Lookin' Good! Should look mighty purdy with a fresh coat of Nailhead green! :TU: I can't wait until next weekend! I am thrilled! :grin:
Yards, I just got back from the Englishtown swap meet. CARS wasn't there (so no green paint), and I couldn't find the dual quads or aluminum valve covers. But I did get a case of black primer, some red, orange, and yellow spray paint for the flame job, and some cool 22" wire wheels....the Carter AFB is jetted back to stock specs, and ready to go! What's your schedule for tomorrow? is 10 am-ish good?
10AM is GOOD!!! Come on over! I have the hood and fenders already taped off for the flames, so it should only take us an hour or so to finish that. I was hoping for some 26" wheels, but your 22's will suffice. Anyone know the head bolt torque specs please? And can someone post an engine bay photo of a 66 wildcat? A shop manual photo is OK or a real pic too. Just want to confirm I put things back together the way they are supposed to go.
Could you guys spray bomb a coat of purple in the largest metal flake you can find before you flame it? That'll really look great! :laugh: Or maybe you can totally do an Overhaulin' like the car below! Next weekend in Yardley's driveway => :3gears:
65-80 ft lbs according to '66 service manual. Hey, I can break-in my new Craftsmen torque wrench!! Guess I'll bring the service manual too...
Yards, 8 more bolts & you can pull the intake. Then you can prime & paint the valley pan & intake & heads even better. The intake gaskets are shim steel & can be reused many times. No need to remove the distributor or drain coolant. You just need to clean them, which you are so GOOD AT & put them back in the same location & direction. Go to the hardware store & in the plumbing department you'll find slightly concave washers with a hard rubber seal bonded to them. These can be used as the seals for the valley pan & valve cover bolts. They seal things up real nice & look like they belong there & appear stock. The stock type gaskets that go under these bolts haven't been available for years. You'll need six of them 5/16ths. I'll bring a set of intake gaskets & some BUICK GREEN spray paint & washers when I come down just in case. Anything else you can think of that you may need??? If so just fire away. Tom T.
How about a set of ROLLER ROCKERS :laugh: Tom, how do you fell about plugging the exhaust heat passage holes in the intake. I'd like to put in some 3/8" plugs to block the exhaust from the carb.
You guys are great! Exhaust needs to happen sooner rather than later. It's gotta sound and perform like a Buick should! I imagine that'll be custom bent as I don't think anything is available aftermarket for a '66 Wildcat. I'm thinking of using the Walker (17749 by memory?) long case mufflers I pulled off my GSX as I will probably put a Gardner concours exhaust like Carl's on that car. Additionally, I have (4) BFG T/A's that I pulled off that car as well. I need to find suitable rims. I'd like to have this car have an "old school" flair, so I'm thinking either Cragar SS or Torque Thrust. I'm leaning toward Cragar's, always loved those! I have five 15x7 GS rallyes that are in decent shape to sell (as I bought five repros for the GSX) to help offset the rim purchase. Also, need to figure out how to get posi in there. Thanks to everyone that has offered advice, tips, and to help wrench on this car. It couldn't be done without you! Yardley, I can't say enough how absolutely tickled pink I am about this car and the friendship you have shown me. It's always said that it's about more than the cars. I think this is a prime example of that and one for the history books. :TU:
Why not put those rallyes on the 'Cat? Isn't the exhaust on your X a 3"? I remember a 3" with an X-pipe. No?
Yards- The rallyes have the smaller car bolt pattern, I need 5x5 for the Cat. I thought about big car stock rallyes, but they are 15x6, a bit narrow for some decent size meat. I forget the actual numbers on the tires, but they are the size that is most comparable to G60's, 245/60-15 maybe? If I recall, they require a 7" and up rim. The exhaust is 2.5", so the mufflers should do fine. The tailpipes, head pipes, and down pipes are Torque Tech. The X pipe is from the guy out on Long Island that sells them, Nick something or other, can't remember. I'll sell at least the pipes and maybe the whole thing if the mufflers don't make sense for the Cat application.
Ken , I am going through the exhaust thing with my 66 as well. There isn't anything out there pre made for the big cars buick or other wise. Flowmaster makes a universal mandrel bent kit that you assemble and fit yourself to fit your application that I ordered yesterday. Unfortunately the intermediate pipes do not look like they will work as they are symetrical and the cat trans crossmember cut outs are spaced differently on either side of the trans tailshaft. I ordered some additional lengths of straight 2.5 inch pipe that i am hoping will work out if I use some creativity(and probably the torch, welder and sawzall). I went with the 2.5 inch so I can use the mufflers that came with the car but going by what is shown in the diagram in the chassis manual I probably would have been better off with the 2.25 inch there is very llittle clearance under the crossmember for the intermediate driveshaft bearing. My biggest concern is the head pipes connecting to the factory manifolds, I am going to have to get them bent up and of course they won't be mandrel bent as I would have preferred but there doesn't seem to be a lot to choose from for the nailhead.I will let you know how it works out , and post some pics if i can get a descent shot in my garage .
If nothing else there will be a set of Adjustable Roller Tip Rocker Arms in a certain Riviera driving down. Who knows, I may just have some sets by then. As for blocking off the heat riser. I wouldn't do it, especially if Ken will be driving it when it's cold outside. The carb. will ice up & the throttle will freeze up especially if it's damp or humid as hell, also will run like do-do & hesitate badly until fully warmed. I would open the heat riser & leave it open. Believe it or not the stock exhaust manifolds flow pretty well. If I were to put on headers it would be full length not shorty's. But this is just my opinion. You will also be hard pressed to get 2 1/2" pipes past the crossmember & between the rear body over the rear axle. Again, my opinion, Cragers are just to much chrome for a classy car like a Wildcat, remember, "A Gentelmen's Hot Rod". The stock wheels, even though they are only 6" wide can handle some pretty big meats. On another note, Ken don't be talkin' about any "Pink" as you know who's lurking around these parts. Before you know people will start gettin' the wrong idea!!!!!! Tom T.
