Quote: Originally Posted by Stippy17 Cuz I like to make things pretty? Lol I just figure for about $20 I can paint it to match the block, and you might not be able to see it but Ill have to look at it when Im down there fixing **** lol. Pretty much the same two reasons i gave. And because i could.

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Didnt have to buy anything I had everything I needed already. I just degreased the whole think wiped it down and gave it a coat.

haha nice, you work faster than me. That would have taken me a few days to get done.

Lol I couldnt stand looking at it. I realized I had everything I needed, so I sat down for 20 mins and cleaned/painted it.

I just went to Advance and picked up a tranny mount for it. Its only OEM, but if I tear it I take it back and get it replaced. It was only $6 so I grabbed it.

Ok quick question.


Now since the tranny is set up for a cable speedometer, and my car is set up for an electric speedometer how hard is it to convert the tranny to use in my car?

You can get a little box that hooks to the transmission speedometer drive to plug the vehicle harness into.

Ok sounds good. Do you know what the little box is called so I can read up on it?

Speedometer sending unit. http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...115+4294849272

Thank you My "plug" will connect to one of these? It looks like I need to splice the wires.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

Looks good. Can't beat free.

Ok today I took the old seats out, and put them inside of the house so they stay intact. I vaccumed really fast because I was stuck working outside tonight (My dad was wiring fog lights on his truck) so I didnt want to be out in the dark when I couldnt see. I managed to get the new ones in as it was getting dark, so I wont have pics til tomorrow after school when its light out. They dont look perfect in the car, but they dont look bad and they are a little nicer than my Black/Grey ones.

excited to se you get it running

Its still gonna be a little while but Im just as excited lol. I should be able to buy heads soon enough, I had to use some money to buy the TH400.

I find it exciting to read about the progress you have made with the project. Scoring free seats was very cool!! God bless grandparents!

I would like to offer my opinions and advice (I know, I know, everybody has something to throw at you) as I have my own 406 and am a true gearhead.

I strongly urge you, as others have, to inspect the bottom end. Take the crank to a shop and have it checked for true and have the journals machined for durabillity. The bearings tell a story if you know how to read them. Try to work in some 5.7 rods (stock 350s are okay) and install some ARP or other quality bolts. If you can find some 6 inchers it would be better, but be sure to inspect clearances in a 360 degree swing path and grind any tight spots. DO NOT expect this engine to be a revver with the stock bottom end. You can scrounge for Oldsmobile diesel 6 inch rods and use them as cheap alternatives to $$ performance parts. Have the assembly balanced to be safe and add longevity/performance. As stated in an earlier post, the 5.5" stock rods offer little piston dwell time and put a large side load on the pistons/cylinders. If you don't understand this theory just ask.

Make sure (with measuring tools) that the cyls are round and true. You can have it sonic checked, but it may be a waste of money for what you plan to do with it. Consider having the deck cut to 0 to reduce the area on top the pistons where the cylinder extends. They like to have the combustion in the head not the cylinder. (bla bla bla) The Performer RPM
is okay but the VicJR would run better from 1500 up...esp up. You don't need a huge stall RPM or fancy flexplate for street duty but a quality Harmonic Damper is a good idea. I think you'll find this engine has lots of torque.

I seriously advise you to try to locate good used parts (ebay, swap meets, forum for sales) to save coin for the machine shops work and building a "safe" engine that will perform well for many miles. I recommend a book by David Vizard: "How to build Max Performance Small Block Chevys on a Budget" and the satelite publishings that complement the top end, bottom end and induction/exhaust systems. There are a lot of little tricks no one here has mentioned for oil controll, carb mods and durabillity. Consider a very well thoughtout exhaust for this car as 406s like to flow lots of air.

I also recommend, as someone else touched on, doing some mods to the chassis like frame connectors, 9in rear, adj torque arm, panhard rod, low controll arms and some GOOD tires. That TH400 will work fine if it's in good shape (my little TH350 survived 35K behind the 400 after 100K in the stock chassis) Shift kitt it and get a good driveshaft.


