Phoenix Lynx Update
I don't know if this is the right place for this. If not please let me know.
As some of you know I acquired a early lynx FV this week. My plan is to do a first rate restoration on this car. And some have ask that I update the progress. So this is my attempt at doing that.
I am call this a Junk Yard Cat as it was at a salvage yard.
Tues 7/28/2015
It’s 6:30 am and just got a text from Joe in Phoenix that the Vee is mine if I want it.
This is a deal I have been talking him with for several days. At first we were talking about a trade. That did not work out for him so now it became a cash deal. I had talked to him Monday night about 5:00pm and he said that someone was suppose to let him know by 5:30. I guess that did not happen. I told him that I was a serious buyer and had cash. So please let me know.
So I hooked up my trusty Harbor Freight trailer (with diamond plate deck) to my well used Chevy HHR. 2006 and only 227,845 miles on it! And was on the road by about 7:15 for the 350 mile drive to Phoenix.
I figured by the time I hit Indio the banks would be open and I could stop for gas and get the cash.
I got to Phoenix about 2:00 drove right to the “shop” it was a salvage yard. So I guess that makes this Lynx a junk yard cat!
Met Joe and Mike both nice guys and very open and honest about the car and the deal. According to Mike he acquired the car several years ago. A friend had bought it. Got divorced and said he would never get around to it and gave it to Mike. Of course many years later and he has no time for it so time for a new home. Been there done that myself.
They had told me that to motor would not turn over so I had no idea what I was in for but the deal was still good enough for my plans. Use it as a donor for the RCA I was going to build.
So now we had to load it. I had them remove the tires and put them in the back of my HHR loaded the nose in the HHR and the main body would not fit. But the body fastener were there so we just attached to the frame. Then hoested the car with the fork lift by the roll bar and set it on a pallet on the trailer.
I have to tell you with no tires and the suspension sticking out it looked like a cat alright. One that was flattened on the road as I was coming in to Phoenix.LOL
So now another 350 back home. No issues coming back home. But I did feel a sense of satisfaction feeling I had scored a pretty good deal. And all the way home I was thinking about the Lynx. This car was too good and too complete to use as a donor so a change of plan. I am going to restore it to it proper glory. The RCA will have to wait.
I got home about 9:00pm and back the trailer into the garage where it would spend its first night in its new home.
Of course now the hard part. I had to tell my wife that her new Toyota Avalon would have to stay outside so a car that had been sitting outside in a junk yard for the past 20 years was in her spot!
Hardest sell of the whole deal!
I did discover the SCCA number on the Role Bar. As this car no longer has the log book I was told by a friend that I may be able to get it re-issued. The number is 28-065. If anyone can shed any light on this please contact me.
Wednesday 7/29/2015
First things first. With the new plan I had to find a place for the RCA. Good news. Its nothing but a bare frame. So for now its ceiling art! Yep! hung from the ceiling! Space is a premium around here. Remember wife’s car wants it spot back!
So now my son in law came over and helped me get the Lynx off the trailer. I don’t have a fork lift but do have a engine cherry picker. Yep! that will work. And as it happends I have a Harbor Freight 1,000 pound motor cycle life that just became a Formula Vee Lift! I am way to old be to crawling around on the ground so this is requirement in my book. It lifted it with no problem and just insert the safety rod so in the event of a pump failure you don’t find yourself like that cat in Phoenix.
So now lets figure out what is good and what is less than good.
Good news first.
Fire bottle is fully charged and although it is Halon I am told it will suffice.
Quick Release on the steering wheel is good.
Intake manifold has a VeeTech sticker. Yea I know but one can hope.
Bad News.
Fuel Cell is junk…totally falling apart.
but like you the motor is what we really want to know about.
So I pop the right side valve cover and wow! clean as a whistle! There is hope after all! The rocker look great. everything looks new. Ok lets move forward pull the Exhaust which is in perfect condition by the way. now pull the intake manifold. uh oh I see some rust inside..but not too bad.
So I pull the head nuts and pull on the head and now there is water running out of it! Not good.
Wait! I feel it? Its not water and it has a peppermint smell? Anyone know? Yep Marvel Mystery oil! Someone was trying to free up this stuck engine. The head looks great. Low use the pistons and barrels look great! On closer inspection of the head the pad by the intake has 5 X’s over something. Under the X’s I can make out N-O-B-L-E. The heads have been ported so this is all good news!
Ok, now lets check the other side. uh oh…there is some rust on the rockers and shaft. Well maybe its not bad. I start to pull the head and the same oil comes out. That’s good right. Nope! both barrels and heads are full of rust! So now we will have to see if we can salvage the head. it will need new pistons and barrels. There is not enough Mystery oil in the world to fix this!
So now what do we have on the inside of the case. So I pull one of the good barrels and look inside at the rod and crank. Looks good at this point I don’t see any rust. So that’s a good sign but wont know for sure until we get it apart.
Then I look on the top of the case and its stamped VEETECH. So I think at one time this was a decent motor with good parts
So all and all a good start.
I will try to update as it progresses.
That’s all for now.
Jeff
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Originally Posted by socaljeff3798
