'79 Formula 255 Liberator Update
04-05-2013, 10:34 PM
#183
Registered
Thread Starter
Santa Claus (Diego) came by my office today with my Rams and a pair of 23" Mirage LH & RH props to try out. Final inventory this weekend of all materials and Monday~Tuesday she's going together. I might take a few days off this next week to run her in.
04-05-2013, 10:37 PM
#184
Registered
Thread Starter
04-06-2013, 01:07 PM
#186
Registered
Thread Starter
Well...I'll confess...I'm like a kid at Christmas in anticipation of getting my 255 in the water with new power and new drives!!
So this morning in anticipation of all of this effort finally coming together, I went out and washed and waxed the Escalade and the Formula. About half way thru the Formula I started feeling the years....then I realized "Damn...this is a big job for a young man ...much less a 60 year old". LOL
Anyway...I got it done. I'm thinking about this time next week I'll be cruising around in my own boat for the first time in over a year. All of the sweat and hard work, planning and engineering finally coming together in sort of a bitter sweet moment that marks a huge milestone in the resurrection of this old boat. I have learned a lot about marine propulsion systems that I did not know...especially in converting this one from 1970's Pre Alpha to Bravo drives and from old pre Vortec Small Block technology to Vortec/Roller Cam power. Bravo Drives didn't even exist when this boat was built and if you wanted Big Block or High Performance Small Block power you went with TRS or Volvo 280 Drives. When I think about what was going on in the world in 1979 when this boat was new it causes me to take pause. Disco was strong and we were wearing "Leisure Suits" and "Members Only" jackets. Smokey and the Bandit II was the big movie hit with Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields tearing it up in a Black Trans Am. Jimmy Carter was president and we were in the middle of the Iran Hostage crisis. the Soviet Union was still a "Super Power" and the Berlin Wall was still up in Germany. Ricardo Montalban and that little guy that yelled out "the Plane...The Plane" in Fantasy Island along with J.R. Ewing in Dallas were the big TV shows. Seems like forever ago.
Most importantly are the new friends I have made along with re establishing old friends.
Thanks to the contributions of everyone on OSO...and remember...this is still a work in progress...BUT...I am about to achieve a HUGE milestone.
So this morning in anticipation of all of this effort finally coming together, I went out and washed and waxed the Escalade and the Formula. About half way thru the Formula I started feeling the years....then I realized "Damn...this is a big job for a young man ...much less a 60 year old". LOL
Anyway...I got it done. I'm thinking about this time next week I'll be cruising around in my own boat for the first time in over a year. All of the sweat and hard work, planning and engineering finally coming together in sort of a bitter sweet moment that marks a huge milestone in the resurrection of this old boat. I have learned a lot about marine propulsion systems that I did not know...especially in converting this one from 1970's Pre Alpha to Bravo drives and from old pre Vortec Small Block technology to Vortec/Roller Cam power. Bravo Drives didn't even exist when this boat was built and if you wanted Big Block or High Performance Small Block power you went with TRS or Volvo 280 Drives. When I think about what was going on in the world in 1979 when this boat was new it causes me to take pause. Disco was strong and we were wearing "Leisure Suits" and "Members Only" jackets. Smokey and the Bandit II was the big movie hit with Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields tearing it up in a Black Trans Am. Jimmy Carter was president and we were in the middle of the Iran Hostage crisis. the Soviet Union was still a "Super Power" and the Berlin Wall was still up in Germany. Ricardo Montalban and that little guy that yelled out "the Plane...The Plane" in Fantasy Island along with J.R. Ewing in Dallas were the big TV shows. Seems like forever ago.
Most importantly are the new friends I have made along with re establishing old friends.
Thanks to the contributions of everyone on OSO...and remember...this is still a work in progress...BUT...I am about to achieve a HUGE milestone.
04-06-2013, 02:07 PM
#187
Registered
Speak for..
Great post. I've never bought a new boat so I don't have that feeling to compare to but I have restored a few and that feeling at completion is pretty powerful medicine.
You will have quite the museum piece when complete. Can't wait to see it in person and get the guided tour of new Vs old and all of the unexpected but required engineering changes.
You can research a project like that until the cows come home but until you actually dive in......., you know never know what hurdles you'll have to cross.
Congrats, well done.
04-06-2013, 04:09 PM
#188
Registered
Thread Starter
yourself
Great post. I've never bought a new boat so I don't have that feeling to compare to but I have restored a few and that feeling at completion is pretty powerful medicine.
You will have quite the museum piece when complete. Can't wait to see it in person and get the guided tour of new Vs old and all of the unexpected but required engineering changes.
You can research a project like that until the cows come home but until you actually dive in......., you know never know what hurdles you'll have to cross.
Congrats, well done.
Great post. I've never bought a new boat so I don't have that feeling to compare to but I have restored a few and that feeling at completion is pretty powerful medicine.
You will have quite the museum piece when complete. Can't wait to see it in person and get the guided tour of new Vs old and all of the unexpected but required engineering changes.
You can research a project like that until the cows come home but until you actually dive in......., you know never know what hurdles you'll have to cross.
Congrats, well done.
04-07-2013, 10:24 PM
#189
Registered
Awesome John. Let me add that in 1979 another big thing happened. I was born!! Lol. Can't for you to get her out on the water. I definitely wanna get a Bahamas run in prolly next summer. First long run I'm gonna do is key west.
I'm excited for you. Only been 7 months since I've taken mine out and I'm gonna take it out when I get home and that feels like a lifetime to me.
I'm excited for you. Only been 7 months since I've taken mine out and I'm gonna take it out when I get home and that feels like a lifetime to me.
Gold Member
