Catching Up and Slowing Down

The parts arrived from Vintage Air, so I decided to concentrate my efforts on the firewall while I still have easy access.

 Because of the curved design of the vent system under the dash the condenser will not fit flush against the fire wall, so once again I had to cut and bend sheet metal to make an adapter for the AC parts. Making the adapter was simple enough, but very time consuming.

I also mounted the Delphi Weatherpack firewall connector. It looks odd, but the quality is far better than the typical OEM part usually found in that application.

I had a chance to connect some of the upgraded wire I ordered and while it’s very high quality, it’s almost impossible to remove the insulation with the typical strippers found on inexpensive crimp tools.  That means I finally had a good reason to order a Stripmaster squeeze-type wire stripper for gauges 16-26, and it works wonderfully! It won’t work on the larger wire sizes, but I have a coax stripper that will do the job for those few sizes. The additional wire I had on order also arrived so I now have enough different colors and sizes to finish wiring the dash.

Unfortunately, due to some minor surgery, I’m going to be limited in what I can do for at least the next two weeks, so progress will once again slow down.  In the meantime I can order more parts and design a few of the things I’ve put on the back burner.

Got a call from the upholstery shop and everything is in work with an estimate of a week to ten days to complete. I hope it actually takes a little longer as the doctor ordered no heavy lifting and those seats are heavy

Some Good News...More Bad

After nearly two days without Internet, it’s clear how vulnerable we would be if terrorists dispense with the shooting and concentrate on disrupting communications!

It’s been a good news, bad news week, so first the bad news.

I worked on the transmission end of the shifter setup and it’s not looking good for using the pushbuttons to shift. The mockup shifter worked fine, but after remaking it from the heavier material required for everyday operation, the force required to push the buttons  has become excessive. Part of the problem is in the cable design, so before giving up, I’ll try to find a smoother operating cable. I might also need to install a bearing in at least one of the pivot points. I don’t really like that idea as the shifter area is too open to mud and other debris, and a sealed bearing is a bit of overkill.

Before wiring the dash, I temporarily hung it in place to determine the best wire harness routing and to check for any interference issues. I’m glad I did as I discovered the new radio touched the windshield wiper motor. I can get about a quarter inch more clearance by modifying the mounting position, so I worked on that yesterday. If that doesn’t provide enough room, I can get a bit more with a small tweak to the wiper motor mount.

Another small issue is the water pump. With the stock replacement pump installed, the timing mark is nearly obscured by the position of the lower hose, so I decided to order a later model pump with the hose breakout on the opposite side. That pump arrived yesterday, but I quickly learned that it created a different problem. Now the ’66 alternator bracket won’t fit, as the new pump is missing a location for one of the bracket mounting bolts. I might also have to either use a later model timing marker and remark the damper, or locate a different bracket. I’ll need some more think-time for that one.

The last unwanted discovery occurred when I installed the oil pressure sender that was provided with the new gauge set. It interferes with the unique design of the aftermarket Chrysler Power intake manifold, and as I’m not ready to machine a notch in the manifold, a change in the sender mounting is in order. That problem goes on the back burner for a while.

After the rash of new problems, I decided to try something else, so I took on the job of installing the suspended accelerator pedal. I had previously made that mod to my ’73 D100 and ’64 Valiant without any problems as I was able to bolt them directly to the firewall by doing nothing more than drilling new holes. I suspected more would be needed on this car, and I was right. To get it located in the proper position I had to design a new bracket to accommodate the angled firewall. While the multi-angle bracket was a pain to make the pedal is now installed. That job reminded me that I have to send Gary Goers my old brake pedal core so he can mold a new one.

With the dash installed, I was able to make a cardboard mockup of the Vintage Air evaporator to verify that it would fit, and it appears that it will, so I ordered it yesterday.

Still working on the wiring diagrams so I can order parts for that project.

Time to Think About Wiring

Windy and cold today, so I’ll stay in the house see if I can find a way to merge hookup information from the several Mopar makes and models and aftermarket parts into one understandable wiring diagram. First efforts tell me this could take some time, and since I usually play background music when I’m thinking, I’ll share one of my favorites from the Righteous Brothers.

Brake Pedal and Master Cylinder

More parts arrived, so I've been able to assemble a few more things. The engine is now ready to install, and I finished fabricating the transmission linkage, so on the next warm day I'll mate the engine and transmission and install them.

I also installed the brake pedal and master cylinder. It was an easy job as the stock brake pushrod fit with only minor modification, and it is adjustable for length. I did have to grind a small amount from the diameter so the ball end would fit into the master cylinder opening, but that was a five minute job.

Until the weather improves, I'll take care of several small jobs I've put aside. First up will be assembling and wiring the dashboard. I will also have to design and fab a bracket to hold the suspended gas pedal.

Another Year Gone by...More Memories of Feb 3,1959

The past year has been the final one for many well-known musicians, but at least they had the time to realize their greatness and to enjoy growing old gently. The best of the best were never given the opportunity to share a lifetime and good memories with family and friends. That will be left to those of us who were blessed to have experienced the special time that will remain forever in our hearts. We will never know if the music created the generation, or if the generation created the music, but the important thing is that it happened. Fifty-seven years later, the corn fields of Iowa are again covered with freshly fallen snow as with sadness we recall the day the music died.