Wow I can't believe I haven't posted in over 2 months. It doesn't really look like the car will be fully driveable before the snow falls. But that will give me plenty of time in the winter to get my frame fully reinforced and the suspension redone. I picked up a bunch more parts and almost have my engine done. I would post some pics but the free webhosting that I have with my isp is running low, next month I should have some more webspace.....then i'll post pics like mad!

u guys are lucky we have to pay $5 to $8k for a car like that in australia

Nice...this was an interesting read and exactly what I plan on doing as soon as I start getting some money coming in(building up an early 90s Fox Stang I even already have every last part picked out priced and saved in a word document). Although I don't think I'll be doing all the stuff merker is doing...that must take some skills.

Man I wish I had a garage to hang around just so I can learn how to do some of this stuff.

Eh you Aussies have all the good stuff from American and Japan. Plus a bunch of stuff we can't even sniff. I'd love to get my hands on a Falcon.

Well Lockjaw if you ever want to make yours like mine...or pretty close...I can tell you how to save money and how to do alot of the stuff yourself...my car will turn out nice without breaking the bank to much...I figure when finished I will have about 10k total and have a good fast nice handling/looking custom car... I should have some pics up soon...i'm reorganizing a bunch and resizing them...and plus I will fix all the dead links....

About the only thing I would be anywhere near feeling comfortable doing would be interior work or maybe prepping the car for paint. Engine work while I've READ a ton about engine assembly and what not I don't think I'd be up for. I mean the most mechanical thing I've ever done was change my own oil and help my bud change the spark plugs on his car. I would like to try it but I don't want to spend the cash to experiment. Then again I suppose I could always find a junkyard block and do a dry run on that.

New pics...not 56k friendly!!!
 

OK here are some new pics I'll briefly described them. I did get a new alternator and a carb spacer but I didn't have my camera with.

Here is the engine with the powersteering bracket and intake temporarily on. I sent the power steering bracket (the black bracket) to get powercoated wrinkle black to match everything else.
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/DSC02211.jpg

http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/DSC02212.jpg

Ok these three pics are with the headers temporarily on. The intake is on. But the distributor will have to get pulled out again so I can prime the oil system. The spark plug wires are taylor spiro pro wires. The pulleys are steel ford motorsports. I got those for a steal at $50 the set and I picked them up from the guys house. The covering over the hoses is a plastic sleeving and the ends of the hose are covered with heat shrink tubing. The tensioner I got at a local junkyard for $7 The pulley needs to be replaced though but that costs $15 then I polished it on a polisher with took about 10 minutes...not bad for have $23 into a tensioner that costs over $100 new. The dipstick is a lokar brand. Which fits and looks nice :)
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...ly/engine2.jpg

http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...ly/engine5.JPG

http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...ly/engine7.JPG

This is a pic of the intake studs. So easy to install the intake :)
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...takestuds2.JPG

Looking great!

Yep real sharp looking.

awesome progress... cant wait to see more...

really makes me want to get a project car like that...

I forgot to talk a little bit more about those valve covers. Like i mentioned before sadly I can't use those valve covers that I have in the pictures, they are way way way to short. (I crank the engine over and the valve covers lift up about 1/2 inch.) Well my solution to my valve cover problem i just to make some new ones. I like the fabricated look. But I didn't want to spend $300 on a set of freaking valve covers, so I bought a set of stock 87-93 mustang cast aluminum valve covers, cut off the flange and will make valve covers out of those, they should turn out nice :) I do have a starter on order it's a powermaster 200ftlb starter its made for engines up to 18:1 compression ratio the lower model starters where just on the border of being able to crank my engine over. My temporary aftermarket round air filter assembly barely fits...it rubs against my distributor. Hopefully this weekend I can pick up my power steering stuff and get that hung. Then i can get a new serpentine belt. This winter i'll be working on getting it ready to drag race, then i get to show the cocky kids with imports (those little fucks that thinks if i throw a spoiler on and fill the car with premium it'll be fast) how its done.

dont forget about those stickers and graphics. each one adds 20 horsepower. :D

So you going to put a nice fan on that motor, or just use a electrical one?

Electric one. A normal one sucks horsepower. I'm trying to free up alot of horsepower by doing lots of little things (electric fuel pump, no smog pump, etc.)

Nice! Almost ready to drop in? What hp are you aiming for, im just guessing.......... upper 400-550?

