Cool McCool's Garage

I’m supposed to be working today, but as we have few patients in the unit, I asked for, and got, the day off to give me some time to get ready for this weekends ‘Tin Can Tourist’ spring rally in Milford.  I’ve gotten some stuff done on the trailer, seen here all polished up and ready to go.  Kim asked me to make some new cabinet doors to replace a pair that were warped and didn’t shut properly, so I’m finishing that up as well.  It looks pretty good polished up, even though I didn’t think I’d have time to get it finished.  I’m glad now she urged me to do it.

The wagon is likewise ready to go, after it’s new ball joints, raised ride height, and some suspension tweaking.  It’s a totally different car to drive now, I’m really glad I swapped the rear axle for the correct gear ratio, even though it meant modifying the rear wheels to get it done.  Also found a little pinhole in the housing where I’d cut the original brackets off it, and had to pull the axle the other day, cut a spring pad off and re-install it.  Nothing is easy…

Speaking of easy, I now have not one, but TWO new radiators coming for the Fordillac.  An aluminum, two-row, high performance Mustang one, to replace the copper/brass original style ’65 Mustang up front, and a new ’99 Neon one to replace the damaged rear one.  I discovered the leak was caused by the rear axle’s upper control arm punching a hole in one fin.  Evidently the bump stops compressed enough to let the axle hit the radiator when I found the pot hole in Lansing, and the result was rear axle 1, radiator, 0. 

In order to prevent this from happening again, I found I can mount it at about a 45, with the bottom tank even with the bottom of the driveshaft tunnel, leaned towards the rear.  The top tank will be about an inch from the bottom of the floor, and no part of the radiator core is directly above the axle center.   It can completely bottom out and not come into contact with the radiator now. 

These photos show the damaged one mocked up in place.  I’ve ordered two new slim line 10″ fans, to replace the very bulky (but I’m sure more powerful) stock Neon ones, which will mount on the side of the core shown, and pull air.  Underway, there’s a huge amount of air pushed up through the core, but stopped idling in traffic, it’ll need the fans. 

The new Neon radiator was unbelievably inexpensive, $52.00 including shipping, the fans were a little more than half that, and the Mustang one was a little over $200, so I’m still under the amount of money I got for scrap steel hauling the junk away the other day.   I’m certain that’s what Kim wanted me to get her for her birthday with that “found money”!   The stuff should all be here by the first of next week, so I can get the car all ready for the trip to Indy for the Goodguys show in June.  I love eBay…

Back out now to finish up the cabinet doors hardware, and get some more details stuff done, more news as it happens.