My Dilemma.....

[Mama's 69 10]

All right. So I'm not the most up to date on the ways of Mustangs but lemme know what you think. If you have read my intro you will already know that I have a basket case 69. My question is this.. The guy I bought it off of kinda did the engine right but....wrong. The starter was put in wrong, which ate the ka-ka out of my fly wheel. Should I pull just the trans and do what "needs to be done" to get it on the road for the duration of the season? Or should I bite the bullet, remove the entire thing and go through it with a fine tooth comb, hoping to get a few driving days in? This kept me up last night.....

 

Also... what flywheel and starter would be best for a 351W with a C-4 Auto trans? And if you have any input on a good shifter I'll take that also.. The one thats in it doesn't have any thing to it. No buttons, switches, or anything to keep my wife from throwing it into park or reverse with her purse while driving. Thanks in advance and I look forward to any input.

[jnet4jt 10]

As far as the engine goes I would go through it. If he messed up installing the starter what else is wrong. Don't get too discouraged about the project, I still have about $6k worth of sheet metal to buy (it was supposed to be a solid car). All the wiring has to be redone, suspension is shot and to top it off I paid a ridicules amount for what I thought was a solid car, and I can only hope the engine and trans are in good shape. It did fire up when I poured gas down the carb. I don't know about your shifter but I'm sure many folks here can help with that. I have the factory shifter and it has the release button on the top of the handle. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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[Mama's 69 10]

Thanks! I know all about the "solid" car B.S. The 69 Dodge Coronet I bought was listed as a "solid mississippi" car. Like an idiot I bought it anyway. Further inspection revealed that all it needed to make it "solid" was a trunk floor, (to include extensions, inner and outer wheel wells), full quarters, interior floor pans (front to back), trunk rails, rear window to trunk extension, um, I can't think of what else it needed right now, I've lost my mind with this thing. I basically got the rotten shell of what use to be a Coronet. Oh well, I'll prove them wrong!! I'll do it!! 'cause, well, I'm an idiot........

[Truck 12]

That may be as solid as it gets in Mississippi.

 

I'd go the route of putting the flywheel/starter in, then plan on driving. I'd figure by the time you get the tranny moved, you'll know about the u-joints (DON'T forget the U-joints!) and the rear diff "While you're under there". (Suspension bits/grommets, etc) If those seem OK, I'd just drive a little bit, figuring an engine apocolypse can wait til spring to straighten out..

 

So in short, if it seems ok, road it a little-when something goes, you'll have a nice conversation piece for a few months....(Yeah, months...right!)