winter project begins

[opie_803 14]

well, winter is here and it is time to start working on my list of projects.

what i hope to complete:

aod swap

detail the engine bay (new paint and decals)

clean up the wiring harness

replace gaskets and repaint engine

new wheels and tires

new carpet (hope the floors are in good shape)

 

here are a few starter pics

 

[unfrozen1969 11]

Awesome, another convertible. Keep the photos coming, and good luck on your build, the car looks really good.

 

Bill from Ottawa

[flight96 14]

What color is that ? It looks like a very dark blue.

 

Good luck with the projects !

[opie_803 14]

I think someone called it Presidential Blue, I dont know for sure. I know it is not the origional color. The origional was a light metalic blue.

 

Here are a few pics from the progress made yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shutt24 10]

I sure wish mine looked that good when I removed my interior. I'm getting ready to weld in my drivers side inside rocker that had completely rusted out. Could I bother you to get a measurement for me? I need to know exactly where the seat belt mounting hole in the inside rocker needs to be placed. I would measure the passenger side but is rusted out also. I will slide the rocker in to the correct place and then weld it in. Here is a photo of what I started with. Thanks.

[opie_803 14]

heres the work as of today. may take a break for a few days...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[unfrozen1969 11]

Man, your car looks really clean, what work do you think needs to be done?

 

Bill

[opie_803 14]

I am pulling the motor to swap to an AOD tranny, so I decided to strip the engine bay down and respray it. I am also going to clean up the wiring harness of unwanted wires and retape the loose ones. I am also going to replace all the engine decals.

 

I was told the motor was rebuilt a few years ago so I am going to pull it down to the block and heads and see what was done, find out what type of cam was used. I will put fresh gaskets, paint and valve covers on it as well.

 

I pulled the fenders and grill assembly to keep from damaging them. So now I can also clean up excess grease and oil spots. Its never ending.

 

as for the interior, I am replacing the carpet and putting in some of that silver bubble insulator stuff from Lowes to keep down the heat.

[opie_803 14]

shutt24,

 

i will get those measurements for you this afternoon.

[Shutt24 10]

Thanks! No big hurry, I just thought since you had your interior pulled out that it would be an easy measurement to obtain. I'm blasting my seat frames this afternoon, I'm waiting on my full length floor pan from CJ's to arrive. They backordered last week, kind of ticked me off.

[opie_803 14]

got these out of an 86 fiero. needs a little work but will be worth it in the end...

 

[jkskinsfan 19]

Hope the "Innards" look better than the "Outsides". :clown:

[opie_803 14]

me too!

[Pakrat 1,043]

Silver bubble insulation and Fiero seats, this will be a vert after my own heart! If you end up getting Mr. Mikes seat covers then you will get all new foam too and cut to fit so I am sure the seats will be just fine.

 

While you have the measuring tape out can you tell me what the height is of those foam blocks on the cowl that hold the grill plate up? Mine were not removed before media blasting and they do not make replacements so I have to fab something up.

[opie_803 14]

Well, I made a little more progress over the past few days. Here are some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pak, that foam is 1 1/4in thick, 3in long, 2in wide. The foam is compressed some so it may be 1 1/2in origional thick.

[opie_803 14]

I was told the motor had been rebuilt when I bought the car but was skeptical. Well, I have pulled the covers, oil pan and intake and this is what I found.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am going to pull the timing cover to see what type of cam was installed.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Looks pretty clean inside. I see you have yourself a 4 bolt main block and 4V heads. Have you checked any of the casting numbers on the block and heads? Looks like your doing a good job on the detailing part. That's the only way to do it right and make under the hood look nice. It has to come apart. I done mine just like you a couple of winters ago. Pulled the engine, fenders and like you my motor was supposed to have been rebuilt so I wanted to check it out also. I was lucky and it all checked out good. Looks like your having real good luck also.

Edited January 4, 2009 by SlimeGold 69

[opie_803 14]

The luck ran out! I pulled the cam out of curiosity and found on of the lobes was rounded off. So now I am pulling the motor down completely to have it cleaned. I am going to put new bearings, cam, rings and gaskets in her.

 

better to have found out this way as opposed to after being reassymbled.

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Uh -oh. . Sorry to hear that. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about "good luck". Well look on the bright side, at least you have one of the good Clevelands to work with and a very solid car. Things could have been alot worse because you never know what your going to find when you tear into these old Stangs.

Edited January 4, 2009 by SlimeGold 69

[opie_803 14]

its not the end of the world. i will just have to hold off on recovering the fiero seats for a while. the origionals still look good.

 

with that motor, what cam would work well for it? i had thought about a roller cam and lifters but that is a lot of money.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Pak, that foam is 1 1/4in thick, 3in long, 2in wide. The foam is compressed some so it may be 1 1/2in origional thick.

 

Thanks Bud!:thumbup1: Looks like you are having some fun.

[opie_803 14]

well, the more I dig, the less I know. I now think it is possible I have a 351 cobra jet. I have a 4bolt main and 4dot heads with dished pistons.

 

these are the numbers i found on the block, D2AE-CA 2E-16. can anyone desypher these for me?

 

thanks

[Pakrat 1,043]

well, the more I dig, the less I know. I now think it is possible I have a 351 cobra jet. I have a 4bolt main and 4dot heads with dished pistons.

 

these are the numbers i found on the block, D2AE-CA 2E-16. can anyone desypher these for me?

 

thanks

 

Without checking all the numbers out in my book (the memory just ain't what it used to be) I can at least say the block seems to come from a 72' Galaxie and cast on May 16th?!?!?!??!?!?!

Edited January 7, 2009 by Pakrat

[bnickel 10,004]

Without checking all the numbers out in my book (the memory just ain't what it used to be) I can at least say the block seems to come from a 72' Galaxie and cast on May 16th?!?!?!??!?!?!

 

 

i think all clevelands have the E model code so it probably isn't necessarily from a galaxie. the model code is really just to identify what model was charged for the development of that particular engine, in this case it was the full size model group that was billed for the development work on this cleveland. then again a 4v cleveland in a 72 galaxie 500 would be pretty cool, would be just like the brown one in the Burt Reynolds movie Gator or White LIghtning, can't remember which. lot's of cool chase scenes with that car though!!!!!!!

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Look on the back of the block for a hand-stamped VIN. Like 2F05QXXXXXX. I had a 74 Cleveland block that had the full vin stamped on it. So it may be possible to find it on yours. You may be able to find out what kind of car it came out of by the body code. IE 05=Mustang Mach1 or diferent codes for Torino, Cougar could be there also. And Q engine code for a CJ or M for a 351 4V. And just because you have a 72 casting code on the block don't mean it's a 72 model engine. It could be a 73 or 74 also. So the vin could start with 3 or 4. By 72 all or most 351C 4V's are considered CJ's I think.

Edited January 12, 2009 by SlimeGold 69