The last time the Project Raven Imperial was seen, it was limping home from Beech Bend with a transmission that was making a lot of odd and angry noises. Since then there has been a lot of brainstorming on what to do with the big silver brick, and while a lot of that is still being sorted out, we all came to the conclusion that there should be at least an autopsy of what is currently in the car.
The engine is fine, first of all. It’s still underpowered, but it’s still running and driving. It even spun the tires a little earlier tonight (I’ll get to that later.) But it’s still radically underpowered. After a couple of extremely angry phone calls with the engine builder, he confessed that what is really in the car is a .060-over 318, and that it may or may not be the Mirada’s old block…he’s not sure. Great. Considering how forward he’s been about the rest of this deal, the engine, whatever the hell it is, will receive a full teardown. The 904 is toast…second gear is not playing anymore, regardless of manual shifting or driving. The trans is now behaving like a Powerglide, so the car is technically drivable but I’m only limping it around the very local area.
The biggest issue has been finding a place to work on the car. Where I’m at there aren’t many options going for someone on my budget. So, after some discussions, veiled begging, and finally a tradeoff for some manual labor, I ended up with…well, scroll through the photos below and see for yourself. A little elbow grease and some rubber matting to create a floor and I’ll be in business soon…then I can get to some work.
Looks safe, don’t it? It’s probably one of the oldest structures around, and once I get things sorted, it’s going to be my new shop.
Problem #1: The barn has sank some in the last…oh, forty years, let’s say…that we had to trim off the doors just to get them open. We’re starting out on the right foot!
Ok…this looks absolutely inviting. By the owner’s estimate nobody has been in here within the last fifteen years (the newest object is a spare tire for a Jeep)
…and some of it pre-dates the owner. Tractor tires and wheels for a late 1940’s Ford medium-duty flatbed. That truck is still around and is in the middle of a restification….hopefully he’ll let me get some photos of that soon. It’s a cool piece.
That appears to be the majority of a flathead V8 Ford. By the owner’s guess it’s a 1950-53 vintage engine. There’s parts everywhere, so chances are good 90% of the engine is in here.
Aw, shit. Yes, there’s wasp nests a-plenty. Take your pick: mud daubers all over, red wasp paper nests everywhere, and numerous boreholes that are the calling card of carpenter bees. It’s a damn good thing it’s getting cold out. Still sends shivers up my spine.
This was a cool find. I like old plates, especially when they show wear and tear.
So in short, I’m converting the barn last seen in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre into a shop that I can rip my Mopar apart in. Sounds like a great plan, right? Wasp nests and dirt floors are the path to success. Or I’ll keep chanting that until I get stung and end up running out of the barn screaming like Sam Kinison. Remember that a lot of stock cars and ‘shine runners would be built in mostly the same way, so I’m not too far off from the path. Now, about that burnout joke above? I’m moving the car around to empty out the fuel tank, since I plan on dropping that again to see if I can try to get a fuel reading from the stock gauge. The car is reading “14” now, which for the last few years has been the “low fuel light” situation…see a number, fill up. Well, the car is not liking the low fuel situation at all, and with the stock engine fuel pump doing an inadequate job of feeding the now 328ci engine, the car has been choking and puking around the backroads. Except when it came home. The last turn before the house is a right-hander from a steep hill. And after a quick protest the Imperial lit off both back tires and hung the ass out like it was trying to escape the fate it saw down in the barn. Unfortunately, it ran out of gas and coasted to a stop in it’s parking space.
It’s like it knows…
It’s like our old Refrigerator, it’s destined for the junk heap but we don’t talk about replacing it while in the Kitchen for fear it will hear us and give out…..
Hey at least it has power! And trimming to doors just to open them is pretty awesome. lol
I’ve built a few cars in a barn and on a dirt floor. And so have a whole heap of others. I have a concrete floor in the barn now but still don’t have roll up doors.
Looks like a good deal to me! Wonder if you could get the flathead going and throw it in Raven? Probably make about the same power.
Sadly, there is truth to that statement.
Better than working outside thats for sure. The big problem is a dirt floor and engine hoist don’t mix. Good luck you will be happy when your done. I hope?
I’m really looking forward to this project!
That’s really awful about your engine, Wild guess says that a 727 will be going in place of the 904?
Bryan –
Hot tip for that ol’ barn. Line the inside with the 1/2″ foam core board that has the foil wrapper. Tape the seams with real duct tape – the kind that you have to peel the backing to expose the sticky stuff. It’ll stop the wind and insects (though I’d spray that sucker) and hold in the heat pretty well. As an added benefit it reflects light really well and will optimize your lighting fixtures. It’s best to use the right nails with a plastic washer under the head so the nails don’t pull thru. I’ve done a couple of shops with it and it works great – I’ll do this shop when I can get the lad I have in mind to come give me a labor estimate.
Any place is WAY better than no place.
Dan