Letting go of a false hope.

Had dinner with my Uncle last night.  He's very successful at restoring cars, and has built many show winners.  Several Packards, a Lincoln, Cadillac, Mercedes, even a Pierce Arrow.  I highly value his opinion, so I invited him to come over and look at the t-bird, and advise me.

I was dreading the thought of him suggesting a "body off" restoration... that is, taking the body off the frame so that it can be totally media-blasted and painted.  This is a huge and very expensive endeavor. His advise was, surprisingly, NOT to do that.  As a California car,  he said, the frame is most likely sound.  Patching the holes in the trunk is a minor issue, and quick work for a body man.  No need to pull the body.  I should put the car on jackstands, he said, and scrape, sand, rust-proof and paint the undercarriage.  That will be enough.  Still a lot of work, but not as severe.  Good news! 

I had hoped to keep the engine in the car, get it running, then drive it to a body shop.  I now believe this was premature.  My Uncle convinced me that I need to pull the engine.  My hesitation had been based on the fact that putting the engine in the car was the last concrete, positive thing I did when I had the car some 37 years ago.  I did it with a good friend in high school.  I know it's silly, but I feel sad about having to undo it.

Then again, this time I expect to pull the engine with my son.  I also expect him to play a role in any engine work, which will make the car much more meaningful to both of us!  Yes, I'm willing to let go of my old hope, and become willing to invest a different part of myself.  I'm also willing to give up the second half of my 2-car garage, for a time, to an engine stand and hoist.  Oh, and an air compressor.  And a tool box, and a parts bin...

Rebuilding the engine should be straightforward, especially since the bottom end is a "fresh" short block (done 39 years ago, but never fired).  This will give me a chance to directly address some performance issues with the car.  1957 y-block ECZ-G heads show up on e-Bay occasionally... they breathe much better, thus making significantly more power than the 1955-6 heads.  John Mummert also now has aluminum heads available, which show remarkable power gains.  I will need a different intake manifold and carburetor to use these heads, but picking up 10-20% more horsepower should definitely be worth it!

The Ford-o-matic transmission was serviced in 1972, and has been dry ever since.  I suspect that seals have dried out and it will need a thorough servicing by a professional.  This is something I'm not willing to take on myself, but my "Uncle Packard" has connections that may provide better advice.

My hope is to be able to get the engine work, transmission, steering, suspension, and brakes done within a year, and put the engine back in next summer with my son.  I also expect to clean and paint the undercarriage and engine compartment while the engine is out.  In order to paint the engine compartment, I will need to pick a final body color.  That is not as trivial as it may seem... I will write a separate blog entry about that.