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Haven't felt this ignorant in a long time...

Jack will keep us motivated, put the boot in when needed and threaten us with forum expulsion.
Gunnery Sgt Laird will be a'hollerin "maggot" from FLA.
 
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
Jeff /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Glad it was only COFFEE this time... and I've learnt t' cover th' GPU keyboard in plastic wrap.

You're now three an' ONE Jeff. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I made a start yesterday.
Took many photos, about 9 minutes of video of everything in the 'before' untouched state.
Proceeded to remove the hood. Hinges off OK, while removing the prop rod (using my skull to take the weight of the hood,) a storm rolled in and at the very same instant, the wife comes home from work, steams into the garage and hits a step ladder, that was there to tell her to stop. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif
Between a crack of thunder, step ladder vs Toyota, and my skull moving abruptly, I heard the distict sound of metal on metal, or rather bonnet on fender.
Now I have a 9 inch canyon down the starborad fender. I wanted it BRG anyway right?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif
Good news....I picked up an aluminum flywheel for $50.
 
i've always been told to get help when replacing and removing the bonnet. Guess I will heed that warning when the time comes! Sounds like you handled the distractions well:smile:
 
Scratching paint will not help a bit. You don't think Drew and Pat are going to do the same do you.

Sorry about your mishap.
 
Thanks for the 5sp tip JP.
That will make a spridget owner very happy, a great price with a BIN of 1/2 what the conversion kit alone costs. I hope someone from the forum picks that up....Drew! I will keep mine stock. Addicted to the sound first gear makes.
 
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Scratching paint will not help a bit.

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The wife, bless her, once I'd stopped ctying, offered some consolation by handing me a bottle of nail polish that she thought might 'cover it up'.
Where in the world am I going to get Tartan Red nail polish from?

I hope Drew and Pat don't have any mishaps at all, and I hope that was my last....must forge ahead.
 
I build mostly performance or racing engines, for every engine job I do, I do another dozen component jobs where I just repair/rebuild/trick out some part for a customer and they put it together. My policy has always been that the DIYer is as an important customer to me as the customer buying the complete engine. I even built entire engines in kit form before for the customer to assemble. I'm building a almost stock 1275 right now for a customer he has built engines before. He had a specfic problem he couldn't fiquire out and got disgusted and sent it to me. He has a 5 speed kit in the car and a aftermarket rear seal kit, it was pouring oil out the back. I have not had any luck with the rear seal kits, they all leak more after awhile than they did without it. So I fitted the block with the stock rear piece, got rid of the seal kit and had the block line bored, it will probably still leave a drop now and then, after all it is a A series engine /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif but it won't pour oil like it did. The funny thing about this build is the customer must be living right, we found a huge crack in one of the rod journals in the crank, if he hadn't took it down when he did it was going to be a diaster.

Either way you decide, you can do this if you choose, just do the research and source the right machinist and get the proper tools, as mentioned already it's not rocket science, do it because you want to, because you have the passion for the task and want to learn from the exiperience, never do this because just you want to save a buck. Vizard is the bible of A series hot rodding, his book is more about performance than anything else, but there is alot of good production data in the book and alot of valueable "how to", his instructions on how to degree a cam are some of the best written instructions I ever seen, and this is the same for any car. I helped teach a engine rebuild class at the local tech school, we spent the entire seimester rebuilding a stock car engine, yeah it was cool but i doubt many of the students learn much about how to do it on thier own. I wanted to teach the students how they could do this on thier own, how to inspect and dissassemble an engine, take the parts to the machinist and know what to ask for and be able to check behind them and measure everything before the assembly, then teach them assembly, needless to say they are still putting together stock car engines with already machine parts with not much being taught about how those new or nicely reconditioned parts that got them to that stage.

I will suggest another book, Sunnen" Cylinder Head and Engine Rebuilding. Sunnen is one of the largest producers of automotive engine rebuilding and machining equipment, they published this book a text guide for studnets, you can buy it directly form Sunnen for like $30, it's a bargain. W aht it does is talk about all the equipment invlolved in the rebuilding of engine and cylinder heads and how to assemble. I think if the average DIY beginning engine builder reads this book, then they will have a better idea of what needs to be done or atleast checked and confirmed ok, and will be able to walk in a machine shop and know what to ask for. Now add a Bentley reapir manual and old bearing book to your collection and you have the perfect set to build your engine. Either way you decide let me know if i can be of any help and that includes free advice.
 
I'm sure I'll have my share--just haven't goten started yet. Do have a line on a possible engine donor car, though. Should be looking at it over the weekend or early next week.

And I'm watching that auction on the 5-speed. Don't know if I'm ready financially to make the plunge, but it is tempting. Still would have to buy the conversion (that auction is just for the tranny, though it does appear to be the correct one). $400 is still a bunch of scratch, when you figure the $700 or so for the conversion kit as well.
 
Hap, well said.
 
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Where in the world am I going to get Tartan Red nail polish from?

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a scottish lassie? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

Seriously - I googled touch up paint on your behalf and these guys came up. They will mix to your request.

https://www.paintscratch.com
 
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I'm watching that auction on the 5-speed. Don't know if I'm ready financially to make the plunge, but it is tempting.

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I understood from the ad that the conversion kit was included. I just looked again and now I'm not so sure. Then I went to www.car-part.com and the had at least half a dozen 210 trannys in the $85-$150 range. None real near you though.
 
Thanks for that advice, Hap. I'll pick up a copy of that book (I love books, maybe even more than cars /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ).

I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible on this process before I get going. I really appreciate the offer of further advice/assistance. I'll take you up on it for sure.
 
Haven't even looked locally for a 210 tranny yet, focusing on the engine first. $400 seemed a lot, and I'm pretty sure that auction is just for the tranny, not the entire kit. The Rivergate link seems to be just to verify that it is the proper transmission.

One thing at a time for me...
 
BTW -- the Sunnen book seems to be out of print. Found on eBay, and am current top bidder.

If I ever get out of the old car hobby, I may have to go into the old car book hobby. I love finding these treasures!
 
Amazon also has used books.
 
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Hap, well said.

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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif good read, thanks Hap.
 
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