Happy Anniversary, New Year and Thank You.

As we close out the year that was 2010, I celebrate the first year anniversary of Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing.

Over the past year, I’ve enjoyed jotting down my thoughts and experiences.  Mostly, I’ve enjoyed hearing back from readers here on my Word Press main site and in other social media.

This past year I’ve seen the page views on this “one man” blog go from just a couple per week, to nearly 1500 a month.  Not bad for a non-commercial blog, with no paid advertising.  So THANK YOU.   I hope to hear from and read your comments and views in 2011.

What’s coming up in 2011?  Mods on the ’70 Mustang, tweaking of the LS2 on the 07 Corvette and I’ll continue with the Auto Factoids in their new format.  You will see more mini engine series,  kicking off the New Year one of my favorites Chevy’s 283  and there will be more racing events, test ‘n’ tunes and Mom and Pop racing teams highlighted.  There will be more contests and DVDs to give away and  project updates from readers. Oh…I’m coming out with the Average Guy’s 2011 Calendar look for that on-line.

It’s going to be a fun new year.

To you and yours – may 2011 bringing nothing but happiness and joy.

Happy New Year.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

You need WHAT in your garage? Really?

O.K., I don’t do this too often on this blog but every now and then I have to point out something I think is just ridiculous.

I do a lot of reading.  A disproportional amount of that reading is car magazines. (To my son:  Yes I will get to the two Stephen King novels you bought me…promise!!)  In fact, I get so many car magazines that it’s difficult to keep up (sounds like a New Year’s resolution is in order).  They stack up and my wife’s patience goes the opposite direction with my messy side of our shared office and piles here and there of unread periodicals. (O.K.  so that New Year’s resolution may turn in to a  ‘CLEAN IT UP’ New Year’s directive, in which case, failure to comply would not be an option.)

In the course of all this reading I’ve become familiar with a lot of writers and their styles (some I communicate with via email or social network).  You also gain a  general over all tone of their respective magazines.  With the exception of  my favorite writers at the mega car publication company (SHOUT OUT TO) Hemmings (I refer to them as “They Who Do No Wrong”) who seem to be pretty down to earth and hug the middle line pretty well, it’s clear that some car magazines want to project a blue-collar image and others a blue blood image.  Every now and then, the blue-collar want-to-be’s do grab a seat on the snob express and leave us average guys going.”..W..T..H(family blog)!?!?!?!…..REALLY!?!?!?!”

My inner lawyer cautions me to not use names of magazines and writers, of course suing me would pretty uneventful, you might end up with a 70 Mustang coupe and a 302 and that’s about it.   My inner writer says “If you ever want to move your writing anywhere other than on this blog, do not insult the established press.”  My inner wise-ass (still family safe, I believe) wants to poke fun by name at both (magazine and writer). Normally my inner wise-ass wins.

So I am reading the latest Car Craft, Jan 2011 (yeah, it some how ended up on top of the pile) which I considered a blue-collar magazine, lots of get dirty articles and useful techie stuff and not just shiny  pages, shiny paint and expensive wheel. Well apparently I missed the fact that they were moving to a new location (probably in a back issue I haven’t gotten to yet..if I can find my Car Craft pile again”).  All I can say is “WOW” and  “the Auto Magazine business must be paying good”, because their new garage is to die for!!!  Really, how did they ever survive without an ocean front garage in El Segundo, Ca. where, while you are on your lunch break, you can catch a bite to eat, a Pepsi and a wave ???!!!!!  With a few more earthquakes my Arizona home might one day be ocean front property.

O.K., fine,  so a quick Google shows the Car Craft garage address isn’t actually on the beach and really location isn’t  my point.  What is, is the article that Mr. Douglas Glad wrote in the “Front Man” section – “Man Cave”. Specifically a couple of items, he believes are necessary in a garage.  He states “…every car guy’s garage needs the basics to be useful and a good place to get away from school, diapers,….”  Hey, I get that, I was a stay at home  Dad for a while and sure, you must have the tools to get the job done.  I was really interested to read what he thinks we average car guys (I just tossed in the “average”) need in our garages.  But at the next paragraph’s bold heading, I stopped and said “What?”  I then scanned the other six paragraphs’ headings and was dismayed, but I read on hoping I could salvage something from the piece.

First critical piece of functional equipment was a….MIG welder?  Nope. How about a parts cleaning machine? Nope.  How about a flat screen T.V.? Yes. But according to the article, it doesn’t have to be huge.  So what’s next? I’ll just list them:

1. A movie collection of guy movies – I have an AM FM radio and CD player (old), most of the stations are static interrupt by parts of a song or commercial and the player skips. I’m normally so wrapped up in what I’m doing it just becomes white noise anyway.

