This is meant in the nicest possible way and please take no offense:

I think you have lost perspective on what Trouble was supposed to be. IIRC this was susposed to be a driver's car one that you could hop in and take anywhere, anytime. It has turned into building a trailer only car. If you have 'officially' changed the direction to building a trailer car that's fine, but you need to take a step back if you haven't. Every single item I see listed is weekend work. You get the car together, you drive it, you enjoy it. Then you change the headers one weekend, you end up with the car back together when finished. Then you decided to put a rack on, you put it on, and reassemble the car when done and drive it and enjoy it. I've seen lotsa mustangs at shows without puddles under them...and all of them had no fluids in them . Finding and fixing leaks is part of life with an old car, especially one with a big block and a big cam, things rattle lose, you fix them, and move on.

As for powder coating the engine....you don't powder coat motors on a car you want to drive.

 

Wow. ::
I've heard of people getting caugt in a case of "while I'm at it I ought to..." but never a case of "now that it's done, I think I will tear it out and do it agains..."

No, I take that back. I picked up a total front suspension, chrome stock steel rims, tires and front fenders from a guy who had completed a restoration less than 1,000 miles and 6 months earlier....got a good deal too. He just had to have rack and pinion, new rims and a major front end mod....

You want to sell any of that stuff your're taking off cheap? :winkgrin:

 

WOW! I know you hate to have it out of commission again. My biggest fear in building my restomod is getting done and wishing I had done something different. I think your engine will definitely look better inside that blue engine compartment if it is a contrasting color. Not that it looks bad now, because it does'nt. Is there something you don't like about the super comps? Coated super comps is what I was planning to use on my car.

 

Huh? Three years and all you're doing is that? I tore my Shelby completely down, had it painted, and put it all back together in two years (would have been less time had my body guy not taken the better part of a year to paint it).

What's going to take so long?

Also, how much of it is necessary? Do you really need to go to rack and pinion? If so, why? That car is never going to be about great cornering with a 390 weighing down that front end, no matter what suspension you put under it.

Just hate to see you make things more complicated than they need to be.

-bob

 

I'm afraid I have to agree with Dodgestang... A car as agressive-looking as Trouble needs to be driven!

Lemme ask this: what is preventing you from hopping in it and taking a 2-hour drive right now? Why not address only those things and enjoy it over the summer. By fall, you'll have worked out a plan of attack...

 

No offense taken, and that's the sort of input I want. :winkgrin:

No, I don't want it to be a trailer queen, I want a driver. My problem is that I don't have the tools, expertise, strength, or abilities to do a number of the things on that list. I know body work, paint, and detail work like in the interior and trunk and that part is almost done.

I'm working by myself now, actually for a year now, and it's very hard. I'd love to be able to do it piece by piece and drive the car while working on it, but I don't think it's going to be feasible. I'm not really sure how this is going to happen. It might happen here in Tucson, or it might be in Phoenix or LA. I'd rather do it here so I can work on it and learn engine building and wiring, but it simply may not be possible. I no longer have a support team here, bottomline.

If you guys only knew how badly I want to take this car out on the road and drive the heck out of it. But, it's not going to happen other than going around the block for some time. The only reason for the car to ever go in a trailer would be on a long trip where I had to worry about overnight security in a motel parking lot. If the law changes here in Arizona where I don't have to get it tested for emissions, I'll be the first one in line at DMV getting the car licensed. But, right now, it won't pass the test.

That's good to know about the powdercoating, thanks!

 

I'm with the rest of these guys. Drive the tires off this thing...you haven't even burned a full tank of gas and already you're talking rebuild?!?!?!? ::

 

Well, I will be eBaying the stuff to pay for some of the changes. :winkgrin:

 

It may be the set I have, but I can't clear a speed bump no matter how I approach it. I even have trouble (no pun intended) going up steep driveways. They just hang too low at the collectors. I need the tubes tucked up more so the clearance will be better.

 

The three years is an estimate, probably worse case. The problem is the work can't start for at least six months, at least not the engine teardown. The reason for the engine rebuild is that something isn't right. There's a bad vibration, plus the headers never set right. There are major gaps, not just your typical header leaks.

I don't know, maybe I'll luck out and it will come together quickly but I'm losing faith in that. It's so hard to look at the car and know that I can't really drive it yet. When my friends abandoned ship it was at a bad time on the car. The wiring isn't finished and there are safety concerns about some of the work. For example, the first time I tried the wipers the fuse blew out. This car burned once, and once is more than enough.

