[DML] The Resurrection of Vixen (#5927), pt. 1

["Dave Stragand" <dave.stragand@xxxx>]

Well,

It's been a while since my last update. For those of you following the
saga, I'm reassembling #5927.

For starters... Let's see... When we last left our hero he was trying to
get the front springs installed. That's not a very easy task on this
car. I tried three different types of spring compressors before I found
one that would work. If you have access to a scissor-type compressor,
that's the way to go. I didn't, but eventually found that the
MacPherson strut compressors (from AutoZone) were long enough to do the
trick. I wasn't entirely happy with how they worked, but due to the D's
design, some cleverness was required.

First, you need to mount them upside down, so to speak, with the
tightening bolt at the bottom. You also need to leave the top 2-3 coils
uncompressed so the tops of the compressors don't hit the wishbone.
Still, it took a bit of hammering with a rubber mallet to pop them in to
place.

Next, I had asked about the spindle being loose in the steering
knuckle. I'm still working on that, but I got some great tips from a
few of you out there. Thanks again. I'm going to be tightening that up
tomorrow night.

I also went to work in the luggage compartment, removing 19 frozen bolts
on the access panels. Many of the bolts simply snapped off in the
rivnuts, so those will have to be replaced as well.

A big step for me was getting the air box assembled and into position.
The evaporator core had the large fitting twisted off of it, but I ran
to the local junkyard and grabbed the fitting off of a similiar evap.,
and had it heli-arc welded on and pressure tested by a local shop.
($20) With that in place, I proceeded to mount the air boxing into the
body.

Up until now, I've been used to having quite an open, empty feeling to
the cockpit of the car. As I start to install more and more into her,
she's starting to take the close, comfortable feeling that you all talk
of with the D. All that stuff under the dash is really crammed up in
there, eh? =)

Work has kept me from doing too much at all during December. I managed
to break away to Allentown, PA, to pick up a luggage rack and a parts
engine. The engine looks nice, but has been in a fire. It turns free
-- to a point. I never saw a situation quite like this. The engine
will turn almost exactly 90 degrees, then seize. I can hear a click
from the left cylinder bank when it locks up, but I'll investigate that
more fully later. I suppose it will help to get the engine out of the
trunk of my car. It's been in there the last week. In a way, it's kind
of nice having a "14 cylinder" Mercury, but I'll be glad to get it out
of there. I just need the time to have a neighbor help me lift it up
out of the trunk.

(continued)