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Just hard getting us together at one time to work on it, we work pretty damned good together and get a lot done quick, its just the whole getting everyone together in one place anymore.
I won't take any credit for welding, that's all my friend Craig. He does some amazing work.
These three pictures show how we rebuilt the cowl are from the donor 1/2 firewall. Went a lot better than any of us thought, realistically about 2 10 hour days we three people working.
This is how much we had to cut to get to the rusted areas to repair it all properly.
Amazing from where it started, eh?
Halfway back together :-)
OMG, is that what it is supposed to look like?
More or less final assembly picture minus some seam sealer in factory spots and a little filler to smooth a post or two out.
Thanks man, you should come by and check it out one of these days, garage functionality is also improving at a very fast rate. Getting stoked again and enjoying cars
Thanks man, you should come by and check it out one of these days, garage functionality is also improving at a very fast rate. Getting stoked again and enjoying cars
Once things settle down after the Expo and the Power Tour, I gotta get over there and drink some of your beer.....
Just trying to figure out when Nick, Craig and I can get together again for floor pan mayhem 2015.
Started tearing down the LS1 partially for seals and the like and so far so good. Oil that was in the pan was nasty, but intake ports are clean, rocker/valve cover area is a light golden brown color, so it looks like someone at least tried to take care of it.
Working extra so time limited other than an hour or two here or there last week and a half.
Thanks man, you should come by and check it out one of these days, garage functionality is also improving at a very fast rate. Getting stoked again and enjoying cars
I might be swinging by Indiana sooner or later anyways, found a guy that will cut the crap out of my harness for a good price.... And I don't really have the time to do it.
I might be swinging by Indiana sooner or later anyways, found a guy that will cut the crap out of my harness for a good price.... And I don't really have the time to do it.
Sweet. Do you plan on popping off Caps and checking bearings? ARP bolts on rods at least?
Only is I find something suspicious or out of place. Everything looking great so far, so I will know for sure when I pull the oil pan over the weekend.
By the way, you happen to have any intact perimeter bolt style LS valve covers? I found one of mine with a cracked off boss for the coil, so I either need to fix or replace, PM me if ya do.
No discoloration, excessive side play in rods or metallic debris. Only thing of note is sludgy oil in the bottom of the pan, but that's normal for about any engine you tear down that was used on the street and has mileage.
All I have left to do is pop off the flywheel and pull the rear cover.
Although I'm thinking about just taking the valve covers, front and rear covers, valley cover and oil pan and pickup to a machine shop for a hot tank bath. That's one thing about aluminum I always hate, cleaning it is next to impossible without a real parts cleaner setup........
Got to Blue Top tonight with the kid and worked out some stuff for the drivers floor pan, so next time we can get together that's a go.
Got home from there and ended up in the garage at 9:30 or so and stayed till 12:20.
No rushes, no shortcuts, when its done its done and 100% right*fingers crossed*
It sucks, but if we can pull one good long day on the floor pans I can begin assembly if we get the engine bay painted as well.
I understand, many weeks I did only 1 or 2 things because I wanted it done right and it took all day long. And I only had one day to work on it, usually by myself.
No rushes, no shortcuts, when its done its done and 100% right*fingers crossed*
It sucks, but if we can pull one good long day on the floor pans I can begin assembly if we get the engine bay painted as well.
It's OK. Anyone who attends the Expo that owns a thirdgen but doesn't bring it must wear a funny hat for the duration of the event. Would you like a huge sombrero, a beanie with a propeller, or a large dunce cap?
"It's getting better, it's getting better everyday", to quote a famous Postman.
Another view, still have some seam sealer to apply, so some touch up and clean up will be needed after that, but 100% improvement from last round of engine bay pics
The slowly creeping forward engine reseal and clean up with a couple goodies added. Fitted the LS6 style intake on it today, took like 20 minutes total to make it fit with the 4 corner coolant bleed. Ported TB as well, found a decent deal last year.....
Last edited by 3.8TransAM; 06-07-2015 at 09:55 PM.
"It's getting better, it's getting better everyday", to quote a famous Postman.
Another view, still have some seam sealer to apply, so some touch up and clean up will be needed after that, but 100% improvement from last round of engine bay pics
The slowly creeping forward engine reseal and clean up with a couple goodies added. Fitted the LS6 style intake on it today, took like 20 minutes total to make it fit with the 4 corner coolant bleed. Ported TB as well, found a decent deal last year.....
Looking great. What kind of paint did you use to paint the engine bay?
