mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Dropped the wheels off for refinishing last week, should have them back in early-Feb.

This weekend was about doing a bunch of little things as time allowed. Ran the nitrous main line from the back to front, and for some reason I felt compelled to build the adapters for the inner coils for the weight-jacker setup. I will post pics after they are painted, currently they are sitting in some Evaporust getting cleaned up.

87mcss

Cant remember, are you running a frame notch? if so is it a full notch or just to the seam?

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Notched to the seam in the factory rail in the wagon, I was limited by the ability to keep the fold-down seat fitting and working properly. When I do the notch in the MCSS it will be right to the inner wall... we're going to fit some 390 M&Hs in there.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Still chipping away at things little by little. Got back to fitting the Pypes exhaust, and I am using that term loosely. While definitely not the worst kit on the market, it darn sure isn't the best. The general fitment is being a bit of a chore finding acceptable clearances around critical parts (things that move, things that aid stopping, and things that go boom if they get too hot) and the lack of predetermined hangers provides little guidance for the installation process. Then there is the issue of fitting the mid-pipes and the x-pipe which is a complete and total debacle, especially as it relates to the pipes running under the floorboards; I am going to have to get some adjustability into the hangers (which I also have to build, another nice bonus) to lower them as necessary. About the only positives are the front pipes are centred under the G-force cross member, and the QTP cutouts fit snugly into the pockets under the rear seats.

After picking metal slivers out of my raw back (I really need to get a hoist), I decided that I should remain upright and measured for the push rods. Picked up an 8" caliper and a Comp Cams adjustable push rod - a few hours later (lots of triple checking) the numbers are in. Time to order some sticks.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

The cat back portion of the exhaust is fitted and hung. I swear I will never buy another Pypes exhaust - the lack of hangers has left a lot to be desired thus far. Next time - Hooker all the way. At any rate it is in and solid now thanks to some backyard engineering and sheer ignorance.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

I have the flu, and that gave me the time to finish this.

I figured since the car is just a "what if" I figured it should have a back story.

The dealership I used as a start was a high-performance Pontiac group from West Vancouver, BC that made its own line of specialty models (think, a Canadian Yenko) called Royal (Conroy) Pontiac (http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/tr...47&extension=0) which shut down in 1981. The time line fits the age of the car. Royal used Beaumonts (aka Chevelles) and dubbed them Cheetahs. So why not a Judge, right? The interesting thing about most Canadian Ponchos is that they used Chevy power.

I dug through lots of resources looking for regular and GTO/Judge RPOs to create a believable (passable?) window sticker. In truth, it is a giant rectal pluck (albeit an accurate one), but if I age the paper and laminate it should make for a nice conversation piece at the local car show.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Almost a month between updates? What gives?! Life mostly.

Most of the last few weeks where spare time was made available to me have been spent tweaking and tinkering with many of the parts I had previously installed (like the rear suspension, exhaust, wiring up the cutouts, and other less than exciting things). Fortunately there is still lots more of that to go - so I will never get bored.

I've been putting off installing the engine for about a month believing that my brother would be dropping by for a visit. Nope - he was sent to China by the US auto industry to sort out the Chinese (he is THAT guy). Spring is coming and I wanted this off my plate... so I threw the car up on the wheel cribs. Grabbed Natasha to help ditch the hood. Reorganized the garage so I could approach the car over the DS fender. Bolted the engine and trans together (had exactly .125" set back for the converter to flex plate, this Coan and Hughes assembly fit way better than the Yank and CAT units I used in the TBSS which I had to shim the crap out of to get into spec). Dropped the nose of the car toward the floor and got to stabbing the drive train and headers in. Found out that the 1" set back engine mounts made the G-Force cross member fit like total poop - going to chop it up to suit (set it back an inch and drop it down a 1/8" or so). Somewhere around 2 AM it was all in, went inside to eat some yogurt, and watch some AvE on the YouTubes.

Oh, and the Hooker headers fit great with the Moroso mounts and Car Shop set back plates!

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

I forced myself to modify the crossmember in the evenings this week. Reason being that when the engine and trans assembly went in last week the back of the trans pan butted up against the crossmember because of the 1" setback, and the Energy Suspension mount would not sit on it. Fair enough.

I cut and moved the flanges 1" to account for the need, and added some gussets; also moved them 1/4" up, which effectively dropped the crossmember removing the interference with the floor pan (because using a jack to reshape the floor as per the installation instructions is just a shitty concept). Further to this I sectioned the transmount surface down about 1/4". All of this allowed the crossmember to be fit easier into the chassis, the nearly 2" tall transmount to be used, and got the floorboard clear allowing me to reinstall the PS heat shielding (and avoid cooking Natasha's feet with header and cat heat).

