Signet-ficant Other

[Stretch]

Last Sunday afternoon a buddy came over and helped me push Agnes into the shop. I had every intention of getting started on her right then and there. Once she was in the garage I was completely overwhelmed with emotions. It was sudden and totally unexpected. It was the first time since Pierre's passing that I felt that way. I didn't even breakdown when I found him. That was the end of my desire to work on her. I went in the house and I guess I don't really do anything for the rest of the day.

Monday morning the desire was back and I couldn't wait to get home from work Wednesday. Wednesday is the first night I didn't have other plans so I started the roof repairs.

Saterday I finished the metal fab part of the roof repairs, sanded the roof, and prepped the roof for filler. Then I got her on stands, dropped the exhaust and transmission, and I'm ready to pull the engine today. Except mother nature said "No work in the garage for you"! We had a hell of a ice storm last night and it's expected to keep going all day and tonight. We have no power and a walk to the dark garage was filled with the sound of trees breaking in the woods around my place. If the power comes back on I'll be out there.

 

[Stretch]

The power came back on but it was around 7:00 P.M. The good news is we have another ice storm coming Wednesday.

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

Spring is around the corner!

 

[Stretch]

The engine is out. I have to run to my storage unit and grab a engine stand in the morning.

I'll start the tear down and cleaning once it's on the stand.

 

[Stretch]

The 340 is on the stand and disassembled other than the crank. I hope to have everything cleaned up and ready to assemble tomorrow.

Oh, and if you ever have a desire to absolutely hate an oil pan, get one of these bastards! I had forgotten how much it sucked to drop the engine in, line up the headers, and fish the center link through the pan and hook up the idler arm and pitman all before setting the engine all the way down. Pulling the engine actually sucks more than putting it together.

I'm pretty sure I'm going g to install a stock pan and throw this bastard as far into the woods behind my garage as I possibly can!

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

Moving right along, that oil pan is massive, 6 gal to replace 6 qts!
I have the alum slots off the cuda, backs are wide, fronts are tiny wonder what shipping would be if they would help you.
They would need a real good cleanup, been outside for like 15 years.

 

[Stretch]

I have the alum slots off the cuda, backs are wide, fronts are tiny wonder what shipping would be if they would help you.

 

[Stretch]

Are they 15"? I'm absolutely intrested. Although they will likley go on the challenger or the other valiant. This one is small bolt. I'm converting the '68 valiant to big bolt with the parts he already had.
I'll PM you. Thank you Rusty.

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

Here they are, good thing they are alum. sitting out that long my ralleys were nasty rusty!

 

[Stretch]

This morning I pulled the crankshaft, cleaned the block, honed the block and reinstalled the crankshaft.

 

[restoman]

A buddy years ago had one of those oil pans in his 10 second Duster.
He said the same thing about it!
He also said he figured it helped the bottom end tremendously during his hard launches and high revs...

 

[Stretch]

The short block is done. I tried to install the oil pan but I have the wrong pan gasket set.

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

I can almost hear it!
Lookin good.

 

[Stretch]

I haven't posted in a while but I have been busy. The short block is done. I'm still waiting on custom head gaskets. I'll get to that in a second. The heads are done. They were a lot of work. I transfered the valve springs to the new heads. I had the first one done and when I grabbed the 2nd one I relized it was fully ported and the first one was un touched. I disassembled the first one and matched the porting Pierrre had done on the first one. That's when I relized the combination chamber on the new heads was a bunch smaller than the first set. The first set is open chamber and measure out at a 64 cc chamber. The new set or closed chamber and measure out at 46cc. I assembled the new heads and started doing some math. The pistons are .030 above the block deck at TDC. The gaskets Pierre had made for the open chamber heads have a crushed thickness of .064. That put the compression right on 10 to 1.

I called Flatout gaskets and gave them all my info. They requested a pencil rubbing of the head. I sent that. The thickest gasket they can make without special ordering a sheet of copper has a compressed thickness of .125. That will put the compression at 11.3 to 1.

Gaskets should be here tomorrow.

The first picture is the old open chamber heads. The second is the new closed chamber head.

 

[Stretch]

While waiting for engine parts I finished the roof repairs and painted the roof.

I primed it this past Friday after work and painted it early Saturday morning.

I ordered the paint from our company store in the next town over. They have a paint bank. We do not. I was blown away by their generosity. They knew I was working on Pierre's car and would not let me pay for the paint. The crew there pitched in and bought it because "it's for Pierre ". I was blown away, speechless, and a little misty eyed.

 

[Stretch]

While waiting for parts I cleaned the interior and reinstalled the rear seat. I have no idea how the interior ended up such a mess. I'm guessing it must have sat in his yard with the windows down.

I must not have taken a picture one it was clean.

 

[Stretch]

While working on the heads I realized the old heads required offset rocker stands that Pierre had made by a friend with a mill. I can't use those stands because the new heads use standard rocker stands. Not a big deal I know he has the standard stands. I have seen them. Do you think I can find them?

I spent mother's day looking. I went through every box in my basement of his stuff. No luck. I went to the storage units and went through every box in both units. Again no luck. While digging I remembered the last time a saw them they were in a dorman style cabinet. I called Pierre's brother and asked if he knew what happened to the cabinet. He didn't know of the cabinet. I explained where in Pierre's garage it was. Still nothing.

Now I'm feeling very deflated . I can't continue with this build without them.. I just dropped $400.00+ on custom head gaskets. I am now looking at a few hundred dollars worth of obsolete rocker stands if I can even find them.

I returned home with a few goodies from the storage units. I took them into my basement and set them down on a cabinet. A fucking cabinet!!! The cabinet with the rocker stands in the first drawer I opened! It was here the entire time LOL.

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

Your getting old dude, that's the kind of thing us oldies do!

 

[Stretch]

Your getting old dude, that's the kind of thing us oldies do!

I think it has more to do with the incredible volume of parts. It's mind blowing. My basement is 1200 sq feet. Its packed full. My garage is packed full of my stuff and some of his. Its 36x42. My 40 x 50 barn is full of his and my stuff and I have 2 storage garages that are big enough to store a car in each. Both are packed front to back floor to ceiling with his stuff. Just car stuff mind you. I started digging through stuff at 6:00) A.M. and came home at 3:30 P.M. Sunday.

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

I was buried in old parts & tools I didn't need for quite a while, waiting for this car to be done.
Now I have a 17x22 garage & the "tent" so no where near you guys.
Jass got some of the parts & a lot of the tools for his coworker, more than I would like went to the scrap yard, still have some that fit the car I will keep, but I actually had a little shelf space for a while.

Speaking of parts, do you have any interest in those aluminum rims, was about 25 a pop to ship, if not I may try & sell local or just scrap them?


" I ordered the paint from our company store in the next town over. They have a paint bank. We do not. I was blown away by their generosity. They knew I was working on Pierre's car and would not let me pay for the paint. The crew there pitched in and bought it because "it's for Pierre ". I was blown away, speechless, and a little misty eyed."

I myself can attest to that, He went way above the call of duty to help me out & I'm a gazillion miles away!
The stuff I sent Him was trying to give back a little!