Rotary
04-19-2014, 09:29 AM
My father bought and saved me this 66 coupe which we restored when i was in high school. We finished the first restoration in 2002. Needless to say i drove the car pretty hard for years, tore the engine apart and ended up with a few honda s2000's for weekend cars instead of putting it back together . I always loved the mustang but hated the lack of handling. I was a tech at a dealership for years before moving into firefighting so i have a good set of tools and some working knowledge of cars. I have no welding experience but will be taking a class later this year so i can start getting this car where i want it to be.
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So far the car has a reasonably sized cam in it, a old top loader, a 9' locking rear, newer suspension from 02', new interior\headliner, a front disc brake conversion with bias valve and other stuff. My first thought is two get the 289 back in working order so i can get it on the track and start looking at which way i want to go with suspension. In fact i would say my primary goals with this car lay in the handling and braking. I've followed this site for a few years and its mainly so i can see the chassis components that are being used. I don't know that I'll have the budget for a full frame car but this is a car I plan to keep for life. So far maier racing and detroit speed seem to have some great options.
Okay, now for the questions, first up, i was hoping to re-use this edelbrock performer manifold but i noticed some small pitting in the coolant passage. I figure i can clean up the build up and the pits should be okay but I'm not sure. I've got a larger radiator in it and it's a mild motor so it shouldn't be over heating.
94273
Also I'm torn on rebuilding it in the car vs taking the motor out. I've already got a good stand and would just need the hoist. Removing it would make it a great time to get a new clutch assembly while allowing me to clean up the engine bay and paint the block.
One day i'd like to go to a more modern engine but until my driving and welding skills are up to par i think this little small block should do just fine.
In either case i have to balance my permanent toy with the needs of a young family and mortgage but it is something i'm looking forward to working on over time.
94269
9427094271
94272
So far the car has a reasonably sized cam in it, a old top loader, a 9' locking rear, newer suspension from 02', new interior\headliner, a front disc brake conversion with bias valve and other stuff. My first thought is two get the 289 back in working order so i can get it on the track and start looking at which way i want to go with suspension. In fact i would say my primary goals with this car lay in the handling and braking. I've followed this site for a few years and its mainly so i can see the chassis components that are being used. I don't know that I'll have the budget for a full frame car but this is a car I plan to keep for life. So far maier racing and detroit speed seem to have some great options.
Okay, now for the questions, first up, i was hoping to re-use this edelbrock performer manifold but i noticed some small pitting in the coolant passage. I figure i can clean up the build up and the pits should be okay but I'm not sure. I've got a larger radiator in it and it's a mild motor so it shouldn't be over heating.
94273
Also I'm torn on rebuilding it in the car vs taking the motor out. I've already got a good stand and would just need the hoist. Removing it would make it a great time to get a new clutch assembly while allowing me to clean up the engine bay and paint the block.
One day i'd like to go to a more modern engine but until my driving and welding skills are up to par i think this little small block should do just fine.
In either case i have to balance my permanent toy with the needs of a young family and mortgage but it is something i'm looking forward to working on over time.