Thanks for the welcome - apologies for the confusion - I'm current in New Haven CT (although originally Australian, moved here a couple of years ago for work), the car is from MD.

I'll start a thread once this horrible weather stops and I can actually start cutting my knuckles and swearing at it... wishing I was back in Aus right now.

Hi Arete,Welcome to the site. You will find that we have a lot of patience for anything with a Y in it.



I suggest that you move this thread into Street and give it a distinctive name so that it can be found again.

I'm building a 63 1/2 Falcon and I will have a lot of the same issues.

Where are you located in MD?

Doug T

The Highlands, Louisville, Ky.

Hi All

Sorry to gravedig an old thread, but I recently became the owner of this car - the Ebay buyer wanted to back-half it, put in a SBC and race it, but found an early nova he preferred.

It's my first older car after owning old British motorcycles, so I'm getting ready to learn a lot...

To answer some questions:

1) It's definitely not original/dealer installed - I have a old warranty card for it from a Maryland company called "Noble-bilt". It's definitely a bizarre choice - it appears to have been put in by the original owner at some stage. I intend driving it a bit this summer before making any decisions about engine swaps. I have the original purchase receipt for the car, it was a 6 cyl 2 speed merc-o-matic car from CA, before travelling to Cuba with its original owner who was in the military, who then moved to MD where it was until 2009. Then it went to Long Island and had a couple of owners, then to me.

2) I think I've found a solution for the distributor cap. I ordered a set of quick release export braces from here: http://www.mpgheads.com/export_brace.php which should allow the brace to be removed for servicing. At the moment, it would be a PITA to service the distributor.

3) It is still 4 lug all around. I picked up an 8.8 explorer rear end with 3.73 trac lock gears and disc brakes for $250, I'm hoping to have it narrowed to fit. I'm currently talking to the folks at opentrackerracing.com about the front 5 lug, disc and '65 steering conversion. It's going to be expensive - a newbie mistake, should have got a 5 lug car off the bat without molested shock towers.

That car was done on the cheap, it has the little 6's rear axle and so it probably has the 4 bolt wheels. No mention of brakes so they are probably stock too. The braces are welded in so the dist better have an electronic conversion so the points never need attention. The Merc valve covers need re chroming. There is a jumper wire in one picture. It is odd that they cut the spring towers because the stock ex manifolds will fit at least with the top crossover pipe.

It seems to be a pretty clean car but I wonder what the guy was thinking when he built it, it is so much easier to slip in a 289/302.

Doug T

The Highlands, Louisville, Ky.

Will that distributor even come out of there like that motor sits? Are those braces even removable? They look welded in there.

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Interesting swap, but I bet it's a bitch getting to the distributor with those braces in place.

Marc

'54 Merc ragtop

Pt Townsend, WA   

                                                                                                                                   

FWIW<,,The 292 was the base motor in trucks up to F700 size up to '64,,,I drove one hauling mail back then.

Its a bit sad that the owner has done over everthing except the engine bay. That Y-Block should really shine. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

I like it!

   God Bless.   Tim                           http://yblockguy.com/

350ci Y-Block FED "Elwood", 301ci Y-Block Unibody LSR "Jake", 312ci Y-Block '58 F-100, 338ci Y-Block powered Model A Tudor

tim@yblockguy.com  Visalia, California    Just west of the Sequoias

And supporting what Wayne has noted, decoding the “U” within the VIN indicates that this Comet originally came equipped with a 170 cubic inch six cylinder.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)