Brief Update

Been a while since I posted an update, so I thought I’d bring things up to date…

The principals at F3 do fantastic work and LOVE working on the old stuff, customs and hot rods... but the problem they are facing is finding skilled labor THAT WILL COME TO WORK EVERYDAY! They have been searching for craftsmen to come in and work the insurance jobs (@ flat rate) so they can focus on the classics. They have had my car since May and that's the very reason it is so far behind schedule... a guy will start, work a couple weeks, earn a good check and then disappear. They need the insurance work to keep the doors open and lights on so they can pursue their passion, which means THEY have to work the paying jobs because they can't find dependable help.

That being said, this week (Oct 22-27) is scheduled to be another oldies week… If they can replicate the progress they made last oldies week, my car should be in primer by the weekend! Just a few pieces to finish fitting up for the inner structure and they will be ready to finish weld and dress out the repairs prior to painting with POR15 and then rehang the rear quarter and install the donor roof skin. Once all that is completed, it will be time to hit all the exposed steel with a scotch-brite pad in preparation for the first coats of primer! Been waiting years to say that!

The guys at F3 will also be welding on the frame brackets for the forward reinforcement bars as well as straightening the lower core support crossbar prior to returning the Torino to the dealership for me to finish up detailing the frame and engine compartment and a few other areas I want to finesse prior to final paint and assembly.

I haven’t been totally dormant while I’ve waited on the Tomato’s return. I have lined up a new 460 for the car that I will be purchasing from a fellow GTS forum member and picking up the first weekend of November. The engine specs are as follows:

Rebuilt Ford 460 engine with less than 5000 miles
- Block hot tanked, magnafluxed, honed, bored .30 over
- Stock Ford Rods and Pistons, New Mahle Rings, Clevite Bearings, gaskets and seals
- Cam Adv. Duration = 280/290 Duration at .050 = 214/224 Lift = .516/.543 Centerline = 107/117
- new plugs, timing chain & hv oil pump
- crank ground and polished
- heads prepped and cc'd 85cc combustion chambers 9:4 to 1 compression
- new valves with 3 angle valve job, new bronze guides
- exhaust ports of heads ported to remove EGR hump
- balanced
- Edelbrock Aluminum Performer Intake Manifold #2166

- Rebuilt Holley #3310 750cfm 4 barrel carburetor

Cleared off my engine stand and got it all cleaned up for the new addition. I also checked out the air cleaner assembly I have for my car and found I have a 429 base (snorkel vacuum port mounted to bottom of housing just behind the carb) and a later 460 cover (snorkel vacuum port mounts to lid). A bit more scrounging thru my parts cache and I found an early lid that I will need to work just a bit and I'll have the air cleaner like I had on my old LE. In the warmer months, I would replace the full size OEM lid with a 14" chrome aftermarket lid that allowed the outer perimeter of the air cleaner element to be open so it could breathe a bit easier. When cooler temps arrived, I would replace the factory lid to be able to utilize the heat riser function of the snorkel. I also purchased a NOS engine block heater (freeze plug style) off eBay since the 460 in my project Torino came with one and also picked up a set of taillight fillers.

Hopefully my next update will be a bit more constructive!

More to come...

ZEBRA 3 OUT