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1970 Torino And Fairlane Builds

Discussion in 'Quitters' Club' started by bigjohn, Nov 23, 2023.

  1. Oct 27, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    After car shuffling yesterday and getting the Torino back in the barn to dry out, I got after it today after getting back from town. Pulled the a pillar trim and added some windshield sealer to both sides. It turned out you could see the outside from inside between the windshield and a pillar with the trim removed. Added a bit of seam sealer to the cowling, and reinstalled the trim. Jeff came by and we installed the top windshield stainless trim using the new trim clips.
    Also the new used hideaway light switch came in so I installed that and the new dimmer switch and got the headlights working. 3/4 headlight bulbs need replaced but it’s progress.
    After seam sealing I installed the killmat. It’ll be awhile until we get the carpet ordered, which is towards the end of this phase. After reinstalling the seat i drove her out of the barn and up to the carport to let the dumb Buick back in for body work continuation. I’ll probably swap them back Tuesday and get back to getting the other floor pipe vent installed and continue hooking up the dash harness and working through electrical and lighting. Hopefully in the next week It’ll be to a point I can reassemble the dash pad part and install it.
    Here’s the current interior state. I’m very happy with it compared to the Rusty soup sandwich it was a month ago.
    IMG_5975.jpeg
     
  2. Oct 27, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    Ps, the cardboard is super handy at keeping springs out of my butt. Not a long term solution but killer for now.
     
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  3. Oct 28, 2024
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

    Southern...
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    Some project you have going. Looking good.
    Can you tell me a bit more about the Kill matt? Insulation? sound barrier? adhesive back? and so on.
     
  4. Oct 29, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    It’s basically cheaper dynomat available on Amazon. Insulation, sound barrier and takes the tinny sound out of panels. I’ll likely put a few squares on the inner door skins and inner roof skin before we install the headliner.
     
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  5. Nov 3, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    Well still plugging away at the Torino. Working through the electrical is definitely a process. The wiper switch came in so I installed it. Still no wipers. Removing the bolt for the ground strap on the motor broke off so drilled that out and reinstalled another. Still no ground. So I made a wire to go from that ground location to the back side of the wiper housing and bam, the wipers work!
    Amongst my bouncing around was messing with the lights. So far I got the brake lights, all the left side turn signals and park lights, and the right park lights and rear blinker working. The front right corner isn’t getting a flasher signal, which probably has to do with the turn signal switch on the column.
    Then more messing with the cluster. I got a most of the cluster lighting working, the oil light, and finally got a gauge test done. They’re functional! The fuel gauge isn’t reading correctly I don’t think, but it’s doing something and reading lower than actual so I’ll take that for now. Then finally decided to troubleshoot the brakes. I started by plugging a vacuum gauge into vacuum tree on the firewall and fired the car up. The vacuum was very slow coming up but did come up. There’s a vacuum reservoir for the hideaway headlights that takes some to,er, fill with vacuum? :D Anyway, disconnect the hideaway system and plug that port on the vacuum tree and the gauge goes right up and the power brakes feel much better. There’ll be some decisions to make in the future, but there’s no hideaway doors on now so that system isn’t necessary yet. I did however finally test that system with the install of the actual new headlight switch. The pivot rod is functional which means if the system wasn’t leaking badly, I could install headlight doors and they’d be functional.
    There’s still a few things to do before the dash pad is assembled and installed. The cluster turn signal indicators aren’t working. Or the high beam indicator. Then I’ll probably install a speaker in the dash center and drop the wires down for a future stereo install. And of course a few other Knick knack things. This is the part of the project I enjoy the least because it’s ironing out a bunch of little details, lots of time with not much to show. But it is still enjoyable and satisfying to make all these little things functional again.
     
