Time to break her down
slow day, little progress and lots of football. View attachment 53106
Fed ex guy showed up with mounts and oil pan
I HATE this kind of series. I am so JEALOUS!
I live in CA where we have biennial SMOG checks. One cannot do these kinds of swaps or mods on anything with a model year later than 1975. And, even on earlier dates of manufacture, you're very likely to hit a wall if you ever want to sell it.
I never forgave Governor Swarzanegger for signing off on the bill that took away the 25 year or older rolling cut offs and set it at after 1975 permanently. Hot Rodding died that day.
I had (and still do) a 1976 Dodge M600 chassis motorhome with the 440-3 Dodge motor and a 1976 IHC Scout Terra just a year away from the rolling cutoff. Both needed some help and OEM stock isn't available or wasn't suitable any more. I was waiting one last year so I could make some needed repairs/modifications to both (the carb & NOx control on the Dodge and and swapping out the tired, IHC 304 engine in the Scout for a well built, 392 unit). Instead, they now sit as registered non-op vehicles in my side yard with no realistic way to get them registered in CA. I can't drive them. I can't sell them. And, I sure as **** can't repair them to 1976 OEM stock so that they can pass a CA SMOG inspection. I can only "donate" them.
The only other pre 1976 car I had was a 1969 Camaro Z/28 that, although I wouldn't have to subject to SMOG inspection and thus could modify however I wanted, wasn't going to be modified ub abt way but retained absolutely stock so as to retain value.
When I see people in other places actually making hot rod modifications like this; like myself and a few friends had done since high school, I get angry and jealous. I got screwed and you get to have fun. I effectively lost the use of two personal vehicles due to this government overreach with no compensation.
And, no, I don't think people should be free to pollute the air with impunity. ****, I've driven a hybrid for years as a daily driver and am looking to pick up a BEV now. But, for already owned vehicles; for low use vehicles (who drives a motorhome more than a few hundred or thousand miles a year?) or, show car projects, why should we not be allowed to use readily available, legal parts and our imaginations to personalize and operate them?
Power to you! Great work. I love how clean it looks so far. No hack job!