Winston the '78-998: it's almost time.

[DarkHelmet]

Hi, I post over on Minimania (been a while) as the same name but also muse over on Oppositelock at times. With an upcoming move, I had to cobble the project together with mostly busted parts so it could at least roll to the next house a mile away, lo and behold it runs and drives...a bit.


I got the car (cheap doesn't even describe the deal I got) the fall of 2011 up here north of Denver and started on some mechanicals to get it running. It ran like a top (probably needs a new timing chain) and discovered how rotten the floor was shortly after....it was REALLY rotten. then I was to redo the brakes, cause i was more interested in the drive than the real whole fix at the time. I put it up on jack stands, took apart all the brakes and found them horribly seized and hopeless so with the worsening work schedule and parts cost going up, it stood on those stands for nearly 4 years. Now, the trifecta is upon me.

time, space, money.

So it will be done. But I must now plan the fix. Step one is to take the whole thing apart and tack in some bars across the door openings and across so the thing doesn't taco. Media blast the thing, and then I guess I'll work from the top down as the top and most of the middle is perfect.



List: lower scuttle, "A" panels, lower rockers, whole floor, lower firewall, rear subframe panels, etc, etc. Bottom 8 inches of the car must be cut out, replaced, and fix/replace the cancer up to the windshield. lower doors, aaannnd...complete suspension and brakes.

Not much, really...
I'll update this winter when I get him apart and start really digging into it.

[MiniDave]

Welcome, Dark Helmet!

Look forward to the updates as you go along

[Dmulder]

watching.  I need to do some work to mine eventually as well.  However, not sure I will ever have time, space, and money all at once

[Bahowe1]

Your project sounds exactly like mine. It's the post '70 mini- rust repairs to daily driver'. You can do it. The advice I got was 'take each rust repair as it's own project and do them one at a time. It sort of helps with the overwhelmed feeling.

[DarkHelmet]

Your project sounds exactly like mine. It's the post '70 mini- rust repairs to daily driver'. You can do it. The advice I got was 'take each rust repair as it's own project and do them one at a time. It sort of helps with the overwhelmed feeling.

Absolutely my focus. Turtle deck, A-sections, firewall, rockers, floor, rear areas....pretty much in that order. Thanks for the encouragement

[DarkHelmet]

Well this has been a while, but new job, life, etc has made things take longer. I skipped a lot along the way but I have the front and rear subs done and getting the final bits stripped off the car. i have a set of graying plastic flares and a full length original style exhaust system to get rid of (anyone in colorado let me know) and somehow I wound up with two extra left side window scrapers....but everything is ready to plug in once I drive down to the website HQ and pick up the shell Touring94 is working on.

here's the writeups and details over the last year when I really got to buckle down (finally with time,space,money) (for each one, right click and open in new tab so you don't have to go back and reclick a lot) and start working on it.

[94touring]

Cool, I'll have to read through that.

[MiniDave]

Wow! 6 years later!   

Thanks for coming back to us, I'll go take a peek at your other thread too

[94touring]

You need to post up the buff day pictures to your blog!

[DarkHelmet]

Long time....but the final bits before it starts and drives are now the following:
-my 1098 engine has a very long metal dipstick tube...and I cant find any record of that engine's speific dipstick to source. (so i bought two KAD adjustable pre-A+ dipstick units for this engine and a pre-A+ 1275 I have. This makes it a perfect unit solution. It's a a+ stick with a collar insert for pre-+  adapting)

-the copper oil pipe to the mechanical oil pressure gauge broke...and clogged somehow...so i got a braided 48" long unit that I wont have to worry about again. Waiting for that this week to install.

-My fresh new Hif44 was locally traded for a fresh newly overhauled yet to be used unit by AC Dodd Hif44 using ported vacuum. The secondary return spring was since discovered to be broken enough to not allow full closure. So im waiting for springs to be delivered this week.

-Fuel hose goes on today.

-Smiths Heater Matrix getting replaced, and of course the whole sheet metal assembly comes apart now and gets a bath, sanded, painted, etc. So it looks as new as most of the rest of the car....which frankly is new by now.

-basic alignment to do.

Then it comes down and starts up. I hope by weeks end...finally....if all parts show up.

[MiniDave]

Can't wait to see a video of the first start/first drive!

Been a long haul for this one!

[DarkHelmet]

true.
now the internet is scrtewing me up. I may have a not so optimal head gasket in there. the standard one from the rebuild kits...copper one side, not the other. anyway, arp studs in there and the itnernet saiy 3-4 things.

-run 2 minutes no coolant, let cool, check torque, add coolant, then go drive.

-add water, run engine for 15 minutes for basic adjustments and leaks checks. let cool, re-torque.

-or...re-toprque when hot...cause its iron...

-and then this. "some dude ar ARP said you dont need to re-torque unless the manufacturer says to, and then break the nut 1.4 turn and then set torque again...."

so yeah, stock engine, =i guess stock head gasket, arp studs....best process getting the gasket to seat? (please dont say replace with Victor Reinz....cause i have two now after the fact...and i dont wnat to have to undo everything)

[MiniDave]

That gasket will be fine....

I would never run an engine - especially a new one - for two minutes with no coolant.

I've done it both ways - run for 20 min to break in the cam, let cool overnight and retorque - I also break the nuts loose either 1/4 or 1/8 turn, then note how far past that it goes till it hits torque.

Kent Prather of Prather Racing says to warm it to 140*, shut it off and re-torque it immediately.

I've done it both ways, and sometimes it works perfectly, and other times (rarely) I've had one blow out between 2 & 3. Pisses me off but it seems to be the nature of the beast, and I always keep a head gasket set in stock.

Lately, on new engines I do the run it in and retorque it cold, on engines that have been run a while I do the retorque at 140* method, then check it again the next day when cold. Using this method I haven't had any problems.

Point being, there is no perfect way to do it, so go with your best instincts and do not stress about it.

[DarkHelmet]

Well I don't have to run in a can or seat rings as it's already been run a few thousand miles.... Just hasn't run in 5 years. So it's just a gasket. I'll check torque, just to make sure, run it and do base adjustments for carb. Run a lap of the full de sac for function. Then let cool. Torque again in the morning.

[94touring]

A lot of people recommend initial head gasket install be run dry, including MS.  But no one list a time.  I think the goal is just enough heat it makes that adhesive on the gasket melt/adhere to it's fullest potential.  I think I just felt the head with my hand till it got "warm" then shut it off when I did the inno head last year.

[DarkHelmet]

....  I think I just felt the head with my hand till it got "warm" then shut it off when I did the inno head last year.

Did you check torque after hot or cold?