Updated 11/25/07

I finally got the car back into the shop a couple months ago when I got my fuel and brake lines in, but so far I have only almost completed installing the new fuel line. I actually had to cut it into a few pieces to make it fit, because I didn't feel like boxing it back up, sending it back, and hoping they got it right. But I am going to send them the line I took off so that hopefully noone else will have to go through that trouble. And maybe they'll send me a new line that is correct to make up for it. Doubtful though. At any rate, I'm going to finish putting in the fuel line and move to the brake lines, then it is off to a shop to have the rear spring perches welded to the axle and have the brakes checked and bled.

Maybe I'll have it on the road a time or two within the next couple of months.

Updated 6/21/07

Just wanted to upload these pictures, I'll do more of an update later.

Updated 7/28/05

Ok. I installed the gauges last month and ran the engine for about 8 minutes, when the stumbling came back. I haven't ran it since, but I was told it could be the choke not completely opening, which is a possibility. Sounded good otherwise. And the oil pressure was at 60 psi (at 2500 rpm), with the water temp never going above 190. I think everything's going to be fine. Just need to repaint that valve cover and get the carb adjusted. I also think it might be the jetting, since it wasn't really jetted for a 302.

I did a little more work on the dash, with the instrument panel in, the tachometer on the steering column, the column parts painted and put back on, the turn signal switch put in but not wired (though it's a 66 Mustang part I believe, with no emergency blinker switch), and the steering wheel installed but not reconditioned yet.

My next project/goal is to get the brakes redone and installed, though I may end up going the Granada route in the front(if I'm lucky) and either Explorer discs or Thunderbird discs in the rear. After I get the brakes in, the seats mounted, the rear end spring pads welded on, and the fenders/hood/bumper bolted back on, I should finally be able to take it for a ride. Just not sure how long it's going to be before I can afford or track down the brake parts.

Updated 6/08/05

It lives! Sunday the 4th, I checked everything over again on the motor, changed the plug wires back to the 302 firing order from th 351 order, checked the valve timing according to the cam tag, made sure to install the distributor with PLENTY of room for advancement, and turned the key. It roared to life!

I started to let it break in, but due to me not having a water temperature or oil pressure gauge, and hearing a slight stumble after about four minutes at 2500 rpms, I cut it off, and as of today, I have a set of gauges, but haven't installed them yet or tried starting the car again. Should be installing the gauges tonight. Maybe when I get ready to do the full break-in, I can record some video and put on here.

Updated 6/03/05

Ok, well, I had the motor ready to start, but as of right now, I have still not been able to get it started. I'm not sure if it's an issue with the valves being too tight/loose, with the camshaft being off a tooth/off by 180 degrees, or what. It's got me puzzled. I honestly don't know where to go, and I think I'm gonna end up having to take it to a shop and have them look at it to see what the problem is. I really don't want to have to pull the water pump and the timing cover off to look at it, because I've got it rilled with fluids and all, and it's just going to be a big mess, but I really don't know what other choice I have. Grr.

Updated 5/22/05

Well...deadline not met. It's been another month and I still haven't gotten it started. I actually still have most of the things on my big list left to do. Once I missed my deadline, I kind of lost the passion to finish it. But it's back now. So I shall set a new deadline of...hmm...May 31st? That'll do for now. Probably won't make it, but it'll give me something to work towards. At any rate...

Here are a couple of pictures that I've been promising for ages.

It constantly gets covered with random stuff I have no place to set. And the motor still looks a mess, but I'm almost ready to finally get all the wires cleaned up and wrapped and make it look like a real harness and stuff. And I think I'm going to buy and make some spark plug wires that actually fit.

Yeah, this is the interior so far. Still not all that great. I wish I could find some A/C vents so I could finish the dash trim...

Ok, that's all for now.

