Cool spider caps on black steel wheels, I had missed that before. Did you install the turn signal/parking light kit in front? I bought one and plan to install as I like driving with the parking lights lit on my cars. It's a cool thing. And what about the aftermarket air deflector for the top of the grille opening? I bought one from Drake but haven't taken in out of the box yet. Are you thinking bout running one to keep the air flowing through the radiator and not over the top of it?
Yes I will installed the turn signal kit but found a two filament white bulb vs the amber. The only amber lights up front will be the one amber driving light. I also used the commercial glass lens that sticks up. You can see that from the side va the flat lens. As for the air deflector, I would have to block all 4 sides as I am using a 65-66 Mustang radiator. Also the big 2400 rpm fan is blowing right into the condenser/radiator combo so I want to see how that works out first. I had one in my old 40 coupe and drove it in 1-2 summer months when my electric puller fan crapped out. I never overheated (it was a French block motor) though I got close when stopped dead in traffic for some 10 minute intervals. That block was clean as a whistle as well and that had to have helped.
Btw - the spider caps came by way of thinking I had tire clearance issues and would not be able to use the 40 standard caps on the Plymouth 14” rims I would have to use up front. Turns out, it fits my theme of where chrome might have been it’s black with just accents of chrome here and there. The wide whites will wear hubcaps I pictured awhile back in the build. So here are a couple engine compartment pics - I don’t love it butcI don’t hate it either. There’s just a hellova lot going on with the passenger side - AC, trailer wiring, Derale fan, hl wiring, amber light, etc etc - it is what it is but you can get at everything and it’s all tied back. The green wire a top the engine is the electric choke wire, the purple one in the front left of the radiator is the amber light wire. After this pic I capped the ends to avoid problems ….. Memorial weekend bbq plans and such are putting a crimp in my garage time. I will probably only have short segments of time here and there. I will probably clean up the shop getting ready for the last punch list that I need to get through ….. been a long road to get here but I am very, very pleased with the outcome so far. Let’s just let it be reliable for us so wifey can have some fun with it …..
I am just getting to the front end wiring. Not a lot of room left in the engine bay without everything looking cluttered like you said. Once they are all tidied up I'm sure it will look better. Since the AC and heater hoses are on that right side I am going to take the harness down the left side. I bought a bunch of cloth covered wiring in colors that match my wiring diagram and will likely use an aircraft style lacing to keep them neat. I thought about running the harness under the fender in a armored harness but I think I can make it look tidy without hiding them.
Man I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since my last post but life just took over again. Anyway, while installing the steering wheel and testing the horn, I noticed the center steering rod had some play/movement hindering my ‘62 Chevy steering wheel to activate the horn (I am using a swap meet find aftermarket Speedway column). After investigating, I did not have the column universal joint properly set on the “flat” of the 605 PS steering box - the flat area that should be used for the universal joint lock screw and nut. So, I have discoed everything in the engine compartment, reset it, and that’s where things stopped (our daughter came to visit). Tomorrow I will be free to jack up the fe and turn the wheel enough to reinstall the universal screw and lock nut and then test the horn. A not-so-little thing that needs to be addressed. Interior wiring is almost there but once the column gets s settled, it’s time for the first test drive around the block ….
Sorted out the steering column and the horn works but the clips holding the plastic center piece of the chrome horn piece are now gone so I have gorilla glued it in and I’m waiting for them dry. You can’t see too much in the above pic but I posted it anyway. So while I wait for glue to dry, I had some grey mats from our 2010 CRV that I sliced and diced to form a nice set of mats. I have to edge them and there is a snap system I will incorporate that holds the two sides together. I think they will work nicely. So now that I am ready for a test drive, we are supposed to have 4-5 days of rain - go figure! I also bought a radiator cap with the sacrificial diode attached - I had a DUH moment when looking for just the diode and then saw ones attached to a new cap! Oh boy ….. So I will mount the shifter plate for the boot and have my wife sew one up for me. It will be the draw string type to accommodate the large shifter head. Had fun today - it’s been awhile since I played in the garage ……
Oh boy, oh boy! Excited for you and the Missus. The big day will get here soon enough. Congratulations on a job well done!
Still pouring around here but I am in the garage chipping away at the last bits. Horn ring is on and functioning …. Installed the boot plate - I needed a certain size plate (not too big, not too small - you know how it goes) and I found a pair on eBay for an AMC or at least via an AMC link …. Having this in place will define the mats surrounding it better. Then I can bind them - just using left over grey vinyl …. Almost it for today - it’s our anniversary and I was hoping to do the first drive with her once I go around the block once but it’s not to be. As they say - “raindrops keep falling on my head” ….. lol!
Well, we went around the block today - steered well, brakes were good, ran nice - I was feeling pretty good until I tried to back up - nothing. It was a great feeling for awhile - lol! Anyway, after some consultation, I jacked it up with the rear on jack stands and the front tires on blocks The linkage underneath did not seem quite right and I adjusted it. Once that was done, the passenger wheel spun in reverse. Ok, got that problem solved. But while doing that I noticed the driver side rear wheel was wobbling. I checked the lug nuts and such to no avail. At this point it was either the rim (and it’s brand new but that does not mean anything) or the axle. Mounted another known good rim and tire and it wobbled too. So, I have a bent axle. I am trying to source anther and so far nothing. My next call is to a Hamtown Al as he does not live too far from me. I have to figure out YouTube and such to post the video but needless to say, wifey did not get her ride today ….. but, I cannot complain. The linkage was a minor problem and axle none of my doing - that rear came from someplace waaaay back when before it went under the truck frame. I will keep you posted ……
News flash- pulled the drum off to start removing the axle and there sits a washer on the face of the axle between two studs / it was like partially rusted on. I have done all kinds of stuff to the rear during assembly and never, ever saw it. Now the rim spins perfectly. I dodged a bullet there!
