1985 CHP #E408395

[28HopUp]

Originally Posted by Rhino

What's wrong with that!? Granted, I don't like driving my 85 for long hauls, but sure is fun for short romps on the pedal with the stroker in it...LOL.

I hear ya, Ryan!

Well, it looks as though the new engine will be ready to install by Thursday, although I am no where close to having the engine bay ready by then.

Kris found a rebuilt roller motor for sale at the machine shop he prefers using. It's a freshly rebuilt 5.0L with .030-over pistons, ported E7 heads, and a Comp Cams 266HR bumpstick. It was rebuilt to be a mild upgrade over a stock fuel injected motor. Kris will clean up my stock 85 intake and valve covers, and install a new water pump. Although I might have gone a little more to the wild side in terms of having a motor rebuilt, this one is ready to go. It will be a mild step up in performance but will still be reliable, have a smooth stock-sounding idle, and be fun to drive. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I got a SMOKIN' deal on the motor, too!

I will tie into the engine compartment this weekend, but it's not going to be a simple undertaking. There's some surface rust under the battery tray, and a lot of clutter from the 7 previous owners that needs to come out.

[28HopUp]

With temperatures in the 60's, I was able to work "under the hood" over the holiday weekend. As of yesterday, the engine bay is cleaned and sanded (60 --> 100 --> 150 --> 220 --> 320 --> 600 grit). I need to pick up some rust converter today for the few areas of surface rust. Then I will mask, prime and paint.

I've already posted up a "before" shot, so rather than post up a picture of the car in its raw state, I selected a seldom-seen picture -




That's my box of bagged parts, which I learned to do when we took apart Mike's 85 FHP this past July. Every fastener that was removed went into a sandwich baggy marked with a Sharpie with details about where the contents came from. I took plenty of pictures as I went along with my phone so I would know which holes to use again. Not shown in the box are the small parts that will get repainted. My hands/fingers are feeling the effects of the hand sanding this morning, but it's coming together, albeit slowly.

[GSPI]

Motivation for the rest of us Bill!! Thanks!

[28HopUp]

Here's an in-progress shot from today -





I doubt the car will win any MCA awards, but it sure looks a whole lot better now. Tomorrow I will remove the masked off areas and reassemble the components and wiring. Once that is done, the car will be picked up to install the fresh 5.0L.

[CHP8336]

Looks Great Bill!

[Mustang Kid]

Looks a lot better than some of the DIY jobs I've seen on FEP
Great job Bill!

[GSPI]

Excellent Bill. What type of paint are you using to do the detail work?

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys! I forgot how frustrating the prep stage can be. I paid a lot of attention to the top of the radiator support, since that what people's eyes tend to see. Just when I thought I had the surface smooth enough, I'd see something and have to sand & re-primer again.

Greg, I used Rust-Oleum Satin Black for the major surface areas. I knew not to use a gloss, semi-gloss, or flat black, as I was looking for a matte finish. I hope I do not regret not using a high temperature paint. Those shock towers can get hot down by the factory headers. A few pieces (like the bracket for the windshield wiper motor) will be painted in glass black. Once I have everything buttoned up, I will go back and touch up the fasteners in either satin or gloss black.

I'm not so sure I'll get much done today. Instead of working on the car, I'll be spending some family time with Jack on a Sporting Clays range in lower Delaware.

[28HopUp]

Jack & I buttoned up the final items under the hood, and Kris came by this afternoon to pick up the car -




Kris will install the fresh 5.0L in the next week or so.

[chp1982]

Looking good! Very exciting.