We start this week with a Park & Pic of a unique car a genuine Shelby GT350R, a race car owned by our friend and customer Larry Tucker. This is not your usual add a few stickers effort like so many do and think that it adds 100bhp or something. This is a fully stripped out Shelby FIA inspected race car and goes just like it looks!

We wish every success to Larry with his little trips around the track, just bring her back in one piece with a few added bits of silverware maybe. 😀

Epic Engine Fail

It can be said that the Ford V8s are a tough cookies and they are pretty bullet proof as long as they are maintained well. On a rare occasion we get an engine in that has a major problem. A customer had bought his car into us saying that there was a “knocking” noise from the engine. The 302ci engine was running, well sort of, but it didn’t sound too good that’s for sure. Yogi was eager to get on with the diagnosis and he was pretty sure what it was, but to what degree? His first job was to have look at the oil which was a messy mixture that resembled gravy more than oil; a bad sign. The “oil” was drained and a total of three gallons of gravy came out. Slightly more than the normal oil quota and was left to dry out. The engine was taken out the car and put onto one of our stands for a close up look. It was decided to video the removal of the oil sump pan as there was a rattle and a tinkling of falling metal when the engine was turned upside down; now a very bad sign.

You can see a smashed piston and connecting rod fall out in the video. Something as catastrophic as this would entail much more damage than a new piston. Inspection showed that the block had a hole punched through it and was now a nothin’ more than scrap. The picture here show the hole in the block:

Damage to a spark plug where a piston has slammed into it.

Some of the shrapnel that was pulled from the depths of the engine.

There was nothing that can be done except for Yogi reading the belated mechanics “last rites” before it goes to the great scrap yard in the sky.

R.I.P 302ci.

Customer Cars:

The black convertible is now back together again and ready for her last road test before we hand her back. She looks a real head turner again and now leak free from the replacement cowl.

The new carpet was laid and our ever popular LED dash bulb upgrades fitted.

Cast your vote time:

Our friend Spence (the other half of the Bully Brothers with Yogi), bought his car “The Grinch” in for a little once over and a treat for his lady. The trouble is we were undecided on look and Adam is asking our readers what they think; Black or Alloy rims?

Please vote it will make Adam happy and it only takes two clicks. 🙂

A Two Week Reminder

In two weeks time is our local Mustang Maniac car show at Enfield, which is always popular. Come and visit us and see some of best Mustangs in the country on our very own stand.