When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Good to know that it wasn't a direct schrader valve adapter, that's what I was assuming.
Those transducers are crazy expensive for what you get! I got a Holley one, which is probably the same as what you have there, and it was $100. I didn't even hardly need it. I was having an issue with my Holley TBI setup and I had no other way of monitoring/logging the fuel pressure, so I ordered one since Holley has all that setup in the harness already and I just had to plug it in. Now it's in a box...... somewhere in my mess of a house. I lose car parts all the time around here and I find other stuff I forgot about when I am looking for something specific, lol
Thanks for the updates and keep going, this will be awesome. The brake master lines are a work of art!
I like the idea of the door handle swap, and the execution is spot on, but for me personally I'd prefer to keep something closer to the rectangular shape of the current ones. I am planning to smooth over my door handles and replace with a Tesla model S inspired auto presenting door handles. I do 3D printing consultancy and am more confident to fab that than I would be to do 90% of your project
For the interior I will get the existing 3rd gen (power) seats refurbed in leather locally, same for dashboard top and sail panels etc. The stock dashboard will be entirely replaced with a newly fabricated dash, think Bentley Turbo R meets Tesla Model S... got that picture? Finally, I hope to score a Tesla Model S steering wheel, but if not, I will use one from a BMW e46 - they are extremely comfortable!
Under the bonnet, I am changing my plans back to all-electric drive. I am hopeful to refurbish lithium batteries from a local bus company(!) and go full Tesla on this.
Despite all this, I hadn't even thought about RHD conversion. It's not required in the UK although we drive on the right - frankly it's hilarious given the size of your roads compared to ours... I manage just fine with the LHD car! Now, I am planning to go for this. With the AC electric motor there is zero space/packaging issue. I am just not so sure on the body/chassis fabrication as you. The plan for electric conversion is to 3D print and cast in aluminium the new mounts to make everything bolt-in-fix. Is there a RHD version of the steering rack that I could get swapped in??
Having got my base 3.1 Firebird road legal and started driving it around again recently, I find myself surprised at how good the handling is, I remembered my old one being worse, but horrified by how vague the steering is, and appalled by the brakes - rear drums were replaced, but front discs are warped. I am up for replacing the whole lot, ABS would be worth it to me.
The brake lines i've also added in some 2psi valves, just to retain pressure to stop drain back into the master cylinder as some lines are above the master (running on the firewall). A lot of patience and planning goes into making the lines as they are however.
I'm guessing you guys have access to tesla stuff in the uk fairly easily then. There's multiple types of handles you could use and the ve commodore is similar in a way to the tesla style handles (the small rectangle type shape).
However the reason for the door handles i used is because with my door wiring, the body control module links to the handles so to make this all easy and plug and play, i just used the original handles from the donor vehicle.
Steering box, there is a rhd version. The one we use in Australia mainly is the hq-wb kingswood power steering box. Its very similar the original except the steering column spline is unique and you cannot get an aftermarket universal to go on it (you have to use the original rag joint suited to the box, you only need its spline adapter as you can do many things with just that small part). As for the drag link, it stays original and the idler arm / pitman arm just swap sides. The pitman arm bolts straight onto the HQ-WB steering box, same splines.
Abs is partly an issue due to what your donor system is. The way my car is setup is that if i ever want to put abs in, i can however the 2 main things i need to sort are the speed sensors front and rear. I'm not sure if just any toothed rings will work for front and back, if the size of them matters etc... Its going to be a lot of testing to see if things do work and a lot of issues if they don't.
If say you were to graft in the front and rear suspension assembly from another vehicle and that donor vehicle had a suitable abs system, in my case say the front(subframe, steering, suspension,etc..) and rear assembly(irs rear end complete) from the vy ss commodore/pontiac gto grafted onto my vehicle it would have all been literally plug and play. However that's even more work and i simply did not have the space to do such work. If i was to start all over again in my current situation (where im changing to a much much larger workshop, i would have considered this option.
So in the end i just opted for some large 325mm C5 rotors front, and some 302mm ve rotors in the rear. That should be more than enough braking power for what i need.
So many ways to do things but you also have to do what is within your skills and what will be accomplished safely for your countries road rules & regulations.
I don't have any links to Tesla, but there is a Supercharger next to my office with a small, permanent puddle of my drool next to it.
The door handles would be CNC/3D printer made from scratch, and will be a slim, rounded rectangle - not a swishy shape like Model S. Plan A is for them to have a capacitive sensor and pop out smartly when touched, just like a Model S, plan B is for them to pivot out on a bearing like the later Tesla Model 3 demonstrator cars had. Plan C is that the door handles aren't door handles - they are covers, which pull inside, and the recess is the door handle.
