Does this look wrong to you folks like it does to me?

[Niel Hoback]

I understand thats the way to do it, but I just don't like it. I spent 40 years heating metal to soften it and I guess I just never will get comfortable with it.

[Flatie46]

If ya had access to an oven big enough you could draw it.[cook it a while] to stress relieve it after you straiten it but personally I dont think it'll matter much. If it were me I'd straiten it and use it.

[Andydodge]

Just a thought..........that bent tie rod might be a deliberate thing as with the hair bags when they are used to drop the front end they may lower it more than it would normally be allowed for with just the springs alone........resulting in the tie rod hitting on either the sump or chassis if it was straight or the tierod bend could even be a consequence of the hairbag lowering.............personally I think airbags should only be used on trucks and 59 caddies...........give me a nice oxy softened coil spring or cut coil spring any day...........lol........the only way to lower cars.........lol.........well not really but better than airbags..........o/k........seriously i'm a hotrodder and would remove the airbags straight away, get the tierod straightened or replaced and run new lowered coils & geta wheel alignment........andyd

[fedoragent]

Just a thought..........that bent tie rod might be a deliberate thing as with the hair bags when they are used to drop the front end they may lower it more than it would normally be allowed for with just the springs alone........resulting in the tie rod hitting on either the sump or chassis if it was straight or the tierod bend could even be a consequence of the hairbag lowering.............personally I think airbags should only be used on trucks and 59 caddies...........give me a nice oxy softened coil spring or cut coil spring any day...........lol........the only way to lower cars.........lol.........well not really but better than airbags..........o/k........seriously i'm a hotrodder and would remove the airbags straight away, get the tierod straightened or replaced and run new lowered coils & geta wheel alignment........andyd

I've decided that I'm going to keep the airbags in for a month of two and see what I think of them. I was dead set to remove them and then I realized I've driven on them already. I may be in for a different ride if I remove them now. The tie rod is going to be straightened. And I talked to him and he isn't going to use heat. He's got this HUGE industrial sized machine that he said that it would straighten it out. I don't quite know how it works but I'm happy about the fact he can do it. Also, my biggest problem now is that the front brakes are missing key parts. I'm ordering those parts tomorrow and hopefully soon the front and the rear will be complete. And after all this time, the doggone stop light switch was there. We found it today all gunked up looking like it had been through the beach at Omaha. Barely recognizable. After he's worked on the final pieces for both the fronts and the rears she'll be drivable. I cannot blinking wait.

As of next week, she will have only been in the brake/wheel shop for three weeks. We're making progress, but each time we do he finds pieces completely missing. Thank god this gent knows his stuff because I sure don't do brakes.

FG.

[fedoragent]

Today's pictures of progress

[fedoragent]

[Andydodge]

Fedora, one more thing..........that pic of the rear end shows the rubber fuel line from the tank to the original steel line......the rubber line looks a bit close to the exhaust pipe for comfort........the original setup was just a solid metal line from the tank......have you thought about making a steel line from the tank up to a spot away from the exhaust pipe then use a short piece of hose as a joiner.........you'll probably tell me that its been like that for 10yrs..........lol.........but it just looks a bit close for me..........btw the brake job looks like a good job, that'll put a smile on your dial ........andyd

[Plymouthy Adams]

I cannot imagine the exhaust pipe routed under the tank as it is..granted the left frame rail and tank almost touch and prevents smooth routing of the exhaust..however, that is the reason I put the tanks on the 41 and 52 center of the trunk..even with this I also added heat shields..I also recommend that heat shields be placed between the muffler and the floor of the car to cut down on condensation and ultimate rust...

[fedoragent]

Fedora, one more thing..........that pic of the rear end shows the rubber fuel line from the tank to the original steel line......the rubber line looks a bit close to the exhaust pipe for comfort........the original setup was just a solid metal line from the tank......have you thought about making a steel line from the tank up to a spot away from the exhaust pipe then use a short piece of hose as a joiner.........you'll probably tell me that its been like that for 10yrs..........lol.........but it just looks a bit close for me..........btw the brake job looks like a good job, that'll put a smile on your dial ........andyd

Andy, it has only been that way since last year. I bought the car on June 23rd and am finding little morsels here and there like what you pointed out. Do you have a picture of your car or someone else's so that I can get frame of reference on how to handle this?

Thanks,

FG.

[fedoragent]

I cannot imagine the exhaust pipe routed under the tank as it is..granted the left frame rail and tank almost touch and prevents smooth routing of the exhaust..however, that is the reason I put the tanks on the 41 and 52 center of the trunk..even with this I also added heat shields..I also recommend that heat shields be placed between the muffler and the floor of the car to cut down on condensation and ultimate rust...

I hadn't considered that. I'll have to see how much clearance there is between the the bottom of the pan. But would I have to worry about condensation and rust in a dry desert like the LA basin? And is there a chemical that I can layer on the bottom of the pan to keep from rust and heat? Sorry mate, I'm new to this and need some reference.

FG.