Do you also have 1:1 project cars?

[Mattilacken]

Gotten around to start whit the CTS, ordered spares, a new timing belt, waterpump, and some filters. So I dug in to it and started to take it apart. Need to finger out how the tinging belt change should be done.

 

the Cadillac team working on the V6 while watching the 2025 attendants racing. Haha or some thing like that! 

 

[Quiet Eric]

I've posted about the '57 before, but it has changed a lot since the last time it was on the road. Of course that was around 3 years ago. I've also been working on this '64 El Camino. It's a full frame off. Lots or rust repair, suspension work, 9" rear. 6.0LS. But it's been pretty hard for me to find the motivation to get out in the garage the last couple years. Much easier and quicker return on my effort building models!

[RSchnell]

I'm heading back out to CA in Nov to pick this up. I first saw the car back in June when I was out there to get the '55 Ford Convertible I bought. '55 Ford Customline, Y-block with an automatic, no structural rust, even the front crossmember is good. Just has some surface rust & some parking lot rash which is nothing considering what I'm used to dealing with. I thought about this car on the plane ride home and for a couple weeks after that. Finally called the man and made a deal for it. The idea of building a Fordor for a driver is a novel concept for me, as I used to consider them parts cars & cut up several 55-56 Ford Fordors for parts over the years. This car appealed to me because it hasn't been messed with too much. I despise ungoobering a car!

My plans are to make it into a lowbuck ride, something I don't mind leaving in the grocery store parking lot.  I'm thinking I'll have 6K in the car all in. We'll see how far off I am LOL!

[Mattilacken]

Well owning a car that you like as your daily but it’s almost to expensive to own renders in some work from time to time… my 15 GC got a Tone ring delamination problem.. what to do, tear the gearbox and other equipment. A 3 day job for me with looong days would probably set me back around 30000kr (3000$) in labor for a 100usd part.. 

[mchook]

Been working on this "T" again for a bit. This is the 2nd engine in the past 2 years. The last one ran good but had a quarter size hole in the block up in next to the valve guide. We got this one in a while back & got it running 2 weeks ago. Then found out the rear end was shot, changed that last week. Went for a little ride today, blew the front tire and found out the steering is loose as hello. 

[espo]

On 9/28/2025 at 8:32 PM, mchook said:

Been working on this "T" again for a bit. This is the 2nd engine in the past 2 years. The last one ran good but had a quarter size hole in the block up in next to the valve guide. We got this one in a while back & got it running 2 weeks ago. Then found out the rear end was shot, changed that last week. Went for a little ride today, blew the front tire and found out the steering is loose as hello. 

Sort of asking your grandfather to jitter bug all night. For those not yet born in the mid to late 1900's, the jitter bug was a style of dancing that was very physical, and one could tire very easily. Keep up the good work on this as true testament to your perseverance. 

[Mattilacken]

Ben working on the caddie, cambelt changed and reassembly started. I could not leave it alone and modified the valve covers with two stainless plates and cut a bracket apart to move the ECU to the body side. Will make the engine more visible. And manny things are now connected.. still some left to figure out. 
 

[Tabbysdaddy]

This Ranger has been fighting me for a month. My daughter drives it and it overheated. 

Weekend #1- removed heads, found a cracked head.

Weekend #2- found a used head, reassembled everything. Still not running right.

Weekend #3- removed head I didn't change, crack I can't see or bent valve.

Weekend #4, this weekend- installed another used head, still not running right.

So, remove radiator and water pump to inspect. Radiator fine, water pump pictured below.

[Xingu]

More of a water "passage" than a "pump"

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

...water pump pictured below.

Wow. That's just...wow.

[johnyrotten]

1 hour ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

water pump pictured below.

Seen that on vw's with the plastic impeller, they also fall off. never a metal one. Surprised it never started leaking. I'd say you got your money's worth.

[Tabbysdaddy]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Wow. That's just...wow.

It's actually common on some Fords. Brainstorming last night I remembered reading about it so I was hoping, expecting to find this. Or a clogged radiator. 

[Tabbysdaddy]

1 hour ago, johnyrotten said:

Seen that on vw's with the plastic impeller, they also fall off. never a metal one. Surprised it never started leaking. I'd say you got your money's worth.

I wish it would have started leaking. Maybe I would have found it six hundred dollars ago.