Right now the driveline angle is sitting at 4* down - which is workable.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Mounted section width 13.5", and fit fine. Added 1.5" to the rad hold down support because the Griffin rad is huge. Started making room for the A/C compressor... I didn't notch it enough the first time. And we aren't going anywhere for awhile.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

I finished renotching the frame and the compressor fits like a glove now. One of my main objectives has been to maintain accessibility to OEM parts in this build what with so many pieces coming from a donor 4th Gen F-body - because who wants to try and service a car with one-off parts while out on a road trip? Not me. I want to be able to call up any jobber and get bits and pieces with relative ease and little delay.

With this in mind we are using a hybrid system of F-body and G-body AC parts. The main lines coming off the compressor are factory F-body - these will likely be the main failure point down the road - and are easy to find. I spliced in the hard lines from a Grand National from the Receiver/Dryer and the Condenser using the F-body connectors. This allowed me to integrate the 4th Gen Pressure Valve. Interestingly the Evaporator already had the "blue" Ford hi-flow orifice tube in it - so I kept it as it only had 5000 miles on it and was clean. Also, I decided to use the OEM style condenser vs. the Spectra replacement since it is rumored to exchange heat better due its size, volume, and fin density.

Mocked up the heater lines, I want to put a mechanical bypass valve in place later on - probably just use a ball valve and brass tees.

I also built some double flare to -6 AN adapter fittings to connect the F-body trans cooler lines to the aftermarket bits. Nothing to crazy, just some drilling and tapping.

And one header is hung using Stage 8 locking header bolts, I imagine this thing will try and rattle them free.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Got some more stuff painted, bolted on, and fabricated this weekend. Wire, cable, hose and tube management is a huge time consumer - the only reward is not having stuff wear through at a later date; call it reliability. Had a huge issue fitting the DS cat on the header thanks to the G-Force crossmember being in the way (again), granted this is a byproduct of the motor mount adapter plates moving the engine up and the Hooker headers being designed for a set of motor mounts (Hooker's own) that would set the engine lower, and that I modified the aforementioned G-Force crossmember - just another victim of stacking tolerances. This forced me to build an S-pipe to reorient the cat down to and to the inside (about 1/2" - 3/4"); however, the side benefit is that I found a home for the WBO2 sensor.

I still have to find the parts (and means) to connect the ignition lockout switch from the column.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Elephant ***** intake complete.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Nothing major to report.

However, I did get the throttle cable connected last night which allowed me to sit behind the steering wheel making vroom-vroom noises while playing with the throttle and shifting gears (as if I am the only one who does this). Also, I got the best-worst noise ever when I turned the key on - the fuel pump primed!

All things being equal I might be able to get it to start and run this weekend - but, still need a driveshaft in order to move it.

Back to checking for leaks.

Number1

iTrader: (1)

Awesome wagon build. I love at things a/g body related. Where did you get the radiator support from, I need one. Thanks and get that wagon finished already.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Thanks!; and I actually modified the stock Cutlass/GN one that came with the car. I widened it by 1.5" right down the middle. It was a nightmare to do, I would recommend buying the $85 one off of eBay.

OLDSMAN

Do you mean that you widened the radiator opening? I put a Grand National replacement radiator in my 83 wagon (still has the 305 engine) and it fit the same as the original. It has a one row core which is 1.25" wide.

One other little thing: Don't these engines require constant water circulation between the 2 heater ports on the engine? I you put a valve in one of the lines to the heater, couldn't you use like a 3 port valve to put the system into recirculate when no heat is desired inside the vehicle? I think valves like that exist.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Dude this is a Griffin LS-swap rad which I think is 3-3.5" thick, plus the fan is tucked up under there now too. Not exactly apples to apples here.

Sure that or a simple ball valve teed in should work (I am not bother by a little manual labour). We'll see how much we are bothered by the constant heat before I make that choice. ACDelco 15-5533 looks like a winner.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Just got a little more of the little things done. Installed a very large power steering fluid cooler because these F-body pumps love to boil fluid. Got the four corner steamlines done for $20 in parts. And repurposed a truck tank vapour line - nothing like straightening 36"+ of hard line just to immediately re-bend it.

It is all the little little things that take so much time. I plan on skipping over a lot of this crap when I redo my MCSS (will be so much simpler) - but for this build we need it on the up and up.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Two steps forward, three steps back.

Had to fix a few silly *** issues today, so the car hasn't been started yet. The $300 pushrods are in, oil and trans fluid added, and the start up tune is written (hopefully watching Monty Python doesn't interfere with my crapsmanship).

Maybe tomorrow.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Didn't get to start it... but did find a lovely fuel leak.

Always fun explaining to your 4 year old why you are panicking, while you are panicking, not to walk off with the pile of wrenches you just made, and to stay away from the fuel puddle forming under the differential. Good times. But, this is why we bench test stuff rather than just cranking it over and watching it burn.

Also I managed to leave the key on last night and drained the battery - so it is sitting on the charger.

In the meantime I explained to my garage monkey how a worm gear clamp works, had her help mount the coil packs, and also had her help me remember how to overfill a power steering reservoir (making another puddle and moment of panicked damage control). Then she just went to town sticking the extendable pen magnet onto every surface she could find.

Finished up with some other Mickey Mouse stuff as we are getting closer to launch.