[Darth Menace]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I'd get the mechanical problems fixed first so I could enjoy driving it, then worry about the finish.
If it makes you feel any better, here is just PART of what I found on my car when I got it home and started stripping paint. Talk about a few sleepless nights-
By the way, none of this showed at all before I started stripping it down.

Oh my goodness! That would kill me...I would take my car to the worst neighborhood and hope it gets jacked! Thats just me though

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Darth Menace

Oh my goodness! That would kill me...I would take my car to the worst neighborhood and hope it gets jacked! Thats just me though

Just posted to let you know, regardless of how you feel initially, they can be fixed. I sucked it up, bought a welder, some donor parts and got to work.

[Darth Menace]

Well, an update on the car. I don't know if I should be happy or upset.

The good: there isn't a drop of any sort of fluid on the ground after running it. Sure it will drip from the rear seal, but otherwise nothing. Unlike what it was at the beginning where EVERY fluid was leaking.

The bad: There was some smoke coming from the lower right area of the passenger side engine bay. Looking closely I think it is just some oil burning off the exhaust....I have changed all the fluids after all and I think a bit of tranny fluid got on it.

The ugly: I don't know how to take this one, as I have never owned a carbed car before (except for a Mustang II I bought, tore apart and never drove), so I don't know if it's nature of the beast or a bad thing. During start up I expected the 15 second puff of smoke as per the norm when starting it up a few months ago, but it wasn't there which made me happy, but then after about a minute the smoke started to puff out. It is about 32F here and it hasn't been started since October, so maybe that is the norm for a big old carbed motor when it's cold? The exhaust smoke isn't any odd looking color, just regular. I tell you I couldn't stay in the garage much longer