[bkmont]

Originally Posted by johnta1

1968 WT was 360 HP.
(as the WS also)

The automatic was 350 HP.

Thanks! What gives the stick the extra ponies?

[PontGuy]

The guy wants $8,000. Is that too out of line for this car?

If the frame and body are sound then it looks to me like the start of a nice car. But as mentioned don't underestimate the time and cost to put it all together and get it into good shape. No doubt it would be cheaper to buy one already restored.

Guessing here without looking at it first hand and seeing the parts that come with it- depending on how much of the work you do yourself I figure maybe 30K to make it nice, much more than that to get it into show condition with all the options or to put big power under the hood. So paying a few thousand less or more for the car now is not going to make much difference in the end.

Bringing a car back to life isn't about money, its a labor of love. If you are ready to take the plunge and put the time in, really want the car and honestly have the finances needed to do the restore then go ahead and buy it.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by johnta1

1968 WT was 360 HP.
(as the WS also)

The automatic was 350 HP.

It's a typo John, 68 WT was 350 HP.

[johnta1]

Just got it from the service manual?

I'll see if I can find any correction in the Craftsman Service News.

[bkmont]

Okay, I went to check out all the parts to the car. It looks like it is all there. Original red interior pieces in 46 year old condition. There was a new gas tank and sending unit in a box, some front inner fender wells, all the under hood a/c stuff etc...

I crawled under it to take a look at the frame. I didn't see any major rust holes. I did see where the frame looked like it had been prepped and painted. There is some pitting, but nothing major.
All the body mounts have been replaced with new rubber. The one thing that I was disappointed in was that both rear lower quarters showed filler work. That will have to go.

The next thing to do is go to look at the engine and transmission. It's over at a friend of his auto shop in the next town over. Just need to setup a time to do it.

I told the owner I don't mean to be a pain in the butt, I'm just trying to do due diligence here so I'll know what I have to work with.

Bryan

[bkmont]

Originally Posted by The Boss

It's a typo John, 68 WT was 350 HP.

Even at 350hp, the motor appears to have a good of amount of torque compared to the original chevy LT1 motor in my Z28.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Don't worry about the HP rating.
Those 68 WT's are great engines with big valves, screw-in studs, and guideplates.
Same engine layout as the 69 and 70 WT rated with 350hp.
H-O had better manifolds and i think a tad lil more bump on the cam maybe.
But all else the same.

Might be worth while to ask if they lowered the compression ratio any, or used hardened seats. Forged pistons, bored oversize, etc
Cam Card or Cam Specs

In case you missed it in this other thread , here is what the transmission stampings will look like for reference.

The Trans Unit Number from your BHC and partial VIN

[bkmont]

Will do. Thanks for the advice.

More questions,can you tell from the billing sheet what rearend gear is supposed to be in the car?
The option list calls out a Safe-T-Track. Is the Safe-T-Track a posi-trac rear end? I counted 10 bolts.
Thanks,
Bryan

[sdk3k]

I believe it should be a 3:23. I read somewhere that 3:23's were used in AC cars.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

10 bolt is right
Safe-T-Track is the Posi
37G is axle code = 3.23


71P / 71C = PC = G70 x 14 Redline Wide Oval Tires

Center caps would have been Black with Red PMD letters
Lug Nuts would have had Black centers
Wheel code by valve stem likely JC - or maybe JA

Custom sport st.wheel was simulated wood.
Custom shift knob was wooden with GTO crest.

Pwr Top and Pwr Ant switches would hang in dash just below dashpad poking through the top of dash bezel.

Not sure if there would have been an extra switch for rear speaker with the Stereo radio - but would have a rear speaker. Think stereo unit had a separate multi-plex or amp hidden up in dash on passenger side.
AM/FM dial switches up and down with far left and far right pushbuttons. Pushbuttons would be chrome on 68 Stereo iirc.

64 and 68 are not my strongest suites.

