Well, got the canton reservoir and guess what....it won't fit My intercooler is in the way. Looks like I have a nice tank for the trans am then. I'm going to fab my own tank, a mirror image of the tank on the drivers side.

 

It's been a while man! Any updates?

 

i think hes been busy on the t/a if im not mistaken, i cant imagine decrudding the whole underside of that thing gave him much time to work on the camaro

 

Just a quick question on those foglights.
Haven't you got the left and right one mixed up?

I always thought that, since they are shaped with an angled glass, that the purpose of the angle is to compensate for the angle the nose cone makes to have the lights mounted straight?

Or does the stock mounting equipment allow for adjustment so the lights themselves are mounted straight, but the glass follows the bodylines?

Seeing this picture has got me confused. My car did not come with the smoglights btw, so it's a bit difficult to check up on how the lights mount.

 

Can't believe my eyes, I sure wish I had your talent! I have a new CH50DD1 305 5.0L 5 Speed TPI for my 1987 IROC-Z, Can you tell me how long it would take the old one out and put in this new one? The CH50DD1 is a new top and bottom Long Block engine.

 

post some video of it running for us.

 

mine are the same way. the glass follows the lines and the dome points straight ahead.. they look really bad if you flip them..

 

I've been having issues blowing up ignition boxes :9 all crane stuff, in the past I never had an issue with their stuff but somehow they are not firing the coil. Not supplyuing 12V, or as they're supposed to...a lot more. The trigger works and the engine does run with everything plugged in like stock only it runs (or used to run) much better with the hotter spark. I'm hoping a new LX92 coil will fix it, if it does it must be the MSD coil frying my crane boxes. I already went through 2, both brand new. The blue one I bought a lot of years ago, never used it. It's a HI6 TR w/ trc-1 & MAP retard control, I also blew up a brand new fireball hi6 w/ trc-2 & MAP. FAAAWWKKK!!!! All the wiring is A OK, I wired it myself. I'm very meticulous when it comes to wiring, always use soldered connections, good grounds and weatherpack connectors. It must be that damned coil. Will know this week. Also my MAF signal is not steady @ idle and giving me fits, I have to do some major tuning on this thing.

Yes, I've been working on the TA and some other cars in the mean time, whilst waiting on parts, the parts always take ages to get here.

As for the foglights, that's the way they were mounted, same on my 2 88s and my buddies 88

RJ moore, an engine swap could be completed in 2 days if you don't come across any nastyness.

 

Well, after sorting the ignition issues it's running again, a little rich but still...

Fixed some issues with the intercooler plumbing leaking (so much for using AN stuff, still leaked) and a little prob w/ the alt belt slipping.

Mae a little vid, the damned thing is shooting flames LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6yWgX9R0o8

 

Damn, that thing is loud man. I dunno if I'd be able to stand it, myself.

I kinda like the flames shooting out though

 

Loud pipes save lives, the 77 corvette is louder

 

I thought that was more of a motorcycle thing

I used to love loud exhausts, but my tastes have mellowed out I guess. Hearing damage does that, gotta protect what I have left these days

 

beautiful work.

on a side note what brand and where did you get that STB?

 

Edelbrock. It's a lot lighter than let's say the BMR one which is pig heavy. Don't like edelbrock so I removed the little sticker and had the center bar powdercoated silver.

 

Decided to build my own SFCs since none of the ones you can buy will fit with my exhaust. Got one side done.

I made them so they tuck up as high as possible and welded little plates so I can weld the pinch weld area on them and have room for water to get out.

 

That is a nice setup. Similar to what I recently made for my '91 TA. I attach to the front bulkheads with a small wedge similar to what you've shown. I typically Z-cut the tube to move over and fit the rear control arm mount, but I like your method better.

 

tnx

I want these things to look as if they might have come from the factory, I hate how most of the ones sold use those flanges around the corner of the subframes to weld them on. I wish I could add some more material like mac/alstons but I have little to no room. I may end up using some 20x40 mm bar but I'm not too sure if the 20mm would add meaningful stiffness apart from weight.

I'm also adding a removable supprot between the 2 front crossmembers to act as a stiffener and a protection for the trans pan at the same time. I just know that I'm going to crack the pan without it. Will add a stainless scuff plate to the front most likely.

