My old 27 lives again!!!!!!!

[donsrods]

11 years ago I parked my 27 and tore it down for a freshening up........I just never got back to it. Then a couple of years ago I decided it was time to finish the restoration. I originally built the car over 20 years ago, and drove it almost daily for 7 years, but it was showing some tiredness and needed redone.

The new engine is a 331 Ford stroker roller cam, roller rocker motor. It has Edelbrock RPM aluminum heads, a lot of Ford Racing internals, an X303 cam, and two fours on an old Offy intake. The transmission is a top loader 3 speed Ford, and the rear is a 9 inch Trac Loc with 4:30 gears.

Today my Son Dan and I wrapped up the final loose pieces and at about midnight we fired it up and let the clutch out for the first time in 11 years. Man, it felt great!!!!! This thing pulls like a freight train, and 1st and most of second gear are useless if you get your foot a little deep in it. It drives great, and we tossed in a couple of moving blankets to sit on and took it out for a late night bite to eat. I let Dan drive home and I think his grin was as big as mine. Monday it goes to the upholstery shop for a black and white rolled and pleated interior, then it will be off to Turkey Run at Thanksgiving.

Here are a couple of pictures after we got home tonight. It sure feels great to have my old hot rod back on the road again..........only better.

Don

 

[35Mastr]

Just like being reunited with an old freind. Dont get any better than that. The grins on that first drive would have been priceless.

 

[nos487]

Awesome car! I bet it is scary with the new setup.

 

[CR55]

Nice work Don! Feels great doesn't it?..CR

 

[Sniper]

Congratulations Don, it sure looks good.

 

[rainman]

Don you've set the bar awfully high for the rest of us. That is one beautiful car!! Have fun!!![cl

 

[donsrods]

Thanks guys. I knew the new motor would pull good, but I had no idea HOW good. The only glitch we had was that as I made a U turn last night the engine died and Dan and I had to push it off the street. We got it into a parking lot and were looking it over when Dan asked " You didn't shut off your kill switch, did you?" (I hid a switch under the dash as an anti theft device) I checked and my foot had hit it when I let up on the clutch. Flipped it back on and it fired right up. I hit the switch inadvertently a couple more times during our drive, so today a butt connector will replace that switch.

Don

 

[cantwell.colton]

amazing car - as always from you...
everytime you post a "new build" or "new car"
i know im about to see something amazing.

 

[Bonehead]

Great to see you with a good car under you again.

 

[cycledog]

Way to go Don. That had to be a great feeling to drive it once again. Very cool T.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Sweetness! You gotta get us some better shots of it though. Something on the beach with a cute girl maybe? It's starting to get cold up north here.....

 

[ratrodz]

looks fantastic, looking forward to more pics

 

[59imp]

sweet, that thing looks tough as nails.......[dr

 

[cantwell.colton]

sweet, that thing looks tough as nails.......[dr

i think that sticker on the windshield may be as old as I am [S

 

[dmw56]

That's a beautiful hot rod Don! [cl [dr

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Very cool Don. Sometimes it's worth the wait...

 

[hotrod preacher]

we love it! and are proud of it (maybe not as much as you, but still proud of it)


i hope to hear of some times from down the track eventually....


once again congratulations on a job well done....[cl[cl[cl[cl

 

[donsrods]

Thanks everyone. Yep, now I gotta head to the beach to find another model. The temps are dropping so I better hurry up or she will be wearing long johns.

Cantwell, you are right about the decals on the windshield, they are about 20 years old. When I had the windshield redone recently to make it straight across instead of curved on top, I hoped he could cut the old glass to save the Lady Luck and Rod and Custom decals.........he did. I intentionally used as many of the old parts as possible when I redid the car this time. Some of the parts show some age and wear, but every one of those boo boos have some memories for me, and I wanted to keep them, even if the car looks "used and abused" already.

While I really loved the 23 I just sold, somehow it never meant the same things to me as this one. I have lots of great memories from driving it, and it never failed to bring me home at night. Hope the new engine is half as dependable as the old one.

Don

 

[kdubya]

Sweet car Don. Sounds like you put the "hot" back in hot rod.

 

[Chubby Jackson]

Damn! That sho' is a lotta motor. You gunna have to wear a G-suit when you launch that thing[cl