Thanks Nate! Yeah the two weeks helped me jump start this overhaul I don't know where is be with out it ... I figured this would be my only chance prior to retirement to do all this because of family and work ... So I jumped on it!

 

Great thread!

Work can sure get in the way of a decent hobby, can't it?

John

 

I started to take out the rest of the interior


I pulled molds from my friends car/my old car so that I can repair the fiberglass damage to the front corners.


I also went to harbor freight and got 2- 25ft air hoses, T coupler, water seperator, desiccant filter, the Purple HVLP gun(practice and primer), and some other misc stuff. I ordered 4-4oz colors from HOK that I really like (1 metallic, 1 pearl, 2 "Kandy"s(not REAL candy process) 3 blues and one green.

I have a few other things to keep me busy for a little while, but before I go to spray an actual vehicle I want to get a decent gun...

I posted a thread asking about the Eastwood Concours HVLP that only uses 4CFM... which sounds fishy to me.. as in something has to give...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/pain...only-4cfm.html

I have ~13.3 CFM @40psi from 54gal of air from the two compressors (33gal Craftsman, 21 gal Harbor freight)

I figured the Concours would work good off of just the craftsman AC, but if it isn't up to snuff then I need to find a better gun that will work with what I have air wise...any recommendations? Plese keep in mind, I'm a first timer and on a budget (>300)

Thanks!

 

I finally got the old seat belt re-inforcements off new ones painted and installed!



Today my brother came over and I finished tearing down the engine and loaded the block in my truck to take to the machine shop in the morning



I also practiced painting today.. granted it was on an uneven rusty peice of metal previously known as my gas tank cover.

I laid each one over 2in wide stripes of primer (dark gray, light gray, white, black) to see how each would affect the top coat

I used House of Kolor:

Kandy base coat Cobalt blue



Kandy base coat Organic green


Pearl cortez blue (looks too dark in most angles)


Metallic Stratto blue


Choices...choices...choices....

Atleast now I have something to stare at while I do the motor and body work!

P.S. Called keisler today and they said my transmission which already had a 90 day wait will be delayed by atleast two weeks.....

 

Well I have picked/bought most of the peices for my engine

383 Forged stroker kit
-Flat top pistons -6.4 valve releif
Jegs(Canfield) 200CC Aluminum heads 72cc combustion chamber
Edelbrock Performer Airgap (spreadbore)

Depending on gasket I should have ~9.6-10.1 =:1 static compression ratio
I need to get my block assembled and measure the deck clearence before I make that decision as I want to keep quench good and tight.

I haven't decided on a cam yet..

I'm thinking
Comp Cams 270H or XE268H

a retro roller is not in my budget... way too much other stuff to pay for!
I know I'll just have to use the right oil to keep the flat tappets....well..flat and the cam whole lol

 

I decided on the CC 270H I received my block back from the machine shop. When assembling my rods and pistons to find that the snap rings they provided were the wrong size!!! So I am waiting on the correct snap rings before I continue with the engine assembly.

This is probably a good thing because I gives me a few more days to work on the engine bay. I have taken out the heater/AC box and cleaned up the fire wall and passenger side of the engine bay. I'm planing on cutting a peice of sheet metal to fit over the AC/Heater box until I can afford the Vintage air kit.. you can find my old stuff in the F/S section soon.



The Body is back on the frame now!!
Here she is dropping back on!




I have also fixed all the body gaps and torqued down the body mounts with the exception of the #1's because I may need a little flex as I install the front bumber crash bar.


I took the steering column out because I found that I some how compressed it when taking off the steering coupler. I found out from Jim Shea's papers that it can happen and I just need to pull it apart again.

I also ran into an issue with my front Passenger side fender.. it is popped out a little

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...my-fender.html

Turns out the bonding at the very bottom has came loose.. and the door was canted in at the bottom because the top hinge was popped out a little; the bird cage was stressed our around the bolts for the hinge. It looks like some one hung on the door or something to make this happen. Both look like easy fixes!

 

It has been a while.. deadlines have come and gone... I guess that is why most don't even bother with them! This restoration is now cresting the 1 year mark, atleast it should only be one driving season lost..actually if I get stationed in FL or HA next then there won't be "a" season

So much has been done since I was last on here...

