Thread: Project Special K

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I figured my neighbors would like me better too! I also forgot to add I replaced the accelerator cable that I put in their originaly from Lokar. It was a stainless cable, nice looking, but kept getting stuck with the pedal on the floor. Turned out it was missing a piece to keep the braided housing from slipping foward on the cable when pressure was applied. I just ordered a standard black cable housing which works great. Not flashy, but functional. Summit said they would refund the original stainless cable no questions. Gotta love good companies that stand behind their products!

Got the passenger side exhaust manifold on no problems. Went to put the driver side on only to find the threaded bolt on the donut end of the stock manifold hits the steering box. Not a big deal just need to get the threaded bolt out and it would then mount up with the engine. Only problem is there is no way the exhaust can be connected to it there.

Since I promised my wife to some other commitments in the afternoon, I tabled doing anything for now. I did pull out the Sanderson header and tried to fit it, but the clearance between the steering box and exhaust flange won't clear unless I loosen the tranny and jack it up with the engine a few inches. It should then clear and bolt in. The header is designed to work around the stock steering box, so it sort of tucks in close to the block and exits towards the front of the bell housing with enought room to plumb around stuff.. So I'll wait until I have some more time and help and just go ahead and permanently mount the headers and take my chances with discoloration.
It was nice dusting off those headers with the silver ceramic coating they look almost like polished aluminum. Oh well in the hot rod world these things happen!

Yeah, no what ya mean, Steve!!! I once had a project where everything went right and everything fit the first time just like it was supposed to.....Then the dream was over, I woke up from my nap, and went back to work!!!!

Originally Posted by stovens

Not a big deal just need to get the threaded bolt out and it would then mount up with the engine. Only problem is there is no way the exhaust can be connected to it there.

Steve,
If you take out the stud can you use a like sized machine bolt & some washers to get enough bite to connect the exhaust temporarily? Put that side on, and then use the longer stud on the opposite side to pull it up so it does not leak too much? Just a thought...

After thinking on what you guys said and looking at the offending stock exhaust manifold, I tried to remove the bolt but it wouldn't budge, after soaking a week in liquid wrench. The manifold has a crack in it, so no real value, therefore I cut the bolt off! It now fits on the engine but will in no way allow a exhaust to be hooked up because of the steering box in the way. So I guess I'll have a loud start up(not by choice) and keep them on just for the cam break in. Next the wiring!

Anybody know where to find a metal battery box/tray that mounts to the firewall. Preferably simple, new and inexpensive?

DECIDED TO GO WITH A BEHIND THE SEAT BATTERY RELOCATION. tHERE IS A REDICULOUS amout of space(god I hate caps lock!) behind the bench seat. So I bought a kit from Summit which comes with 16 feet of 2 guage red wire, and a 3 foot black ground. I also was able to aquire a stock bench seat that someone spent a lot of time cleaning up the frame and putting in new foam and upolstry.
A guy I met on another forum, is building a 48 f1 and had this as an extra so it worked out great for both of us. He lives in wine country, so I had a nice drive in the rain through Napa and Yountville today. The seat is in excellent shape and Tom practically gave it to me, Thanks Tom. It was also great seeing his projects. He has an old international truck thats chopped and lowered that is just stunning, and just completed a 56 ford truck street strip setup with a nice 460 under the hood.
The 48 he has is a work in progress with a cool old camper shell. Anyway [I] wish I took a camera with me to post pics, really nice stuff and a very humble guy! I'm getting psyched to get my own truck running now.

Went to the other forum for trucks and borrowed one of Tom's pictures of his 57 Ford, here yah go, all work done by him with help of folks like you guys. And one of the 48

That's a couple of very nice old Ford Pick-em-ups!!!! That camper is way kewl, I remember when Grandpa had on similar on his old Ford, said it was great for taking a nap when the fish weren't biting!!!!!