The locks will be driven by encrypted RFID reader. There will be LEDs to indicate lock status, visible around the door handle surround.
A final possibility is just to have the doors totally smoothed over, and an actuator pop the doors in response to sensing a touch to a capacitive hotspot in the filled section. This would actually be quite easy and very smooth - but I wonder if having no door handle would upset the look a little...
Watching this build log has got me thinking much more creatively about how to get better handling and RHD into my Firebird. Since I am going to gut the whole drivetrain, I should simply be looking for the most modern, best handling car with a similar wheelbase and chassis layout, that I can buy for parts reasonably, and 'just' cut and paste into my Firebird's body. Am based in the UK so different options to you in Oz.
Well not really, in the uk you have the vy ss commodore/pontiac gto available as a vehicle there, its a model of vauxhall i believe.
Anyway to the door handle stuff. You have to keep in mind with the tesla style handles you still need clearance inside the door for the window. I know this might be overlooked, but the handle i used is a lot bigger than the stock handle and clearance is tight but still quite acceptable 10mm before the window is even close.
As for the firebird body vs other chassis, well there is lots you could do to make it work, but if your going that far to place the body on another chassis, may as well be a kit car. If you graft in other suspension etc... It still has the pontiac heart to it. Each to there own but.
We have the Vauxhall Monaro VXR - that's a rebadged Holden I believe...
I started with a high mileage Firebird base model V6 with (successful) previous accident repair. So while everything I've done so far has restored its originality (AC Delco everything, except a Walker stock repro exhaust) I'm not going to worry about originality at all. Going all-electric is hardly respectful of an American muscle car, but hey I grew up watching Knight Rider, there's an alternative precedent there...
Good point about kit cars - but those are normally based on some standard car.
There's also plentiful US performance Pontiac parts - we are able to use tubular suspension arms etc here, it's up to the insurance company to approve. I don't need it to be a track monster though, I want a daily driver that will be fun and safe to drive. And since the 11" AC motor should easily outpace a Trans Am 0-60, I want to make sure the power goes down smoothly, and I can brake solidly to match.
A GTA donor chassis would deliver all that, minus ABS. Trouble is they are getting rarer and more expensive/better condition over here - getting equivalent aftermarket parts shipped from the US may be easier and cheaper.
I just recently got a pair of keys made up to suit my C&C t-tops which fit both barrels so i know its matching.
The downside is the damage done to the locks from being forced open past the locks.
I'll will write up and take photos soon, of how the locks should operate, how to lubricate the lock so its smooth and how to repair a partially damaged lock.
Once the locks are repaired however, if you continue to try and force past the lock, you can damage it once again.
I'll also be looking at a way to minimize this damage by using an additional part in the lock system.
Removed and powder coated them when the car was being painted.
Just bought a new set of seals for the C & C T Tops from the Sunroof Doctor. On the lookout for a similar car to make sure I install the new seals correctly.
just throwing this out there but a 4th gen rear end is a very common swap and the 4th gen can have 3 ch abs or 4 ch abs. dont how that would work with the GTO modules as far as pulse per mile or however it measures it.
Hey LX_SS,
I've put my custom dash on hold till I get more time, and went back to a VY dash like yours. Because i kept the trans hump and firewall stock, it's nowhere near as nice or professional as yours, but I've hit a wall with the gauges.
I bypassed the BCM stuff following the x24 SBC conversion here on thirdgen, most of the gauges I should be able to get working, but the fuel gauge is for the commoore senders, 40-250ohm or something where as my 85 transAM is 0-90. How did you get around this?
So the C&C T-Top Lock Repair. (the lock itself is a non serviceable item, i.e. it cannot be taken apart)
First let me explain my tops, they felt to work and function fine, with a little stiffness on the handle. I never had a key for these units and i took one apart and dropped it off at the local locksmith to get a set of keys made up to suit.
Once i got the keys, i found they turned in the barrels, but it did nothing at all. Upon more investigation i worked out what they were meant to do and found since the keys were lost one time or another the previous owners had forced the handle past the lock damaging the shaft stub that locks the tops.
Now yours could be different. However most will be very similar. If they aren't too badly damaged you can do what i show in the following pics, However if they are severely damaged to the point where the stub has no strength you will require an additional procedure.
