1966 Wildcat 2 door Sport Coupe

I appreciate the warning. For the most part I did stay to the right, except to pass the seniors we have in Southern Alberta. I grew up on old vehicles. The first vehicle I drove was a 1964 Fargo 1/2 ton 4X4 short box. It was my Dad's bush "Crummy" and had, without exaggeration, 12 inches of play in the steering wheel. It never went to town, so Dad didn't worry about it. Those were the days. When I asked him to teach me to drive he threw me the keys to the Crummy and said "Don't hit a logging truck" (Bush roads with large logging loads.) I was 14 and, of course, had to show off to my younger brother. Fooling around, I took out the clutch, pressure plate and vacuum advance. Yup, free wheeling down hill when my foot slipped off. Dad was ticked off all right. Not because of the damage, but because I tried to lie about it. He took one look at the hill and the fact the truck wouldn't move and knew exactly what I did. He made me help him fix it. In all, I got off really easy!

All said, before my Wildcat, I have only driven newer vehicles for the last 25 years. When I drove my old girl, I was on a 4 lane highway all the time, well, except in town. In town, I leave lots of room as I am not as used to her as my F150. She isn't as heavy, but, as you say, no anti lock brakes. On the highway, there wasn't much of traffic, so it was easy to leave plenty of room.

I will look into the other gauges you mention. I will have to look how to install them because, as I started this thread with, I am a geek, not a gear head. Lots of things to learn. Lots of money yet to spend. It is a good thing that my wife is behind this project.😎
 
Chuck I have electrical gauges. They are super easy to install and should be for a guy with your background. No need to drill huge holes for senders through the firewall. Yes mechanical gauges may be just a tick more accurate but we're not racing these things full out and these work fine. I can't get my pictures to load here. I'll put them on one of your posts over at V8. Head over there in a little bit and take a look. I know you have a Wildcat so you don't need a wood panel gauge cluster, chrome should work just fine for you. Cheaper and much easier to find.
 
Stick with the Quadrajet if you can. Very elementary once youve done one. Follow Cliffs instructions or just let him do it. I have a new Edelhoser 800 CFM with dyno time and maybe 200 miles on it for sale with the manual and some tuning parts. Electric choke too. Id like to get about 200.00 U.S. plus the box. Bill

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Thanks, I agree with sticking with the Quadrajet. It has been completely torn down and rebuilt replacing numerous parts to new. How he found new parts, I'll never know, but Bob did. Now my car not only sounds sweet, but runs that way as well. It's kind of funny. Every other vehicle I have owned I have been happiest when they were quiet. I had a 09 Sport Trac and when I met my brother in Jasper, he said "Start her up lets hear it run." I told him "Um... It is running." With the Wildcat, that would just seem wrong. She needs to rumble a bit to seem right. My goal for her is to make her look as close to as she rolled off the assembly line as possible. A few modifications, such as a new stereo and a different shade of blue, but all in all, close to new.

I found a set of gauges I like. $100 Canadian at a local car shop. They have to order them in as all they have in stock is black ones. With all the chrome in my old girl, black gauges would stick out like a sore thumb. Voltage Water Temperature and Oil Pressure. Suppliment the "Idiot Lights
' or, as my Dad called them the "Your screwed now lights". By the time oil pressure light comes on, the damage is done he always told me.
 
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Bob is going to put in a set of gauges for the car in the new year. I took my wife down there to confirm that I wanted him to do this and he told my wife "Isn't that a great car? I love it!" Jenny said she doesn't ride in cars that look junky and I told him that she wants it painted. "Makes sense!" he said, "But it's a great old car though." When we left Jenny told me that I should tell him that if I ever sell it, he gets first option. I asked why and she said that if he thinks he might get it, he will do his best work. I told her that I think that he would do his best work any time he works on a vehicle, he can't help it. He seems to be a perfectionist, at least with his work on vehicles. I really appreciate that in him.

I am finding with my Post Concussion, I am capable of doing less than I would like. Sucks, but, at least I found a mechanic I trust. As far as I am concerned that is half of the battle.
 
