So I've had this car in my garage for 3 years now. I've been on the local Nova/dorki board for a while, but due to small kids running around, haven't had the time (or bravo) to get the engine apart. FINALLY getting down to tear apart the engine, but i'd really like some help. I had planned to start this weekend, but 2 things got in the way:
1. Don't have the camshaft wrench
2. Noticed TheGlen is this weekend, so don't expect too many people around....
So for those of you that DIDN'T go up to the Glen, i'll show my car:
Attachment 36718
The PO bought this car w/o the motor, in 1970. He found another engine(that's why my #'s are alittle off in the registration), and replaced the zeniths for webers. So this engine hasn't been out of the car since 1970! He ran it every couple of years. But on his most recent excursion, there was a bad rattling, so he didn't want to run it after that. It lived in burbank for 30 years in a garage, then he drove, and parked it under a tree in PalmSprings for the last 5. WHY none of you people in cali saw it (well, maybe because PS is in the middle of the desert!).....but i'm glad you never saw it.
Originally, i'd seen this car when i was 21. I thought about it for 14 years, and since all his grandchildren had finally reached driving age, and me brave enough to ask, wondered if no one else wanted it, if he would keep me in mind if he ever wanted to sell it. Well, the next day he calls back, "if you want it, you better get it now...." So, while my wife was pregnant in the hospital w/our twins, unbeknownst to her, a car was being transported to our house. 2 days before her delivery, the car arrives, and i get the neighbor's help to roll it into the garage. When my wife got home from the hospital (oh yeh, i was down there w/her....) she finds out about this car, "it's a GOOD THING you didn't tell me about it...." Yeh, we know each othe pretty well. Don't give a woman in a complicated pregnancy anything more to worry about.
back to the early history of my car: The PO, actually a great uncle of sorts, bought it in at an insurance recovery sale. The car had been stolen off a dealer lot, and the dealer was paid by the insurance. And the car was (recovered)found a year later, painted metallic blue over the original irish green. Original roll bar in front, like 356. like the broken antenna? Badges removed. No motor. All numbers removed and the number in the boot was bondo'd over. So some stuff is missing, but other things are there. Did the cocoa matts cover the hump between passengers? Why do i have a Pirelli innertube in the trunk? I guess they hadn't gone to radials yet? From seeing this board, I'll wait to get a "COA" till our communications w/the factory is less clouded.
Early diagnosis:
Paint BAD. very cracked. attracts alligators...and i live in Maryland!
Interior GOOD.
Exterior body: good. alittle rust in the front. pillars solid. rest seems solid, but i don't know what's hiding.
Suspension -original Koni's. i really don't know anything about it. But it seems any car over 20 yrs is going to need it $redone$.
carbs -GUNK was holding it together. when gunk removed, can now see some daylight pass thru the butterfly valves. throttle is now a little lose, so i'll need to get them rebuild.
engine: chain tensioners failed. quasi-compression test showed valve 1 only holding 60%. Others around 90%. I can't remember what psi i had it up to 120?. that was like...2 years ago? jeeeze, where does the time go? but the kids sure are fun!
So now i need to discover what the damage is.
So i'd like to see if some locals would want to come by for some tinkering? Did i mention this will be my first engine rebuild? Good a place as any to start!
(oh, and maybe if i could borrow for a few couple hours, a camshaft wrench...)
Brian
Frederick Maryland
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