What did you do to your Maverick or Comet today

This is a NOS Cali cap vs a standard cap

 

So this wasn't today or all yesterday. I started in late October with the intent to work on the car at least 1-2 hours per day on the weekends. If I don't it will never see the road again! My combination is a 347 with a TR3550 Tremec, that created issues with the transmission cross member and tunnel clearance. I installed the engine with original mounts and the C4, took readings to give me the rearward angle of the engine so I can keep the correct driveline angle. Here's how it all progressed....

Trans breather hit the tunnel long before I got close to my original reading on the angle finder so I cut.


Wasn't enough....


No room for a cross member, even one of Franks units probably wasn't going to fly here.


Saw one that Hurst offers for the 65-66 Mustang for the TKO and used it for inspiration.


My version before final trimming.

 

Next up was the engine mounts. I saw a build on the Pro Touring forum where a guy used Ruff Stuff mounts and decided I was going to use them. The car was level side to side and I had a reading of zero across the valve covers so I aimed for that.

I used a bar across the shock towers to gauge engine height, I didn't want to move it up or down.


Installed the passenger side to assess how much room I had and where I need to go to connect them to the frame.


Assembled and bolted in. The bolt slid in like butter with a little lift of the jack.


Drivers side done but not as easy installing the bolt. Two days later I saw it when I sent this to my brother, there's a gap on the front pad!

The mount made contact with the coolant drain boss.


Grind and grind some more then cut apart the frame side and start over.


Wrapped it up again, bolt slid in like butter and here is the final reading with the engine self supporting on all the new mounts. I had zero change in height, it paid off to over think it all and take my time. Very happy with how it turned out.

 

From Christmas on it was time to fill the hole but not after I made a shifter handle. I have had a Hurst t-handle that was on my first GTO I bought when I was 18. It has been in every floor shifted vehicle I have ever owned that would accept a 3/8 coarse thread handle.

I used a 5/8 rod, bent it in my press then welded it to some flat plat to attach it to the shifter. Still needs a little more bend but it isn't bad where it is.


I drilled the end and tapped it to 3/8, ran a grade 8 bolt in and cut the head off. As luck would have it, it all tightened up in the perfect position. I was expecting to have to shim it.


Filling the hole took some thinking, in the end I moved the pieces I cut out forward where it mated perfectly with the firewall. It also allowed the sides to flow together better with the filler pieces since the tunnel gets wider at the front. If I went straight up the filler pieces would have stood straight up, moving it forward they follow the contour of the floor better.


Rear piece in next.


Last filler piece made from left over floor pan patches.


And the shifter hole cut and shifter installed.


Once I get it welded completely and the engine back out I will piece together the floor support and weld it back in.

 

Yesterday I started on seat risers. Since Maverick seat rails are as hard to find as honest politicians I chose to do this. I am making these to work with my free to me 70 Mustang seats. My brother got these with a car and knew I was looking so he gave them to me.

My riser so far, it sits level with the outside floor. Once done I will move to the back mount.


I also picked up a console from a 1986 Mustang. It needs a little more trimming and a rear mount made but should fit well once that's done. I have ideas of what I want to do where it meets the dash but will see how it pans out later.

 

Can I change the neck and keep the tank or do I have to change the tank as well??

 

check the mounting bolt pattern and see if they are the same, if so yes.

 

RMiller......I would suggest you make a separate thread on all your work (maybe in the "Garage" section) as I think in time it will get lost in this thread.

 

I plan on it, thought about that after I made the last post!

 

Took the mav on a road trip to Walmart. First time it's been on an actual trip longer than .5 mile. Did well for a 50 yr old car. I'm not happy with the ride at all but I'm taking it to the alignment shop tomorrow to get it dialed in. Still think I need rear springs but the rear shocks are stiff as hell. I had to use a jack to compress them to get them installed. Never have I ever had to do that before so that may be some of it. Overall, very happy it went down the road and didnt break down. Even got up to 63 mph.

 

I went to junkyard to get a roller cam distributor gear. Roll pin came out easy, but the gear laughed at me. Guess I need a puller. Good thing it is close by.

 

If gear doesn't require a puller, it isn't fitting tightly enough. With loose gear, the pin will soon shear.

 

Thanks for that tip Krazy C. I just swapped a steel for a cast gear. Now i gotta check to make sure its tight.

 

1 step closer to firing motor up i put gas in tank (about a gallon) and it got the drippy drip from about 5 or 6 spot.

 

If you did that to an old points distributor, Where did you find a gear?