A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Topic: A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage! (Read 45517 times) previous topic - next topic

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #30 – May 02, 2012, 11:40:34 AM

Thanks guys.

I've been on it at least a few hours every day to get it together (plus 8 or 10 on the weekends), but we all know how working on cars goes, particulary stuff that hasn't been in the car before... Another member referred to a "truck load of frustration" on his project. I estimate the past two weeks has seen a least three truck loads come and go!

I'll provide an update after the weekend. My goal has been to make a call on if I could make it happen at three weekends prior to the tour.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #31 – May 02, 2012, 11:54:34 AM

Well, I sure hope you get it together in time. I would really like to spend more time hanging out with you and Gumby and checking out your rides. Do you have a backup vehicle in case the T-bird is not ready?

I have never undertaken a build this serious, but what things I have done to my car always seem to take way longer than antited. My T-5 swap seemed like it took 4x longer than what it should have and my DS fiasco was also never ending.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #32 – May 02, 2012, 02:01:46 PM

Quote from: 50tbrd88;388706

Well, I sure hope you get it together in time. I would really like to spend more time hanging out with you and Gumby and checking out your rides. Do you have a backup vehicle in case the T-bird is not ready?

I have never undertaken a build this serious, but what things I have done to my car always seem to take way longer than antited. My T-5 swap seemed like it took 4x longer than what it should have and my DS fiasco was also never ending.

I was really pleased to hear the vibration is gone from you car! It's funny how once it's in the past, how quickly the pain in forgotten.

There is plan A and backup plans B & C. If things don't jell over the next 7 days, I'll begin to work on plan B. Plan C is riding with someone in a Yellow S2000.

The extended time it takes to get things done on a car can be staggering! What's worse, is that it always seems to be a mystery or a surprise that things don't go as expected. In my case, that really dumb, because I've been doing this stuff long enough I should know better.

The only difference between projects that never see the road and those that do is: Perceverience. Solid car guys have it in common (though our significant others may call it something else...).

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #33 – May 02, 2012, 04:05:47 PM

Quote from: 86T-bird;388727

(though our significant others may call it something else...).

Mine wife calls it an obsession

and the car a P O S

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #34 – May 02, 2012, 05:03:55 PM

Quote from: 1BadBird;388736

Mine wife calls it an obsession and the car a P O S

But she knows where you are and what you're doing! No matter how much money and time you spend, it's cheaper than the cost of some other "obsessions"!

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #35 – May 02, 2012, 06:40:44 PM

Quote from: 1BadBird;388736

Mine wife calls it an obsession and the car a P O S

Gayle calls my Sport an obsession as well, but knows better than to call the car a POS. I HAVE to draw the line somehwere.

Beautiful work so far. Gotta say, I wish I could see it in person.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #36 – May 02, 2012, 06:59:58 PM

Quote from: 86T-bird;388743

But she knows where you are and what you're doing! No matter how much money and time you spend, it's cheaper than the cost of some other "obsessions"!

How true that is. There is a silly :shakeass:ed reason she calls it that...... I made the mistake of asking her to drive the car to the alignment shop for me while I was out on the road right after putting in the front coil-overs and tubular control arms. It wanted to go every where but where she was trying to steer.
I had failed to mention to her that it was a "little" quircky

. But she only had to go 6 blocks away.....

She don't mind me staying over after work to tinker with it.

I love that engine setup you have there...That is just soooooo sweeet

Quote from: vinnietbird;388762

Gayle calls my Sport an obsession as well, but knows better than to call the car a POS. I HAVE to draw the line somehwere.

Beautiful work so far. Gotta say, I wish I could see it in person.

Thanks Vinnie, and 1 day you just might. I want to drive the entire Route 66 in the Bird from start to finish and back. Could always take a detour.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #37 – May 02, 2012, 07:09:23 PM

Route 66 runs right through Oklahoma. Sweet idea.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #38 – May 02, 2012, 07:12:29 PM

Yep, right through Oklahoma City :D

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #39 – May 02, 2012, 07:15:29 PM

1.5 hours away.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #40 – May 02, 2012, 09:19:37 PM

Quote from: 1BadBird;388765

How true that is. There is a silly :shakeass:ed reason she calls it that...... I made the mistake of asking her to drive the car to the alignment shop for me while I was out on the road right after putting in the front coil-overs and tubular control arms. It wanted to go every where but where she was trying to steer.
I had failed to mention to her that it was a "little" quircky :punchballs:. But she only had to go 6 blocks away.....:mullet:
She don't mind me staying over after work to tinker with it.

I'll bet your wife was a little rattled by that short drive, had to be a scary! Probably why she doesn't mind your tinkering, hoping it'll be "safe" to drive.

Quote from: 1BadBird;388765

I love that engine setup you have there...That is just soooooo sweeet.

Thanks! Hope I have all the my ducks in row for it to live up to it's potential...

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #41 – May 03, 2012, 11:52:28 AM

Jeez I hope the stars align and you get the 'bird road ready. I'd love to check her out again (with the new powerplant). Good luck man.

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #42 – May 03, 2012, 12:45:12 PM

One day I'd love to be able to do an engine for my car. You guys are lucky! You can do the major work on your cars yourselves. I have to have someone else do my major mechanical work. I can do smaller things but not the big jobs. I was able to get hands on with the paint job though. I'm friends with the owner of the shop that did it and he showed me how to sand and strip and get it ready for paint. I'm happy to at least be able to say that.

Geat job to you and the other guys on here that do all thier own work!

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #43 – May 19, 2012, 06:01:38 PM

The work goes on, but progress is slow.

Engine and trans are in. All accessories and supercharger is mounted. Mocked up the 3" mid-pipe.

Unfortunately the I didn't pressure test the oil system when the engine was out. The rear main is g when I prelubed the engine, spinning the pump with a wrench. It will have to come out to fix it. So, no Power Tour.

The plan is to keep moving on completing all the other systems, finish all other mock ups and fitments, then do the engine R&R

Here are a few shots of part of the fuel system upgrade:

The fuel rails are BBRC. I've modified the stock fuel pickup by installing 3/8" tube, adding 10 AWG and a 340 LPH pump. The rest of the pump wiring will also be upgraded, using a relay. In retrospect, I should have used 1/2 tube on the return as the rest of the system is all -8AN (didn't have a 1/2 tube bender anyway...).

A few upgrades: 5/20/13 Pics outside the garage!

Reply #44 – May 19, 2012, 06:21:19 PM

Some other items also in progress. This the mount I came up with for the meth tank.

The Alky Controls meth system is an impressive unit. I've bought a lot of stuff over the years and have never received such a well thought out and complete kit. Most of it is prewired with snap together weatherlock connectors. The overall install is pretty simple, but making a mount for the 3 gallon fuel cell was time consuming. The trunk mounted tank was my option and there are simpler ways to do it.

The system comes with a remote contol unit which will be mounted down by the lighter, below the radio (I'll get a shot of that soon), allowing the main control unit to be trunk mounted. The cable to the remote is a standard internet cable, greatly simplifying wiring.

An additional feature with these kits: The lines are all braided stainless lines and he has them custom made for your application.