Thanks Graeme! The car is an absolute blast to drive... in a straight line. As you can imagine it handles like a dump truck with the big block, skinnies, and the stock 11/16 sway bar! But when you plant your foot to the floor hang on... Turbo Diesel tire frying torque!
The car was down for a while.... while practicing launching the car with slicks I managed to absolutely destroy my clutch
Come to find out, it was no match for the torque this engine makes. Back in January I ordered a McLeod RST twin disc and hadn't got around to installing it.
Ever since I installed my Autogear M23 ("wide ratio" very similar to M20 gearset), I have had problems with second gear. It wouldn't shift at high rpm
. Come to find out the synchro was not mating up to the cone on 2nd gear very good... Autogear blamed their gear manufacture for poor build quality on about 10% of they gears they receive due to lack of maintenance on the machinery at the factory. Autogear took a year, because of supplier issues, but did finally sent me a brand new 2nd gear and new synchro which mate together perfectly. Trans is now back together and back in the car. Thank you George at Autogear for standing behind your product!
My front brakes also started leaking. As you know, they're stock 533 4 piston which were sleeved. The calipers started leaking between the sleeve and the bore...
These brakes were rebuilt by Muskegon Brake in Michigan in 2020, needless to say won't ever be using them for anything again. The calipers are also now redone, by Caliper HQ in Signal Hill, CA, and working as they should.
The pièce de résistance, the fuel system, is also done. Very basic, just thought it would be cool. Not full blown hardcore with a sump and gravity fed pump.. but more of a slick sleeper set up. Had the bracket we made gold anodized and used boat stringer washers mounted to the inside of the trunk floor to install the bracket. The trunk spatter paint and the floors are 100% original paint and unrestored... don't mind the scratches. A period correct Borg Warner toggle switch finished it all off. The pump is a Carter P4600HP and of course the Frame HPG1. Used as much 3/8 hardline as I could. I have since added two small Volkswagen generator terminal boots to cover the electrical connections at the fuel pump. And ya.. the brake release handle is original too, I know it's a little beat up
