Spinnin' Wrenches - Preview
Dad collected cars.
Not Collector cars, by any stretch of the imagination - more like, anything that fell in his lap, that he thought "This might be fun to work on someday".
Now, that collection is for me to deal with.
So, here's a preview of things my Gentle Readers will (eventually) see here... it's gonna take a while to get around to all of them, but I have plans for each and every one.
- '55 Chevy pickup. Not sure whether to Rat Rod this, or customize it to the "T" - or maybe I'll do one, then the other. Gonna make it fast, though - see below.
- '69, '70, '71, and (I think) '74 VW Beetles - Dad and I both loved these cars. I'll probably keep two of them. Not sure what to do with the other two. Probably build one as a slalom racer (mine, and it's mostly done), and one for the dragstrip.
'83 Chevy Malibu - this was a former State Police cruiser. Dad had a BADASS 383 built for it, and installed. Unfortunately, the engine builder wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He also didn't know boo about wiring, and ran full alternator output through a gauge in the dashboard, through too-small wiring. I managed to set the dash on fire a few years ago. This car will be rebuilt, from the dash forward, and I'll put the damn engine together right (hopefully with Uncle Alex's help) and make it a Holy Terror.
'72 Chevy Caprice - this is the car Daddy bought from Alex a couple of years ago. He wanted the 400ci smallblock, and the TH400 tranny out of it. I'll probably pull them both, transplant them into the '55 Chevy truck, and scrap the body.
'74 Ford Maverick - This was the car I learned to drive in, at age 13. It also got totalled when I was 14 (according to State Farm), and that I rebuilt between ages 14 and 16, and was MY car when I was in High School. It has a 250ci inline-six, and a 3-speed manual. I intend to replace those with a late-model Mustang powertrain, preferably a 302 with a six-speed manual, and feed it a good dose of nitrous on top of that. Bottom line: It's gonna be fast.
'66 Chrysler Newport - Anybody want it? It ran last time we turned the key off (although it does have a burned exhaust valve - known issue). Great highway legs, but I'm not real interested in this one.
'80 or so Chevy truck - unknown drivetrain condition. This was given to Dad by a friend who had one too many drunk-driving convictions. Body's halfway ok, I think it has an inline six. Not too interested in this one either; I'll probably be getting rid of it.
Seems like I'm forgetting something, but I can't think of what right now.
Hey Car Craft... want to feature any of these? You buy the parts, I'll do the work, take pics, and write it up for ya!
Anyways... there ya have it. The PROJECTS (as opposed to keeping my buddies' cars running) that will be worked on, and featured in, Dad's Garage.
Not Collector cars, by any stretch of the imagination - more like, anything that fell in his lap, that he thought "This might be fun to work on someday".
Now, that collection is for me to deal with.
So, here's a preview of things my Gentle Readers will (eventually) see here... it's gonna take a while to get around to all of them, but I have plans for each and every one.
- '55 Chevy pickup. Not sure whether to Rat Rod this, or customize it to the "T" - or maybe I'll do one, then the other. Gonna make it fast, though - see below.
- '69, '70, '71, and (I think) '74 VW Beetles - Dad and I both loved these cars. I'll probably keep two of them. Not sure what to do with the other two. Probably build one as a slalom racer (mine, and it's mostly done), and one for the dragstrip.
'83 Chevy Malibu - this was a former State Police cruiser. Dad had a BADASS 383 built for it, and installed. Unfortunately, the engine builder wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He also didn't know boo about wiring, and ran full alternator output through a gauge in the dashboard, through too-small wiring. I managed to set the dash on fire a few years ago. This car will be rebuilt, from the dash forward, and I'll put the damn engine together right (hopefully with Uncle Alex's help) and make it a Holy Terror.
'72 Chevy Caprice - this is the car Daddy bought from Alex a couple of years ago. He wanted the 400ci smallblock, and the TH400 tranny out of it. I'll probably pull them both, transplant them into the '55 Chevy truck, and scrap the body.
'74 Ford Maverick - This was the car I learned to drive in, at age 13. It also got totalled when I was 14 (according to State Farm), and that I rebuilt between ages 14 and 16, and was MY car when I was in High School. It has a 250ci inline-six, and a 3-speed manual. I intend to replace those with a late-model Mustang powertrain, preferably a 302 with a six-speed manual, and feed it a good dose of nitrous on top of that. Bottom line: It's gonna be fast.
'66 Chrysler Newport - Anybody want it? It ran last time we turned the key off (although it does have a burned exhaust valve - known issue). Great highway legs, but I'm not real interested in this one.
'80 or so Chevy truck - unknown drivetrain condition. This was given to Dad by a friend who had one too many drunk-driving convictions. Body's halfway ok, I think it has an inline six. Not too interested in this one either; I'll probably be getting rid of it.
Seems like I'm forgetting something, but I can't think of what right now.
Hey Car Craft... want to feature any of these? You buy the parts, I'll do the work, take pics, and write it up for ya!
Anyways... there ya have it. The PROJECTS (as opposed to keeping my buddies' cars running) that will be worked on, and featured in, Dad's Garage.
posted by Aaron Neal at 9:20 PM
3 Comments:
That inline six in the 80 Chev truck wouldn't be a 292, would it? those are getting hard to find, so if you scrap the truck, keep the motor under a tarp somewhere.
BTW, quickie method for storing an engine block: find a barrel with a re-installable lid. Check it with a little diesel or kerosene to make sure it doesn't leak.
Take off the heads, intake manifold and the oil pan and ALL the electrics, including the plugs. Get that sucker down to bare block. Upend the motor with a couple of eyebolts somewhere on the front of the block and hoist into the barrel carefully, with the barrel on a pallet that you can move with a pallet mover or lift truck.
Fill to 6" over the block with clean motor oil. Put on lid. Truck to safe location. 20 years from now that motor will be just as you left it, only oilier. Critters will not get in, nor will dust and dirt get in.
Rivrdog,
I'm not sure what size the motor is... not even sure if it's a six. Just going from memory, from the one time I lifted the hood on it a couple of years ago.
Neat method for pickling an engine; I'll have to keep that one in mind.
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