2. A wall collage – If there is that much space on my garage wall, I’ve got some nails and stuff to hang from them and a Hemmings’ Muscle Machine calendar.

3. An art school grad’s, air brushed wall art – Same As Above

4. Electrical – 220 – Now I can get behind that.  Right on!

5. Trosley Car Portrait – First WHAT!?!? Then…Same as 2 and 3.

So I’m taken back. My image of a greased smeared blue uniform shirt wearing, lay a wrench on it, magazine, has been crushed.  Has Car Craft gone soft?  Do they out source the work and just drive  the finished project in for photo ops?

Am I shocked and dismayed or just jealous?  The latter!!!!

I dedicate this to a follow car guy who I purchases some used parts from a while back. Bill is restoring his dream car  in a 3 sided building in the mid west, where in the winter,  he normally has to shovel snow out of the way to work on it. You rock.. Bill!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Aftermarket – Oh… Nuts…. and Fastners for ’70 Stang

While I’m currently working on the project plan for all the modifications, I still get the urge to spend a beautiful winter’s day doing some wrenching.  Oh…here in southern Arizona you wait for winter days like today, Sunny and near 70 degrees…oh yes..perfect day for being outside and working on your projects. ( Don’t hate me ’cause I’m warm!!!)

Modifications pending, there are still little things that can be done.  A few weeks ago I noticed a loose fender bolt.  Now normally these bolts are screwed in to clip/slide on nuts (some times called “short nuts” but I just couldn’t put that in the title) that are slid over the edge of one of pieces you need to hold together.

 

Slip-on or Short Nut

 

So if a bolt becomes loose it is often the cause of vibration, and if left unattended you can actually loose the slip-on nut. Unless…..it doesn’t have one and a traditional nut has been used.

A while back I ordered a couple of bags of bolts and short nuts for my Mustang and today I decided to spend a few minute and replace the loose one and check the others.

What I found was a bit odd.  Three of the bolts on right fender (do I have to say right “front” fender? I hear that all the time, but I grew up knowing that fenders were in the front and quarter-panels  were in the rear.) did not have the short nuts, but rather the tradition bolts.  I checked the left “front” (just in case) fender and found them to all have slip-on nuts.

I can understand that some where in the 41 year life span (Oh…incidentally..I’m technically the 3rd owner, with the to previous owners beginning a mother, daughter combo)  of my ’70 coupe that someone took it a part, lost the slip-on nuts and yes it was just a driver car so that’s possible.  However, on closer inspection I noticed that the normal slots that would allow the assembler to slide the short nut on were not there for the three bolt holes at the front of the fender (or at the front of the front fender….ok sorry, enough of that).

 

Square Slot that allows for the installation (Left of the bolt)

Bolt Holes without the slot.

So I wondering how much after-market parts are actually on the my Mustang.  When I had the car repainted, we did discover that the right door was replaced (paint underneath was blue) so why not the fender?   The options I have are to, remove the entire fender and if the holes are not blocked by aftermarket fender then I’ll have to consider using the traditional bolt and nut or I’d have to cut the slots.

 

Now that’s not the only aftermarket issues I discovered.  Those two bags of bolts and short nuts…..yeah..they aren’t the right size.  Although the are sold as “fitting 1968-1970 Mustangs” the original are 1/2 ”  nuts and these are  7/16″.  Well yeah..they’ll fit…heck there are all kinds down the street at ACE Hardware that will fit too!!!

I’ll follow-up on this later on.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Auto Factoid for the 2010

Well  Christmas is but a couple of days away and the 2011 is knocking on the door.

Here is the last of the Auto Factoids for 2010.

Enjoy.  Merry Christmas or what every holiday you celebrate and a very prosperous new year.

12/18/1970 – Lee Iacocca becomes President of Ford.

25 years before that on 12/21/1945 – Henry Ford II was named President of Ford

12/20/1868 Mr. Firestone was born in Ohio (Tires)

12/22/1900 The first Mercedes is built by Daimler

Perhaps my Favorite – on Christmas in 1878 Louis Chevrolet was born.

One of my least favorite Ford products showed up the day after Christmas in 1985.  Ford debuted the Taurus and Sable (a Mercury)

Oh..nothing says “buy me” like the Taurus and Sable…look!!!!