Updated 4/23/05

Almost finished with the Duraspark wiring. I also ran the ground and coil wires for the tach, so once I get ready to mount it, the wires will just have to be terminated and connected. Only thing holding me back, other than crawling under the dash, is the fact that I need more connectors. I keep running out because I don't think about how many connections I'm actually making. Anyways, yeah, I'm almost finished with that part.

Before it can be started, I have to:
-Fix cracks in A/C box and replace heater core
-Run heater hoses, possibly temorarily bypassing the A/C box if I don't get it ready
-Finish last bit of wiring
-Clean up and install exhaust manifolds for break-in of motor (because Super Comps say not to with the ceramic coated headers)
-Fix up the gas linkage or plan to work it by hand for break-in
-Clean and paint or rubberize bottom of gas tank and reinstall it in the car, and hook up the feed line to the tank.

There's probably more, and I have a big list written up, but it's in the other room, and well, I'm lazy, so I'm just writing off the top of my head. Anyways, that's all for now. More updates as they come. And pictures!

Updated 4/17/05

Finished with the mounting of the radiator. I had to mount it lower than I previously had planned, because apparently the Mustang radiator is shorter than the Fairlane one, and so the fan blade was hitting the lower opening. That's alright, I just drilled new holes in my brackets for the radiator side. Anyways, it's in place and the hoses are hooked up. I still have to fix and ready the A/C box to install so I can run the heater hoses, and then I have the rest of the ignition wiring to run.

I have a deadline of April 29th set by which I want to be able to start the engine. It's also my birthday, so it'd be a two-fold event. I can tell I've been slacking off when it comes to the car though. I could have been a lot farther by now. But we'll just have to wait and see if I get there or not. Keep your fingers crossed, guys and gals. Later.

Oh, and I'll make sure and get some pictures up soon.

Updated 2/12/06

Another year...well, I've finally gotten a radiator, and it's halfway mounted in. I have to slot the mounting holes on the "brackets" I made to mount it, and then paint them, and they'll be finished. I've also started wiring in the electronic ignition components from the van. Hoping to start it up in the next few weeks. We'll just have to see how it goes. Anyways, that's all for now. Later.

Updated 12/26/05

I guess it's been another month with no work done. Actually having a job again is taking a lot of my energy, and when I get home, I really don't feel like doing anything else. That and teh fact that I still have to save for a radiator. I bought a truck Nov. 28, so I'm waiting to see how my budget is going to look when I add in the truck payment before I spend any more money. And Christmas has broken me. But anyways, I will continue to update this page whenever I think about it, and definitely will not lose interest in the car. I have too much in it and it holds too many of my feelings for that to happen. Hope you all had a nice Christmas, or whatever holiday you are celebrating. Later.

Updated 11/24/05

Wow, has it been that long since I've updated? Hard to believe...

I started working again, which is good because I am completely broke at the moment (and will be till I get paid again). I haven't really gotten anything done on the car in the past couple weeks, partly because of the cold and partly because of the lack of money. I did get a few things on ebay though, like a gas pedal from a new Mustang, and the A/C brackets and idlers. I figured I'll convert it to a cable throttle and take out the trouble of having to rig up a throttle linkage, because the stock pedal looks like it doesn't have enough room to fully open the venturi (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong). So anyways, I'm taking the cable from my van for the time being, and I'm going to make a bracket for the intake manifold to hold the cable, and some spacers to space the throttle pedal out from the firewall and get it at the right angle, and hopefully I'll be good. Aside from that, I really haven't gotten anything done. Maybe that'll change once I get the money for a radiator and get it in. We'll see.

Updated 10/31/05

Blah blah blah, not much going on. I've gotten most of the stuff in the engine compartment. Just need to get a fuel line put in, and get a radiator, and then a couple other things. And I'm trying to figure out whether or not to replace the fuse block or just clean it up. They wired these things up pretty weird if you look at the fuse block. Anyways, that's all for now.

Updated 10/02/05

Trying to flare brake lines really sucks. I think part of the flaring kit I bought was bent though, misflaring every time I tried to use it. I'm really annoyed at it at the moment, but I still can't see paying a couple hundred for brake lines.

