LQ4 into a 3rd Gen/1972 Nova
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Alright so I have a very mini update, this workterm has been crazy busy so when I do get a chance to go out to the garage, it's been working on this , which has taken far too long, but now it's done so I can start on the car again!! Unfortunately I lost just about all of the weld pics...
Nice cart! Looks like you packed everything in there neatly. I like the cord/gun/hose wraps.
I highly recommend going from 3 to 4 casters and placing them at the outermost corners. That three caster setup is just asking for a tipover! It may feel stable on a flat surface, but as soon as that front wheel hits a pebble or crack in the concrete, lookout!
I highly recommend going from 3 to 4 casters and placing them at the outermost corners. That three caster setup is just asking for a tipover! It may feel stable on a flat surface, but as soon as that front wheel hits a pebble or crack in the concrete, lookout!
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
-TheBandit-... I know what you mean about it looking tippy, that's even why I have the front cross bar extending outwards a bit more than the bottom tray so there's room for 2 casters to go at the outermost points. Just for ***** I threw the single caster on there, and it was tippy with nothing on it, but with the weight of everything on there and it being a swivel, I simply could not tip it with it freerolling... I threw a chunk of steel on the ground to block the swivel caster, and it moved the steel and didn't tip... and I was putting a lot of weight behind it too!
I have an aluminum filler rod rack in the works that will bolt to the side, and I've thought about making a helmet hook too, but other than that it turned out better that I thought it would!
It was a lot of good steel welding practice, but now I have no excuse about delaying and gotta focus on the car now!
Mark... thanks, see, I've been doing somthing in the garage not just slacking haha... how's you're progress? We need to crack open some beers over your car soon! Haha
I have an aluminum filler rod rack in the works that will bolt to the side, and I've thought about making a helmet hook too, but other than that it turned out better that I thought it would!
It was a lot of good steel welding practice, but now I have no excuse about delaying and gotta focus on the car now!
Mark... thanks, see, I've been doing somthing in the garage not just slacking haha... how's you're progress? We need to crack open some beers over your car soon! Haha
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
So work on the car resumes for a bit here.
Ordered a bunch of 2.5" x 0.063" mild steel tubing and bends, with some brand new 2010 LS3 manifolds as well as an LS3 water pump, to give me a bit more room to work with up front for the cold side.
I milled a turbo flange. I'm still on the fence about this diesel HE351VGT Holset turbo, but since I have it and it was free, might as well give it a shot. Also doesn't hurt that its turbine inlet is so damn close to a T4, so I just made a T4 flange will a dual bolt pattern, so upgrading to a bigger T4 later would be easy(ish).
Ordered a bunch of 2.5" x 0.063" mild steel tubing and bends, with some brand new 2010 LS3 manifolds as well as an LS3 water pump, to give me a bit more room to work with up front for the cold side.
I milled a turbo flange. I'm still on the fence about this diesel HE351VGT Holset turbo, but since I have it and it was free, might as well give it a shot. Also doesn't hurt that its turbine inlet is so damn close to a T4, so I just made a T4 flange will a dual bolt pattern, so upgrading to a bigger T4 later would be easy(ish).
Nice work on the flange. I wish I had a DRO on my mill! Are the LS3 manifolds you plan to use from a C6 'vette or 5th gen Camaro? Where are you putting your O2 sensor(s)?
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Sometimes I think I put too much time into the details, plus did I need to take pics of it? Probably not, but I can't justify paying for something when I know I could so easily make it with just a bit of manual labour.
Also yea, the DRO's are borderline essential if you want to keep your sanity I think!
The manifolds were pulled off of an LS3 crate motor, so to be honest I don't know whether they'd be from a Vette or Camaro. I haven't seen pics of the Camaro ones, so I can't comment if they're any different, but these look like the C6 Vetter ones that Marktainium almost let me use, which also happened to have O2 bungs in them right around the collectors. If these don't have provisions for the O2 sensors then I'll weld in some bungs vertically underneath the 2.5" piping on each side, right aft of where it'll bolt up to these manifolds.
Also yea, the DRO's are borderline essential if you want to keep your sanity I think!
The manifolds were pulled off of an LS3 crate motor, so to be honest I don't know whether they'd be from a Vette or Camaro. I haven't seen pics of the Camaro ones, so I can't comment if they're any different, but these look like the C6 Vetter ones that Marktainium almost let me use, which also happened to have O2 bungs in them right around the collectors. If these don't have provisions for the O2 sensors then I'll weld in some bungs vertically underneath the 2.5" piping on each side, right aft of where it'll bolt up to these manifolds.
