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I pulled a set of seat belts from the junk yard to add retractables to the back of mine. Third-gens have a provision to add the retractor to the package tray, but I fabbed brackets similar to what Morris does and as shown in this thread for added security. I used a Juliano's anchor mount under the package tray for the middle belt, which I only installed because it was attached to one of the receiver brackets.
I'm all for the Morris stuff, but it's crazy expensive.
Who made those wheels of yours? I really like the vintage look in modern sizes.
I'm all for the Morris stuff, but it's crazy expensive.
Yes I definitely have stepped over dollars to pick up pennies buying the Morris belts. I enjoy coming up with cheap, time-consuming solutions to things like the parking brake cables because I find it fun and challenging, but for some reason my interest in adapting seat belts is near zero. So I went turn key and I will have peace of mind that they will bolt in with probably less than an hour's work. Not a lot of logic to when I decide to buy vs. build other than I build stuff for the challenge and fun of building stuff and not so much because I am strapped for money.
Originally Posted by hookemdevils22
Who made those wheels of yours? I really like the vintage look in modern sizes.
They are made by Rev Wheels, model 107. They're 1pc cast and off-the-shelf, but only come in zero offset. You can get a set for around $650 without caps. If you want a 2pc wheel with a good amount of offset, Circle Racing and American racing both make them but they are $$$. I almost went for Vision 55 which have a little offset (+10 if I remember correctly) in an 18x8.5 but they also have darker centers and still would have required narrowing the rear. I prefer the style of the Rev wheels, especially the dish of the 18x9 with 5"bs (0 offset). The front 18x8 aren't quite as deep so the center caps poke out a bit more. Another option is American Legend, but they have more of a smooth lip. If you are into rally wheels like I am, let me know and I will send you a rundown of all the options I found.
My thought is I can widen front and rear toward the inside down the road if I minitub or want to go to a wider tire up front.
The last few weeks have been very busy personally, so to make progress on the Nova I've been doing a bunch of very short (<30min) trips to the garage. One day I filled the diff:
Another day, I put the rear brake lines back on the axle and connected everything.
Some other day I loaded the brake pads (Hawk HPS) and bolted down the calipers
With the rear lines finally all connected, I could turn my attention rearranging the mess shown below. These are the factory disc/drum hard lines around the master cylinder and distribution block for my '70 Nova. I decided I want to keep the original distribution block because it has an integral brake warning switch that triggers an idiot light if there's a pressure imbalance between the front and rear. Once I had a leaky master that went unnoticed until the brake light started going off near the bottom of pedal travel, so I decided I want it to function. If you don't care for that feature, there are a few great aftermarket combo valves that incorporate the distribution block with a proportioning valve and keep everything tidy. Some have a brake light switch, but that is a different function from the switch this block has.
I forgot to snap a photo, but my system originally had a fixed proportioning valve on the side of the subframe, which I needed to replace with something adjustable for the new disc/disc combo. For now, I decided to keep the original style master cylinder even though it was made for a disc/drum application. The main difference between a disc/drum and a disc/disc master is the size of the rear reservoir and the potential inclusion of a residual pressure valve in the rear port. A disc/disc master has a larger rear reservoir to accommodate pad wear which normally isn't a problem for a drum rear system that has a mechanical adjuster to take up wear. This means I will have to keep an eye on the rear reservoir level as the pads wear, but most likely I will replace the master before there's a dramatic change.
I expected to find a residual pressure valve in my master's rear port, but after pulling the lines I found a drill bit could insert right through, indicating the spring/valve mechanism was not installed. This is a reman master and I've heard they often left the valves out.
The next task was finding a suitable location for the new adjustable proportioning valve. It wouldn't quite fit under the master due to little space between the master and distribution block. My favorite spot was directly next to the master cylinder, but I could not figure out how I'd mount it. So I finally decided to secure it to the inner fender with a pair of rivnuts.
Next I carefully replicated most of the bends of the factory hard line that ran from the distribution block down to the original proportioning valve that was on the frame. Getting that line in and out past the steering box and between the floorpan of the car was a total PITA, but having it in position gave me a point of reference to make the last few bends to the valve.
