I didn't read all the posts, but in post 69 it looks like you're using an infrared heat gun to measure surface temperature of the exterior of the engine and a resistor to "tune" the aftermarket dash gauge to the IR reading. The coolant temperature will always be much warmer than the reading on the outside of the engine structures , so your gage is reading low with the resistor. To check calibration, stick the sending unit in a pot of boiling water. You can heat it with a torch. It'll read 212 degrees unless you live at high altitude, where it will be a little lower.
Ended up using the Classic Auto Air system. I liked the fact that it's cable driven and uses the original heat controls. Not to mention, it's an all in one heat/defrost/ac system.
Well, so far so good. She held a vacuum in the system, charged up well, and I don't see coolant all over, or pouring out of the heater core. And I'm showing a ~40ºF drop from the outside temp...
Wow, so car has been at upholstery shop for 3 months. Didn't realize it had been that long. It's been a challenge, finding a color match, and working with a car that had NO interior to start with. I'm slowly getting it all sorted out, here's where I am currently...
I love these cars. I regret selling my 55 a few years back converted to 12 volts, running a 272/3 speed. Great cars. I had one in 66 too, right after graduation from high school...another 272, 3 speed with o.d.
Back window back in; had to come out for the headliner. Gotta love it when you have a wife that not only supports our crazy habit, but also helps. She manned the paracord inside the car while I persuaded the window in...
Very nice upholstery. I thought the tudors had more legroom in the back. I can sit OK in the back seat of my more door even with the front seat all the way back and I'm 6'-2.
Seats were just placed at this point. I've got the front seat bolted in now, and I've got like 6"inches between seats. The rear bench although sourced from a 2 door, seems like it must be from a 4 door, it doesn't quite fit. So there could be more room. I'll have to figure out a solution there...
I tried checking the part numbers for the rear seat in the CD parts book that one of our members sells. Unfortunately even though the books cover up to 1959, the rear seats were no longer supplied by then, already obsolete. I have a couple of 1956 actual parts books that I can flip through sometime to see if what the part numbers are.
Yeah, the rounded corners on the seat bottom identifies it as a 4-dr seat. The 2-dr seats have square corners.
So thanks to the-stig for the LED headlight suggestion. Wow what a difference. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/led-headlights.1072886/ Also took a picture of my blue LED dash lights. They came out a little more purple than I expected, not sure where I stand on them color wise, but they do work great...
Some updates. Sourced a proper 2 door back seat and got it reupholstered. Replaced the ratty wheels with new Bullitt 17s and new rubber, and tidied up the interior and and added a made in the good ol ' USA Auto Meter Moon Tach...
The Jalopy Journal