I hate the stuff that GM used. Hard to fully scrape out and it jams up a wire wheel. *puke*
Wheel wasn't an option, I was digging it out from the fender well to the firewall in the front. Have to repaint some under the hood so it wasn't a big deal, but I got a good handle on getting it out slowly but surely.
Use a semi worn wire wheel and take off small sections at a time and it doesn't jam it up Life was lots better after I figured that out.
I was wondering if you were using a new rocker panel or part of an old car to fix your floor? I'm in the same boat. How do you fix the rust that's still hidden back under the good metal? I am especially worried that the rot will continue after closing up the rocker panel.
Thanks and please take a lot of pictures as you progress to help the rest of us...
You have to cut out access. There really is no other way.
I was not able to locate a good floor sections donor car, so we are making what we need.
Only real issue with the rocker is the front section, so it won't be too bad to rebuild a new section for what we need.
I don't take a ton of pictures, but I try to get a few in at every phase of the job. Will have more going together since it will get rebuilt outside in and have to wait between layers so everything is clean and coated metal.
Are you trying to fab up the factory overlapped 22ga. or using something like 18ga.to build the parts you are making? Like where a number of thin parts are brought together and welded? I've tried fixing my 04 GP rocker panel with 18ga. but it's kind of tough to get all the pieces connected. This pic shows there were at least 4 different panels all welded together from the factory and I tried to replace them with one thicker piece of steel. In your experience, does this work well?
Thanks,
From everything I know and believe me in body land I am far from an expert, is cut out all the rust realistically possible, clean and coat the rest with something quality, ie Por-15, Eastwood converter, etc.
As far as metal it depends on how you have access to the pieces you need and how you have room to weld. Keep thickness the same or pretty close for the pieces you putting back together. So if 3 pieces were there originally, you could use something thicker and weld it in. We have been doing everything factory style so far, but you always want to use as few parts as possible.
Less welds and stronger pieces being put in is always better than the opposite.
My buddy Craig is my welding genius. So we cut it out, fab it up, run it thru him and go from there
Schedule wise has been for **** for myself, Nick and Craig, so we have not been able to get together for more sheet metal fun period.
Managed to get a decent stash of NOS stuff for hood liner, body side door trim and other odds and ends so that was cool.
I need 2 clean regular Firebird/Formula fenders for the front if anyone has any leads anywhere near the area, please let me know.(dont want to weld holes closed if I don't have to)
Also anything with good sheet metal for drivers side floor and rocker panel would be awesome as well. Would save us some fab time and I'm not having luck finding anything good.
Been interrupted by crappy schedule and trying to fit in testing for a new job in the middle of everything else and sinus infection that turned into a root canal.....
Fun times!
Anyhows, pulled the pass. fender today and starting cleaning all the seam sealer out of that area and have one small hole to take care of. Nothing worse than we knew, so that is good and repair should not be too bad either.
Now I am desperately trying to come up with 2 frt fenders(drvr is a have to, pass could work if needed) along with good floor pan/rocker/kick panel area sheet metal on the drivers side. Prefer oem, but even aftermarket floor pans are back ordered until early Oct. anywhere affordable.
Trying to get back to the maxim of "Do something to it everyday even if it is small".
Awesome progress. I am moving back to the area in a couple of months. I am always up for some garage time. If you need an extra pair of hands let me know.
Awesome progress. I am moving back to the area in a couple of months. I am always up for some garage time. If you need an extra pair of hands let me know.
You might be sorry you ever made that offer
I want to say in a couple months I will be done, but the way it has gone so far who the hell knows
I am moving back to the Crown Point area. I was looking at some houses near Fowler but I haven't made any decisions yet. I will probably look around for a house to buy once I get back in the area.
Apparently installing heat/ac in your house, walking home from work when you car craps out and gets towed and a laundry list of other miscellaneous items along with getting called inot work 3 times in a row on you "off" days takes a toll........
Making the stage 2 push here for getting the driver floor pan and rocker done. Should be ordering stuff this week, since new stocks have arrived it appears.
Got into BP last Oct. and it ate most of my free time up with studying.
Now I'll be ready to go shortly and we have a min, 3 mth turnaround, so cash will be ready, but time will be non-existent.
Floor pan partially cut out and the replacement is here and waiting. Been trying to jam in as much stuff as possible with the little bozos as well since I will disappear for 3 mths with work.
04-10-2015, 05:36 PM
Life was lots better after I figured that out. 