Didn't really accomplish anything tonight, other than mounting the solenoid to the battery apron panel (whoopee) and putting the new dipstick and tube on the motor.

Updated 9/30/05

I finally got the transmission mounted to the crossmember. I also have the pedal support and the clutch, brake, and gas pedals mounted, along with the parking brake, the equalizer bar (which is giving me some trouble), and...well, I think that's it for now. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow, after I figure out what's wrong with the equalizer bar. Not much else at the moment. I think I'm gonna get the dash itself ready to paint tomorrow, though now I think it might have been easier if I'd done it before getting half the stuff put back under it. Oh well. Just means more masking I guess.

Updated 9/18/05

Ok, I dropped the motor in today. Here's a couple pics of that.

And here's a pic of some of the firewall/underdash area that I painted.

Updated 9/17/05

Ok, finally got some pictures. The first two are of it after the paint job I shot Monday night. It was flat black, and I didn't realize that it was going to be such a flat black, but I guess it has that name for a reason. So I went and shot a coat of semi-flat black over it, and it looks a lot better. Now I'm working on painting the firewall inside the car, and some of the floor, so that can get the pedals, linkages, etc., installed. That's all for now, here are the pictures.

Updated 9/12/05

Ok, not too much new going on, the panel is welded in finally, and I've got the engine bay primed, should have pictures of it with the paint coat on tonight (rust converting primer, has to dry for 24 hours before being painted). Can't think of anything else, so that's all for now.

Updated 8/25/05

Gotta get out of this habit of sleeping till 3 pm. Can't get anything done that way. Anyways, I'm finally able to upload pictures again, so here's one of the transmission painted and installed on the motor. Yeah, I know, the bellhousing would probably look better if it was the natural aluminum color, but I like the colors to match instead of changing so much. Almost wish the intake was painted cast now.

Updated 8/20/05

Think I might have to go to weekly updates or something so I don't have a page that goes on forever. Anyways, I rebuilt the Mr. Gasket Vertical Gate shifter last night, or rather, disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled (I guess that's the same thing), and it moves a LOT smoother now, but I'm really seeing that the transmisison is having the shifting problem that I thought it was having, with the third and fourth gear shift parts (internal). I guess I'll have to see how it acts when it's full of fluid again and moving, because it might just be from sitting for a while in the shop (and the eight years it sat without being driven) that's making it have problems. And then again I might end up having to get it rebuilt. We'll see. For now I'm going to put it in and hope it's alright.

I also got a piece of sheet metal to make some small patches, that once welded in with the battery apron panel, will allow me to finally paint the engine compartment and drop the engine/tranny in. Can't wait.

Updated 8/15/05

Helicoils installed (ended up having another hole's threads so galled that I decided to do it as well), but now I've been informed that they won't be alright, and I need a new bellhousing. This blows.

Updated 8/15/05

I got the correct length bolts yesterday, and as I'm bolting everything together for what I thought was the last time, I find out when torquing one of the transmission to bellhousing bolts, that the threads broke loose. I've been advised that I should helicoil it with red threadlock on the helicoil. I guess (hopefully) the package will tell if it's alright to use on aluminum or not. With no further trouble (though further trouble is usually guaranteed) I should have it finished by this afternoon.

Updated 8/13/05

I got the flywheel and clutch installed last night, and the transmission installed tonight, though I found out as I was putting the bolts in that bolt the transmission to the bellhousing, that the bolts I bought tonight were too long, so I have to go buy more tomorrow, along with the two top ones that bolt the bellhousing to the block. Anyways, I'm glad to have that done, just have to get the correct hardware to complete the job. Then I get to work painting the engine compartment so I can actually put the engine and transmission in.

Updated 8/11/05

The transmission is painted, along with the clutch fork and bellhousing. I'll make sure and get a picture on here tomorrow, and hopefully one of the engine and transmission mated together.

