Hey Pipes,looks like your making great progress . You were talking about those eye bolts in the floor ,mine also has them. I think they may have been dealer installed for seat belts. Mine had belts attached and the eyes were crudely installed. (not in a straight line). Also,I took a different approach to the center steering link problem. I mounted the engine higher and more forward to clear the link. My firewall hump had already been butchered and I don't like playing around with steering geometry,it scares me. I have pics but I don't want to hijack your post. Anyway,keep up the good work !
Feel free to post them! Can never have enough good ideas. I figured those eyelets were for belts, I just haven’t seen any pics of any that might have been offered in 51. If you have dealer ones please post a pic so I know what both ends look like! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
A few pics of my 51. Its hard to see the pic of the oil pan but the center link is about an inch below the flex plate. I am putting the rad in front of the rad support otherwise I would have to use a short pump and electric fan.The eyes still have carpet fabric under them . I removed the old belts when I cleaned out the old carpet etc. Im sure they were installed after the car was built.
So Monday we got it running. I was super stoked about that part, but of course there were little issues that I supposed was to be expected. The thermostat housing leaks, and the oil filter as well. Think it needs a new O-ring for the filter conversion. I was planning on replacing the thermostat anyway so will get a new housing for that. The carb seems like the needle and seat are bad., but if I get this intake I’ll be swapping it over to a 4 barrel anyway.The biggest pain in the ass of them all through the whole process so far is the brake lines. The flaring tool I got just sucks. It is leaving the double flares pushed to the side or rough. The ones that seemed good ended up screwing up the proportioning valve and looks like the crushed the inside flare. I ordered a new proportioning valve and a new flaring tool. This time I got one I can just do it in the car. Brake leaks suck. Other then that, I just need to run power to the fuel pump so I can use the gas tank once I put a few gallons in it. Fix the damn brake lines and bleed them yet again then go for a ride.. I hope.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
i just replaced all the lines on my shoebox and used an eastwood flare tool, worked perfectly everytime for me https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-on-car-flaring-tool-for-3-16-tubing.html
So had a step back, sorta.. I’m a ford guy.. never messed with a Chevy, never cared to mess with a Chevy..don’t think anyone in my immediate family dealt with Chevy. Since I’m trying to build a traditional style mild custom, I thought I’d leave the little 283 in it. Big stretch for me but ok I can live with it.. just a motor.So my Chevy buddies tell me to put a 1 wire alternator on it.. will help clean up the engine compartment and all.. so I did.. happy with that. Then they tell me to get an HEI distributor.. not quite the traditional route but I can understand the benefits.. so I order one with the wires. Yesterday I get new plugs, change the gap put them in then take the coil off and the cap then pull the dizzy.. and it hits the firewall... remove the rotor, pull it another 1/2 inch and hits the firewall.. well comes down to dent or cut firewall to remove dizzy and put HEI in or.. yup sticking with the stock distributor. I was going to buy a pertronix unit for it but hell with it. It’s a bone stock motor so I’ll keep it the way it is for now. I just refuse to beat or cut up that firewall. If I do that I’m putting a Ford 300 6 in it. I take the plugs out to re gap then and we decide to do a compression check while they are out. 1,2,5,7,and 8 have between 120-125 pounds. 4 has 90 lbs,6 has 110, 3 has 30 lbs... oil looked good before I changed it, doesn’t smoke and runs pretty smooth. Engine is supposed to have only 6000 miles on it. I do believe the previous owner. Thinking maybe it needs to run a bit . I hope. Today going to change the plug wires and fill the tank with gas,since i ran out yesterday. Will run the motor then check it again. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Pour in a little MMO to see if the rings may be stuck and help break up any carbon in the ring groves before checking the compression again.
Hey Pipes,if its not smoking its probably some crap on a valve. I had anOlds 455 do that to me once.Just run it for a while,it may clear up. BTW, theres nothing wrong with points as long as you don't rev too high. Good luck,let us know.
