t's time! The last push to get my 440 440 wagon on the road!

[GASSR]

So 10 years ago I bought my 63 440 wagon sight unseen from Idaho. My plan was to keep it pretty stock and just cruise it around ... who was I kidding! I have driven the car twice and in between house moves, job moves and major family events I have gradually updated it. In front, the stock steering and suspension has been replaced with QA-1 tubular items, and Borgeson power steering. The brakes were updated to 13" Wilwoods. The 318 Poly was retired in favor of a 440 (Edelbrock heads, 2x4 intake and carbs, Lunati cam and Dougs headers) I am using a March serpentine belt system with a mid mount compressor for the Vintage Air AC. Out back, I ditched the leaf springs and am using a 4 link system from Control Freak, suspending a Moser housed 8 3/4. My 727 was built by 7272Expert Keith and has a gear vendors. My next task is floor surgery to clear the overdrive. Still a lot to do but targeting year end to get it useable.

 

[davek]

would like to see the car also

 

[GASSR]

would like to see the car also

 

[Breaker-1]

Yeah! What davek said!

 

[Breaker-1]

Wow! That was quick! Nice ride!

 

[GASSR]

Sorry, I'm so used to seeing it in pieces!

 

[T2R9]

Sweet!

 

[davek]

WOW Id drive it

 

[multimopes]

Beautiful!

 

[Darter6]

That car screams FUN !!

 

[4vnut]

Beautiful wagon!

 

[ckessel]

Nice setup there. I'm hoping to pick up an early wagon, 63-70, to replace my dually. It will look nice parked by my 65 Coronet 500 thats in build mode. What part of Fl are you in? Have relatives in P-Cola and Lutz.

 

[493 Mike]

I replaced the whole tunnel in my 65 for clearance around my GV. It was hard to cut up the reproduction floor I spent so much time to weld in!
Mike

 

[GASSR]

Nice setup there. I'm hoping to pick up an early wagon, 63-70, to replace my dually. It will look nice parked by my 65 Coronet 500 thats in build mode. What part of Fl are you in? Have relatives in P-Cola and Lutz.

I'm in St Pete. Close to Lutz.

 

[GASSR]

I replaced the whole tunnel in my 65 for clearance around my GV. It was hard to cut up the reproduction floor I spent so much time to weld in!
Mike
View attachment 1498492View attachment 1498494

Thanks for sharing. That will give me an idea of how to shape the new tunnel

 

[493 Mike]

Thanks for sharing. That will give me an idea of how to shape the new tunnel

I just had a local sheet metal shop roll my chosen radius in my choice of metal gauge with extra hanging down to account for floor irregularities, trimmed in place after tack welding.
Mike

 

[GASSR]

I replaced the whole tunnel in my 65 for clearance around my GV. It was hard to cut up the reproduction floor I spent so much time to weld in!
Mike
View attachment 1498492View attachment 1498494

Wow! Pristine floor. Mine has the original with a (not pretty)patch on the passenger side footwell. Car had heavy undercoat which seemed to have protected it well but is a royal pain to remove. I have cleaned it off the chassis rails but the rest can stay.

 

[ckessel]

When I get the back end of the car wrapped up, I'll be tackling the passenger floor. I boogered it up making room for my GV unit plus since I'm using a 70 k-frame, engine/trans moved back 1.5". The floor had numerous cracks from before as the PO put in bucket seats but it was a bench car, so no stiffeners under the buckets which led to cracks. From there, I cut the floor up for SFC's and made a new upper t-bar/trans hoop to give the trans more room for airflow. With all those issues I'll being making new floor panels, plus trans tunnel, from scratch when I get to that area. This will be a great area for me to get re-aquainted with my metal forming machines and skills I learned 10 years ago. Its been 6 years since I've used them, so the floor will be a great area to get back in the groove.

 

[493 Mike]

When I get the back end of the car wrapped up, I'll be tackling the passenger floor. I boogered it up making room for my GV unit plus since I'm using a 70 k-frame, engine/trans moved back 1.5". The floor had numerous cracks from before as the PO put in bucket seats but it was a bench car, so no stiffeners under the buckets which led to cracks. From there, I cut the floor up for SFC's and made a new upper t-bar/trans hoop to give the trans more room for airflow. With all those issues I'll being making new floor panels, plus trans tunnel, from scratch when I get to that area. This will be a great area for me to get re-aquainted with my metal forming machines and skills I learned 10 years ago. Its been 6 years since I've used them, so the floor will be a great area to get back in the groove.View attachment 1498695

Those seat brackets look like Scat universal brackets?
Mike

 

[ckessel]

Yup, you are wise and observant, Master Obi Wan.