Picked up the re-bored engine block from Nabors
Automotive. Sprayed all polished surfaces (cylinders, lifter bores, bearing surfaces, crankshaft, camshaft) with WD40 Long Term Corrosion Inhibitor (a “sticky” oil), wrapped it in plastic and stored it in the shed until other preparations are completed. The engine compartment needs to be cleaned, primed, and painted before the engine and transmission can be reinstalled. Aside from degunking, grinding, and sanding the engine bay, there was one problem.
During the years that the car sat idle, the battery leaked acid which rusted away the metal floor of the battery niche. The fix was to install sheet metal to replace the niche floor, supported by angle brackets screwed to the remaining side metal. Test panels were cut out of ‘foamcore’ to get the floor shape exact before cutting the sheet metal. After assembly, fiberglass cloth was applied over the joints to seamlessly conform to the original curves of the niche. The repair is solid and strong. Sanded smooth, primed, and painted it appears to be original.
1) Bracket installation, 2) sheet metal screwed to brackets, 3) fiberglass, 4) sanded and painted
And here is a photo of the engine bay after applying primer and paint.
The color is an original 1966 Ford option called Mariner Turquoise metallic. The car, currently white, will be two-tone. The body will be Mariner Turquoise and the hardtop a pearl white. The interior is a lighter turquoise vinyl and will be restored in that color.
Next post will be engine block prep and re-assembly. Stayed tuned! And Thanks! for visiting.
Thanks for this blog! I am restoring my own ’66 as well. Just one constructive criticism; The work that you did on the battery ‘apron’ looks fantastic. It is very clean and reminds me of the work that people do on engine bays, smoothing them, and filling all of the holes. That being said, the stock Thunderbird battery apron was not flat. It had purpose bent depressions in it, to properly mount up the actual battery tray. There are also many holes in it, of course, for mounting the battery tray and routing the marker lights through it etc. I’m sure you have a plan for these items. Strong work, at any rate.