The factory uses spiral/coil loops and/or S-bends to provide strain relief near connections like these. This makes the tubing more flexible so it can be installed easily and adjusted for misalignment. To make my own coil, I grabbed a used differential crush sleeve and simply wrapped the tubing around it by hand.
Here is what the line looks like installed. It runs from the outlet of the proportioning valve down to a coupling by the subframe which replaced the original proportioning valve. From that coupling it connects to the original line and runs to the rear, where it connects to the softline that takes it down to the differential.
The stainless steel spring stuff around the brakelines is for abrasion resistance and general protection. I put it on the tubing and cut it to length before adding the last fitting and flare. It can be a challenge to get the tube into the flaring tool while the spring is trying to push the fitting off. To keep the fitting out of the die, insert an open end wrench between the die and the fitting.
My 7yr old son made the last line at the front. I helped him measure and mark and let him make all the bends and flares himself. It could definitely be more tucked, but I'm happy with how it turned out.
Once that was all together, I used a one-man bleeder (tube with check valve and small reservoir) and worked to clear the system. I started with the rears and it took damn near 100 pumps of the pedal before fluid starting coming out. Dry systems are always a bear! Some day I'll get a better tool for bleeding. The little bit of fluid that was still in the used calipers came out a little cloudy but not too bad. Eventually everything was flushed clear with new dot 5 silicon fluid. I swear by the stuff because it doesn't eat paint and it works fine for my use.
All this occurred over a few weeks and a series of short trips to the garage. I don't think any two of the brake lines were made same day. Family time is my priority, so progress on the car is slow.
I finished bleeding the brakes Saturday morning and of course Saturday morning it started to rain. I watched it drizzle while the kids and I put the wheels and tires back on and carefully lowered the car onto it's new shoes. By some stroke of luck, we got a break in the clouds long enough to pull the car out.
It probably will not show in photos, but the combination of the new Hotchkis 1.5" rear drop springs and 2" smaller OD tires made a huge difference in perceived ride height. The front has AFCO 600lb springs and adjusters set to mimic the Hotchkis 2" drop springs, so now the car should be riding about where their "TVS" suspension would. It no longer has the mean rake or fat sidewalls that I loved and the new wheels seem enormous, but that being said, I am very happy with my wheel choice. I am embracing the "restomod" concept and I think the big rally wheels suit it well.
Unfortunately I did not get to drive it beyond pulling out of the garage and doing a couple circles and brake checks in the cul-de-sac. I did not want to be out on wet roads without having the brake bias adjusted yet and the clouds opened back up just moments after taking photos. Rain continued the rest of the weekend so it will be a few days before I can get it back out. When the weather clears I plan to give her a bath and take her on a shakedown drive. I'll be sure to snap more photos when the time comes.
Great work Clint. I thought one couldn't use synthetic gear oil with a limited slip/posi. Any thoughts or real facts you found?
I did some reading on this and the answer seems to be that it depends. It depends on the specific synthetic and the specific clutches and springs used in the posi. Gear oil affects how the clutches bite and their slip point. Some people have experienced chatter when switching to synthetic, but others have had no issues. I've read that synthetics are generally better for the gears, bearings and seals and will last longer, so I decided to give it a try. This Lucas advertises for use with limited slip differentials. I will probably change the gear oil after a couple hundred miles so there will be an opportunity to switch back to dino oil if it doesn't work out.
You nailed the ride height in my opinion. I love the new look. I think you will too once you give it some more time. I think the fat tire look faded years ago.
Looks awesome, I think the wheels fit the overall look of your car well. I still think the sidewalls could use a very slight bit more height, but maybe for the next set of tires
What rear shocks are you running? It's funny seeing the rear hopping a bit as you slowly backed it out, from what I assume is the idle/power surging from the cam loading up the torque converter while you ride the brakes in reverse.
Thanks both for the comments. I really do like the way it looks. It's just a big change and it's taking some getting used to.
I would like more sidewall height too but the better compounds aren't available in anything taller than a 40 series and the front diameter would probably be too big. I was on the fence about using a 45 series in the back but I came across a Camaro with that fitment and it looked overly fat to me for the size wheel.
