[Snowseeker]

Couldn't get to it yesterday. Today I started in on the floor pans, finally. Lots and lots of bending, cutting, notching, bending more, and more, to finally get these pans to fit half way decent. I got the one toe pan in and started on the floor pan. I have it mostly screwed in and ready to weld, just a few more adjustments first.

 

[Snowseeker]

Welded in the drivers side pans yesterday. Before turning the car around and starting in on the passenger side I started looking at the seat mount right away on the drivers side. Looks like I can get away with an easy flat mount on the front of each slide rail. The rear will need standoffs on each side though.

I ma thinking of welding a cap with a nut on a short section of pipe, then cut a hole in the floor the size of the pipe, then weld the short section of pipe into the floor. The rear of the seat rails would sit on top of the pipe and just a bolt threw the rail into the nut in the pipe. The tallest pipe section would be the ones on the tunnel side of the seat. Those would only be 3/4" stand off the floor.

 

[Snowseeker]

I put the rails on a seat and mocked it up in the car for some test sitting. After many times of moving the seat and testing I found the spot. I had to cut drill out the rivets for the front mounts on the rails and make new ones. They do need a tweak yet to get them flat, I built them before I was done moving the seat. Thats where my idea of the pipe in the last post changed. After welding in a 16g pad for the one side (already 16g on the other) I found I liked how the seat sat with the rear rail mounts flat on the floor. No pipe needed. I do have to cut out nice round 1/4 thick washers for the tunnel side seat rail, I have a square chunk in there for now.

I was able to turn the car around then and get ready for the passenger side.

 

[Snowseeker]

Didn't snap a pic but the passenger side is finally welded in. Just go back and look at the drivers side and imagine it flipped.

Next is the trans tunnel. Unfortunately I have to store the car for a week or two as I have customer cars coming in this week.

 

[ripped]

Looks like it's going to have a pretty strong chassis

 

[Snowseeker]

I drove the car about 6 miles today to storage for a short while till I can get back at it. Yes it is missing the trans tunnel yet. Interesting watching the trans while driving.

Car feels much more solid than it did before even though not completed yet. I did take it very easy on the way there. Hopefully I can pound out the work coming in and be back on the Comet within a few weeks.


On the topic of the trans tunnel, I think I want to make it in 3 pieces, bell housing section, mid section, then tail section. But there is so much room in this car a single piece from front to back is an option. Good thing I have a few weeks to ponder it over.

 

[Snowseeker]

This is the stuff I typically do. Setting up and plumbing turboes on this guys car. Exhausts and intakes like a broken record around here. Then back to the floor in my car maybe.

 

[Snowseeker]

This is the stuff I typically do. Setting up and plumbing turboes on this guys car. Exhausts and intakes like a broken record around here. Then back to the floor in my car maybe.

Nearly done with the customers car, then I have some maintenance to catch up on with the daily drivers, and finally I can get back to my own car. Its hard to get time to work on my own stuff around here.

I just have to weld in a few o2 bungs and finish the waste gate plumbing and this car leaves.

 

[GT289]

I'm thinking it's a good thing you're going with a different front end
on your Comet. The early Comet stuff is all unique and I've heard a
lot of BS about what fits and where it was sourced. A friend of mine
who runs a shop was recently working on a '62 wagon and a lot
of what he uncovered indicated that the Fairlane, not the Falcon,
had been the original parts source. (steering box, etc)

You'll conveniently side-step all of that hoopla, because you sure
don't want to be sourcing Fairlane stuff for your build.

ex-Global West GM
1991-1995

 

[Snowseeker]

I'm thinking it's a good thing you're going with a different front end
on your Comet. The early Comet stuff is all unique and I've heard a
lot of BS about what fits and where it was sourced. A friend of mine
who runs a shop was recently working on a '62 wagon and a lot
of what he uncovered indicated that the Fairlane, not the Falcon,
had been the original parts source. (steering box, etc)

You'll conveniently side-step all of that hoopla, because you sure
don't want to be sourcing Fairlane stuff for your build.

ex-Global West GM
1991-1995

For sure. Another thing is how small all the factory parts are. Not that they break much but boy everything is small from the spindles to the steering links, and all. There is no factory cross member so I would have to/want to add too anyhow. Lots of things add up to "just do a new front end". The more I am thinking about it the more I am thinking I will spend the money on good components and build the chassis stuff myself. Instead of buy a kit that has cheaper components but comes with the cross member and spring hats.


