72 Nova - The Booboo Project LS/4L65e
06-17-2015, 02:36 PM
#161
I've been thinking of ditching my OE controls for a VA **** setup similar to that. Nice to see you've already outlined how to do it!
I lucked out and found a driver's side dash bezel and vent on eBay for $15(!) shipped. I ended up having to put some foam between the front of the vent and the dash to keep it from rattling around, but it's worked well so far. Vintage Air also sells an adapter for 2 1/2" hose to the vent for $10. Keep looking, it's MUCH better than an under-dash setup!
I've heard some good things about those Procar seats, but they seem to sit high (which is a huge pet peeve of mine). Hopefully you're fabbing your own brackets to sit them as low as possible.
I lucked out and found a driver's side dash bezel and vent on eBay for $15(!) shipped. I ended up having to put some foam between the front of the vent and the dash to keep it from rattling around, but it's worked well so far. Vintage Air also sells an adapter for 2 1/2" hose to the vent for $10. Keep looking, it's MUCH better than an under-dash setup!
I've heard some good things about those Procar seats, but they seem to sit high (which is a huge pet peeve of mine). Hopefully you're fabbing your own brackets to sit them as low as possible.
06-17-2015, 07:22 PM
#162
I've been thinking of ditching my OE controls for a VA **** setup similar to that. Nice to see you've already outlined how to do it!
I lucked out and found a driver's side dash bezel and vent on eBay for $15(!) shipped. I ended up having to put some foam between the front of the vent and the dash to keep it from rattling around, but it's worked well so far. Vintage Air also sells an adapter for 2 1/2" hose to the vent for $10. Keep looking, it's MUCH better than an under-dash setup!
I've heard some good things about those Procar seats, but they seem to sit high (which is a huge pet peeve of mine). Hopefully you're fabbing your own brackets to sit them as low as possible.
I lucked out and found a driver's side dash bezel and vent on eBay for $15(!) shipped. I ended up having to put some foam between the front of the vent and the dash to keep it from rattling around, but it's worked well so far. Vintage Air also sells an adapter for 2 1/2" hose to the vent for $10. Keep looking, it's MUCH better than an under-dash setup!
I've heard some good things about those Procar seats, but they seem to sit high (which is a huge pet peeve of mine). Hopefully you're fabbing your own brackets to sit them as low as possible.
Managed to finish installing the vents. The sheet metal screws that VA give you are a POS, one snapped when doing the passenger vent so hd to drill it out use a larger screw etc. When installing the bar under the dash.
The hoses, yeah not sure what happened.
The one thing i am contemplating right now is to cut the dash to allow the VA vent be mounted on it rather than under the dash.
06-19-2015, 10:11 AM
#163
So I took the plunge and cut the driver AC vent on the dash
After cutting the plastic and filling the edges by hand, I manage to fit the vent on. The clips do not latch 100% as the dash plastic is slightly thicker, but it does secure tight and does not move at all. I mounted the dash on and routed the vintage air hose as well.
Also the controller **** was installed as well. The black paint was chassis black which is to dark and it contrasts with the dash black, but for now it will do.
After cutting the plastic and filling the edges by hand, I manage to fit the vent on. The clips do not latch 100% as the dash plastic is slightly thicker, but it does secure tight and does not move at all. I mounted the dash on and routed the vintage air hose as well.
Also the controller **** was installed as well. The black paint was chassis black which is to dark and it contrasts with the dash black, but for now it will do.
06-19-2015, 06:50 PM
#165
Turned out well!
That's an interesting idea... I'm not a fan of the vent bar under the dash. Since I have a cracked dash pad, I'm considering buying an AC pad and cutting to make it an integrated-AC dash - I think it would be much tidier, plus all the non-driver's-side-vent-bezel pieces are available. I might look into freeing up some space with that mod if/when I do this.
