Power Tour - Page 3

**kwhizz** · #21 02-20-2006, 07:23 PM

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better make sure it can keep the water out
looks great

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Mark........the rear window area was replaced with all new metal......

Ken

mrtimstik · #22 02-21-2006, 03:57 AM

Beautiful car Ken. Seems like that's the only way you make 'em. The Power Tour sounds like a real good time. I saw the one that stopped at Arlington Park race track here in Illinois. The same one that Titus had his Rides special on. Looking forward to getting together this summer sometime cause I need my motivation/excellence fix. Tom

**Xplantdad** · #23 02-21-2006, 04:05 AM

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Overdrive is a "Smart" thing (Averaged 11 M.P.G. and went thru 8 quarts of Oil in a rebuilt 396 with 200 miles on it last Year, but that's another story)
Ken

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Ken...can you elaborate on your 396 problems? At least I wasn't the only one...maybe it's a Marina Blue SS396 thing?

Seattle Sam · #24 02-21-2006, 06:41 AM

Car looks great, Ken!

**kwhizz** · #25 02-21-2006, 08:25 AM

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Overdrive is a "Smart" thing (Averaged 11 M.P.G. and went thru 8 quarts of Oil in a rebuilt 396 with 200 miles on it last Year, but that's another story)
Ken

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Ken...can you elaborate on your 396 problems? At least I wasn't the only one...maybe it's a Marina Blue SS396 thing?

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When I bought the Convert, the body and paint were in pretty good shape for an older resto.....but the interior, dash,and engine compartment were were so bad that I didn't want to drive the car until I could give it a Shave and a Haircut.....didn't drive it much before taking it apart for detailing........Replaced the complete interior, restored the Dash and Gauges, and pulled the front clip off so everything could be detailed correctly, here's some pic's during assy

Anyhow, next Spring comes along and I start driving the car and find out that the engine isn't in the best shape mechanically,(but it looked good) but I decided to wait till Fall to break it down and get the Engine rebuilt....that's when I bought the Gold 70 Nova....I pulled the 66 Engine and sent it out for rebuilding, pushed the Convert in the corner, then took the Nova apart (Busy Winter)...It timed out that the Engine finished up as the Nova went out for paint.....so the convert went back together and just as that finished up, the Nova was ready to come home....Put the car cover on the convert and spent the rest of the spring finishing the Nova
(I'm getting there)........Now the Power Tour is coming up and originally I was going to take the 66 Nova on the tour till the little lady said that there was no way she was going to ride all the way to Florida in "That Hot Noisy Car" (runs in the 10's on street tires)......So the car cover comes off the convert and I take it out for a test ride and (finally) notice that the engine feels like it's down on power and has a slight valve clatter to it.....(Cam was broke in correctly and yes it has the grooved rear cam journal) so I take it back to the Engine builder and he said to leave it there and he would rerun the lifter adjustment.......picked it up 2 days before leaving and it still had that noise and at Idle it didn't feel like all the cylinders were hitting equally....he said the flutter we heard was a broken baffle in the muffler.....so I drop it off and get new Mufflers put on.....guess what..same noise.....Now....when the engine was rebuilt, the only parts that were saved were the Block and Head Castings, new Crank, Rods, Pistons +.040 (Keith Black Hypereutectic),valves, springs, everything $$$$$$$$$$$ I was told to not worry about it and just drive it, this guy had built 5 other engines for me so I relied upon his expertise....at this time there was about 150 miles on the Engine when we left......Driving on the Tour the engine continued to Clatter and use oil , but as long as it got us home I wasn't going to worry about it .....8 Quarts of oil later we were back at home and I change the Oil and notice a lot of junk (Metal Shavings) in the filter cannister so I go back to the Engine Builder (now an Ex-friend)and show him .....don't worry about it I'm told.......Finally I said Enough is Enough....theres something wrong with this engine and I'm pulling it out and bringing it back so you can take it apart and fix it...Then he tells me I ruined the Engine by driving it to Florida with hardly any miles on it.....then it was the Keith Black Pistons that were junk.... then it was the Piston Rings......Yada Yada......
I pulled the Engine out and put in the 396-350 H.P. engine that came out of the Gold Nova......What a difference....the car was quiet and really came alive.....As I brought the Engine back we pulled out the plugs and they were completely covered in Carbon.....you couldn't even find the electrode....after pressing for a couple of weeks they finally pulled it apart and thr Tap Dancing started.....it got pretty ugly...he wanted me to pay $1200 to freshen the engine, I said I paid once for a "New" engine and no more was coming out of my pocket, and if he didn't want to fix it correctly I would take it somewhere else..........(I think the oil problem came from cylinder walls that were too smooth and the rings never seated) where the clatter came from I don't know.....It took 4 months to get the Engine back (N.C.) and I ended up taking it to another shop to check it out (I'm not taking it out again) and it cost another $1200 to fix it......I could have bought a crate 502 for what I've got in this thing now..Oh well!!.....it's all part of the way things are
The story is much longer.....but I know that Rick is just about out of PopCorn at this point so I will end it.....The Engine has been bored .060 over and now has Cast Pistons .....won't be put back in till next Spring some time....so.....time will tell
Ken

**Charley Lillard** · #26 02-21-2006, 08:34 AM

I kept reading,, waiting for it to get good.....

**Xplantdad** · #27 02-21-2006, 08:35 AM

Yep, just as I suspected...we have been targeted by the government because we have Marina blue 1966 SS 396 Chevelles. They are out to get us....just kidding!

I thought I had problems...wow! I hope that it all works out for you...sounds like that guy was a PITA. Some friend, huh?

**Mr70** · #28 02-21-2006, 05:47 PM

This is better then the Olympics.

bowtie3168 · #29 02-21-2006, 07:29 PM

Are you guys going to visit me at the Raceway Park foodstand (at the end of the Tour) for a hot pretzel?

**Charley Lillard** · #30 02-21-2006, 08:54 PM

Free ? Comes with a Beer ?

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