Finally finished the plumbing on the camaro and it has left. Now I can catch up on daily drive maintenance and get back to the comet!

 

[Snowseeker]

Finally something.

I pulled the truck out of the weeds and brought it home to pull the motor I will be using in the comet. Only took a few hours to have the motor on the stand. I wanted to get the engine on the stand before winter so i can play around with it all winter long.

 

[Snowseeker]

I brought the comet back home from storage today and started right in where I left off. I had the floors done on each side but no transmission tunnel. Luckily over winter time I finally finished making a metal roller which came in handy for the tunnel. Today I got the tunnel mocked up in cardboard (I use CAD, cardboard aided design). It will be made up in three pieces total. I got the first piece (bellhousing) cut, drilled, and welded in. I also had the second center section cut and drilled but held off on the welding till tomorrow evening.

For the final tail section I will have to remove a bit more of the stock trans tunnel/driveshaft tunnel.

Another thing that will need to be done before seam sealer and paint is getting to the bottom side to hammer out any pokey bits or corners sticking up. I'll need to remove the transmission to do this. Now the whole idea behind all this work is to drop a v8 and c6 in eventually, I think I am still going to fix the leaky torque converter seal and rear main seal on the motor while the trans it out. Just so I can drive it this summer before hopefully dropping the v8 in next winter.

Woo hoo!

 

[Snowseeker]

The tunnel is all welded up!

I assume 3m seam sealer is good enough for a driver? Something else better for a reasonable cost?

 

[Snowseeker]

Installed the second new main seal in the 160 and will be installing a new seal kit in the transmission. Better not leak a drop this year!

Waiting on seam sealer to come in so I can finish up the floor. Then I can put everything back in and just drive it this summer.

 

[Snowseeker]

Look at that beautiful floor! How do you take pictures of black?

 

[Snowseeker]

I laid down some of that sound and heat stuff.

Then threw the carpet and seats back in. Trying to find a roller for the passenger seat track. That seems impossible to find.

 

[Snowseeker]

Oh yeah, after I put the trans back in I didn't have reverse. Could hear the transmission click to engage reverse but no movements of the wheels. After some poking around and reading I found that the low/reverse piston to be leaking past its seal so it wouldn't apply the reverse band. I cycled the pistons a bunch of times with the air hose after I dropped the valve body. Then reverse started to work but would take a long long time to engage when the trans cooled down. I ordered a new piston to throw in for this summer.

Seems like a lot of messing around for a motor and trans I only plan to use for (hopefully) just this summer.

 

[Snowseeker]

One seat track was missing a bearing cage so I had to make one up (one on the right) it isn't perfect but it does the job. Drove the car around a bunch yesterday and it is nice! Didn't leak a drop of any fluids either! Finally!

I turned up a new roller on the lathe too.

Both seats in. I need some new floor mats.

 

[Snowseeker]

Got in a new low/rev piston for the c4 and threw it in yesterday. Took all of about 5 minutes. Reverse engages instantly now.

Went threw a full tank of gas cruising around the last couple night (was beautiful out!) and everything works like it should! I am very pleased that nothing leaks any more either. It was quite disappointing before when it was leaking oil and trans fluid. Had to carry around cardboard to lay down under it.

Starting to wonder if I should run the c4 for awhile when I get the 351 swapped in.

 

[Snowseeker]

I had an idea!

I've been driving the comet almost daily since I finished the floor. Very happy to report it doesn't leak anything anymore and is running very well.

After swapping the 351 into the comet eventually I planned on selling off the 170 and c4 trans. But the thought I had the other day was to just swap the 170 and trans back into the mustang and get that thing on the road again. It has been sitting for over 20 years. That way I can get after the mustang very much like I am doing the comet, one section at a time/per year. But keep it driveable for the summers.

Its been sitting in this spot for over 20 years. It had a vinyl top that I pulled off with plans to weld up the holes and paint. It is a super solid car from nevada. I drove it 3 times.