Went for a ride this weekend

Analog Kid

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I hit a milestone this weekend. After 8 months in the garage I finally took my 1972 Fury III out for a spin.

I bought it last summer in July and since it had been in a barn for the last 10 years the front brakes were seized up. However, what started out as a caliper replacement turned into a brake system overhaul and suspension rebuild. Here's a list of some of the things I've done:

New master cylinder and front brake lines
New calipers, hoses, rotors and pads
New brake cylinders, shoes, springs and adjusters
New ball joints, upper and lower
New tie rods
New bushings - control arms, strut rods and sway bar
New cam bolts
New shocks - front and rear
New wheel bearings
New fuel filter
New battery, tie down and negative cable
New tires
New distributor cap, rotor, spark plugs and wires
New time delay relay (for ignition light)

So yes...it took me awhile to do this. I am sure some people out there could do it in a weekend but I haven't worked on cars since I was in high school and I wasn't all that good at it back then. However I think what led to success here is more about patience than mechanical ability. Obviously there are a lot more resources these days then there was 25 years ago but for novice mechanics like me I think being older and having the patience to study the procedures to do it right is the key here.

So how does it ride? It rides fantastic! Floats down the road....there is a little bit of play in the steering but I still need to get it aligned so that might be the issue there. I got it out on the highway and it shot right up to 60mph...no shifting issues at all. I was worried too since the transmission had been seeping fluid since being in the garage. I think the best thing for the car now is to be driven...just in time for baseball season.

Definitely a weekend to remember.

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Good fir you. Nothing better than driving them.
John
 
Congrats! The transmission seals dry up from sitting so with use, they may leak less.
 
Check the tightness of the pan bolts on the transmission, a lot of time seepage will be from the pan gasket.

Dave
 
Nice not a better feeling, than to getting it rolling down the road again. Great job.
 
There is a satisfaction when you do things yourself. And it is very rewarding to know you brought a neglected car back to usefulness.
 
I have done just about all the things on your list over the last 4-5 years. In the process of rebuilding the front suspension right now. Great feeling to wrench on the cars and get stuff fixed to get it back out on the road. Congrats
 
Excellent job! 1972 Formal coupes aren't a common sight, and it's really nice to see one back on the road again.

Jeff
 
Awesome nice job!
When you get the alignment done make sure you have him adjust the ride height first. The front seems a little low and it could be part of the wandering problem. My 67 Imperial had the same problem when I got it, and after they adjusted the ride height with the torsion bars the rest of the specs were right on. Car handles so much better.
The alignment procedure in the fsm clearly states to adjust the ride height first via the torsion bars, then make the other adjustments.
Some of the younger techs may not know this about our torsion bar cars. If you have the fsm, it may not be a bad idea to take it with you, but sometimes these guys don't like to be told how to do things, so tread lightly.
 
The front seems a little low and it could be part of the wandering problem.

Yes I agree. I had measured the threads of the adjuster bolts before removing them and put them back the same way but it seems much lower than before. I am wondering if the new rear shocks are pushing the rear up higher and therefore lowering the front.

For the ride height the FSM talks about measuring the distance between the lower ball joint and the adjusting blade but is there not a standard spec for clearance height? Something I could use to measure the distance from the ground to a point on the fender?
 
Unless you put in air shocks in the back, there's no way a standard set of shocks can push up the rear.
Some of the old timers used to measure from the top of wheel arch to the ground but I don't remember what it was. Better to follow the fsm.
If I remember correctly, you take a measurement from the lower ball joint to the ground then a measurement from the lower A frame, where the lower bushings are to the ground. The difference between the two is the number given in the fsm. In my case it was like 1.25 " our something like that.
Just read the manual carefully and you'll be fine. Be sure you jounce the car between adjustments like the manual says.
 
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