Ok - went around the block with wifey and she was over the moon with the truck. She took a video and I need to convert it to/for YouTube so I can post it. Again, drove, braked, and steered well, stop lights and backup lights work as does all the front lighting. Electric fan comes on at around 175-180 temp, although the truck is a bit “jaunty” in the back, it does ride smooth. Now I will drop the oil and filter and continue to move forward with further, and further rides. You have weird smells right not but that’s because of the exhaust and radiator paint (I hope) but I will check my wiring behind the driver kick panel. Once the weather gives me a clear and not too humid day, I will prep and paint the areas I have repaired. I am really excited right now for wifey to drive it …..
Got a couple more cruises in before, after, and during the rain we’re having. First I noticed I wasn’t reading any transmission fluid when on all 4s (the motor had to be tilted back for clearance reasons). So after speaking to a couple of my buds, the tranny cooler and the fact that the trans fluid is also running through the bottom tank of the radiator, I am pretty sure I needed to add two quarts from the initial 12 I had in it - 2.5 qts later, I am just registering at the low end of the dip stick. I am thinking either 1/2 to a full qt is still needed. First time run up to the gas station my temp gauge registered really high. Got home ok and I found my electric fan was blowing the wrong way - fixed that and the second run up to town and back the temp stayed steady at 180. I have also adjusted the electric fan turn on point so that is another thing to test. The next thing I did was to adjust the Edelbrock idle mixture screws. I did each one to its highest idle and that was it for today. I also found out my windshield leaks - it’s a 40 Ford, right?!?! - so that’s also next on the agenda. Windshield defrost didn’t do too much good so I will have to investigate that. But when returning on the second run I ended up in a real downpour and I do not have my wipers installed and no rainx. Now that was an adventure ….. One final thing is that I need to readjust my Lokar shifter neutral safety switch after adjusting the shifter linkage. Finding that out was another surprise! After two days of testing the truck out, so far, so good. I gotta tell ya - I have to pinch myself to believe I am now driving the truck around ….
So we took the truck on a 30 mile trip to the local farmers market - I had it up to about 50-55 for a bit but I had not added the team y fluid as of yet so that was for just a short time. But the main update is that wifey drove the truck around the neighborhood! She’s really, really over the moon about it. I will try and get her driving it around in the neighborhood every day possible. Truck is still performing great and is a bit more docile after the carb adjustment - just a lot smoother and things are not shaking and rattling so much like before. Tranny fluid - I added 1.5 qts between yesterday and today. It registers full when not running, and about 1/8-3/16” inch into the safe zone while running. I am happy with that. I set the Speedo and tach today as I have the Classic Instruments electronic 40 gauge package. There’s a button that is used to set everything up so aI just installed in the one drop down switch panel. The Speedo was a little tricky but she’s good now. I did sone blocking of spaces where the fan air escapes before getting big through the condenser and radiator, just three spots along the top. The pipe wrap works pretty well and is not effected by the radiator heat. I had really helped and is perhaps the start of a reversed fan shroud. If you know your 40s they had block off plates on the sides and bottom, with an aftermarket cover for the top. This would be a bit different and would probably mean I would have to use the fan all the time. We shall see what falls out once the AC is charged running ….. I also installed the wipers and rainx’d my windshield. Now - go ahead and downpour! Make my day! HA! And I just could not resist another cruise - but for ice cream this time!
Help me remember why you used a pusher fan? Pusher fans are not known to be efficient. Can the radiator be moved forward enough for a fan and shroud behind? That would likely cool better. Yes, the cover from grill to radiator would force incoming grill air to go through the radiator, rather than over the radiator. Just throwing out cooling ideas.
As for the videos - I have a 53 second one and. 6 minute one from the inside driving through our neighborhood. I have them both in my YouTube account but can’t seem to find where/how to create the link to post them?
Thank you - it is certainly a pleasure to drive that’s for sure. As for the cooling issues, moving radiator forward would be a major job. However I am going to do some measuring and see if I remove the mechanical fan, do I have enough room to mount the electrical fan (I am not losing cooling capability with only a 13” mechanical fan) as a puller with a shroud. Let’s see if that is an option ….. Right now, sometimes she cools just fine and other times, especially in stop and go traffic or having stopped for gas or something, it’s probably at 220 or more and it does not cool down that quickly.
Cooling is most often a problem when stopped. When moving the radiator has air flow. I'd start by removing the pusher fan and see how the mechanical fan cools. The problem with pusher fans is they block airflow to the radiator.
Wide swings are for badonkadonks. I'd recommend a fan shroud around that flex fan. Mine was just a cheap Summitt kit, I dressed it up with braces, rivets and black powder coating.
The Jalopy Journal
