Projects Modified Lakester Build (THUNDERCASKET)

Stick with it you are much closer to the end.

 

Pat!!!! Mint brother!!! Great to see the pile of parts moving under it's own power, good for you. The best feeling is driving something that you put together
I'm stoked for you. See you at Northeast Vintage Drags, right?!?!

 

THANKS! I saw your new engine the other day & it looks KILLER!

Not sure if I'm free that weekend for NEVD yet but maybe. I am hoping to at least hit Fitchburg on April 28th but I've got a gig the night before so IDK.

 

A brief update here. Lots has been happening, at least small stuff, since the last update. I am now running all 3 carbs, two new 97's and a rebuilt 81 (that I need to re-seat the butterflies in). I don't have the tune nearly right but I'm getting closer. I've got them linked non-progressive at the moment just to move around and make lots of noise.



So, of course I laid my first patch doing a not entirely intentional peelout in the driveway (because I'm not great with the clutch yet and running those ill tuned triple carbs non progressive, like ya do). It made my day and yes the brakes work!

I should probably fix the leaks (4 out of 5 fluids), run proper fuel lines, and rebuild the steering box soon before I get too excited.

 

Holy shit dude! It lives! That’s so fantastic congrats on the rubber patches!

 

One of my favorite threads. Any updates?

 

Yeah Pat, how's it going?

 

Pat hasn't posted on Facebook or the Instagram machine in a while either.

 

I can relate...his plate was rather full and he was under the weather...

That said...he really has made some positive progress on Thunder...high fives Pat.

 

Hope all is well, this has come so far!

 

HI THERE!

Thanks for all the encouragement guys. Life got a bit wild for me last year, not the least of which being my dog's twilight decline, and I have not logged in or done much work since probably this time last year. I HAVE gotten back out there and managed to chip away at a few things over time.

Frankly, a lot of the things I've been puttering around doing are the boring stuff like chasing leaks, particularly FUEL at the carbs. My center and forward carbs now SEEM to be running OK and not puking fuel anymore, so I think my needle valves were the culprit since I had an aluminum fuel block release silica into the system a while back.

I am still chasing a coolant leak somewhere on the passenger lower side. I lost about 3-3/4 gallons over the winter just sitting and I'm still seeing moisture evidence under there now. The hose takes 4 clamps and a coupler so there are a few points of failure. I will probably have to silicone them the next time I drain and disassemble.

I have to address a pretty bad brake fluid leak at the signal sender. For whatever reason, be it sealing, bad threading, or incorrect torque, it pisses brake fluid there whenever I use the brakes. That's one thing for back and forth in the driveway but a big yikes for more than that.

The Amazon fuel petcock I threw on my cheap tank will wet your hand with the fire stuff whenever it's flipped between on and off flow, so, that's gotta be replaced (probably when I run this tank dry).

I have stopped leaking OIL at least! But I am weeping steering gear and rear end oil, so I'm still chasing 4 out of 7? fluids. So far the transmission hasn't leaked or made noises and I've made numerous trips up and down the driveway (leaving small patches, she likes to GO).

So, this past week, I decided that I needed to do something with a big visual impact that involved thinking and fabrication to get going again. All this leak chasing has been TEDIOUS and not fun. I am still figuring out how I want to wire this car, so, I chose to go after the side nerfs, which are actually pretty important with the way I ran my exhaust. I've come close to burning my calves a few times already, so that was plenty justification for me.

It was a bit tricky getting my head around the routing and actually getting it fit but this will do. Hopefully the other side won't be too difficult to match. I've got a bent piece of strap bolted into a rivnut in a stock hole out back and a tab welded on to the transmission crossmember, which wasn't what I had in mind but it works.

 

Those turned out slick! Well worth the effort

 

Nice nerfs. Should keep your legs from burning

 

Good to see you back at it!