Light wagons

I've wrapped up the Roller Painting thread some time ago (April this year):
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=711&page=33

And, except for installing it, the Dash is ready to be installed, after today, but I tracked that here:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2268&page=3

Door panels:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2273

And all the other details are up to date here:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1267&page=22

My rundown list is here, but there's always mental notes from removal that come back to light, and I decide whether I should or not, like the engine compartment lights in the previous page:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1267&page=19

And of course, Andy and I got distracted with a roadtrip, a junkyard run, some chats of how to fix the one that got squished in an accident, and Rain, and Hailstorms.

When will it be done? Has to be running by next Friday. I've got to get the house renovations started before July 18 or I lose a community grant. I need the trailer to get the materials and mine's the only one with a good hitch.

 

Tough break on the 307. Is the 350 an olds engine too or can a 327 chevy go in on the same transmission. I never studied much about the 350, but the 327 still has a huge parts and performance base. Of course you probably need whatever emissions gadgets that the 327 wouldn't have.

I sat as a passenger once in a 650 HP camaro 327, and that was inspiring to this day! Nothing like changing your diaper, while you're changing gears!

 

If you can find one with or that had Air Conditioning, they have a few features that I really like:

- More sound-deadening,
- More dash-level vents for fresh air - great to keep the family dog in the back seat
- A drain plug from the heat-exchanger at the cowl to get the humidity out. Even if the AC wasn't working, the humidity can get out through that drain, which gets rid of musty smells and keeps interior floor rust from happening.
- The AC version of the car has different fresh air vents to the outside. The regular cars have a coax cable that opens a vent under the cowl grille. On older mustangs and these Fox-bodies, those things sieze up and rust, thanks to leaves and road dust accumulating around them. The AC cars have a side opening under the passenger side fender, eliminating all that mess.

The main reason the front floor pan and floor sides rust is because of the snow and roadsalt we haul in, everytime we get in the car, turn on the heater, and down it goes to the floorpan. The side-seams along the doors rust out due to lack of undercoating. The rocker panels need undercoating, and I used that rubberized pebble material on the outside bottom of the fenders and doors and rocker panels, as well as new undercoating on the whole underside of the car, and sprayed into the frame cavities where I could reach.

My floor was like new when I started thanks to the Factory AC undercoating in Mexico. In Mexico they have a high salt content in the earth, and when it rains, it drops 20 mm per hour or more. The streets can fill up so high that the old VW Beetle taxis float on top of it to the next high spot! Not kidding on that!

The emergency brake cables sieze up thanks to rust also. You can get replacements from a 1983 to 1985 small Fox-bodied Lincoln or Marquis. I took mine off and soaked them in vinegar and salt for 3 days and then soaked them in transmission fluid for another day and finally greased them. The donor car's cables were all rotten - it was a Canadian car.

The woodgrained cars with stock old woodgrain, like mine, will dry up and crack, IF someone spilled chemicals on it, but the wood moldings will fade and dull out. I posted a link to stripeman.com that sells a moulding trim recovering kit, but I didn't know about that kit when I did mine. So I refinished them myself (see woodgrain threads).

The door and tailgate hinge pins wear out and you can replace them.

TBird's 1982 Cougar has real Stainless Steel bumpers front and back, but Fairmont/Zephyrs have aluminum bumpers. The rear ones corrode in roadsalt and puncture right through. If you can find a car with a good one, buy it. When we picked up Andy's ND car, I ran my hand under the rear bumper and there were big clumps of hard mud stuck under there. It has to be washed out or the same will happen.

Glass is becoming an issue for the tailgate and rear quarter window glass. I waited 3 months for a replacement (some kid shot mine with a BB gun. You can buy a new Lexan laminate, tinted or not, that has a real glass coating on it, on both sides, so you can wash it normally and it lasts. I built my own house windows and use 4 glass panels. The outside one is the plastic one. Cuts road noise, insulates and doesn't dew up. Well if you were really stuck, you could make your own and fit it in. Door glass? I'd say a sedan window can be fitted.