1985 Sable or Taurus?

1985 Taurus or Sable..can you tell them apart?? Do you care?

And to finish off the year Charlie Goodyear was born in Connecticut 12/29/1800  (yeah..people blimp guy!!!  and some of the best racing tires available)

Thank you for ready and drop me a note with what’s up with your 2011 car resolutions!!!

Tim

Mod Decisions for ’70 Stang – Update 12/7/2010

What you will see unfold in these updates is an exercise in project management for the modifications.  When I originally scoped out the components for the 302 that replaced the 250, I used a similar process, but very detailed.  I wasn’t overly concerned with improvements other than what a dropped in 302 would provide over that tired old straight 6. (Clearly..I left the 3 speed manual trans in it.)

But this time it’ll be different.  There is a lot to do and unlike the previous rebuild, money will be tight and free time limited.  The main goal I have is to keep the car in operation in between stages of modification.  This will take a clear and well laid out plan, where issues similar to the installation of the dash pad before the pillar post trim arrived (doh!), could be more than just a cost in time.

Below is a high level sketch of what I’d like accomplish with the Mustang.  I’ll update this list with more details as I figure which brands, sizes and the like that will be used.  Over on my Facebook pages I have already received some feedback and suggestions and I’ll post these up here in some cleverly titled entry.

So give me your suggestions or opinions and as the progression goes even tell me if you don’t like the choice and why.

Brakes and Suspension:

– Upgrade to 4 wheel disc (Brand and size TBD)

– Replace front and rear stabilizer bars (Brand and size TBD)

– Control arms already replaced

– Rebuild power steering

– Shocks already upgraded

Exhaust:

– Add cut-out before mufflers

–  Extend tailpipes to exit rear

No other changes anticipated

Interior:

– Addition of upgrade dash and interior lights

– Possible upgrade of all gauges

– Replace front seat belts with 3 point harness

– Carpet replaced

– Seats re-upholstered (upgrade to Leather/Cloth?)

– Paint lower doors

– Tilt steering wheel (Flamming River?)

Training:

Transmission

– Option 1 – Manual 4 speed with Hurts shifter

– Option 2 – T5 5 speed

– Rear Differential * Unsure if upgrade is possible or required

Engine:

* 302 stays

– Replace intake (Brand and size TBD)

–  Replace 650 Holley (Holley 750 Avenger)

–  Replacement of heads for more  performance (undecided)

–  Add custom mounting and tension for Power Steering/Alternator

–  Remove Fan and replace with electric

–  Add more chrome to engine (but not too much Bling..hate too much Bling)

Exterior:

Paint stays except:

– Blacked out rear light deck

– Black  Hood stripe (1970 Boss 1970 302 or 1970 Mach 1) – See images below – What do you think?

– Blacked out grill

– Black Front Spoiler

– Black side Boss 302 Stripe (w/o the Boss) (dependent on hood choice)

– Magnum 500 wheels (newer version, not originals)

Hood lay outs:

Mach 1 Hood...Perhaps my favorite...currently not considering adding a scoop

Boss 302 Hood lay out

O.K., let’s hear your thoughts.  They will automatically appear to the right of this posting and I’ll add the good ones in the update posts.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Readers comments and suggestions:
Byron McElfresh December 6 at 9:09pm Report
I seen your asking for advice on heads for a 302. I built a 302 that was .040″

over bore, The larger hyd. roller ford performance cam, used edelbrock rpm

heads, i did a little clean up and evened out the valve bowls, flat top

pistons, a 750 holley Street advegner carb, rpm intake, 1 3/4″ headers, and it

made 416 hp at 6000 rpm, and 349 tq. on the dyno. in the 60 Falcon with 3.73

gears, and a 4 speed,( the guy really needs an auto trans or get a shifter that

won’t granny shift speed wise!!!) But he still ran a 12.61 at gateway.

Wow, that’s pretty good. My 302 is bore .030. Hooker headers and 65O holley. I

wasn’t planning on changing out the cam. Now the rear end great. I just can’t

do the automatic trans though!

Byron McElfreshDecember 6, 2010 at 11:43pm
Re: Hi Tim,the 302
lol-the reason I think the guy should o to an auto trans is the ultra slow

shifts he makes with the old toploader! It’s a very painfully slow 2-3

shift!!!You can almost hear the multiple double clutches! yikes! lol

Tim Sweet December 6 at 10:11pm
good point

————————————————————————

Philip Daly December 6 at 8:58pm Report
351w

Tim Sweet December 6 at 9:36pm
Thanks Philip, But won’t that reduce compression? How much would you gain with

351w heads?

—————————————————-

Terry Wallace December 6 at 8:47pm Report
Ford Motorsports usually has some really great deals on 302 old school engines.

