Ed

What are you using to try and straighten the bracket? I would make something specific for the job. Use those fab skills. Then put the car on a lift so you can really get under there. Put a 5' cheater pipe on it and it should bend like butter. I got lucky and got the bracket end plates off a "donor" 74. Good luck

You should try masking carefully but I think it would be a lot of work. Personally I would paint the whole thing then after it was dry take some 220 grit wet sand paper and carefully start removing the paint in the areas you want the metal to show through. After 95% is gone switch to a 320 grit, once all the metal is showing switch to a 400 grit then finish off with a 600. If you use a sanding block then the surface will stay even. Then take a little bit of metal polish to protect the bare metal.

The # 2 location the cam gear is to compensate for a timing chain that is old and stretched out. Refer to your FSM. There are diagrams that show where your timing marks should be. To me it doesn't sound like your timing is off too much. I think your on the right track and are slowly getting to a solution.

Since you recently completed a rebuild you should double check that the assembly went as required. Start with the timing. Put your engine at TDC and make sure the distributor shaft is in the right position. Then check your cam timing. Do this before you tear apart your carbs. Since your car ran fine before with the carbs the way they are I'd leave them alone and make sure everything else is ok.

Any hardware store it's called "rope caulk" not as sticky as the factory black stuff but it works just as good and cleans up much easier.

Bahh, bad arse is all i've got to say. Looks Good!

Just goes to show you that once you've been bitten by the "Z" nothing else matters!

Go with a 2 1/2 or smaller. Tell him you want aluminized steel. welded at all the seams. Resonator in the middle before the split then some dynomax or whatever your choice of muffler at the end. If you want it louder then scratch the resonator. I have 2 1/2" pipe, a resonator and a muffler and it's plenty loud. IMHO you will be happy if you kept it a single pipe to the end. Instead of splitting it. But you do what you want.

Ha, i did it again. Now I'm living in Louisiana. Gotta love them shrimp!

turtle wax has a product in a green bottle formula 2000 or F21 that supposedly has no silicone

dynomat or brown bread all the same

Hey, I forgot about this post. Hope it works out for you. Remember to create a mirror image of the templete for the opposite side.

Does anyone know the dates? Or a link?

I've heard this is not a good idea. If the car isn't run at full operating temperature at highway speeds for atleast 30 minutes, condensation in the fuel system, exhaust system, cooling system and oil system soes not fully burn off and will result in moisture contamination, corrosion and system failures.