[bkmont]

Well, I finally got over to where all the engine components were being kept. It looks to be all there. The mechanic said that the engine and transmission were pulled as one unit with all the components still hanging on it. He disassembled it when he took the motor and heads in for machine work. He told me it was balanced and blue printed. The cam is stock, bored 30 over with a compression drop to 9.0. Here are some of the pics that I snapped. I got a picture of the engine unit number and the code. It appears to be legit.
The intake, carb, distributor, ac compressor, transmission, bell housing, driveshaft, Hurst shifter with wooden knob, fan and clutch, air cleaner with chrome lid, fan with correct clutch, exhaust manifolds, vacuum hoses, buckets of bolts and nuts, ect........A big pile of parts with all the grease and grime! It should keep me busy fro quite awhile

[android 211]

Standard engine 4 speed cars got the 068 cam and log manifolds unless they had a/c then they got the 067 cam. Lots of expensive-to-replace original parts there! Buy it! Unfortunately I see the dreaded 4 valve relief pistons. Have the deck height checked before you button it up. There seems to be a consensus here they make 400s into pinging low power dogs. Since it hasn't been run maybe you can replace them with some true flat tops.

[bkmont]

Originally Posted by android 211

Standard engine 4 speed cars got the 068 cam and log manifolds unless they had a/c then they got the 067 cam. Lots of expensive-to-replace original parts there! Buy it! Unfortunately I see the dreaded 4 valve relief pistons. Have the deck height checked before you button it up. There seems to be a consensus here they make 400s into pinging low power dogs. Since it hasn't been run maybe you can replace them with some true flat tops.

I'm picking it up next weekend. The car and the all the parts are stored in 3 different locations .

My thoughts too about the pistons. Get the compression back to where it should be. The mechanic told me that the motor had signs of detonation when he pulled it apart so he lowered the compression. I always thought with the proper cam and timing, the motor should run fine at a 10:1 compression when using 93 octane. My original motor 70 Z28 runs fine with it's 11:1 compression ratio.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Looks like most or all is there.
Wouldn't hurt to ask if there is also a 4th place with any pieces just to be positive.
Seems to be a great deal on the car. And a great car too.

agree about the pistons.
They're called 8 valve relief (8VR) most commonly.
Cheapest on the market, Cast - not Forged
and have a crazy chamfer around the perimeter at top.
Said to be potential for lots of issues.

I'd still go for under 9.5 CR
with some D shaped dishes on forged pistons with high quality rings.
i think they were just slinging a number with claimed 9.0

Congrats on the Hard Loaded Convertible

[bkmont]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Looks like most or all is there.
Wouldn't hurt to ask if there is also a 4th place with any pieces just to be positive.
Seems to be a great deal on the car. And a great car too.

agree about the pistons.
They're called 8 valve relief (8VR) most commonly.
Cheapest on the market, Cast - not Forged
and have a crazy chamfer around the perimeter at top.
Said to be potential for lots of issues.

I'd still go for under 9.5 CR
with some D shaped dishes on forged pistons with high quality rings.
i think they were just slinging a number with claimed 9.0

Congrats on the Hard Loaded Convertible

Thanks!
All the info that I have found shows that style piston to have less than 8:1 compression.
It looks like I'll be going through the engine to make sure everything is right. A new set of forged flat tops will call fro rebalancing the rotating assembly.
I'lll most likely install a set of forged ones like these made by Sealed Power. Unless somebody else has some other suggestions I'm all ears.....
I should be able to fine tune the compression by using head gasket thickness.

[Verdoro 68]

I have one of those Badger cast 8 valve relief pistons on my bench as a pencil holder

KB Icon forged pistons with a -14cc dish should get you around 9.5:1 presuming it's still running the original heads.

[bkmont]

Originally Posted by Verdoro 68

I have one of those Badger cast 8 valve relief pistons on my bench as a pencil holder

KB Icon forged pistons with a -14cc dish should get you around 9.5:1 presuming it's still running the original heads.

Heads are still original. Do you have a part number on the the Keith Black pistons?

[Verdoro 68]

Originally Posted by bkmont

Heads are still original. Do you have a part number on the the Keith Black pistons?

It'll be something like Keith Black or Icon 891 with additional numbers depending on your bore size.

See Butler's list: http://www.butlerperformance.com/pro...s/pistons.html

They look like this:



I had the TRWs in a previous build and had a real problem with detonation with #16 heads and 91 gas.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

8VR pistons

[bkmont]

The word for today - FORTITUDE. She's in my shop. What a pile! A lot of sorting and cleaning. The motor parts coming on Saturday.