Toronado work progresses

I'm off!


So it begins. I finally got a hoist and an engine stand, so today I'm making the final preparations to pull the engine out. Disconnecting and clearing electrics, draining the engine, removing the starter, and scratching my head trying to figure out how the hell I'm going to unbolt the torque converter when there's no access cover. Guess they expect me to fit a wrench (and turn it) through the 2" diameter inspection hole.

Beyond that, I'm pretty happy to finally make real progress. Seeing this magnificent car sit in the driveway and rot has been pretty depressing.

Gory automotive dismemberment pictures to follow!



In happier days:


UPDATE: More progress today. Converter's unbolted, so's the forward engine mount. Unfortunately, the guys who were supposed to help me run the hoist today weaseled out, so I have to content myself with what few final preparations I made today.

Four bellhousing bolts and four hood hinge bolts from now I'm going to have this bastard out. The drivetrain won't be supported without the engine in, so I had to rig a cargo strap to hold the transmission, differential, and CV shafts up now that the bottom half is unbolted.

Yet another Darwin Award candidate

Hold my beer and watch this

You'd figure that a vacuum cleaner, with its electric motor and spark potential, would be ruled out by anyone looking to siphon gas out of a car. Tell this idiot in New Mexico. He's lucky to be alive, having been blown out of his garage and into his yard.

Money quote from the article:

"The house was condemned by the city after a team found the roof was lifted off and some walls displaced several inches by the blast, Paiz said."

This isn't the first automotive Darwin Award candidate to come forward this week; a few days ago Conservative Scalawag had a piece up about a genius who, unable to free a lug nut to take off his car's wheel, blasted it with a 00 buck shotgun shell, critically injuring himself in the process. No word on the condition of the car.