The Beginning The Donor Floorpans Wiring and Interior
Cutting out the rust Heater channels and support rails Brakes Reassembly
The motor runs! Paint Prep Paint Top
September 2, 2003
In contemplating the future direction of the restoration, I decided to evaluate the condition of the engine and transmission. I took the 6v battery out of the Ferguson tractor, wired up an on/off and a starter switch, and after changing the oil and fan belt, I checked compression. Cylinder #3 had 60lbs, but the other 3 were at 90lbs; not great, but definately "run-able." I tweaked the distributor, filed the points, and replaced the coil, (not to mention running all of Miur's tests with the testing light and a multimeter finally getting spark at the plugs. A little gas in the carb and after spitting out years of mouse houses, the motor fired up!
The motor ran pretty well, idled, not even blue smoke - a great inspiration to go the next step and see whether the clutch and transmission were still intact. First, we put fluid in the now dual circuit master cylinder reservoir, bled and adjusted the front brakes. We crimped off the back brake line which was yet completed. Reinstalled the pedals, added a fuel cell (a Castrol oil quart bottle) pulled out the steering column from the body (bungering up a bearing) and supported it with a 2x4 with a hole drilled through it and added the pilot's seat.

(The donor car patiently awaits its fate behind me in the picture.)
Instructing the son to clear the area, the test pilot taxis to a halt.
 Once everything that would provide a generally safe test run was in place, we touched off the motor and mounted up. There was a bit of clutch adjustment needed, but once accomplished, it easily slipped into (and stayed in) reverse. Out on the road, it easily went through the gears, although the 2x4 quickly lost its anchoring point so steering included holding the steering wheel in a manner to avoid binding or bending the column. I was impressed at the integrity of the transmission, as well as the motor's ability to run after sitting since at least 1986. So, other than new cv joint boots and minor freshening of the motor, I figure I can cross them off the parts lists and move on to other priorities in this restoration.

I should probably mention its important to be careful. To quote John Muir, "Especially when its running; spinning and sparking, be super aware."
This picture shows the day's accomplishments including labels on the critical components of the now running floorpan.
June 28, 2005
Now that the car is mostly complete, and without new parts available to add, I decided to mess around with the motor. I'd replaced the fuel line from tank to carb, and on advice from Charlie and Patrick, I adjusted the valves before getting serious with the engine. During the process, I figured out I'd switched the #1 and 2 wires on the distributor cap. Then, in popping off the valve cover on the 3/4 side, I broke the valve cover bail spring but had to see if the switched wires would assist its rough running. So I put half a tank of gas into it, started it and it ran like a champ! Of course, the wires in the wrong place made all the difference in the world. I took the car out for a spin up and down my road, then up the main road to my mothers to show off the car, then home and backed into the garage. The non-tight valve cover was leaking like hell, as evidenced by the oil trail I left on backing it into the garage. But the car runs great! I finally got the broken piece out of the head and replaced the valve cover bail, so now it doesn't leak. I expect the line on my driveway will be a pretty permanent trophy of today's ride!
August 1, 2005
I had some time today, so the motor came out to clean it up and put in the engine seals. All jacked up to get the motor out.
New seals! These are a pain to get into the channels, but with the help of two sons and lots of silicone spray, they're in.
After getting the motor onto the pickup, I masked off the intake manifold, fuel pump, dizzy, and generator, then sprayed it liberally with Gunk. Then we took a trip to the local high pressure car wash and blasted years of crud from the motor. After it dried out, I painted the tin and pulleys, then unmasked it. We're ready to get it off the truck and back into the car.
Here's the motor back in the car, put back together. I put a Coke can around the coil to commemorate all the Cokes that gave up their lives for this project up to this point.