"Heeyyyy Roger and CM....when are you guys gonna put pictures up on the Registry page. (snip)
And CM's case, hell you've got two to put up."
Well, it's kinda hard to pose my cars while they rest on jackstands, but I'll work on it...
"Is that your black primer wagon, real low with the blower, wide white walls in the shots of the Sacr. meet earlier this year?"
No, only one of my cars has ever run under it's own power, and that was just around the block to prove to my wife it 'runs'. If it didn't, she'd get rid of the cars and me...
I had removed the eng/trans and put in a Chev 350/350 and then I got a change of heart and re-installed the original eng/trans and made them work. I pulled the pans off the eng and trans and cleaned them well, and I sprayed WD-40 into the top of the cylinders and up into the lower cylinder walls from below as well as the rods (both ends) and mains.
I sprayed every 1/4 turn for 5 revolutions and then re-installed the pans with homade gaskets and promptly overtightened them in my enthusiasm. The gas came from my small boat fuel tank under the hood, gravity fed to the pump. I disabled the wiring (electrical system) as it's all crumbling and would've caused more problems for me.
When I started it for the first time after a 16 year (or better) sleep, it smoked like crazy! I revved it a little and it settled into a smooth high idle. After a bit of fiddling, I got it to idle down a bit more, but I think it was still a bit too high.
The smoking diminished as it ran and warmed up but one thing I didn't forsee was the large family of mice that were calling my muffler home. The stink was incredible and there were burned bits of chewed rags etc. that blew out along with a few charred bodies. Of course the windows in the house were all open and the winds were favorable to maximize the smell in the house.
I drove it under it's own power around the block, at about 10:30 pm and with no lights. I then parked it back in the garage and put it back on jackstands where it now sits waiting for me to find the winning lotto ticket or a big bag of money just lying around.
Now the Champ is back to original 'cept for a couple emblems and other options that'd I'd like to add (a bit of fluff...).
The Commander re-birth is 'officially' under way. I have aquired the T&T column from a Caddy, the engine sits in my garage awaiting a rebuild, and my buddy found me a S-10 4x4 Blazer for the chassis but I'll have to stretch it about 14" or so. I still have to separate the body from the chassis and install front floor pans and a driver's side rocker panel.
The rest of the body is pretty rust free and will clean up nicely. All the window seals seem to be readily available. Now if only I can find a lower front scoop just laying around somewhere, I'll be set... (that and the aforementioned big bag of money)
Take care...