kmack

I'll say hi when I see him at Registration!

EScanlon, I'm not sure what the wattage is(was). I still have the lights, but I'm not using then right now. I do know that from 6" away, you could feel the heat coming off the lights. They were that bright. Could possibly be the reason why my wires all melted into one big glob and why I saw smoke coming from my steering column!:eek: Eventually, I want to put them back in, I think I put in the relays just for safety reasons and it can't hurt with 31 year old wiring.

You can replace them easily enough with a halogen unit. My car at one time had the Hella conversion. Fit is nice and looks great, but unless you take the added current out of the column switch (by using relays), you'll burn it all up. Mine has done it once already.

There are pretty much 2 ways to pull the headlights out. 1- pull the retaining ring off through the headlight extension (from the front of the car). Might be a little difficult since the ring screws may be hard to see (and they are a little small), but it can be done. 2- pull the headlight assembly out through the backside of the fender (out through the wheel-well). There are 4 screws (most likely phillips-head type) that hold the assembly onto the fender. You'll need to clean the area real good before attempting this. The heads of the screws will be clogged with dirt and road-grime. Take your time and don't strip them out. Once you have the assembly out, removing the headlight sealed beam is relatively easy.

Have you checked your fuel filter yet?

I got the complete kit from MSA. $175. They price beat Victoria British, so I got a deal. A lot of people swear by Precision ReplacementParts kit, which sells for over $200. The MSA kit is that exact same thing. Says it right on the parts bags. Only cheaper! Fit of the seals was excellent. And everything glued down nicely. Make sure you get the black weatherstripping adhesive. The yellow shows a mess easier. It's very easy to do and well worth not having to smell exhaust while you enjoy your ride!

I just finished rebuilding my car and have those strut cartridges in mine. But, as I've only really driven the car once so far, it's hard to tell how well things will hold up. So far it rides very nice. Not harsh and not overly soft either. I have used that brand of shocks on 2 Explorers so far and have had no complaints. If you're trying to stay on a budget and only going for a street ride, then go for it.

I assume the speedo gear in the tranny to be the stock original for this car. And it looks like I may have a 3.90 then. I'll jack it up and check this out soon to make sure. Thanks for the help.

Well, since I finally got to drive my car for the first time to work today, I have a question. The PO has told me that at one point they had put a 5-speed in this car. I can't get him to confirm whether or not they replaced the differential or not, though. Which leads to my question. I have the original 4-speed (A-Type) in the car. 215/60/r14 Yokohama S306 series tires. At 75 mph, the rpm's are at 4100. 60 mph is around 3200 rpm, but I can't confirm that reading like I can the 75 mph one. Anybody have a way to figure out what my final gearing is in the differential? Car is a '71 Series I if that helps.

I have this left over from my motorcycle days (which aren't completely gone!). I have what is called a "Battery Tender". It comes with either clips or a hard mount plug adapter that connects to the battery. It charges at a rate of 1-1/2 Amps and will shut off automatically when fully charged. Then if your battery drains a little, it will turn back on and charge until the battery is fully charged again. This unit will set you back about $45-50, but it works great for a car that sits long periods of time without being driven.

I found the guy through a friend of a friend. I'd check out the local Friday night car shows and start asking around. Ask the people who have rebuilt their cars and they will know somebody that could do the work. You might ask a few welding shops if they know of anyone that does work on the side or on the weekends. Check with some of the car shops also.

I found a guy that does welding out of his house. 3 days and $150 later, I had a new passenger floor pan and new firewall/battery box area. The work is not the most professional, but it's stout. All of the welds inside the car are covered, and most of them on the firewall are covered by the battery.