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Three steps forward, one step back. Beats one step forward and three steps back though.
Thanks David ! I tried a couple times today to weld a nut to the bolt but with no luck yet ! May have to drill it out and then run a tap to clean up the threads !
That don't work I'll pull that intake and use that nice aluminum one you sent me way back about a year ago ! Told you I might know someone that could use that !
Well hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to work out that bolt without drilling!
So for whatever reason no matter what I tried I couldn't get the nut welded to the bolt that broke ! Not even using a Lincoln Mig Welder w/gas !
I borrowed the welder from the body shop where mine is and asked the owner if he would give it a try ! When he couldn't get it to weld the two together he offers to go get an extraction tool ! After several attempts to get the bolt out he then snaps the extraction tool in half which I spent the next 3 hours removing the extractor from the bolt !
Once I got it out of the bolt things got easy ! I drilled out the rest of the bolt with a bit that was just shy of the size of the threads and then took a tap to the rest and cleaned out the original threads !
Once it was all cleaned up I installed the new thermostat and gasket and housing !
Also got a new ported vacume switch !
Only thing left now is to bolt in the water pump and new fan clutch and fan and upper radiator hose ! Bottom one is already mounted on the radiator!
Well that's where I'm at so far but life has asserted itself so I have zero time right now to work on it ! Good thing is I should be caught up in a few days and then I'll get it all buttoned up !
Good write up buddy. I hear you about life stepping in when you least expect it. I'm caring for our son's puppy while he is on his honeymoon. Total house disruption. 😭
Well Saturday turned out to be a real fiasco! I made to my shop by 7:15 am wanting to button up this water pump job !
First thing I was greeted with was a vehicle parked in front of one of the tenants shop with no idea who it belonged to and being the building mgr. was asked if I could find the owner or have it towed !
After losing an hour there I went to my other shop to get a bead blaster and when I got back I had another issue to deal with !
By the time I had dealt with all the issues it took me all day to get the gaskets and four bolts mounted to the water pump and it mounted to the engine!
Tonight was a different story! When I got to the shop there was no one there but me ! First thing was to get the lwr rad hose on the pump ! Next up was teflon tape on the heater hose conector, tighten down and install the hose !
After that I lined up the pulley and inserted the studs for the fan clutch and fan ! After that was the the new fan clutch and the fan that I already restored last week ! Then I tightened up the belts! After that was teflon tape on the new ported vacume switch and tightened that down and put the hoses back on ! Last thing was to put the new upper rad hose on and tomorrow it will be time to put in coolant and check for leaks!
Then I'm gonna move right on to bleeding the new brakes both front and back and finally I can get this project back on wheels !
That's behind me , can't wait to see this project back on wheels!
Well, it was a lot of work and not everything went as planned and then it felt like someone spun me around and sent me in reverse but.... I finally got the bottom of the car finished, the new brakes all the way around , a new water pump , fan clutch, upper and lower radiator hoses , thermostat and housing, ported vacume switch and the brakes bled!
This picture should say it all !
Next goal on the list will be to get my shop clean again and then organize it to prepare for the 4 post lift that's going to be in there !
Once I finish all of that then I'll be able to turn my focus back to the Vette!
I'll try to give little updates here and there till we have forward progress on the project again!
Sure felt good to take the ten year old to the shop today and put her in the passenger seat, then I took the t-tops off and climbed in and she says to me Daddy, can I drive! I just smiled and said not yet and then fired it up and we went around the buildings twice and put it back inside the shop ! There was a grin from one ear to the other as she was posting selfies to all her friends!
You also made a memory that your little girl will remember forever...the selfies may get lost over the years, but you never lose those special memories.
For me, it was a neighbor 3 doors down that hooked me on 'vettes. The year was 1969 and I 8...standing on the walk watching him work on his 1961. He asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. I DID! And off we went...I can still remember that day like it was yesterday...and I've been hooked on these cars ever since. Did you do the same for her? Time will tell!
We'll keep watching for more progress, and I'm looking forward to seeing your lift installed!
She already believes that's her car and I'm just getting it ready for her and need to have it ready by the time she gets her license!
It might take a little time to get things cleaned up though ! I still have stuff that I brought from my house when the last hurricane came through last year !
I'll just start at the garage door and work my way around the shop till I'm back at the door!
