Hi all, We're still plugging away, even after work. We've pretty much finished up cutting or welding at least one of every part on the entire car, so we decided to chop the roof since it was the only thing left to cut or weld on. You can see in the pics below, we carefully masked off our cut lines in pic 1. Pic 2 is Marc throwing caution to the wind, taking a sawzall to the door post. He has some experience with this after hosting his own HAMB chop, so I let him have at it while I went in the house and ordered a radiator. I stopped him just in time when we realized he'd masked off the chop in the front and back, and I'd done the doors. We were a little off. Pic three is the cut lines, showing just how much we were about to remove from the top by the back window. I figured it would be easier to just add metal back in if we cut too much out of it and it was too low. The "X" marks the area to be removed so we a wouldn't forget later.
Hells Yeah... Chopping with the glass in!! I like you style. Glass welds back together like steel... doesn't it? Keep kicking ass. Let me know if ya need a hand.
Okay, so much for the fantasy. I've been eyeballing the frontend the past couple days, and Marc came over tonight to help talk me in to doing what I was pondering. I wanted to start fabbing up a core support to not only hold the radiator, but support the fenders as well. We determined that we shouldn't proceed until we had a radiator to start with and base the design around. None of the three radiators I have lying around will work. I have about 6" to work with. I knew I was going to have to run an electric fan, but I was stumped as to what radiator to use. We looked online, and I found a '64-66 Mustang 289 radiator had the dimensions that seemed like it would work. It cooled a 289, so it should cool a 302 just fine. I went ahead and ordered one. We made a cardboard template in the dimensions of the radiator, and looked to see if the electric fan I had laying around already would work. The combined thickness looks like it will be close, but should fit. Since we were running out of time for tonight, we discussed how we are going to build the core support, then decided to mount the doors back up so we can see how the gaps will be with the front fenders mocked up on cinder blocks. It turned out that they looked good. Next up, front core support fab, exhaust hookup, run brake line to rear brakes, run fuel line & mount tank, wire car, etc... it's a huge list. Hopefully we can put in some serious time this weekend. Stay tuned. Mercman
Update and a RANT: I ordered a radiator last night before 8PM, the deal is, with Summit, if you order before 8, it ships same day. They have been AMAZING with their shipping because one of their main warehouses is in Ohio. I get most things next day. This morning, I checked the status, it was shipped, and out on a FedEx truck for delivery. Sweet, I'll have it by the time I get home from work. Or so I thought. Got home from work at 6:30, no radiator. Bring up FedEx tracking, status has changed. At 7:45 AM it was "out for delivery", at 4:17 pm it was marked "DELIVERY EXCEPTION-incorrect address". It now says delivery date of May 31. WTF?!?!?! I called FedEx, and actually got a live person on the phone. I explained to the guy very nicely what the situation was, and he asked for my zip. Yep, that was right. He asked my name. Yep, that was right. He verified my address, yep that was right. "Hmm..." he says. "Is this a rural area or something?" he asks. "um, no, I'm right off a main road, in a neighborhood...you guys have been here many times before" I say. "Plus, this address is in Summit's computer...nothing has changed since you were here two days ago." He offers no explanation. I ask if I can just go get it, it says it was in Sterling Heights, which is about 15 minutes from me. "Well, if I do that it will take a day to process and you won't be able to pick it up until after it's removed from the truck and Tuesday will be the earliest because of the Holiday." he says. I say, "so now what?" He says "Well, I don't know what the problem was...I will have it re-marked for delivery tomorrow...and I'll include your phone number in case the driver can't find you." "That's fine", I say. Earlier than next Wed. at least. So now I'm waiting. With the noise in the garage, I may or may not hear the damn phone. I NEED this thing to work on fabbing my core support. I don't want to wait till Tuesday or Wednesday of NEXT WEEK! What I think went on was the driver didn't want to make any more deliveries since it was memorial weekend and he wanted to get off on time, so he just marked it as "incorrect address" and quit for the day. I wonder how many of his other packages were "marked" this way... We have people at my work that would stoop to these levels, so why not at FedEx? Any other plausible explanations? Don't they have on-board computers that could display something as simple as Mapquest? I usually am one to give people the benefit of the doubt, but in this case, I see no excuse. I can't think of any that would fit...unless someone in his family DIED. I live in a popular major metropolitan area (unfortunately), so I find it difficult to believe he couldn't find my street! PLUS, they've BEEN HERE MANY TIMES BEFORE! ARRRGH!
