Bluefish...finally got to enjoy all of my hard work

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bluefish1967

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Drove Bluefish to work yesterday, first time in several years. Car was flawless in 90 degree + heat and humidity. Never got over 190 degrees in traffic. Other than the tach not working ( fixed it during lunch ), the trip was enjoyable and relaxing. Parked her in the garage after getting home, and checked later to find the garage floor dry and everything looking normal.
Maybe now I can FINALLY move on tot the cosmetics.
This has been a long, long struggle. After finishing and installing the fresh 340 engine, installing the seat covers myself ( first time at upholstery work ), installing a Firm - Feel steering box and pitman arm, putting on new front brake pads and wheel bearings, fabricating a wiring harness for the dash, and refinishing the instrument panel with wood trim, I expected to put a bunch of miles on the car this spring . After a couple of setbacks, including the alignment shop recently crushing my new bearings with an impact wrench, she is finally alive and well.
I'll be 59 years old next month. I'll just say that if I was 20 or 30 years younger I would consider selling l all of my junk and just buy a new Scat Pack Challenger. I've walked away a couple of times. taken some time off, then rolled up my sleeves and gotten back to work.
That being said...the next time I drive her she''ll probably throw a rod and puked the trans...LOL. Larry
 
bluefish1967 said:
Drove Bluefish to work yesterday, first time in several years. Car was flawless in 90 degree + heat and humidity. Never got over 190 degrees in traffic. Other than the tach not working ( fixed it during lunch ), the trip was enjoyable and relaxing. Parked her in the garage after getting home, and checked later to find the garage floor dry and everything looking normal.
Maybe now I can FINALLY move on tot the cosmetics.
This has been a long, long struggle. After finishing and installing the fresh 340 engine, installing the seat covers myself ( first time at upholstery work ), installing a Firm - Feel steering box and pitman arm, putting on new front brake pads and wheel bearings, fabricating a wiring harness for the dash, and refinishing the instrument panel with wood trim, I expected to put a bunch of miles on the car this spring . After a couple of setbacks, including the alignment shop recently crushing my new bearings with an impact wrench, she is finally alive and well.
I'll be 59 years old next month. I'll just say that if I was 20 or 30 years younger I would consider selling l all of my junk and just buy a new Scat Pack Challenger. I've walked away a couple of times. taken some time off, then rolled up my sleeves and gotten back to work.
That being said...the next time I drive her she''ll probably throw a rod and puked the trans...LOL. Larry
Click to expand...

That's awesome!
It's a great feeling when they're back on the road again!

How about some pictures?!

Jeff
 
Congrats and I know the feeling. I've had my barracuda and been working on it off an on for 7 years. Drove it last week to work for several days, minor tuning changes and it runs like a top. Always nice to see the fruits of your labor work out
 
Kmrumedy said:
This. ^^^^
Click to expand...
Thanks guys.
I bought the seat covers and foam inserts from Legendary. Rear seats were fairly easy to do. Fronts weer not....Tried the passenger side bucket first. Everything went well until I installed the seat back onto the bottom, and realized that the verticle seams did not line up. Had to remove all of the hog rings and realign top and before while they were assembled, then do the hog rings. Lesson learned.
Pretty sure there's a reason I don't do car upholstery for a living.
 
I'll try uplaoding a few pics of the seats and engine.Larry
Kmrumedy said:
This. ^^^^
Click to expand...

backseat.JPG
 
Factory gauges were black with white lettering. Changed it to white with black lettering, and put xeon blue bulbs in for lighting.
Original engine was a solid lifter cammed 273 2 bbl, but didn't run when I bought it. Put a a4 bbl and dual exhaust on an drove it for a while. But it started smoking badly out of the right side exhaust. When I took the engine apart, one cylinder had broken rings and the walls were badly scored.. At that time, I was finishing the build on a friends 340, so I bought his 318 and put it in. After several years of collecting my own 340 parts, I finally finished it and installed it last winter. It"s a 68 340, stock cam with a Wiend intake, 570 Avenger carb, and a electronic distributor to replace the points. Best investment I ever made. Never had any problems with the points, but it starts and runs noticeable better with the electronic.
The last major mechanical project for next winter is to finally install the 8 3/4. Bluefish came with one, but somewhere inher life it was replaced with a 7 1/4. Took me several years to find a good, reasonable priced one with small bolt pattern axles...didn't want to buy new Cragars.
Now, on to the cosmetics.
 
Glad you're having fun every step of the way. People who have never built one don't know what it takes.
 
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