1968 SportWagon Revival

Upgraded to a 5/8 oil pickup tube and came to find out it now wanted to fight the oil pan. Had to clearance the oil pan for them to play nice. More to come…

 

Cool project

 

I’m happy to share some more pictures of the progress. We set the short block into the frame a few weeks ago. Bolted the flex plate on. Installed my eBay converter into the trans and mated to the engine. Installed the driveshaft. Have park to keep it in place now haha. Then we put the heads on. I’m told stamping are very important to some people, there were at least 3 different stampings on various head bolts. Original stickers but repainted valve covers. Waiting on pushrods now so we can put valvetrain back together and seal up the engine.

 

Alrighty. Last summer we got the pushrods in, ran through them, adjusted. Future us would find out that they were not adjusted properly, probably due to lifters not pumped up at the time. Exhaust manifolds were massaged to help increase flow hopefully, then painted and baked!

 

Here’s some pictures of installing our Arizona core support we got powder coated. Next was the big Cadillac radiator that’s been patiently waiting since the 80s. Auxiliary trans cooler installed, along with more core support appendices. It was at this time we finally fired it up and went through the push rod realization. Got them readjusted and ran much better. Started to hang the rest of the exhaust as well.

 

After winter started to fade the running gear made its faithful journey to be reunited with its other half. The car was taken off its homemade stand and I beams inserted. Full day spent lowering down onto frame to sit on NOS bushings. Bolts installed, rear shocks and springs reattached. Starting to clean up the interior. We reinstalled the heater core and blower. Bled the master. Picture of minty wheel just because. That’s all for now. Onto more progress.

 

Dang! on the wheel! That must be the only original wheel in that condition!

 

My parents bought a brand new Blue 68 Sportwagon right off the showroom floor. It was given to me when I turned 16 in 75 to drive. I loved that car. It would climb coquina mounds at the old I 95 local asphalt plant and really surprised many of my pickup truck friends. That things would drift on a long bend dirt road like a champ. LOL. One day I let off the gas to turn down one of our local dirt roads and it just quit. Wouldn't start back up. I think the timing chain slipped a tooth or something to that effect because it would just spit and backfire. This was going to be my first engine rebuild but when I started to take the front of the engine off all the bolts just broke right off. I wasn't as talented and knowledgeable as I am now and thought I could never get it done so I called the scrap yard to come get it. DAMN what a mistake that was. I wish I had it back. I've only seen one in person since and it was a 69 at the car show in Old Town Kissimmee back 33 years or so ago. Had lots of fun in the back of that car. ;^)
Can't wait to see yours finished.