New project!

[Mr442]

Brought this 64 Catalina back from Southeastern KY last Saturday.  Pretty solid car, but tons of hard life showing through.  Gonna build a nostalgia style drag car out of it.

[Bo D]

Sweet!

[Locutus]

Wow! 

[Palehorse]

Oh man. 

I cannot wait to see the progress reports and the final results! 

[me]

Are we gonna be lucky enough to get a video after it's done? Pictures of the progress of course.

[duke jupiter]

389 I presume.

[Mr442]

I will try to document the build via photos, and thanks to the miracle of cell phone, get some video when it hits the track.  It's going to my son in a few weeks to start body and paint, then while it's there, it will go to a friend for a roll bar install.  In the meantime I'll be doing interior work, and sourcing engine parts for the build.  The engine will be based on a later 400 block that a friend has in his way.  Visually it will look like a period 389/421.  I hope to have it on the track early 2017.

[Locutus]

Please do document the progress!

[Purplelady1040]

Wow!

[Mr442]

Well. not much has happened so far.  I did get down to a friend's house in Hymera, IN this summer and picked up two Pontiac 400 engines, and a pair of long tail shaft TH 400 transmissions.  All are good for cores/rebuilding, 'ya gotta start somewhere.  The blocks are a 1969, and a 1973.  I have stripped down the '69 block (it is a stronger casting) and have it on it's way to a good machine shop.  Took me a while to get two of the pistons out, as water had gotten in via the intake and a couple of open valves, creating some rust on the cylinder walls.  As long as it will bore out to .065 over, all should be good.  If it doesn't clean up there, I may sleeve it, but I'd prefer not to do that.  The '73 block will be saved for a spare, should I ever need it.

[parkerdivine]

My ex and grandson are restoring a 1968 Coronet. The end goal is to race his uncle and his 64 Mustang.   Really cool to see the body work being done. Grandson is 12 now, 13 soon, and wants to take it to high school when he's done.

Cool project, Mr 442

[Palehorse]

Well. not much has happened so far.  I did get down to a friend's house in Hymera, IN this summer and picked up two Pontiac 400 engines, and a pair of long tail shaft TH 400 transmissions.  All are good for cores/rebuilding, 'ya gotta start somewhere.  The blocks are a 1969, and a 1973.  I have stripped down the '69 block (it is a stronger casting) and have it on it's way to a good machine shop.  Took me a while to get two of the pistons out, as water had gotten in via the intake and a couple of open valves, creating some rust on the cylinder walls.  As long as it will bore out to .065 over, all should be good.  If it doesn't clean up there, I may sleeve it, but I'd prefer not to do that.  The '73 block will be saved for a spare, should I ever need it.

Looking forward to reading about and seeing this project when it is completed. 

[Mr442]

Finally getting serious.  One of the engines I picked up has a usable block after being Magnafluxed for cracks, then being bored .060 to clean up some rust pitting in a couple of cylinder walls.  It is still at the machine shop getting some love.  It gets a stroker crank next, along with rods and pistons.  Should end up about 463 cubic inches.

I've spent some time this past couple of weeks stripping the body down in preparation for body work.  The rolling shell heads off to my son's shop on Sunday, where it will get some repair, and general straightening before paint.  I had to buy another hood, since the inner bracing on mine had major rust issues.  I found one on eBay out in Utah, it arrived yesterday in good shape.  It's always risky having sheet metal parts shipped.

I've got a lot of work ahead of me, buffing trim, detailing dash parts, plumbing a new brake system, sewing a new interior, salvaging a rat's nest of a wiring harness, etc, etc, but this thing should look great when finished.  And hopefully run as good as it looks.

[Mr442]

She left for the body shop today, just a rolling shell with lots of work needed.  It's gonna be a long journey, but it will be worth it.

[Palehorse]

Yassss! Rolling thunder in the making.