Great info.
I have no problem.doing the welding.

 

I just picked up the heads from my guy at the shop.
706 heads got them milled and valve seals/ spring put in that's all.


I have to take the 4.8 pistons out again since i gapped the rings for boost when i put it together. Since its gonna be NA after all I just slap stock rings on it.

 

Long time no updates since i was travelling

i have at least assembled the Motor for this project and basically ready for drop in
i shaved a couple nothces of the intake for additional hood clearance lets see if it is enough

 

The good ole trusted LS 5.3L power plant.

 

Looks good! Keep giving the updates.
I don't think the evap. solenoid will clear. When I installed my truck intake I had to provide some clearance by trimming the underside of the hood a little where it was contacting the throttle body. I used the factory fuel line manifold also. Not sure if it would have cleared if I didn't have a 2"cowl hood.

 

I had to cut that nipple off and run a screw in the hole, and my engine is really low.
but its a 72 firebird so the hood might be a little different.

 

Finally some update. I was swamped with work and other stuff.

I brought the Z home it was at my buddies shop for storage for a few month. But now its here .
I have already a bunch of rockauto new oem suspension parts. To freshen up the handling + new frame pads new brakes and calipers all the "stay safe" stuff.
I power washed the body and will send off parts to my buddy who will paint it for me. I am aiming for the oem Z28 look white with the blue decals.
wife wants the oem N90 wheels which is ok but I think we can do better. Let's see.

I also picked up a 4l60e that I will send out for rebuild.

I definitely need a lot of oem interior parts. Such as center console, headliner, carpet etc. It's all doable and maybe I am lucky and fibd some good used stuff.

The rear end has slapper bars on it. That I might take off, i also replace all the brake and suspension parts in the rear.
Caswell get a new tank even though it looks like this one us ok but I'll Plat it safe + I probably mod the oem tank for a bosch044 or walbro450 anyways.

Powerwashed it its not that bad.

 

I will see I trimmed a lot of notches off already and I can get rid of more. However the z28 hood has that cowl and has a provission trimmed out of the hood so we will see. Testfit will tell

 

Cool... keep us up to date

 

Git alot if work done this weekend
I feeshend up the front suspension completly..
New lower control arms new brakes and rotors, replaced all bushings, completely new steering arms and tie rods.
Cut 1.5 coils of the Coil springs to achieve a 2 in drop
( 1 coil = 1,5-1,75 in drop, so 1.5 coils should get me there)
fixed parts of the brake lines.
And did the rear as well inspected the 8.2= good, replaced all leaf springs bushings, installed new shocks and a 2 in lowering blocks.
took care of the. Seat belt humps right away since I'm planing on 15x8 /4.5bs with 275/60s in the back.

 

looking good

 

Rear suspension is sorted out with a summit racing sway bar 2" lowering blocks and new shocks.
I am waiting on a mini spool for the 8.5 lol.


I was able to mate motor and trans and drop it in ..
That's Some motivation right there





Fenders hood and Nose are at my buddies paint and body shop to see what's fixable and to get some paint

 

I drive an 02 Z-28 now that has 3.73 gears and a 3400 stall in the 4L60. Also long tubes that are 1 7/8 primaries and tune and I don't like the gears on the freeway............etc. I used to own a 80' Z-28 that engine was mostly stock. it Ran 6.0 sec to 60 with timing between 12,5 and 13 btdc instead of factory 8 btdc. Dual exhaust MSD coil and ignition module and the rochester M4ME (795 cfm) worked and tuned by Me and KYB gas adjust fr and rear brand new T/A big block fr coil springs. BFG 275-50-R15 rear and 265-50-R15 fr. After driving both for so many years 80' 14 years and 02 3 years so far. Oh ya I built a 1986 700R4 including the Gil Younger No Yo Yo sysco cal complete trans reprogramming kit with stock convertor . I thought the factory 3.42 gears were way better all around. In 4th gear conv locked at 2500 rpm's I was going 85 MPH . The 3.73's going like 7.5 MPH slower so to keep up or go a little faster on hwy than traffic the engine RPM's are just out of comfortable range . even with less powerful 80' 350 4bbl. It would still smoke tires all through 1st and halfway through 2nd if I wanted it to. But the 02 will go from 60 to 130 quite a bit quicker and beyond and at least 1 to 2 seconds quicker to 60 than the older camaro. I dont know I guess its each persons preferance

 

If You put 275-60-R15's on back and smaller diameter tires on front You will stop slower going further distance by a considerable amount . Why not 275-50-R15's BFG rear and 265-50-R15 BFG front

 

Its been a Long time ... Lets revisit this guy...
We are sitting in the shop forever..... life gets in the way sometimes ...

however she is painted... back to the stock color with the Orig Z28 stripes and the engine is mated to a TH350 and dropped in..
i have a ACES jackpot or the engine management ...
further i collected alot of parts... new wheels and tires and interior pieces... and so on....

 

Looks like you’re nearing the finish line. It’s amazing what one man can do with a bit of perseverance.

 

I think by 81 they had finally come full circle and perfected the 2rd gen in look. The early ones looked the best 70-73 and then 79-81 really looked good. My dad bought a 82 Z new and those 3rd gens I feel really came full circle by the late 80s early 90s. It took ford until 90 really to put the foxbody into a more modern era as well. Car looks great! I can’t wait to see it finished!

 

Looks pretty good. I had a 80 Z gold and a guard rail jumped in front of Me. So I got the last left quarter in the country and installed it and a door and fender painted it and put new stripes. It had 3:42's so with a 350 trans it was screaming around 3200-3500 at 65 mph so We built a 700 with Gil Younger sysco-cal reprogramming kit and 7 vain pump, high heat clutches, rear planetary with dam.....and after at 85 mph engine was at 2500 4th locked up. Night and day anyway good luck.