Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

[Alan H. Tast, AIA]

I had asked jopizz and scumdog if they could post any pix of how this steel line from the vacuum advance housing to the carb should be installed. Then I got the idea to google the engine bay set up and I came up with several good pix to show you how it was set up on a 428, a 390, and probably the best example, on a Mustang engine. Here are those pix. David could print them out and show them to Dan and they should be able to install it correctly.

I would not use the Mustang's 289 as an example of how to route the vacuum advance line. BTW the first photo appears to be from a '66 Galaxie, the second photo from FE-equipped Fairlane GT. The second photo should give them a better idea of how to route around the driver's side of the distributor, across the front of the carb base and then return into the passenger side vacuum port in the base of the carb. The factory shop manual, along with reprints of the Engine Assembly Manual and illustrations pages from the '65-'72 Master Parts Catalog, also should provide good guidance. I would also highly recommending getting a copy of the Body/Trim/Sealer Assembly Manual as it covers a lot of little items that are good to know when it comes to taking the car apart for repairs.

And where in the world did you find a copy of my first book? It's been out 20 years now and out of print since the late '90s-early 2000s!

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

Hi Alan, thank you very much for your comments. They are greatly appreciated. I was just trying to find some pix that would show the right way to run that steel line. If you have any pix that you could post from the '65-'72 Master Parts Catalog, which I do not have, that would be greatly appreciated by Steve, I am sure. Or if anyone else has some on the proper positioning of that line, please post them. Tom, if you have any pix of how yours is set up on your Flairbird, please post them, or send them to me and I can post them for you. I just want to make sure that we get this steel line positioned correctly on Steve's Flairbird. Thanks!

[Sjp3003]

Thank you Alan.

Steve

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

Just a bit ago, I received several emails from Steven, including one with a video clip and a pic taken by David, Steven's brother, when he picked up the car to drive it back to his home. Here is a link to the video clip with David's comments, which is very exciting for me to see, and the pic. Here are some additional information Steven sent me. BTW, he just told me that we share the same birthday! Aug. 4th! I think David just gave you and me a great birthday present, as you did me, Steven! Steven also told me the VIN # for his 390 '66 in the DR. The VIN # indicates that it might have been made on the last day of the 1966 production run! He will get me the Data Plate information so I can break it down for him and tell him what that Date Code is and the rest of the Data Plate info.

"David made it home today with the TBird and it looks fantastic, exceeding both our expectations. The former owner was very meticulous, and we received a binder with about $50k in receipts for work done over the years, as well as a trunk full of supplies, manuals and spare parts. My kind of guy...this is what folks who buy cars from me receive, and it is great to be on the buy side for once.

The photo shoot is tomorrow, and David will be setting up a website link where the photos will be uploaded.

I've attached a phone video and pix he took when he picked up the car.

Thanks again for your assistance in getting introduced to TBirds. At work it is always great to have a good mentor to develop you career, and the same can be said for a car guy who is just beginning to learn about a car model that's new to him. I have had many cars over the years but this is my first 60's American classic. It is hard to believe a gem like this is available for less than the price of a Honda Accord!"

I just love it when a plan comes together! Next, after a photo shoot of it, to be submitted to me for consideration in the 2017 Squarebirds Calendar, it will driven to the shop to have the CAA "Perfect Fit" AC kit installed and probably electric fans.

http://squarebirds.org/SB/VID-20160804-WA0007.mp4

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical Tbird Project

David sent me an email this morning and here is what he had to say.

"The car is impressive! And in excellent running condition. The restoration is high quality and has held up perfectly. After babying it for about 45 miles on the way back from NH, watching all the gauges, I let it run a bit on the highway and got up to 90 with no hesitation whatsoever, for a little bit. Very stable and solid ride, mind you I'd forgotten how big old American iron floats down the road...

That was a quick en-route video to get to Steve. I hope to pull out my big-boy camera today (if work permits) and get some nice shots of it. I have a web site I will post the images on and I'll share the link. I'll take and also upload more videos.

As far as the pulley, I'll take pictures and include them. I have not had a chance to look at it and compare to the images you sent. The engine bay is very clean and appears to be restored to OEM spec. The AC kit showed up yesterday."

Soooo, this part of the project is complete, the Bird is in hand, and it is everything Steve wanted and more. Now picture taking can go on, and David can set it up with Dan to do the AC install. After that... It will be off to a ship and a cruise to the Dominican Republic!

[Sjp3003]

New Pics

The stars have aligned for this 428 TBird: After posting pictures of the rusty '66 Bird we found here, Ray, Joe and several forum members convinced me to look for a restored car and bring it to the Dominican Republic.

Looking through many that were for sale, I came across this NH '66 428 near my brother's home in MA. I was sold. The New England weather cooperated and David brought it home Thursday. Not only is he also a car nut, he is a pretty good photographer and yesterday and today the new Bird had a photo shoot.

Here she is:

http://www.dpuig.com/1966tbird

We have not given up on the local Bird. Tomorrow I am heading out to the shop doing the bodywork to see what it will require. One interesting note: it turns out the non-original engine might be a 20th anniversary engine. Not sure that's a great thing. Originally I was told it is a relatively strong motor but I see the following specs:

Code A 460 Cubic Inch V-8 (220 Net Horsepower)
Carter 4-Barrel Carburetor
Single Exhaust System

We'll see tomorrow.

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

If that Tbird has a 460ci engine in it, here is some info on it.

