…well kinda.

She’s been featured in magazines before – but never a book! That’s right, my 1955 Studebaker is one of the featured cars in a new book, Rat Rods: Rodding’s Imperfect Stepchildren by Scotty Gosson. You may be wondering about Stude’s label as a Rat Rod. I know everyone has their own thoughts about that term – there I things I both like and don’t about it. But in the end - to me, a rat rod is nothing more than a creative rod that’s more about function than form. Most importantly it’s supposed to be fun and go fast. I would say that’s a little bit like my Studie!

The book will be selling on Amazon – to be released February 15th…get your’s in time for Valentine’s Day(it’s 10% off if you order early.) Click here for the Amazon page.

I always look forward to starting things fresh each January. While most people focus on life goals –  I love making garage goals. Looking back in my archives for the last “wish list” I wrote – I was surprised that it wasn’t written last January but for 2010! Seing that it’s been 2 years, I’m glad to see that I’ve accomplished most of the list. Before sharing my new list, let’s review the old one:

The Old List

1.Get A New Exhaust System: Check. I was lucky enough to be part of the process in custom bending pipe and even making my own headers and mufflers thanks to B&C Industries.

2. Work On Suspension Components: Check. I rebuilt my entire front suspension with the help of my favorite mechanic Tommy. Because it was a rushed job, I didn’t get to do as much as I wanted to (the crux of my job dealt with cleaning all of the parts before reassembling!) But I did get the opportunity to be part of upgrading the front suspension in one of my car club gal’s Comet.

3. Add Seatbelts: Ummmm…I didn’t want to do this. I know, I know. I put it on the list because I know safety is important. But at the time I listed it, I wasn’t satisfied with adding lap belts and wanted to do the whole shoulder-belt thing. As I sit on Stude’s bench seat, I just can’t stomach the idea of having a shoulder-belt on. Finally, I’ve decided I’d compromise though and put in lapbelts…but I still need to do it!

4. Seal Her Off: Still needs to be done. Ugh! This is a very aggravating problem – and is currently 2nd on my Stude’s priority list (after fixing my fuel problem and getting her back on the road.) Sealing her off refers to the rubber molding surrounding my rear-quarter windows. When it rains, water floods into my rear seat wells and eventually leads to completely fogged windows which make Stude unsafe to drive. The parts for this job only cost about $140…but lately that’s been hard to come by!

5. Better My Brakes: Check. I had vowed to do this BEFORE losing my brakes over a year ago (I hadn’t upgraded yet.) Well…I lost my brakes and that certainly wasn’t fun. But I was extremely lucky and didn’t crash into anything! Since that time I’ve upgraded my master cylinder, replaced the rubber lines with steel-braided ones, and inspected all other braking components (which reminds me…I’ve gotta publish the stories on all those adventures!)

3 out of 5. Not bad, but could be better. Hopefully I’ll be able to knock out this entire new list within 2012…so here goes…

The New List - 2012 Car Resolutions

1. Fix Fuel System. With Studie’s Fuel Mystery, I have the job outlined as needing a new fuel pump (I run electric,) new fuel lines, and drop & clean the fuel tank.

2. Seal Her Off. Like I said, this is 2nd on my priority list – I’ve gotta stop that water pouring in when in rains!

3. Get Drag Race Ready. Drag strips require vehicles to have seat belts and a radiator overflow container as minimum safety requirements. In addition to adding those things to my 1955 Studebaker, I’ll need to do a little tuneing up also. And if I can get my hands on some beefy back tires and a manual transmission too, that would be even better!

4. Replace Trunk Hinges. Being the original hinges, I’ve already replaced one and now the other one is gone. For the past year I’ve only been opening my trunk 10″ or less. It’s about time I fix that. I’d like to get more modern hinges (that don’t require holes in the trunk lid.) Doing this should also remedy the slight offset that Studie’s trunk has had since replacing the first hinge.

5. Rebuild Falcon’s Engine. I’m already on my way - but I’m looking forward to this achievement…my first engine rebuild!

6. Complete a Motorcycle Driving Course. I’ve wanted to do a class and get my license for awhile. After getting the opportunity to drive a dirt bike out at El Mirage this past year, I’m even more motivated to make this happen. I think driving a motorcycle out on the open road (outside of LA) would be a great feeling!