Motors and Trannies? No issues for me. Love that little six.

 

Here Senri look at this gorgeous Fox-bodied Marquis. My little heart just goes way past Viagra-potential when I look at that! Stefan saw me drooling and put them all up on the site:

http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/gallery/showimage.php?i=1496&c=15

 

The 350 is the most common engine and it is a Chevy. It will bolt up to the 200R4 tranny, as that has a double pattern. All the rest is easy bolt on. As oldtimers have no emission rules, I can leave it all off. It makes the engine much more efficient.

I was part of a ProMod dragracing crew and we had a 1000hp camaro (road legal!!!!!) and of course our main car: a 99 Chevy Monte Carlo with a 2500hp 734ci nitrous engine! Both really impressive and an experience of a life time (I did not drive the Monte Carlo of course).

Thanks for the update and I hope you can make your deadline!

Thanks for the tips on the Fairmont. The differences with the AC version are good to know, but I have to say that AC is not a choice. It is obligatory! The 15 hour trips to Italy with our 2 and a half year old son, really need to keep it cool. Maybe not enviromentally friendly, but it is really increasing safety!

 

I took the AC out, including the in-heater exchanger, but kept the heater box and ductwork. I like the vacuum controls - nothing to jamb up. The donor car's coax cables were rusted frozen on the passenger side.

Since mine was originally a V8, and came from Mexico, they had a thicker rad and the condenser is more heavy duty. But the AC compressor won't mount on the Six. So I stripped all the AC system out and just kept the switches and ducting.

 

NOT TRUE!!....just in your end of the world

 

...I had a guy in the store the other day who's just putting the finishing touches on his 79 Squire Faimont...(he was giddy to meet another wagon junkie)

He's got a 250/6cyl...with a Mustang 5 speed behind it!!
otherwise..its bone stock, except for lowered and wheels...he says its getting 29 plus MPG...and is a hoot to drive!!

he's thinking of finally getting a computer ,......
...after i told him about our little board

 

See? Some people ARE known by good taste alone.

A 250 cid? They sit higher don't they? hmmm.

 

Personal experience:

1981 Ford Fairmont 200 CID/automatic: 20 MPG hwy.
1978 Dodge Diplomat 318/auto. 18 MPG hwy.
1972 Dodge Dart 318/auto. about 18 Hwy.
1975 Plymouth Valiant 225/6-auto. about 20 hwy.
All these were sedans except the Dart, which was a 2 door hardtop, and very light.The Dippy is a fairly heavy car, as is the Town & Country.

 

With the crappy setup I have now on LPG (10% loss) and a 2000 kilo Caprice and most kilomters fully loaded, my 12 mpg (average city & hw)is not so bad then!

I will record every change. My goal is to reach over 20 mpg and ultimately 25 mpg on LPG average. First I will go to a new engine, then dedicated LPG system and ultimately have a liquid LPG injection system.

As you may hae understood, I will most likely keep my Caprice as I know what I have (and really like it, I have to add). The only option for me is a Fairmont, but almost never available. I stick to what I have for now, but will keep my eye out for one.

 

The 94-96 Chevy b-body wagons are by no means small, but get stunningly good gas mileage. 20-25 hwy MPG on a properly tuned engine. Fuel injection and an overdrive transmission are the only things I can think of that could contribute.
So maybe you could look at a t-56 6 speed swap!

 

Firewood, I believe that the biggest point why the milage of a post-90 Caprice is so much better then of the boxy, is the aerodynamics. I agree that the fuel injection (is it a LS1?) really helps, but mine has an overdrive tranny as well.
Like I said, because of the LPG and the setup, it is down to this figures, but on petrol and a good setup, I should be able to get 16mpg average.
O well, I have just started for the build up of a new 350 (something like a ZZ4) and I am really curious what will happen to my milage! And that will be step 1!