Happy Canada Day! It’s summertime, and the living is easy. Expensive, but easy. Well, I got my car back from the Speed Shop. That’s where the “expensive” comes in. I heard a small “tic” that turned out to be a lifter. So I brought it in to a local speed shop to fix it. As with other things, it escalated. Since they had to change the lifters, they had to take the heads off. Since the C heads were coming off, I gave them a set of KA heads to rebuild and put back on. I figured that once the heads were off, might as well change the cam too. This led to the timing chain being replaced. The head bolts were also changed with new ARP bolts, since the previous ones were original. KA heads are the factory W30 replacement heads.

I decided that perhaps a new high output distributor may improve things and decided to go with that and high output multi spark control box. I wanted the box hidden, and it is. I had the differential gear oil changed and the posi lube added.

Turns out the water pump was “weeping” so I decided to change it out. That had to come from BC taking a little time because it was a 455 non-AC car. Apparently, non-AC 455 cars in 1976 are rare. Turns out, the pushrods that came with the cam, were not hardened and had to be replaced. Since the pushrods weren’t hardened, the shop didn’t trust the whole cam kit. They refunded my money for the cam, lifters, pushrods and the kit to make the valves adjustable. I decided to go with a custom grind roller cam with Howard roller lifters. The new grind is 224/230 (dur @ 0.050) and .481”/.481” lift with 110 LSA. We went with Manton pushrods out of California as they would ship in 3 days.

While I was waiting for the parts to arrive, I would go to the shop on Saturdays and asked if I could paint the heads and valve covers or if they would do it. They said I could if I wanted to and gave me a spot in the back. They supplied a work station, gun wash, rags and towels so I could my painting. They even took primer off the shelf at the front of the store (that was for sale) and gave it to me to prime the valve covers. I was told that would eventually need the primer for other work and to just leave it in the back.

With production delays around the world and everything going up in price, I guess I was lucky to get the car back as soon as I did. Now I am ready for the Rocket Round Up. Thanks to Marty and Gene from ProMax Performance in Edmonton.

Speaking of the Round Up, |I need some volunteers to step forward as a few of my regulars can’t make it this year. Call or text me before July 9th at 825-439-1976 if you can help.

For those coming from Edmonton and Calgary that want to travel in a rolling car show (caravan) you can meet at the following times on the day of the show:

Calgary: Deerfoot City Shopping Mall 2nd entrance off 64 Ave NE to Tim Horton’s. Leaves at 9:00 am
Edmonton: at the oil derrick at Gateway Park on the outskirts of the city on the QEII south. Leaves at 9:00 am

Drive carefully and stay safe,
Ken