What have you done to your wagon lately? (Let's keep the thread going!)

Brake shoes are not BRAND new.. but they are newer.. so they've already had break-in time.

 

I would jack car up and spin tires. Druum brakes should release fully. They should spin the same, I do it so they spin about a turn and a half. If you hear any cyclical contact you have an out of round condition.

A break in schedule is a series of stops at different speeds and brake force.

 

FINALLY got BlackBird legal. Still a pain, but at last it's legal. I'm OFFICIALLY on the road as a wagon owner again.

 

Brakes are leveling out.. just took some driving around.. not grabbing on one side anymore. Still not happy with single chamber MC so will change to dual and power booster down the road here.

On a side note.. somehow I broke the glass on the driver's door. I have a feeling that the lower portion of the glass guide gave way and I probably shut the door a little too hard and now I have a nice crack that goes the entire length.. I'll tape it up on the inside and just drive it for now.. 'til I find a replacement (this will be the 2nd time I replace that window).. first time it didn't have any glass. Sigh.

It is running and driving great.. Still have a lot of little items to take care of, but it sure is nice to be able to drive it around.. so VERY nice.

 

I got used to the broken glass in my Ford. Got a quote of $100 for two front door glass replacements. Just can't seem to put the cash together, but I do have new rails, felts and wipes when I finally get the glass.

 

.. yeah.. and for the time being that will probably be me too.. It's meant to drive and have fun in.. certainly no show queen.. One day I'll take care of it, but have other projects to move onto.

Haven't seen much from you lately Jairus.. must be busy? You still driving it daily? I've seen a couple 50's Ford wagons are here for sale and have been tempted.. but can't.. have to sell the '49 and then move onto the '55 Buick.

 

I drive it every day. Have no other vehicle.
But... don't have a lot of time or $ to do stuff worth reporting here so.....
But, I have some parts stored up once I find the time to fix the speedo cable, replace the door glass and felts, some electrical bugs and replace the rear shackle spring bushings.
Now that the weather is good (finally) I hope to do all those things before "Rust-o-Rama" July 27th, which marks the 2nd anniversary of my purchase of the "Surf Rat".

BTW, Took it to the Rickreall swapmeet with my partner in crime and sold a few t-shirts last Sunday. Got another show this coming Saturday at Adams Rib Smoke House cruise-in here in Salem. Lots of beer, music and cars if anyone wants to make the trip!

 

Glad to hear it's on the road, 73super!
Enjoy it!!!

 

broke a front shock this morning which broke the brake hose resulting in a fn trip luckily the was plenty of room to stop

 

Thanks... it will be nice to have something to drive around this summer... seems I'm always working on something and never driving. It's good to have a driver while working on OTHER projects now.

 

K&N filter for 94 RMW

Stuck a high performance K&N filter in my air box last night (33-2057). Unless it's my imagination, there seems to be a noticeable increase in power. Drove it to the gas station and filled it up so I can do a mileage check.

So far, so good - 75 miles today, and like I said, seems more powerful.

Also seems to shift quicker, with less pedal.

I don't really like the looks of the whole cold air intake thing. The air box k&n is probably somewhere in between going the whole hog (cold air intake) or just having the standard air filter.

Also, I've been using liquid glass since around March sometime. Absolutely love it. The shine and finish is amazing. I'll try to get some pics this weekend.

Biggest benefit of the liquid glass: the love bugs we get here slide right off. You might see them on the car for a short time, but the next time it rains, which is often, they wash right off.

It's a little pricey, but well worth it. I've had lots of people comment on the shine. It's like a mirror. And not having to mess with the love bugs is priceless.

 

Ok guys I have been driving my fairlane every day since good weather hit andI learned a new foundness at 20mpg... going to keep driving it too

 

Tail gate mystery

Just finished the tail gate repair on my 63. Previously had removed glass and internals, cleaned sealed and re installed it all and then the window would not work. Seems GM had a pot metal switch that allowed the window to work/not work if the nub on the switch was depressed (closing the tailgate). Opening the tailgate allowed the nub to return and shut off the switch My nub broke so window would not work at all. Found one , replaced it, also used some glass polish on the glass and it shines like new. I am so happy.:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Latest stuff done

I've completed a few things in the past few weeks. First, I installed laminate in the cargo area and covered it with a throw rug to keep it from getting scratched up. Then installed dropped spindles with disc brakes and a new power master cylinder, and lowered the rear by cutting the springs. Overall it brought the car down about 2-3 inches. I also remade a high lift jack to fit in the spare tire well. Cut a piece of 1"X2" rectangular channel and welded it onto a 12" square piece of 1/4" plate, then drilled bolt holes through the sides of the channel. The jack was originally too tippy, but now it feels very stable when jacked up. I also cut down the overall length so it would fit under the deck.