[arcitech]

Hey Guys & Gals!
As the title says, it's been a long time! Three days after the last time I logged in here, I had an epileptic seizure! But the real story starts almost 5 years ago.

[arcitech]

So, it went to the shop to live before I got sick. I had a lot of overtime money and not much tinker time...

[arcitech]

So I was semi-happy...except for the rust!

[arcitech]

Wow! I was actually going to get it done!

[arcitech]

But, the overtime ran out, the work slowed down, and she had to go into storage for a year or so...

But I had plans, and they were not sane!

[arcitech]

So, back story:
1966 Tempest Custom, 326, 2speed auto, factory A/C and power nothing.
This car was built in June of 1966, sold to an officer working at Norton Air Force Base near Riverside CA. It stayed in the same family until September of 2000 when I came home from a 6 month deployment with more money than sense. I fell in love with the car I wanted it to become.

I started by putting Front disk brakes, a tilt steering column and new springs and shocks. Oh Yeah, and a TH400 to replace the ST300. Drove it once in a while, but had a lot of work and no time to keep working...familiar story.

I had my last shore duty here in Virginia, I had to transfer about the same time that Gregg Merrick finished building an engine for me.

'72 455, bored to 461
Forgot which heads, 7H if I guess.
068 copy from Comp Cams
Rebuild (correct inlet) BOP Q-Jet (not correct year for the 72, but worked Great!)

I flew back to San Diego, spent the weekend in my buddy's garage swapping the engine and hauling the 326 to the scrap yard in a rented Ford Ranger. Cobbled together a side exit AutoZone exhaust from pieces and with 50 miles on the engine, I took off down Interstate 8 (southern route in February). Drove all the way to El Paso with no problems, then the heat soak monster found me. The fuel line was too close to the exhaust, so the line would boil dry while I was filling up for gas. There would be just enough fuel in the Q-Jet to get me to the on ramp, then it would sputter. Eventually I had a stop that was a little longer, and it stalled at the gas station (on a Sunday in Texas, after 5 P.M. when everyone was closed or closing). Almost gave up and called a tow, but decided to at least crank the hell out of the thing so I could claim a dead battery instead of a poor fuel line install!

Got it home and it sat in the garage through 2 hurricanes and 2 Nor-Easters that flooded it twice. One day, my wonderful new wife asked me when I was going to do something about the car. So I did....

[arcitech]

2015, 7th of July, I thought I was having a stroke, told the wife to call 911. 2 ambulance rides and a second opinion, I was diagnosed with an abcess in my Right Occipital area (back of my noggin). A little cut into my skull, drain the pus and put in a titanium plate. 8 weeks of heavy duty antibiotics and some down time, it looked like I was going to be just fine.

Then the job changed, my company lost their primary contract (and I was a little stressed).

The car stayed in storage with no progress...

[arcitech]

So, after a few months of worry, I was picked up by an old friend and got to work in a great position (with a small raise!). So why not get the car drivable and bring it home to finish it???

Great Idea, except that on July 4th of 2016, I had my first epileptic seizure! They don't call them Grand Mal anymore, the one I had is called Status Epilepticus (See the EpilepsyFoundation.org for more info if you want). I seized so hard that I crushed my T11 vertebra by about 20%. No one knew, because they had to put me into a coma to stop my constant seizures (I stopped breathing twice on the way to the first hospital).

When I woke up, the poor Occupational Therapy nurses had to hear the Sailor Words that I used on them when they tried to get me out of bed to walk! They sent the doc in to see what my problem was. I told him my back felt like my whole body was on fire and the devil was poking his pitchfork into my kidneys. He said that it looked like there might have been some damage when he looked at my CT scan, but it was on the edge of the picture, so he wasn't sure.

I said "Shouldn't we take another look? Maybe an MRI to get a good look???"

He said that would be a good idea!!!