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  6. Nov 5, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    I’m still chipping away at the lighting. I’ve been going through the cluster twist locks and replacing bulbs and cleaning contacts. I did get the high beam and left turn signal cluster indicators working. And replaced the column shifter position switch with another used one from the stash and that got power to the reverse light sockets. I also cleaned the dome light socket and tested it. Those all should work once they get bulbs installed. I have a bunch of bulbs on the way for all this stuff.
    Tonight I pulled the steering wheel so I could test the turn signal switch and verified there’s some funny stuff going on in there. So I have another one ordered that should be here this weekend.
    Lastly I have some exhaust stuff on the way. I’m bumping the pipe size up from the 2” down pipe to 2.5” for the rest. There’ll be headers in the future so the rest of the exhaust will be good to go when that happens. The plan is to build an over the axle and out the side exhaust. This’ll be my first full system without a bender. But exhaust shops are charging crazy prices, like $6-700 for full length dual exhaust. I should be able to get it together with cheap thrush mufflers and an Amazon builders pipe kit for less than $300.
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2024
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  7. Nov 9, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    The cluster is pretty well buttoned. I should have led with those New bulb twist sockets. They’re super cheap on rockauto and worked great. The turn signal switch also came in and got swapped in. I replaced the shift position bulb as well. And the dome light bulb was installed. With the new door switches the dome light comes on. All of the back lights and indicators on the cluster work but I was missing the front passenger turn signal. I found the wire was pulled from the bulkhead connector at the firewall and has been spliced at some point. I was able to just lengthen the wire and stick it back in and got that signal working finally. Then wired up the replacement rear passenger marker light socket so all of the exterior lights are functional, save the headlights I’m still undecided about. Lastly I swapped the oil sender from a gauge to dummy light style and the dummy light works correctly now. I also ordered a speaker to install under the upper dash section that should be here Sunday. I’ll install that, the glove box, a few other little bits and the upper dash will be ready to install. While I was messing around with the column I realized the parts column had a much nicer wheel, shifter and turn signal lever so I swapped them all out after cleaning the chrome up. Jeff is checking his stash for a nicer horn button. Then I’ll mess with getting the horn functional.
    While I was waiting for parts yesterday I drove it up top and gave it a comet wash to help knock of some rust and help with the buffing process go a bit easier. It worked. No pictures but the buffing went much faster last night.
    IMG_5991.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2024
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  8. Nov 9, 2024
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2025 Sponsor 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Serious progress!
     
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  9. Nov 9, 2024
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    Amazing progress! Are there maybe electric motors available for the headlight doors? If so would be more dependable than vacuum motors.
     
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  10. Nov 9, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    Yes there are. West coast cougar sells a kit. It’s pretty spendy but seems like the much better option. There’s a few guys that have built their own using Amazon electric actuators for cheap. That’s another time suck but I do have more time than money these days:lol:. Buying parts can easily push this hideaway setup cost over $1k. It’s incredible how expensive this stuff is. The Torino guy in Kentucky, Troy lemming, sells these used complete hideaway grills for well north of $3k shipped :shock:. Option C is wait for a good priced parts car with the grill to pop up and harvest what I need. Like I said, there’ll be decisions to make in the future.
     
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  11. Nov 9, 2024
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2025 Sponsor 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    How about a hand crank on the dash and some cables like a 1937 Cord? :D

    https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/behind-the-hidden-headlamps-of-the-cord-810-812/
     
