August 2019 Update.....

Been a couple weeks since I posted an update. Progress on the Tomato has been put on hold until my carb guru shows up to tweak the Holley, so I have been addressing some issues on my '64 Fairlane 500 Ranch Wagon.

I have however accomplished a couple small tasks on the Torino. I trimmed out my package shelf template and test fit it in the car...

as well as comparing it to the original panel. Fit nicely in the car and matched the original piece pretty well. Will now get a piece of tempered hardboard and have the new panel cut out at work on our computerized router.

I also dropped off the FlowMasters at the powder coaters and had them ceramic coated...

Also repositioned the Torino so I can tack weld the small flanges onto the core support for transmission cooler line clearance.

Until next time...…..

ZEBRA 3 OUT

TEST DRIVE!!!

Well, some good results this weekend! First up, I reconnected the battery, removed the carb cover and fired her up to get heat into the engine and to also check one last time for any leaks...

While she was running, I had to get a shot low and behind to see how things were going in the exhaust...

Once the engine got hot, the thermostat did open up and everything began circulating and she kept everything in, so I then checked the transmission fluid and oil to insure they were where they need to be, had 20+ psi oil pressure at idle and 40+ when rev'ed so I felt pretty confident she was ready to roll. Shut her off and let her sit for about 10 minutes to see if I might have a heat soak issue getting her to refire hot (I'd guess it was almost 100 degrees upstairs since it was 90+ outside and sunny).

The moment of truth arrived and I crossed my fingers...…

She lit right off without issue, dropped her into gear was able to hold her in place holding the brake and bringing up the rpm's, so I let my foot off the brake and she began moving under her own power after 8 or 9 years! Tried the brake again as she rolled backwards and they clamped down good. Once I was back as far as she could go, I put her in drive and again foot braked her against the engine and the brakes held until the rpm's got to the point the rear brakes started to get overdriven and the rear tires began to turn over, but the front brakes held her in place so I'm confident I'll be able to safely drive her down the ramp to load onto the rollback to take her for her ride to the bodyshop!

All in all a good day, but I did discover I had a power steering issue that I need to figure out (no assist) in the days ahead.

The fun never stops!

Until next installment....

ZEBRA 3 OUT

DEARBORN, THE TOMATO HAS LANDED!!

With the leaks resolved, it was time for her to come back down to Earth. For the first time since October 2013 she is setting on all four tires.

She's setting a bit too high in the front...

but I'll wait until I get everything rehung and adjusted before trying to lower her.... besides, I'm sure once I get that 500 pound front bumper assembly back on, she'll come down a bit!!

I am happy with how she's setting in the rear...

just about the ideal rear fender clearance. Again, I'm sure she'll come down a bit more once the rear bumper is rehung.

Next weekend, I'll hook her up to the 5 gallon fuel can and really get some heat into her to insure everything is fine under pressure and get the transmission fluid up to where it's supposed to be hot, idling in Park. Once I've got the fluids topped off, it will be time to see how she goes under her own power.... but on a short leash for now! LOL

Fingers crossed.... Stay tuned!

ZEBRA 3 OUT

Details 128...

To bring you up to date since my last post, nothing major has taken place.

Weekend before last, I helped a buddy with his car, so nothing got done on the Tomato.

Last weekend, I added teflon tape to the radiator drain cock to aid in sealing...

shot some paint on the core support petcock clearance relief...

finished fabricating a filler piece for the core support transmission cooler lines clearance cutout...

and then spent some time using my borescope to try and determine if the passenger side footwell dimple could be used as a wireway for the siren/police radio wiring. Couldn't be 100% sure, so I'll just wait until the car is apart in the body shop and then I can get a really clear look.

This weekend, I got everything put back together up front.

Next weekend I need to finish routing the trans cooler lines and get them connected then refill the radiator, check the power steering and transmission fluids and the ole girl can be lit off again after a few weeks being dormant. If all stays dry, then perhaps I'll set her down on the ground for the first time!!

Stay tuned and wish me luck!!

ZEBRA 3 OUT

Details 127...

A little bit of metalwork this weekend. Added the clearance radius for the drain petcock wings...

and trimmed the core support for clearance around the transmission cooler hoses..

I'll have to leave welding it in to the body shop because the welder won't reach from where it's setting. Next weekend, I'll reinstall everything.

Stay tuned....

