Drove it around the neighborhood and town yesterday. So much fun!

Unfortunately, a week after the above picture, the engine started losing power. I ripped the valley tray off only to be greeted with some wiped cam lobes and ground up lifters.

After pulling the engine apart, I was relieved to find the crank was fine and all the bearings were perfect. Whew!

The block has been thoroughly cleaned and cylinders rehoned. I reinstalled the crank with new bearings last night.

I made the decision to go with a hydraulic roller cam after reading about others having the same problem with the current crop of flat tappet cams. Parts started to arrive last week and I was really impressed with the way Howards package the roller lifters.

Hope your engine works well with no problems anymore. I know how much work it all is. Nice job.

Thoroughly cleaned out the engine and started from the bare block. It did give me a chance to inspect the internals and all the bearings looked great despite the cam and lifter material going through it.

New bearings, new cam and lifters, new distributor drive gear and fuel pump pushrod. I also put in some cometic head gaskets to drop the CR about half a point down to 10.5:1. It's 98% there but just need to button up a few things. No pics to post because it looks exactly the same externally. I should be able to fire it this weekend since it's supposed to warm up some.

WHOOOOO!

It is back together and is a MONSTER!

I went with a Howards .545 lift 287/293 duration hydraulic roller cam.

It idles at 850 rpm and pulls like a train in 3rd gear!

Absolutely perfect for a pump gas street car with 3.55 gears and a 2800 stall convertor.

I went over to a friend's house that has a Go-Pro...

https://youtu.be/FcKEEDBRwno

I plan on some better and bigger tires for the rear so upgrading to Dana 60. Cut the full floater ends off today and started cleaning it up...

What up Mark!? And yes this car is a ton of fun to ride in!

All is fun and games until you lose a Go-Pro!

We got lucky! That's all I can say. It probably would have fell off in the 3rd gear pull going 100+ I'm sure

I've had problems with getting ANY traction with the street radials so I bought some Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pro's last week. I still can't get it to hook in 1st on the street but anything over 30 mph I can usually stick it and it slams you in the butt and goes!

Much better at putting the power to the ground overall and I'm sure on a well prepped track it will hook.

Installed a driveshaft safety hoop and a few interior bits.

I played with the Speedview App today and, even with limited traction in 1st gear and cold pavement, it managed a 12.0 e.t.

I'm sure once the track opens I can shave quite a bit off that..

I took it to the track today for our first test and tune.

It ran 11.75 @ 117 bouncing off the Rev limiter in 1st and 2nd.

Left off idle for this pass but tried a little higher launch. It blew the tires off and slowed to a 12.04. Tire pressure was as I drove it to the track at 20 psi. Will drop that next time to 14.

Pump gas, through the mufflers on street tires!

Pretty happy for 2800 stall and 3.55 street gears!

I'm prepping it for Mo-Kan this weekend.

I took out the Monroe front shocks and replaced them with some Competition Engineering shocks set at 90/10. I also removed the upper control arm bumpers to try and get more movement to out of the front at launch. I'm determined to get a better 60ft vs. The 1.78 last time!

I also installed the Moroso underdrive lower pulley.

I played with it Friday night and couldn't get it to hook very well. Saturday, we woke up to cold weather (37°). We all piled in the car and drove it to breakfast a few miles down the road in Asbury. It fired right up and stayed running with no fuss!

Later in the day it warmed up and I ran the best to date: 11.30 @ 119 mph!

1.60 60 ft.

Timeslip from this weekend:

It's the little things...

I managed to get a pair of NOS outside door locks and new ignition tumbler from a Moparts member. New keys and everything works perfectly!

A fellow club member scored me the plastic panel that goes under the steering wheel. Mine was broken and had holes for switches.

Two minor upgrades but I keep picking away at the small stuff!

Again, picking away at small things. I found a 4 door parts car with a better back glass (mine has some scratches and pitting from years ago) and the trim screws and clips I needed for the inner window trim.

The car has been bone dry underneath since the rebuild but had a small puddle of Brad Penn under the engine last night. I'm really anal about sealing the motor up when I'm assembling, so I was really ticked!

It turns out it was the O-ring on the back of the oil pump pressure spring plug. 5 minute fix!

I'm anxious to get it back to the track but the lovely Kansas wind and rain have been keeping me away!

New best mph tonight. 11.38 @ 121.29

Track just wasn't there with all the street cars on street tires.

Very happy with the gains I keep making, though!