Another fairmont swap
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
Another fairmont swap Actually a zephyr.
Figured id start a thread over here. This will not be a quick project. It took me over 6 months to actually get the car. Title issues.
Ive looked for a good mont to build for 10 years or better. Found this one abandoned at a shop a hour from home.
When i got the car i cleaned out over 4 30 gallon trash cans full of this kids stuff. Anything from tax records to clothes and so on. Kid was moving home and decided to just leave it all and not pay the bill for the new motor.
The original plans where a 302/turbo set up. Being out of the scence about 5 years and my location, and a little bit to dehmans(sp) video's ive decided to go the lsx route. Local yard has 5.3's for 200, not sure what they have 6.0's for yet. Ill prob go with the 5.3 since there are metric tons of them around.
The car as i found it when i drove by it.
Finally after 6 months of doing the title we got it home. I've been driving it with the 2.3 haha. Its a turd.
Took the side mouldings off and ran a clay bar over it and waxed it. It has some issues, but its a solid car.
Got most of the cheap turbo stuff from vs racing the other day. all i need is some 2.5 inch pipe for the cross over. Ive got some 3.5 laying around for the downpipe.
Hopefully will have the team z tubular k member by then end of jan. Its one thing i wished i would have done on my old 92lx hci n20.
Figured id start a thread over here. This will not be a quick project. It took me over 6 months to actually get the car. Title issues.
Ive looked for a good mont to build for 10 years or better. Found this one abandoned at a shop a hour from home.
When i got the car i cleaned out over 4 30 gallon trash cans full of this kids stuff. Anything from tax records to clothes and so on. Kid was moving home and decided to just leave it all and not pay the bill for the new motor.
The original plans where a 302/turbo set up. Being out of the scence about 5 years and my location, and a little bit to dehmans(sp) video's ive decided to go the lsx route. Local yard has 5.3's for 200, not sure what they have 6.0's for yet. Ill prob go with the 5.3 since there are metric tons of them around.
The car as i found it when i drove by it.
Finally after 6 months of doing the title we got it home. I've been driving it with the 2.3 haha. Its a turd.
Took the side mouldings off and ran a clay bar over it and waxed it. It has some issues, but its a solid car.
Got most of the cheap turbo stuff from vs racing the other day. all i need is some 2.5 inch pipe for the cross over. Ive got some 3.5 laying around for the downpipe.
Hopefully will have the team z tubular k member by then end of jan. Its one thing i wished i would have done on my old 92lx hci n20.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
The funny thing is it spend most of its life starting in Washington state, then to Colorado, then to Nevada, and last was Texas.
Belonged to a guy who worked as a park ranger or something. The kid who abandoned it also worked for the big bend national park.
Scored a corvette ls1 intake last night. Ill slowly keep gathering parts.
Also a reminder to always take apart and inspect your cheap gt45's This trash was in the turbine housing hanging out. It was a scroll, but i broke it apart. I've seen this alot looking over the web. They are cheap, but seem to work well. I got mine from vsracing.
Last edited by Sleeperls; Dec 26, 2012 at 11:30 AM.
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Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
I hope to have the motor and trans out tomorrow or the next day. Going to hide all the wires i can. Order a tubular k member and sit on it for a while.
Main reason im starting work on it is im tired of seeing it sit. Might as well polish the turd.
Main reason im starting work on it is im tired of seeing it sit. Might as well polish the turd.
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Registered User
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Canada
Interesting Project.
My buddy had one of these in high school. Not the most popular car nor the most glamorous, but it will be sure to make a few people do a double take off the line.
Going to keep it a sleeper?
My buddy had one of these in high school. Not the most popular car nor the most glamorous, but it will be sure to make a few people do a double take off the line.
Going to keep it a sleeper?
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
The tq box welding sucked. I sand blasted as much of the undercoating off but it was still in the seams.
I've got a ls1 intake as well along with a bunch of other stuff. Ive got all the interior out doing full length through the floor subframes. All of the harness has been stripped and rewound with that German cloth tape crap. Also hidden in fender wells. I've got some blue paint on the way to spruce up the under hood.
More misc junk
I've got a ls1 intake as well along with a bunch of other stuff. Ive got all the interior out doing full length through the floor subframes. All of the harness has been stripped and rewound with that German cloth tape crap. Also hidden in fender wells. I've got some blue paint on the way to spruce up the under hood.
More misc junk
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
mainly street but ive never had a auto with a spool before. i want this car to be a non issue car besides rutine mantinence. My last fox went 7 years never pulling a valve cover running low 11s back in the early 2000's as a daily driver.
I tend to over build things and im a bit picky. im ditching the gt45 as soon as i can for a s475 unit. As soon as i get my cattle sold and beans cut ill order my the400. The motor i have is actually no good. bad thrust bearings. i tore it down and found it has about a 1/4 inch of crank play. the crank was actually hitting the mains. so i need another short block.
The 28s are shot as well just for fitment and centering the rear end and beat some more.
Ive had alot of issues with the front end due to the backspacing of the wheels i chose to clear the sn95 calipers. i sold the aje 13 inch a arms for adj upr 12 inch arms. Now ive got the caster camber plates maxed out and still need a degree or so to get what i want.
Im waiting to see what happens when i throw the motor in to see how much it changes with weight.
I tend to over build things and im a bit picky. im ditching the gt45 as soon as i can for a s475 unit. As soon as i get my cattle sold and beans cut ill order my the400. The motor i have is actually no good. bad thrust bearings. i tore it down and found it has about a 1/4 inch of crank play. the crank was actually hitting the mains. so i need another short block.
The 28s are shot as well just for fitment and centering the rear end and beat some more.
Ive had alot of issues with the front end due to the backspacing of the wheels i chose to clear the sn95 calipers. i sold the aje 13 inch a arms for adj upr 12 inch arms. Now ive got the caster camber plates maxed out and still need a degree or so to get what i want.
Im waiting to see what happens when i throw the motor in to see how much it changes with weight.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 732
Likes: 1
From: alburnett, iowa
yah the projects we get into. i still need to finish buick not finished dash and pcm mounting. started swapping my squarebody truck just to get all stuff out of way. but when done be lot better driver.