Updated 8/10/05

Well, if nothing else has come of my sudden unemployment, it has given me time to work on the car again. So far I've gotten the transmission cleaned up and painted with some rust-converting primer (for good measure) and the bellhousing painted with cast finish paint, which I will also paint the transmission with. Tomorrow I hope to get the clutch installed on the engine, and Friday I plan to actually install the transmission. The primer has to cure for 24 hours before it can be painted, which is why I have to wait on installing it. Hopefully sometime this weekend, I can get the engine compartment primered and painted so I can get ready to put the engine back in. That might be a little too much to get done, but I can at least try.

Anyways, that's where I'm at right now.

Updated 6/22/05

Finally getting somewhere, out of utter frustration with myself if for no other reason. I got the drum setups for the 8.8 inch rear end, and also the flange yoke to mate the rear to the driveshaft...just have to find some adapter u-joints now, if they make some to fit. I'm taking Wednesday (today), Thursday and Friday off work this week, so hopefully by Monday I'll have quite a few things to put in here, and maybe even some pictures. Anyways, that's all for now, just wanted to let everyone know I was still alive and hadn't sold the car. Later.

Updated 3/16/05

Ok, I hoped I wouldn't have to do this, but if anyone wants a free iPod, I would appreciate it if you'd use my referral link to sign up for one. The deal is (and it's very legit) that you sign up on their site, complete an offer with one of their sponsors (like signing up for Blockbuster's online rental program) and then get five people to use your referral link to to the same. There ya go. Anyways, I need 4 more, so like I said, I'd appreciate if one or more of you would sign up and do an offer. Thanks.

My Referral Link

Oh, and to the Cardomain staff, if this is something I'm not supposed to put on here, just let me know and I'll take it off, just don't delete my page as I've put a lot of info on it and I'd happily delete this instead of losing my page.

Updated 2/28/05

Geez...been a while since I've said anything on here. Well, the most recent thing that's happened is that after looking and thinking for a while, I took my engine to the machine shop and told them to assemble it. I mean, if it's going to grenade, it might as well be their fault. So yeah, $700 later (seems the stock rockers wouldn't work after all, and it still needed pushrods), I have my engine, all assembled and painted up a pretty blue.

Now, the challenge is to, as quickly as possible, get the engine compartment finished and painted, and get the transmission cleaned and painted (or at least cleaned...I think it would probably be alright un-painted) and get a clutch, and get it all together so I can drop it back in the car. Go figure that I'd get the engine ready before the car was ready for the engine, even though I've been working on the engine bay since this past summer. Oh well. That's all for now, hopefully in the next couple of weeks (though unlikely) I'll have the engine compartment and transmission tunnel cleaned and painted, and some pictures up. Later.

Updated 1/05/05

Got the seats in today. I also took a few pictures of them sitting in the Fairlane propped up with some pieces of wood.

I love the latches and where they're positioned, as opposed to right on the back of the hinges.

Anyways, that's it for now, just thought I'd post those.

Updated 12/27/04

Finally got some pictures for you folks. Not much to say other than that I got the driveshaft cleaned up and the u-joints ready (just need to squirt them full of grease), and that I'm still having problems getting the seats in. Alright, enough from me, enjoy the pictures!

Just a few pics of the heads.

Couple of the motor.

Some sandblasting.

A pic of the steering wheel I bought (needs to be repainted) and my toploader 4-speed.

The grille and seats I bought off of ebay (ebay pic of seats, haven't recieved them yet)

And one of my $200 set of wheels & tires. This one has a small air leak, might need the valve tightened or something.

Anyways, that's it until next time.

