jholmes217

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A year or two ago somebody posted a picture of two 69 Mustangs side by side at a drag strip with the back bumpers almost dragging. Can somebody post that picture again?

I've shot competition with the Army off and on since 1981. Now that I'm retired, I'm starting to get the itch to do it some more at the next level as a coach. I also do plastic models with my boys, fishing and Cub Scout stuff with my boys. Also do computer games like Battlefield 4, World of Tanks, and IL-2.

Booster and master cylinder were not in the way when I pulled the engine. My headers were trashed from a previous owner running over a fence, so I used a sawzall and cut the pipes off at the head, then lifted the engine out. Sold the flanges later on to a racer wanting to make a custom set.

Reverse what I said above, and that is the way I will try installing my 428 with 4 speed in a couple weeks with Hooker Headers on. I've heard it can be dome on the 428 CJ Registry Forum, so I will see if it works. Keeping my fingers crossed as I really don't won't try try putting those headers on with the engine already in.

Jack up the back of the car as far as you can, and pull the engine and tranny together. Make sure to use good block on the front tires to keep it from rolling. You will need a leveler, something like this. With the leveler, you can adjust the angle to dip one end or the other. You will want the engine side tilted up high until the tranny clears the tunnel, and keep it high until the headers clear the shock towers. Put plywood over the windshield just in case as you may need to do some pushing of the cherry picker, and you don't want anything to swing back into the windshield. Once the headers are clear, start pulling the cherry picker back and start leveling the engine until the entire thing clears the radiator support.

I used Royal Purple break in oil on my last engine. I have Joe Gibbs Driven break in oil ready for my 428, which I will hopefully drop in and fire up next week.

Did the machine shop do the assembly? If so, I'd see if they will fix it.

Some change the oil and filter, and others change the filter then add another quart. Some even go 500 miles before changing. All depends on who you talk to. Best thing to do in my opinion is follow the cam makers instruction to a T. If something goes wrong, hopefully their warranty will cover at least part of the cost of a wiped cam/lifter. Did you use an oil specially blended for flat tappet cam break in?

Are your wheels and tires stock height with what was originally on your car? If not, then find out what the height difference is, then car CJ Pony Pony parts or some other vendor that sells Mustang speedo gears, and they should be able to fix you up with a more accurate gear, or go with a tire that is the stock height. Had the same problem on a 67 Mustang when I changed wheels and tires.

Some places will sell cars on consignment. I looked into that when I sold my last classic car. The pluses are you don't have to deal with the tire kickers, and the place doing the selling is going to try to sell it at a good price since they are getting part of the money. You should do some sort of contract before giving them the keys however. If somebody blows the engine on a test drive, you don't want to get stuck with that. It can however be difficult to find places that will sell classic cars on consignment since the business doesn't know the history of the car. If you have receipts for all parts, repairs, etc, it can help.

Is there something wrong with the carb you already have to prevent it from being rebuilt? That's a pretty good carb. If it can't be rebuilt, I'd look at a 428 Cobra Jet "U" carb, which was service replacement carb for the factory carb. It has C9AF-9510-U stamped on the air horn. They used the 735 cfm carb on Cobra Jet cars for a reason. Survival Motorsports has dyno'ed some engines using Cobra Jet carbs, and they always seem to exceed expectations. If you would rather buy something new, Quick Fuel, Demon, Holley all have carbs in the 750 cfm range. Summit also has a carb in 750 cfm that seems like a cross between the carb you already have and an Autolite 4100. I had the 600 cfm version on a 302, and it ran very well. I've retired my Cobra Jet carb to keep it in good condition in case I want to return the car to stock or sell the car (like that is ever going to happen!). I will use the Summit carb. I like the fact that you can open the carb from the top to add gas for first start engine break in and to change jets. I will then compare a C9AF-9510-U Holley to the Summit and go with the one that runs best. My 2 cents.

Barry Robotinik at Survival Motorsports http://www.survivalmotorsports.com/ and Brent Lykins at Lykins Motorsports http://www.lykinsmotorsports.com/ are probably the most experienced at FE strokers and stroker kits. I don't think you could go wrong by either of them. Give them a call and see what they recommend.

You can pack it up after taking pictures exactly like you would mail it Pak, just don't completely seal it. You can then take all the measurements and weigh it at the Post Office, and plug that information into the Ebay shipping computation function. Or, I try to use the USPS flat rate boxes as much as possible.

PayPal is the way most folks on Ebay prefer to handle money transfers Pak. Can also come in handy for other things like sending money to relatives for birthdays, or buying things off Craigslist if they are willing to mail the item if it is too far away to drive.

Reserves piss me off Pak. For example, I saw a Cobra oval air cleaner assembly on eBay for I think $12. I made a bid of $100 dollars, and was told I was high bidder, but reserve was not met! A reserve of at least $88? In my opinion, don't do a reserve, just put your starting bid for the bottom line dollar amount you will accept. If it doesn't sell, bring it down some and try again, then keep bringing it down until it sells.

Pak; I have bought or sold about 60 things on Ebay now. Best advise I can give is look and see what similar items are selling for, then price your item about 10 to 20 percent below that in the hope that the bidding will climb to that price. To get your feedback up, I'd buy some things from Ebay first. Back to selling, when someone ask a question, respond as fast as you can because communication is a big part of it. Also, when an item is sold, confirm with the buyer that they want the item shipped a certain way. ALWAYS USE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION TO PROTECT YOURSELF AS A SELLER! If you can't confirm that something was delivered, they can say they never received it, get their money back, and give you bad feedback! Ship it out fast when they confirm how they want it shipped and insured. PM me your phone number if you want to talk about it. I'm by no means an expert, but I feel comfortable buying and selling on Ebay now.

