summit that they discontinued but I think I am going to sell them and go with the 440 source covers, I like the gasket rail on the 440 source covers better and they are similar to the stock covers so I can use the wire seperators that are on the stock covers now.

Thanks jacksboys

[ntstlgl1970]

Helped a buddy put some new spring perches on the back of his 88 Ranger last night, he had a "flip kit" for using a truck rear end (that mounts under the spring) mounted above the spring but the pinion angle was all messed up. like 15 degrees nose up messed up. We did a 2.3L turbo T5 trans swap on this truck a few years ago and recently set it up for a T3/T4 hybrid with a ford powerstroke intercooler, gutted upper intake, knifed (profiled) lower intake, flipped exhaust manifold (aftermarket) 42lb/hr injectors and bigger VAM sensor. Finally should get this thing on the chassis dyno saturday. Hoping for about 210 at the wheels with the stock computer map, timing and boost. I don't think we will get a chance to mess with it at the dyno but it will be good to get a baseline to start tuning. Oh yeah, and this is smog legal - in California even.

[ntstlgl1970]

Well I've come to a fork in the road. I've been trying the bodywork thing off and on for over 2 years now and I think I would have at least another year to go. Been talking to some friends and I am going to take the car somewhere to get it painted. I would rather pay someone to do the bodywork at this point than be aggravated for another couple of years trying to do it myself. I need to get some parts together and finish welding some parts in, but other than that I think it is ready to go get painted. I'll update once I have more details. This should make things move along much more quickly since I am more comfortable with the engine/trans mechanical stuff. If things work out right, I should have the engine and trans stuff together and ready to go in the car by the time I get the body back. I have a hard time letting other people work on my stuff, but at this point I want to have some time enjoying the car rather than always working on it.

[422STROKER]

Sounds like a solid solution, just be sure to pick a shop that is willing to do it the way you want.

Tom

[hemiken]

Hi Eric,

Tough decision to make old mate.  You were doing so well but i did sense that you were a little uncomfortable at times when you posted little bits about the panel side, and your love of the technical side and how much you have been enjoying the fuel injection set up.  I can tell where your heart really is at.  This will be ready a lot faster now you have made the big decision.

Good luck in your endevour, and let us know what shop you decide and make sure they will let you in as progress goes by for  's please buddy.

[ntstlgl1970]

I'm sure I'll take plenty of pictures

[Travis72]

I hear ya.... I'm rapidly reaching that point myself that if I ever want to get the car done, I'm going to need professional help.      Actually the big difference is a shop can have a couple of guys working on it 8 hours a day, versus like me working on mine myself 10 - 15 hours a weekend, it's just never going to get there.

Can't wait to see the pictures of the bodywork.

Travis
72 Cuda

[ntstlgl1970]

worked on putting the trans tunnel back together and put the trunk lid on, body guy is supposed to come over and check out the car today. I spent a little time cleaning the car up, so he could have a better look at it. hey the trunk matches the hood now!

[ntstlgl1970]

Well, the body guy came by last night. To make a long story short, he thinks I should get the car blasted, sealed and brought to him right after. I'm not surprised, the car has sat bare for over a year now. At least it doesn't appear to need any rust repair. Now I just have to finish any welding I need to do and set up a time to get it to the stripper.

[ntstlgl1970]

Oh yeah, I ordered the elastomeric bumpers, I think they will be here early next week.....
 

[hemiken]

Hey Buddy, I thought that may of been the case.  Was not sure if you covered the exposed areas with anything inbetween working periods. Good to hear you have a date lined up to get it moving in the direction you need it and good score with the elastermeric bars, i think they will inhance your car, love how they hug the body front and rear

[ntstlgl1970]

I had prepared myself for the fact that it might need to be blasted and start over. kinda sucks but I understand why. I would hate to get it painted and have the paint fail because I missed something. Just hope that the trunk lid is good enough - the metal work I mean - that would bum me out if all that time was for nothing. The bondo work I'll just chalk up to experience. At this point, if things work out, I wish I would have made this decision a year ago, I might have been driving the car by now.

[hemiken]

  We all live and learn old mate.  The trunk was looking good from the pictures you posted,
Good news now is that you will most definetly have it done sooner and can finish off the injection on your engine.
What stage are you at with it please