Since receiving the car and completely going through it, I was delighted to find it still wears its original front brake calipers, original rotors and has the 1177 rear drums which were all within mfg. spec. The original engine runs great, the factory M20 transmission shifts smoothly, and the rear BU diff runs nice and quiet. The car still wears a matching set of Sept 9th dated YH wheels with factory rings and caps, and Jeff set the car up with some Goodyear F70 wide treads before the sale was completed. I drove the car after it arrived last month and aside from the bias ply tires, it’s one terrific old muscle car with a ton of originality throughout. My plans are to clean the underside and suspension and leave it much as it appears today. I will correct any irregularities in the serviced belts and hoses and will check all the fasteners while installing a few other odds and ends that are missing under the hood (lift brackets, original fasteners and such). A really great car that has a ton of things going for it, and one that is super clean and completely rust free throughout.
I love the fact the car wears all of its original sheet metal, has all factory original floors, a super clean original 711 interior and one of the cleanest firewalls I have seen in years. The original trunk paint & factory spare are intact, and the original PTB firewall stamps are clear and visible on both sides. A great original specimen that is pretty much unmolested other than the repaint and a few service items having been replaced over the years. The original distributor and starter were missing from the car and I have since found a late 9E16 distributor that Jerry M is now rebuilding for me. I’ve also sourced a rebuilt J10 dated #692 water pump and a 9J16 dated #367 starter to correct other deficiencies. The original smog system came packed in a box with the car and was complete as removed from the car. The pump is dated 29391S or 293rd day and aligns with the rest of the car for dates. I’ve since come to learn that there are a few oddity’s regarding some of the parts used on the late 10E cars that differ from earlier dates. Things like the transmissions being an earlier build date and the peripherals on the smog pump being earlier dated parts (stamped diverter valve and rare early hoses and clamps), but appear original to this car.
I am told that these are known deficiencies and acceptable practice on the late cars as they scrambled for parts to complete the builds during the late over-runs. I now have most of any missing components on the way to correct a few of the irregularities and have also ordered a concourse exhaust system complete with resonators from Eric Gardner. With these items being installed, I should have this car looking 100% come the spring and plan to keep it this way for years to come. The car has it’s born with 302 engine with semi-legible VIN in the rough cast, it’s original M20 transmission, and it’s original BU coded diff.
I’m still going through the car to find any little things that need correcting, but there really isn’t much to report aside from the things noted under the hood. As I continue going through the car, I will post additional pictures showing the details of my findings. The underside needs to be carefully cleaned as the third owner fluffed the bottom and covered some LB over-spray when prepping the car to sell it. After reviewing the chassis, I think I can clean a lot of it off to bring back it’s original patina and will try to remove any of the added black paint using enamel reducer and cleaners. I can also see the paint mark on the drivers front sun frame although it's under a few layers of black paint. I’m hoping to bring back a lot of its natural patina and leave it that way once it’s cleaned and detailed. More as I go along, and happy to answer any questions regarding the car or any of its original parts throughout the undercarriage and drive line.
Graeme Browne
Calgary, AB
