M_C

Got my beer holder home at last!

Big thanks to Andy for fabricating the exhaust, new gearbox mount, driveshaft hoop and battery holder!

Exhaust crossed over so can use the factory floor panel dent to tuck it up nice and high while avoiding brake and fuel lines.

Cross over is higher than the lowest point of the gearbox mount.

New little sealed battery. Cranks and starts the pinto fine so happy days.

Cable routing and big fuse on the positive lead still to sorted out.

Annoying that the same gearbox as was behind the V6 now sits further back when behind the pinto.

This means new gearbox cross member mount, gearstick mount and driveshaft are needed. Ah well, a chance to fit crush tubes in the chassis rails.

The gearbox stick mount is virtually touching the trans tunnel strengthening brace.

Rather than chop into the brace I bought a new mounting positing for the gearbox. That came in a package of two more W50 gearboxes...

One the long list to do is to change to box over to the one with the forward mounted gear stick.

It also means the driveshaft is too long. Its been at the shop for almost two months now waiting for attention...

Seems the universals are toast as well so sounds like even more $$$.

To sort out the too close brake master cylinder and lines:

This standard escort set up was dragged home, Cheers Billy.

By the time I get a new booster sorted it may have been cheaper to stick with the sexy bananananarama headers and get a reverse peddle box?

So cool at Miss15 is excited to start up Felicity. Looks like I am going to be sharing driving.

New exhaust sounds good in real life, a bit raucous, but not obnoxious.

https://youtu.be/l7mFxC03C1c

Not really left to rot as being used in a cool site.

Yellow Car! 

Pretty good view for breakfast this morning 

Thought this was just a stationary road sign for the pub, but today it was being pushed into a workshop in town.

How big a tow truck do you need?

On the list to do was to get rid of the horrible red sausage dog petrol tank. No idea where this thing came from originally. Mounted behind the rear seat and lying across the boot it seemed designed to create fuel surge. And not really tied down properly.

Back to a standard escort fuel tank that will be much easier to certify for the future.

On the tank I was installing some clever person thought it was a good idea to attached the fuel filler cap with screws long enough to go through the old bellows and nearly out the other side! Combined with the perishing its not really ideal...

So time for a new bellows it is then. And hoses and clamps.

Disappointing to find my Super Sexy headers were made to fit around a reverse peddle box with the master cylinders inside the firewall. Dam, they look so good.

But at over $1,000 for a certifiable peddle box and then still some fettling and sealing issues with the 5 separate pieces I bought some Pacemaker ones and sacrificed the looks and a few hp to get going. Even these ones are making issues trying not to cook the brake master cylinder and brake lines.

Timing the dissy and building oil pressure without the spark plugs in, just the #1 plug strapped to the block I found that the coil is making a good spark and was quite happy to earth the other three cylinders through me. Ouch. I don't think I make a good spark plug...

And Then She Was Alive!!!!

https://youtu.be/Tt31HSOstnM

This was the first push of the starter (After I worked out I had the dissy 180 degrees out) So Happy she just fired right up and would even idle when cold and not really tuned! I am sure the neighbors enjoyed the open headers as much as I did.

The to do list is still pretty long to get driving. As a mate said, 80% done and 80% to go.

This guy was pretty happy to get a WOF on the coon for the first time in 20 years!