Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear
- Thread starter Davedacarpainter
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Dave, Dave, Dave!.....
Why are you even messing with the red car? The ONLY thing you should do is build some shock mock up supports out of 1/2" steel tubing, and put them in place of the C/O's that are supposed to hold up the rear of the car, and get that car back to the guy that will never give up the title to it and cut your losses.
I thought about using tubing and weld on some ends just to move it. Lots to think about Mike with the Doby stuff. It takes me a few days to really decide what i'm going to do. Then I make a plan, then I follow through with it.
Admittedly i allowed the red car to be pushed on me, but I was a willing accomplice in that. My son and i had actually talked about doing a fox body project. I just thought, at the time, the coincidence of getting the red car and the desires of my son and me worked out so well.
My boy is attached to the car too, hell, I am as well. Though it has sat for eight months without anything significant done to it, it's still beautiful. You remember the paint job, it still looks as good.
I think I will absorb the losses and keep it.
I won't EVER have any dealings with my brother again financially, obviously. Luckily one of his son's is doing very well for himself so I won't ever worry about the crotchety old bastard not having a place to live or starving.
The tubing idea does appeal to me though. I would really like to get Doby out so Roby has a place. I think that will be a project for me this week.
Admittedly i allowed the red car to be pushed on me, but I was a willing accomplice in that. My son and i had actually talked about doing a fox body project. I just thought, at the time, the coincidence of getting the red car and the desires of my son and me worked out so well.
My boy is attached to the car too, hell, I am as well. Though it has sat for eight months without anything significant done to it, it's still beautiful. You remember the paint job, it still looks as good.
I think I will absorb the losses and keep it.
I won't EVER have any dealings with my brother again financially, obviously. Luckily one of his son's is doing very well for himself so I won't ever worry about the crotchety old bastard not having a place to live or starving.
The tubing idea does appeal to me though. I would really like to get Doby out so Roby has a place. I think that will be a project for me this week.
Well kinda, I've been sleeping in till 7:30 or 8 or untill the cat decides she wants my side of the bed, since I stopped working nights, I still get up around 1or 2 am go out side, think about hooking my neighbors truck and drop'n it at the end of the road so I can laugh at him when he walks down to get it,
I need to start getting up earlier, bought a stang to flip, saved it from a guy thats got too many projects because he just can't stop, just needs a motor but he paints the engine compartment, then he has to paint the rest of the car to match, now the interior looks ratty, you know how it goes.
I'm gonna polish that turd and give it a new owner. That's it.
Alright, opinion time. I have found numerous 351's in the local area with everything on them for around the $300 mark.
Should I buy one of those and then bore and stroke. Bottom ends that aren't forged are relatively cheap ($1200~).
Would this be the best route to go to build a nice 351?
I want a set of AFR 220's or something similar for it eventually.
What do y'all think the machining would cost?
Should I buy one of those and then bore and stroke. Bottom ends that aren't forged are relatively cheap ($1200~).
Would this be the best route to go to build a nice 351?
I want a set of AFR 220's or something similar for it eventually.
What do y'all think the machining would cost?
DO IT!
I don't know about machine work costs, there is one at the shop I hang at, 5.0, block don't know what was done to it but I'm going to assemble it, he said the cost was 900 bucks at the machine shop, that's just the block work,
don't know if thats a good deal or not.
I don't know about machine work costs, there is one at the shop I hang at, 5.0, block don't know what was done to it but I'm going to assemble it, he said the cost was 900 bucks at the machine shop, that's just the block work,
don't know if thats a good deal or not.
Well that's a nicely ambiguous question Dave. It all depends on how much machining you have done..
Clean the whole mess 50 bucks.
Bore and hone 8 cylinders.... I'm saying is gonna be around 40-60 a hole.
Crank turning and polishing.... 100-150.
Connecting rod rebuild.....10-20 a rod
Balanced recip assy....200-300.00
Decking the block 100-200
If you're gonna buy aftermarket heads, you'll obviously have no head work.
I always manage to spend around 1000 dollars at a machine shop,..but I'm always having the entire engine done.
In the Monsters case,...I had all of that custom sht done to the engine,..so there's that.
Yeah,..the tubing thing is common for most shops that build race car chassis for a living. It gives them a way to move the car around and a compressed ride height assessment to set things up with.
My lawn is over run with dandelions. Gotta deal with that today
Yeah...I'm turning into a lawn nut.
I need to get to the range myself
Yeah...I'm turning into a lawn nut.
I need to get to the range myself
I could go down stairs and look at my car if it makes you feel better....You are partially responsible for helping to complete it. You can take satisfaction in that..
Hum.....I wouldn't mind doing the entire build of it myself (except for the machining?. Cost effectiveness is coming in play here though it looks like. Would there be much of a price break building my own over buying a decent short block? I do want at least a 408 in the end.
Buying a used engine and building it would probably be the route I would need to go. Coming up with the $3-$4k to buy a good short block would be difficult for me. Spending $3-$4k over a period of six months on each section would be plausible for me.
Na stroker? Unless you are going to spray or boost the snot out of it I don't see why you would need a 3-4k aftermarket block. Personally I would hunt for a roller block but if a non roller piece fell in my lap for a good price I wouldn't say no.
It's the way most of us eat dinner Dave.....One bite at a time.
I've always assembled my own engines going all the way back to my first on when I was 17. The only challenge is ring end gap,...I always screw it up. (unless you get a ring set for the bore size and just put them on.)
The four I found locally for ~$300 are roller engines according to their current owners. So, at least two of them probably are.
I could just take a 351 and build it as a 351 as well. Though the number 427 really causes me to forget everything else, including costs. Obviously one big cost will be the heads.
So, maybe a grand for machining unless i go nuts.
This is one of those purchases I make fairly soon just because it commits me to it before I start going through my wish-washy thinking.
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I'm an old guy, 71, but I still work an 8:00 - 4:30 job 5 days a week - have wife, must work...
Check out fordstrkers.com Woody had a carb to pan complete 408 option for around 7500$ complete with good heads,cam,etc etc. he also has a layaway plan. 500+ hp/tq turnkey is a nice option.
If you buy one locally I would expect around 2k invested by the time you purchase,machine work,rotating assembly,etc. for the shortblock. A good head option also would be the TFS 205cc 11r's for around 2k
Edit: costs have gone up since I last looked on his site. Lol. Didn't see the turnkey option anymore and the longblock costs around 9k. Ouch.
Edit x2- that's for the dart option. Don't see the production block option.
And a FYI the 351 roller blocks have had a problem with cracks around the cam journals. Make sure you have a used one tested before final purchase.
If you buy one locally I would expect around 2k invested by the time you purchase,machine work,rotating assembly,etc. for the shortblock. A good head option also would be the TFS 205cc 11r's for around 2k
Edit: costs have gone up since I last looked on his site. Lol. Didn't see the turnkey option anymore and the longblock costs around 9k. Ouch.
Edit x2- that's for the dart option. Don't see the production block option.
And a FYI the 351 roller blocks have had a problem with cracks around the cam journals. Make sure you have a used one tested before final purchase.
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