Short version, they took the pic, told me it was amazing that I could move at all, and then proceeded to schedule me for surgery on a Saturday. They injected this quick setting medical cement into my T11 and re-inflated the broken bone. I was up and walking by 5 PM that evening!!!

[arcitech]

Just before the medical emergency #2, I had done up a plan with the shop to get the car drivable and bring it home for the finishing touches (trim, interior, sound dampening and stereo. Oooops! Forgot to tell them not to start work, so come the first of this year, they went to town on the Tempest. Wired up all the electric to the dash and engine, installed the steering column and shift linkage (column shift because I'm different). Finished up the brake lines and installed the new power booster and master cylinder. Installed a new Pertronics module in the distributor and fired her up on the Tri-Power!

They sent me a real nice email along with the bill, but it was worth it!! I stopped by on Monday this week because the doc said I can drive again. Have not had a seizure in over 6 months, and the Tempest is moving under her own power for the first time in 13 years!!

The two best parts of this story:
1. I'm here to tell it!
2. The stock hood closes without hitting the front carb! (after market Tri-Power from our sponsor, has the carbs all at the same height, but it fits!!!)

[arbys]

Sounds like you've been through a bunch the last few years. The car looks great and should make a great ride for you. Just stay away from the hospital (they have sick people there).

[arcitech]

Current status:
461 Tri-Power, same cam, Edelbrock D-ports (87cc), electric fuel pump, March serpentine setup, Vintage Air system with hoses run up under the passenger fender, Ford 9 inch rear from Currie (via a great deal from Speedway Motors!) 3:50 posi and rear disc brakes. Just a single seat from a 65 LeMans for now, but I'm planning the interior as I sit here typing this!! Take care and happy motoring!!!

[arcitech]

I make morning appointments for my follow-ups so that I don't have to sit in the lobby for too long with those "sick people"! I will say that 4 doctors, too many nurses to count and the EMS folks are all life savers! There isn't a day that I'm not grateful for the men and women who go the extra mile for complete strangers!

[arcitech]

Originally Posted by arbys

Sounds like you've been through a bunch the last few years. The car looks great and should make a great ride for you. Just stay away from the hospital (they have sick people there).

I make morning appointments for my follow-ups so that I don't have to sit in the lobby for too long with those "sick people"! I will say that 4 doctors, too many nurses to count and the EMS folks are all life savers! There isn't a day that I'm not grateful for the men and women who go the extra mile for complete strangers!

[GT182]

It's good to see you back and and well. The Tempest looks nice. The smart thing for you to do would be putting a Turbo 350 or 400 tranny in it.

I had a Nightwatch blue 66 Tempest Custom back in 1972. I added all of the parts for the GTO front end for 75.00, and made a swap for a 65 GTO hood to put on it. Looked great but the 2 speed crapped out and like a fool I traded it off for a 71 Camaro. Yeah I was an idiot and still kick myself today for getting rid of it.

[roy381]

Welcome back, beautiful color the car looks great!

[Greg Reid]

Man, you've been though a lot. Reading it brings home how fortunate most of us are to have our health.
That is a fine looking Tempest. What color is that? Looks like Barrier Blue?

[roy381]

Looks like Tyrol blue

[arcitech]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

Man, you've been though a lot. Reading it brings home how fortunate most of us are to have our health.
That is a fine looking Tempest. What color is that? Looks like Barrier Blue?

It's supposed to be Barrier Blue, but in 67 they called it Tyrol Blue, and the paint chart that we got the colors for was a Chevy Marina Blue. If you look at the charts, they are all so close, you can't hardly tell.

I'm real glad to be back!! My only complaint is that I get tired easy. The medication I'm on is pretty stout. I'm not nearly as bad as some of the kids I've seen, who've had this disease all their lives. I am a lucky guy with the best wife in the world! Now I just have to get the car finished and take her out for ice cream!!

[arcitech]

Just found this pic in my stash. Almost looks like I had them air brush in a 68 GTO!

[400 4spd.]

It looks really nice! Where was it done?