Updated 12/12/04

The year is almost over, and I feel like I've hardly accomplished anything. It doesn't seem like it's been that long since this summer, but I guess that's what working does to you. Anyways, I've spent quite a bit of money doing this whole Sherman build, and by the way, Joe Sherman is a jerk, or at least that's my opinion of him. I'm pretty sure it was he that I talked to on the phone a couple months ago, asking about the whole piston thing, and basically he acted like I was stupid for even trying it. Anyways, yeah, I've payed the machine shop $1100 for the work they did on the heads and parts that they bought, and on top of that there's the valve springs, retainers, locks, and camshaft that I bought myself. More than I spent on the whole bottom half of the engine. But yeah, I need to finish up the sandblasting and get some stuff painted, which means getting a fire going in the wood stove in the shop to get it warm enough to paint (just rattle cans, but still). Right now I'm doing little here and there work, like cleaning/regreasing the u-joints on the driveshaft (and sanding the transmission yoke, which rusted while I had it sitting outside, stupid me). The shop is a mess, so besides actual work on the car, I'm trying to slowly get thing straightened up and organized and make walking space again. Guess that's all for now, I could write more but it's just trivial stuff. I will mention that I got a pair of Mustang bucket seats (not sure what year, but they have a headrest, so probably early-mid 70's by my guess). Anyways, later. Have a good holday everyone.

Updated 10/13/04

So far I have the crankshaft and pistons in the block. Need to get my camshaft...I ran into some problems with the pistons, mainly because stupid me didn't realize that the rods were numbered as to which cylinder that rod/piston came out of. Anyways, the situation is rectified, and I can sleep again. Yep, just a quick update. That's all for now.

Oh, and I promise I'll get some pictures up soon.

Updated 10/08/04

Picked up my engine today. All of the work I had done ran almost 700, and that's just the block, crank, pistons, balance job, and decking the block. But I guess it'll be worth it. Now I have to get them started on the heads...

I'll make sure and get some pictures of the block and parts up sometime, along with pictures of the sandblasting work.

Updated 10/04/04

Well, the glass beads worked alright, but the garnet media that I got today is working even better. I think one problem I was having was not having enough sand in the tank. All is well now. Should have pictures up in the next couple of days. One thing I'm debating on is whether or not I should do the whole underbody right now, or just the engine compartment. I'd hate to have to take the exhaust system, the driveshaft, rear end, etc. out at a later time since it's all out (except for the rear) now, and I have access to it, but then again, I mainly want to get it ready for an engine, and I dunno if I want to use that much sand, when a lot of it would be cleaning dirt off. Oh well. We'll get it straightened out. Just happy the engine compartment is coming along so well. Later everyone.

Updated 9/22/04

Bought an abrasive blaster and a 30 gal. air compresser on Sunday, so it shouldn't be long before I have ACTUAL PICTURES to post again. Anyways. Yeah.

Oh, and I'm close to having the machine work on my block finished. Took all of the information on the Joe Sherman build up there to him, and he said he hadn't ever heard of anything like it, referring specifically to turning the pistons around backwards. I just hope he gets the stuff done right. Alright, later everyone.

Updated 9/13/04

Talked to the machinist today, and am almost finished getting the block machined. Just has to be honed and milled. It turned out that I did have the wrong bearings (stupid salesperson) and the ones I needed were a slight big pricier, but that's alright, I need them one way or the other. So they're supposed to be en route. Just need to ship back the ones they sent. And after my block gets finished, I get to start on the heads. Oy!

Updated 9/3/04

Got some goodies in today...my engine kit from Powerhouse Performance, the pistons I ordered from them as well, and I got my original (albeit worn) steering wheel, and then the dash trim (which is excellent). It was a good afternoon coming home to presents. Anyways, just a quick update on things. Hope to get the part to the machinist Tuesday so he can get the block decked and make sure everything goes together right...I'm still not sure if the guy gave me the right main and rod bearings. Anyways, that's all for now. Later.

Updated 8/30/04

Ok. So far, I've gotten the interior emptied except for removing the headliner and emptying out the trunk. Gonna have to put some bug bombs in it to get rid of the spiders. Trying to borrow a sandblaster from someone so I can get the interior cleaned and repainted, as well as the engine bay.

