Project Grandma's sleeper :)
 

So on a Jeep site I'm on for my DD, it is pretty common to have build threads, so I decided to start one here for my build:).

So I have a 61' Ford Fairlane that I bought from my Grandpa a couple years ago. It was my Great-Grandma's originally. It has 37k miles on it. You can read more of the history on my Car Domain site http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3182277

Anyway recent installs were a freshly rebuilt carb, freshly painted flywheeel cover, oil pan, battery cables, and next up is the exhaust, stereo, and seatbelts.

Here are some pics of the most recent project:

Well, I guess I'll have to do some resizing of the photos so they upload. They are not wanting to upload here. I'll add more later...:)

UPDATE 4-6-10:
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...016_medium.jpg
Newly painted Flywheel Cover
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...017_medium.jpg
Freshened up engine compartment with newly painted valve and side covers (this was done a while ago, but this is the first pic I've taken of it).
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...018_medium.jpg
One of the engine compartment and newly rebuilt carb installed.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...019_medium.jpg
Primered breather tube
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...020_medium.jpg
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...021_medium.jpg
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...022_medium.jpg
Newly painted oil pan

And just so you can see the car here in its new to me state:
http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_i...013_medium.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_i...002_medium.jpg

Things are coming together. I finished installing one of the added leafs for my rear suspension, it no longer sags quite as much ! I'm going to sand down and repaint the drums before I put the tires back on, unless I get too antsy to get it fired up!

Well, I've had a couple minor setbacks. I fired everything up and it leaked gas from the carb, so I had just gotten done checking all the screws/ seams, etc. and was in the process of re-installing it and broke the bolt that attaches the fly to the accelerator pedal assembly and then while I was monkeying with that late last night, broke a plastic piece that I'm pretty sure I can't replace.

So what now...

Look'n good..

What plastic piece?

Might be able to find one on the net/sites, or 'Plastex' makes a great product for bonding, casting new parts, or building out broken/missing portions..

Hayapower,
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have to look into it.

It will be a little bit before I can post up pics of the part, but here is how I would describe it:

When you push on the gas the accelerator cable pulls the butterfly, attached to that same assembly is a little metal piece that is bent to attach to that and this plastic piece. The plastic piece then pushs on a spring loaded little rod that pushes into the float housing releasing gas from the housing to the open fly area of the carb thus putting gas into the engine, etc... This plastic piece is attached to the carb with a slide on clip on the opposite side of the piece from where it attached to the better pin/ bar thingy (not sure if this has a technical name).

Again, I'll post pics at a later time. It's pretty old obviously and I was tired so I was most likely being too rough with these fragile parts, however, if they were that fragile, it is probably better it broke in my garage as opposed to on the highway somewhere I guess.

I'll have to look into your suggestions to see if I can make something work.

Wow!
 

Beautiful car! 37K miles.... and looks like it had been garage kept? wow, keep it in the garage and don't mess it up you lucky guy you! I would need to see some pics of the "plastic thingy" that you broke to give you some good pointers on recovery, but remember that if you cant replace it new, check the junk yards for another old ford with a straight 6 that you can rip it off of.

Keep it in the garage and keep it original.

71fordf100,
Thanks for the comments. Since I've owned it, it has been garage kept, my grandpa kept it mostly in a garage, but it spent a lot of its life in a dirt floor shed and dirt floor garage on the farm my grandparents ran until they retired. It spent a lot of time early in its life being run around on gravel roads in rural MN for the first 15-20 years of its life. I am very particular about my stuff, so I care for my stuff very well. My grandpa actually kind of let the car go a little and when it started to rust, he just covered it up with the paint job you see in the pics. There is plenty of rust underneath and rust making it's way through the body. I am planning on a restoration as soon as I can get the money saved. My wife and I have lots of student loans and an 18 month old, so the savings will be slow, thus why I'm trying to get it in at least a better running condition so I can drive it more often while the dough accumulates.

I'll get pics up as soon as I can...it's been a little busy around here the last week. I have been looking on ebay and some of my other resources for a used part, but so far no luck, I know I need to go to a junkyard, but my job has me traveling frequently, so I usually am not home when the junkyard is open.

Updated pics
 

Sorry for the somewhat crappy pics, I think a setting got switched on our camera, I just haven't taken the time to figure out which one. I did a little photoshopping to circle the part in question. Please let me know if you know anything about this part... If you need more pics to help you figure it out let me know, I'll try and grab another one for you.


http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...023_medium.jpgThe circled piece is what broke in two.


http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...024_medium.jpg


http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...025_medium.jpgHere are the two pieces. The piece in my fingers attaches to the lever that is attached to the throttle cable.


http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...026_medium.jpgAnother pick of the two pieces from another angle.


http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...027_medium.jpgAnother pick of the carb from the side and the plastic piece. The black piece pushes against a spring in the float housing that helps release gas.

Thanks for any help in advance!

Luckily, the plastic piece should be easy to replace with a simple e-clip. old fords come a dime a dozen in the junk yards. see if you can pull it when you get free time. you may be able to even pull it from an old ford truck. My truck came with the old straight 6. If I had the piece, id send it to you, although I sold the motor + carb after I did a 5.0 swap.

71fordf100,
Thanks,

Any pics of your truck or your engine swap? I have that as an option for sometime in the future as well, if the whole getting more power from my straight 6 doesn't work out :)

Justin