Almost Ready

[Mike-Casella]

It's getting closer every day. Should be off to the paint shop this weekend, then home. Engine should be home next week sometime also.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/3938489/245101585.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/3938489/245101595.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/3938489/245101620.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/3938489/245101613.jpg

[Ronnie Russell]

Looking great Mike......... :clap :clap Keep us posted. :)

[bubbletop1961]

That is one sweet lookin ride.

[bignbad60]

Beautiful winged beast, love to see that ride in person someday...:cheers

Tim

[Tic's60]

Looking great!!! Can't wait to see it in action again!!!

[Mike-Casella]

Thanks Guys. It might possibly be another few days at the chassis shop, but not much longer than that.

I can't wait to get it home and start assembling everything.

Mike, there might be a few more fiberglass pieces to add to the pile, things I couldn't use.

I was puttering around in the garage last night and came across a pair of hood hinges also, complete with springs. The springs may have been replaces with lighter ones, but I can't be sure and I don't know how to tell.

Here is a picture of where I like to be during the summertime.

[Tic's60]

[QUOTE=Mike, there might be a few more fiberglass pieces to add to the pile, things I couldn't use.
[/QUOTE]

:bow My 60 and I thank you very very much for all of the help!!!! Your on my storey board for the shows as well:D

thanks

Mike

[Mike-Casella]

The power is finally home where it belongs.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/247873353.jpg

[Tic's60]

HOLY ****! :eek:

Bet I know what you'll be doing this week :D

Both of us have been busy so no worries on the shipping info when you get time just send it over should be lighting the fire this weekend as well.

Post a sound clip of that bad boy!!

[Mike-Casella]

If I know me, I'll have a video clip to go along with the sound clip. I could post last years firing up clip just to get me in the mood, not that I really need any inspiration.

I'm trying to find someone that may be traveling in that direction with a TT that might have some extra room.

[jim_ss409]

:bow WOW! That's a serious looking engine!!!:beerbang
I'll bet your neighbors will love you when you fire that puppy up.:D

[No409]

Hey Mike,

did you get that car about 3-5 yrs ago? i remember a guy at the tweeter center swapmeet, looking at my turbo regal, and wanted to do a partial tradeon a yellow 60 9 or 10 sec street car. its got to be the same one

then it was probally later on that year on next season, i saw that car at NED and you guys puked a motor.

if its the same car, its one BAD ride!

once my 63 409 car is done, well half to hook up at ned ! i race with CMDR

once again, BAD car!

[rstreet]

I don't know how to describe what I have read and seen on these posts tonight. From Phil's corvette pictures and then his head valve job pictures to this incredible piece of work in Mike"s car. Hell, the"good,bad and the ugly" doesn't even apply here!! Nice motor. I hope to see it run somewhere but I will have to rely on Dick to give me racing schedules.
Robert

[Mike-Casella]

Yes Tom, this is that very same car. When you saw it, there was a 406 SBC in there with a bunch of spray. I managed to explode that into a mess of pieces when a rod let go in the lights. I got it down to 9.63 before the booboo. I think I even have a video of that episode too.

I spend most of my time at NED running in the Outlaw 10.5 class with the Quick Street guys. It would be great to run into someone from this board up there, and I'm sure it will happen this season sometime.

[Mike-Casella]

This is the clip of the small block ending it's life. The comment my son makes at the end of the clip was priceless.

Click HERE (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/Engine%20pop.wmv)

[Dick MacKenzie]

This is the clip of the small block ending it's life. The comment my son makes at the end of the clip was priceless.

Click HERE (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/Engine%20pop.wmv)

I know just how he feels Mike :doh and those two words sum up the situation pretty well!:bang

[Mike-Casella]

Here's a couple more clips for your viewing pleasure.


This was the best we got out of it last season

Click HERE (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/09-16-06-Run-3-Final.wmv)


The 707 takes a dump in the lights.

Click HERE (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/10-21-06%20Clips/10-21-06-Run-2-Final.wmv)

[No409]

YEP!

i was there that day, at a CMDR race with my old Turbo regal. i came over and tlaked to you guys in the trailer. you were pitted right by tech, where i usually pit.

you guys were bummed, and i cant blame ya

like i said, awesome car!( almost makes me want to wish i bought it!)

im sure ill see you up there or LVD this year( dont know what ill be racin, but im sure i can find you guys!)

if you guys need a a hand or anything like that,with the car, let me know, im not to far away!

Tom

[Mike-Casella]

Tom I might take you up on that offer. We may be short a crew member this season, I won't know for sure till things get rolling. The guy I bought the car from is one of my crew members also, so you might recognize him.

Funny story with our crew last season, everyone's name was Mike, and there was 4 of us.

[No409]

i would probally recognize him. i had my 87 TR at tweeter center for sale, and i think we had a white 63 SS ragtop forsale also. Ill half to look, but i think i still got his #, and i do recall the name Mike. he was looking for 18-20K back then if i remember correctly. i just didnt have the $$$.

let me know if you guys need help, im a ASE master tech, and live for wrenching on cars!

[models916]

What else can you say?

[Mike-Casella]

Took a giant step forward today as the car was delivered to the house. Now it's time to get this thing put together so we can make some real noise!!