The engine's been at the machine shop for a while, it's been bored over .030 (or is that .0030?) and the crank's been cleaned and polished. By the way, does anyone know if they make rod and main bearings in a 0.001 oversize? I'm pretty sure that's what the machinist told me I needed, but the people I ordered from insisted that it was 0.01 (I never saw the number on paper, but the machinist told me to get them a thousandth over, so I imagine I'll be getting the wrong bearings). I've got an engine kit ordered to get the basic stuff, and I've also ordered my pistons since the kit ones are stock and I want just SLIGHTLY more compression than stock. I'm gonna get the shop to mill the block so it has a very small deck height - still going by that Joe Sherman engine build. I mean, I might as well, right? So yeah, As soon as I get some more money I'm ready to order the camshaft, springs, lifters, pushrods, etc. Not sure if I like Isky's prices on all of the stuff, but I'll at least get the springs, lifters and camshaft from them, since it'll be matched (I hope). Guess that's all the updates for now.

Oh, while I'm thinking about it, I did get a set of A/C dash trim (YES!), a stock A/C underdash unit (YES AGAIN!) and an original steering wheel, all for very good prices. Pricing out the rest of the A/C system and looking for the vents while I'm waiting for the machine work to get done. So yeah, that's all for now.

Updated 6/27/04

Just got her back in the shop for round 2. Hopefully the next time it rolls out of the shop, it will be under it's own power. Oh well, I guess we'll see. At least this way I can clean up the engine compartment and not have to worry about it rusting back overnight. Guess that's all for now. Maybe I'll have pictures next time. Later.

Updated 5/29/04

Well, I think I've finally decided on a paint job. I mean, I know it's going to be red. I've toyed with the idea of black racing stripes, and I found a car that is just beautiful (plus if I could have any car right now, it'd be this model). So here it is. Or actually, since I don't have the pic downloaded so I can upload it, and I'm lazy, here's the link to the person's page.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/carguy00

Updated 5/29/04

Well, I spoke too soon on the wheels. Not quite as shiny as I thought they were, though he said with a brillo pad, they'd clean up and look brand new. I mean, they look great, but there're little white spots on them. Oh well. For $200 bucks, any set of wheels with tires that are actually driveable is great. Anyways, I bought them today. Should have pictures of them and the 8.8 inch soon.

Updated 5/22/04

I picked up the 8.8 this morning. Looks pretty good, though I say this with only a limited knowledge of the things. Gonna have to cut the old spring and shock mounts off and weld on the leaf perches, buy the axles (going to a salvage yard Saturday), and get everything put together. Oh, and lucky me, the guy is selling the wheels that are on his 68 Ranchero for $200, and I told him I'd take him up on it if he'd give me a week so I'd get paid again. They're 14 inch Centerline Auto/Drag wheels, and looks about as brand new as a wheel can. Come with a decent set of tires too, so I'll be able to roll the car around now without having to air up the tires. Yeah, I'm glad I found this guy. Seems like the kind of aquaintance you'd want to have when working on cars. Later. Oh, maybe I'll get some pictures of the rear tomorrow to put on here.

Updated 5/15/04

Some pictures I found that I forgot I had taken.

Ok, getting back to being realistic, I've found an 8.8 Ford carrier with a positive traction differential with 4.10 gears, for $200, and the guy says he'll trade it for my 8 inch and $100 if I wanted. So I think that'd be a lot better than my whole Dana 60 idea. Guess it shows how bored I get at work. More news as it comes.

To save a lot of space, I've taken all of the Dana 60 madness off of here. If anyone wants to buy it, let me know.

Updated 5/9/04

Just washed the car, finally. It's amazing how 8 or 9 years of buildup, mud, crud, and whatever else can do to a car. Now maybe I can actually get started. Ok, that's all for now. Just a quick update.

Updated 4/27/04

Well, I've decided to do the Joe Sherman 400 hp 302 build. I need a larger axle ratio, and figured I might as well upgrade to a stronger axle. Thinking the cheap route, I was looking at the axle on my van, and I've ran into a problem: I can't identify it. Any help would be appreciated in this endeavor. (Since found out it's a Dana 60 and have dished my idea of using it)

And I've finally gotten a pic of the leak on my 8 inch.