I went to order the gauges for my car from Bob today. I told him that my wife told me he was in charge of decisions, not me.;) 🤭He asked me what I wanted. I told him that I wanted a set of gauges that would supplement the "Idiot Lights" on the car and be fairly accurate. We talked about a set I had seen that were electric. He told me that for real accuracy, I need a set of mechanical gauges and for water temp and oil pressure, the electrical connection isn't the way he would go. He had a set of Chrome gauges, Auto Meter Three Gauge Console 2329 that, although a little more expensive, were far more accurate. In the end, they were only 9 dollars Can. more that the ones I had been looking at, but way better. Okay, I bought the ones that had been on the shelf for a while (dusty), but other people had balked at the cost when you can go to Canadian Tire and buy a cheap set for $40 less. He said to call me next week to arrange putting them in. We then talked about the leaking motor. It used 2 quarts of oil to go 450 miles. Not burning blue, but pushing it out. He said for about $1200 he could pull the engine and replace all of the gaskets, but, since the motor is already out, it should be looked at while apart. He recommended replacing the oil pump, timing chain, honing the cylinders and new rings, maybe crankshaft... I told him that my budget was going to be around $2500 for this work and he thinks we can work with that. I am thinking engine before new paint. Fix up the old girl as I can, but mechanical should be before appearance. So far, I have spent on the car about what Ray did in 12 years on her.
 
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If people can bear with me, I know I am messing up with the terminology on things. I am working to educate myself. My bad..... sorry.
 
I just went through my engine receipts today; bear in mind this is in US Dollars. 455 Buick bored .040 over (now 465 CI) Valve job with new springs, guides and 8 valves. BAKE and clean (shot blast) the heads and the block, sonic test for cracks, check line and cam bore, cut the crank .010 x .010, balance rotating assembly with MY new manual flywheel, bore and hone, rings, bearings,brass freeze plugs and new cam (I provided rods, pistons, and the iron stuff) for just about 1600.00 I did the assembly, gaskets, timing chain and pumps. Then the bare block and trans went in for a trial fit. The car was a V6 with a 3 speed manual one year ago today. Bill


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Very Pretty. Bob has worked on my engine already and feels that he just wants to hone the cylinders, rings, timing chain, oil pump. Since he will already have it out this is the time to rebuild it. I want her to stop leaking oil on the pavement. Get rid of the board I have under it. I am really starting to feel an attachment to the car. So is Bob. These are the things he had planned to do if I hadn't returned for it. Still sorry, but it is my baby and I want to treat her to a motor refresh. It doesn't burn oil, just pushes it out of the gaskets. I am thinking while out I would want to paint it original red again.
Well, time to go. Have a great evening all!
 
Well, I booked her in to get the engine done. This will be the first time in my memory that I have had a running engine rebuilt. I gave Bob my budget of $3000 and asked him to do what he felt needed doing. I know he wants to replace the oil pump and the timing chain, The rest is up to him to determine. As my wife said, leave him in charge. My brother told me not to tell him my budget, he will come as close as he can to rip you off. I told him that I do not think so, he likes the car and has been fair with me so far.

Fell on the ice yesterday. Stepped out of my car and my feet just went right out from under me. It had rained, then froze. I fell and slammed my back twice into the running boards of my truck. Luckily, they are not the same as TELUS used on the work trucks. That would have shredded it. Hit the lower part and then just below my shoulder blades. Ow. Barely move today.
 
Speedy recovery Chuck.


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Thank you. I am moving a little better today but sudden moves still hurt. Teach me to be more cautious getting out after a rain in January. It is winter, after all. (After years living and working in the Yukon and North West Territories, as well as Northern British Columbia where -40 F is common for a month I still find winter in Southern Alberta, sort of, fake winter.
 
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I noticed your Subaru in your signature. The first car I purchased was a 1978 Subaru wagon GL. I loved that little car. I took a winter cutting out and replacing rusted pieces, but once I was done with it, darn, wasn't it fun. My brother and I went from Dease Lake BC to Stewart and got stuck there after an avalanche washed out a bridge. Highways said if we had a 4x4 we could cross the river. I looked at my car, pointed it out, and agreed with him that no, that 4x4 will not do. I would have ended up in the pacific ocean, the end of the river. That little car went more places than any other vehicle in Dease lake.
 
