So, without further ado...

Happy note: her overheating problem is definitely fixed. I don't know about cross-country trips, but I took her out for about 20 miles of hard driving, including stop/go traffic, and she didn't even spill a drop into the new overflow container! I'd have gone farther but she's still guzzling gas like there's no tomorrow, and I didn't have my wallet on me at the time (not like I have much money there anyway) so I cut that short. I'm a little worried about how she acts when I floor her though; I thought it was the carb but yesterday when I floored it I heard a clear "clunk" under the car and it seemed more like she had trouble shifting into the lower gear than any problems with the carb. I'm thinking that sometime soon I'm going to need to rebuild the tranny, but right now she's running good other than that and she's not my daily driver (and I don't have ANY money left!) so one thing at a time. I still haven't even seen what her brakes are like, although the tire place guy said the shocks and such looked new.

I'm keeping a close eye on Blugene's progress on a metal Comet grill as I'm thinking mine is a sad little lost cause.

 

*lol* So I finally told my parents what I've done with the car to fix it up and they just stared dumbfounded at me. They're not car buffs aside from that they like looking at nice old cars, and the fact that I changed the radiator, thermostat, thermo housing, and hood myself is amazing to them. They just kept staring at me as if I'd grown horns or something, then said they just couldn't believe that I had done that.

I didn't know whether to be amused, complimented, or insulted. Still, very vindicating. They still won't admit that I might actually know what I got myself into.

 

The 'clunk' sound under the car may be a driveshaft issue.
Pretty common...
Check the universal joints, or 'U-joints'.
Grab the front of your driveshaft and give it a twist and a jiggle.
If the shaft moves separately from the yoke, your front joint would be the culprit.
Then do the rear of the driveshaft.
Both yokes, front and rear, WILL move and jiggle a bit. What you are looking for is looseness between the shaft and yoke, not at the yoke/tranny or rear.
Actually, if you don't find a loose/worn u-joint, you should pay attention if there is excessive play at the yoke/rear end. Could be pinion bearings or just worn out.
I can't tell you what 'excessive' is here though. There will be movement, but excessive is just something you get a feel for.
Good luck
Dave


Btw: If you were to tackle a u-joint job yourself, be sure to ask around online for tips. There is the 'easy way' to do joints, and there is the 'hard way'.
There are 4 nuts that secure the rear joint, DO NOT, EVER, tighten those too much. You will distort the bearing cap and have u-joint failure before long.

 

I'll see what I can to check that out. I haven't even gotten to the underside of the car other than to check for any rust, shocks, etc. The tranny's running okay for now so I'm not too worried, but I'll see what I can see. Right now though I don't even have enough money to buy a carb rebuild kit for her though let alone gas... How does one spell "broke" any more than with my picture? *sigh*

I'm still hoping it's a simple carb issue. When I get money I may have my tranny rebuilt just 'cause, but for now I'm broker 'n a church mouse. Should be an interesting next few months.

 

i'd take it as a compliment. as long as you have your daily driver you can take your time working on this one. good luck.

 

Figured I'd give anyone still interested an update on my car. Not too much since I got the radiator in and solved the overheating problem (mostly, she still gets hot). I really need a gauge setup, but I've also made a decision and purchased (and installed) a Mav hood and grill which looks really good with the 73 Comet front bumper (surprise!). This morning I did my very first Bondo work which turned out good aside from small pittings, now I just need to do the rest of the car. *lol* I also covered the bare metal with primer which I need to buy a sealant for, because as I'm leaving for KS in a week and am going down to SAn Diego this weekend to see my sister I doubt I'll be doing any work on the car for several months. Going back to living in hotels and working odd shifts while training, but I'm looking forward to the day I can get my baby back down here. Who knows, maybe I'll find another one down near Wichita or Tulsa and play with that in the interim.


I'll try to post pics, but my camera's being wonky again so it might be a while. Just FYI.