ZEBRA 3 OUT

Details 126

Last weekend, I made a bit more progress... got the mounting bosses welded onto the Flowmasters this week at work...

so I hung then just to verify they work OK...

then sandblasted them so I could drop them off for powder coating once I determine how I want to do them.

Blasted the grill/header brace and shot it with a couple coats of chassis black...

and then pressurized the cooling system looking for the leaks. Only visible sign was a bit of seepage around the radiator drain petcock. Got a spacer to extend it out a bit farther beyond the core support flange and I think I'm going to replace the thermostat gasket and the mounting hardware with slightly shorter bolts to resolve that issue as well.

This weekend, I drained the radiator so I could see what the issue was with the drain petcock wings hitting the core support flange. Since I couldn't open the drain all the way due to the interference, it was a long and agonizing process that seemed to take forever!

Once the level got below the upper radiator hose level, I pulled off the upper hose and thermostat housing to replace the gasket. Evidently the gasket that came with the thermostat (or the one they sold me with the thermostat?) was a junk paper gasket that was totally mush when I pulled the housing off the intake manifold. I coated the Fel-Pro gasket with gasket sealer and stuck it onto the hose outlet housing awaiting re-installation. Also checked the thread depth on the housing mounts into the intake manifold and they're plenty deep enough for the stock hardware, so the issue was entirely that gasket.

When the radiator had finally stopped draining, I removed the lower radiator hose, transmission lines and fan shroud then removed the upper hold downs and pulled the radiator and drained the residual coolant into the catch pan.

Comparing the replacement radiator with the OEM radiator, I found that the drain hole was 1/2" lower in the new one accounting for the interference. I trimmed away a portion of the rubber lower insulator to clear the petcock wings and also plan on taking a die grinder and adding a slight relief to the core support flange for that extra little bit of clearance.

Once these two issues are resolved, I (hopefully) will have no further coolant leaks!! ... and by the way, that Evans Waterless Coolant is the oilest stuff ever. I thought regular coolant was bad, but this stuff is almost impossible to wipe up, but once my leaks are resolved, I should never have to deal with it again!

Details 125...

Not a lot to report since my last post....

The following weekend I had a funeral to attend out of town so nothing was done, but I did get the exhaust flex connectors dropped off at the powdercoaters and the new master cylinder arrived that week.

The next weekend, I visited a restoration shop and then when I got to the dealership, I went on a coolant leak hunt.... one is at the thermostat housing. The gasket is wet and squishy so I'll replace the gasket with a quality FelPro one as well as maybe a slightly shorter set of bolts. The second seems to be the radiator petcock drain barrel ever so slightly hitting the lower rubber radiator cushion and perhaps deflecting a bit causing it to leak a little, so I'll get a male/female nipple to extend it a bit past the cushion and hopefully seal correctly.

Last weekend, I spent about three hours wiping down the suspension and the underside of the car to clean off the exhaust soot.

Also had another funny leak show up. After cleaning everything up under the car, I cycled the steering thru it's travel lock to lock three or four times. When I went to close the hood, I noticed a couple spots of transmission fluid has leaked from the power steering pump. It threw me for a loop because the engine was not running, so it was simply moving everything stop to stop that caused the leak. My buddy Jim happened to be at the dealership so I asked him to come give me a hand for a minute. When I had him run the steering thru it's travel several more times than I did, not a single friggen drop appeared. I laughed and told him it always happens that way when I bring a car into the dealership for diagnosis.... NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENS!! The consensus seems to be it was an air bubble burp out the fill tube of the pump. Time will tell....

This weekend, I began the process of removing all the mock up assemblies to prepare the Tomato for her trip to the body spa! LOL, I removed the trans cooler and AC condenser and while I had the grill/header panel brace out, I took the opportunity to relocate the AC ambient temperature switch to clear the trans cooler hardware.

I also removed the muffler hangers from the frame and located the hanger boss locations on the Flowmasters so I can get them welded into place.

When I was under the car rehanging the muffler hangers, I snagged one of the collector V-bands and mocked together the collector/flex pipe/exhaust cutout to see how they were going to fit together...

Not a fan of the different finishes from the flex pipe back. I kinda like the polished stainless look, but the muffler isn't stainless nor polished, so I need to figure out how to make it all look good together... hmmmm.

Getting real close to turning her loose to the body shop....

Don't touch that dial!

ZEBRA 3 OUT