"Don't Know" Build start

Get you a fiberglass water heater blanket, cut off a piece and wrap your baffles with it. It should quiet it down enough to be legal, then take it back out when you get back home.

good idea. Thanks. After reading a bunch of the Texas inspection regulations, I discovered that sound level is not an inspection item. Neither is cracked up windshields. With the exhaust, all they want is for it to exit beyond the passenger compartment. I've got that OK. It used to be, about ten years ago, that it had to exit out the rear of a passenger car. No side exhaust if it wasn't original. I hope the inspection guy knows all that. And just for grins, it says they don't inspect the windshield. Just that the wiper blades are in good shape and won't get cut up.
I don't know what I'm going to do. I took the standard plates back today to get Antique plates. The lady tells me I have to wait until Monday because the title transfer isn't in the system yet. Huh? I got the paper saying it's in my name. If I go ahead and use the standard plates, I've got to drive the VW about twelve miles to the nearest inspection place. That's quite a distance for a maiden voyage. I don't even know if the tranny is going to shift. Maybe I can load it up on the trailer and tote it over there. What a hassle. Then maybe I'll just wait and get the Antique plates and not have to worry about any more inspections. Plus, the antique plates are $40 for four years vs $50 a year for regular. I've been working on it and waiting to drive it about five years already. Another week ain't gonna hurt too bad. I'll just sleep on it and see what happens tomorrow. Later.

Hang in there and don't let them get you down. Getting close and looking good.

OK people, I got the Antique tags today. I'm going to do a complete "going over" on this contraption in the morning. I don't think I've forgotten any important stuff,(except maybe tightening the tie rod ends) but it needs to be double checked before I go on the maiden voyage. I'm kind of nervous but excited too. After five years, and what seems like 10,000 hours work, I am ready. I'll call a buddy to come over and follow me around a while. With a chain of course. And I'll be ready for the local law enforcement guys and gals to do their duty and stop me. They have to have fun also. I'll let yall know how everything turns out. Later.

Good luck and hammer down it'll be alright.
My Dad used to say "Run it but watch it".

Good news so far. I drove this thing up to the parts house, about a mile, with no problems except for the noisey, rattling side pipes. It stayed right at 180*, the brakes work good, and most of all, my rebuilt tranny shifted out OK. I need to adjust the modulator a bit but, I'm real happy I don't have to go back into it and fix something. My first automatic rebuild and it works!! I was looking for the law to no avail. I'm sure they'll find me some day. Right now, I'm so relieved, it's nap time. Later.

Congrats on the 1st drive! Has to be a relief!

Another successful outing. I drove it out to my Dad's and back,this afternoon. The only thing that happened was about a half mile out of town, it felt like I was stepping on the brake. The car slowed and the motor changed tune and a cloud of white smoke filled the car. I turned down a side road and then everything was OK. I felt all four brake drums to see if maybe a brake was dragging. Nope, all cool to the touch. I continued on and came back without a problem. I am confused on the cause. If the tranny had a little burp and blew fluid out the vent, it wouldn't turn to smoke. The exhaust is outboard way away from the tranny. It seems if a brake was hanging up, it would still be hot, after the twenty seconds or so it took to get stopped and check them. And I can't imagine something internal on the 429 screwing up and then fixing itself. I'll just have to see if it does it again and worry about it then.
I enjoyed the ride a bunch. The rattles and knocks and bangs, even over the exhaust noise. Just what I had been thinking it would be like. I wasn't real thrilled about the speed vs. RPM. I've got to get the tire circumference and figure the rear end ratio. 60mph = 3,000RPM. Not very efficient with the big block. That's all.

did it smell like wires ? A wire short will fill up the cab in a short time .. may have burnt in two ..

I hadn't even thought about wiring. Thanks Yankee. Something could've shorted out putting a strain on the alternator, causing the engine to change tune and slow down. I'll check that out. And I really don't recall what the smell was. It happened so quick and then was gone. I was more concerned about getting off the highway. Thanks.

Looks good! Check that wiring.

Here's a great simple tire size calculator: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
And here is a quick rpm to speed calculator: http://www.advanced-ev.com/Calculators/TireSize/

With a rough measurement of the tires, this rear end is somewhere around a 4.00. Good for get up and go but, with the 429, I don't think I need that much. I'll worry about the small stuff later. Thanks.

My smoke in the cabin mishap turned out to be a rear tire rubbing on the inside of the fender. just a touch more air in the shocks and problem fixed. I took it for another drive this morning and everything still seems OK. But I really am going to have fix those sidepipes. The rattling is driving me nuts. I'll save up and get some decent inserts to quiet things down. I was going to mount the front fenders but, I found a tranny for the Toyota and it's got to come first. I'm wearing out my car driving it to work every day. The Toyota is already wore out so, a few thousand more miles won't hurt it. That's all.

junker39 said:

My smoke in the cabin mishap turned out to be a rear tire rubbing on the inside of the fender. just a touch more air in the shocks and problem fixed. I took it for another drive this morning and everything still seems OK. But I really am going to have fix those sidepipes. The rattling is driving me nuts. I'll save up and get some decent inserts to quiet things down. I was going to mount the front fenders but, I found a tranny for the Toyota and it's got to come first. I'm wearing out my car driving it to work every day. The Toyota is already wore out so, a few thousand more miles won't hurt it. That's all.

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A friend of mine used red bottle mufflers in his pipes. Even with a BBC they're nice and quiet and they're much cooler to the touch as well than the area before the pipe.

Thanks 05. I'll check that out. I gotta do something and I'll take all suggestions.
I was doing a walk around after I got home and discovered a piece of my rear bumper missing in action. Went back and run the way I went and that thing is either in the ditch or somebody picked it up. Wow, less than twenty miles and already got stuff falling off.

junker39 said:

Thanks 05. I'll check that out. I gotta do something and I'll take all suggestions.
I was doing a walk around after I got home and discovered a piece of my rear bumper missing in action. Went back and run the way I went and that thing is either in the ditch or somebody picked it up. Wow, less than twenty miles and already got stuff falling off.

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Tough luck, guess you need to get creative!

My friend cut off the leading end of the bottle muffler and left the back end intact.

I haven't done anything with the exhaust yet but, I did score a couple of almost new Cooper 245-60 tires for the rear. They are about an inch shorter than the ones on it and it's going to screw with the rear end ratio a bit but, they shouldn't rub on the fenders. And I drove it last week at night, and the headlights are needing some kind of bracing. They shake a bit. (a bunch). I'll try this little brace and see what happens. Might have to go back to the drawing board. Thats all.

I got the right hand headlight braced up fairly good I think. I keep finding uses for these copper fittings. Cut a union in half and thread one side and you got a 5/16 to 3/8 adapter. Cheaper than buying one. And I got the tires mounted and put them on. It's got enough room now so it won't rub. I think some of the air can be let out of the shocks and maybe get a little better ride. That's all.

that turned out great!

I haven't done a whole lot lately with Pops' projects and work. I did manage to put an electric system cutoff switch on. Just in case something decides to short out, I don't have to take the time to unhook a battery terminal. And, got the left hand headlight support done. I drove around a little Saturday night and the braces fixed the headlight flutter for sure. I've still got to find some material to mount the fenders. Some day.... That's all.