Bryce's ongoing '73 project thread

Well, I'm a little behind on starting this thread, since I picked up this car in February. Progress has not been as quick as I would like, due to work interference, and me always getting way deeper into things than I initially plan. For example, pulling the engine to clean and paint it and the engine bay turned into stripping it all the way down (minus crank/pistons) to replace every last seal. Even the head gaskets I knew full well didn't need replacing.
Anyways, onto the pictures.

Here it is the day I picked it up. It took three of us about an hour and a half to free it from the snow. Lots of shoveling/ice chopping/pushing/falling/dragging/tire chains/tire spinning.


Taking a short break, while I free my Pathfinder from a snow bank, so we can drag the Maverick the rest of the way out.



Drove it the 15 minute drive home, only getting into the secondaries once, which caused me to go deaf for a few minutes due to the lack of exhaust past the headers. The first order of business was to razor blade all of the "racing" stickers off the glass, then I started attacking the spray painted rims.


After a few cans of aircraft stripper, some bronze wool, and a long blasting at the car wash both layers of paint finally came off, revealing pretty good chrome underneath. Unfortunately I can't find the after pictures.


Currently sporting a comet front bumper, but at least it's a small bumper.


I'm not a huge fan of the interior treatment by the previous owner. I've already tracked down a replacement dash, and lower dash. Still working on door panels, etc. Eventually I will either have a custom center console to house my gauges and switches for the fuel pump/fan/ignition/cutoff etc, or a panel mounted between the dash/lower dash. I've also already purchased a Kwik Wire harness, as much of the wiring in the car looks like what you see under the dash in this picture.


Apparently the previous owner was an Avenged Sevenfold fan.

 

The first order of business was to pull the engine for a good thorough painting of the engine bay/engine. Like stated earlier this turned into practically rebuilding the freshly rebuilt engine. I just finished the re-install today, but a faulty starter solenoid kept me from firing it up. Can't get back into the auto hobby shop until Tuesday, so after pics of the engine bay will have to wait until then.

The engine bay on the day I got the car. The engine was recently rebuilt, but looking a little grungy on the outside. Plenty of goodies though- a Summit dual plane intake manifold, Carter AFB 4BBL, Hooker Headers, RV Cam, new 100 amp alternator. Makes it a little easier to overlook the missing shock tower brace, and the radiator that won't allow the hood to close all the way. The hood is 4 pinned, racing style, which is convenient, but when I put the new one on it will probably get hinges, and definitely get a scoop over the air cleaner.


Open heart surgery time! (Notice the freshly un-painted rims!)


After 3 cans of Oven cleaner, and five bucks worth of quarters at the car wash, I broke through the grime.


Came with the commonly ordered option of the "front left suspension component easy access panel". This is after I cut/ground away some of the mess. Currently it's fiberglassed until I get ahold of some sheet metal and teach myself how to weld.


This picture was taken shortly after the I began dismantling the engine. Believe it or not, it was actually uglier in person.


The next week I got EXTREMELY lucky and managed to find two donor cars. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten. Well, the 4 door might. I was close to hypothermia (not kidding) after spending way too much time laying in the water/ice under the two door wearing a cotton shirt, while trying to remove the parking brake cable assembly, firewall to drums. If you've never tried, its not fun. Still trying to decide whether that bumper is worth hammering on to try and save, so I can replace my Comet bumper.

 

Great progress ! but man you would not find me under those donor cars with the rims as jack stands..

 

Yeah, I spent a good 5 minutes shaking the 2 door to see if it would fall, and I still wasn't comfortable.

 

Yeah no doubt, I dont even like to crawl under cars on jack stands...lol

Good progress work so far.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Great progress! Keep up the good work. Are you going to make it to the Colby cruise?

 

Good progress being made. Sent you a PM too. - Matt

 

Nope, I'll be in Texas for my sister's wedding.

 

looking great! you were talking about needing door panels and i have a set of black ones that are in pretty good shape if your interested. they have some wrinkles around the handles due to a bad glueing job at the factory...

 

You'll find very few sets that don't have some wrinkles there.

 

What's up with the fan (heater blower) motor? I've never seen one like that before?

 

There is no motor. The piece you see is supposed to be mounted to the inside side of the firewall (I think), and had a piece of cardboard stuck in it to block off the hole. I still need to find a clean way to block that hole.

 

The Beast is alive again!
[ame="http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd22/bewinder/?action=view&current=P4280240.flv"]P4280240.flv video by bewinder - Photobucket[/ame]

 

Here's the "before and after" pics of the engine bay. Turns out it wasn't a faulty solenoid causing my problem. I forgot to ground the block. All is good now. Runs like the day I stripped it down. Better actually, now that its in time with new, properly gapped spark plugs and new wires. The only issue I may have to resolve is some possible valve chatter, although it's hard to tell what I'm hearing with no exhaust on the car. Ignore the ugly wiring. I'm going to be rewiring the entire car in the near future, so I didn't work too hard on the wiring in the engine bay, as much of it will be ripped out anyways.