The one thing i am contemplating right now is to cut the dash to allow the VA vent be mounted on it rather than under the dash
06-20-2015, 12:31 PM
#166
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Hookemdevils22...funny I just brought up this thread yesterday. A lot of great info on here. Going to be following this one through for sure. I am looking to do the same to the dash panel as he has done here, and like you are saying, I am goin to to use vents in the dash itself rather than the underdash. I was looking at the rectangular vents on this page for dash and then a couple round ones to go where the old gauges were. Do I need to place another order in your honor to get you fired up for the next project?
http://www.vintageair.com/newlouvers.asp
http://www.vintageair.com/newlouvers.asp
06-23-2015, 07:18 PM
#168
I agree on the vent bar under the dash, the thing is I had that dash pad when i bought the car. Maybe I should have bought the AC version and sell that one. Either way something to do during the winter i guess.
Yes the controller is high in price unfortunately, but I wanted to use it in conjunction with the DD VHX so the instrument cluster, bezel, what ever you want to call it looks the same??? Or maybe just to be a baller...lol
So I manged to swap the power steering wheel to slightly smaller diameter than what Holley recommended for their LS accessory bracket. The new pulley is part # 12578552 which is 6 3/16" dia. while the other larger one is part # 12568997 and 6 11/16" dia. At the same time Holley came out with the fitting for the power steering pump with an extension fitting part # 961961ERL (You need to call Holley for this part)
This is the difference between the Holley and the Detroit Speed fitting. Which i guess it is not a very good picture showing the comparison as my finger is on the way.
With the pulley pressed short leaving a 0.150" gap, the space between the UCA and the belt is much better. Also the 90° fitting is not as close to the pulley as it used to be with the larger one.
I also moved the battery to the back on the passenger side. I used to have it sitting in the center, right behind the back seat, but this was not allowing for a spare tire. Not that I want to use the spare tire, but rather be proactive on this than having to sleep in the middle of the highway waiting for the tow truck.
For the battery I had to use some non slip mat that i had lying around, as for some reason when putting the battery in the tray holder it slid around. So i traced the battery and the tray cover on the non slip mat and cut away.
After placing the battery with the non slip mat, i tested it, I was able to shake the car and the battery was in its place without moving an inch. By that time i started doing the battery cables, I am using the Temco Cables 0/1 gauge. The positive cable floating all alone is coming out from a Flaming River disconnect switch. It will go to an ANL Fuse block which i manged to break so ordered a new one and better quality as well. You get what you pay for sometimes. Lesson learned.
To the left of the battery you can see the ground post. I have it bolted to the body going under as well. I made a hole on the rear frame rails, grinded it down in order to make sure I got a good ground contact. All your electronics including your engine love ground. So make sure you distribute ground all over the car. I have the post in the back going to the body then to the frame rail. At the same time I have a 1/0 gauge welding wire going to the front and using a bulk head connector in order to be at the engine bay. From there I have another strap going to the subframe and engine. From subframe to radiator support. Everything is covered this way.
Yes the controller is high in price unfortunately, but I wanted to use it in conjunction with the DD VHX so the instrument cluster, bezel, what ever you want to call it looks the same??? Or maybe just to be a baller...lol
So I manged to swap the power steering wheel to slightly smaller diameter than what Holley recommended for their LS accessory bracket. The new pulley is part # 12578552 which is 6 3/16" dia. while the other larger one is part # 12568997 and 6 11/16" dia. At the same time Holley came out with the fitting for the power steering pump with an extension fitting part # 961961ERL (You need to call Holley for this part)
This is the difference between the Holley and the Detroit Speed fitting. Which i guess it is not a very good picture showing the comparison as my finger is on the way.
With the pulley pressed short leaving a 0.150" gap, the space between the UCA and the belt is much better. Also the 90° fitting is not as close to the pulley as it used to be with the larger one.
I also moved the battery to the back on the passenger side. I used to have it sitting in the center, right behind the back seat, but this was not allowing for a spare tire. Not that I want to use the spare tire, but rather be proactive on this than having to sleep in the middle of the highway waiting for the tow truck.
For the battery I had to use some non slip mat that i had lying around, as for some reason when putting the battery in the tray holder it slid around. So i traced the battery and the tray cover on the non slip mat and cut away.
