The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 4: Burnouts for Distance

[churchmouse]

Pizza, tunes, and just constant work is where I'm at. Yoinking the trans and engine alone at this point. Which I'm fine with. They wanted some experience on this process and it's just not going well. Not their fault in the slightest.

We have been cutting and removing stuff with no regard to its resale. Like the exhaust. It's just a ton of rust underneath, so every time you look up and smack a wrench on something it rains tetanus down on you. Wearing safety glasses still somehow doesn't solve the issue.

I gotta drain the fluid from the trans, disconnect the lines and wires to it, then drop the crossmember and it should drop down enough for me to get to the engine bolts. Converter nuts are already off. Should be ezpz on the trans jack after that.

Reached out to the head guy at CCRT/MALC and said that I could drop it off at the range to be used for a fighting in/around vehicles course if they wanted. Was gonna scrap to get my money back but I think that is a better use.

That’s the issue. Looking at value and money. Stop. Just rip it’s heart out and let those boys shoot it up.

 

[femurphy77]

After doing this stuff for decades I have lost any and all desiRe to do what our resident mad scientist is doing so I get it in the motivation issues. Tearing into a crapped out mountaineer is absolutely the last thing I want to do.
One tool you seriously need to help speed this along. A smoke wrench. Watch the monkeys in the scrap yard rip an engine out in 15 minutes. Complete with trans attached.
Stop trying to do a clean job. just rip it out. Throw the rest away.

Remember, he's working in his garage at home. Push it outside, break out the blue tip and visual progress will be amazing!

Personally, I've been making up for the good Doctors roadblocks! The IRS is fully mounted, and the brake lines are plumbed. I still need to hook up the parking brakes then I can install the aluminum driveshaft then it only needs exhaust under it. In the meantime, I'm going to get started on the front brakes, they too came off of a Terminator Cobra. I'm also installing the Terminator hydroboost. I'm also updating the steering rack to, you guessed it, Terminator. A little more undercarriage bracing and then, crap, forgot that changing from 4 lug to 5 lug requires changing the wheels.

It's a never-ending battle but it's giving me something to do until it warms up.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Remember, he's working in his garage at home. Push it outside, break out the blue tip and visual progress will be amazing!

Personally, I've been making up for the good Doctors roadblocks! The IRS is fully mounted, and the brake lines are plumbed. I still need to hook up the parking brakes then I can install the aluminum driveshaft then it only needs exhaust under it. In the meantime, I'm going to get started on the front brakes, they too came off of a Terminator Cobra. I'm also installing the Terminator hydroboost. I'm also updating the steering rack to, you guessed it, Terminator. A little more undercarriage bracing and then, crap, forgot that changing from 4 lug to 5 lug requires changing the wheels.

It's a never-ending battle but it's giving me something to do until it warms up.

Terminator Cobra is still a bucket list car for me. I’ll never get over my love for those.

 

[thunderchicken]

Dang all you guys wrenching away on the project cars and the only thing we've done to our since early October is pull the transmission and just ordered a new torque converter to run it N/A.
Since Spring is around the corner now, I better start thinking about ordering some new slicks and some fuel (not designed for a power adder). Oh and I need to drop the transmission off to be freshened up.
No rush, still about 6 weeks until the first race of the season

 

[femurphy77]

Terminator Cobra is still a bucket list car for me. I’ll never get over my love for those.

I chased a Terminator ragtop for a while and then got sidetracked. While I was sidetracked their prices climbed considerably.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I chased a Terminator ragtop for a while and then got sidetracked. While I was sidetracked their prices climbed considerably.

Yep. Nice ones used to be in the low 20’s. Now all the nice ones are in the 30’s.

 

[gregkl]

You guys know I am envious of the stuff you are working on. And I am usually practical to my own detriment, lol.

I have been trying to talk myself into a hot rod or a square body for a long time now. You know, relive my younger days. But every time I head down that road I get that "doubt" in my mind that this isn't the right path for me at my stage in life.

So I have decided to buy an XJ Cherokee. We had an '88 back in '92, bought with 48K on the odometer. We put over 100K on it, passed it to my daughter who drove it through college, then sold it to a roofer. Far as I know, it could still be on the road.

It is easy to work on, simple and fairly utilitarian. They are increasing in prices but I think I can get in on one before they climb to square body prices.

I will be looking for an unmolested 95-99 without rust. The mechanicals I don't care about as long as they are all there. My goal first will be restoration to factory original for the most part. No rock crawler or flexomatic mud bogger, just a tasteful, capable 4X4.

In the end I will have good "retirement" vehicle that I will enjoy and will provide years of tinkering if I feel the urge. It will travel in any kind of weather, haul stuff, pull a small trailer and be somewhat economical.

Wish me luck. I have started my search out in the west, southwest and southern states to get away from the rust.

 

[Jaybird1980]

You guys know I am envious of the stuff you are working on. And I am usually practical to my own detriment, lol.

I have been trying to talk myself into a hot rod or a square body for a long time now. You know, relive my younger days. But every time I head down that road I get that "doubt" in my mind that this isn't the right path for me at my stage in life.

