Cool McCool's Garage

After a recent bout with what I think was the flu, I got out in the shop today and got the “new” disc brakes on the front of the ‘Bird.  This set up is front spindles, rotors, calipers from a 78-79 LTD II, Cougar, or T’Bird.  I’d mounted them when I started DA’ing the paint of the car 5  years ago, and never finished.  In fact, I thought about going back to the stock drums, mainly because the steering arms a little shorted on these than the originals, and the Ackerman (the geometry that lets a car turn sharply at low speeds without scuffing the tires) is going to be a little off, but being able to stop trumped slow speed parking lot manuevers. 

So, new pads, new calipers, new  hoses, several trips back to the auto parts store to get various adaptors and fittings to get the lines run, and I”ve got the (front) brakes bled.  I cleaned and packed the wheel bearings, greased the tie rod ends, ball joints and tightened all the nuts, and put cotter pins in every castled nut on the front end.  (Note, it’s difficult to remember what’s only finger tight when it’s 5 years between work days on a project!)

I’ve also got all the new sections of rubber fuel line in, except for one that I didn’t have a hose bib for, a new fuel filter and some new plastic quick-connect fittings to finish up the fuel system properly.   Should be able to get that done, and the rear brakes bled tomorrow. 

I’m going to get some 1″ lowering blocks for the rear, and take the air-shocks out that I’d installed for towing.  It’s towing days are over!  The shocks will go on the Diamond T, which I need to get back after now that the ‘Bird is a “real” car again. 

It’s not very exciting photography, but getting the fuel system in order, and new brakes done is a BIG step forward.  And, I’ve kept the local NAPA store financially solvent for a couple of weeks…