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Now for the absolute toughest part of the install. The dreaded lower control arms. Uppers were easy, but as many others can probably agree, there is no way these lowers went on with bushings and washers even the day they left the TCI shop. Get ready for some head scratching. I jus manned up n did alil grinding.

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control arms and ball joints are done! time for the cool stuff again, brakes,spindles, and coilovers...

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Power steering rack and sway bar are installed and pretty much finishes up the clip and its mechanical. I'm so happy its almost a roller again.

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Cleaned up the shop and walked out with a strange sense of pride and accomplishment. I can only imagine what its like when the lsx fires up for the first time.
This is how she sits for a bit. Waiting on my wheels and tires next.

rkupon1

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rims are in!!!!
American Racing VF485
18x9,18x12
gunna be running 245/40/18 up front, 335/30/18 out back
couple of teaser pics. My build has slowed because our master bathroom remodel has just become center stage. Its long over due and time. Trying to get a lot of lil projects and goals done before the baby comes in april. Sadly to say the car isn't one of them. I ll just be happy if its in the chassis/fab shop by april anyways, enjoy a few simple pics...

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Made a little more progress today. Installed my LSX Entropy radiator into my aluminum core support. Felt wrong drilling it,lol. Also mounted my coolant reservoir tank. Which I ll note seems to be the absolute only thing I ve kept and re used after the firewall sofar. I'm thinking the grill and fenders maybe the only other items

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tires mounted, wheels lookn good.

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Made some incrementle progress...got the master cylinder and booster mounted up. I ordered my SS brakelines and a good bender. Id like to get the front lines routed and installed next. I ended up ordering pre flared SS lines from jegs. Funny thing is both measurements I mocked up/took, I was able to find in exact length(20",51"). That's odd and to good to be true I'm betting. I did allow alil extra too. I'm hopn I can make em work in reality. I decided I'm using both ports for the front brakes vs. plugging one port and teeing the 2 lines together. I welcome all constructive criticisms. I'm very knew to this and learning, its been fun as I go. Id really like to thank BATMAN as he helped me thru some pm's. I'm betting he was laughing at the questions I asked,lol...

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Made some progress. Steering column,wheel, and linkage done.

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column/linkage pics...

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steering shaft was really fun to cut down. I need a bandsaw in my life.

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So, now that the front end is pretty much buttoned up as roller status, I feel ive reached a decent milestone. I'm happy with how everything is coming together n taking shape. Now comes the really fun stuff. My buddy n I got the gto donor car I bought up n running. Its a 2006 gto w/12k miles. runs n drives great, but totaled cosmetically. The teardown for it will begin next week or so. Here is a teaser pic...

p.s. head n cam talk is already in the works. its only temporary til I can afford to go built n boosted!

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2006 gto...Black leather interior seats are coming out n possibly the console aswell

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These will work instead!

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With this too...
S484 BW from Forced inductions, T6 hotside-84mm/96mm

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So spent a little time on the phone today with the Jon from Lil John Motorsports. Swell guy with a wealth of Lsx info. Left little to no doubt that what I ordered would be fine for my plans with the turbod stock bottom end. Ended up ordering a cam and some 243 head upgrades. This is what he came up with, and what I ultimately ended up ordering:


LJMS LS CAM KIT LJMS LS CAM KIT 1
Camshaft:
1 x TURBO STAGE II CAM 32631134
Spring Kit:
1 x .660" LIFT PLATINUM SPRING KIT WITH TITANIUM RETAINERS $50.00 SK001/T/0560/BB
Pushrods:
1 x BTR CHROMOLY ONE PIECE PUSHRODS; 7.400" LONG, 3/8" DIAMETER, .080" WALL, SET OF 16 PR7400375-16

COMP CAMS LS ROCKER ARM TRUNION KIT CC13702-KIT 1

MELLING HIGH VOLUME, HIGH PRESSURE OIL PUMP 10296 MEL-10296 1

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE LS9 MULTILAYER HEAD GASKET 12622033 12622033 2

ARP PRO SERIES HEAD STUD KIT FOR 2004 & NEWER LS ENGINES 234-4317 ARP 234-4317 1

CAMSHAFT INSTALLATION KIT CamInstallKit 1
Gasket Set:
1 x BTR CIK COMMON PRODUCTS CIK/COMMON
Crank Bolt:
1 x ARP CRANKSHAFT DAMPER BOLT FOR LS ENGINES 234-2503 ARP 234-2503
(Optional) Cam Bolts:
1 x ARP CAM BOLTS FOR 3 BOLT LS CAMS 134-1003 ARP 134-1003
(Optional) Timing Chain:
1 x IWIS TIMING CHAIN FOR LS APPLICATIONS 3SR602PS

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Update:
I ve decided to build the LS2 block. I spent some time on the phone with a local LSX builder. He came highly recommended by some of the fast vette guys around here. He s a 1 man show, n i love that,lol. So we are gunna go with a budget build so to speak. Built bottom end-forged rods n pistons with arp goodies, 243 heads ported polished n built up. Stayn with stock bore. Im starting to understand its a better way to keep the aluminum ls2 alive n under boost. I ll get some pics soon. Been stayn home with my new son!

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Gutted the interior. Sad to say that I was happy to see a new floor pan in there and in decent shape, but they half arssed installed it. Cut out some of old pans underneath and looks like they jus layed new one in over top of it and welded it up. Dunno if I should trim out carefully whats left under neath and spray it all with bedliner or something like it, or if I should have chassis shop cut it ALL out and start over n do it right?!?! But for now the show must go on.

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Really excited for these. Got the stock 06' GTO seats outta the car n jus loosely layed them in to see if they will preliminarily(SP) work. They look awesome to me. I removed the headrests and will have em detailed and reupholsterd to remove the "GTO" stitching. But I'm stoked to have full power leather seats going in. Gunna start finagling em with em this weekend to bolt em in. Jus gotta power em up and set em in a neutral position first.
They are just laying in there for now. outta level and all outta wack, but I'm happy n think think they will work just fine. My tape measure says I ve got a good chance at using the matching back seats also...we ll see.


My lil guy, Lincoln...he s our first. Its alotta work, and alotta fun sofar.

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Little Progress update. Fully built 4l80e is finaly done n shipping this week I'm told. Engine guy is done with machine work and gettn ready to assemble the shortblock. Still gotta port n polish the heads and put it all together. which I'm told is soon. I havnt done much else otherwise, been swamped with work and our 2month old.