. Post your fall pictures

[Sarge]

Somewhere in Placerville, CA about 2 months ago.

 

[Ruppstang]

Somewhere in Placerville, CA about 2 months ago.

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Super Nice! I bet you are smiling every time you walk back to it.

 

[franklinair]

I REALLY like it. Beautiful..
Neil

 

[Midnight Special]

Super Nice! I bet you are smiling every time you walk back to it.

...Prettiest HG car I've ever seen! Nice job, Robert!

 

[robert campbell]

Rob jumped off the deep end and volunteered to breath life back into a 1967 Firebird. It came to me fresh from the paint shop with no brakes, no wiring, an A/C delete started, and a disc brake conversion started. It was a rust bucket before the paint work and the dash and all instruments were rusty as heck. Parts came along in boxes that fit either a Yugo or a John Deere.

A 400 Pontiac and a Cheby 700R4 was sourced for the power. It was in the car but not hooked up to anything. Poor car has went through a few owners and not given a lot of love. My friend bought it and wanted it to be a dependable driver for his wife. It is a mess!

It is starting to take shape. New American Automotive wiring harness is 95 percent done. Brakes are all hooked up with new lines. Engine is being re-gasketed to remove leaks. Overdrive tranny is getting the proper lock up wiring for it to not burn itself up. It will get a March serpentine pulley system and new Ram Air Restorations dual exhaust.

To bad it was a base Firebird in 1967 with a 6 cylinder auto and column shift. Owner will be way under water on this car.

Not sure as a one man operation that I want to tackle this kind of a restoration on a non-Ford platform again. What a learning curve in some areas....

Tomorrow is start up for the Poncho. It has been one heck of a struggle and I will not bore you with many details. I installed a new 2.5 inch Ram Air Restorations exhaust and March pulley system. Both these companies sell top notch products. Ram Air Restorations specializes in complete systems and for Fords also!!! Mandrel bent stuff that is top of the line.

Interior was dirty but the seats have no tears at all. I used a SEM product to dye all the seats after cleaning and the door panels. I think they turned out very nice. All electricals work except gas gauge. I will address it later after we restore the instrument bezel. Steve "rvrtrash" and I had quite a bit of fun with the wiper motor system. I am a GM expert on how these work now.

Car should be one heck of a nice fun driver car for local shows and cruise nights!! The steering column is an "Ididit" column. High quality stuff and a nice upgrade. An unpainted column is about $420 bucks for a Mustang. Easy install I and I may treat myself to one of these in both our Mustangs!

 

[stangfan]

That car has come a long way. Nice work Rob!! :grin:

 

[robert campbell]

Thanks Steve! Start up went well today. Small leak at the steering box. More than likely a dry seal. Not a huge leak.

Sounds great! Next put on the front fender and hood. Check alignment and get exhaust welded up.

Rob

 

[Ruppstang]

Wow Rob it looks great! I do not think I would have taken that one on. But you are the Man!

 

[franklinair]

My tools won't work on GM.
Just out of curiosity: do you have to convert to V-8 suspension, as you would on a Mustang?

Neil

 

[robert campbell]

Dad,
GM (government motors) did not have the small 4 lug stuff that Ford did in that era. Coil springs are all that is really required. This car was a power drum brake car original. I finished the disc conversion. What a chore...

Rear end is a newer version of the earlier 10 bolt GM rear end. It is a 3.08 posi unit. I told the owner to not get to carried away with burn outs. These rear ends are made of cheese. And it is the year of the mono-leaf leaf spring. One leaf=lots of wheel hop. My brother had a 1967 Camaro with a 4 speed. Lots of wheel hop when you dropped the hammer on it. A set of old Lakewood traction bars cured the problem.

Of course a nice solid Ford nine inch is a quick conversion!!!

Today is cold start and choke tuning!!! And maybe start the front fender installation. Hope to have it out of my shop next week!

Rob

 

[rvrtrash]

Steve "rvrtrash" and I had quite a bit of fun with the wiper motor system. I am a GM expert on how these work now.

I'm glad one of us is! I couldn't find a decent wiring diagram on-line to save my life! No two were alike. Stupid GM.

Steve

 

[robert campbell]

In retrospect "expert" is a huge stretch!! But I have a clear understanding of how the motor and switch work.

Car ran down and back for exhaust welding of the system I installed today. Ran great with no issues!!!

Front end alignment tomorrow.

Rob

 

[robert campbell]

So after the Firebird was gone I got back on the 1972 Kawasaki. When I left off it would not start. This is a quiz for all of you! What is wrong with this picture?

 

[Mosesatm]

It looks like you spilled some of that awful brown beer!

 

[somethingspecial]

is that coming out of the pipes? I don't know bikes, but if it is, I think there might be a problem in the head.

 

[robert campbell]

Yup it is coming out of the pipes!! And no it is not brown beer! But I have a very (almost black) dark brown beer in my hand right now!! And the heads (three cylinder motor) are just fine!

By the way, it is a two stroke motor if that helps!!!

 

[somethingspecial]

OK, The heads are finned aluminum flat head design, correct. and if correct, is that crank case oil or pre-mix two stroke fuel on the floor? If Fuel, was the fuel left on and it ran through the cylinders out the pipes? Just guessing. LOL

 

[robert campbell]

Mike,
It is pure oil injection oil. No gas. Bike sat for 10 years and the oil in the oil injection tank slowly drained into the crankcase which never has anything in it other than premix while running or a tiny amount from oil injection when you kick it over and start it. A two stroke does not have crank case oil at all.

Rob had no idea that the crank case was full of..... Yup.... old crappy oil. Rob had the bike down to parade rest but never opened the engine up! Gosh he could have turned the bike upside down and let gravity help....

Tried to start the bike and no way. Finally figured out the crankcase was full of oil! What you see is after the second day of getting it to run for about one minute by starter fluid. This was after about 15 trips of Rob pushing said bike to the top of his cul-de-sac and riding down and push starting engine in first gear with spark plugs out.

First trip down the towel I had blew off the top of the engine and yup soaked the underside of the tank and everything above with a fine spray of..... oil.

I pushed this bike up and down too many times (15) before I got to what you see second day. Looking for a retired Sheriff to give me CPR each time. A 1972 Kawasaki 500 H1 is not light! Each time coasting was a solid soaking wet circle of oil on the towel about 4 inches in diameter from each cylinder!

She runs like a top now! And now I know why the engine was not seized! Heck the glass is always half full, right?

It is a rocket ship by the way!!!

Rob

 

[Ruppstang]

Rob that is too funny. I knew that you would figure it out.
No need for a stress test this year, you took the pass fail one!!!

 

[robert campbell]

My neighbor who I got a job in the Department of Defense came out for one of the pushes up the "cully-sac". He asked me if I should be riding it rather than pushing it...... Did he offer to help? NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!

And then two days ago he has me under his motorhome looking at a sensor connection!

I am too easy sometimes!!!

Rob