After placing the battery with the non slip mat, i tested it, I was able to shake the car and the battery was in its place without moving an inch. By that time i started doing the battery cables, I am using the Temco Cables 0/1 gauge. The positive cable floating all alone is coming out from a Flaming River disconnect switch. It will go to an ANL Fuse block which i manged to break so ordered a new one and better quality as well. You get what you pay for sometimes. Lesson learned.
To the left of the battery you can see the ground post. I have it bolted to the body going under as well. I made a hole on the rear frame rails, grinded it down in order to make sure I got a good ground contact. All your electronics including your engine love ground. So make sure you distribute ground all over the car. I have the post in the back going to the body then to the frame rail. At the same time I have a 1/0 gauge welding wire going to the front and using a bulk head connector in order to be at the engine bay. From there I have another strap going to the subframe and engine. From subframe to radiator support. Everything is covered this way.
Last edited by Sebtarta; 06-23-2015 at 07:23 PM.
07-07-2015, 07:41 PM
#171
A lot of things have been done to Booboo. H4 headlight upgrade was one of them. This was not fun, specially with the radiator support already installed. I used a 3.5" hole saw (which made so much noise i had to use ear protection)
I screw in a bar, measured and punched a hole in the center of the bar to make sure it was "center".
Both sides were done, taking my time with the hole saw, then file and sand paper to make it smooth. The bucket had to be cut as well as it did not allow for the headlight boot to sit properly.
Here is a picture of the headlight on.
That same day it was nice and sunny, so time to install the Trim Parts carpet. It laid outside in the sun while i was doing the lights, painting the rear side of the bumpers and finishing things around the car.
By midday the carpet was nice and soft where it would be easy to for to the contour of the floor.
Lay the carpet inside, and TAKE YOUR TIME doing this. Even though they claim it is molded for your car, you still need to massage it to make sure it sits correctly. But once I found the center of the carpet and it was laying correctly and was happy with it, it was time to start making holes. I used a soldering iron to make the holes by lifting the carpet up and down several times until i could see where the holes were, then with my hind i would press the carpet down as much as I could in order to feel the hole. Once comfortable, I would burn through the carpet making a nice even hole. DO NOT EVER use a drill please. One of the issues I have still is the headlight dimmer switch on the floor. The grommet they supply is exactly the width of the dimmer switch, so you have to make sure that the hole you make is perfect. Mine is not as such, where i am off by 1mm probably to the left, so I will have to open the hole a bit more and see if the grommet sits better.
I placed a few heavy things around the carpet. I started working with the shifter cover, trim here, measure trim more, measure, trim some more...and till it fit ok. I did have to use my 10-24 tap set to make the holes on the shifter housing work, even though they give you self tapping screws it is not enough. I managed to break off one of the pressed in threads on the front B&M shifter plate housing, but it still hold pretty good.
I just had to see what it would look like with the rear deck lid installed and rear seats as well. The rear deck lid has some tabs on the sides that need to be folded up for the lid to slide in. I glued some jute padding as well on the underside, as it helped the lid fill the spaces better.
While I was doing the American Autowire headlight switch that bolts to the instrument cluster, it had a lot of play, even tightening the screw was not enough to hold it in place.
So I searched in my boxes of washers and found that a 7/16 washer was the perfect fit. I sanded the washer to give it a brushed finish, and installed the dimmer switch.
It was then time to test the dash lights and all, I think it looks fantastic.
The Vintage Air controller looks pretty good as well, and at the same time i tested the fan on the evaporator unit. It blows plenty of air that small Spal fan. Also just an FYI the difference between the hood latch support from OEM and Goodmark. I found mine during the weekend when cleaning up. But that difference in space between the holes is what aligns your grille, and I think that that could be one of the reasons as to why my headlight bezel do not sit correctly.
I also managed to break the tab of these brand new bumper parking lights. I was running from the car into the garage in this torrential rain, and it slipped of my hand and fell. I guess I should have left all the goodies in the car, but I was to anxious like a kid with a candy box in front.
I ended up getting most of the interior parts, headliner, sail, door panels, sunvisor, rear view mirror, and stuff. I still have a few more things to do, hoping to start the car this weekend.
