Saw they had the scales open at DW42 yesterday so before hitting the ET shack first TT I veered into the scales.  Yup, as it was many years ago, 3975# with me and 2000# on the front with me.  This makes the car at pert near 50/50 weight distribution with me in it.  3800# without me.

This is of course is without the hood yet, so throw that 25# back on and its 4000#.

Ok.  Got it in the car all is well.  Sorta.

I can not get the car to launch, at all.  Dump the clutch and it near stalls the motor.  Data logger says it gets to 2000 rpm as it kinda recovers and goes.

I don't use a 2 step.  I hold the rpm at around 4500 rpm, dump the clutch and go WOT.  Been this way for 26 yrs.  Suddenly it seems the intake does not like that.  I still run my 1850 holleys like I have for 26 yrs.  I originally had them sideways on the tunnel ram to allow changing up to double pumpers at some time.  I turned them straight and the aame issue.

I have a pr of 660s that will find their way on for my next try.  Friend says he sees no black smoke so it appears it is not too fat.  We dynoed the 660s on one pull but they didn't work much better over the 1850s so I kept with my old 1850s.  Though the dyno does not replicate real work driving so I think it needs more pump shot.  I wonder if upping the squirters on my 1850s might help.  I think it has #35 in them now and 50cc pumps as they have been forever.

Any rhoughts?

Valve covers bead blasted and matte clear coated, valves set, intake on, carb linkage adjusted, filled with oil and primed.  Just waiting on gaskets for the 660's to show up as I pulled one apart and the gaskets were ugly.  Glad I decided to do something before we found out on dyno day that they leaked like the Titanic.  You can see one sitting on the parts washer in the back.  I flat filed both sides as it was lumpy as all get out.

I did buy a fresh set of YELLOW Accel super stock 8mm wires.  I had been running a set of red Accel 8.8 wires that I won some years back.  They just didn't look right.  The new blue cap also kinda helps with the 70's vibe.  Just missing the old Accel Super Coil!

I haven't been in a big hurry to haul it to the shop because of all the snow we've had in the last month.  It is going to be 55* on Wednesday so the area in front of the garage will be cleaned up enough to get the crane out there to load the engine.  I also am in process of building a set of "Moto Feet" for it.  I have the plates made, just need to cut and weld the tubing.  I have always borrowed a set from the shop, so after 30 yrs I decided to build my own.

Ok, I've got ideas of trying to put a tunnel ram on the wagon.   Just another "old school thing" I'd like to do.  Years ago I tried to put an Algon injection manifold on it but it became a bit expensive.  So, the next best thing to hang out of the hood would be a pair of carbs and some velocity stacks.  Why?  WTH...why not.

Jay's website says next June before there will be adapters available, so after not finding anything at Columbus today I thought I would put some feelers out looking for someone that has one and no real plans for it.  Of course the intake is also out of stock til March, so if someone has one available also I'm interested.

I poked around on Ebay, nothing.  I did find a pair of NOS gold velocity stacks for $995!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   What in the wide, wide worlda sports is THAT!!!! 

I got a call the other day and they say my Galaxie headers are ready to ship!  Huh??  I told the lady on the phone that I was told they won't be available til like April....but not complaining.  Looks like I won't have to build my own for now.

I won't be coating them, since the last set didn't last very long and were getting pretty rusty all over(not including the smashed tubes on the bottom LOL).  I think some KBS coating will do the trick for now.  Then just touch them up when needed.  My first set of Crites headers lasted nearly 20 yrs on spray bomb black paint.

So, last Saturday I get the black car out and go to lunch at "the shop"(place that does my motor work).  It's been a routine thing for about 3 decades now.

Meet a fellow that has a vintage 215 Alum Olds motor on the dyno.  Stock rebuild with FiTech FI on it.  Friend is doing some fine adjustments and getting it all broke in.  We get to discussing driving our toys and he mentions he like to go long distance with his.  I make comment that is nice to know that you put it together right and can drive it without worry(stupid, stupid thing to say.....LOL).

We go to lunch, after which I head north to the house.  I get about half way there and suddenly the car snorts and dies.  WTH?  A quick glance at my fuel filter(on right side of blower) I see no fuel.  What?  I'm able to coast off a side street and assess what happened.  I remove the rubber line from the pump to make sure it's not collapsed.  Nope.  I reassemble and crank.  Suddenly I get fuel and it lights off.  Hmmm.  I quickly get turned around and continue home.  I get maybe 1.5 miles and it snorts and dies.  Yup, no fuel again.   Oh jeez.  I tinker with fuel line and try again.  Once again it fills up and starts.  Whew, the battery is starting to sound a bit weak.  I again head out, but like before I go about 1.5 miles and it quits again.  Man, this is going to be a long trip home.