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/251066381.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/251066404.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/251066398.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/251066393.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/251066959.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/10061902/251066967.jpg

[Tic's60]

DAMMMM !! That looks beautiful!! :D Can't wait to hear it roar !!

[Mike-Casella]

I filled up the trunk area tonight, with the exception of the battery.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/251308152.jpg

[Mike-Casella]

It took me 90 minutes but the results were very rewarding, and as promised, the engine now resides where it should.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/251710024.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/251710029.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/251710035.jpg

[Ronnie Russell]

Beautiful Mike, absolutely beautiful. 90 minutes??? About the same amount of time it takes me to change a tire...:rofl Looking forward to seeing that car run.

[fatride]

That is absolutely beautiful, and quite frankly beyond me! :scratch I would love to be standing front and center on the maiden voyage down the 1320’ :brow

[Mike-Casella]

Thanks all. Ummm a better place to stand would be behind and center. :D

The way things are progressing, it may get fired up next weekend, or before.

Tom, my chassis guy picked up that molding from Ronnie's, so the front end will be complete. Thanks again.

COOL!! Check out my post total!

[rstreet]

speechless here:clap

[tripower]

Mike, Your car looks great. I really like how you utilized the truck space...:rofl :rofl :rofl Would love to hear it run...:brow Good job...:clap :clap :clap

[Mike-Casella]

Let me look around this computer and see if I can find last year's fire-up video.

[Mike-Casella]

A pictoral progress report from this past weekend.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/254192351.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/254192357.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/254192361.jpg

[Tic's60]

BEAUTIFUL WORK Mike!!! Seen some of your machine work on your forum...all I can say is WOW!!! :eek:
I was reading how you heat the oil and water up for the start up. Why do you do that? Never heard of that.

[Mike-Casella]

Thanks, it's fun work but someone has to do it, and it might as well be me.

Starting one of these big inch engines when they are cold is very hard on the valve springs among other things. Aluminum likes to be warm, and with the water heater and oil heater it makes things so much easier. One other big advantage is by heating up the block that way, it cuts down on burns from the headers when the plugs are changed.

[Mike-Casella]

I finally got the engine fired up yesterday. I only ran it for a very short time, but it does run, and it sure felt good to hear it once again.

Click HERE (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/Start.wmv)

[61belairbubbletop]

That, just has to be a blast to drive !
Sounds good !

[Tic's60]

DAM!! :eek: That sounds like love to me :D

[jim_ss409]

Sounds good Mike.:beerbang

[Mike-Casella]

I worked on the car last night till the wee hours of the early evening to get the car to this point. About another 3 hours worth of work, and it'll be done, so to speak.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/256189917.jpg

[cheap1]

Mike, what you have here is a work of art. :bow Do you plan on coming to the Indy area for any events? I have got to see it in person.

[Mike-Casella]

We are going as far as Eddyville, Iowa in July. All the rest of our dates are up this way in the Northeast.

[Phil Reed]

What weekend in July???????????

[Mike-Casella]

We will be at Eddyville Raceway Park on the weekend of July 13 + 14. Anyone from here going?

[Tic's60]

We will be at Eddyville Raceway Park on the weekend of July 13 + 14. Anyone from here going?

And if anyones heading over there from the West cost that could haul a few parts back please let me know.
thanks
Mike

[Phil Reed]

Eddyville is not that far from KC!! Looked it up on the map. Said Eddyville's population was 1010!!!! That seems small??? What kind of race track do they have to get you to drive that far to race????

We should be home that weekend....might ride up to see the action. Too bad Norwalk isn't the following weekend so you could make that too!!

[Mike-Casella]

It is the Second Annual Draglist.com Nationals. A group of people from one of the forums got together and put this on last year. We went, won, and now we are returning to keep the winner status alive. Plus I was challanged by a guy in a Mustang and another guy with a Malibu. Actually it was me calling out the Mustang, and then the Malibu gets the winner, so in the end it will be me. It would be great to meet up with someone from here. I may be down on crew members if you are interested, and are looking for a good reason to go.

[dq409]

I may be down on crew members if you are interested, and are looking for a good reason to go.

hey hey !!! pay my air fare,,, i`ll be there !!!:brow


Give em hell !! Whip that Muskrat !!!

[Mike-Casella]

Let me think about this for a second..... no. :D

[dq409]

Let me think about this for a second..... no. :D

:rofl :rofl No second guessing there !!!:doh :rofl

[Mike-Casella]

We made it back from the race track after a very successful day. We had two very soft tune-ups in there, just so we could get the car down the track. After a total of three passes, nothing broke, and now it's time to step things up a bit.

Here are some still pictures, followed by the video clips.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/257126235.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/257126241.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/257126246.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/257126243.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682436/16386164/257126347.jpg


Click HERE for Video (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/June%202%2C%202007%20Clips/Run-1-06-02-07.wmv)

Click HERE for Video (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/June%202%2C%202007%20Clips/Run-2-06-02-07.wmv)

Click HERE for Video (http://1960belair.8m.com/Videos/June%202%2C%202007%20Clips/Run-3-06-02-07.wmv)