I would love to do the work on the engine myself with a good teacher or supervisor. I don't have that, at least not a regular basis. So, it's going to take time, unfortunately.

 

I'm with Dodgestang on your car's direction.

Put those feelings of replacing everything prim and properly with driving the snot out of the car. You've already made a huge investment in that car, and it's time to start reaping the benefits of it NOW.

I'd like to say that I am doing exactly what Dodgestang referred to, regularly driving my car. That is what brings the greatest enjoyment for me.

 

Is this ome sort of belated April fools joke?

 

You need emissions on a car close to 40 yrs old? That's jail! uke:

 

Reasons for not driving the car now: brake pads need replacing because the silicon brake fluid soaked them, need vacuum line so I can get into third gear, bad p/s pressure hose that is leaking like a sieve, engine/tranny oil leak of unknown origin, no speedometer cable, headers not seated properly, wiring and fuel line concerns, and probably a few other things I don't even know about.

I need to check out the car thoroughly and address all the problems. I don't need another situation of the balljoint coming loose like it did at Nashville when I doing about 35 mph. It can all be corrected, of course, but the car needs to be safe for me to drive and there are some justifiable concerns right now. :no:

 

Reasons for not driving the car now: brake pads need replacing because the silicon brake fluid soaked them, need vacuum line so I can get into third gear, bad p/s pressure hose that is leaking like a sieve, engine/tranny oil leak of unknown origin, no speedometer cable, headers not seated properly, wiring and fuel line concerns, and probably a few other things I don't even know about.

I need to check out the car thoroughly and address all the problems. I don't need another situation of the balljoint coming loose like it did at Nashville when I doing about 35 mph. It can all be corrected, of course, but the car needs to be safe for me to drive and there are some justifiable concerns right now. :no:

Just bring it over here Laurie....we can straighten all the stuff out in a few days.

 

Ummmm, would Midlife be involved? :rofl:

 

Hell, bring it over here.. I'll do all your mechanical, you just do my bodywork.

 

Trouble is so close to being done that if I were in your shoes, I'd finish it and get another car to do all the stuff you want to do.

Just my two cents.

 

Ummmm, would Midlife be involved? :rofl:

My thoughts:

Your support team in the past appeared not to be as competent as once thought. I hope for your sake, that this next go-around will be with better.

As for the 3 years, I can wait...

 

Laurie, Iam going to go against popular opinion here and use a line often seen. "Its your car do what ever the hell you want with it"

I understand your situation entirely, been there done that got the tee shirt and the bills for that matter.

Sometimes the best laid plans don't come together and we all have to step back and rethink what we are doing and how to go about it.

IMHO so many are in a rush to call there car done, for me I don't suspect my 65 will ever be, its an ever changing beast. Yes it can go on the street, Of course it does break down on some cruises, Its has made trips to the drag strip, too numerous open track events, won mutiple Best in shows so I do think you can do it all if you so choose. I used to say no to trailers but on long trips its the only way to go.

So you go girl, don't feel you have to do what any of us have to say. If it takes 3 more years so be it. I have 22 in my 65 so far.

Just my 02
Mark

 

A FE engine that has leaks? go figure.

 

I agree, I've got almost 27 years into my 65 so far - and I still am tweaking a few things.

John Harvey

 

Your thoughts are exactly correct and that's the problem. I hate saying it, but it's true with regard to the mechanical end of things. The next go-round will be a winner, I guarantee it. :highfive:

 

Thanks Mark, I appreciate it! ::

 

Not to beat a dead horse (no pun intended); but I agree with all the others. The brake pads, speedo cable, vacuum line and PS hose could be done by "THIS" saturday night if the parts are local. You can buy dye at you local parts store and find that leak in the same say also. Once you find it then decide how to fix it. The fuel lines can be replaced by Sunday night. Obviously you see where I going with this. These are all minor (sometimes pita) inconviences.
The headers I can't answer to. The wiring, find a problem, post about it-fix it. Wiring can be fun :wall: Your headers could be causing your vibration problem (if rubbing against something).
If you can't even start for 6 months; fix those things and drive it; maybe you have a motor problem maybe you don't.
As to what Bob said; with that 390 in there, there's not a whole lot that's going to make it that much better. Once you get the car drivable, your thoughts of Edelbrock heads, EFI and roller cam may change to something else

Think about what was said here, have several malted beverages, think again, then start fixing the small things. In the time it take to read this post, you could've had the pads off you driver side :: It's not all uphill or downhill it's normal.