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Nov/Dec 2008 - Got a battery, finished hooking everying up, did some wiring and the Engine fired on the first try!!!

Bought an Optima battery because I wasn't sure just where I was going to mount it. This shows my first try behind the drivers seat. It was beautiful (except a seat and my belly and the steering wheel wouldn't all fit. The battery lost (although I'm trying to diet!)


Somewhere along the path I found that mounting the carbs front to back had no dependable linkage available. A friend once to me that before you do anything
  • 1. You have to stop it - every time (and you can't stop it if the brakes fail or the engine is revving at 4500 rpm)
  • 2. You have to steer it no matter what....
  • 3. All the rest is just image.

so, I bought the adapters and linkage to side mount the carbs so it had a dependable linkage that "came back down after it went up". Somewhere in the picts you will see the switch, although I didn't make a "photographic" big-deal over the exercise.


I eventually moved the battery under the frame (under drivers seat). I made L brackets like for the gas tank and fabricated a shroud of 3/16" sheet metal to enclose the two sides and back of the battery. I used the original battery tray and hold-down with the trays legs removed.

I ran the pos. cable through a square tube (which wasn't mounted when I took the pic.) By the way, you can see the tranny x-member mod a little better in this pic. and the next. I also took the time to make a drive shaft safety ring, since the gas tank is on one side and the battery on the other (that makes for a great combination for the 4th of July!).


Oh yeah, also did the drive shaft. It was from an '89 Grand Marquis and fit just right. Only had to get the odd-ball universals from Denny's Driveshaft.

Her's a shot showing the whole mess from the back... (Note: Paint it pretty before you install it, so you can nick it up putting it back in, then pull it again, and nick it up again, finally,
JUST PAINT IT INSTALLED!!!


I put gas in the tank - had no puddles on the floor (through the fill spout on the cab, no less)
cranked the engine to prime the fuel pump and filter - fixed the puddles.....
dribbled some gas into the carbs - hooked up the coil - turned the key - IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY!


Dual point distributor, untimed, untested - boy was I lucky!