Purchase of G-Tech Equivalent (Passport GT1)

I checked eBay after work today and found a G-Tech unit for $40. I'd always heard of G-Tech but did not know much about its accuracy. After a few internet searches, I found out there are a number of performance meters like the G-Tech. As I read about then, I learned about the Passport GT1. The GT1 was new, cost only $28 ($9 shipping), and has more features than the G-Tech.

GT1 Features:
0-60 and 60-0 time
horsepower (avg and peak)
1/4 mile time and speed
1/8 mile time and speed
0-10/20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90
G force - acceleration, deceleration, right, and left

G-Tech Features:
0-60 time
60-0 feet
1/4 mile time and speed
horsepower
initial and constant G

I wish the GT1 had a 60-0 feet measurement but otherwise it beats the G-Tech. The GT1 also looks nicer and is made only 6 years ago compared to the G-Tech which was made 12 years ago. I've not seen a new G-Tech but this is a new GT1 still in the package.

For those who are not familiar, the GT1 is pictured below:

My Father's Day & Promotion Present

When I was recently promoted at work, I received a salary increase. I've been working hard and decided I wanted to spend a little of my new salary on a small gift for myself.

I regularly think of ways to increase the performance of the Mustang. While it is a classic muscle car, it does not really feel like much of one. My first thought was a cam, then I considered a new gear ratio and trac-lok unit, and then finally settled on a new carburetor.

I found it difficult to decided to buy a performance part for the car. While I want better performance, I'm a bit of a penny pincher and have so many other things I could spend my money on repairing. However, it fits the bill for the gift as it is something I want and would not normally buy for myself.

I told Kimberly about my plans and she stated she would pitch in on the part. We would consider her portion as part of my Father's Day present. With the additional funds, I decided to get a Holley Street Avenger 570CFM. This carburetor should be good for the current setup but flow enough for most modifications I would consider making to the Mustang.

My wife placed the order for the carburetor and all the parts to install it today. I hope to find a G-Tech unit on eBay before time to install the carb. I'd like to track the improvement for the swap with such a unit.

I already have a stock Ford intake from a '67 Mustang. It is even of the proper date code for my Mustang. It does not flow as well as a new intake but I'm going to use it as I already have it. It will also keep the engine looking stock.

Another NPD Order

I placed an order today for parts from NPD.

The primary parts I needed were a couple of gaskets for the rear axle. I put together a short list of parts in order to justify the shipping charge. A portion of the order were parts to rebuild the rear brake system (drums, shoes, and all the hardware). I also purchased Kylron paint for engine touch ups and fender nuts as I'm missing the one for the passenger side fender.

I'm told the order should arrive next Wednesday.

Installation of New Rear Axle Bearings

I called a couple of local parts places yesterday in search of a rear wheel bearings. NAPA had the rear bearings in stock for $15 each. They also stocked the rear seals for $10 each but only had one in stock. I purchased what they had yesterday at lunch and they ordered another seal for me.

I checked two places for pricing on having the new bearings pressed on to my axles. The standard price was $75. After picking up the bearings yesterday at lunch, I went to a place only a few yards from the NAPA and dropped the axles and bearings off. I picked them up today at lunch time.

Once I got them home, I remembered I needed gaskets for each axle. I called the local parts places again but no one caries these items. NPD has them for $2 but I have to pay $8 for shipping which is a little wasteful. I'll probably piece together and NPD order and get the gaskets from them.

Installed New Water Pump

I purchased a water pump yesterday from NAPA. This afternoon, I removed the bad water pump and reinstalled the new one. The two looked identical to one another. They each had some codes in the casting but neither appeared to be original.

The job was not very difficult but took a little while to complete. I had to remove the fan, spacer, water pump pulley, alternator, and all the hoses. I had just enough Kylon blue to paint the new pump with a coat before installing. After I installed the pump and bolted it down, I painted it with another coat to cover the bolt heads also.

I'm disappointed this happened so soon after completing the engine compartment. It took some paint off a few parts and the harmonic balancer. I took care of everything but got a little blue overspray on the fuel line. I wiped it off with some brake cleaner knowing it might take off some of the paint I used on the fuel line. Although it took a little too much paint off the fuel line, I think it still looks ok. There is also a spot on the harmonica balancer which needs a little touch up paint (see final product below).

This morning I went to the 18th Hot Rod Run at Central Park. There were many more muscle cars there this year than in previous years. There were more Camaros and Chevelles than Mustangs but it was still a good show. My engine compartment looks better than most. Once I get the car done, I might go some day.

Removed the Rear Axles

Since I'm unable to drive the Mustang due to the water pump, I decided I would go ahead and remove the rear axles to replace the wheel bearings. The passenger side wheel bearing has been squeaking for a little while. It is easy to ignore as I can hardly hear it unless the passenger window is down and I'm either driving slow or by a concrete barrier wall.

The axles did not take long to remove. I removed the passenger side one last night and the driver side tonight. It is very obvious the passenger side bearing is bad. I can spin it almost completely around and the axle would wiggle up and down slightly in the housing. The driver side is in much better condition but I plan to replace both.

What Next?

Since I finished the garage, I started to become interested in starting another project on the Mustang. Strangely enough, the water pump then decides to stop working. While this is an obvious starting point, I thought I would take a moment to evaluate my restoration plan.

The next area for restoration was going to be the toe boards, floorpans, and transmission. The only problem with this plan is that it requires that I know how to weld. I now have a welder but did not sign up for the class I wanted to take this Summer. I was recently promoted and can no longer fit it into my schedule. Unfortunately, I believe the course is only offered in June of each year.

It seems like any project of significance now requires welding to be done completely and properly. I could try to teach myself to weld but I'm afraid I would not be able to weld to my satisfaction to work on the car. No harm in trying but I guess I should start with the few remaining small items I have left to address. Those include:
- Water Pump
- Rear Wheel Bearings
- Wheel Alignment
- Paint Shock Tower Caps
- Fix Brake Leak
- Missing Fender Bolt

These are needed repairs or small items left from the last project. I suppose I can do one of them a week until they are done. I just hoped to do something of a little more significance.

Leaking Water Pump

I drove the Mustang to the grocery store on Sunday night. I returned and parked the car in the garage. I walked back out to the garage about 30 minutes later and found a one inch wide stream of water running from under the car to the garage door.

I wiped up the water and looked for the cause briefly. Unfortunately, I could not see the source of the leak.

I arrived home from work today and found the leak had continued and was once again almost to the garage door. I'm glad it is not antifreeze. It is actually Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner and water so it should not hurt anyone.

I checked for the source tonight. It appears the Radiator Cleaner will eat off paint. This made it a little easier to find the source. It seems to be coming from the weep hole in the underside of the water pump. This is an indication of a damaged interal seal. The pump will need to be replaced but at least they are not very expensive ($50-$80).

Garage Project Complete

I spent some time cleaning up the garage over the past few weekends. I started by fixing all the holes the previous owner made in the walls. I then centered the garage door opener (previous owner installed it horribly) and then painted the ceiling and walls. Finally, I epoxy coated the fllor and added trim about the perimeter of the garage. Oh... and along the way I decided to replace the hot water heater since it was 10 years old and very corroded.

The epoxy floor coating is made by U-Coat-It. It is a light grey and does not have any flakes of color in it. The coating is suppose to stand up to oil, grease, and other chemical spills. I'm sure I'll test this out before too long. I hope to not be more messy because I can but just to make cleanup a little easier.