I would check there first. When it comes to flow numbers im finding through my

own testing at my machinists shop,,,,,most numbers are bullshit. beware and

test flow numbers using a reputable shop.

Tim Sweet December 6 at 9:35pm
Thank Terry. I’m with you on the numbers game…happens a lot even with

Corvettes. Regards

—————————————————————–

Bill Rice December 6 at 8:46pm Report
Trick Flow Twisted Wedge heads, Great gains in HP and Torque.

Tim Sweet December 6 at 9:42pm
Thanks Bill – what do you think those number might look like over a 302, bore

.030, hooker headers?
______________________———————————————————

—————–

Corvette Hangout December 6 at 8:28pm Report
C&C aluminum heads with small chambers to get higher compression larger valves

and install 150 shot of nitros.. CorvetteHangout

Tim Sweet December 6 at 9:44pm
I can get behind the higher compression..but I haven’t decided on NOS yet.

Thanks.
_————————————————————————-
Fatherlarry Monaco
‎1969 and 1970 Boss 302 heards and intake will work great.

Tim Sweet That was a thought I had as well.
2 seconds ago · Like

————————————————————————

Roy Oberg Aluminum is the way to go, go with a smaller combustion chamber that will give you more compression and less chance of spark knock.
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike
#
Tim Sweet ‎100% on board with the smaller chambers.
2 seconds ago · Like

Mod Decisions for 70 Mustang

After much internal debate about what to do with my 70 Mustang I’ve decided on a direction for Mustang.

Running out of car projects (there was always something to ‘fix’ on the ’84 Vette).  The 07 Vette is going to stay as if for a while, I like just it as it is for now.  The Mustang is nearly done, with just a re-upholstery with the front seat, restoring the back of the rear seat and replacing the steering column cover and new carpeting.  That’s all coming up soon.  But there are a few more things that are going to happen.  The time frame will be fluid given the availability of funds (Average Budget) and time.

I wrestled with keeping the car original in the beginning.  But with the tired old 250 straight 6 wasn’t going to make it possible, coupled with my desire to have more horse power.  I’ve often thought that the 302 swap wasn’t horrible and by keeping the 3 speed manual transmission, my changes didn’t reach the level of a resto-mod and I still think I’m good there.  Keeping it period (swapping out items that were actually available for a coupe as options in 1970) I thought was noble in trying to bring it up to a level of performance I “could live with” without straying too far from its original configuration.  However, I understand that a ’70 Coupe isn’t ever going to reach the value of  any other ’70 model or configuration of Mustang nor will it receive a comparable level of the attention at car shows.

So I’m working out a plan for taking this under rated coup to an all new level.

Currently as configured the car has the following:

Exterior:

– Original color – paint 2 years old.

– Mach 1 mirrors (Left and Right – I added those)

– Rear wing – added by previous owner

Wheels:

– Center Line with spinner centers

Interior:

– Original dealer installed AC unit

– Original materials  and color

– Dash pad replaced

Training:

– Original 3 speed transmission

– Original rear end 3.00 standard axle ratio

Engine: (my mods)

– Re-manufactured 302 (1970) bored .030

– Larger radiator

– A/C dryer kill switch

– Typhoon Intake

– Holly 650 4 barrel carb

Exhaust:

– Hooker headers

– Dual exhaust

– Thrust mufflers

Suspension:

– Standard

– Front and rear stabilizers (after market)

Brakes:

– Power assist Drums

So what’s my plan?

That is coming up next posting.

Thanks for reading

Tim

Auto Factoids – 1970 Mustang – Ford Assembly Line

Today is the anniversary of the assembly line created by Henry Ford, did he?

Like saying night is day or Pink Floyd isn’t the greatest rock band of all time, saying Henry Ford didn’t invent the assembly line goes contrary to conventional auto wisdom. But he didn’t. It was actually Ransom E. Olds.

I love engines and the options for a 1970 Mustang – like mine, were many.

 

My Mustang's Enhanced 302

The sixes consisted of the 200  (120 hp) and the 250  (155hp) –  mine started out as a 250

 

The eights consisted of  2 302 (2V and the 4V Boss), 2 351 (250 and 30o hp), 2- 428 (Cobra – 335 hp and Cobra Jet Ram-Air – 335 hp and the 429 Boss – 375 hp.

The transmission offered were – 3 speed manual Fully synchronized (currently the trans in my car), 4 speed manual sports-type w/Hurst Shifter and in the automatic the Select Shift Cruise-o-Matic Drive (more on that in another Auto Factoid.

Thanks for reading.

Tim