datsunfreak Posted May 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 (edited) Quote may experiment with just replacing the entire dash face with some sheet metal or carbon so I can fit aftermarket round gauges... In fact, seeing it all apart, I think that will be the go... Edited May 21, 2020 by datsunfreak 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 It rained all day yesterday so I couldn't get much done. Assembled the urethane rag joint, and cut off the long arm that shifts the transmission... Cleaned and painted the end of the column also, just not before that pic... 😁 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted May 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2020 Got the left side caliper bracket mounted and aligned, and installed the rotor/hub. So that means it's time to see just how much drop we ended up with. 😁 As expected, it's 3.25" total drop up front. 👍 The rear could use another 1/2" or so, but that will be further down the road. Front crossmember is currently about 6" off the ground, aka about the same height as my jack... 😁 5 Quote Link to comment
five10 Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 I like this build. It’s a challenge to make a full size car fast in the turns. And that patina is perfect 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 16 hours ago, five10 said: It’s a challenge to make a full size car fast in the turns. Indeed. I'm kinda curious to see what they did with the race cars underneath back in the day. The 65-66 did very well in oval racing... Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 The front sway bar is a laughably small 1/2" in diameter, and that would not do. There are aftermarket options for a 1" front bar for the princely sum of $200+, but that really wouldn't do either. 😄 As it turns out, since they didn't really change the design/geometry of the full-sized Ford's front suspension until the early 80s, there are options for OE upgrades out there. A friend of mine is in the midst of a resto-mod build on a '73 Ranchero and had recently purchased a '74 Torino as a parts donor for it. And also as it happens, the Torino has a bar that is the exact same shape as mine but is 15/16" in diameter. So for $40, now I have a front sway bar that is twice as thick as stock. 👍 After a scrub, and some paint... Now I need to order up some urethane bushings for it and hopefully get it installed on Saturday... 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 (edited) 33 minutes ago, datsunfreak said: I need to order up some urethane bushings for it and hopefully get it installed on Saturday... And of course, thanks to stupid Amazon, they won't be delivered until Sunday, so... 😝 Edited June 11, 2020 by datsunfreak Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 Got the rear bumper back on, yes it's still wicked bent... It may just be all in my head, but I swear the added weight of that bumper lowered the back 1/2"... 😄 Got the front back up in the air so when my sway bar hardware shows up I can bang that out... 👍 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 (edited) Also been watching too much Roadkill Garage, which has had two effects. One, it has convinced me to never paint this car. Two, it has taken me back to wanting some 17x8 Torq Thrust wheels for it. 😄 Edited June 16, 2020 by datsunfreak 3 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2020 Demonstrating the ever so slight difference in size... 😁 If you have never tried to swap out sway bars on a car that is not disassembled, I do not recommend it. 😅 Getting the old one out only took two minutes. Getting the new one in took at least 20. And put lots of scratches in my freshly painted sway bar. And if I had done it before I installed my T/C rods, it would have taken about 30 seconds... Got the end links installed, but could not use the stock frame bushing mounts. One, they are kind of a weird design that I don't like. Two, they are hell of wimpy... I will be moving them inboard about 2" so I can connect them directly to the frame. Hopefully I can get that knocked out next time I am there. Then it's on to getting the Explorer diff fitted... 👍 1 Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted June 18, 2020 Report Share Posted June 18, 2020 The paint already looks perfect to me! 2 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted June 19, 2020 Report Share Posted June 19, 2020 Agreed, this thing oozes patina. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 Sway bar done... Time to get cracking on the rear end... 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted June 27, 2020 Report Share Posted June 27, 2020 On 6/24/2020 at 9:46 PM, datsunfreak said: Time to get cracking on the rear end... Or, y'know, install hood pins... tomato/tomato. 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted June 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2020 1 hour ago, dimlight65 said: Or, y'know, install hood pins... tomato/tomato. 🤣 Well, installed the hinges, and then the hood... Which, as you mentioned, required doing Datzenmike's favorite mod... ' Stock latch was pretty well knackered, and I surely didn't want to trust it at 80mph, so... 😁 Made sure to get aluminium hood pins, to shave that extra 7 ounces of weight, and to make sure they don't rust... 😄 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2020 I was not happy with reusing the stock sway bar mounting hardware due to size (5/16") and age, so I swapped it out for newer bigger bolts (3/8")... Also got the rear end jacked up and ready to remove the rear diff. Hope to start on that Saturday... Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 2, 2020 Report Share Posted July 2, 2020 That hood is an expanse of patina lol 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2020 2 hours ago, ]2eDeYe said: That hood is an expanse of patina lol One thing is for sure, I don't think I will ever have to yell at anyone for leaning on it... 😁 1 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 2, 2020 Report Share Posted July 2, 2020 2 hours ago, datsunfreak said: One thing is for sure, I don't think I will ever have to yell at anyone for leaning on it... 😁 "Have to?" No. "GET to." Hell yeah! 1 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2020 Took almost 3 hours, but I did get the rear end out... Luckily none of the bolts broke, but there was sooooooo much dirt/sand packed into everything. And every time I touched it, more fell on my face... I ended up needing to use air tools on a few bolts, and that just created a giant sand storm... 😄 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 6, 2020 Report Share Posted July 6, 2020 On 7/5/2020 at 10:43 AM, datsunfreak said: that just created a giant sand storm All I can hear now! Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2020 On 7/6/2020 at 3:05 PM, dimlight65 said: All I can hear now! You ever get 10 seconds into a video and you're like "nah, this isn't for me", but you decide to give it a few more seconds to see if something will happen? And then three minutes later you realize nope, absolutely nothing is going to happen. This is just someone who just got a copy of Final Cut Pro and wanted to play around and do as many goofy edits as possible. 😄 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 9, 2020 Report Share Posted July 9, 2020 On 7/7/2020 at 4:23 PM, datsunfreak said: You ever get 10 seconds into a video and you're like "nah, this isn't for me", but you decide to give it a few more seconds to see if something will happen? And then three minutes later you realize nope, absolutely nothing is going to happen. This is just someone who just got a copy of Final Cut Pro and wanted to play around and do as many goofy edits as possible. 😄 Oh yeah, the video is totally blowful. No argument there. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2020 Didn't really get any work done, just some head scratching/planning on how to best adapt the Explorer diff to the car. I think we have a solid plan in place, I just need to get some metal so we can make new brackets instead of cutting the old ones off the stock diff. We entertained the notion of converting to a proper 4 link instead of the stock 3 link/panhard rod arrangement, but I think we are going to stick with the stock design for now. Just slightly improved. 😁 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2020 Went by the metal store on the way home from work and got what I need for my axle mounting brackets. 2x4 box with a 3/16" wall thickness... I think I got way too much, but that's always better than not enough... 😅 2 Quote Link to comment
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