Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

Page 4 has all updated info

Well since this is a build thread and will be on-going for a while, and since I only have enough cash flow for one big part at a time it will be a while. I promise you this will not be boring at all..........So lets start with when I got this baby...I call her Amy...

This is the condition I bought her in, from another member on here
Kinda sad, this was the exact collage used in the selling post

In my garage


I got her rode worthy soon after, took off and sold the rusty old pacesetters and replaced em with the stock stuff so I could pass emissions


Then when I graduated in '09 from high school I was promised a car for it but seeing as I already had 1 the deal came to be that on my birthday I'd get a paintjob, and so I did. But before I got on I had to decide on a color, I searched for weeks on Tech searching for a color I liked then I came across a color that really popped out at me in the For Sale section, a color called Dragons Breath and I imediately fell in love with the color, It was a 2 tone color that would change from red to black depending on the light.

The next delema was finding a shop that was resonably priced to what was afforbable at the time.........Believe it or not Maaco was the winner and had that color just a different name called Formal Red by Sherman Williams

Pic time: This wasn't what anyone was expecting but it came out better than I thought


I thought it was pretty neat that this came out a few minutes after I got there


Here you can see most of the colors, yes I know molding was missing


Then last year I was heading down to So IL to see a friend and all of a sudden the trans went into passing gear(3rd) and it would shift into 4th so I pulled into the rest stop to see if anything was leaking and put the t-tops back on since it started leaking, the as I was about to leave I put it into reverse and I heard was grinding and I wasn't moving anywhere, put it into neutral and pushed it out of the spot, put it into drive it shifted HARD then got up to 3k rpm and it shifted hard again....So what happened is it overheated and blew up some planetaries and I lost Rev, 2nd, and 4th. I turned around and cruised home doing 80mph in 3rd gear and I made it, then drove it to work since I was going to take off the weekend but since that happened I figured I needed as much cash as I could get.

I talked to Finish Line Transmission and learned that their literally 15 minutes away from me, I ended up getting a Level 4 build from them just incase I wanted to do and engine mods later it be backed up. But on install I forgot to put the top hat for the dipstick and it overheated due to leaking trans fluid, so I had to bring it back to them again and dish out more cash for my screw up. Remember always check and recheck your work if you don't you WILL be doing it again.

Pic time


New tans with goodies


Proof


Well D-day came for the engine shortly, and I did eventually make the trip to my friends but a week after I discovered there was a crack in the block covered up by jb-weld. It was a stress crack when someone ran Nos through it. But ten on the way to motorcycle class on the highway I missed the exit and was already running late so I turned around floored it, and it went to 7k RPM's no rev limit, no nothing, it went silent, then I noticed it shut of , I through it in neutral a tried cranking it over since I bypassed my NSS, Nothing. I coasted at 80 mph from the far left lane across 6 lanes of traffic to the shoulder, and waited for a tow. I took a look under the hood and pulled off the Slp lid, Once I noticed coolant and oil mixed I knew the engine was done.

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

So if any of you viewers are following/reading this you'd notice no engine pics except the 1st 2, So here we go the engine swap from very beginning to where I am now

Stopped progress on my ground up rebuild of my 86 Trans Am, and pushed it to the far side of the garage and threw the rest of storage to make room for another roomate.


Then onto putting Amy into the garage, sorry for the trippy picture I started working on her almost immediately


Up the body goes, out the engine comes


There it is


I pulled the heads and found out what happened, one of these things are not like the other one popped into my head right away


And the money shot, ME....I know what your thinking, how cliche< did I spell that right?


I picked my LQ4 up this passed Saturday from another Tech member, a lovely 8 hour drive there and back, perfect timing to go to work, but it was well worth it



Any good?


All cleaned up and ready for paint


One side primed with Rustoleum Engine Primer


Then Painted it to match the car color....hehe, 79 Bronco in the background


The intake and fuel rails were next, same color


More to come later today, I have to go to sleep, wake up and see if I'm up to freezing outside again

MTBSully

iTrader: (7)

looks good man keep it up

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

So an update so the day, I painted my engine bay black, since it would match the driver side strut tower, the passanger side needed to be repainted. I'll wait till tomorrow to see how it looks in the light and if I have any time I'll paint the drivers side and radiator support pics of the firewall and pass side.

Before


After


And theres the trans....waiting to mated to an engine once again.
Time for work, more updates this weekend

RacerXLs1

iTrader: (14)

Damn, I cant belive that happeaned... Looks good so far George. Andrew

MYSTIC-1SC

iTrader: (14)

Looking good.

throttlejunkie1

iTrader: (10)

I think you spelled cliche right.....cant wait to see the final. You gonna get #'s when your done?

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

Hell yea I am, without any of the modz that I want to put on it, it will hopefully make 370rwhp, I HOPE. I'll add my modz once I finish my wish list of them, so many parts, so little checks

TransWS6Am

iTrader: (41)

I like what you have done with the car, expect for the color, but thats just my opinion. You need something to replace those wagon wheel too.

