Okay; Who Pinched The Engine From My Criterion?

Dan - If I lived in Apple Valley I'd stop by once a day to see the progress in person. Have you ever visited the shop?
 
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Dan - I f I lived there I'd stop by once a day to see the progress in person. Have you ever visited the shop?
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Stopped once but no one was there. I'll look in my stuff and I might have that head bolt needed . I'll take it over and check it out.:drive2:
 
Daniel Scully said:
Stopped once but no one was there. I'll look in my stuff and I might have that head bolt needed . I'll take it over and check it out.:drive2:
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Thanks Dan. When you visit the shop ask for Marty. The bolt head with the threaded stud was someting he had never seen before. I guess they do not get many engines from ambulances. The head bolt can be seen in the photo. It is the one in the foreground, near the front of the engine.
 

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Engine assembled less the carb and exhaust manifolds.
 

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I made a visit to Antique Auto Restoration last Saturday, and was able to see the progress made over the last three weeks. The TH-400 transmission has been rebuilt and is ready to be joined with the rebuilt engine. The engine was put on a freight truck last Friday, and should reach the restoration shop no later than this Wednesday. The frame section forward of the firewall was taken down to bare metal, then primed and painted. The exhaust system has been removed, and a new one is being built to include larger diameter pipe with a new muffler and resinator. With a little luck, the Criterion will be back on the road before Christmas.
 

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In addition to the engine, transmission, and carb rebuilds, the master cylinder and brake booster were shipped out today to be refurbished. The master is being rebuilt by Sierra Specialty Automotive in Quincy, CA www.brakecylinder.com, the vacuum unit will be done by Booster Dewey in Portland, OR www.boosterdeweyexchange.com. Both firms are listed on our recomended vendors list.
 
Here are a couple more photos from last weekend.
 

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what color is the cowl under the brake booster? it looks like a black patch. if I remember right this cars cowl was spray can black over the dark red. if there is a black patch under the booster that was the color it was when MM assembled the car.
 
I stopped by the restoration shop yesterday to see the finished work since my last visit. The engine has been painted, along with the drive shafts and related bits. The brake booster is finished and has been re-plated. A few of the shop crew are on vacation this month, so work on my car will be slowed down for a few weeks. I was very impressed with how well the finish on the engine turned out.
 

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Here are a few more photos.
 

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I visited the restoration shop today and took a look at the rebuilt carburetor and distributor. The work on the carb was outstanding.
 

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Wow, what a shop! Your car has some heady company during its rehab. session! It's very nice that these folks seem to understand how to improve the 500 "smog engine" (as I've heard a few mechanics over the years call it) I got a bit info. overloaded after the #10 cam description, but also was thinking that it's too bad "Criterion" has too many syllables to substitute into the lyrics for "Hot Rod Lincoln" :D Hmmm, maybe "Hot Rod Hightop"? The 65k 500cid in my M-M combo is smooth and has ok power, but is nothing like my 472s! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts after getting on the road with your updated drivetrain. Thanks for sharing this story with us, Robert.
 
John Burchfield said:
Wow, what a shop! Your car has some heady company during its rehab. session! It's very nice that these folks seem to understand how to improve the 500 "smog engine" (as I've heard a few mechanics over the years call it) I got a bit info. overloaded after the #10 cam description, but also was thinking that it's too bad "Criterion" has too many syllables to substitute into the lyrics for "Hot Rod Lincoln" :D Hmmm, maybe "Hot Rod Hightop"? The 65k 500cid in my M-M combo is smooth and has ok power, but is nothing like my 472s! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts after getting on the road with your updated drivetrain. Thanks for sharing this story with us, Robert.
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Thanks for your thoughtful comments John. The "smog engine" has been reconfigured to non smog status. It will however have the outward appearence of being stock but for these two little exceptions......
 

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OMG!! how many passenger car based ambulances have headers! Too cool Robert! Alright, another song popped into mind-you should make a video of your "new" baby driving around with the Peter Gunn theme from "The Blues Brothers" (or "Peter Gunn" which I didn't realize was another movie) followed by "Hot Rod Hightop" ! :cool:


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcflCzZlLcQ&feature=related[/ame]
 
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Here are a couple of other projects in the shop. The VW bus is a very rare early model with barn doors on both sides.
 

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John Burchfield said:
OMG!! how many passenger car based ambulances have headers! Too cool Robert! Alright, another song popped into mind-you should make a video of your "new" baby driving around with the Peter Gunn theme from "The Blues Brothers" (or "Peter Gunn" which I didn't realize was another movie) followed by "Hot Rod Hightop" ! :cool:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcflCzZlLcQ&feature=related
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I'll pick up at least 20hp with the headers, taking the engine to 400 ponies. With all the new low end torque, I'll have to be careful when coming off the line least I twist off the drive shafts. The headers are being coated inside and out with heat blocking ceramic coating in cast iron gray color http://capsbhc.com/smples1.htm. This will also hold true for the "Y" pipe.

http://www.sandersonheaders.com/Sanderson-CAD500-Header-Set-for-Cadillac-472-500-Engines.html
 

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John Burchfield said:
OMG!! how many passenger car based ambulances have headers! Too cool Robert! Alright, another song popped into mind-you should make a video of your "new" baby driving around with the Peter Gunn theme from "The Blues Brothers" (or "Peter Gunn" which I didn't realize was another movie) followed by "Hot Rod Hightop" ! :cool:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcflCzZlLcQ&feature=related
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Peter Gunn was a TV series that ran from 1958 to 1961, I watched it with my dad when I was just a little kid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gunn
 
Peter Gunn - Opening scene with a Chrysler limo.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqd7kXrzpdM&feature=related[/ame]
 
Smog Equipment

Thanks for your thoughtful comments John. The "smog engine" has been reconfigured to non smog status. It will however have the outward appearence of being stock but for these two little exceptions......
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Robert , If you have not saved all the original emission equipment exhaust manifolds etc ,I would put it all in a box no matter how small it is. The current emission law says that only models previous to the 76 model year are inspected (who writes sh&t like this? Friggin politicians! ) Why not just say 75 and down require no testing. With Ca looking for a nickel under any rock ,they could change the law back to the way it was before and go back as far as 1953 with all the so called emission cures to add to the the old engines. A lot of peoples interpretation of the law is that no testing means you can do what you want when in truth all legal add on or changes will have a EO (Exctive Order # issued to it from Carb(California Air Resource Board) In the real world there are no cops looking under hoods of old cars only the ones that go in for biannual testing.But when the politicians see dollar signs let the public beware.:my2cents:
 
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