I think some of the visual bigness is the bright lip. Maybe I can cut down on that somehow. It would be nice if the center caps were larger. Also the tiny 7" rally caps just don't cover enough of an 18" wheel like they do a 14" or 15". I'm going to look into adapting the larger 10.5" center caps like the OE-1 wheels that Roadstershop uses. Blacking or graying out the wheels is another option that would mask the largeness, but I think that look is a bit overdone nowadays (no offense, it's just a matter of personal taste).
My wife and I also really noticed the car hopping around as a backed out. I don't remember it being so pronounced before, but yes it was caused by the cold engine lope/surge. It's definitely underdamped now with the stiffer rear springs. I have some 20yr-old KYB gas shocks on there at the moment because I can't decide what shocks I want to run. Hotchkis valved Fox shocks look good but come with a brand/sticker premium. I need to do some research and get them on order soon.
Full disclosure: I have a bit of interference with the back of the front fender tub when the tire is turned sharply out. I need to realign the car (dropping the back increased caster roughly 2deg) and reassess the clearance. The track width to the outside of the tire section is about 0.4" less than the previous combo, but the tire diameter is about 0.2" larger and the actual tread width is a bit wider. Having that sharper edge on the low profile tires seems to be causing interference there, but it's odd because the clearance looks better at the top of the tire than the old setup. Worst case I may need to rework my tubs some or wait until I upgrade the front discs ('vette discs decrease track width compared to my OEM discs) to see where it sits.
The area that's rubbing is at the back of the wheel tub. FYI the inner wheeltub is currently not attached at the perimeter of the fender. I have all the perimeter bolts out so I can replace them with button heads.
The tire is making a glancing contact. It was enough to rub the paint off doing just a few circles in the cul-de-sac.
The rubbing occurs with about 1/2" gap at the steering stop. I can turn my steering wheel one revolution from center before it makes contact.
Here is what the lip clearance looks like. It's very similar to what it looked like with the old tires. They did not rub under hard cornering (autox) so I'm hopeful I wont have problems in this area. I could add some static camber if this is a problem. Right now I am running a more wear-friendly -1deg, but another degree or more would be better for autox.
Before lowering the rear, the caster was +5deg LF +5.5deg RF. I think the rear dropped by about 3" total (due to springs and tire). Based on a 111" wheelbase, that increased the caster by atan(3/111) = 1.54deg so theoretically my caster is now +6.5deg LF +7deg RF. The stock spindle is roughly 10" bj-to-bj, so to remove that 1.54deg would shift the upper balljoint by 10tan(1.54)= 0.27in. That would move the wheel forward maybe half that so 0.135in. That should help. It probably will not eliminate the issue, but I think a realignment is a good starting point.
According to Kore3, when I swap to 'vette brakes, the wheel will move inboard by 0.24in on each side compared to the OEM disc setup. That should help too and may even eliminate the problem.
For reference, the current ride height puts the rear lip 22-3/4" from the ground and the front lip 23-5/8"
I am really itching to take it for a spin but it's been raining a bit much to trust my life and car to freshly-installed brakes, suspension, and rear end.
Thank you for all the great reference dimensions. I really like how your car sits. It looks like you're 1" lower up front and roughly 1-3/4" lower in the back. I think that's why mine still looks very slightly raked. I don't intend to drop mine any further. I love how tucked yours is but I want to keep maintain up-travel for some of the bumpier roads I drive on and avoid scraping coming out of my sloped driveway.
Thank you for all the great reference dimensions. I really like how your car sits. It looks like you're 1" lower up front and roughly 1-3/4" lower in the back. I think that's why mine still looks very slightly raked. I don't intend to drop mine any further. I love how tucked yours is but I want to keep maintain up-travel for some of the bumpier roads I drive on and avoid scraping coming out of my sloped driveway.
Roger that. I actually have 2.5" bump travel front+rear, but I do have a 4 link in the back, shorter stroke shocks up front, rejigged front shock motion ratio, and stiffer (but not uncomfortably so) springs. I don't ever rub unless I'm at full lock entering a whacky driveway at 45* entry angle.
I think your car appears higher than mine even though the fender lips aren't all that much higher because my spindles are tucked up more due to the taller sidewalls, moving the rim hoop itself visually higher up into the fender opening. I'd be curious what your tire OD's are and your spindle-to-fender-lip measurements are.
03-01-2018, 03:41 PM