I screw in a bar, measured and punched a hole in the center of the bar to make sure it was "center".
Both sides were done, taking my time with the hole saw, then file and sand paper to make it smooth. The bucket had to be cut as well as it did not allow for the headlight boot to sit properly.
Here is a picture of the headlight on.
That same day it was nice and sunny, so time to install the Trim Parts carpet. It laid outside in the sun while i was doing the lights, painting the rear side of the bumpers and finishing things around the car.
By midday the carpet was nice and soft where it would be easy to for to the contour of the floor.
Lay the carpet inside, and TAKE YOUR TIME doing this. Even though they claim it is molded for your car, you still need to massage it to make sure it sits correctly. But once I found the center of the carpet and it was laying correctly and was happy with it, it was time to start making holes. I used a soldering iron to make the holes by lifting the carpet up and down several times until i could see where the holes were, then with my hind i would press the carpet down as much as I could in order to feel the hole. Once comfortable, I would burn through the carpet making a nice even hole. DO NOT EVER use a drill please. One of the issues I have still is the headlight dimmer switch on the floor. The grommet they supply is exactly the width of the dimmer switch, so you have to make sure that the hole you make is perfect. Mine is not as such, where i am off by 1mm probably to the left, so I will have to open the hole a bit more and see if the grommet sits better.
I placed a few heavy things around the carpet. I started working with the shifter cover, trim here, measure trim more, measure, trim some more...and till it fit ok. I did have to use my 10-24 tap set to make the holes on the shifter housing work, even though they give you self tapping screws it is not enough. I managed to break off one of the pressed in threads on the front B&M shifter plate housing, but it still hold pretty good.
I just had to see what it would look like with the rear deck lid installed and rear seats as well. The rear deck lid has some tabs on the sides that need to be folded up for the lid to slide in. I glued some jute padding as well on the underside, as it helped the lid fill the spaces better.
While I was doing the American Autowire headlight switch that bolts to the instrument cluster, it had a lot of play, even tightening the screw was not enough to hold it in place.
So I searched in my boxes of washers and found that a 7/16 washer was the perfect fit. I sanded the washer to give it a brushed finish, and installed the dimmer switch.
It was then time to test the dash lights and all, I think it looks fantastic.
The Vintage Air controller looks pretty good as well, and at the same time i tested the fan on the evaporator unit. It blows plenty of air that small Spal fan. Also just an FYI the difference between the hood latch support from OEM and Goodmark. I found mine during the weekend when cleaning up. But that difference in space between the holes is what aligns your grille, and I think that that could be one of the reasons as to why my headlight bezel do not sit correctly.
I also managed to break the tab of these brand new bumper parking lights. I was running from the car into the garage in this torrential rain, and it slipped of my hand and fell. I guess I should have left all the goodies in the car, but I was to anxious like a kid with a candy box in front.
I ended up getting most of the interior parts, headliner, sail, door panels, sunvisor, rear view mirror, and stuff. I still have a few more things to do, hoping to start the car this weekend.
07-16-2015, 09:35 AM
#174
Great stuff! I love those VHX gauges. For your battery ground, you ran cable to both the frame at the back and to the front? Where are you putting your disconnect? I got a push-pull type and plan to put it in the panel between the tailights like this: pic 1, pic 2.
Are you going to run your alternator output back to the disconnect on a separate line and use a 4 pole switch so you can kill all power?
Are you going to run your alternator output back to the disconnect on a separate line and use a 4 pole switch so you can kill all power?
Last edited by -TheBandit-; 07-16-2015 at 09:43 AM.
07-20-2015, 08:05 AM
#176
Thank you, your is coming along very nice as well.
Glad you like the read, I am no John Grisham as far as my writing skills go, but at least I try and help others if they ever do the same as me.
