Hot Rods Southeast Gasser 65 Comet Super Stock Wagon

Getting ready to drive over to the SEGA race in Alabama to meet up with colbyw to get the Hooker headers he has. So I can start making some serious progress on the Comet.
Haven't really done much lately. The rain has been an issue here in Tn.

 

If you didn't go to the SEGA race in Alabama you missed a real race.
It inspired me to thrash on the car. I got the headers from colbyw,thank you very much.
They were actually Hedman headers for a 351 swap and I had to cut two of the pipes and reroute them on the driver side. No issues at least they are in great shape.
Ordered some Jbends from Summit will be here by Wed.
Finishing the brake lines today but needed 2 more steel nuts. Will get them tomorrow.
Ordered my shocks this morning. I only need a drive shaft and window rubbers. Can't put the carpet in until we get door seals I have holes drilled in the holes so the rain can drain out.
Drive way builds suck sometimes, but I have great lighting during the day and its free.

 

Mike you prolly know that Mustangs (maybe all small Fords) had drain holes in the bottoms of the doors from the factory!! May be why that is a rust-out spot on 'em when the "drain holes" get plugged up.
Did you slide the engine back a few inches when installing it )IF you can say) Since the distributor is on the front of the engine (where it SHOULD BE) there is 3-4 inches of space between the firewall and rear of the engine.
Jus say'in!
6sally6
Keep building........maybe see you in Jackson, SC!!!

 

I am leaving the engine in the stock location . the rules say so and I always go by the rules.
Got my brake lines made up and installed today. Hope to have them bled and have brakes by tomorrow. a good rear brake hose to use is for a 75 F100. It has a bracket to bolt it to the 9 inch Ford rear. It uses the top 2 chunk bolts.
My j bends should be here tomorrow so I can make the driver side header. The pass side is done.

 

Sweet...hope ya make it to Kil Kare..

 

I doubt it, but will try. Maybe Knoxville. Maybe a winning lottery ticket would get me there.

 

I get it..I thought I’d be on the road..I keep running into junk parts..trans lines not double flared, leaking fuel pump, leaking radiator, now I think the starter took a dump..

I wonder how the turn out will be..that’s a long haul for a lot of those racers..but 10K will get em up there hopefully..

 

My wife had a 4 dollar lottery winner today, but that's not enough to get the car done.
My shocks came in today. So tomorrow I will get them installed.

 

I wish I knew you were going to be there. Funny, I stood talking to Colby for 15 minutes or so after first round qualifying.
And you're right; that was one heck of a race and a great crowd. I hope to make the Aiken and Shadyside races. It's worth the drive.

 

got the o.k. to remove 2 of my headlights to use for ram air. So I need to get to work on the plumbing.
Just need to use the upper or lower head lights.

 

I meant to say I need to decide which lights use . I know the lower ones would look better , but the uppers might be more effective.

 

Too bad it's not drivable if it was a homemade manometer is cheap and easy to use to find which position is better. Unless you know someone with a drivable one.

 

Worked all day yesterday and it seemed like I didn't get anything done. I thought I had my driver side yesterday and then I turned the steering wheel and the pitman hits one of the tubes so I had to cut it out and am re doing that.
I did get my front shocks on so another thing I can cross off the list.
Ordered the driveshaft from Hudlow's 4x4 in Rossville,Ga. Will pick it up on Monday. Getting closer to firing this sucker up. Still shooting for the last week in September to make the SEGA race in Knoxville.

 

What E.T. does it take to be a S/S top qualifier now?

 

A 7.00 would put you at the top at most races. A 7 .13 did it at the Alabama race. The record is 6.99.
If we ran the races on a keyboard my combination should run low 6.90's , but since we run them at actual race tracks with humidity and temp. Plus the spec tire will limit launch rpm I will be happy with anything under 7.20

 

Finally got the stupid headers to fit around everything. I had the left side on and off at least a half dozen times. the passenger side was not too bad.
I had to account for the pitman arm the steering box ,the frame and firewall. Plus leaving a path for the clutch cable so it wouldn't get roasted.
Got the motor back on the mounts and the trans. crossmember bolted up. Got the shifter back in.
Too bad I have to work this weekend or I could really knock out a lot of the little things I couldn't do until the headers were on and the motor bolted down .

 

Got the drive shaft in. Got the steering linkage back on and the starter installed yesterday.
I had to work 9 hours at the golf course. So my time was tight yesterday.

