his project is the next in a long line of my particular brand of crazy. Generally, its a 2000 corvette with an automatic, 4.8 truck engine, and 62 corvair body. Its being built for the grassroots motorsports $2000 challenge.




https://2000challenge.com/2000challenge




this will be my third serious build for the challenge. I have done many, many other builds. Each of the challenge builds stretches my skillset, my mind, my abilities. Pushes my personal envelope. I'm pretty sure that this may wind up the most radical I will ever attempt, short of something hand built tube framed.




Just to prove my chops, ill link the last two builds. These both placed 9th overall.

2017 widebody AMC spirit

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/fo.../118042/page1/







2019 sleeper mazda miata

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/fo.../134260/page1/




there's been other builds. Lots. I can link them for those interested, but don't want to make a novel of the past.




This one is different. Its a stalled project, started by a friend, and bought by another friend. I actually have no money in this, and probably wont. But its not a customer car either...




I guess ill just get on with the story. Cause its a hell of a story.




A few years ago, Pat started something nuts. He wanted to build a car to take the number one spot at the challenge. To do so, he mated a totaled c5 chassis to a rusted out 62 corvair and a truck 4.8 from craigslist. His thread is here:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/fo.../135556/page1/




I had actually known his plan to build the first c5 corvette challenge car well before the thread went live. Hell, I named it! Since he is in Ohio, and im in NC, all I could really do was moral support, ideas, and scored some free trim to send to him for the car. But I loved everything he was doing.




the project stalled in early 2018. pat took care of his family and health. And then another build. And then bought a 57 chevy. All the while this car sat outside, or in a fabric shelter. And it became a shelf. And sat. when I was there this spring, I made a comment that when he wanted to let it go, to let me know. I was joking. Mostly.




He called me in early October. It was time for the car to go. I prayed for a little while, and decided that while this car is one I want to BUILD, its one I have no desire to OWN. I have a fully formed vision in my head for it, but pretty sure no one would buy it from me after the challenge for anything resembling fair market value. So I passed after telling him this.

Our other friend stampie in Florida had apparently made the same offer. Stampie subsequently passed, saying its one he wants to OWN, but doesn't have the time and place to build it.

Patrick then fired off a group text. Stampie wanted to own, not build. I wanted to build, not own. A deal with the devil was struck, and there may have been some talk of moving a lotus europa from Florida (one I want to own) as well.




Regardless Darth Nader was coming to my house. A car that I hadn't seen in a year, paid attention to in two, didn't take apart, and really knew nothing about. Pretty much the poster child of basket case parts car. Pat had bought a 1999 E55 AMG down here through me, so he agreed to load it up and bring it south for stampie.




Tuesday of last week, it arrived at about 8pm. Here's the breakdown of what was purchased, and delivered, from Patrick:




C5 corvette automatic/corvair mutant and parts pile: $800

included, upon investigation:

1 complete set of c5 wagon wheels 17/18

truck intake, throttle body, and manifolds

all wiring and computers needed

dash parts (incomplete)

2x 17x9.5 c4 sawblades

2x skinnies for the front

extra stainless corvair trim

wheeltub panels?

A power steering line

a radiator

rollbar hoop

3 seperate mouse nests

tetanus

tow strap

10x 80lb injectors, new: 100

stainless longtubes/x-pipe exhaust, no mufflers, new unknown brand $200




to this we added:

CAT turbo: free

bus intercoolwer and piping $26

seats: free




by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr




Wednesday morning, we started unpacking it to see what all was there, not there, undone, and needed. I began to regret many of my life decisions up to this point that day....

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

 

so, enough with the parts packages. I got it unloaded, and started looking at the carcass I was left with to create a beautiful creature from. Its definitely not a finished body swap. Not by a long shot. Since that's the biggest hurdle, well start there.

Trunk (previously the engine bay) is actually probably going to be this simplest. Except for closing out the wheelwells, its all flat. Much like it would have been in the c5.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr




next up is the interior area. Its bad. Really, really weird shapes and lots of oddities. The goal in my head is to have a finished, complete red interior with black carpets. Corvette dash and console, custom door panels, full cage, full HVAC, all the luxuries. Hell, a stereo too while were being extravagant!

So here's what we have to work with. (by the way, if you have spare dash parts and console parts for cheap/free, let me know!) what we have to fight against here, and what I see as the biggest hurdle, is the firewall to corvair junction. There's a few inch gap everywhere that needs sealed up, blended in, and made nice. I really don't know how I want to do that yet. I also need to figure out where all the wires, clips, etc go. No idea. In theory its a complete 2000 harness, that is good. Hopefully someone has a good diagram.....

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr







underhood is where the magic will happen. What was under there was a truck 4.8 that has had open intake ports, exhaust ports uncovered, no oil filter, no dipstick or tube. Unknown how long air has been getting in like this. Most of the bolts underhood are either missing or finger tight, near as I can tell. Abs pump is gone, lines just hanging there. Lots of wiring to nothing. Accessories gone, but corvette crank pulley present. Plenty of room though!