The ground is 0/1 gauge welding wire that I have from the battery to the body and to the rear frame rail at that location. At the same time, yes, I do have a run going to the front to a bulkhead connector at the firewall. Where I am grounding straight to the frame. then the frame feeds the radiator support and alternator. You can never have enough grounds. My kills switch is in the trunk after a 250A ANL fuse. As for the alternator feed, it is basically a 4GA welding cable going to the starter which connectes to the 0/1GA welding run. The kill switch in the trunk kills everything when off.
Thank you, you can still get the cars you loved from back then. Just saying
Great stuff! I love those VHX gauges. For your battery ground, you ran cable to both the frame at the back and to the front? Where are you putting your disconnect? I got a push-pull type and plan to put it in the panel between the tailights like this: pic 1, pic 2.
Are you going to run your alternator output back to the disconnect on a separate line and use a 4 pole switch so you can kill all power?
Are you going to run your alternator output back to the disconnect on a separate line and use a 4 pole switch so you can kill all power?
Thank you, you can still get the cars you loved from back then. Just saying
07-20-2015, 08:36 AM
#177
Good news and bad news...
During the weekend we managed to get it running. Lots of CEL at the beginning, the magna carta of CELs. Wish i took a picture of it, it was quite funny.
During the Trans fill up the car decided to give us a shower of red dense smelly fluid, transmission oil all over the place. It was time to call it a day and pushed the car back inside. At that time we thought the fitting going into the radiator had just given up and let go. The next morning under the car we found out that the transmission line had popped off from the push lock fitting on the feed line. WTF times twenty. Yes my fault for not adding a 2nd precaution on the lines with some hose clamps, but after figuring that out I clamped each fitting. Two on the trans lines, 2 at the radiator and 2 at the cooler. Started the car outside and proceeded to fill the trans with its doze of fluid.
Went for a spin around the block, car was still stuttering a bit, but at least it was moving. Sunday late afternoon my daughter and I wanted to go for another spin. Put the car in R, no go. The car felt as if the brakes were fully applied. Dropped it in N and pushed the car out with no problem. Moved the gear to D and drove forward back into the garage with no hesitation. MMMMMMMM.....Put it in R once again and same problem. *sigh*
The one thing that I am concerned about is that I get these codes
So now trying to find a good trans shop that deals with GM trans and see what they say.
During the weekend we managed to get it running. Lots of CEL at the beginning, the magna carta of CELs. Wish i took a picture of it, it was quite funny.
During the Trans fill up the car decided to give us a shower of red dense smelly fluid, transmission oil all over the place. It was time to call it a day and pushed the car back inside. At that time we thought the fitting going into the radiator had just given up and let go. The next morning under the car we found out that the transmission line had popped off from the push lock fitting on the feed line. WTF times twenty. Yes my fault for not adding a 2nd precaution on the lines with some hose clamps, but after figuring that out I clamped each fitting. Two on the trans lines, 2 at the radiator and 2 at the cooler. Started the car outside and proceeded to fill the trans with its doze of fluid.
Went for a spin around the block, car was still stuttering a bit, but at least it was moving. Sunday late afternoon my daughter and I wanted to go for another spin. Put the car in R, no go. The car felt as if the brakes were fully applied. Dropped it in N and pushed the car out with no problem. Moved the gear to D and drove forward back into the garage with no hesitation. MMMMMMMM.....Put it in R once again and same problem. *sigh*
The one thing that I am concerned about is that I get these codes
So now trying to find a good trans shop that deals with GM trans and see what they say.
07-20-2015, 03:12 PM
#178
I'd test the TCC and shift solenoids before taking her to a shop. Perform a resistance check at the trans itself as well as voltage at the harness connector with the key on. It's relatively easy to do: use this as a reference (see pages 4 and 11). You said the car was stuttering - do you have 1st gear? Solenoids A and B are both ON in reverse as well as first.
See this for the alternator L circuit code.
MAF... oy, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe find a retailer nice enough to let you buy and return it, if it's not the MAF itself.
See this for the alternator L circuit code.
MAF... oy, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe find a retailer nice enough to let you buy and return it, if it's not the MAF itself.
07-20-2015, 07:00 PM
#180
Love the VHX gauges. great work. I'm gonna have to reread this when I get time. Subscribing.!!!