For your headers and exhaust, you may want to specify engine and transmission.

Thanks Brian. I did that post about a year or so ago, then added the additional tips that other forum members added. So, it was a team effort post! I just put a Blue Thunder on my 428 CJ last week. I wish the studs would work on an FE, but since the intake bolts go in at an angle, it won't. You got to eyeball it as best as possible, then use the distributor as a placement tool after you set the intake down. Once you get the distributor in, then start all the intake bolts. I use a mallet to tap the intake around slightly until I get all the bolts to start.

Here is an intake manifold install instruction post I did a year or two back. 1. Replace your thermostat and temperature sending units now. Use Teflon tape or paste on the threads of the sending unit. Use a 180-195 degree Robert Shaw thermostat, or get one that is made to stay open if it fails. Make sure the little hole is on top. If your are changing intakes, you should use sealer on all fittings and plugs also. 2. Cover all holes that you don't want something to fall into (distributor especially.) Remove valve covers so they aren't in the way. Run a tap through all the threads and make sure all your bolts are in good shape. 3. If the engine is a small block Ford, put studs in the front and rear intake manifold bolt holes. These will act as guides to slide the intake manifold down. This won't work for an FE engine, not sure about a 351 Cleveland as I've never had one. Test fit before putting any sealers on and start all the bolts, especially if it is a new intake and/or heads. If something isn't going to fit or tighten down correctly, find out before you put sealent/RTV on and think you are going final on assembly and then when it doesn't work, you have to buy another set of gaskets (ask me how I know!) If your heads and/or intake have never been milled (also called shaved by some,) you can probably use the cork gaskets on the front and rear of the intake if you want a factory look. If there is any doubt about them being milled, or you don't want to worry about possible leaks, use some stuff call The Right Stuff instead of the cork. Also put some RTV sealant around the coolant ports on both side of the gasket. Some like to put RTV around all ports, but that is a matter of personal preference IMO. Also, if you are going to block the exhaust heat crossover in the intake, now is the time to do that. If you don't drive the car in weather below 60 degrees, you probably don't need it. It hurts performance. If you drive in cold weather, you may want to leave it. Also, if it is an aluminum intake, be advised that it will eventually fail and need welded. The aluminum doesn't like the heat. Many newer performance intakes don't even have them. 4. After the test fit if everything went OK, put some RTV around the coolant ports, and set your gaskets down. Put more RTV on the gasket coolant port. Put your cork or Right Stuff down. Place the intake in position lightly by sliding it down the studs. Use another person if its an original iron intake so you don't hurt your back (don't even think of doing it yourself with an FE iron intake without a cherry picker!) Once it is in place, start all the intake bolts (don't forget to oil them for accurate torque reading.) Once all bolts are started, take up the slack and then go through the torque sequence until you get to the proper torque on all intake bolts. Hook everything back up, but let it dry for 24 hours before you add your fluids back in. 5. This is a good time to change your oil and filter as you probably got some coolant in the oil when you took the intake off. Put your valve covers back on. Rubber gaskets are better than the old cork type if your not worried about the factory look. 6. Leave the heater hose off the fitting on the intake. Add your antifreeze until it leaks out the fitting, then put your heater hose on. This helps ensure there isn't air trapped in the intake, possibly causing overheating problems. Turn your heater on, and fire it up with the radiator cap off. Watch for the thermostat to open, then add coolant as needed. 7. Tune your carb and timing, especially if this is a new combination. If you took the distributor out, check your timing anyway. For a 302, you can do an intake change or gasket change with the dizzy left in. Then drive it around to get it to operating temperature for a while. 8. Let cool overnight, then re torque all bolts again through the proper sequence. After a week, re torque them again. Keep checking for fluid and vacuum leaks. I miss anything guys?

Oh, your talking about an entire car. I thought you were talking about just an engine. lol!

Well, not sure on the worth, but I do know any prospective buyer that knows his stuff is going to want to ask at least the following questions; - What is the date of the block, heads, intake manifold, etc? - Does it have a VIN stamped on it? - What is the current bore? If it needs rebuilt and requires getting bored more than .030 or .040, they may pass and continue looking. - Does the block have the C scratch on the back? - Does it still have the smog system on it? That was the first thing people took off and threw away back then, so now it is pretty expense for someone looking to restore. - How long since it was last run? If you have a way to start it so they can hear it run and see if it smokes, you can ask more. There is a 1970 Cobra Jet for sale on the Cobra Jet forum, and the seller is asking $8,500, and that engine does not have the intake or exhaust manifolds, valve covers, or flywheel. Only one person has asked a question since it was posted for sale, and they asked if it had a VIN stamped on it. I would say look on eBay and see what others are asking for them, then start high and come down if it doesn't sell. I'm sure I'm probably forgetting some things, so hopefully other will chime in.

I know I've had two hood scoops bondo'd to hoods in the 1980's. One was a 66 coupe with a Harwood snorkel scoop (wish they still made those!) and a 67 with a 65-66 Shelby style scoop. The bondo cracked on both within a year.

I have no idea if my car has the original bolts. It had painted Powered By Ford valve covers on it when I bought it, so don't know if the bolts are original or not.

Your welcome Brian. I teach at a high school now, and I was going to see how a set of those look after using some "chrome" powder coat that the metal shop teacher has and has been wanting to try.