So I have decided to buy an XJ Cherokee. We had an '88 back in '92, bought with 48K on the odometer. We put over 100K on it, passed it to my daughter who drove it through college, then sold it to a roofer. Far as I know, it could still be on the road.

It is easy to work on, simple and fairly utilitarian. They are increasing in prices but I think I can get in on one before they climb to square body prices.

I will be looking for an unmolested 95-99 without rust. The mechanicals I don't care about as long as they are all there. My goal first will be restoration to factory original for the most part. No rock crawler or flexomatic mud bogger, just a tasteful, capable 4X4.

In the end I will have good "retirement" vehicle that I will enjoy and will provide years of tinkering if I feel the urge. It will travel in any kind of weather, haul stuff, pull a small trailer and be somewhat economical.

Wish me luck. I have started my search out in the west, southwest and southern states to get away from the rust.

I looked for a couple years, was wanting to get one for the daughter to drive. I should have looked where you're looking because everything local was trashed with rust or already modded pretty heavily.

 

[bobzilla]

Starting the prep on the Rio for One Lap and a year of Grid Life, fitted the camber plates from my old Forte. I still need to find some end links that are around 10-11" in length with both facing the same direction and 12mm bolts. Once I get that I can reinstall the suspension and start more prep.

Anyone got a reasonable source for adjustable length endlinks?

 

[gregkl]

I looked for a couple years, was wanting to get one for the daughter to drive. I should have looked where you're looking because everything local was trashed with rust or already modded pretty heavily.

Well, we will see what I find. I went to the driest parts of the country looking for a squarebody and found rust everywhere.

Hopefully I can score one of these in better condition. They have their rust prone areas too.

 

[bobzilla]

Well, we will see what I find. I went to the driest parts of the country looking for a squarebody and found rust everywhere.

Hopefully I can score one of these in better condition. They have their rust prone areas too.

I mean I can probably hook you up with a rust free c10

 

[gregkl]

I mean I can probably hook you up with a rust free c10

I mean I can probably hook you up with a rust free c10

Probably not in my price range and condition I'm looking for, lol.

 

[Flingarrows]

Afternoon gearheads. I am looking for a place near Greenwood that can clean/flush out the 1/2" of diesel sludge in the bottom of a truck fuel tank. Any suggestions or real world experience

 

[Flingarrows]

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[thunderchicken]

Starting the prep on the Rio for One Lap and a year of Grid Life, fitted the camber plates from my old Forte. I still need to find some end links that are around 10-11" in length with both facing the same direction and 12mm bolts. Once I get that I can reinstall the suspension and start more prep.

Anyone got a reasonable source for adjustable length endlinks?

Are you looking for sway bar end links?

If so, what I would do is just buy 4 tube end inserts and 4 heim joints (2 LH & 2 RH thread) and an appropriate size piece of tubing. Cut it to whatever length you need and slap a couple bolts with nylock nuts through the ends and be done with it. That will also give you the ability should you choose to do so, to add some preload to the sway bar or adjust it to be completely neutral.

 

[thunderchicken]

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I don't normally deal with diesel. I have seen a couple guys at work who have had to clean sludgy junk out of some old saddle tanks. From my understanding they just soaked them with mineral spirits for a couple days and flushed/siphoned them out with shop air. There's probably a better way but it maybe an option

 

[ghuns]

I don't normally deal with diesel. I have seen a couple guys at work who have had to clean sludgy junk out of some old saddle tanks. From my understanding they just soaked them with mineral spirits for a couple days and flushed/siphoned them out with shop air. There's probably a better way but it maybe an option

My old man restores old JD two cylinders. The standard procedure for tank cleaning is to pour a gallon of MEK in the tank and strap it to the wheel of a running tractor on jack stands, or drive it around for an hour...

 

[femurphy77]

My old man restores old JD two cylinders. The standard procedure for tank cleaning is to pour a gallon of MEK in the tank and strap it to the wheel of a running tractor on jack stands, or drive it around for an hour...

Man that's a great idea!

 

[ws6guy]

Got a feeling this won't be cheap. Lost all forward gears in 2013 Silverado this morning. Pulling out in front of car and got on the gas fairly hard and when she got to 2nd gear there was a thump and the engine rev'd. Doesn't go into any forward gears but I still have reverse. Got it towed to the shop and hopefully will have a diagnoses today or tomorrow. Kind of surprised me with only 99k miles and it's the old 4 speed.

 

[jeffsqartan]

Got a feeling this won't be cheap. Lost all forward gears in 2013 Silverado this morning. Pulling out in front of car and got on the gas fairly hard and when she got to 2nd gear there was a thump and the engine rev'd. Doesn't go into any forward gears but I still have reverse. Got it towed to the shop and hopefully will have a diagnoses today or tomorrow. Kind of surprised me with only 99k miles and it's the old 4 speed.

Zoinks. Do you know if it's a 4l60e or a 4l80e or something else? I've heard the 60's can be fragile. 80's are supposed to be tanks.