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr




so, the first step after unpacking was cleaning. To do so, I packed all the ports and holes with paper towels, then sealed with duct tape. I grabbed the truck manifolds to test fit. Looks like they will be perfect for a front mount turbo install. They do, however, slightly hit the brake booster. I intentionally installed the intake backwards so I could get the parts of it that are never cleaned with the pressure washer. Came out pretty good. We need to add coil, wires, and gaskets to the aforementioned accessories. And a starter. And a million other things.

Anyway, we hit everything with purple power and a pressure washer. Every inch that was readily accessible.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr




while I had the pressure washer out, I did the whole car, and changed the skinnies to the wagon wheels up front. Car has drilled and slotted rotors and fresh pads!

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr




while at the challenge this year, I scored a pair of free seats. Unknown brand, unknown provenance, but the price was right. Even had sliders! After pressure washing, I decided to see how close the dash pad was to fitting (will need trimmed about ¼ on either side to fit the a-pillars properly) and then tossed the seats in to see if they fit (they do!). I had to sit in it and make vroom-vroom and boost noises afterwards. Its one of the commandments, I think.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr




so that's where we are at for now. The next few steps are mostly parts procurement (water pump, alternator bracket, dash parts, etc), and focusing on the first three areas of work: steer, stop, start. In that order. I should learn FAR more about the car in the process of those first three areas, and the third area will be by far the most complex, as it touches essentially every inch of the car near as I can tell.

so, if yall have anything I need for cheap/free (you know, like everything....) or a file of the 2000 corvette wiring schematics/service manual, or just general feedback on this level of stupid insanity, please, comment!

 

ah man i was hoping you doing it crown conversion style.

still pretty cool tho

 

Theres actually another challenge guy building the next body style corvair with a c4 front clip, auxi transaxle, c5 rear suspension and an lt1 mounted midships.
Google monzora

 

Previous total: 1000ish



new money:

110 dash parts

55 water pump

starter 20.35

dipstick tube, bolts, intake tube, mas air sensor, etc.



new total: 1426.74



ive spent the time since last update sourcing parts, and having stampie do the same. First, we needed a water pump.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr



we were missing a coil. Was able to score a full set of 8 for 20 bucks shipped.



We were also missing the starter. Grabbed one from pullapart. Stampie grabbed the MAF, ducting, and a ton of LS bolts for us. As well as a dipstick.



by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr



I was able to score the missing dash and console parts from facebook marketplace.

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr



saturday, stampie saw his car for the first time up close and personal. Him and his son came up from Florida just to see it. Steve also came by, as well as dad. Good day of planning, plotting, scrubbing, etc ensued.



by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr



we have the cage measured and planned, got all the front suspension torqued and the rack bolted down. There's an amazing amount of filth on the underside of this, and lots of missing parts and hardware to track down. But we have a good start. Stampie is in love, and so is his son. Steve is working his cage magic, and I get to do whatever it is that I actually do.



I plan to get the headers and brakes done in the next couple of days. So to begin that preparation, I wanted to paint the visible parts of the frame and engine block. This is something that I tend to do in stages. Paint the parts that are easily accessible now, that wont be later. It provides visual progress and motivation, and makes for a better overall product in the long run. I used a 1 inch brush and some rustoleum gloss black. Then bolted down the master cylinder, and mocked up the water pump.



by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150940429@N02/, on Flickr



next step is actually to m,ale forward progress by NOT working on the car. See, I have a long history of getting projects 90% completed. I have two (1999 miata, and megasquirted 1970 duster) that are 90%. I want them finished. THEN I can focus entirely on nader. While im doing the last 10% on those two, ill be tracking down missing hardware, and figuring out just what all is missing from the fuel system. Which im pretty sure is everything but the tanks.

 

Definitely an interesting project, I look forward to watching this thing come together!

Just a note, I'm not sure what method you're using to insert pics from Flickr, but for me all of your images are coming up twice. Makes it a bit cumbersome to scroll through.

 

The double pictures is odd. Im using the html link copied and pasted into word for the updates. This is the only forum this has happened on. Ideas?

 

I'm not sure why it's happening. I clicked the QUOTE button for your last post with pics, and then clicked on "Source" above the text box to see all the tags. Here's what it showed for the first image (I changed all off the to {} so that the tags don't work and just the plain text should show up):

The bolded red part is what I would expect to come up as an image, because that's a .jpg with the {img} tags on either side. The bolded green part is what appears to also be coming up as an image. I've never used Flickr, so I'm not sure why it includes that {url=https://flic.kr/p/2hPVpHi} part twice when you use the BBCode Share function; that seems to be the issue. I just tested and if you delete the part I put in green, you'd only get 1 image each time. And it shows up as just the image, instead of as a screenshot with the black borders on either side, like so (using the "Large (576x1024)" size option):

by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

Edit: Interesting. When I do "Preview Post", the embedded image shows us as just the image, without the black borders. When I actually created the post, though, it downsizes the image and puts the black borders on either side.