I wonder if the bar code was f'd up. Even if they can see the addy if the bar code is cut or scratched they may not deliver it, can't process it. Don't worry, it'll get there. Do you have the dimensions, could you "fab" one out of cardboard just to start with?
Despite my numerous attempts to call and get a STRAIGHT answer from FedEx, looks like my radiator won't arrive until Tuesday. I plain got the run around. Still sitting about 10 miles from me, caught up in some "system" that wouldn't have had it here any quicker if I'd gone and picked it up. I will never, by choice, use FedEx. I stopped the FedEx guy that came down my street Saturday..."hey, looking for 310 Kenwood?" I asked..."No, 316"...despite my attempt to give him the edited version of my woes, he couldn't have cared less... So my package sat all day for no reason at their Sterling Heights location, off-loaded from a truck who's driver "couldn't find my address". Yeah. And wanted to go home. And it never got scheduled for re-delivery like the other three people I talked to on the phone assured me it would. Big surprise. The radiator was the key, we needed it to build the core support off of, something we hadn't figured out until I ordered it. if they wouldn't have had a problem delivering it, it would have been here, on time for Saturday when we were going to use it to fab up the core support. To compound matters, I was put on a split shift at work Friday for this upcoming week, which means I work from 11 to 8. Nice, huh? On top of THAT, The Mig bottle ran out at 3 PM Saturday, by then everyone was closed. No more welding till Tuesday evening now. Still have too much to do to make it to Billetproof. Not gonna happen. I'm not going to have to go back and un-do things beause I butcherd them to make a show. I will (Marc & I, if he's still willing after this) keep working away though, I wanna drive this thing, damnit! I'll keep up with the updates too. Thanks to everyone who's been so supportive. Looks like I'll be a spectator at Billitproof again this year. Mercman
Tough break, man. I concur--do it once and do it right. And next year it'll look even better at Billetproof. Tucker
well, we gave it a good run and we got a lot of work done on it. I guess you can shoot for Woodward now.
No worries, Kevin...it's just another show, and I think your car aims to a higher standard anyway. Keep going at it the way you have been, with no short-cuts or compromises and it WILL get done soon enough, and the end result will be something to be proud of. Take your time and do the car right, keep it FUN and you'll be FAR happier than you would be busting your ass to get it ready for some silly 'show'. Go as a spectator maybe and shoot some pics if you see anything cool! I'm free a few days this week if you still need a hand.
Well it sounds like you have some company in the not getting the car done dept. My Link isn't gonna make it either. To much work left to do and not enough time. I still have to plumb brake and fuel lines, wiring, replace sheet metal, install radiator,,,,,,etc. I'll be there but I guess I'll have to drive my rat escort (flat black w/ red steelies) and be a spectator,,again.
Kevin, I've got a small mig tank(Argon Mix) that's full if you would like me to drop it by! Dave (Double Clutch)
thats three that wont make it. My story plays out alot like yours kevin. Im not willing to cut corners to be done in time. That and i cant work on the car so much any more the cops think im "running a shop". Fucking yuppie ass neighbors
Sounds like there is an advantage to livin' out in the middle of BFE!!!! Its only me and the little lady and we have 6 cars in the driveway, and two more in the garage. And not a peep from the neighbors.... yet.
brother i feel ya!! fuckers from fedex had a part i ordered for over 3 weeks and i called and bitched everyday.. they gave a shit less..it was 40 mins away in the quincy terminal the whole time...i finally had to threatin them with some sorta lawsuit and gettin some of them fired and low and behold it came the next day...i was not even a fed ex van....fed ex has always dicked me and i will not order something if thats the only shipin available...i didnt know they were like that elsewhere too!!!gimmie ups...btw....your merc is killer!!!!!!!!!!!
I heard about that...sucks man. Fence it all off and tell them to mind their own business...not much ya can do once the "authorities" get involved! We need to make up t-shirts, for all those that attempted to make it to billetproof! If nothing else, we got a TON done on the car up to now, and you know I'm itch'n to drive it! I wouldn't have been able to get this far without marc, that's for sure. It'll be running soon...all of our projects...
We certainly did...I'd like to get it going BEFORE Woodward, before I have to leave for Califonia in July... so I can get in a couple cruise nights with you guys.
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