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Guess Alberta taught you there is no fake winter there! It is good to hear you are on the mend.

The Subaru is what those guys call a hybrid. That is a 2.5 STI short block with 2.0 heads. I got it from a Subaru Tech that added a larger turbo and a front mount air to air intercooler. He added a tuning kit and it was making about 300 all wheel HP when I got it . It is very quick off the line and an absolute blast to drive in the snow!


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Of course, when I have to drive my car down to the mechanic next week, it will be the coldest it has been all year. The high on next Monday is supposed to be -23 C ( -9 F). I had better plug her in first. :mad: At least I will find out how her heat is. Unlike new vehicles, I will have to wait for the "Cold" light to go out before moving it. Haven't had to do that in quite a while, since about 1989.
 
Well, Bob has done some research and told me that $3000 was just not going to be enough. Parts for my 425 seem to cost about 3 times what a part for a small block Chevy cost. Then, with labour, sending the heads out, and painting, we are going to be $5500+. I just cannot afford that right now. I ordered all of the parts that he recommended originally (Timing chain, timing chain sprocket, Oil pump, gaskets timing chain gasket kit, Piston rings). Ray has a hone and a timing light, as well as a garage so, in the spring, we will fix it up.
 
Bob has my car since Tuesday. He hasn't put in the gauges yet since he is busy with "Cold Weather Cars". It has been averaging - 30 C (-22) here for the last week and a lot of cars simply just do not want to run. My car did start on Tuesday:giggle: when I drove it down to his shop. I plugged it in a couple of days before I took it down. When I went to start it I pumped it twice, turned over about 5 times, pumped once more and it roared to life. It stalled once, but then idled until the cold light went out. I am very impressed with the 425 in my car. If it didn't leak, I would have left it alone but, I need it to stop leaking. Bob has promised to have my car back to me sometime next week. No hurry, it's not like I am driving it in this weather.
 
Well, I purchased an Equus 8086 Chrome and white face tachometer for the car. Thanks to a gentleman on V8Buick, I have ordered a steering wheel for her. If the horn parts do not fit the original steering wheel, I will repair this one and put it in. Whats another 2 weeks between friends. As long as I remove the small aftermarket steering wheel currently in the car, my wife, Jenny will be happy. Happy wife, happy life. And, since she controls the finances, happy motoring for my old girl (the car, not the wife.... whew... that was close). I am looking forward to getting the car back, but I told the mechanic that people who need their cars for daily use come before me. This means he didn't quite finish putting in the gauges on Friday. My younger brother is coming down the end of the month and wants to see the car. He bought himself a new Mustang this fall and keeps threatening to "race for pinks. I don't race, she is a Personal Luxury Vehicle" not a Muscle Car, although with the gauges, tach and new rims, she might start looking like one. I told him that what I like about my car is the fact that she is rare in this day and age. They only made 26,000 Wildcats in 1966. How many are still on the road? How many 2019 Mustangs. Probably over a quarter million. Different reasons to have a car I guess. As long as you love your car, then you have the right one.
 
This is completely off topic, but, I need to rant. My son owns a 2015 Ford Focus he bought used in 2017. He has had a maintenance package so oil changes have been done by the local dealership. It has run out so he asked me to teach him how to change the oil and check things over. We put the car up on ramps and, from there, things went downhill. First, the fabric pad on the underside that you have to remove was hanging down and dragging on the ground. All of the screws were that for it, but it had fallen. Then, I checked the oil filter. It had oil running down the sides from the seal. It was definitely not on tight enough. I loosened it with two fingers. I put it back on tight and moved on to the draining of the oil. The oil drain plug was rounded off!. I couldn't get a socket on it because of this. It was tight though. I had to put vice grips on it to get it off. Now, at this point, I an peeved. I told my son to get into my truck and we drove to Canadian Tire. New drain plug, fender washers for the cover.

After we finished the oil change and checked the air filter, I put everything away. I went to my computer and emailed my concerns to the dealership. I felt that they should know the quality of work leaving their service department. I asked for a response. We will wait and see what they have to say. Makes me glad I found a mechanic for my wildcat that I can trust. Bob does excellent work. I know, I checked when I got it back from him earlier.
 
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