460 cubic inch
Produced from 1968 to 1996
Available in Ford, Mercury and Lincoln
Similar to 429, but with longer stroke of 3.85"
During its earlier years, pre-1973, horsepower was rated at 385.
Intake/exhaust valves are 2.08" x 1.66"
Intake/exhaust valves for the Police Interceptor 460 heads (from 1973-'74) measure 2.19" x 1.66"

First used in 1968, this engine would see a massive change in 1973. This change would both alter and damage the ford 460 history forever. It was at this time that the first gasoline crisis occurred. As a direct result, the horsepower of this formerly powerful engine would go from 365 to a paltry range from 208 to 275. Still, this didn't keep the engine from having its uses.

[FARONZ 66 Q CODE]

Welcome to the Q code world !.....Nice to see another 428 survivor.....
From the unofficial president of the So. Cal 428 Flairbird club....LOL

Faron

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

Here is an update on Steve's 428 in Massachusetts, as it undergoes improvements to it, and the 66 Flairbird in the Dominican Republic and what he is finding out about it. First an update on the 428. The company doing the overview of it, and the AC install are making good progress. In the course of examining the car after receiving it, they started the process of installing the CAA aftermarket "Perfect Fit" AC system, and that is coming along well. The replacement 3 groove crankshaft pulley arrived and they started mocking things up for fitment. They promptly found that the non-AC water pump was to wide and would not allow them to fit that crankshaft pulley in place. So I found them the AC water pump pulley at the Bird Nest, which is 1 inch smaller in diameter and will fit in place when it is received this week.

In the course of checking out the car, they notice four possibly problem areas under that vinyl top, have stripped it off, found those small problem areas and are fixing it. Steve wants a white top on it to set off the dark blue paint, so one is on they way to them. It is a good thing that Dan's people found this, because they avoided Steve in having a major roof problem down the road, once the car gets to the DR. There is some front end suspension work that might need done, a clunking noise in the rear end, maybe a pinion gear, but, what seems to be minor stuff to check out. Otherwise the car is in great shape. After the AC system is fully installed and working, Dan will see if it will be necessary to add additional cooling in the form of electric fan(s), or if swapping out the mechanical fan for an OEM type fan for an AC equipped car will do the trick or not. Both Steve and Dan want to replace that single MC with a dual MC, and I made them aware of what Yadkin ran into regarding that support bar behind the single MC and sent them pix of what he did. I suggested that they go with a flattop dual MC instead of the bubble tops.

As for the 66 Flairbird in the DR, Steve sent a couple of pix of the engine bay and some letters/numbers under the carb. Unfortunately, no one tried to clean up that area before they took that pic, so I do not know how easy it will be to read it. Here is what Steve said about that engine.

"I am still adding up the cost of the local Bird...we removed the Carb to get to the stampings to see what it is. We found the stamping below and even looking at Ford engine stamping resources I am not 100% sure (hunch that it is a 351 Cleveland, perhaps from a truck). We just removed the motor to see if it is salvageable. It looks like the number is: 070E 8425 BD. The one digit that is not clear is the 8 in the middle. It could be a 9. And the other stamping is 7H19 "

I will post some pix of the work being done on the 428, and also those two pix of the DR Tbird. You will see what they found when they peeled the vinyl cover off the roof and what it is starting to look like as they clean the top, and fix the problems, and prepare it for the new top. I will try and post the two pix of the DR 66 Flairbird last. If anyone can read those numbers/letters, please tell us what they indicate..

[scumdog]

I'm no expert but the photo makes it look like the motor is too narrow for a 351, it LOOKS like a 302.
Measuring across the intake manifold front and then comparing with a known 302 would let you know. Also 351s have more bolts holding the manifold on than does a 302/289 etc.
And it is not a Cleveland for sure.

[stubbie]

Would that first number be a D by any chance? As in D70E9425BD. If so it could be a 351 or 302 Windsor from 1977 Fairlane.

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

Phil, you could be right about part of this. Looking at the breakdown of engine stampings back then, they do not start with a number, but a letter. B=50's, C=60's, D=70's... Looking at that first symbol, it HAS to be a D it looks like to me, indicating it is from the 70's. The 7 after that D tells you it is from 1977. The next two symbols after that 7 should not be a number and a letter, but two letters, as in DE. IF that is DE, then it is from a Falcon or a Maverick. IF that is a O and not a zero, then it is from a Fairlane(all) and Torino 1967-1976. Except... that stamp does not have a 6 on it but a 7, to indicate 1977! The table says Torino 1967-1976, NOT 1977. There is NO 0 listed, that I know of. The only number listed is a 6 for the Pantera.. The letter E=Engine, telling you it is an engine part. Source for this info is:

http://www.mustangtek.com/FordDecode.html

Like Phil, I do not think that first number of 8425 is an 8, but a 9, making it 9425, which makes more sense! It looks like a 9 to me. The numbers 8000-8499 pertain to the Radiator and Grill according to that table.. I do not know where that stamp was at, but if that was a carburetor part it should have been something between 9500-9599, for Carburetors and Superchargers. The ending letters of BD should be the Engineering version. At least, this is my understanding of the breakdown on that webpage above.

I am going to email Steve and see if someone can clean off the area over and around those numbers and get a better reading for us, but I think we are looking at a D7DE-9425-BD number and NOT 070E-8425-BD. Look at the 9 at the start of the part number, that number has a tail on it that looks to me that does not complete a circle making it an 8. It looks to be a 9 because that tail never closes to the bottom of the upper part of the number...

[jopizz]

I've seen trucks with the OE designation on the intake so my guess is a 351W from a 1977 Ford truck. Part Number D7OE-9425-BD or 8D.

John

[YellowRose]

Foolhardy Tropical TBird Project

I agree with John ~ jopizz. I think that "BD" could be 8D, to indicate Engineering change #8D, whatever the D means.. That "B" certainly looks like it can be an 8. I think John has it right...

[Sjp3003]

Thanks John and Ray....our best guess here trying to decipher the numbers with Guidelines for Fords is also that it is a truck motor.