wgc68nyc

Here is the my new car....go easy on me if you think I overpaid:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

68 coupe, 289v8, auto, 4barrel carb with upgrade manifold, front power discs with booster, power steering

The car is in great shape and was the previous owners prize possession from 1999 till the other day.

My question is I want to do the following projects and I wanted to see if you suggest doing some of them together or can they be done separately:

-aluminum radiator
-electric fan (currently mech fan with shroud but not cutting it in nyc traffic)
-air conditioning kit (how hard it this to do?)

-npd bandit handling kit
-shelby drop (barely understand what this is but people seem passionate about this)

-shorty headers
-dual pipes 2.25
-quieter muffer (garage in residential building so loud exhaust would not be appreciated)


As some background I really just enjoy cruising around on weekends so there is no racing in my future...unless I am late for a tee time.

Feel free to suggest the order of operation but it seems the cooling system needs to go first.

Walter

LynnBob Mustang

Before you do any of that, when you get it, take car of any rust under the car before you do anything. The lack of pics under the car and NO mention of any rust issues is kind of disturbing and I would have been leery on getting a car like that.

For that kind of $$$ I pray to god that you asked to see pics of that car on the bottom and did not go by just the seller told you was there. Did you ask if the cowl leaks inside the car?

Good luck with that one.

Lynn

wgc68nyc

Yeah in this case it was a novice ebay user who didnt write nearly enough and really didnt want to part with the vehicle to begin with. The car was nearly flawless underneath and I inspected everything before I bought.

So back to the question at hand, do I need to group these together? I am wondering if I do the radiator and electric fan whether it will just be more work or cause trouble when I want to add a/c? Are the radiators different if you have a/c or not?

hightower2011

There's a little problem with those paint bubbles. Could be hidden rust. I'd be worried.

Overall it looks ok. I wouldn't say you did terribly.

wgc68nyc

What's done is done and to be frank I am not concerned about the cost if it did need fixing. What I am concerned about (original question) is if I should be pairing certain projects together to save myself some trouble or stepping on any landmines like getting a radiator that will not allow for an A/C unit later. Thoughts?

sideshow_downs

I would say the way you have them grouped it would be best. Dont quote me on this but i dont think that your radiator will affect adding a/c

scootchu

Cooling system would be number one on my list.

Jonk67

Can't tell what radiator is in it now or fan set up from the pics. Open the rad. cap (cold) and count the rows of tubes you see, should be 2 or 3 columns of tubes front>back. Two row would be marginal cooling w/o AC IMO. 3 row may cut it with AC if the rad. is in good shape and clean.

Is the fan a flex fan or solid or ?, the HD cooling package with 6/7 blade fan and theremostatic clutch works well with a shroud (looks like you have one).

Is the radiator 20" or 24" wide? wider is better and not a hard swap for addtl. cooling but you'll also need to replace the shroud if you go that route. Electric fan(s) will take some research, wiring, relays and it 'looks' like you have the stock alt. (65A at most) so you may need to upgrade the alt. also as electric fans pull a lot of juice.

You can address AC after IMO as the condenser mounts to the front of the rad. opening no matter which rad. you have.

Agree with above, stock gauge is not a good indicator of temp., get an aftermarket gauge to test or an IR gun to check temps. Tstat could be stuck or wrong temp., should be between 180* and 195* rating. What is the timing set at? this could cause higher engine temps if it's not correct.

Here's a good starter article for suspension/ steering to help you understand what the shelby/arning drop is and what else you may want to consider:
http://home.bresnan.net/~dazed/suspension101

Welcome aboard.
Jon

wgc68nyc

My apologies for not getting back to people sooner. I had the notification thing set to send me email but never got any so thought my post was passed over.

Update:

So turns out the radiator was a bit low on fluid partly due to a leak. Since people were raving about modern radiators I order a 3 row aluminum with a shroud and electric fan. I get stuck in NYC traffic when leaving or entering and my temp guage would make it's way towards the top after creeping along for a while. That said she stayed cool when getting any real movement. Does that mean it is probably functioning normally?

I also ordered an Old Air complete a/c kit since all the heater components were removed (but included in the sale) so some increased traffic cooling will be needed.

Also, in regards to rust there were 2 or 3 small area underneath that need attention which were most likely caused by rain from the cowl. I bought cowl covers for if I get caught in the rain and the car is garaged so I dont need to worry when it is in doors. I was advised that I might as well get them patched but not to redo the floor panel till I am ready to do a more serious resto due to the work/welding and because it was minor.

All in all I am extremely happy with my purchase and every mechanic and car guy has agreed that I did pretty damn good especially when you take into account what even an average car would be worth according to Nada (I realize the market dictates the real worth).

Memorial day work:
-headlight harness upgrade
-fixed horn
-wired tach (had it set to 4 cycl at first since the switch was under the mount)
-upgraded door speakers
-lubed all the window and door mechanisms (world of difference)
-fixed hood turn signals (didnt even realize I had these at first)

Next Week:
-ditch the engine fan (will I need anything besides some wrenches)
-alum rad/shroud/efan install and system flush
-fix emergency flasher (button on column sticks and does not function)