Projects My Fairlane after sitting 45yrs in the garage.... Update, It's on for real this time!!

Did a double-take on the console. Yeah, any floor shifter nixes that cool piece but you should get a nice price for it to help fund the conversion, if you decide to do it. I was thinking about the shorty piece

Joe

 

Any thoughts on a T5? Not as tough as a Top loader, but one more gear to play with....

Put a 4 speed knob on it and most folks won't know the difference....

 

I looked into a 4 speed. I looked in to gathering parts.
I found it, all of it.
271897678_4891646500888208_3596274678601503204_n by Travis Brown, on Flickr
$ 3K
I can't do it.
I was so close I could taste it.
These parts would take my car from a good old car to an exceptional old car. They guy said he spent years finding all of it.
It's just not right though. It's just too much. I could have pressed the issue. We could have done it. It's best we don't, right now at least.

Part of me deep down thinks it's a little obscene spending this kind of money. I've been so, so blessed. Sometimes you have to draw the line and say, enough is enough. The C4 is enough for me at least for right now. I've put a lot of dough in the coupe the past few months, this would have been...over the top.

So....I'm keeping on...keeping on.

 

Looks like someone already did the hard work for you; finding the parts
I've been in your shoes most my entire life. Know where you're coming from on this one.
I love rowing the Hurst but the C-4 can be built to be quicker.
Besides, you'd bust the budget buying 78s for the rear

Joe

 

250239504_4970131612999674_3265844328425235113_n by Travis Brown, on Flickr

Wow! This looks really clean.
An auto shifter was off the radar because most of them,...Well, most of them look like ass.
I may not do it but I'm digging that Lokar but with a black knob.
Back to work though...

 

I always seem to regret not buying parts when they are available for a long time after

 

Yeah. I know.
Right before New Years I went to Mississippi and bought a bunch of parts from a guy parting one out. I spent a chunk of change. There're so many things I should have got but did not think about at the time. Like....trim screws. That kind of stuff.
As far as these parts, I wish I could get them but...couple of weeks ago, the Mississippi trip and all the stuff that been coming in since November.
It adds up quick. I've put some dough in it recently...lots of dough in a short time.
Hopefully I have most of the major stuff.

 

I did not get as much accomplished today as I would like.
I touched up the paint on 3 wheels. They are finished, one to go.
I did remove the hood. I did it by myself, so maybe this info will help if you remove a hood by yourself.
Some hoods, I would not attempt it. Take my 1951 Ford, something like that, you'll need some help.
IMG_0062 by Travis Brown, on Flickr

I split some pool Noodles. I used them here to protect the hood and cowl.
IMG_0063 by Travis Brown, on Flickr
I had to use a prop to support the hood. You also have to support with your off hand to steady and not stress the hood bolts. What you do not want is the hood to cantilever over and break the hood bolts. A prop..support and care...

IMG_0065 (1) by Travis Brown, on Flickr

The last time I took hood off a car like this I was 19 years old. It was a '62 Galaxie.
Anyway, my noodles worked well. I was able to gently slide the hood down to the cowl, keeping it propped. Then I lifted the hood off the hinges and then off the car.
Now, I had planned to lay the hood on the roof of the car. Holding that hood, I realized there is no way I can get it up there. I did not consider that the car is up on jacks and my arms are not 8 feet long. Too, the hood was a great deal heavier than I remember. For a moment there, it was like, do I have this hood or does this hood have me?
So, I needed to find a place to set it down. Here's where those noodles came in handy again. They stayed on when I lifted the hood off, so I could set it on the floor with no worries.

On top of the car is not a good place. I'm going to be doing a lot of work around it.
It's time to clean up the shop and find a place for the hood and the engine and transmission that's coming out.

It's getting closer. After the engine and transmission come out, those are the last big things that have to be removed.
After that, it's a matter of repairing, painting and putting stuff back on!