Lots of stuff to do here...shop for bargains, and use your head. Take the advise of smart people here and build a package, not a collection of cool parts. I offer this all as a guy helping you out, not some jackass flaming you, hope it helps a little. I may have forgot something, if you have Qs just ask.



and as a hijack...I want to know how you're going to cool this beast? I have been thinking about shelving my 305 and running my 406 for fun, but the radi is my biggest fear. Anybody???

something like this would work much better on your 400 with your solid cam and good heads than an rpm or air gap will....

my personal opinion.......

Tonight I got a good bit done. I finished up painting the underbody Silver, and started to install my suspension components. I removed the old Torque Arm, Panhard Bar, & Lower Control Arms and installed my UMI Performance: Adjustable Torque Arm, TH400 Crossmember, Panhard Bar, & Lower Control Arms. Everything is powdercoated black, and looks decent under the car. Tomorrow I plan to install the Front Steering Brace, tighten all the bolts down that I finger tightened, and work more on the wires in the engine bay.

Tightened up and centered everything I installed last night, and installed the UMI Front Steering Brace too. Also pulled my blown strut (Was about 4 months old) and exchanged it at Advance. My major suspension work is done besides the Subframe Connectors which Ill do once the car is able to be driven somewhere better suited to weld them on. I also am going to replace some bushings but thats minor stuff too.

I want to put some cheap drag shocks on the rear, but we'll see if I can afford them later on.

I removed the Front Bumper, and got rid of the Crash Plastic. I set the Bumper back up to see how weak it would be without the crash pastic behind it, and it didnt seem to bad so Im going along with my plan and not putting it back when I reinstall the Front Bumper after I have the engine sat in.

I also sifted through a few more wires tonight, and I realized Im missing a skimatics page so that might be why I have 4 wires that I dont know wtf they are lol. I must have lost that page or not printed it out but whatever no big deal. I greased all the UMI parts tonight too.

Does anyone know if you need that crash plastic to be legal? Does it support the front bumper nose cover at all?

you know thats a good question, I've often wondered that myself, obviously removing it takes a away the impact absorbing quality, but is it legal? Obviously there wouldn't really be anyway to tell until after the accident in most cases but who knows.. I know my girlfriends car doesn't have one anymore.. she thinks its a bumper car and goes around hitting as much **** as possible.. it has almost 500k on the clock so every time i piece the poor thing back togather it receives the bare mininium to function..

i just read all 8 pages of this build , something i normaly never do but seeing i got the same engine and hp goals i read it , but my engines staying 9in the truck i found it in =) some reason a 1980 c-10 stepside looks great ,

I dont think the plastic part is "required". It was probably part of the 5mph standard for DOT. The plastic part would have no real effect in a serious crash, just helps keep the bumper from caving in completely when you bump something. The metal part might need to stay, or some modified form of it anyway. Dont know if any inspection mechanic would notice it missing or modified anyway. My 2 cents anyway.

well i need to modify mine we'll see how it goes

Update


Ok its been a little while since Ive updated. Not much has happened, I got a new job working at National Tire & Battery. I made $6/hr + Commision and within 2 weeks I am already the top Tire Tech there. Some perks will be I can order up to 4 tires a year and pay 10% under what they pay for them. Sounds like Ill be getting some DR's for cheap.


I have the Silver/Blue Pace Setter Seats in the car now. They don't look too bad, especially since they were free.

Ive bought another Thirdgen since I last updated too. I payed $300 for it, and I put my Grey/Black Seats from my 86' in it already, and the Gold 16" GTA Wheels/Tires I had laying around. It has a blown 305, but I have an engine to throw in there that runs if I pick up this Notchback Im supposed to get which has a 305 H.O. motor in it. I bought this to have something to tinker with when I get frustrated with my 86', and I can do alot of things it needs for free or next to nothing.

keep the updates comming! i have a 509 400 sitting in my gargage with mains splayed into 4 bolt and punched and cleaned .30 over with brodix track 1s with there matching intake and am watching to see what kind of power you make out of this build to see a rough guess on my power output. I have a feeling you will be dont before me.

Will do. Mine is also a 509 Casting.


Now that Im ready to order Heads within the next week or two, I need to find out what pushrods, smaller springs, and rockers I need to buy.

Can anyone help me?

