I have been looking for a good donor to use in the rebuild on my '68 XR7 -G 390 4 speed sunroof car. This was a pretty tall order because the G spent its early years playing in the sale in upstate New York. It is also missing the original engine, and all of the 390 GT only stuff that goes with it.
I found this car on eBay. I was the high bidder but it did not meet reserve. I was able to get together with the owned and strike a deal after the auction. He is a great guy with a too many projects on his hands (very cool unibody F100 among others).
My dilemma now is whether this one is too nice to really cut up.
But before I get to that there are some real questions I have about just exactly what this one is.
First off, some pics… These are from the eBay auction;
As you can see, the car is amazingly complete, smog stuff etc, only missing the carb. It is beyond filthy, it has been sitting in the desert for about 20 years. It is also amazingly free of rust through.
I am puzzled by the rocker arm covers. I think I have seen something like this on '66 or so 390 GT’s, but these have a sticker on the side showing timing specs that looks newer than even '68. I vaguely recall that these were also used on some mid year '67 GT’s can any one validate that?
The intake and the heads appear to be the right ones.
But there are a few odd things. like the crankshaft pulley that drives the AC compressor is smaller, more like you would see on a CJ car. Oh well, there is always more to learn.
Bill the rocker sticker looks the same as the one on my 67. The build date of my Cougar is May 31, 1967. Here are some pictures of my rocker cover.
Steven
Bill congrats on the new Cat! Looks really nice. What is the build date on the car vs the engine date codes? San Jose built? I’ve only seen those VC’s on 66 models too. And not many in chrome! Pretty interesting find. Looks like a nice donor for the G too.
I haven’t gotten into it far enough to really tell too much. It looks like the original engine from what I can see, maybe just the valve covers replaced at some point. I will know more when I get it apart.
Yes please do post some details when you have the time. I see what looks like a 7G? date code on the intake. I’d be curious to know what the actual build date of the car was. My 68 390 has all late Aug (H) date codes on the block, intake, heads etc… and a Jan 8 68 build date on the car itself. I originally thought my car had a replacement 390 as some of the smog stuff (diverter cannister) was even a bit earlier. But very original and complete. The 90 day strike of 67 was brought to my attention and some thought that time gap plus the backlog and being a SJ built car, it was possible the engine was indeed original. Just curious really. I had asked about this on MC.net a few years ago.
In general, SJ built cars will have earlier date codes than Dearborn cars. Of course there might be a few exceptions, but this is what I have seen since there seem to be quite a few SJ cars here in AZ. As long as the date codes don’t require time travel, and the parts are correct for the model year, then I think they are probably reasonable.
I have also heard that some 69’s have very early date codes on some parts. The story is that the parts were staged at SJ and then they shifted the production back to Michigan.
Rocker covers look like a set I got for my F100 when I rebuilt the engine in '85. Seems the 1972 Plain Jane ‘kinda round-topped’ covers from the original 360 wouldn’t clear the rockers on the new-to-me ('68 T-bird) heads? Ended up with a set of chrome-plated pent-roof style covers with absolutely no stampings (other than the ubiquitous “Power by FORD”) on top of them. Probably el-cheapo aftermarket ripoffs, but I have no clue, now 28 years later.
Don’t know what they came off, maybe after-market as I said; but whatever they had been on had an issue with the rocker shaft hold-down bolts not staying tightened at least once. Several dimples (pimples?) in the top of one cover from being slapped by rockers at one end; beat the snot out of the oil filler baffle. Used red Loc-Tite on the bolt threads before torquing them down; no further action needed for as long as I owned the truck.
I don’t think they came off the heads I was using; but who knows? Slapped 'em on the heads and held 'em down with the 6-1/2" high chromed ‘wing-bolts’ for the 1980’s “Hey man, that’s COOL!” factor. What today’s kids would call “Bling”
The covers kept (most of) the oil inside the long-block and off the exhaust manifolds (more '68 T-chicken stuff that bolted on perfectly); which was all that I might have thought to REALLY care about when putting it back together. Ahhhhh; life is much easier when you’re 23 years old and are certain that you know more than everybody else in the room.
