April 29, 2012 - The Road to Drag Week 2012

[jayb]

After some help last weekend I was able to get the Galaxie together for a test drive on Wednesday night.  Just went down the street a mile or so and turned around, but the car seemed to behave exactly the same as it always had, which is to say it ran and drove beautifully.  I needed tabs for it, and had to finish up with some minor details, and then of course Saturday it rained all day and I didn't want to go out for a shakedown cruise in that weather.  But today it was nice here in Minneapolis, so off I went.  Made the first trip to the gas station, then to the local car wash, and then came back home to give the car a good once over before going out again.  Here's a couple of photos of the car in the driveway:





Went out again and put 100 miles or so on the car, just driving around in the city and on the freeway, seeing how it behaved.  The car ran without a hitch, although I think I'll need to be doing a little further tuning on the EFI system to correct a few minor stumbles and flat spots at various points on the VE map. 

Feeling like the Galaxie was a reliable driver, I came back home and spent a couple hours cleaning up the shop, after the thrash of getting the SOHC together and back in the car.  Then I rolled the next "victim" out of the garage, and washed it off in preparation for pulling the engine:



The Mach 1 is now on the lift and I am trying to design an oil pan that will fit in the car and allow me to use the existing headers, which offer excellent ground clearance and are still 2 1/8" primary tubes.  I am also starting to draw up a bracket that will mount the Peterson oil pump on the lower right side of the engine compartment.  These two things have to be done before I can finish assembling the engine.  My pistons are on the way back from coating at Polydyn, so I should have those by the middle of this week.  Then all that is left is the balancing work, and I can start assembling the high riser.  I expect it to start going together by mid May, with a dyno session around the end of the month.  If all goes well, I'll be driving the Mach 1 in mid-June, and starting to assemble the big SOHC about that time.  Probably won't have the Shelby clone together until the end of July, by this schedule, but hopefully that will leave enough time to get in some track time for that car too.

It's going to be a fun year at Drag Week 

[WConley]

Very nice Jay 

Good luck on Phase II of the DW project.

[ToddK]

Jay, I love reading about your Drag Week adventures. I don't know how you find the time for all the work you are doing - it took me nearly 2 months just to do an intake and cam swap!!

I just wish I lived a little closer, I'm sure you could use another trunk monkey in one of you cars.

[machoneman]

Go Jay, go....LOL!

[Cyclone03]

Jay when was the last time you had 4 Hot Rods running at the same time. I'm assuming the GT still runs.

[cammerfe]

For those who wonder how Jay gets so much done, and also would like an absolutely hilarious 'read', may I suggest you winkle out a copy of "The Girl, The Gold Watch, And Everything" by John D. McDonald. It'll explain everything!

KS

[rcodecj]

I like the color on the mach1, good to see the hood is down.   

[jayb]

Jay when was the last time you had 4 Hot Rods running at the same time. I'm assuming the GT still runs.

Yep, the GT still runs, because I haven't started with the FE swap yet    It has been quite a while since four of the really GOOD cars (FE cars) have been running at once.  But, my 69 Galaxie convertible with the 460 is drivable, and so is my 68 Mustang fastback with the 302.  And, so is my '60 Thunderbird, and that does have an FE.  So I'm not totally without drivers.  But it would be nice to have all 5 FE cars running at once, and by the end of the summer I might have 4 of them operational.  My 68 Shelby is at least a year away from running, though.

[427Fastback]

Care to share a little info on the 68 Fastback.......Cory

[jayb]

It's nothing real special, its just a fairly clean 68 fastback.  Has a 302 and a four speed, and the turn signal hood, and when I got it I installed a '67 deluxe interior in it.  It's been repainted the original color and had quarter panels put on it, but overall its not in too bad a shape.  Future plans involve an FE, maybe cammer, transplant.

[427Fastback]

Looks good..My 68 was a small block auto when I got it in 77.By 1988 it had the 427 4spd in it.
Your car looks like a early model 68(as is mine).That explains the lack of rear reflectors as they were sunken in and those quarters are unobtainium.

The 67 deluxe interior looks great...I see you even used a 67 rear view mirror...The floor console and correct seats are getting to be pretty valuable..
Nice job..
Cory

[jayb]

My '68 Shelby is an early one too, number 128 in the Shelby production sequence for 1968, and it has the sunken in quarters around the reflectors.  I have a set of replacement quarter panels for it, but they were acquired ten years ago.  I didn't realize they were getting scarce.

That '67 deluxe interior is my all time favorite Mustang interior.  My first car, which was a '67 fastback that my Dad gave me in 1976 for a high school graduation present, had that interior.  I sold that car in 1978 so I could afford to buy my Shelby, but I always regretted not keeping it, so when I got the '68 fastback I just had to throw that interior in there.

[ScotiaFE]

Love the Fastback Jay. Looks way better than mine. lol
Needs a big snorting FE though.
The plate is almost perfect. Just needs an I. Ya my mind is always in the gutter.

[jayb]

You're cracking me up Howie LOL!  Guess I'd better make sure my wife never drives that car...

[Qikbbstang]

Jay with several guys going for NHRA licenses in the Galaxie, does she still have that "trick column shifter" ?     

[jayb]

Yep, same old shifter.  I like the idea of having a bench seat, column shift, full size Ford that runs 9s in the quarter mile