1966 Valiant for the Other Daughter....

[JimKueneman]

Small back step on the 360 Commando. The generic FelPro intake gaskets would work but they look like crap. Pulled it back apart and ordered Edlebrock so they match the intake. Also masked and painted the head that is showing above the intake. Gaskets tomorrow, bring it home Friday. Happy owner.

 

[Toolin]

Seeing it appears you are attempting a stock appearance I think the engine is going to look great. Good call on the intake gaskets and paint. From everything I've seen the car is awesome! You have some amazing skills. I hope that someday my project may compare.

 

[JimKueneman]

Seeing it appears you are attempting a stock appearance I think the engine is going to look great. Good call on the intake gaskets and paint. From everything I've seen the car is awesome! You have some amazing skills. I hope that someday my project may compare.

Yes, a stock "360" Commando.

 

[JimKueneman]

Spent the last few evenings fighting the K Frame. I knew something was amiss as the RH control arm would not set flush on the pin. One of the accidents must have pulled back on the LCA and collapsed the front of the K Frame hole where the strut rod goes through so it was holding the LCA back. A few rounds with the big ball peen hammer and the correct shape of Face of the K Frame emerged. It sets flush now. Put the spindles on the correct sides so the calipers are to the front. Wondered why the stock brake hoses would not work previously. Duh.

Ready for big Red Commando to come home tomorrow!!!!!!

 

[crashtech]

I have had some problems on restos with prior collision damage in the past, and it makes me wonder if SOP should include some frame and ball joint measuring prior to disassembly. It's not really on the radar with most old car restorations like it is with new car repair blueprinting, but it would nip a lot a problems in the bud, imo.

 

[El Toro]

I have a frame machine in my shop and do a lot of correction pulls for other small shops around here. A few of the restoration shops will send there cars to me for pre inspection and frame measurement / or panel aliginment. I respect these shops and they do great work and fit every thing before they start.

 

[JimKueneman]

Lookee what I got!

 

[JimKueneman]

After a little head scratching and a few text a friend I have the accessory brackets figured out. Looks like I did good getting everything I needed except the water pump pulley is just a tiny bit too big guess I’ll have to find the correct part number and start looking. It’s 6 1/2 inches and it touches the bottom crank pulley the other thing they didn’t work out his plan was I bought some transmission to engine brackets and my understanding is there’s two different lengths I took a guess and I think I guessed wrong as the left hand one it’s just a tiny bit too short I’ll get some measurements tomorrow and start looking for that other than that I did really good at finding all the parts, it’s basically mocked up.

 

[crashtech]

So the mounting locations on the aftermarket manifold were all in the right spot? I don't know if that's ever happened to me!

 

[JimKueneman]

So the mounting locations on the aftermarket manifold were all in the right spot? I don't know if that's ever happened to me!

The Edelbrock performer is very good at including all factory accessory mounting holes, thank goodness.

 

[JimKueneman]

Birthday Project of the year. Sometimes when life gives you lemons you have to suck it up and go buy some half-inch steel tubing and make your own brackets. Just made a couple templates out of cardboard to get the basic shapes in the bend angles and a hammer and vice. Total cost invested $11 for 8 feet of tubing and an hour and a half in the garage.. And yes sometimes you have to throw away what you’re doing and start over made three to get two. I have some more correct looking hardware coming from AMK. 

 

[DanMcG]

Well I'm impressed, nice work! Is that raw cast iron or is it coated with something? looks good.

 

[JimKueneman]

Well I'm impressed, nice work! Is that raw cast iron or is it coated with something? looks good.

Seymour’s high temp cast blast paint

 

[Toolin]

You do nice work Jim, keep the pictures coming.

 

[Big Dave]

Yes, very nice work!

 

[JimKueneman]

Fabrication components all mocked up with cardboard and metal cut and sized ready for welding.

 

[JimKueneman]

So I was not happy with the thoughts of making my own lines as there did not seem to be a way out of it. I found factory '73 disk brake proportioning valve so I thought what was the difference between this and a '73 Duster? I took a chance and ordered a power brake '73 Duster front end line kit... Eureka other than needing to loop the crossover line around the column (remember the post '66 cars are 2" wider) it was a perfect fit! Even the holes to bolt the valve on were there! Now it is hard to decide if I want to spend another $100 and see if a Duster rear line will work with minimal bending instead of the hack of stretching that rear line 12".......

A few details came in from Classic Industries, the last (famous last words) batch of OEM style bolts from AMK.

 

[JimKueneman]

It's a Chrysler it has to have a Carter brand fuel pump... it just has to.... Now to see if anyone wants a set of original InLine Tube lines for an early A...

 

[JimKueneman]

A buddy guilted me into welding a tab on the RH motor mount to pick up all 3 tab on the 360. Spent some time fabricating the kickdown linkage using parts that I bought off a member here. It works beautifully except for the throw on the Edelbrock carburetor is about half of the throw required so I’m gonna have to do a little more modifications to the linkage to get some more mechanical advantage. Thought it was going to be done today but I’m giving up I need to take a break and rethink options at a later date. The same friend that made me guilty also found the correct water pump pulley so that’s done. Exhaust manifolds are blasted and I ran out of Seymour‘s high temperature cast blast so I can’t finish those. I found original manifold heat shields so I clean those up blasted them and painted them. Waiting for one more wire clip to finish up the neutral safety switch wire routing. Other than that she’s almost ready to go.

 

[JimKueneman]

She is a thing of beauty