Well today tried to get it to run from the gas tank, looks like that’s a no go. Apparently the line inside the tank is plugged up. Tried to blow it clear, run a coat hanger in it.. no luck. So took that back down and I think I’m just going to look into a new tank . So after that I shoved a hose into a gas can from the electric pump and turn the key on and it pumped like a champ. Of course it flowed right out the carburetor too. Guess it needs a needle and seat. Sooo I think instead of rebuilding the Rochester , I’m going to rebuild a elderbrock 600, and use that. Of course now I have to see if I can jack the transmission up to get the distributor out to swap it to a 4bbl. So now I have to decide if I want to run a cast iron intake with the oil fill, or a guy offered to give me an aluminum intake for a Quadrajet. Which means then I’d have to swap out the valve covers for one with an oil fill... oh and not the oil filter is leaking.. guess that’s an O ring issue.. so much fun... Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
They make new tanks for them if you end up replacing it from Shoebox Central. If you really don't care a early Mustang tank can be made to fit if your trunk floor is bad, you have to cut it out to go the later route.
I’ll prob go with the shoebox Central one . The floor is great condition so I’d hate to cut that up. Just will wait a few weeks to order it until I get some other stuff done.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Since the little Rochester leaks like crazy and I had to buy a rebuild kit anyway, I decided to rebuild a 600 Edelbrock that was given to me.. I know it’s not quite traditional but it was free and will work until I can find a tri power or something down the road.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I'm a little late to the party, but sometimes you can make an old needle and seat work by using a little toothpaste or rubbing compound and lap the needle to the seat, provided it's not a rubber-tipped needle. Cool Ford you have there.
Thanks for sharing your project for all of this time...really cool. I have a ‘50 Custom Deluxe Club Coupe that I restored to original appearance, shown here.
Got alittle work done.. removed the 2 bbl intake and carb, a friend blasted then primed the 4 bbl intake and the 600 Edelbrock carb is all rebuilt ready to go. Took a few pictures of the valley. Definitely believe it about the 6000 miles on it.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Been working a bunch so not able to wrk on the coupe as much as I like.. hoping to have the intake and rebuilt carb in it this week though.. plus a few other bugs before I bring it back home. Lately I been spending a lot of time looking at different cars trying to decide what I really want. I always loved th look of a chopped car.. and to me one of the best looking ones were a shoebox sedan or a mercury. I found very few coupes that were chopped that I liked.. a few outcthere look really good , but the majority of them just don’t do it for me.. so I just kept looking at different stuff to see what flips a switch in me for direction to go. I think I finally narrowed it down to the one car that I think does that to me. There are of course changes I plan to make so It’s somewhat different.. I don’t want to build another guys car when that guys car is still very much active and all.. but I think as a general beginning it works for me.. There is just something about Lee Pratt’s coupe ( now Ryan’s)that draws me back to it.. so if anyone has any pictures of it.. up close, interior shots and all, I’d much appreciate you posting them.. my plan it to use the same trim , different ,color scheme , different headlights as well, the grill I’ve not decided on yet.. but I’m working on it.. as I said I don’t want a clone but there is just something that really brings me back to this car.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
So when I spoke to the previous owner he said that the stock head s didn’t have the hole for the alternator bracket and he found a later set that he got rebuilt instead so it would be better then the stock ones on it.. today I took off the valve covers and I was pretty damn pleased.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
This is a great build, amazed at the condition of everything you have there. I've been known to toss a Chevy into a Ford myself now and then.
Pic for today.. things kinda slow. Trying to find the right thermostat housing and air cleaner to match the engine. Got the new valve covers on and am digging them. Now want to find something to match. Little things that keep me happy. Also ordered a new gas tank since the fill tube on mine is rusted up. Hope to have that in next week!. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Well not having use of a garage any longer, kinda put a damper on working on the coupe for the winter , but the weather is warming up and I’m trying to get parts together for some body mods..hopefully will have some soon!
went out to The Race of Gentlemen Swap meet and car show today.. got there fairly early and walk into this bagel joint to get a sandwhich, placed an order and turned around and ran into this guy...
r u looking for anything else I have more parts if u want to take a ride on Sat morn u r 100 miles from me i rather u see it but i can find out how much it is to ship, I did the same treatment to my 51 sedan. you can call me if u want 516 567-1053 Thanks for looking Anthony P.S. the car was at the Race of gentleman this weekend
The Jalopy Journal
