yeah brakes are important...
was it you who posted a picture of nothing under the drums?

when i got mine started
(literally put gas in the tank, and hit the key, with speaker wires instead of plug wires because the parts stores where closed when i got the thing home and it started right up, and it was in a barn for 28 years untouched)
i tried to take ti for a drive, but had hardly any brakes at all spewing brake fluid everywhere, my driveway is i huge hill, i had to throw it in to park before i went in the road... =/

 

Yeah front drivers side has nothing... just a backing plate.
I've seen a few kits for rebuilding drums, so although I'd love to do the swap, I'm sticking with drums for now. I've already got 5 lugs and 10" drums, so more stopping power than stock on an I6 anyway. So now I am going to build a fence and a loft to pay for the brakes. I love spring break!!!

 

You know JHPSTANG, I'm going with the drums as well, at least for the time being. It's so easy to go 5 lug on our cars up front.

What did you do for your rears? Did you swap to a 8" or something?

 

So now that it is running, I'm in uncharted territory. I adjusted the idle down as low as it would go, (screw on bottom drivers side of carb counter clockwise) but when I give it gas the rpm's stay high after I let off the gas. Shouldn't it come back down to idle pretty quickly?
Also would the slight smoke in the exhaust be coming from leaky valves? I'm getting water from the pipe, but some smoke.

 

Do you have a return spring hooked up to the carb?

 

Ditto.

 

And the "metering jet" or whatever its called can do that too. I assume your running the stock Autolite 1100V right? Also like the guys say, you do have a return spring right?

Dude theres a little jet in there that will do this if it's varnished up or clogged. One of the best things you can do is put a fresh kit in the carb and get it really cleaned up because no doubt old gas has set in there and left some funky gunk in the bowl thats just waiting to get sucked up. Its a cheap fix, also splice one of those clear filters into the fuel line somewhere. I think you can do this down at the pump where the rubber line is or up top before the screw in metal filter. Run it and check it often to monitor how much crap is getting sucked into your engine, once it starts running clean you can remove it. This is just to add a little extra prevention and let you visibly see whats going through your lines so you know they are clear.

Water from the pipe sounds like condensation just working its way out. Also the smoke will be the gum and crap thats working its way out of your carb, intake, intake ports, cylinders and piston tops, and exhaust system. If its slight you need to run it and cook that crap out. If it persists then it "might" be your valves leaking.

 

congrats on getting it started! it must be a great feeling, I know it was for me, and my engine was a fresh rebuild...

 

Autolite 1100 Carb is freshly rebuilt by pony carbs, with new fuel filter inline before carb. I flushed the gas lines, and there is a new gas tank and rubber lines.

Excuse my ignorance, but where would the return spring be?

 

I got the idle down, and then I pushed the throttle linkage all the way closed with my finger... wow it was not returning all the way. I had to up the idle. Maybe I don't have a return spring. The linkage is also very stiff with rust/gunk. What can I lube it with? (WD-40?) When i move it with my finger it will behave, but I have to push on it to get it to return all the way. I'll research a new linkage as well. It might be time.