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So I thought I'd add my car to the mix of resto projects here as I finally had my first big "win" yesterday.
I bought the car back in late June (2026) and attempted to drive it home from Portland, OR to Port Angeles, WA (about 240 miles). Everything was going good until I heard a loud clattering under the hood and immediately pulled over (somewhere around Castle Rock, WA on I-5). I immediately thought the worst and thought "ugh! , bottom end has thrown a rod/bearing/etc. Fortunately I had come prepared with my wife driving our full size truck full of tools and other emergency gear and I was able to rent a U-haul car trailer and tow her the remainder of the way home. There is sat untouched for a month.
In July, I started it back up just to hear what was going on and really try to determine if I needed to pull the engine or not. The good news is the noises weren't coming from the bottom end, it sounded more like upper engine and acted more like a cylinder was misfiring or not firing at all. I pulled off the valve cover and low and behold, both #2 cylinder push rods had jumped out from under the rocker arms and had bent and were flayling around when the engine was running. And then here is where good luck was shining down on me. I checked all the boxes of spares the PO gave me, and guess what? I found 2 brand new OE pushrods! Couldn't believe it!
So for the last 3-4 weeks, I have been installing the push rods, adjusted valve clearance, revamping the entire cooling system, changed out belts, hoses, WP, etc. Cleaned out PCV, replaced vacuum lines, replaced air filter, VC gasket, battery and hold-down, etc. Yesterday (8/13), I finally got the last piece installed (upper radiator hose), and filled it with coolant. Started it up and man she runs great! Like so many before me have said "runs like a sewing machine". I couldn't have been more happy!
Anyway, this is the beginning of what will be a very long and interesting journey into A-body ownership and adventures. All hail the Slant-6!!