 

Got home from work today and got my carburetor on and one of my lines run to the back bowl.
Ran my oil pressure line inside and got the plug wires installed. Got the heat shield for the clutch cable installed.
Need one more AN fitting and a dist. cap. I cracked the cap installing the motor. Caught it on the cherry picker. Got my radiator installed. I have my hoses I need to make some spacer to match the 6 cylinder radiator up to the V-8 hoses.
Tomorrow I can concentrate on running the wiring and maybe get my dash installed.
I will take some pictures and post some tomorrow.

 

Those things are a treat with headers aren’t they..looking good!

 

And with all that room in there changing plugs even when hot looks easy.

 

Plugs are outta mine right now...and if the motors toast that thing will be angled for the drop in with plugs, wires, and headers on...

 

I thought that I could do that but that's how dist cap got cracked . Trying to get the angle severe enough to stab the motor fully dressed..
Ran into an issue with the clutch cable yesterday. I had to make a 2 inch spacer block to mount on the firewall . The cable adjuster at the firewall is too close to the cable attaching point on the pedal . Same issue I had when I did my Morris Minor. I am just using some 2 inch square tubing and drilling it using a 1 3/4 hole saw so the the adjuster can pass through the block and move it 2 inches forward.
Always something when you are building old cars that are not stock.

 

Well today I had very few distractions except for family and neighbors stopping by. then there was the DHL guy who wanted to show me his Triumph TR 3. Very cool car and a rare factory hardtop car, but not today.
Got my radiator and fan and hoses installed. Decided to use the top headlights for the ram air.
Finished up my clutch cable spacer . If I don't have anybody stop by tomorrow I can get my clutch cable finished and adjusted before I have to got to work. Maybe I can get my gas pedal hooked up.

 

Had to make an adjustment to the upper cable slot and move it up an inch and back an inch to get a straight cable pull through the firewall. So of course you have to completely dismantle the pedal assembly to accomplish that, but it's back together and it feels like a stock Fox body Mustang clutch.
Before it was o.k. ,but it put a slight side strain on the cable. Don't need a cable to break and cost me a race because I didn't take the time to make sure it was right.
16 days until Knoxville. If I make it I will probably have to have the wife pull the trailer while I am riding on the trailer and working on the car.
Reminds me of when I used to race flat track motorcycles and we would ride in the back of the van going to the races putting the motor back in the frame of one of our bikes going down the road.
Good times when you are young and tough. Not so much when you get old and are reminded of those crashes every time you lay under the car.

 

Got the rear shocks on today . Filled up the rear end and transmission with gear oil.
Built the gas pedal linkage by cutting off the 6 cylinder arm and moving the pivot point.
I drilled a pilot hole in the stock rod and made an arm from an old Morris Minor fender brace. It was a solid rod that would fit the pilot hole. Welded a tab on the rod and put the right bend in it and welded a brace to make sure it doesn't flex.
Used heim joints and aluminum rod to connect to the carb.
My order from Jeg's should be here tomorrow. Don't shoot me for going to Jeg's but I had a good coupon that expiring.. My new dist cap, hood pins , AN fitting for the fuel.
My list is getting smaller. I should actually hear it run by early next week. Would be nice to at least drive it around the block before Knoxville.

 

Bet the neighbor's will love that. Open headers, of course?

 

One of my neighbors has a 383 stroker in a tube chassis Vega. So I don't think it will be an issue.
I do have a set of mufflers that i can slip on if I have to. Nobody bitched about my Morris Minor Gasser with open headers.

 

Good neighbors for sure.

 

Some progress today before the rain came and halted the work. Got my starter wired up and my ground cables all made and installed . I actually jumped the solenoid and the motor turned over.
Fedex surprised me today and made a Sunday delivery ! Got my distributor cap and fuel fitting and my -6 push lock hose so I could finish up my fuel lines from the regulator to the carb.
After the rain I went back out and bolted the hood on and adjusted it. Then I figured I needed a prop rod since I have removed the springs. I found one of my wifes shepard hooks for her plants leaning against the side of the garage. Looked like a perfect prop rod to me. So I cut out what I needed ,welded a washer to both ends and drilled a hole in the core support and it works. Don't tell her and I will replace it later.
Then I installed my hood pins and it was raining again and dark so more tomorrow.
Maybe I can get it wired enough to hear it it run by tomorrow night.

 

Getting closer!