[bigdog7373]

Originally Posted by Dave57210

So today I popped the head off that pesky li'l 3 cylinder Isuzu. Lo & behold!

Valves look to be perfect (but I'll do a valve job while I have the head off)

Piston in # 3 is broken - major cracks across the crown and it looks like a couple of little bits are AWOL.

All cylinders are 100% perfect - even still have crosshatch hone marks in areas where the rings rub on them, no ridges at top - all in all, (other than one busted slug) its in perfect condition!

Now to spend a few entire days on line trying to find new piston (with rings, etc) for an Isuzu 3KC1 (also known as a QT23 - and no - I have NO idea why the same engine has two different designations!)

Then source a head gasket etc for it and we'll be in business! (shouldn't take more than a month!)

I'll be getting the injectors back tomorrow, but I'll just store them until I get the valve job done and the head ready to go back on before installing them

If you can't find pistons you can send one to wiseco and they will duplicate it.

[496CHEVY3100]

Well ive been doing one of my least favorite things,Cleaning out a spray gun with dried paint. yesterday i put the second coat of epoxy primer on hood and fenders,as i completed a younger man drove up and wanted a 47 Pontiac Silverstreak i have,he wants to make a rat rod ,and wanted to make payments on it ,I thought for a rew minutes and told him he could have it for free if he would fix it instead of selling it .He said he would have to ask his wife if he could have it..so i dont know if he will get it or not, so i went down to shop to spray final coat today Guess where my gun was ,not cleaned ,But i guess it will all work out if if iy was intended to be.

[John long]

Spent my afternoon working on the roadster doors They have been easier to mud than I thought they might. I think I can have them ready for primer in another couple of hours. The pictures below are to prove to Brian I really have done something.

John L

[496CHEVY3100]

That is not fenders LOL

[John long]

Originally Posted by 496CHEVY3100

That is not fenders LOL

LOL. I guess I am going to have drive all the way over to Mickey's house and take some pictures just to prove I really did do those things.

John L

[MARTINSR]

Ok John, I believe you.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Well, talk about boring, I went out there, fixed a few turn signal and dash light stuff , changed the flasher on the Gran Sport. Diagnosed my park lamp problem, need to change the right front park lamp, thank goodness I have spares.

Then cleaned up my idler arm for the Rambler to get that finished up.

Brian

[496CHEVY3100]

good that you posted pictures ,for John.lol

[1971BB427]

Spent the morning cleaning up after finishing a huge bathroom remodel that lasted the whole month of February! Then I spent the afternoon repairing some trim on the Austin's interior that was coming loose. Not sure why, but I used 3M77 to glue naugahyde over some trim pieces and for some reason it didn't hold well. Had to pull it off and reglue it all. Have to start a deep cleaning on it tomorrow after a year's worth of driving last year, so it will be ready for the Roadster Show in two weeks.

[John long]

Finished mudding my doors. Got one blocked with 320. Ready to start blocking the other one.

BTW. Sold the Camino. might be time for a new project down the road.

John L

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by John long

Finished mudding my doors. Got one blocked with 320. Ready to start blocking the other one.

BTW. Sold the Camino. might be time for a new project down the road.

John L

We are so sick, too many projects are the norm for us. ROCK ON John!

Brian

[Dave57210]

Originally Posted by bigdog7373

If you can't find pistons you can send one to wiseco and they will duplicate it.

I caught a lucky break! The National Isuzu distributor is right here in town (other side of the city, but within a 2 hour drive in city traffic - about half hour when NOT rush hour) and they have all the bits 'n' pieces I need!

My shopping list: Piston, wrist pin, rings and rod bearings, plus head gasket & pan gasket.

The old piston came out in a bunch of pieces all held together by the rings!

Piston has to be oven-heated to get a wrist pin into it, so the Isuzu place will install it to my current connecting rod, and put the rings on for me. Then I just have to reinstall, with bearings.

Crank looks & feels good, so I'm just gonna give it bit of a polish and see if I can get this lil puppy all back together.

Should have the new piston assembly back by Monday!

[496CHEVY3100]

John ,what would be your 1st choice for new project if you were to build another,??,just came in house doing the same thing .blocked out with 400,i think i might go wiyj single stage on this one sinde it it white,

[John long]

Originally Posted by 496CHEVY3100

John ,what would be your 1st choice for new project if you were to build another,??,just came in house doing the same thing .blocked out with 400,i think i might go wiyj single stage on this one sinde it it white,

Interesting you should ask. I love the Roadster but the one thing it is not is a highway car. With the 5 speed it will cruise at 70 all day long but the noise and lack of heat and air makes it a real fair weather mile car.

I have always had good practical cruisers that I could climb in and take on vacation to Daytona if that is what I wanted to do. With that said, I would like to build another mild 50’s custom:

49-51 Ford convertible
49-56 Mercury convertible or hardtop (54 would be perfect)
54 Chevy hardtop or convertible

Of course I would like to find a car in the 2500 dollar range.

Since I like to do the metal work I don't mind a car with some rust but will try to find a complete car that has trim and dash with it. Trying to find a car piece at a time will kill you now days.

John Long

[MARTINSR]

Dig the customs and those are some good choices.

Tonight, boring, I know, nothing fabricated nothing created, but I am getting down to the wire with the Gran Sport to start driving it, and the Goodguys is right around the corner!

I got out there and fixed the front park lamp, and the horn, done deal. This weekend I am going to get the gauges back in, I just can't drive it without gauges darn those idiot lights.

I need to get over to my buddies house and see if I can get the transfer seat underway for my buddy to ride in it.

Brian