Hot Rods Ever notice when you get one thing fixed something else needs attention.

To crank up," Born to be wild"? HRP

 

Was always told,things happen in three's,sure enough they do seem too,an you get a little brake time,before next brake !!

 

You got that right dana, I heard it all my life to.

 

I got the replacement bushings in the mail today, TCI got them out pretty quick. HRP

 

Dana, spilling the entire cup of coffee in the back of the wagon makes three. HRP

 

In my tub I was driving the main drag in Philly and I turned a corner and the horn started blowing I crawled out and disconnected the wires to the horn, when I got home I removed the steering wheel and found a cut wire and taped it up.
I put the steering wheel back on and wired the horn and it was good,It was raining so I didn't drive the car again that week.

I was going to a club party and all of a sudden the horn started lasting again, I got out and pulled the horn wires again. I should have fixed the horn when I got home. the next weekend I crawled in an fired the tub up and all of a sudden the steering wheel popped of into my hands, I had been driving around and I had forgot to put the nut on the spline. Glad the tub was in the garage.

 

You were driving around the week before without a nut holding the steering wheel on? HRP

 

Danny, i just took the horn button off the steering wheel and the nut was there but I guess I didn't tighten it when I put it back together . i didn't give it a second thought until i was telling a club member and rembered how fast i was driving, i was lucky it didn't happen then.

 

I'll say you were. HRP

 

Never a shortage of things to do on the hotrods. I usually use Felpro gaskets. When I hear the ole' header "tick", usually I it is a simple turn a few bolts to tighten things back up. Then again, I can't hear the radio over the exhaust system typically. Although, I just recently picked up a 52 Ford Mainline with a straight six and three in the tree. The purpose was have a cruiser as I am preparing to redo the 47 tudor. On the 47' I was changing out the lower rad hose at the end of May. The old hose had a slight kink in it from running a short a water pump and the old style hurst engine mount (SBC). So, I wanted to fix the problem before the weather got too warm and I really started cruising around. When I pulled the hose off the typical the typical slight spillage occurred. I began to clean it up and the rag got caught on something. I pulled the rag away and that is when I felt the problem. The crossmember under the hurst mount was completely cracked and pulling apart. Looks like the crossmember could not hold up to the stress. So, a simple hose change has turned into me taking the engine out. Then of course you begin to you think about things like, since the engine and trans will be out what else could use some attention, maybe it is time to get rid of the hurst mount and put another style in, if I do that the whole front will be apart, what else should be done? Going through the thought process is what led the purchase of the 52' Mainline. I feel your pain. As many have said, having "work" to do on the hotrods keeps a person out of trouble. Oh, I forgot to mention, I also need to tear down the engine since it will be out of the 47' to find out why coolant ends up in my oil pan. More than likely a head gasket, but since the engine is out, upgrades will more than likely follow. Never ending.

 

Went back into Napa for gear lube, trying to read the label to deduce that it was compatible for trac-lock was damn near impossible without my reading glasses....one leads to another

 

Yikes!

 

The bushings have been replaced, the carburetor seems to be perfect, the new exhaust gaskets are on and I changed the oil, the old sedan is ready to go whenever the world gets back to normal. HRP

 

With 4 of them running there's ALWAYS more to do (plus working on the project), but most of the time I wouldn't have it any other way . For headers it's gaskets, Permatex copper and Stage 8 bolts/locks (if I'm lazy). For manifolds its Fel Pro, Permatex copper and new lock washers.

 

all of the time

 

Earlier the Ford was down for a month with the jumper wire on the starter being broken, machined up some clips out of copper, but took a while with the cold weather and the tough access to the starter. Then in May, gas-fouled my plugs not driving it on the highway enough, changed the plugs but have to do the main jets, have everything I need. Got a new gas filter and hose.

Then 10 days ago the Hurst shifter went bad, the car was down for only 5 days thanks to some great help that came through. While the car was up in the air, changed the posi gear oil, greased everything, checked this and that, adjusted the rear brakes. So I'll see what breaks next. Sacrificial anode for the radiator is on order (actually a 5-pack from a marine place).

 

I hear you. When you drive a lot, the cars need maintenance. My wife and I both drive 30K+ a year on our DDs, so it's always oil changes, trans service, transfer case, serpentine belt, brakes, tires... basic maintenance of wear items. I would complain, but I can't because we have no car payments and we rarely if ever have major mechanical issues. We generally get rid of a car before that happens. Same goes for the classics. Very few of us build a car that is absolutely new from top to bottom, and even those of us that do, I've found that even quality aftermarket components can't hold up like good OEM equipment from a modern vehicle. So inevitably you're changing out an old part here or worn out part there. It happens not only with use, but with age.

As for sealing up exhaust gaskets, my move has usually been to use a standard, but quality, gasket and spray the hell out of it with aerosol copper spray gasket. Seems to have worked well enough for me.

 

I put my Ford together and started driving it 4 years ago. No short cuts, no skimping on anything. Most of the parts from NAPA were junk, solenoid, ignition switch, brake light switch and others I forget. Everything new on the front end... made in India or China. The boots on the ball joints and tie rods cracked before I got 1 mile on it. Aside from a few things I did wrong, the car is reliable and fast. I still wind up messing with something from week to week on it.