Home grown builds VS Vendor builds.

[Turbo Zach]

I think we are forgetting something here. The more people buying these cars and hiring work done the more our junk is worth, and the cheaper aftermarket parts become. You definitely get brownie points for doing things your self. I always read the reader's rides section first in a magazine.

 

[MrSony]

Would love to see these rides, guys... Any pics or videos? Your knowledge has helped a lot for guys like myself trying to learn and do as much of the work myself. Most frustrating thing is "eyeballing" before a task, think I got it right, then having to do it again forgetting something or installing something wrong.

Not much, but it's all I got. Save for my '70 Tbird.

 

[SoFloG]

The big $ builds by shops are a necessary evil for us homegrown guys. I don't discredit the installers/mechanics that put "those" cars together. However, I can tell you first hand that many of the mechanics I've worked with would be clueless without the amenities of a full custom shop or others to outsource certain work. A lot of them don't know what it's like spending all day under a car because you don't have a lift, or actually wrenching on sh*t because you don't have an unlimited array of pneumatic tools. Kudos to everybody who puts as much work as they can in to their vehicles.

 

[87BlazeLS]

I agree totally, I even have pneumatic tools but rarely remember to use them until it's too late.
Wrenchers rule !

 

[Injectedcutty]

I agree totally, I even have pneumatic tools but rarely remember to use them until it's too late.
Wrenchers rule !

Lol, my brother n laws garage has been upgraded recently with air lines throughout, we have a decent stock of pneumatic toys but tend to stick with the ratchets, wrenches, etc. Hell just last sunday i was doing front brakes on my mazda 6....same ole same ole using hand tools when my dad (veteran diesel mechanic of 40+ years) says "don't yall have impact guns and air ratchets?" I promptly replied to him that he knows as well as us that you don't have the feel with the air stuff as you do with your hand! sh*t he is the one that taught me how to "feel" when a nut or bolt is tight enough. Wrench on guys, wrench on!

 

[87BlazeLS]

Very true, And torque wrenches are considered sissy I guess. I swear by them. Paramount for engine work.
To be able to "Feel" how tight a fastener is takes some serious learning to master. It's all in the wrench handle.
In which the length of said wrenches plays a big part in. The longer the wrench the more torque is applied
at what feels like a lower value... Lock tight is another commonly misused or not used component.

Lots of good content here....

 

[Injectedcutty]

I agree totally, I even have pneumatic tools but rarely remember to use them until it's too late.
Wrenchers rule !

Lol, my brother n laws garage has been upgraded recently with air lines throughout, we have a decent stock of pneumatic toys but tend to stick with the ratchets, wrenches, etc. Hell just last sunday i was doing front brakes on my mazda 6....same ole same ole using hand tools when my dad (veteran diesel mechanic of 40+ years) says "don't yall have impact guns and air ratchets?" I promptly replied to him that he knows as well as us that you don't have the feel with the air stuff as you do with your hand! sh*t he is the one that taught me how to "feel" when a nut or bolt is tight enough. Wrench on guys, wrench on!

Very true, And torque wrenches are considered sissy I guess. I swear by them. Paramount for engine work.
To be able to "Feel" how tight a fastener is takes some serious learning to master. It's all in the wrench handle.
In which the length of said wrenches plays a big part in. The longer the wrench the more torque is applied
at what feels like a lower value... Lock tight is another commonly misused or not used component.

Lots of good content here....

I hear you on the torque wrenches, i have several and i use them on anything that requires exact precision especially engine assembling, suspension, etc. The "feel" i mention is 20 years of wrenching...was helping do engine swaps at 10 years old! Not everybody has the "feel", i call my brother n law gorilla grip since he tends to overtighten stuff lol! Lol on the loctite, i used to be a distributor for them and would chuckle when someone would tell me the use they had in mind. It's all relative to the home grown builders and part of the learning curve!
Love this post lets keep it going!

 

[87BlazeLS]

Well lets talk about fan position after the engine swaps. Meaning that on mine the fan sits back
almost out of the radiator shroud. I even had to put a 4 inch spacer on the WP just to get the fan
close enough to the radiator to pull decent air flow. Ditched the fan clutch and run a solid 5 blade
SS flexfan.
All the items are in the stock locations. Not sure why the fan now seems so far back.
I may at some point in time kill the set up and go with electric fans or fan mounted right
on the back of the radiator. Free up some pony's too.