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  12. Nov 10, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    IMG_5997.jpeg IMG_5996.jpeg IMG_5998.jpeg This was a huge couple of days. First I installed the reverse 1156 bulbs. First there were none. Then they were on all of the time. Yay, I get to change that switch again. It mounts to the base of the steering column right against the inside of the firewall and is super fun to contort my body to access it under the dash.
    Then the new alternator came in. It’s a 10si Ford pattern 100 amp single wire setup I’ve used in the f100 and Anna’s Falcon with great success. This replaced the original alternator, regulator and the entire harness. The pulley however is a different diameter so the old belt didn’t work. Luckily I hoard battery cables and belts. I had a new one that was perfect. Then I cut down and put new ends from a 4 wheeler starter cable to run from the alternator to the battery side of the starter relay.
    Then the exhaust stuff started showing up Friday. So I got started adapting from my premade down pipes to get around to the trans crossmember kick ups. The mufflers showed up yesterday afternoon so I added the main sections of pipe and setup the mufflers. After the boys basketball games and kids went to bed I got back down and started to setup the sections from the mufflers over the axle. Once I had an idea of how the rest would go I burned in the mufflers and long pipes. This morning Jeff came up and we got the over the axle sections and tail pipes all planned, lasted out and welded up. Lastly I welded those sections up to the mufflers.
    I’m still waiting on the hangers to come in so I welded them temporarily to some old existing hangers under there. The car sounds awesome. Grandpa loud for sure. It’ll sound like an old 70’s car chase which I love. Should be a killer driver that won’t wear you out from the exhaust noise, like the f100 does on any drives longer than an hour.
    Lastly I finally marked the balancer, pulled the car out and got it up to temp to set the idle speed and timing. And did the first tiny burnout, which it did more than willingly without the secondaries. There’s no sign of cam lope but it seems to have more than ample torque. My guess is Gene built it that way given it went in his f250. With this torque curve I’m hopeful for good freeway mileage combined with that 3.00 rear and ratio.
    No exhaust pictures for now. I’m putting it back on Jack stands tomorrow to install the new hangers and maybe por15 the new metal. I’ll take some pictures tomorrow. One sneak peek though. I cut two of the short radius 180 degree sections of the kit to create downturn exhaust tips. The thought was to obscure most of the exhaust exits behind the rear valance. I missed the mark but I’m happy with it anyway. The dumps remind me of the old olds or Buick exhaust. More on that tomorrow.
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2024
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  13. Nov 11, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    Roy , you are a genius. This legit got me thinking for a bit. Because the vacuum pot is in the middle, and is sprung, ifs there any reason a twist lock cable setup won’t work?
     
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  14. Nov 11, 2024
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2025 Sponsor 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Interesting thought. That could work just fine and have a lot less to go wrong.
     
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  15. Nov 11, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    The dash pad is on. Still need a bunch of screws and clips to secure it. Today was about taking care of a bunch of dinky stuff. Install the glove box. Install the under dash courtesy light. Install what’s left of the dash vent ducts. Reconnect the Speedo cable to the cluster. Figure out a way to mount the new 4x10 speaker in the upper dash. Throw on a few bits of killmat to help with any rattling that may occur. Then marry the upper dash to the pad, and install.
    The exhaust hangers were delayed a few days so it’ll be a bit before she gets jacked up for those and pictures.
    IMG_6004.jpeg IMG_6003.jpeg
     
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  16. Nov 15, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    I picked up some clips and screws this week and got the upper dash removed and properly reinstalled. Also got the new exhaust hangers installed. I’m pretty happy with the fit. It’s not perfect but the car isn’t either. With the exit I just wanted to do something different than the typical straight back with chrome tips. I need to clean the sharpie lines off the tops yet, but I’m very happy with the exit.
    Lastly the undersides of the new floor is painted with por15 and ready for seam sealer
    IMG_6013.jpeg IMG_6014.jpeg IMG_6016.jpeg IMG_6017.jpeg IMG_6018.jpeg IMG_6019.jpeg .
     
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  17. Nov 15, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    More messing around today. I’ve been thinking a ton lately about putting something in the car that establishes a baseline to move on from in term’s of the tire wheel combo. I realized today the other Falcon has some decent offset wheels and Cooper cobra tires. So I backed it out from its spot and did the tire swap. Then hit the wheels and caps with my polisher. The pictures turned out super nice, in reality the wheels and caps chrome are really trash. And of course I put the nicest on the driver side. But it’s closer to the form of this car I’ve been envisioning. It’s actually looking like a muscle car here!
    Side note, she does burnouts! And often both wheel burnouts. I’m sure that’ll fade as the car gets driven. But it’s fun while it lasts.
    Second side note. Fine, I’ll replace the shifter switch so the reverse lights won’t light when not in reverse.

    IMG_6025.jpeg IMG_6024.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2024
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  18. Nov 16, 2024
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2025 Sponsor 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Nice stance. Looks great with that wheel/tire combo.
     
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  19. Nov 16, 2024
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2025 Sponsor 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    Is it 5x4.5 pattern?
    I have some pretty beefy classic Cragar wheels. Only 14” diameter, but wide rears.
     
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  20. Nov 16, 2024
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    Oh really? Yup they are 5x4.5. Any chance you’d want to text me a picture?
     
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