After Some time under the car, Have some questions/concerns Options

[purple]

Hey Guys,

I spent some time this weekend with the car on jackstands...the fall-on-you kind.

At any rate, I found out some things about my engine:

I have the taco plate and sender, but I CANT find the green & black temp wire ANYWHERE in or under the car.

I'm missing the engine tin on the driver's side of the car underneath, which the top tin looks like it's not from a 2.0L because there are closed up holes and stuff that look like converted 1.7 or 1.8 tin.

I have AMC heads.

I DO NOT have a thermostat bellows, cable, and I couldnt find a pulley.

A couple of the pushrod tubes on the passenger side look slightly dented.

I have hydraulic lifters.

What should I do guys? Should I run it hard and drop a seat so I have an excuse to send it to Jake?

[Spoke]

Was the temperature gauge a factory item or did someone retrofit? I put a temp gauge on my 71 and had to run a wire from the relay board to the taco plate/sender.

About the thermostat, it's only function is to speed up the heat-up of the engine when cold. Unlike thermostats on water-pumpers, this one opens up completely when the engine warms. In your climate, you may not need to install one.

Spoke

[purple]

It's a 76, so the wiring to the center console exists. The P.O. said I'd have to run a wire to hook up the temp gauge, the combo gauge looks like a retrofit, but the green&black wire is there and wired to SOMETHING.