Note to my self I need to look in on your project and see how your coming along with it ! It was looking great th last time I looked in !
Got her done ? That's great news ! I'll try to find time tonight to see the final results !
For now I gotta go bury our dog that passed away this morning!
Don't know what happened but I came out of the shower and found her in my bedroom having a hard time breathing! I put her in the truck and rushed her to the vet but it was too late for them to do anything !
Oh man Ray, I am SO sorry to hear that sad sad news. I have been in your shoes and can feel your pain and loss. Losing a beloved 4 legged member of the family leaves such an unbelievable hole in our hearts and lives.
Oh man Ray, I am SO sorry to hear that sad sad news. I have been in your shoes and can feel your pain and loss. Losing a beloved 4 legged member of the family leaves such an unbelievable hole in our hearts and lives.
My sympathy and thoughts are with you, my friend.
Dave
Thanks Dave !
It's crazy how in nothing flat thy work their way into your heart !
The ten year old is taking it quite well !
It was her that brought the dog home ! We had a neighbor that at 87 got sick and spent a week in the VA hospital and came home for a day and went back for another week ! At the end of that he came home with a colostomy bag ! Meanwhile during his hospital stay KT had already volunteered to puppy sit so when he came home they offered to let us keep her since Mr. Paul wouldn't be able to !
Wow......after all the unexpected (usual) delays you accomplished a lot.
And putting a smile on your daughter's face was icing on the cake.
I'm sorry to hear about your dog....I suspect she's in puppy-heaven having a good time.
Thanks Tony , we appreciate that ! I'm sure by now she has found the yard that is filled with the little lizards she loved to chase!
Can't wait for you to have a slice of that cake and drop the top and go for a cruise!
I pushed realty hard to complete that so I could drive it in and out of the shop while I clean up in there ! Plus the parts car was in front of it and couldn't be brought out till mine was off the jack stands where it has been since I started sandblasting!
Yesterday I didn't have time to do anything so I just stopped in on my way home and stared at it for a few minutes!
Hope to see you back on your project soon ! And Roger too !
Since getting my car off the jacks I haven't had much time ! I decided that since I was only going to have small amounts of time available that I would attempt to recurve the distributor per the instructions by Lars !
So I put my timing light on it and at first I was getting some really strange readings ! That's when I started thinking back to when I first got this running!
The car had sat for at least 5 years and I was told that the motor was locked up ! Turns out only the starter wasn't working correctly! It would kick out but wouldn't spin ! So in goes a fresh set of plugs and a starter and a little gas and I have a running car!
Because it was running well I started in on things that needed done and months later here I am trying to figure out what is happening cause I can't even see the timing mark at all !
So , finally I think to open up the distributor cap and I'm wondering how this thing was running at all ! The cap and button are nothing short of a rusted excuse for parts !
So off to NAPA for new parts ! I get back and install them and it's only minutes till I have the engine re timed perfectly!
Now for the rest of the story !
I have a friend that builds hot rods and restores antique cars ! When I first got mine a year ago he showed me one that he had and I tried to buy some parts from it but he didn't want to go that route !
So I run into him last week and I was showing him all the work that I've been doing on the 77 and he says to me , hey , I've got a good deal for you ! I say , really, whatcha got ?
He says to me you need to buy my Vette ! I say I've got my hands full with the one I have ! He says , but I only want $1500.00 for it and you can pay me any way you want ! Even if you want to give me a dollar a month for 1500 months ,
At first he thought it was a 74 but turns out it's a 75 ! It still has the original motor and it runs ! It's also a factory 4 speed car !
While it will take some work to bring it back it appears so far to need less work than my 77 ! I haven't been able to check under the car yet but even if it turns out to be a parts car it means one way or the other I'll have a 4 speed car !
So here's some pics of it ! Funny how for years it just didn't work out for me to get a Vette and now they seem to be throwing themselves at me
There's also a brand new fiberglass front bumper and my 79 parts car has a great bumper that I can put on the back !
Ray, soon you will be looking for another shop with eight doors. I had to stop buying for a while to deal with the cars I have, and to let the foot heal up first before getting back to work on them. Have fun with the multiple projects, should keep you busy for a while. LOL.
Let me know if I can help.
Best regards,
David
04-16-2018, 01:24 PM
