Starting 427 after 40 years

[Big Sandy]

one more

[Big Sandy]

maybe this one is larger

[Big Sandy]

my 69 R code 4spd Mach 1 project

[Big Sandy]

My 63 galaxie 500 390 tri-power 4spd convertible project.

[machoneman]

Nice '64. In fact, all are nice but man, you must have a lot of time on your hands....LOL!

On the start-up, many times the reason a car is parked is that something did go wrong. I've seen many a old muscle car, not sitting quite as long as yours, have any number of minor/major engine issues....which is why it got parked. Hopefully, that's not the case here. A compression test and/or leakdown test if it readily spins over is a good way to judge at least part of the engine's condition.

On popping the valve covers, the FE's design, unlike most engines, allows one to squirt oil down into the lifter/cam area with a long nozzle squirt can to prevent a dry start on those surfaces. One can bet after 40 years, even with pre-oiling using the dummy ditzy trick and a drill, those lifters must be bone dry. Just a thought. 

[shady]

if it fires & runs nice enough, I would be tempted to give it a light buff & leave it as is. it's gonna be the next craze & I dig it.

[Big Sandy]

Mach 1 with new magnums, 17x8 and 17x9, shod with BF Goodrich G Force 245/45R/17s up front and 275/ 40R/17s out back. Still had some room in back, got a set of centerline softails 18x8 and 18x9.5, gonna try a 295 or 305 on those to see if they will fit outback.

[My427stang]

I like it, considering something similar on mine

[jayb]

Awesome cars.  And I see you don't discriminate when it comes to brands.  Pretty much stuck on Fords, myself, but those mid 60s to early 70s Mopars are pretty cool...

[Big Sandy]

I have always been a Ford man since my dad let me sit in his lap and steer his 69 Mach when I was 8 years old. That car is where  my love for old cars spring from. I also have a love for B body mopars. I am not a lover of chevys very much as the Camaros in the pictures belong to a friend. With that being said, I do have respect for any muscle car that is done with respect to its heritage. Thanks for the kind words on my cars, they are labors of love. I will post more pictures of the 427 car as it goes back together. 

[Lenz]

Man, the '64 looks great.  None of the aftermarket dress up parts to indicate what lurks beneath or make you think horsepower.  The rusty front bumper and fade tell just how original it is.  Let's hope the original owners parked it because it was a little rough on fuel economy.  The lack of flash would seem to indicate (to me at least) that poor gas mileage and thrifty folks combined could have resulted in this car.  It'd be great if that were true...

[cjshaker]

Chickens.....   

I'm with Ross :-)

I can't even begin to count how many old Ford engines I've fired and ran that had sat for many many years. Usually to use as a driver, and then proceed to drive the darn things for years until the cars body gave out. As a kid, I used to help my Dad do it all the time with flatheads. Now THOSE things had sledge build up like nobodies business because of the non-detergent oils back then. The deposits actually helped maintain oil pressure. The worse thing to do to them would be to clean everything and take all those deposits away, opening up escape routes for the oil, then they would always have low oil pressure as a result. Neither him or I ever parked a car because the engine quit, it was always the bodies.

 As long as you don't over rev it or abuse it, you shouldn't have any problems. If it's been inside, and it looks like the car has been, I'd oil her down, flush the old antifreeze, do some checks, replace ALL the rubber, prime it...and let her rip. After all the crap and oil is burned out of it, replace the plugs once again, change the oil again and you're ready to rumble.    I'd always drive it easy for a while while things got seated in again. And you'll likely soon find a few leaky spots on the carb, valve covers etc. that can be and will need addressed.

[CDXXVII]

Why was it parked? Obviously these cars were run hard and generally mistreated. It is entirely possible there was bottom end trouble. I would fire it but be ready for a quick shut down if nasty noises are emitted.

[Qikbbstang]

FYI: I bought a New Old Stock 427 LeMains short block and found the lube had turned plastic like hard requiring care in forcing apart all the components. Serious brushing with carb cleaner slowly dissolved the dried up lube.

[KMcCullah]

I'm in the "let er rip" group. Pull the valve covers and take a peek first though. Make sure the cam doesn't have a flat lobe. I'd expect most rubber parts to be shot. A full rebuild probably isn't too far off. But I'd have to drive it like it's rented first.    The 63 Galaxie box top I had in high school was a long time "sitter". Heck it was only 20 years old then and only had 55k on the odometer. Dad and I replaced all the fluids and let er rip. It smoked for the first few minutes then all was good. I drove it for all 3 years of high school. Just like it was rented.......

Edit: I'm digging the Mopars BTW. I suppose if there wasn't such a thing as Ford I'd have to mess with Mopars.