Later.

Updated 4/20/04

I haven't done anything to the fairlane in, well, about a month, so I just figured I'd come on and say what I have been up to. About two weeks ago, I bought my friend a motorcycle on eBay (was being sold for parts, but it was mostly complete, so I bought what remained for $50), and we went and picked it up from the guy. After cleaning the carburetors and swapping the fuse panel for the spare the guy had given us, I was able to get the bike to pretty much fire right up. Electronics aren't working, like the buttons, and right now, it's borrowing my bike's tank and seat when it's ridden, but yeah, that and this huge downpour of schoolwork has kept me from doing anything constructive to the Fairlane (and to think, I actually had the dream to have it driveable by graduation, which is next Saturday...funny how fast those dreams die when you have no money). So that's about it. I'll keep everyone updated when changes happen, as I hope to finally get the engine and heads, etc., taken to be cleaned and inspected, as I both have the money to do it now, and I have a job for the time being. Maybe I can start getting a few things to come together.

Let me ask this, if anyone happens to come by that might answer it: Before anything else, should I take the front and rear wheels, respective suspensions, etc., off, and sand/repaint/rubbercoat the bottom of the car, that way I have that part done, and paint the engine bay at the same time, so I can get the motor, suspension, etc. in it? I imagine I'll have to wait till this summer or fall to have it painted (or even paint it myself, which I've thought about), so I'm anxious to drive it. Well, later.

Updated 3/25/04

Well, so far I've not done much of anything, other than taking all of the trim off of the Fairlane, and taking the right front fender off. Oh, and working on disassembling the rest of the interior. Might sound like much, but I already had most of it out. So yeah, I was thinking about paintjobs again and playing with pictures in photoshop, and got to thinking about a deep blue, which reminded me of a 69 camaro I'd seen with a deep blue paint job and black vinyl top, so I photochopped it on to the picture, and actually liked it. Of course, this wasn't worthy of putting up on there, but the picture I found on Woody's site (which I'd seen before) is:

I think at the moment I'm torn between the candy apple red, and this blue/black combination. Right now I'm researching how to put a vinyl top on a car that didn't come with one. Might not be something I want to get into, but it's good for grins at the moment at least. Later.

Updated 3/5/04

Just wanted to post a picture my car from the 1967 Ford brochure, which I found on Woody's Fairlane Site. Except for the fact that my car was originally Candy Apple Red, and this is Burnt Amber (a little lighter), this is exactly what my car looked like brand new. Enjoy.

Updated 2/28/04

Just some pictures of the engine after I tore it down partially.

Oh, and one of my motorcycle. I know, that tank makes it look horrid...I can't wait until I get the original boiled out and back on there. I bought it for $400 (well, technically...I still haven't paid the person, and I've had it for a year). It had sat in a garage since 1988...you would not BELIEVE how 14 year old gasoline smells and looks...anyways, once we got the carbs unstuck and a new set of points put on, it fired right up. Doesn't seem like it's putting out as much power as it should, but it's still a peppy bike. It's my project for when I'm not working on the Fairlane.

Updated 2/23/04

Well, in a suprising turn of events, it seems that the engine in my van was not originally an engine made for a 79 E-van, but rather was originally made for a 68 Fairlane. Ironic, no? I got it pretty well cleaned up this afternoon, and while turning it upside down to help it dry, I was able to see the casting number for the first time, which is:

C8OE-6015-A

...I was really suprised to see that. Now, as long as the block hasn't been bored already or anything, I've got an almost perfect engine to put in the Fairlane. It's only off by one year. That's just statistically amazing, in my point of view. Oh well, more as it comes. Later.

