The excitement is building

As some of you know, I've been ramping up my tools and shop capabilities in anticipation of my Spirit '27T SuperKit, which should be about 10 weeks out. . . . Planned to coincide with the end of hurricane season here in the Caribbean.

Getting things shipped here has turned out to be quite a challenge . . . The ocean freight handlers are still swamped from all the stuff still coming to rebuild after the 2 cat 5 hurricanes a year ago and stuff makes it to the warehouse, but then seems to go into hiding for a week or two, and that's after it clears customs.

So finally, after 3 weeks, they finally found my little gantry crane and I got it picked up and back home. I unpacked it and checked the parts and it's all there, even the hardware bags are not torn or missing for a change . . . I picked up the trolley and chainfall almost a month ago, and everything was ordered at the same time . . go figure . . .

Looks like tomorrow is going to be a fun day of insert tab A into slot B, secure with bolt C and nut D and so on . . .

I ended up getting the crane, as the donor for the BBC engine is a very much jacked up 4X4 on 40" tires, which is wayyyy to high for my cherry picker engine hoist to be of any use.

I'm pretty sure it'll also come in handy for setting the body in place, multiple times, I'm sure . . .

As it turned out, I had a small boat trailer, actually a single jet-ski size trailer, languishing in the yard under an old inflatable dinghy. The dinghy was destroyed after hurricane Maria, and I finally cut it up and took it to the dump to get at the trailer a few weeks back.

I mention this as I want to repurpose the trailer as a body dolly, so that I can move the fiberglass body easily and have a dolly to store it on while working on the chassis and drive train.

Today I took the wheels off, replaced the rotted tire valves, (thank you Amazon for the tools and valves), and cleaned up the rims where the tire bead seals.

Both seem to hold air quite well, although with the old, dry rotted tires, they will probably go down over time, but still be usable.

Just have to get some new hardware and 2X6's to make new bunks, and it'll be good to go.

I think I mentioned in another post that the 700R4 transmission is here. I coughed up the $$ for a TCI Super Street Fighter series with a 3000rpm stall converter. Probably could have gotten something cheaper, but for what it costs to ship here, (not to mention the time it takes) I figured it was worth going with a top tier name brand.

As I believe I also may have mentioned, the tires are here, MT S/R 33X22r on the rear and 26X8r on the front.

The rear wheels, . . . Weld Prostars, 15X15, have been here for about a month, the fronts, (15X6 Prostars) on the other hand, shipped a couple weeks after the rears from Summit, and somehow, the ocean freight company didn't get them on the friggin' boat a couple weeks ago like they should have, and so now they won't make it on the boat 'till Thursday . . . . At least I got the mess figured out and they'll be here by mid October . . .

Strangely enough, the transmission jack I ordered a month or more after the wheels, is already on the boat and should be available possibly by next Friday, but more probably the following Friday.

Well, . . . That about wraps up my tales of adventure, living out here on a small rock in the middle of a big ocean.

Will post a few more pics as the next items finally make it here and find there way thru the customs and warehouse maze . . .


Darlene

 

Het guys,

Sorry about the double posts on the pics, ran out of edit time to fix it . . .

 

Thanks one hell of a Christmas, enjoy !!!

 

Thanks Indycars,

I've been trying to get all my ducks in a row so that the kit arrives just after hurricane season, during the coolest months of the year, and I can get it drivable before the miserable summer heat returns.

I'm saving my vacation time so I can take 2 or 3 weeks in December, and 1 or 2 around my B'day in February

I'll probably save doing the engine mods for next year's cooler months after driving it for a summer. It had a little work done on it before it went into the truck, so it's somewhere in the 390/400 range, so it'll still be fun before the mods.

I had planned on assembling my crane today, but after wrestling a 40" tire off the engine donor 4X4 truck and into my little Nissan truck, it just wasn't going to happen . . . This getting old crap really sucks . . . . the mind was perfectly willing, the body just refused to go along . . . I'll go by the tire shop this week and get a new valve installed, as the old one just rotted and broke off.

I did get the load of cardboard and the pallet from my transmission unboxing to the dump bins today, as well as install the new bunk mount hardware on my body-dolly trailer. Seems yesterday's work to replace the tire valves on those tires went for naught, as they were practically flat today.

Anyway, Amazon to the recue, went from 8" wheels to 12" with galvanized rims for $99, for the pair, tires mounted, complete. Also ordered a swing-up trailer jack, so the thing can stay level on its own.

October should see the last of my tools, equipment, and parts that don't come in the kit arrive, and then hopefully, it'll be cooler thru November and I can get the engine pulled and ready for installation in the T.

The last thing I'll have to order will be the driveshaft, but I can't order that until everything is here and assembled so I can get a proper measurement.