Funny you should say that. Tom wants to take it to the beach and camp in it. The 48 already runs well. It's got a 57 312 y block that was in it when he bought it with adapter to OEM non synchro 4speed, plus some sort of early Lincoln rear end. This one won't be a big deal like the street strip 57 or the International(1939 I think?).
Just a cool collection of old trucks.

I took out the old seat today, and test fitted what is a stock 1948 f1 seat I just purchased. It fits great and gives a nice ride height(which sort of makes sense being it's stock), but I can't figure out if it slides back and forth. There is a lever shown in one of the photos below but I can't get it to slide either way. I'll try again once I bolt it in place.
Nasty day out threating to rain any moment!. So, after seat swap I installed my new cheap stereo setup in the garage. The irony is this Harmon Karmon reciever cost me 8 bucks at a thrift shop and came with the original owners manual, the tape deck came off of ebay for less than 50 bucks and the cd player was free.When this system came out I could pay three months rent for the reciever and tape deck alone! A/C D/C was a good test choice. I'm pretty happy with it, and adds some ambiance to garage work!
Here's the seat that was in the truck when I bought it:


And here is the new stock seat in place(note the shifter will have to be raised!) And another photo of the seat from the bottom
As well as the shop stereo setup!

the seat looks nice. that must be a newer cover on it? nice to not have to reupolster. I think I need to upgrade my garage boombox...it is dual cassette though!

I envy you your stereo system there Steve. I too have a little boom box, but most of the time it's silent, for I can't stand the sound polution when I'm out there relaxing, working, therapy, know what I mean. Other times I love having it on, I love music. Nice garage buddy, and your project is moving along fine. Perley

Thanks 35Fordcoupe - It looks like someone did a good job with the frame and re-upholstery. I'm sort of a saddle blanket fan, so I'll take that off the old seat and put it on this one for now. This one has nice vinyl sides, but velor where you sit(velor isn't my thing, although it beats the heck out of vinyl in the hot sun wearing shorts!)
Perley - I have an old friend coming from Ct. over christmas break, I think I'm going to get him to drop by for a few days and get this baby fired up! I know also what you mean about quiet vs. noise! A lot of times I prefer the calm quiet while tinkering out there, yet other times a nice classic rock album gets the blood flowing!
Thanks for the kind words both of you. I have to say even though the seat isn't helping get the motor going, it was a find of the century in it's shape for 100.00 dollars. I'm pretty sure I can sell the old bench for more!

Well I decided to mount the fuse block under the driver's side kick panel area
There is a nice indent area that I can put the fuse panel in and still cover with a kick panel later on. I used a cabinet grade 3/4" thick peice of plywood I had lying around(see never throw stuff away!) and decided to try to adhere it with liquid nails construction adhesive. Anyone ever use this? Well that's it because of the rain, but I brought the wiring kit inside to study the directions! I guess it's beer thirty time!
P.S. stereo system with the almand bros made things nice!

Spent the last few days starting the wiring for the 460. The american autowire kit is pretty straight foward. I managed to wire the fuse box to the ignition switch(GM style) connectors with just a few recrimpings!
Today I routed the battery cables from behind the seat to the starter and frame ground. Had to buy a Irwin step bit for my drill(expensive buggers, wish harbor frieght was closer!). The battery cables came with rubber grommets to protect the cables where the passed thru the floor of the cab. The crip connectors were Huge! 4 gauge wire. I had to crimp them with a chisel and hammer, and then wrapper the bejesus out of them with electrical tape. They also came with clamps so I'll make sure they are secured well on both ends.
The coil wiring wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. I'm using a Mallory internal ground coil that mounts to the firewall, and an inline surge protector to protect the Mallory unilite distributor. What sometimes seams to be complex works out easier than what you'd think. I also got lucky with the Protorque starter since it has the same connectors the wiring kit shows. So now it is just some connection checks for all hoses and lines, some fluid addition, a quick prelube spin of the oil shaft and then hopefully a successfull fireup.