7. Get More Bodywork Experience. I haven’t had much opportunities with body work. I don’t want to touch my Studebaker (although I did get to try my hand at metalflaking her roof this year.) And the Falcon is in perfect shape. But I loved taking Gene Winfield’s metalworking class and the other little bits of body work I’ve done…I wanna do more!

I’m thankful for my car club, blog readers, and all the other friends and people who help and encourage me along the way – thank you! I know you’ll be a part of the process in completing my car resolutions this year! What about you?? Leave a comment and let us know a garage goal on your list?

Happy Trails,

Kristin

Christmas gifts have been a good excuse for me to practice my pinstriping! It’s finally getting to the point that I feel ready for bigger projects (like cars!) Speaking of presents, I got my Christmas present early – a GearWrench electronic torque wrench!

I couldn’t be happier with it – and it sure will come in handy while I’m rebuilding the Falcon’s engine! This is one tool I’ve been dreaming of adding to my toolbox! I’m off to enjoy the holidays with family…but not before I posted my pictures & story from the Mooneyes Xmas Party…

Check ‘em out, enjoy your holiday, and the stay tuned for my 2012 Car Resolutions!!

Happy Trails,

Kristin

High Performance 1964 Falcon

I received this great image in my inbox from graphic artist, Brad Leisure. He’d just finished it for Trumpeter Models for a ’64 Falcon “Competition” model kit they’re releasing. I love that the girl is the one wrenching with the fellow looking on! Enjoy!

In my quest to learn about working on cars, I’m realizing that there’s a lot I’ve learned about tools alongside learning about cars! When I first started working on my newly purchased Studebaker around five years ago – the only tools I had were neatly packed into an aptly named “Do-It-Herself” toolkit I’d received for high school graduation years before. Those got me by around the house – but weren’t much help in the garage.

Having a handy and helpful Dad, it didn’t take him long to wrangle me up some spare tools from his garage. Soon enough I had a starter mechanics toolkit. A small assortment of sockets, wrenches,and a screwdriver were about all I started with. Its also about all hot rodding young people had back in the fifties!

But as anyone who’s worked on cars know – different jobs call for different tools. Sometimes you can make do with what you have and sometimes you’ve gotta go out and buy or borrow the right tool for the job. For everybody else out there who’s learning as they go or just getting into cars – here’s my most basic list of must have garage toolbox items.

10 Best Tools for Garage

1. Floor Jack & Jack Stands

These are necessities anytime you need to get under the car or take off a wheel. Most jobs can’t begin without these. A floor jack can set you back a nice amount of change, but the money will be well worth it. I’ve gotten by with this small aluminum jack – which I like because it’s lightweight enough that I can keep it with me in trunk of my Stude, but it has let me down a number of times. Right now I’m saving my pennies for a nicer floor jack.

Remember…never get under a car lifted by only a jack! If that jack fails, you’re dust. Be sure to support it with jack stands and stay safe! Another thing I often use in conjunction with these items is a block of wood. Sometimes it helps me raise up my car just a little bit more and comes in handy for numerous uses.

2. Basic Mechanics Toolkit

A basic mechanics toolkit usually includes an assortment of sockets, wrenches, a ratcheting wrench, and screwdrivers. I like this basic 99-piece kit from Stanley Tools. It’s got both short and deep sockets for both metric and SAE (I mostly use SAE, but modern and foreign cars usually use metric so they’re handy to have around.) Also included are special sockets for pulling spark plugs. Ratcheting wrenches in both the 1/4″ and 3/8″ size. Two socket extensions. Wrenches of the most often used sizes (again in both metric and SAE sizes.) And a multi-use screwdriver with both straight and phillips head combinations.

3. Liquid Holder and Funnels

Not only for changing oil! Many jobs I’ve encountered on the car require the draining of some liquid…and then of course the putting back in of it (which the funnel makes ever so easier!) I have at least two funnels – one with a long skinny spout and another one that’s shorter and stubbier. In addition to a liquid holder, be sure you’ve got some spare plastic bottles around so you can properly store and dispose of whatever liquid you’ve got. I usually just take my used fluids back to the Auto Parts store to dispose of them, but you can also check your local hazardous waste disposal sites – for California, here’s the link.

4. A Good Light

That single fluorescent light hanging on the ceiling isn’t going to cut it. In the least, get a nice movable, protected light like the Halogen one shown above….and then keep adding to your collection. One of my favorite lights is a small LED one that has both a magnet and a hook. That thing’s the greatest to light up small nooks – and is battery powered so helps out on roadside brakedowns too!

5. Safety Goggles

One of the most important tools you’ll use in the garage is your eyeballs! Keep ‘em safe – and keep yourself from getting really angry when you get junk in your eye when you’re pinned underneath the car!

6. Plier Set

I used to get by with a single pair of cheap snips. I can’t tell you how many frustrating moments I had when I said to myself “If only I had a good pair of pliers!” Since getting this set from GearWrench, I’ve been so happy to have ‘em. I’d recommend a set…you’ve at least gotta have a needle nose, snips, and a blunt-ended pair. My old cheap pair hurt my hands and the plastic handle coverings would slip off – but this GearWrench set is a really great! It has non-slip handles and an ergonomic design, making them really nice to use!

7. Gloves

I know I’m Grease Girl, and I DO love getting grease under my nails. Even still, gloves are a must have in the garage. True, many jobs I go without ‘em. But they’ll totally save you at times. I’ve tried a few different pair and these from CP are my favorite. They’ve got plenty of padding to keep me from busting a knuckle.

8. Car Manual

Directions!? Yep, directions. It’s a little hard for cars like my Stude, which doesn’t having its original running gear – but even so, a car manual will help you navigate your car and will also have specs you’ll find handy to have at times. This 1960 Ford Falcon manual is the very first thing I bought for my Falcon restoration job.

9. Rubber Mallet

I finally broke down and purchased one of these after a hubcap popped off my Stude and hit a brand new Mercedes. This inexpensive tool is a lifesaver…go get one! I’ve been happy with this one I bought at Harbor Freight.

10. Toolbox

Until I have more room, this 3-tiered toolbox holds all my essentials. It keeps me from losing important tools and is small enough that if I can pack it up and take it along for jobs away from my own garage. My tool collection is beginning to outgrow it though, I would love a smaller rolling-cart toolbox.

Of course, if I had the room – who wouldn’t want this ginormous behemoth of a toolbox!? I could keep all my tools, spare parts, and makeup in this thing!

For those of you making a Christmas shopping list or a Wish List, lets review…

1.Floor Jack and Jack Stands

2. Basic Mechanics Toolkit

3.Liquid Holder & Funnels

4. A Good Light

5. Safety Goggles

6. Plier Set

7. Gloves

8. Car Manual

9. Rubber Mallet

10. Toolbox

With these ten items at the ready, let your wrenching endeavors begin! They’re not ALL you need for a complete garage of course…but I get most of my jobs done with these few items. P.S…If you know someone who’s interested in getting into cars…now you know what to get them for Christmas!

I’ll be adding to this list as I encounter more tools I’m loving/adding/finding. Which tools can I not live without? Which tools have I been dying to add to my collection and why? What tools are a waste of money or space? What’s the newest tool in my toolbox? Subscribe to GreaseGirl – be sure you’re not missing a thing!

For all you more experienced readers…what did I miss? What tool would you never want to live without? Leave a comment and tell us why!

This past month I’ve gotten rolling on my 1960 Ford Falcon Project. First I had to get it into the garage and begin disassembly. Now I’ve finished clearing the engine compartment and detaching everything I can from the engine -resulting in a healthy pile of parts, hoses, and wires that have come out. If you’ve never torn apart a car or engine before – make sure you’ll know how to put it back together before you take it apart!

One thing that will help you get it all back together when you’re done is to take lots of pictures while you’re taking it apart. For example, I had never seen this funny bracket piece holding a couple parts of the throttle linkage together. I’ll be glad I’ve got a visual marker to help me when I’m scratching my head wondering what its for a number of months down the road.

Make sure you don’t lose any of your parts either! Have a special shelf (or a box is probably better) to hold all the parts you’re taking off. For lines and electrical wires, use tape to label where it connects to. And be sure not to lose all those bolts! I’m keeping mine in a jar until they’re needed again.

Here’s what’s left in my engine compartment! Radiator, fan, carbeurator,exhaust, alternator, hoses – they’re all off. Next up…this straight six is coming out! Any tips, comments, concerns? Leave a comment and let me know!

November came and went quickly! It started with a trip to Vegas for SEMA. While there, I got to check out the show and hang out at the Chicago Pneumatic booth with some of my fellow Gasoline Girls. In fact, I signed copies of my first ever poster (click here to see it!) – it was an odd experience for me! Rosa, Pati and I had fun playing with tools and checking out the cars and products on display.

I compiled my favorite of both into a “Best Of SEMA 2011″ – for you to read, over at MyRideisMe.com. Also posted is a picture gallery of all the hot rods and classics I could find!

• 12 of the Best – SEMA 2011

• SEMA Photo Gallery

Until next time – Happy Trails,

Kristin

It was a dark, foggy night when Grease Girl and her ’55 Studebaker were driving along the Pacific Coast Highway leaving Los Angeles. Looking out towards the ocean, darkness was lurking. The sound of the breaking waves could hardly be heard beyond the noise of Stude’s hopped-up engine. All the sudden the car lost power. Wait… it was back again. Nope… it sputtered and cut dead.

Rolling over gravel to the side of the road, Grease Girl could still hear the whine of the electric fuel pump – whinier then ever. Grabbing the flashlight and screwdriver from below her seat, she got out to check under the hood. Stalled again. A mess of junk sat inside the fuel filter, taunting her with its repeated arrival. The smell of gasoline filled the air and soaked Grease Girl’s hands as she unscrewed the filter. Illuminating the junk inside with the flashlight she saw the usual, some coffee grind looking stuff with a few shiny metal pieces included.

The ocean waves sounded louder then ever. Would Grease Girl and her Stude get back on the road or be stranded in this cold, erie place for the night? The door banged loudly as she got in, reminding her that to fix those hinges. A turn of the key and the engine roared to life. How many miles would she go before this whole ritual would happen again? Sometimes when you’re leaving LA, it feels like you’ll never get out…

Even if I am being a little dramatic with this story, it has been quite a mystery behind Stude’s fuel delivery system.

At first I only saw coffee-grind stuff coming out of the filter – and it didn’t seem to be magnetic – which I learned indicated junk in the trunk or sediment in my fuel tank. Never having anything similar show up before, I thought perhaps it was a bad batch of gas but its gone on too long for that. I’ve also seen some small shiny bits – which I’m assuming is metal from a breaking down fuel pump. It seems like its a combination of both a dirty tank and a bad pump.

I’ve been living with it since the summer. I have to admit, I’m not always the quickest person to hop on a car problem – I have so many other things going on in life and in the garage! So since Studie still ran, I still drove her. But when Stude cut out 3 times on my ride across town recently, I decided to park her.

From what I’ve observed, I’m diagnosing both a bad fuel pump and a bad tank. So I’ll be dropping and cleaning the tank, replacing the electric fuel pump, and I think now would be a good time to run new fuel lines as well. Good thing I have a back-up daily driver right now – because even though this shouldn’t cost more then a couple hundred, I’ve gotta save my pennies!

Inside my garage still sits the Falcon. After hearing from you all and thinking about it a bit, I’ve decided I do want to keep the original straight-six engine. I will quite possibly be hopping it up some as I rebuild it – but I like the idea of keeping the car original and just working with what I’ve got.

As I continue growing in my car knowledge and mechanical skills, I continue to be drawn towards performance and racing. Thankfully I’ve not only got the Falcon to work with, but also have my Studie. Since my 1955 Studebaker Coupe is already modified with performance parts, it helped in my decision to keep the Falcon original. Since I also have a modern “daily driver” now (although I drive Stude as much as possible,) I feel more freedom to take some risks with Stude. Stay tuned for what may come under that hood!

Meanwhile… under the Falcon’s hood I’ve started the process of pulling out the engine…

How to Replace A Radiator

First comes the radiator. For those of you who are still beginners, this is a super simple job! You’ve just gotta make sure to drain the fluid out of it first. Most radiators have some sort of a drain plug that can be unscrewed on the bottom edge. Placing a catch-pan underneth it, open that screw and give it a few minutes to drain.

While that’s going on, you can use a ratchet to loosen/remove the bolts holding your radiator to your frame (Falcon had four bolts.) You can also loosen the hose clamps with a screwdriver. Once your fluid has drained, close the screw.

Then get the two hoses off all the way. Sometimes this takes plying a screwdriver between the hose and the metal it’s attached to. Keep at it and it’ll eventually come off! Now you’re set – the radiator should be ready to pull straight out of your engine bay! (When replacing a radiator…do all of that stuff in the opposite direction.)

Further Dismantling the Falcon

Once the radiator was out, I decided I’d go ahead and pull other front pieces off. Not that it will help very much with getting the engine clear (there’s a permanent bar in front that we’ll have to lift the engine up and over when the time comes.) But if I’m going to do a job, I want to do it well!

So I took off the bumper by unscrewing the six bumper bolts which affixed it to the chassis. While I was doing this, I was very thankful that my toolbox has been expanding and I had the right tool for the job!

When first starting to work on cars, I began with a basic mechanic’s tool kit. For many things, this is all you need. But inevitably during a job… something’s in the way or you encounter a problem. The more tools you have, the more likely you’ll be able to get past whatever obstacle comes up.

While taking the bumper off, there were two bolts that I couldn’t reach with my extension because I didn’t have a straight passageway to it. I solved the problem by using this nifty jointed thing that I got from my Grandpa. It allowed me to get the socket in place. With the bumper off, I can give it a good cleaning and maybe straighten it out a bit (it’s been bumped!)

The Falcon also has a body piece across the lower front-end which the grill is attached to. This piece and the grill are both prime targets for some cleaning-up, so they came off as well.

Next I’ll continue by taking all the other things I can detach from the engine – like the alternator and fan. As well as all other detachable parts inside the engine compartment. If you’re only changing an engine, you don’t need to entirely clear the engine compartment – but I’d like to restore this entire area while I’ve got the engine out.

Stay tuned for more progress on this Falcon project- and keep wrenchin’!

Happy Trails,

Kristin

Click here to keep reading, 1960 Ford Falcon Project Continues…

or subscribe to Grease Girl so you don’t miss a thing!

I recently pulled my Ford Falcon into the garage with plans of figuring out what’s going on with it. This weekend I dug in and really enjoyed myself! For years, most wrenching days have a deadline. When Studie was my only car I had to get things fixed right away, which meant some stressful times in the garage. This weekend’s job was nice and relaxing (albeit dirty!) Here’s what I did…

I began with a good solid de-greasing of the engine. Boy was this a messy job! Every inch of the engine and oil pan was covered in oil and grime. One can of engine gunk, one can of brake clean, a good amount of Purple Power, some wire brushes, a scraper, and a roll of shop towels later… The engine was clean but boy was I greasy!

Once the engine was clean, I figured a good place to start was the plugs. Not knowing the history of this engine, I have no idea what’s been done to it! As I pulled the plugs things didn’t look too bad until I got to spark plug #4.  Have you ever seen such an ugly looking plug?! It was handy that we’d just covered reading plugs at the last Gasoline Girls meeting – although it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that this plug is seriously messed up!

After all the plugs were out, I proceeded to do a compression test on the Ford straight six engine. For those of you out there who are wrenching beginners – compression tests are great, learn about them! They’re a simple way to take a “pulse” of your engine and will give you a picture of what’s going on in each cylinder. Unfortunately, my Falcon’s compression test didn’t look so good. The 1960 Ford Falcon manual states that the compression of each valve should be 170 +/- 10 psi. As you can see from my notes, my Falcon is WAY off! Cylinder 1 being the worst with a mere 50 psi – not even a third of what it should be. The amazing thing is…this engine still ran! I drove it into my garage!

Now that I’ve got a clean engine and some solid information, I need to decide what to do next. I could just remove the head and investigate further. Or I could pull the entire engine out – anticipating that it isn’t only the head but the bottom-end too that needs work. Another option is my boyfriend’s favorite…pulling the engine and dropping in a Mustang 5.0 engine and transmission he has ready to go. Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU think!

Follow along the progress, subscribe to GreaseGirl!

Or keep reading, Disassembly Begins…