Since I ordered the optional hardtop, I had Spirit do the windshield, since it takes a different, taller one, (16") than they usually use on the '27 and also had them make the gas tank to streamline the assembly process at my end a bit more . . .

Trying to get a little closer each weekend . . .

Darlene

 

Thanks for sharing. Shipping has to add a few $$$$ to the build. How do you plan on balancing the rear wheels?

 

The plan is to eventually go with an Edelbrock top end kit
https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/edl-2079/overview/make/Chevrolet

For pistons, I'll go with the Speed Pro H693
https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/slp-h693cp/overview/

Still deciding on what carb.

I'd love to do another big block blower motor, but I can't afford that for at least another year or more down the road . . .


As far as balancing the rear tires, I guess I'll see how they behave, and then if need be, I'll go from there . . .

We have a few tire shops on island, and at least one is run by a guy who was an active drag racer back when the track was open.

 

Much as I appreciate the offer, and that system looks mighty killer . . . .

To me, . . . . half the reason to own a T, (or any hot rod or classic) is to get back to the days before electronics and technology took most of the fun out of what we used to do for fun.

For $2700, I could buy a nice new carb and still have $2000 left to put towards a blower . . . Pretty much a no brainer on my budget.

Now if maybe I was to hit the lottery for a few $K, I'm sure a shiny new 572 crate motor would have my name on it the same day . . .

Darlene

 

Hypereutectic pistons wouldn't be a good choice for a blower motor , they don't like being rattled .....

 

The pistons I referenced would be for use with that Edelbrock kit . . . would yield around 10.4:1, (depending on deck height) which is what that kit is designed around.

If I were to go the blower route, I'd have to go with significantly lower CR forged pistons at that time.

I personally prefer JE, but there are many other quality brands as well.

Once I add the top end kit, and have a good look at exactly what's inside, I'll be able to make a determination about whether it's practical to think about a blower later on, or if the current internals would need replacement and make thinking about a blower as too much cost for too little bang.

Darlene

 

Another week has gone by and another tropical storm has mercifully passed to the south of us giving us only some gusty winds and rains.

I got the tire valve replaced in the engine donor truck's front wheel this week, and was able to get it back on yesterday.

I really AM getting too old for this big stuff, . . . I'll be so happy to be working on the T instead . . . .

As if I didn't punish myself enough wrestling that big tire, I assembled my crane, and got it standing ready to go to work.

At least now the engine donor truck can drive under the gallows under its own power.

 

That square body would fetch a premium where I live... even without the engine and trans. The farm kids like to put Cummins diesels in them... too bad shipping would negate any profit.

 

Well Finally !!

The last few bigger items that had to ship by vessel have finally cleared customs and been accounted for by the freight company.

At long last I now have front wheels, a transmission jack, and a rolling body dolly made from an old jet-ski trailer. Once the kit arrives and I have the body to work with, I'll adjust the length and position of the beds on the trailer frame.

In the mean time, if I get some dry weekends and can find someone to help, I'll pull the engine from the silver truck and see what I have to work with.

May not seem like much to you guys that already have T's. and garages with nice workshops, but each new item is exciting to me.

Darlene






And you sure can't picture how big or heavy something is by looking at the picture on Amazon, . . the trans jack is humongous . . . and weighs a ton . . .

 

This would have been soooo much easier a few years back before Columbus!!!

That's NOT true, even a set of new spark plugs are worthy of elevated mood. AND you are not getting spark plugs !!!

Don't need no stinking transmission jack, think of it as a change to pump some iron !!!

So when does the real excitement start with the build thread ???

 

Listen, I have one side of a 2 car garage to work on, though I do have access to friends' garages which are larger and more well-equipped. Still, it's the small steps that kept me motivated and moving forward. I celebrate with you, girl!

 

About the only iron I can pump these days, (I'll be 69 in February) is Geritol into my tired blood . . .

The truck is a manual trans 4X4, so the transfer case sits on the cross member and the trans will need support until the engine is clear and I can put a 2X4 across the frame rails or something similar to hold the front end of the trans up.

Josh sent me a couple pics of my body, as that is done, but I don't think they have started on the frame yet, although he said all the parts are now in so it should be soon when they start that.

I expect it will ship from Spirit sometime in November, which should get it here maybe early to mid December.

I'll start the build thread once it gets here and I actually start the build.

 

The small things get you pumped! I scored a blower manifold from Craig’s list and an original windshield complete from Indycars for my build so with the cooler weather I’m in the shop moving slowly with a sore back.

 

But on the good side, . . . . moving, none the less

Don't know quite why, but every time someone mentions blower, my heart skips a beat or two . . . the look, the whine, the surge, the instant pedal response . . .

 

I have a trans jack similar to that one. It works pretty good. I’m done bench pressing transmissions.