Im on a tight 18 yo High School Student budget, so keep that in mind. I need to know what size/brand pushrods I should get, what size/brand Roller (Or Roller Tip) Rockers I should pick up, & what size/brand Springs will I need to go with my .525/.525 Cam? I need Springs even tho the Heads come complete, because the Springs that come on them are too large for my Cam.

comp magnum's are like 170 a set. roller tip, very nice. can get them both self align and non self align

i would wait untill you have the heads on and then get yourself a push rod checker tool it will tell you the size to order. with springs just email the cam company and as them what springs they want you to match with the cam. Spring pressure is very important.

Well I bought ANOTHER car lol. I paid $300 for the 85' Purple/Silver Trans Am I bought a few weeks ago that Josh (Hotrod) helped pick up with me, and now I bought a 89' Maroon Notchback Trans Am for $200. Great guy (Family Friend), I had already bought the 3 in. Exhaust and the 16" Gold GTA Wheels that were on it for $150 awhile ago but now I bought the rest of the car for $200. Going Sunday to pick it up, and Ill have pics then. Itll be a parts car for both of my Trans Ams. The car is being completely stripped and being hauled away for free by the JY owner I know. In exchange he's giving me a VIN tag and title which Im going to use for the Purple/Silver one since I dont have a title for her. It may be a salvage title (All the titles for his cars are salvage titles), but hey thats better than no title and he's helping me out flatbedding the shell away. Once it gets to his yard we're flipping it and taking the rearend out. Thats the only thing Eddy (The seller) wants from the car which Im ok with since he helped me out alot.


Bunch of usable parts for both of my cars. Im excited I can keep myself busy with alot of stuff now and not have to spend any money lol.


Oh and I also struck a deal with a guy on another forum for Heads & a Distributor that have 25 miles on them. 200 cc IK Aluminum Brodix Heads & a Procomp HEI Distributor for $900 Shipped! I have to wait til the money clears my paypal account, but once it does Ill send the money his way. I can see my Parts Needed List slowly getting smaller and smaller.



Tonight I removed the Rear Bumper, and removed the Crash Plastic back there too. Looked at my Crash Bar back there and its a little tweaked from that kid from school who rearended me. Kinda funny no damage to the Rear Bumper (Chipped my paint off), no damage at all to the crash plastic, but bent in my Crash Bar by about an inch. Oh well no damage to the car at all, and I can use the Crash Bar from the Notchback to replace it. I doubt Ill remove the Crash Bar from the Rear like I did in the Front. Im more worried about people on the streets hitting me from behind than I am of hitting someone or something from the front.

Next step is to rerout the brake lines and bolt in the new V8 mounts I bought. Also going to drop the Tank, paint it, and install a sending unit for a Carbd motor.

Quit buying cars adn get this one car done already! haha

PS. Build the notchback!

Haha I cant pass up good deals when I find them. Besides the parts Im going to use for the Blue Car (The Project car this Thread is about for anyone that may get confused) is well worth $200. Plus, Im using a good many parts for the Purple Trans Am I bought which are like free parts lol. Then the shell is being traded to the JY owner I know for a salvage title/vin for the Purple one so I can put it on the road.


Blue Trans Am:

Notchback Hatch
Carb Sending Unit
Drivers StrutTower Top
Black Carpeted Rear Interior Pieces (Mine are Grey)
Black Dash & Pieces (Mines Dark Grey)

Purple Trans Am:

Black Carpet
Black Interior Plastics
Driver’s Door
H.O. 305 SBC
Windshield
V8 Cluster


Parts To Sell:

T-Tops
Passenger’s Door
Gas Door
Interior Plastics
Seats
Shell
Headliner
Sail Panels
Seatbelts
Center Console



Well worth buying.

One quarter of a mile at a time, no doubt. . .

QFT

Waiting on the tranfer from my bank account to my paypal account to be final, and then I can send the money for the Brodix Heads.

On another note I picked up the Notchback parts car I bought on Wednesday for $200. Already started tearing into it. From the outside the car looks real clean, and solid. I have the whole rear stripped except for the Hatch and the Crash Bar. I need the Crash Bar for my Blue car since mine is a little tweaked from a kid at school rearending me. Im working on the interior up front now. Just need to get the front seats out, then the carpet is ready to come out. Boy guys, Ive never seen so floorboards this bad even in cars at the junkyard. Im really glad I only intend to use parts out of it, and scrap it. It was def. worth the money for the H.O. 305 in it, and the Notchback Hatch tho.

