I love my positraction, I really do. I special ordered Betsy with it way back in 1994. I think it was an extra $200 on the option sheet, and $50 for the optional 3.55 gear ratio. Both have proven worth their cost many many times over the years.
I had done a bunch of sandblast work for a friend who runs a local wrecking yard. He is building a replica of a NASCAR spec 69 Ford Torino Talladega, with the drop nose and fastback. The deal behind it even though he is mopar to the core, is his dad owned and ran one in the ARCA racing series in the early 70s. His dad had the front sheetmetal clip and he was able to get the nascar spec rims that was on it from his dads friend. Anyways the last things he had me sandblast were a pair of nascar spec finned and vented 11x3 brake drums. Good Lord these things were heavy!!!
Anyways I brought em back friday afternoon all cleaned up and ready for some high temp cast gray paint. I have almost everything I need to build a 318 for my kids car except the short block. Basically a good block and crank. I asked him what he had in a "free eighteen" or in a substantially reduced price 318 short block that's a good core. He replied, let's head to the motor and trans building and look.
He had 3 318s. One with a spun rod bearing, and both a 1970 short block and 1977 short block. He wanted to keep the 70 block as it's got thicker walls and would take an overbore to 4.010" to make a 340 out of it. I said that's fine, I'm good with the 77 block. It's going to be bored .030 anyways. If I decide I need it bigger I can add a 4" stroke crank and stroker pistons and make a 390 out of it.
I asked the price. He said you needed a "free eighteen". Take your pick, you have one a bunch of work for me over the years and I know it's for your sons car, so its free!! Being it's getting late, just come back on saturday to pick it up. So saturday I went back to get it. You just cant beat a free core rebuilder V8 short block in the size you need. This is going to be the engine we will build for his car, but for now it will be a mock up block to get the modified OD trans mount where it needs to be, along with rear axle pinion angle, and driveshaft length during mock up.
This is where it goes back to the positraction I ordered Betsy with. After I moved a bunch of transmissions around in the motor and trans building, to make a path to get my newly found "free eighteen" short block out of the building, I had to bring my truck back there to get it. Then the 2 of us would pick up the engine and load it. I brought plywood to roll it around on so I wouldent damage my Armorthane bed liner and damage the truck bed.
This was all deja vu because I had done this twice before same place but with small block chevys I built up. One for my old elcamino, one for a circle track guy I was friends with. So with the weather we had been having I had to drive thru some deep and sloppy assed mud in a lowered truck. Got some minor scratches in the old paint job from mesquite thorns. But that positraction and low first gear in that manual trans she just powered right through just like driving a tractor.
Anyhoo, we loaded it up strapped it down, and i made a stop at the U do it car wash on the way home to clean and ****** out all the thick assed clay mud that was stuck everywhere in the wheel wells and underneath. That **** holds moisture and can rot out a vehicle. Got home and hit it some more underneath, and inside the wheel wells with the garden hose until the water poured out clear with no trace of red mud. I had to get this block yesterday as it was a threat of snow which would have made it worse for a 2WD truck.
On a lighter note, mesquite trees are more like an overgrown weed out here. They pack thorns about 1&1/2" long that will go through tires, the bottoms of work boots etc. Just nasty. The saying out here is mesquite is good for only 2 things. Flat tires and smoked BBQ.
Heres some pix.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach