This is a picture of my engine shortly after I purchased this '74 454. This car was a garage Queen which was driven rarely and obviously maintained rarely. The car only has 68,000 miles, and has the original radio and carpet (which is in a lot better shape than the motor). The air cleaner cover looks good because I painted it before I took the picture.


If the picture doesn't show http://www.villagephotos.com/viewpub...sp?id_=5152976

If you have a picture of your big block engine (stock or dressed), I would sure like some inspiration.


[Modified by GATOR454, 9:07 AM 9/24/2003]


[Modified by GATOR454, 1:24 PM 9/24/2003]

 

Well it looks like you've got some work ahead of you. :yesnod: It keeps me off the streets and out of the bars! :lolg:

 

I'll give you a shiny small block for that nasty old big block. :jester

 

I've got an engine pic in my briefcase. Click on it in my sig.

Brett :thumbs:

 

It looks just like mine did before any of the work was done to clean it up.Iwill post some pictures of the before and after.

 

If you want that engine to look allot better real quick here's what you do: Get a few cans of engine degreaser (I use Gunk, but it doesn't really matter what brand) then go to a local do-it-yourself carwash that has those handy pressure washers. Soak the engine and suspension parts with the degreaser and then give it a good steady blast of water. Keep washing until most dirt, gunk, grime and even surface rust is gone. and some shiny metal shows through.

You will want to remove the air cleaner assembly before you start and cover the carb with a plastic shopping bag so you don't fill it with water. You can also cover the distributor cap if you think you are going to soak it.

My engine was pretty bad when I first got the car but I did this and it really helped. You really feel like you accomplished allot and it encourages you to start doing other things. I figure if you do this and maybe get some new valve covers and maybe a nice chrome master cylinder cover, your engine wont look so bad. Oh, and a can of black engine enamel will spruce up those odd brackets and metal pieces real quick.

 

I did a 10 hour cleaning on Sunday. I borrowed a friends pressure washer and bought degeaser. I started with Simple Green, but the 30 year old gunk just laughed at it. I switched to Castrol degeaser and that stuff really worked. I had a flashback to my days in the Army and did a military style cleaning, sometimes with a set of toothbrush sized hard bristle and wire brushes. You can eat off of the bottom of this car now, it's cleaner than my riffle before inspection. Here is a pic of the engine after the cleaning.



if the picture doesn't show http://www.villagephotos.com/viewpub...sp?id_=5155135

As you can see it still needs lots of work. This was a picture as of Sunday. I now have it stripped down to everything that is orange. I can now repaint just about all of it with the engine still in the mounts. Now, you might ask why I don't just pull the engine? This project started as a suspension replacement and has balooned into something more severe. The car is up on jack stands in my garage with no suspension, and there insn't enough room to maneuver the engine hoist to get the engine out. I also think that it would not be psychologically wise where my wife is concerened to pull the engine or the body. I'm already in the doghouse a little for buying an old car then disasembling it.

My budget does not allow for much more replacement of funcioning parts, so the plan is to paint or polish anything that looks old. The valve covers are really beat up, but since I'm going to leave the engine mostly stock for now I'm planning on banging out and smoothing the dents and resurecting the original covers. Also, my fan shroud came out in two pieces (it looks like the fan came apart at some point in the cars past) and you can't get an exact reproduction of it, only something close. So I'm going to put in electric fans since the cost is about the same as a new shroud.


[Modified by GATOR454, 12:29 PM 9/24/2003]


[Modified by GATOR454, 1:25 PM 9/24/2003]

 

Thanks for the pics Brett. I like that sticker on your air cleaner. My radiator hose was also wired to the radiator support. Do you think that it came from the factory that way? Or does everyone with a big block have this modification.

I also really like the tail end of your car. When I recover from current projects that will probably be at the top of the wish list.

 

Here is a pic of my '73 LS4 (50K mile).



EDIT: Just went back to look at your pic again and see it has hit its daily usage limit. :(

tom...


[Modified by Tom73, 11:54 AM 9/24/2003]

 

Thanks!! I did the clamp job on that hose myself. It was touching the alt pulley and had rubbed a groove in the hose. After I looked at it, it appears that previous owner might have put the hose on backwards, hence the cable ties. Might do a major cooling system overhaul this winter or spring. Somebody said the $180 Summit aluminum radiator fits nicely with one mod to it, so I'm thinking a new Stewart pump, hoses, thermostat, radiator is headed my way.

Brett :thumbs:

 

I'm in the same boat. My back part of the frame is detailed and rebuilt. I'm doing the front now-with the engine and suspension off. I've sepnt at least80 hours cleaning just the frame, but there is still a long way to go. It appears to me that someone undercoated mine. I've had my hands in the frame(front crossmember). It even difficult to scrape all of this crap put. When you get some paint on it, you won't ever want to drive it again. :lol: