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Jim Edwards (aka Starfire) [ View ] [ Car Ads ] [ Blogs ] Weimar, Texas

Hi, just found this site and was impressed with some of the posts in the forums I read. Probably not the Street Rodder some of you may be, of the seven vintage cars I own only one might be considered a Street Rod and you wouldn't know it by looking at it. That particular car is a 1958 Mercury with a highly modified 430 c.i. MEL block engine (now bored out to 460 c.i., roller cam, lifters, etc.; and now producing some 650 hp) otherwise the whole thing looks absolutely stock. Other cars I have are '56 and '57 Cadillac Eldorado Sevilles, a pair of '62 Olds Starfires, and a pair of '76 Lincoln Mark IV's. All of which were factory factory street rods in a sense given the nature of their engines verses the normal power plants for the production years for the given cars. Some of them are restoration works in progress. As is typical so many cars, so little time, and never enough money.

Comments

Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  01/31/2008 04:46 PM well howdy , glad you stopped by. put your feet up and stay a while. how about some pics ? dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003   Posted by 29robert  -  01/31/2008 05:11 PM Welcome aboard Jim. Great place to get questions answered. If nobody knows the answer, you'll at least get a bunch of smart-ass remarks. All in good fun of course. Love to see some pics of your collection. They're not all settin on the front lawn are they? 29robert [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] La Verne, California Charter Member since November 2004   Posted by Starfire  -  01/31/2008 05:40 PM Heh, heh....... I've been known to hand out a few "smart ass" remarks from time to time as well, so no problem. I'm pretty much of a motor head with a ton of reference material on most Ford and many GM engines and tranny's from the 1950's up through the 1990s and am happy to share info if I have it with anyone with a problem any time. And pics will be posted if I can remember where on the darn hard drive I've stuck them. Things on the old hard drive tend to get a little messy from time to time, just like my garage. "Messy" an alternate term for disorganized! Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas   Posted by tlp1968  -  01/31/2008 05:41 PM Welcome Jim, we love all kinds of "street rods" here. I am a muscle car gal myself but you have found a great hang out at StreetRodding.com. (of course I am bias since I work here) StreetRodding.com Marketing Director [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Springfield, Illinois Charter Member since August 2003   Posted by Starfire  -  01/31/2008 05:53 PM Thanks for all the warm welcomes, and tlp1968 I notice that you are only around 35 miles from where I was born, Jacksonville. Haven't been there since the early days of WW II except to visit relatives and the last time for that was around 1958. (they've either all died or were arrested and jailed, just kidding on the latter). Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas   Posted by ol bear  -  01/31/2008 05:58 PM WELCOME ,,, OL BEAR ,,, GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS AND GALS OL BEAR [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] crown point, Indiana   Posted by '40MercCoupe  -  01/31/2008 06:42 PM Welcome aboard. This is a great place to get answers to questions or even learn a thing or 2. I know I have been learning a great deal from these guys and gals. '40MercCoupe [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Greeneville, Tennessee   Posted by brian41chevy  -  01/31/2008 07:12 PM Welcome Jim There is a fine line between hobby and mental illness [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] New Lenox, Illinois Charter Member since November 2004   Posted by MUDMANDENNY  -  01/31/2008 07:12 PM well jim,-----sounds like you`re gonna fit right in. i`ve learned lots on this site,generally what not to do!!!other times i just file things (mentally, of course) for future reference. i`m also accomplished at the art of smart@$$ comments. MUDMANDENNY [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] MCDONALD, Ohio   Posted by CrowsSynthetics  -  01/31/2008 07:29 PM I like to throw warm welcome as well. As far as your mess I would call it organized chaos as it is in my shop. You just have to look a little longer or remember were you left it, i will just look for it. Bill Bill Crow - www.FreeOilHelp.com [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] St. Clair, Missouri   Posted by eriq  -  01/31/2008 07:51 PM Starfire, let's see some pictures of those cars of yours! Just click "myAccount", then click the "myRide" link and upload some pics to your account! StreetRodding.com Webmaster [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Palm Harbor, Florida   Posted by blksheep  -  01/31/2008 08:14 PM OOOHHHH, MAN,.......................... Another Texan. Just Great. Ain't you people got a cow to rope or a horse to shoe or something that has to do with a shovel??????????? shine, Leon, who knows who else and now,...............Starfire. Great. Well,..........Pull up a chair and join in. And BTW,..........in case nobodys told you yet,.......NEWBEES BUY THE BEER! Welcome, Jim. blksheep..."No,...warm and fuzzy is what it WAS, ...before I ran over it"...in Charlotte blksheep [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Charlotte, North Carolina   Posted by farmer  -  01/31/2008 09:55 PM After driving home from Springfield in today's little snow storm Texas is looking good. Welcome aboard Jim. farmer [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Carthage, Illinois   Posted by tlp1968  -  01/31/2008 10:09 PM Which Springfield were you in Farmer. Mine is getting 5-8 inches of the white stuff. StreetRodding.com Marketing Director [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Springfield, Illinois Charter Member since August 2003   Posted by dixie  -  01/31/2008 10:19 PM Yea BLKSHEEP your right about that texas thing, but u ant gonna win no bout with SHINE, that wasn't no fuzzy thing it was one of them beer drinking texas armadillos that the tex mascot. Hey Starfire what is a 55/57 seville didn't know they made them back then ,but in the meantime WELCOME SHOW NOW THATS REALLY FUNNY YA"LL HAVE FUN IN IT YOU HEAR> DIXIE { just telling it like it is down south } jim grace [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] dade city, Florida Charter Member since January 2006   Posted by farmer  -  01/31/2008 10:41 PM Yours Tammy. Now you understand why Texas is looking better. farmer [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Carthage, Illinois   Posted by BigAlBre  -  02/01/2008 03:58 PM Let me add my welcome Jim..... I was covering a car show in Indiana and came across a 57 Mercury two door post car that had three on the tree and tri carbs.... never seen one before or since.... bet you would have liked that.... there's a picture on this site somewhere... I'll look for it I found it.... "Spud Nationals 2003".... check out the 57 mercury.... Big Al sittin back pickin & grinning in paradise. [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Saint Petersburg Beach, Florida Charter Member since June 1999   Posted by DavyJ  -  01/31/2008 10:49 PM Welcome aboard, enjoy the "camaRODerie" '58 Merc brings back memories, my dad drove one for years. 4 door hardtop, cool stuff. Still driving the wife's car, cause I am slow. [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Niagara Falls, Canada Charter Member since February 2005   Posted by Starfire  -  02/01/2008 10:39 PM Wow, so many great welcomes it's going to be hard to properly respond to all the comments. But here goes: Dixie, '56 was the first year Cadillac put a hard top on what had been simply the Eldorado, which was a convertible model only, and they dubbed it Eldorado Seville to distinguish it from the convertible. Actually it was nothing but a Coupe de Ville with bigger fins and a bit different chrome trim along with an engine with dual quads (a real gas hog). The '57 has the same roof line as the '58 Impala and a rear end that looks as if it were '53 Corvette but with huge fins. The '57 has the same dual quad setup and understandably also a gas hog. And for all you guys in the mid West suffering in the snow tonight it got up to 70 degrees here today before the cold front that is dumping all the snow where you are came rolling through, may get down to 40 degrees before morning. BigAlBre - that '57 Merc with the tri carb setup you mentioned probably had the Indy Pace Car engine. Should be a 368 that would have been built by Bill Stroppe of NASCAR racing fame. In '58 there was a optional monster 3X2 setup on a 430 block, also done by Stroppe, known as the Super Marauder which was rated at 400 hp and produced an ungodly amount of torque. DavyJ - the '58 Mercury I have is almost identical to the one my Dad special ordered in October of 1957 and it is those special memories of that car which lead me to buying the one I have after years of searching. The engine mods I did to it were to get rid of a number of design flaws which caused poor upper engine oiling and a major problem of valves kissing pistons, all thanks to a valve train design done by an idiot. If any of you guys are 348/409 Chevy owners, the 430 Ford engine is nearly identical in basic design concept with the firing chamber in the block rather than in the heads. blksheep - gottcha covered on the beer.... just found a case of Old Frothingslosh in the trunk of a parts car I pulled in about a year ago from Tennessee.... Thanks again to all of you for the warm welcome. Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas   Posted by dale  -  02/01/2008 06:59 AM Welcome. I usually just set back and watch, but I just have had my second knee replacement and have a little time on my hands. Maybe I'll see you at some of the Good- guy or NSRA events. I get to a few. dale [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Dekalb, Illinois   Posted by JAWS  -  02/01/2008 09:18 AM Welcome We are a motley crew and we have bad habits................... An electrical headache can make a great car a pain [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Boise, Idaho Charter Member since August 2004   Posted by roofcam34  -  02/02/2008 12:41 AM Welcome, Jim! I am pretty new myself. I came in looking for help and got a ton of from these folks. Now I mostly just watch and try to learn something. I'm an old dog so it's tough to teach me. I can't say too much on here, or they will beat me up for having a Streetbeast. A bunch of good, fun-loving guys and gals here. Enjoy!! Leo (roofcam34) [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Sioux City, Iowa   Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  02/02/2008 08:59 AM leo, theres more than one streetbeast on this site. it's a touchy subject and always ends up hurting somebody's feelings. would i advise you to buy one ? no but i wont beat you up for having one. my biggest problem with them is the thieving ,lying , low life , scum bag people who run the co. they work harder to screw you than it would be to just do it right. as i've said before " if there's a smile behind the windshield , all is good" dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003   Posted by 41 Kustom  -  02/02/2008 09:25 AM I'm in a few other car sites but this one is the best. It's like bench raceing with your local club members. I don't think they care to much what your car is as long as your a motor head. All cars have somthing to offer. I'm fairly new to, but I've gotton a lot of help already. you'll like it here. 41 Kustom [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Essex, Vermont   Posted by Starfire  -  02/02/2008 10:26 AM roofcam34 - thanks for the welcome. While I'm not the world's biggest fan of kit cars no one should rag on anyone over having one. Logic dictates if one wants the look of those great 1930's and some 1940's cars that's the only way they'll probably get look considering there aren't too many real survivors around. Of all the Kit cars around the most ridiculous is the 1957 Chevy convertible offered by a company in Ohio. That kit doesn't appear to have anyway to add a real top, nor does it appear to be braced well enough to support one. Kinda falls into the same vogue as trying to convert a '57 Chevy two door hardtop into a convertible without adding the extra center braces found in convertibles. Just won't work out right! Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas   Posted by blade58  -  02/02/2008 04:15 PM Welcome aboard i accidently found this site and it is a great site and they steer you in the right direction these are great people here blade58 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] apopka, Florida Charter Member since January 2008   Posted by flagator79  -  02/02/2008 06:58 PM Welcome on board Jim. There are some great and knowledgeable folks who frequent - and sometimes park- on this site. Think about becoming a member. We would love to adopt you and make you psychotic like most of the rest of us. Post some pictures of your tin so we can see. Again, welcome to the site. Skeet If the world was fair, the worm would eat the bird half the time [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] West Monroe, Louisianna Charter Member since December 2005   Posted by robymarks  -  02/03/2008 09:18 PM Welcome. Great site with great folks! robymarks [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Houston, Texas Charter Member since October 2005   Posted by tlp1968  -  02/04/2008 12:17 PM Hey Jim coming from J'Ville I now know you are a true street rodder. Jacksonville has some beautiful cars and a great cruise and show in September. Maybe you should visit again, like in July when we have our "no show" car show in Springfield! And note to Leo, we still luv ya man, street beast and all! StreetRodding.com Marketing Director [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Springfield, Illinois Charter Member since August 2003   Posted by Starfire  -  02/04/2008 01:32 PM tlp1968 - I thought he nearest thing to a street rod in J'ville was a Model M Farmall..(grin). I have some not so fond remembrances of that part of the world from a visit in July of 1956 I think it was, might have been 1957. Terrible summer! On the 14th of July the temperature reached 114 degrees. We escaped the heat by jumping into our '55 Mercury, which had factory air, and motoring over to Springfield to the Black Angus Restaurant. Needless to say in those days anyone driving around with all their windows rolled up when it was that hot got a lot of strange looks, as in "You people must be crazy." Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas   Posted by tlp1968  -  02/04/2008 01:52 PM Yes the old Black Angus, they had great steaks! The original restaurant is gone sorry to say. As far as J'Ville for Street Rods, well they have a huge club in the area that does a wonderful show and a cruise nite that is so busy the traffic is end to end through the town. I noticed a big change when the Gebhardt family opened their shop and began building radical pro street cars in the early 80's and were in all the Car Craft magazines. But I will say they are also still a hot spot for Farmall tractors and antique tractors of all kinds. My husband's family was part of the founding group out at Prarie Land (which has also grown to an amazing size) where people come from all over to see the steam engines and have some ham and beans made the old way. I don't even like ham and beans but I will eat them there. As for the heat, well it is still hot but I would not say we have many 100+ degree days. StreetRodding.com Marketing Director [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Springfield, Illinois Charter Member since August 2003

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