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

As an update there really isnt one, My bike slid out from under me going around a curve Tuesday morning and I have been recovering my right leg from a bad knee sprain 20* weather is not the best to ride in on sport tires.

I will be ordering my LT headers once I get my direct deposit in an hour. Also some little supension goodies, and maybe if there's enough money left over I'll get new speakers for my system , I know that stage is a little down the road but might as well prepare for it, plus I'll keep myself busy taking apart and putting the interior back together.

SnIpEz

iTrader: (4)

Sweet build, will definitely be keeping an eye out on this thread. I don't mind the color you chose at all, not completely sure how I feel about it, but I definitely like it more than dislike. It's unique, and for once, not in a shitty way.

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

Hooker Headers ordered!!!! Now just to stop buy at Speed Inc later today and get some more goodies....suspension wise and maybe, maybe, take my girlfriend out to dinner.....

Vader TA

iTrader: (4)

nice man

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

Well it took a while since I've been recovering from my bike fall Tuesday. So today my girlfriend came over and help me tackle getting the engine in. It wasnt so easy I had to drill and tap the mounting bracket for the alternator, it was a pain since the bit is hard to find, 13/32 for a 11/32 bolt tap.

I cleaned the oil pan from the old engine that had pieces of the connecting rod in it


Then I had to get a new windage tray since the old one had a downward hole in it. Thanks Speed Inc for getting one ASAP


On go the tray and pick up tube


Then the pan


If anyone wants to know where to tap the hole its right on the end in a place that looks as it needs a hole


Here the tool used for it, Autozone has em for $30


Half way in getting it to clear the firewall


Then all done, wouldn't have been possible without my girlfriend there.


Then tomorrow she's coming over and we'll finish putting everything on, transmission, heads, water pump, ps, wiring harnes...etc. Then to wait for Wenesday or Thurday for my Hookers to come in....yes I did not wait I want to be able to start it up right when they get installed

If anyone needs anymore info on making the hole for the Alt bracket, Ill get more pics up tomorrow.

riceburnerZ28

iTrader: (20)

Good luck with the build. Love the paint!

SnIpEz

iTrader: (4)

Man you have a girlfriend that helps you with your car?? That's beyond ******* win

Firehawk896

iTrader: (6)

Yes it is, I told a co-worker what I was doing and then I mentioned she was wanting to help, he looked me straight in the eye and said "Marry her" then walked off, I lmao'd. But yes I have to say its pretty nice having a person with smaller hands getting in to tighter areas (giggidy) to get a fallen bolt or do some extra wrenching.

So for an update, since somehow I forgot to put something up, the day after my last post the gf did come back over to help me finsh putting everything else back on, she helped with the heads and intake, got a suprise shot of her working since shes camera shy to prove shes been helping but she won't let me put it up, Intake went on and since the headers didnt come til 4 days after they didnt go in yet but when they did I coated them with the VHT Flame Proof header paint.

Pic time
You can see her hand tightening down the valve bolts



Intake on with wires


Headers came right when I woke up so I got right to work on em



Then painted


Heres what I use for my headers, this is the second time I've used this can on a second set of headers with 3 coats each


Headers went in fine and got a few scrapes but nothing a little touch-up can't fix, Transmission followed but since I misplaced most to all of the mounting bolts I still have my jack supporting it with 2 bolts holding it in.

I got the front accessories on but I ran into a snag when I realized that I still had the truck pulley on the engine, I got the bolt out without a problem, but I broke my 2 jaw puller while trying to get it off, so friday when I get paid I'll go and get a new 3 jaw puller and 8 new bellhousing bolts so I don't have mixmatched bolts holding the trans to the engine. Otherwise I'd have everything done and it probably have it started by now if I wasn't stupid with my money the past 4 months.

Since I'm bored and got off work really early today, I decided to make a list of what else I need to do once I have enough money saved up.

Window motors and regulators
Matching keys for all the locks.....3 is enough for door keys right?
Under hood lighting, I'm thinking the red/orange like the dash is
All new speakers for the whole car, 2 stock ones in the rear sail panels, 2 4" speakers out of my friends honda....they have a nice sound for how old they are, then the 4 blown speakers in the door panels.....wow how ghetto do I sound.

All fluids
Bolts for bellhousing to engine
Fast 102 Intake with NW 102 TB
Cam/Heads package new or used doesnt matter
High perf oil pump
double roller timing chain
either a 3600 or 3800 converter
STS tail lights.....I know people
Fog lights <----thers 2 holes where they should be

BOBS99SS

iTrader: (2)

Looks good man,yeah I wish my girl would help me working on the ride sometimes lol,nice build though,paint looks great,would look even better on some ccdubs lol,

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

Impressive skills & car.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

man that is a neat color