Our ‘66 Convertible Project

[blaroche]

Little progress update. Got a lot of little things done this weekend. Engine bay is nearly all reassembled and ready for the motor. Replaced most all of the engine side vacuum lines. Lastly, the long block has been painted.

[Dan Szwarc]

Very nice!

[LithiumCobalt]

Looking good! You’re making swift progress on everything!

[blaroche]

Dan & Nick, thanks for the kind words! We are hoping (perhaps a bit ambitiously) to have the engine back in the car next weekend. With summer rapidly approaching we would like to have this convertible back on the road sooner than later!

[blaroche]

One question I do have for anyone with an original car... Should the harmonic balancer be blue or black? The company we use to rebuild our balancers returned it painted black. It was rust color when we shipped it to them, so any trace of the original color was gone. I referenced our authenticity manual but could not find anything specifying the correct color for the balancer. I will try to crawl around our '67 sedan tomorrow, but fear it's balancer might be the same rust color as the '66. Thanks!

[Lee]

I can tell you that the small block in the Mustang in those years was definitely a semi gloss black. So that makes me think they would have treated all engines the same.

[frasern]

I think I have seen more blue than black. The engine plant, paints everything blue, once an order is placed, the engine goes to the engine trim line, where all the accessories are added for that build, they are black or natural as supplied.
So I think the balancer was blue, but the other pullies, black, but that is just my theory, I never worked there.
Edited, Lincoln 462 pully and balancer are one piece, also 430s were painted black, so this only applies to 462s. I just checked my 67, it is shiny black, because I painted it when I changed the T. chain, I kinda think there were traces of blue before, but not sure. My 292 truck balancer is green, to match the block.

[LithiumCobalt]

Semi gloss black for the balancer

[blaroche]

Our hopes of having the motor in this past weekend were not achieved, however, we did make some excellent progress! Trying to take our time and do things right, we’re hoping to have all the little details buttoned up this week and get the motor in on Saturday.

[1Bad55Chevy]

Little progress update. Got a lot of little things done this weekend. Engine bay is nearly all reassembled and ready for the motor. Replaced most all of the engine side vacuum lines. Lastly, the long block has been painted.
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Love the Lincoln LS grill collection!

[blaroche]

Little progress update. Got a lot of little things done this weekend. Engine bay is nearly all reassembled and ready for the motor. Replaced most all of the engine side vacuum lines. Lastly, the long block has been painted.
IMG_4755.jpeg
IMG_4733.jpeg

Love the Lincoln LS grill collection!

Thank you! We have a 2000 LS that my grandparents purchased new in July of 1999. If anyone has been to the Lincoln museum at the Gilmore, we had it on loan there for several years. Since bringing it home last year we’ve updated the front end to a Gen II LSE front end. The first photo is from last year when we towed it home from Michigan with our Aviator. We left Michigan on a Saturday morning, drove nonstop, and arrived home in California the following Sunday night! Whirlwind trip, but it was fun!

[bd94s10]

Nice job! Reminds me of a TON of work I did on my '67 sedan many years back. Def take your time and do it right! Love seeing the progress.

[papawayne]

Taking one's time on a restoration project is good. Not so much on whirlwind trips. I have a friend who drives a Dodge truck, and he would tell you it's a good thing you weren't trying to drive an electric car from the Gilmore to California. That's as political as I dare to get, just quoting other people. Wayne

[blaroche]

Thanks Jason & Wayne! Yes, we had hoped to be farther along but ultimately just want to do this once. So more time spent making sure things are right should pay off in the long run. And yes, we certainly couldn’t have made that drive from MI to CA as quickly as we did if we were in an EV. Towing, the Aviator is good for about 300 highway miles per tank, and it’s fill ups went much quicker than charging.

[papawayne]

I can't disagree with you at all! Wayne