1. Remove the locks from the tops, assess what is required on the lock.
2. If no stub repair is required, place the lock in a vice and whilst holding the lock barrel(from underneath where the key goes in pushing upwards), gently tap the shaft stub with a hammer so it is straight and no longer bent. *holding the barrel with vertical pressure stop internal damage*
3. Remove from vice and finely file any burrs or edging off the stub.
4. Lubricate the cylinder as shown with silicone spray.
5. Refit the lock and test.
If you need to repair the stub, you will have to clean the stub to bare metal, using a heavy duty bare copper wire wrapped around the base of the stub(using this as the earth/ground) and weld the damage stub section so it can be grinded/filed down to correct shape.
Thats more or less it. There will be a plate i will show later on to help prevent bending the shaft, but it wont stop wear on the tip of the stub.
Hey mate, Any updates?
Thanks so much for your help with mine, the dash is all in and operating now, only 2 errors, low coolant (which i just need to earth the wire) and fuel gauge calibration error (just need to use the software to recalibrate)
BCM detects, PIM works without linking, all gauges work, indicators, headlights the lot
I went with your suggestion too and got the calais L3 cluster
Hey,
Naa no updates yet, im at my new place now so just in the process of getting the shed setup and getting the new shed built which will have the pontiac in it.
Once its all done then i'll be able to get back onto the pontiac but its going to be some time, so much stuff to be sorted through and that.
Since now im on a couple of acres, i am able to start up and drive the pontiac around a little bit every week/fortnight just to keep things going, like not have the injectors blocking up etc...
Haha sound good. Yeah I did a test on my oil after run in and found I've got 2000ppm water and 7% fuel dilution so I've got to pull the intake and be a bit more generous with the RTV sealant on the water jackets, and find out whether I've got a leaking injector, dead plug or something worse. At least running an oil analysis lab for the day job has come in handy.
Any updates?
I'm just starting my LS1 swap into mine, should be a lot easier with all the VY dash and wiring already done, but would love to know how yours is going now.
Its been quite a while, wish there was updates, but this is just sitting now as i dont have the time to get onto it. Just got too many things on the go.
I will get around to it. I got 3 bikes left to rebuild which one is about 70% done.
I still start it up from time to time, drive it around a little bit, thinking once i've done that i gotta get back onto it, but its all time mostly, and some cost factors but nothing too big.
A supposed update i guess is the other pontiac done similarly has been approved by engineer, so therefore mine which is that step further should pass no worries.
Not sure what wiring and such you got, but the LS1 is pretty easy, its basically a chev with adapter plates on the engine for mounts and then the next big thing is custom headers again which reminds me i did make another set of ls1 headers for the other pontiac.
Its been quite a while, wish there was updates, but this is just sitting now as i dont have the time to get onto it. Just got too many things on the go.
I will get around to it. I got 3 bikes left to rebuild which one is about 70% done.
I still start it up from time to time, drive it around a little bit, thinking once i've done that i gotta get back onto it, but its all time mostly, and some cost factors but nothing too big.
A supposed update i guess is the other pontiac done similarly has been approved by engineer, so therefore mine which is that step further should pass no worries.
Not sure what wiring and such you got, but the LS1 is pretty easy, its basically a chev with adapter plates on the engine for mounts and then the next big thing is custom headers again which reminds me i did make another set of ls1 headers for the other pontiac.
Any chance you want to sell the other set of headers?
That is the biggest headache I foresee for mine
I've pretty much copied your steering column piece for piece so I'd have the same clearance you do.
I've wired in pretty much the whole body loom and dash loom from a VY so it's all plug and play for the LS going in.
I did a mod and frankenstein of the VY wiper module to the original firebird linkages which works pretty well, and wired up the rest of the body electrics to work with the BCM.
Dash still has the ABS module beep I can't get rid of, but everything else is good, fuel gauge works with the ls1 tank, for some reason the trip computer doesn't though.
abs beep i think you can get rid of by getting a ****ed pump, unbolt the good electrics from it, then plug it in and pull the fuse i think.
there is some cluey guys about that can setup a small arduino or such to send code to indicate abs is all there working ok but i haven't found one yet.
the headers for the other pontiac, not my one. i still only have the set on my car.
steering column for engineers had to add a collapsible section directly on the box, the steering column wasn't enough :-(
but that just meant a universal and shaft section change.
Ah ok no worries.
Did you ever look into what headers were available for the lsx motors here in aus that might fit or fit with a bit of modification, or just go straight to making your own?
ABS I'll figure out once I get everything else running smoothly, and the steering I can put in the collapsable shaft later. I actually went that way first anyway so it'll be easy to put that back in.
I did look into it, and some seem promising, but after i've built these two, i've come to realize that one, your wont get headers that place things where you want.