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Jimbo... feel free to call me Joe, the screen name is something I'm trying to outgrow haha.
The Dynasty is a great little bugger. I got it new, at about $50 above cost or something low like that, but it was still pricey. The main selling points for me were the size/weight, insane adjustability, input power flexibility, and prettymuch that I'll never need to upgrade. I've welded a couple real thick steel things so far, and put a lot more amps into them than I thought my 115V 15A breaker would allow, but now I really do need to step up to 220V in order to do some serious aluminum.
Stay tuned for some aluminum gauge panel updates within the next couple days...
The Dynasty is a great little bugger. I got it new, at about $50 above cost or something low like that, but it was still pricey. The main selling points for me were the size/weight, insane adjustability, input power flexibility, and prettymuch that I'll never need to upgrade. I've welded a couple real thick steel things so far, and put a lot more amps into them than I thought my 115V 15A breaker would allow, but now I really do need to step up to 220V in order to do some serious aluminum.
Stay tuned for some aluminum gauge panel updates within the next couple days...
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Getting real close to finishing the gauge panel, liking what I see so far. Just need to make a bit of a plate "border" around the sides and bottom edges, and steering column arch, to give it a bit of a sunken look...
This was fun, felt like a big industrial etch & sketch...
Clearance notches to tack the bezel rings in from behind to hide them...
This was fun, felt like a big industrial etch & sketch...
Clearance notches to tack the bezel rings in from behind to hide them...
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Mocked the gauges in for test fit and couldn't be happier.
Now to decide how to finish it, I want a rough matte black finish, thinking either:
1) bead blast and paint a semi-gloss black
or
2) anodize matte black and hope for a bit of a rough finish
Now to decide how to finish it, I want a rough matte black finish, thinking either:
1) bead blast and paint a semi-gloss black
or
2) anodize matte black and hope for a bit of a rough finish
my vote is anodize. regardless, that cluster is going to be badass.
i'm doing something similar on the goat, though I'm having it laser cut or water-jetted due to the shape (not a simple rectangle like that). I'm also thinking of leaving it natural aluminium. the sides and steering column relief have been a nightmare to model. I've probably ran 6 or 7 designs through the plotter at work to mock it up, and I'm still not quite done.
i'm doing something similar on the goat, though I'm having it laser cut or water-jetted due to the shape (not a simple rectangle like that). I'm also thinking of leaving it natural aluminium. the sides and steering column relief have been a nightmare to model. I've probably ran 6 or 7 designs through the plotter at work to mock it up, and I'm still not quite done.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
I think I am going to go black ano... I was quoted $60 for just the dash and only a couple bucks more if I add more pieces, so I'll have to see if there's anything else I can include.
It sure is nice having access to the machines, but unfortunately they're not mine, I do all this stuff at work before my day officially starts.
Waiting on the manifolds shipment to arrive just south of the border before I go pick that up as well as whack load of piping I ordered. In the meantime I made something that'll be helpful haha! It's modeled after a Turbonetics T76 and dimensionally accurate to about 1/4"
It sure is nice having access to the machines, but unfortunately they're not mine, I do all this stuff at work before my day officially starts.
Waiting on the manifolds shipment to arrive just south of the border before I go pick that up as well as whack load of piping I ordered. In the meantime I made something that'll be helpful haha! It's modeled after a Turbonetics T76 and dimensionally accurate to about 1/4"
Not enough to blow the welds on his intake manifold - yet. I'd hit the rest of those seams with more duct tape. And you probably want to use some hi-temp stuff on the hot side. 
You really did etcho-sketch those larger gauge holes by hand, didn't you? Props to you Joe - that takes some time & skill. I think I would have gone with something more like a boring bar fitted with a parting type tool and done a plunge cut as if it were a holesaw.
I vote for a black finish on the gauge panel. A smoke-anodize might look good too. Then I'd go back and hit the front faces of the rings with sandpaper to get them down to raw (or later polished) aluminum as accent.
I vote for a black finish on the gauge panel. A smoke-anodize might look good too. Then I'd go back and hit the front faces of the rings with sandpaper to get them down to raw (or later polished) aluminum as accent.