Well for horsepower i'm not sure yet...with the stock heads i'm estimating at only 300-340, but with a respectable amount of torque, next year i'm going to sell out the $1k and get a nice set of heads and a different intake and a bigger cfm carb. That should put me in the 400+ range. And if I ever win the lottery I'll make an all aluminum 302 :)

Today I fabricated some more pieces for my valve covers, I'll take some pics later tonight. I made the stand off's tonight, tomorrow I have to take them to a machine shop and get holes drilled in the center of them. Then I get to have them welded, hopefully they should look nice :)

Here are the flanges and some of the aluminum I have to make my valve covers....
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover1.jpg http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover2.jpg

Dumb question. But how much $ have you invested into this project car? Chassis, motor building. And do you plan on investing in suspension and wheels?

Total I figure when I'm done with it all...from body to drivetrain I'll have about $12k into it...but it'll be worth it. And yes this winter I'm redoing the entire suspension, rims will come later as those cost alot of $$$$

Damn I didn't know you where making your own valve covers, talk about custom! :thumbsup:

Today I did a bunch of work on my valve covers.

I almost have the stand offs finished. I did the following to them.

Center drilled them

Faced both sides so they look nice plus they are of equal lengths

All I have left to do on the standoffs is turn them down and then drill the hole through them.

I also milled the top of my flanges down so it will weld nice and easy. I have to make a welding jig out of an old head so they will be easy to weld.

Here is a pic of what I have, I should have the standoffs tack welded on friday
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover3.jpg

New pic!! Got my alternator, carb, carb spacer and a temporary air filter on!
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...ly/engine8.jpg

I want to make sweet sweet love to that engine.

Seriously tho man, I can not wait to see that finished

Wow, those pics are sexy! Keep up the good work.

Well I have my valve covers almost made, one problem was that I ran out of sheet metal for it. Hopefully I should have some more lined up soon. Hopefully I should have some more pics of them soon. Also my power steering brackets are done being powercoated. Then this week i'll probably bring the body into the shop and start cutting and welding on it to reinforce it (no sense putting a strong engine and twisting the body out of whack right away). I'm gonna call around to some salvage yards and try to find a 8.8 rear end and then rebuild that and put in my proper gear combo I want, plus then I get rear disc brakes. Should have some more pics soon.

Even more pics..with air filter that I will be using and power steering pump
 

Ok here is the air filter I will be using, It is painted wrinkle black and all of the emission holes are plugged off.

http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...ly/engine9.JPG http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/engine10.JPG http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/engine12.JPG http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/engine13.JPG

That pic just looks mean

Next up for things I have to do are the following.

Get a new tensioner pulley, it was a used tensioner and the pulley that is on it grinds pretty badly when you spin it.

Take the factory belt and chop it to fit so I can get the proper size one from the auto parts store.

See if the place i've been getting my parts from can finally get my starter that I want so bad. I want a powermaster 200ft/lb starter (that way if I ever build a badder ass 5.0 I can just use it for that)

Get bolts for my airfilter so I can put the snorkels back on.

Get a power steering cap.

Well I finally got my belt tensioner...pain in the ass to find the pulley since ford changed the style of pulley on it...it's metal without the flanges instead of the typical plastic with flanges. Also I put my airfilter together...just had to get some foam to seal the snorkels. Hopefully next week I will have my valve covers on. That belt cost about $28 also..but it's a dayco polycog belt so it should last me awhile...only took me 2 tries to find the correct size belt...oh well on to the pics..it's alot of them!

This post was created using Kreskin's Post Generator located on the web here


http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/engine14.jpg
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http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...y/engine24.JPG

Excuse me while I go change my pants. WOW. That engine looks great.

Wow I don't think I would ever pay 28 dollars for a belt, my power streering belt cost me like 13$ but thats getting it from the shop that started my van(they get costly when ypou don't do it yourself)

Yeah, but Napa wanted about $40 and you probably have v belts which are a hell of a price difference.

I don't understand the technicalities and types of parts you are referring to at all, but I can appreciate the amount of work going into this, and it looks really nice.

It must be an incredibly rewarding feeling to take a step back and look at where the engine and car is now compared to where it was when you first started the project.

Very nice job, keep it up! It's great to see it grow. :)

I like the colour coordination of the engine, hah. But seriously, it's looking very schmick, keep up the good work.
Hopefully my project rx7 will eventually be completed.

Nice job Merker. I'd like to see what your new valve covers look like.
The factory 91 and newer 5.0 mini starter works as well as any, cheaper too. I use one on a big block and swear by it.

Ok per request and I finally got one made, this is what my valve covers will closely resemble. Today my friend welded the tops on fully and I grinded the welds I didn't want to see. I sandblasted them just to get an even look. I'm not sure what i'll do for a finish yet.....
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover4.JPG
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover5.JPG
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover6.JPG
http://www.oldweakandpathetic.com/me...alvecover7.JPG

Looking nice merk.

That is one sexy engine. I can't wait to see it all done!

same here
keep us posted with pics and comments

Good job