70 C10 resto-mod (was Chevy culture shock)

Okay, there are two acceptable reasons to run a Q-jet: keepin' it stock, and keeping it well-behaved when you're out cruising. But condensers? Points? Ballast resistors? Have y'all lost your minds? HEI distributors are as common as p!ss bottles on an interstate corridor, pick one up!
 
pontiac428 said:
Okay, there are two acceptable reasons to run a Q-jet: keepin' it stock, and keeping it well-behaved when you're out cruising. But condensers? Points? Ballast resistors? Have y'all lost your minds? HEI distributors are as common as p!ss bottles on an interstate corridor, pick one up!
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I've never owned a carbureted car, nor anything with points, so until the novelty wears off, it's like playing with a museum artifact, but you're not wrong.
I'm definitely going to s-can the front drum brakes without the slightest twinge of remorse, though ;-)
 
guero_gordo said:
I've never owned a carbureted car, nor anything with points, so until the novelty wears off, it's like playing with a museum artifact, but you're not wrong.
I'm definitely going to s-can the front drum brakes without the slightest twinge of remorse, though ;-)
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S-can the rear brakes while you're at it! Some things are just nice left stock, but ignition, fuel, and 4-wheel drums need to be driven down the pier and thrown into the ocean. There's nothing like a classic motor with modern fuel injection. Still has the sound and feel, but idles perfect at all temps and pulls smooth and hard as the mill will allow.

I ought to take some photos of my distributor wrench collection. I've got some dandies after all the years of wrenching. ;)

The main reason GM put the distributors in the back is so that you can retard the timing on your high-compression engine to crank it over, then once it's running, you jump out from the driver's side and yank the timing back up, snug the bolt, slam the hood, and you're off to show that dingbat with the Windsor-head 351 what 428 cubic inches of 11.5:1 compression can do...
 
I had points originally in my 1969 Chevelle, easy enough to set but every 10k? When I replaced the 307 with a rebuilt 327, I moved to a HEI unit from a more recent car.
Now that we bought the ‘36 Chrysler I had to buy a new timing light and tachometer as my old ones had not been touched since 1988 and they both failed after only 40 years! No points in the car as it has a 80s 318.
Pierre
 
When you first posted your '36 with the 318 and one-barrel, all I could think about was how nice that would be with a classy fuel-injected inline 6 in it! It would run calm as a kitten.
 
Me too, future is not set, and I can make my fate. An 4200 L6 would make a great set up. We will see what happens. FI is the way to go for power and driveablity, I was thinking about doing a Holley Sniper with a single plane intake but I stepped back to the Qjet and Performer to save on cost for now. Did have an issue in stop and almost no go traffic in hot temperatures. Started to drop cylinder(s) so got off the superslab that was locked up and soon as we got moving the engine cleaned up. Either the spark box was getting too hot in the engine compartment or the hot air under hood was causing fueling problems as the engine was ingesting the hot air off the rad.
Still checking out the car. Rides well though the suspension travel is definitely small! Only couple inches on the front, the back is more generous.
In any case I am having fun like I did 40 years ago and missed having for a long time!
Pierre
 
pdentrem said:
Me too, future is not set, and I can make my fate. An 4200 L6 would make a great set up. We will see what happens. FI is the way to go for power and driveablity, I was thinking about doing a Holley Sniper with a single plane intake but I stepped back to the Qjet and Performer to save on cost for now. Did have an issue in stop and almost no go traffic in hot temperatures. Started to drop cylinder(s) so got off the superslab that was locked up and soon as we got moving the engine cleaned up. Either the spark box was getting too hot in the engine compartment or the hot air under hood was causing fueling problems as the engine was ingesting the hot air off the rad.
Still checking out the car. Rides well though the suspension travel is definitely small! Only couple inches on the front, the back is more generous.
In any case I am having fun like I did 40 years ago and missed having for a long time!
Pierre
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My Quad had a heat shield and two thick gaskets when I got it, which AFAIK wasn't stock. Presumably there was some percolation at the intake that I doubt I'd enjoy, so I slapped down fresh gaskets, put it back like I found it and sloooowly stepped away like the coward that I am. Not sure how that manifold is bladed, but I'd think your problem was 'letrical or it would have affected cylinders in sets of 4
 
Yes I am using the thick FelPro base gasket which is really what should be the standard way to isolate the carb from the intake manifold to avoid vapor lock. As the engine compartment is small and extremely tight which naturally makes it hot, I have a large 15” electric fan that comes on around 185F to get air moving through the radiator and the compartment. With a 180F thermostat there is still a lot of heat in a small space. I will figure it out but it will not happen again until next summer now.
Pierre
 
and if you put lighter springs on the centrifugal advance so that the motor reaches full advance way before 5000 rpm it will sure make you feel good unless you are in dump truck . the factory made one size fits all almost.
 
pdentrem said:
Now that we bought the ‘36 Chrysler I had to buy a new timing light and tachometer as my old ones had not been touched since 1988 and they both failed after only 40 years! No points in the car as it has a 80s 318.
Pierre
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If you miss the HEI, they do make a drop in HEI unit for small block mopars. Nice to only have one wire for the ignition system.

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