The easiest is custom, now these you can get done to 4 into 1 long tubes (no idea how easy to put in or out they would be), or you can go 4 into 1 shorties which the two i did are.
Either way a good custom set, after ceramic coating and welding / labor i would say be in the 2 to 2.5k range.
Unless they have cnc mandrel pipe bender(that can do super tight radius) which would cut a lot of welding time out.
Also i should add, the other pontiac had some 4 into 1's that were off the shelf (no steering or anything else in the way at the time). They sounded ok.
But after i built this set, they sounded phenomenal, the cam sounds so aggressive. Yet its a baby cam. I'll see if i can get you a pic of the 2nd set
Also like my headers, these are built to route like the factory system, tho if you wanted you could run twin down alongside the trans but there isnt much room for us and keeping height clearance.
There was a lot of time welding and cleaning up these headers to get them as good as they are for the coating. Ceramic coating shows every flaw.
Wow, yeah those look great!
That's way out of my budget for headers.
I've got a full 2.5" dual exhaust with x-over in there now and a set of modified clipster headers that fit pretty well, except the flange on the collector rubs on the firewall near the brake line.
I was hoping to find either an ls1 equivalent that would almost bolt up to rest, but i'll see what i can find to trial. For $2500 though I'm netter off going for a turbo setup, my mate can weld the pipes for me easily enough.
Once I've got the motor in I'll have a better idea of the space i have.
The steel to make those headers not including the flanges or the o2 bungs (he already had those) was about 800ish.
That was 2m straight pipe which isnt bad, 2 x 4into1 collectors, and 6 donuts.
Ceramic coating is another 450 there. So thats already 1250, + those other flanges be about 1400ish.
Then the time making them fit and clear everything, then the 20+ hours welding, purging, and smooth finishing the pipes.
Thats not including the tig consumables or the gas cost.
As you can see, it all adds up very easily and thats not even at a price that most would charge for that labor.
So as you can see, its not cheap. And to do any header like so is around the same, even turbo headers.
Thats why if a place has a CNC mandrel pipe bender that does tight radius, it usually cheaper for them to do it, but then your paying for the machine use.
Also keep in mind, we are talking about hand made one of's, not a header that is for mass production or has a big calling for.
However there is maybe an idea to fit for clearance, not sure how well it would work. But get a set of turbo headers, mount them with the flanges at the back of the motor not the front.
Not ideal but is what it is.
Also forgot to add, with custom headers, the largest you can fit in that tight space is 1 3/4". Thats with that same shape design.
i might be possible to fit 1 7/8" pipes, but your really really pushing it for clearance on the rail and steering shafts etc...
I dont have a pic of how they are on the engine now, but i do have one of mock up.
There is about 15mm or so clearance to the steering shaft. These are as tight as can be to the motor but still allowing the start motor heatshield to fit.
The headers allow plenty of clearance for the spark plugs and leads and being able to get them in and out. The downside is everything out being a tight fit with a normal vacuum booster and the firewall swap, makes the rear plug a nightmare. Might be possible from underneath with a hoist but haven't tried. My setup is a fair bit easier with a hydraulic booster.
Just wondering if you had any clearance issues with the low mount alternator hitting on the k member?
Mine is am I'm wondering if I have the engine too far set back, but reading everyone else's LS swap half of them have issue with the engine hitting the firewall, so it figured I can go back any further, and thinking maybe I have to bring the engine forward more to clear it?
I already have a high mount A/c bracket to clear the steering and k-member on the RHD drivers side, so may have to go for a high mount ac/powersteering bracket as well...
Its been so long hasnt it, i have to finish this car one day just always getting sidetracked.
I had no issues with the low mount alternator, granted tho, i'm not using the oem firewall. That said, firewall isnt the determining point, the engine mounts are as this makes the engine sit in relation to K member.
Get us a pic of your issue/engine mounts/brackets and i'll get you one of mine :-)
Its been so long hasnt it, i have to finish this car one day just always getting sidetracked.
I had no issues with the low mount alternator, granted tho, i'm not using the oem firewall. That said, firewall isnt the determining point, the engine mounts are as this makes the engine sit in relation to K member.
Get us a pic of your issue/engine mounts/brackets and i'll get you one of mine :-)
Yeah it's been a while. I finally got a decent shed to work on the car so I've been busy getting the Ls1 swap done.
Surprisingly the "clipster" style ls1 headers fit perfectly for the drivers side, irgonically though, the passenger side hits on the bit extruding from the firewall, which I was going to ask you about whether its able to be notched or if it's a structural part of the frame/chassis?