Wait til I post up pics of the floorboards...err I mean whats left of the floorboards..


Im gonna tear into it some more tonight, and then if I take some pics Ill post some up later on tonight.

So who wanted me to build this car??!! Lol


Sorry for the bad pics, I took em on my cell phone since I was in a hurry. The Dash has sine been removed a few mins after I took those pics. Just have the Hatch, Doors, T-Tops, Motor, and Driver Strut Tower Plate to take off and thats it. Any opnions on the Notchback Hatch on my Blue 86'?

Hard to tell for sure from the pics, but reminds me of the passenger side floor/firewall/cowl of my amc.

I think it would look good on your 86. Have to take your hatch off and set it on there and get some pics.

I have to fix the insert first, which is plexiglass and not glass like I woulda thought. Im gonna try and adjust it, and if it doesn't fit like Id like Ill cut my own piece of plexiglass for the rear. Once that happens its going on the blue car, blue cars hatch it going on the purple car, and the purple cars hatch is going on the junk Notchback shell.







After the work tonight we are basically done.

Parts Tonight:

305 H.O. Motor W/ Full Harness
Inner Plastic Fenderwells
AC (Scrap Aluminum)
Passenger & Driver Doors
All Other Engine Bay Wires (Scrap Copper)
Notchback Hatch
Rear Crash Bar
T-Tops
Gas Tank
Front Sway Bar

Still Need:

Windshield
Driver Side Strut Mount Top Plate
Rearend (After its at the JY)


Not bad, tomorrow after work Im gonna spend alot of time organizing everything and getting the engine off the Cherry Picker and onto the extra stand I have. After that put all the tools away that are still laying out, and I guess start on fixing the Notchback Hatch.

Haha. Musical hatches.

Well last night we got some stuff done. Pulled the Notch out, and cleaned up the garage a bit. Got the H.O. 305 on my other stand so its out of the way now.


Back to my 86'
I gutted the interior, because I wanted to replace my rear interior plastic pieces and decided it was time to pull the jute padding since I had half of the interior out. I never realized how much there actually was, and how much it all weighs total! Most of the interior is back in, just have to bolt down the seats.

One day, probably not too soon, I want to replace my Dash with the Black one out of the Notch but for now I can deal with my Light Grey Dash since not alot of it shows.

Also, tonight I scored an Orbital Gel Battery. Something like 850 Cranking Amps, and the bigger one I didnt get had 1050 Cranking Amps or something ridiculous.

Also, the money finally transfered into my Paypal account and I have sent the money for the Heads.

For $900 Shipped Im getting a pair of Aluminum IK200 Brodix Heads with 25 miles on them, and a Pro Comp HEI Distributor with 25 miles on it.

good score man!

Nice! Sounds like your well on your way to getting this one done. Wish i could say the same.

Inspect the heads well before you bolt em on... 25 miles on the heads sounds fishy to me... unless he's adding up all the 1/4th passes he made with em on the car..

I plan on it. I need to drill steam holes before I can set them on the engine too. The reason they have so little miles is because he decided he was going off to college, and didnt want to sink anymore money into a car that needed alot of work still. No drag passes, just cruising around town and to the shop down the road from him that tuned the engine for him. He seems very legit, and has a good reputation on here and Ebay.

I know this is random but...dude i just read the thread cant wait to see it running and completed! I cant wait for the haedaces of my build. But its all worth it!!!

Not random at all, I appreciate the comment/s good or bad. I too cant wait to see it completed and running lol. I havent run into any real headaches yet, but Im sure I will once I start installing everything. Tuning wont be very enjoyable either lol.

What kind of plans do you have for your 91'?

Well...im trying to trade it for a mid 80's iroc or t/a. Im the one doing the pontiac 455 into a third gen. A couple threads under you.

Yeah I like the 85-90 TA's, Im not really a fan of the 91-92 Trans Am Ground Effects. Should be a sweet project, probably even more torque than me! Ill have to read up on your thread later tonight.