Updated 2/11/04

Today, Dad brought home my front left fender from the guy where he works, who was supposed to straighten it and as I understand it, primer it as well. Well, he got the outside sanded, and did a good job, from what I can tell, of straightening it, but he didn't primer it or anything, and didn't touch the inside. I'm gonna have to go back and resand it all down to get the flash-rust (nice when you can see rusty fingerprints on metal) and primer it, and then when the rest of the body is ready for it, put it back on and do whatever bondo work it needs. Shouldn't need much though, if any. So that's it for now.

Updated 2/4/04

Well, I haven't really done anything lately, but I did take a couple of pictures of the donor engine from the van, and hopefully it'll get a little warmer so I can start cleaning it up.

Also pictured is the 2 bbl carb from the van engine (which I will use for now) and the old Carter 4 bbl carb from the original engine. I figure it's junk now, but if anyone has another idea, I'd like to hear it.

Since the voting was even, I decided to throw out another color. The gunmetal color used on the 1967 Shelby GT-500 "Eleanor" in Gone in 60 Seconds.

Due to my indecisiveness, I want to let everyone vote on what color I should paint this car once it's finished. For now, the three choices I'm torn between are:

Either Candy Apple Red, as the car was originally painted at the factory (this is what my car looked like new...not my car in the pic though.) to keep it original, or something like GM Bright Purple Metallic, like Dayna A.K.A. FriskyKitty's beautiful 68 Mercury Cougar, at Dayna's Cougar (thanks to her for the use of the pic).

Well, get to voting!

Updated 1/12/04

Moved the van out of the shop, so now I'm going to work on cleaning the engine up and restoring some of the smaller parts I've removed from the Fairlane, like the radiator supports. That's all for now, just a quick update.

Updated 1/5/04

Well, I got the engine out of the van. It was a pain in the butt, but I got the engine out of the van. I got more oil and coolant everywhere, BUT I GOT THE ENGINE OUT OF THE VAN. Sorry, have to reassure myself something good came of tonight.

Anyways, that part's done. I got the saw blade earlier, and it cut through the engine mount in about a minute. Pissed me off too, that my other blade had messed up. But to look at the positive, that gets me one step further to my goal of having the car driveable by this summer. Now I get go through the fun process of cleaning this engine up and tearing the intake and heads off to see how it looks inside. Guess that's all for now.

Updated 1/4/04

Frustrations abound when you work on old vehicles. I'm one bolt away from having the engine out of the van. I accidently rounded the head of one of the engine mount bolts, because I got my directions mixed up. So I'm in the process of cutting that mount in half to remove the engine. Still haven't unbolted the tranny, but I'm confident that those will come out with no problems. One bolt is holding me back. It sucks. I broke the teeth off of an almost new metal cutting blade for a reciprocating saw (I bought it to cut an exhaust pipe in half, and started cutting the engine mount), so I need to get a new one of those, or a cutting disk or something. Anything that I can fit in that small of a space. But anyways, that's about it for now. Hopefully I can get another blade tomorrow and have the thing out by tomorrow night. I've been putting it off for too long because of one bolt.

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This car is definitely a labor of love. It belonged to my uncle before he died, which was a year and a month before I was born. My plan is to restore it to near-original condition, except with the modifications he had made to it, to make it a memorial to him. To me, it's my way of touching him, experiencing him through what he enjoyed.

It was sitting in a shed, in running condition, until the first time I asked about it, when I was 14 (1996). It was then driven out of the shed to the spot it sits now.

For the past seven years, it has been sitting without a hood, and as you can see, the tarp which once covered it rotted away long ago.

For the most part, it looks like the main damage is to the engine, since the oil filler cap wasn't on the engine, and water has been able to get up inside it. I do, however, plan to rebuild it if at all possible, with whatever parts are still good, or at least replacements that match. At one time that little 289 put out a lot of power, and I plan on making it do so again.

Also, check out my other car's page. I know it's not much, but when I get the money, I plan to do a few subtle customizations.

My Grand AM

Page 1: 2004
Page 2: 2003
Page 3: Joe Sherman's 400 hp 302