Any way the engine is complete

383 Stroker
Original block (machinist said it was the straightest virgin block he has seen in YEARS) wanted to know where I found such a thing
Fully forged internals I-beam connecting rods
flat top pistons with -5cc valve relief
Jegs (canfield) aluminum heads 195CC intake runners 72cc combustion chamber
Edelbrock Performer Airgap intake
750 cfm Rochester QuadraJet build by SMI (Sean Murphy Induction)
CompCams magnum 270H, lifters, pushrods, timing set

POR-15 engine paint: While it did work, I wouldn't recommend it. I LOVED POR 15 for the frame, but the engine paint did not self level as well and did not apply smoothly. I think if it is used one should thin and spray it as the brush did not do it justice.

here she is

 

Great thread! You're too hard on yourself with this project. A lot of us have been trying to get our projects done for several years now. Watching your progress keeps me inspired. There always seems to be something else that gets in the way of garage time.

Thanks for posting all the great pictures!

John

 

Thanks John, its hard not to be hard on yourself...

It seems that around every turn a new small issue comes up that stops progress or I find I need one more new bolt and cannot find it any where and have to wait for shipping...thus i concur with the idea that you need to expect to spend twice the time you plan on your project...
some also say twice the $, but I set a budget and have stuck to it (didn't want the car to be WAY more than it was worth) and have shopped around, used a discount code at EVERY check out and made it work so far!

I'm about to get another "Two Weeks Vacation" except this time I won't be dedicating 80 hours to the vette... I will be dedicating about 336 hours to my Son as soon as he is born

Needless to say I am going to try and get my butt in gear and get some more work done before he gets here!

Next on the list:
-Clean/paint bellhousing
-Install flywheel/clutch/bellhousing
-Install Keisler RS400 and driveshaft
-Bolt up headers and side pipes (XS power)
-Strip/paint front crashbar/radiator support
-install ^
-Install radiator and plumbing
-Install carb and plumbing

Engine/cam Break-in

-Source missing parts for Hydroboost (pushrod, spider lock, bushing, spring that all rest inside the hydroboost where it connects to the master cylinder)
-Install MC and bleed brakes

Drive down the road while missing the Passenger door ... if it hasn't snowed yet but snow will have probably of fallen... it is Ohio... I don't understand why we are having so much rain.

-Fix bonding area on lower PS fender in door jam area
-install door

....body work and.....The painting prep process.........................

 

First start up happened last night :-D ohh does she sound good! She ran for about 5 minuets while my Uncle (Shade Tree turned ASE Mechanic) taught me to do a "messy valve adjustment" and we shut her down. I'm bringing over his barn fan and we are doing the 20 minute break in on Wednesday. Then I'll change the oil, put the passenger door on, bleed the brakes, install the seats and rip it down the street a few times :-D Then back to the garage for the next steps

Video to come....life calls for now

Time is getting short.. I have about two weeks until my house is packed up and a month before I move back to the land of Aloha

 

Breakin and the oil change went well, only revealed minimal metal particals on the magnetic oil plug. Unfortunatly my headers did "blue" after the break in.. a little further down the pipes than I had through they would.

Bled the brakes.. easy day (been there done that)

I welded tabs on the my seat rails to mount my fiero seats (Mr.Mikes covers should be here soon) Now I just have to mock them up and drill the holes

Here is a video of the valve adjustment.. the exhaust has a weird ping right now due to the O2 bung being unplugged.. need to find a plug for that

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...type=3&theater

Me: Young guy on left, left Uncle, Right Dad

Not the best sound in this video, I'll have to get a video of it at idle .. she sounds sweet

I bought primer and a gun today:
SPI Epoxy
DeVILBISS TENKA COPPER #DEV 703488

 

Video link doesn't work

 

excellent video's, if I could make a suggestion as someone who's done that alot, a heavier hammer, easier on you and quicker

 

I just saw the ball joint separation videos. Wow, I have to say that it was very painful to watch someone beating the **** out of that spindle forging. I prefer to use a tapered fork or screw type remover.

John

 

Beautiful work , I love following these threads

Thanks

 

I guess b/c its a facebook upload.... I'll try to get it up another way in the next few days.

 

the way he did it is actually better than the pickle fork if the ball joints are good, and even with bad ball joints, bigger hammer.

 

Agree w/ the Bigger hammer, I'm glad that part is well over!!!

I mocked up my drivers seat today and drilled the holes in the tabs I welded onto the original seat rails.

The clutch linkage didn't get here today... It is supposed to be in in the morning, but we will see. Soon as it is here and I get my clutch going I'm gonna be nearly ready to cruise around the block a few times.

 

I stripped all the paint off via razor blades, made and glassed in my corner repairs, blocked the body with 180, Primed with two wet coats of SPI epoxy. I planned on blocking with 180 again today but the epoxy still wasn't cured well enough so I sat it out in the sun for a while and worked on my seats instead.

Half way stripped... I forgot to snap a finished shot






After two coats of SPI Epoxy





Fiero Seats with Mr. Mikes Letherette covers

 

Nice job on those seats....never realized the Fiero seats looked so close to stock.