[johnyrotten]

1 minute ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

I wish it would have started leaking. Maybe I would have found it six hundred dollars ago.

Ouch.

[Ace-Garageguy]

20 minutes ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

It's actually common on some Fords. Brainstorming last night I remembered reading about it so I was hoping, expecting to find this. Or a clogged radiator. 

I've seen a fair few eroded pump impellers over the years, but that's just...wow. 

About the only coolant flow was from convection. 

[Falcon Ranchero]

Got the trunk badge finally mounted. Had to cut off all the prongs except for the one behind the "I" (the holes in the trunk didn't match up with the prongs on the badge, since the badge is apparently a '67, and we had to mount it on our '69) because interestingly enough the "I" prong, when fit in the hole, centeres the whole badge correctly and also has it at an appropriate height. Though we could still see the remaining holes so my dad printed out some sticker vinyl colour coded to the car's paint, and printed on metalic silver vinyl so it looks exactly like the car paint, and so I cut small circles out and stuck them over the holes. Does the job. So the badge is mostly stuck on there with two-sided automotive tape, but I have it screwed in where the "I" is.

[Tabbysdaddy]

Here's a side shot:

[Tabbysdaddy]

Keeping with the theme of doing everything twice on this Ranger, I'll be removing the new water pump tomorrow. It also partially holds the timing cover on, and replacing it disturbed the timing cover gasket so that is now leaking water. Pretty sure I'm going to have to drop the oil pan also to remove the cover. 

[The Nomad]

This was my project car, “was” because I’ve recently completed a 3 ½ year frame off rebuild of it. 

I’m the fourth owner and have owned the car since 1990; the “Red” picture is me taking delivery of the car in the parking lot of Seattle Int’l Raceway.

Car is now repainted in its original colours of Dawn Gray and India Ivory. Driveline is a ’83 350 with Aluminum heads and dual fours with an ’89 700R4 transmission. It’s been lowered two inches front and rear and has Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners. Interior is full custom in leather and cloth with “stock” bucket seats made by cutting up two stock bench seats and re-welding them.

Buddy whose shop we built it in and I drove it on a 5500 mile round trip in August 2024 to Bowling Green Kentucky for the Tri-Five Nationals. Second picture is the car in the parking lot at the host hotel the night before the show started.

[RockinRoller]

New family member!

I sold my 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan - project... because it takes me 15 years and not getting to an end... has to pull the emergency brake on it!

My 1954 Packard Patrician "Patty":

 

Greetings,

Oliver

[RSchnell]

Flying out to California here in a couple weeks to drag this ole girl home. Ran across this Ford in a junkyard in Northern California when hunting parts for the '55 Ford Convertible I picked up on my last trip out west. Aside from some surface rust, there's no rust through and the front crossmember is good. My goal is to be all in at $6500 or under from purchase to being on the road. It won't get a full repaint, I'll knock down the bad stuff, treat it and see how good my blending skills are to match the existing "patina" or take the easy way and detrim & give it a couple coats of tinted K93 or similar. I'll give the interior a good scrubbing & replace the headliner and carpet. Still kicking around ideas on seat covers. The last pic is kinda what I'm leaning towards the car looking like. I want something I'm not afraid to leave in a grocery store parking lot.

[Ulf]

57 minutes ago, RSchnell said:

”My goal is to be all in at $6500 or under from purchase to being on the road”

”Itwon't get a full repaint”

 

What wonderful and desirable project goals. There is much we can do, but we cannot turn back time; the original becomes only more and more unique.

[johnyrotten]

2 hours ago, RSchnell said:

My goal is to be all in at $6500 or under from purchase to being on the road.

Nice,obtainable goal. And a good looking ride. It's so easy to get carried away and wind up getting in over your head or worse. That looks like it'll clean up pretty well.

[RSchnell]

2 hours ago, Ulf said:

 

What wonderful and desirable project goals. There is much we can do, but we cannot turn back time; the original becomes only more and more unique.

That's the plan. I've spent years restoring cars for myself & others (owned a resto shop for 26 years) back to better than new. I've always gotten the most enjoyment out of cars I could just get in and go & not worry about a rock chip or that I have the correct plating on a certain fastener with the appropriate markings. 

[Scott8950]

Current project