Here's a few pics of where I'm up to.
I'll take a picture of the alternator to show where it's hitting as well as how far forward the engine sits
LX_SS:
Did you find any Aussie brake calipers that were compatible with the Firebirds?
I've got my car all back together again but the brakes are not really working at all.
After running new lines, new master cylinder and new brake booster, along with adjustable proportioning valve, and multiple bleeds and about 8L of brake fluid, they still don't lock up.
I'm now looking at replacing the firebird master cylinder and the front/rear brake calipers but I need ti going in less than 2 weeks so anything from the states is no longer an option.
I've got rear 97 PBR disc brakes and 85 stock front disc brakes, but I figure if I replace both of these I should be out of possible places for the issue.
I just went C5 corvette 320mm setup. That was super easy to do. The GTO calipers are nice, but the way they mount is so whack.
The rear tho, i went mr2 calipers with ve discs, again needed relocation brackets.
I just went C5 corvette 320mm setup. That was super easy to do. The GTO calipers are nice, but the way they mount is so whack.
The rear tho, i went mr2 calipers with ve discs, again needed relocation brackets.
Ok cool.
Did you have to make your own brackets or are they available to buy?
I've only got less than 2 weeks till Powercruise so I was hoping to find something locally for a fair price but it's not looking good.
Well I made it to Powercruise, and then the rear main went on the LS1 before I even got out to the track.
Ended up fixing that and got a good month or 2 out of the car, then had one of the flares on the front right brake crack, when I went to Jack up the car on the K-member after a couple of beers realised I was on the sump and put a crack in the cast aluminium sump so now I'm waiting for a mate to weld that up for me
In the meantime though I've pulled the master cylinder and booster from the donor VY still sitting on the front lawn and I'm going to see what's needed to mod to put that in, as it gives me a couple of inches extra clearance and should hopefully work a bit better than the 37 year old brake technology of the TransAM.
I've got 97 LT1 Camaro single piston brakes on the rear and stock 85 TransAM single piston brakes on the front, but all new lines, new hoses, and it was a new master cylinder and booster, but the brakes felt crappy and cam wasn't building enough vacuum so I wired in a VE auxillary vacuum pump to kick in and out when needed.
Hopefully the VY BB and MC will help it out a bit more.
I'd like to use the calipers from the VY as well, but I don't think I'd be able to find any adapter brackets for that.
Hey buddy,
Its been a long time and sadly i still haven't touched my pontiac in 7 years. Its just so hard to get time to work on it whilst running a business.
VY brackets are just a nightmare for the front calipers, its really not worth the effort. The c5 corvette conversion is just so easy, simple, tried and true method i'd be recommending that.
If you can the vy booster/master in thats great. Just be careful rear brakes dont lockup before front. I couldn't physically fit a booster at all, so i went with a hydraulic booster.
One day i'll get onto mine i hope. I just need to spend a solid few months on it and then its good. Last i was upto was i couldn't get the rear brake line in from the front due to the bends and shape with the engine/trans still in place.
I need to get toyota MR2 Turbo Calipers for the rear, then i can use my ve discs. Once thats mounted and done then drivetrain is sorted except for the exhaust. So then i can strip, finish the body and then maybe get it painted.
Keep us updated on yours, I'll have to grab you on fb messenger so we can keep in touch, i barely log on here anymore.
Yeah no worries. I don't really use Facebook but I'll PM you my mobile and discord if you use that.
I ended up using the softer brake line stuff which is a lot easier to bend. In most cases you can just do it by hand and only need the tool for the really tight bends.
I bought a 3d printer to get started on the custom style dash, trying for a Tesla style with a 24" touch screen in the center and do away with the commodore dash but this time I'm going to build it all outside the car separately and just transplant it in when it's done.
Also bought a 6L LQ4 short motor so going to have a go at a twin turbo setup, but it's going to involve moving all the accessories back to stock positions to get space to put it all in.
As you said, not enough time in the day, but it'll get there eventually.
I'll look into the C5 setup though, I've got an adjustable proportioning valve in there already so the VY setup can be adjusted but some better calipers would definitely improve it.
The C5/C6 is an easy as setup to do.
With the dash idea, Can i suggest, one of two things, first and foremost, build the frame out of small diameter steel tubing or rod. Then least that will give you structure and points to mount sections off.
If you dont want to do that idea, then make a buck of the mount points from the car, then use that to make a frame mimicking the car's mount points. That way you can build it entirely out of the car
08-20-2016, 06:50 PM
