So the last 24 months has been tough. Rampant flashes of depression along with job changes and life changes all have attributed to the realization that I can not make a trip to Florida every year for a car that I am not enjoying 51 weeks out of the year.
Something broke. It was me. I broke.
Most people that know me know that I often overinvest in things only to have a life shidt deter me and I give up prematurely and just discount everything in a fire sale. It's a pattern that I have been working on.
With the Hummer being picked up soon and the Lexus being parted down the rest of the way this spring I was prepared to wash my life clean of Challenge projects and start to look for a driver quality classic to take to cruises and then a MB SL vert for Kelly because she has mentioned that she thinks they are cute once too many times.
I didn't have to go far to find my next car. It literally is in the house that Kelly grew up in less than 4 miles from home. Also, although while it's not free, it's very very economical.
My mother in laws mother stopped driving her 1967 Pontiac Catalina in 1978. It's a four door sedan with a 428 and an automatic for those keeping score. The house and car are currently owned by what we will politely call pack rats. The car is buried. Mega buried. So buried I'm clearing out my garage, ant the 40 foot trailer to act as an intermediate processing facility to clear out the crap. Truck loads will come to Club Mofosport then either be scrapped or stored in the trailer. What is stored will be either sold or donated. Most donated. Once the garages are both clear then I remove the car.
Plans for the vehicle are seriously simple. Replace tires, brake system (cylinders, shoes, hoses, master cylinder) shocks, coolant hoses, replace tune up components with HEI distributor and appropriate plugs and wires, empty out fuel system, determine if the tank or carburetor need replaced. If the tank and or carb require replacement then order Holley projection EFI system. I'm not playing around with a poor running setup. I'd rather spend $3k today then lose a minutes enjoyment in the future. Next up is a 250a alternator, 1/0 OFC to two OE style AGM batteries mounted in the rear, one for the engine and the second for the 3100 watt stereo. Rounding things out will be a mandrel bent 2.5" X pipe dual exhaust sticking out beneath the rear bumper looking relatively unobscure.
The idea of the build will to not look at all like a build happened. Simply a survivor that seems to run cleaner and better than it did in 1967. The stereo will be to make sure the kids at the parades know why they call me Mofo.
Sometimes it makes sense to simplify.
In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :
Evolving!
QuasiMofo (John Brown) said:
The stereo will be to make sure the kids at the parades know why they call me Mofo.
Since I was a minor "audiophile" way back in the '70s, I'm not "hip" enough to know any slang from the last 20 years or so... how does Mofo fit in with loud stereos?
NOHOME
MegaDork
3/27/22 7:32 p.m.
In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :
My only comment is that ofter-market EFI by needs must become a hobby into itself. Fine if you go in with your eyes open, sucks if you did not see it coming.
My experience was long and painful and in the end I realized what the problems were; not the vendor so much as the engine it was installed on and the ability of EFI to create red herrings.
Even after sorting it out, the EFI is on the shelf because I can think of no failure mode where the carb is going to leave me on the side of the road with no fix. There are endless ways that the EFI will make you walk home. OEM EFI and aftermarket EFI are not in the same league when it comes to reliability and quality control.
Another vote for keeping it carbed. '67 was the first year for the quadrajet. If properly rebuilt and adjusted, you won't miss EFI at all. Don't forget the rubber fuel lines, and check all the suspension bushings. Other than that...
Check for mice, and evidence of chewed wires. Might save you an underhood or under dash fire....(recently unearthed a vehicle under similar conditions...)
So this is the "anti-build" thread?
I'll third keeping it carb'd. The money and time you'll spend just getting the fuel system 100% solid for efi is likely far more than you'll spend getting the existing fuel system up to spec and throwing on a new carb.
i tried and hated the fitech and am currently running a holley sniper just because I've Invested too much into efi that I'm stubbornly just not going to change.
how I wish I had left it all alone. It ran fine on the carb.
Looking forward to seeing this come to life!
JMFNB, dude. Even if you have to use a potato, give us pictures.
Other than that, I can't wait to see you cruise the thing down to Gainesville so we can talk about silly engine swaps again.
03Panther said:
QuasiMofo (John Brown) said:
The stereo will be to make sure the kids at the parades know why they call me Mofo.
Since I was a minor "audiophile" way back in the '70s, I'm not "hip" enough to know any slang from the last 20 years or so... how does Mofo fit in with loud stereos?
Mofos new Silverado had a pair of Massive Audio Summo XL 10s in it on the day it came home from the dealer. Mofo fits in with loud stereos 
(Summo XL is shown on right next to Skar IX10 on left)
NOHOME said:
In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :
My only comment is that ofter-market EFI by needs must become a hobby into itself. Fine if you go in with your eyes open, sucks if you did not see it coming.
My experience was long and painful and in the end I realized what the problems were; not the vendor so much as the engine it was installed on and the ability of EFI to create red herrings.
Even after sorting it out, the EFI is on the shelf because I can think of no failure mode where the carb is going to leave me on the side of the road with no fix. There are endless ways that the EFI will make you walk home. OEM EFI and aftermarket EFI are not in the same league when it comes to reliability and quality control.
So I've heard a LOT of bad things about every system except for Holley. While it still has teething issues initially all my research says that once you get past about 40 drive hours it becomes seamless. Maybe they are paid review, maybe it's BS but that's what got me to my decision.
If the carb is rebuildable then that is what I will do.
In reply to Uncle David (Forum Supporter) :
Yep, all rubber, filters and the pump would need to be done, and the OE lines flushed and checked.
In reply to Agent98 :
Good call. I plan on that.
In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :
I plan on an entire photo shoot and video "diary" of the process. Mostly for the family to enjoy but really also to explore the world of YallToobz.
And it may be in Utah before it is in Florida, depending on vacations in the next few years.
Good to hear you have found something to relight the flame. Looking forward to the journey.
If the car was last driven in 1978, no worries. Back then gasoline wasn't evil. Yes it will turn to varnish but it's not corrosive like modern fuels. Your Quadrajet will surely be easy to rebuild. A fresh fuel pump at the same time, a foot of fuel hose to replace the rubber piece between the frame and pump. Clean out the gas tank. Fresh gas and start it.
There is no way I could be convinced to run an aftermarket EFI system like that. You hear all the glowing stories, but in reality there are a bunch of frustrated dudes out there hassling with the things and not having a lot of success.