I again tinker and get some fuel and it starts.  I then quickly decide if I can make it the last 5 miles to home or do I detour about 1 mile to a friends house and then get assistance.  I chose the friends place.  I zig zag through the neighborhood, doing rolling stops at every corner to make sure I can get up the last hill before running out of fuel.  I JUST make the grade, get one block away and it quits.   I shimmy in my seat trying to make it roll up the last bit of grade and make the corner and roll up in front of the house.  Oh, man.

Sadly, no one is home.  I forgot they mentioned going away after lunch.  Ugh.  I make a call to a buddy, no answer.  I make a second call and they answer and head my way(just a few miles).  Friend rolls up, we head to my house to get supplies.

I had already checked Azone online to see that NO pumps are in stock.  So my best choice was to steal the pump off the blue truck.  I do so, along with a toe strap and some tools.  We get back to the car and install the pump and the car starts quickly.  Okay, head home.  Friend follows me just to make sure.  I did notice some bubbles in that front filter, so I was leary of other issues.

Due to the tank being a bit rusty back in '96 when I bought the car, I always had a "primary" filter back at the tank to be my first line of defense before the pump and my other filter up at the carbs.  For the last 20 yrs I've always bought those cheap opaque filters so I could quickly see when they were used up.   The last time I couldn't get one and had to get a metal version(hmm, anyone see what is coming).  So Sunday morning I get up and go pull that filter off and cut it apart.  Yup, it's near clogged solid with crap.  Ya, that will cause fuel issues.

I reinstall the pump from the black car onto the blue truck and run it to Oreillys and pick up another clear filter for the back.   With that installed, the car starts and NO bubbles in the front filter anymore.  Fixed!!!

Just when you talk about "being dependable", your bound to get screwed over!!  I don't fret much, just like last June when the Unilite module tried to die.  I got the car home, with little fuss.  No harm, no foul.  Just a little inconvenience.  I got rid of the Unilite and put dual points back in so I don't have to even think about electronics failing.  I also put a clear filter on this time so I can monitor it and eliminate getting stranded.

Ain't home built hot rods fun!!

on my 428 in my '69 F100.

Since everyone is out of gasket kits lately for just about every Holley, I dug out the converted 735's(single feeds) I built last year for the wagon.  I tried them once on the wagon, but they needed more tuning to actually see an improvement ET wise(they were a bit fat on the top end).  I decided to try them on the truck just so I could drive it without the constant flooding out when you shut it off.

WOW, those are snappy!  I'm guessing it's the step boosters that really kick the response signal up compared to the 1850's(one reason I didn't like them on the wagon).  I only went around the block last night, but I like it.   Still a couple things to button up(like make rods for the air cleaner lid nuts), but these don't leak down when you shut it off, so that's a check mark in the WIN column.

For the life of me I don't know where the fuel is coming from on those 1850.  I've never had such issues with a Holley carb.  That rear one was leaking externally pretty bad down the intake and puddling up.  Likely from the throttle shafts from when it drowns itself when you shut it off?  Front carb area was always dry.  I have a few Holley books, but I need to really read up on them to see just what EVERY channel does and why.

Ok, anyone have an actual Mallory parts book from the 80's?  90's?

I have a 2655302 crab cap tach drive distributor that I would like to find the correct parts for.  The biggest issue I found is getting the correct rotor.  The crab cap is available and I'm sure the points and condenser are generic.

You can buy a 26 series rotor, but it is NOT for a crab cap(which is a much shorter rotor).   Google lists nothing, I talked to Summit racing and they have no books or information on the REAL part number I could look for.  I've searched plenty of places, but nothing comes up.  Heck the crab cap number comes up as a std cap now if you search it.  I know a few guys here have offered to sell me a crab cap distributor, but I only need a rotor(or two for that matter).  I have the taller tach drive distributor and I thought I had a cap/rotor for it, but can't seem to find them right now.

I have a 2655301 in the wagon, basically the same distributor but it is a std cap.  You can't mix/match parts because the cap register diameter is smaller on the crab cap model.  Now, that's not to say I don't just make a ring to change that and make a std cap fit(and rotor).   I'm going to do some measuring on the wagon and the blower motor.  I know a std cap will fit(I have stock ford distributor in it now), but a crab cap would allow me to actually REMOVE the cap with the blower in place which is the whole reason for this project.