 

Added more bracing I later also added a bar to the rear of the X but didn't take a pic of that and the partially done pass side

 

I like the look of the X you've assembled. Can you explain more about what movement you're trying to prevent? Maybe more detail on why you've chosen to do what you did? I'm trying to get insight on why you did what you did...

 

I want to make the car considerably more torsional stiff without adding a cage. The problem is, for torsional stiffness the most effective way is to build height in your structure, in other words... a cage. Trying to achieve it in a flat plane is troublesome. Same reason why a ladder frame is as stiff as a wet noodle compared to a space frame or even better a monocoque (I also count space frame w/ plated secions to this, even pop rivited on the plates tremendously help improve stiffness)

Anyway...back to the SFCs, I only have coupes, my buddies only have coupes too and of all the cars 2 have significant cracking on the corners of the rood where the door glass ends. This is because the front flexes torsionally opposite from the rear under heavy cornering and heavy acceleration. To stop this the front and rear subframe must be ties together and this is where I do not like the aftermarket SFCs. Most of them use standoffs and plates to weld to a single spot on the subframes. The metal on the subframes is thin and just layers of spot welded sheets. Tying the SFCs to a small section will tie the subframes together but when loaded it will stress these small areas and still allow flexing into the standoffs of the SFCs. That's why I built the triangular structure. Triangles are strong, sure this is the wrong plane for max effectiveness but with the pinch weld welded along the length of the car this triangulated section will positively tie the long rear bar w/ pinch welds to the subframe and this should severely reduce flexing. I may add some mac/alston type structures if I can get away with it but I don't have a lot of room.

 

Thanks for the explanation, I'm on board and we think similarly on this topic. My problem when I make another set for my GTA is clearing the dual cat setup. Your exhaust is routed similar to what my dual cat setup is. I'm staying tuned to see the passenger side....

 

My mufflers are where the stock dual cats are, that side I'm still working on. It's a lot more tricky than the drivers side.

 

I'm going to assume you're going to go under the pipes? From what I saw (i went back to page 5) of your exhaust it's real close on the floor.

 

Nope, going above, I like a challenge LOL, there is some room just aft and in front of the mufflers. There's also a little room way up front to span that horrible notch in the stock subframe because I purposely made some bends downwards in the exhaust when I built it. Page 5 doesn't show the exhaust as it is now, it's like this:



Here's the 2 bends downward, I can run a tube above this



I can cram a pipe up here



I already have the whole lengthwise section under the car, I only need to do the bars that tie to the subframe on that side

 

Here's the one side completed (not final welded) and the start of the other side + a pic to show I can just cram a tube above the mufflers. The bare steel in the background is the SFC

 

One completed:







The other, much more tricky side



Almost done with the 2nd tube, needs a little corneresd Z piece to make it to the subframe

 

Wow, those are some nice SFCs, if you decide to start producing and selling them then I'm first in line (if they fit under a convertible lol)!

Sorry if you've already answered this, but are you having them coated?

 

Not intending on building more too much work (and I'm half way across the planet), They will be powdercoated black.

 

Apart from final welding some sections and putting some end caps on open tubes I'm dont with the other side as well. It was a lot more work but I think they turned out OK











Also finished the stiffening bar between the 2 subframes, it doubles as a crash protection for the tranny pan. It's pretty low but not lower than the exhaust

 

All done, stuff is @ the powdercoater now.

 

Nice fab work, I can tell that you've invested a ton of time and thought.

I also agree here. The 2 pt attachment to the trans tunnel frame is the best that you can do.

^If I wear out another pilot bushing I am considering adding brace like this to mine that will add another mounting point to the engine/trans.

^I'm sure you know this already, but it'd been easier and give you more clearance to the exhaust if you angled that cross brace rather than stepped it.

 

Actually this stepped way gives more toom because I need the clearance for the other pipe & muffler that's not in this picture, the one shown clears just fine. The other one has the muffler placed further back. I only need the clearance on that side and the stepped bar makes for a nice fitment on the side bar. Also, there's a bead in the floor right above it next to the lengthwise bar, there is no room up there.

see:

 

what happens if you have to remove the transmission? it looks like that brace is welded to the car.

 

It's bolted, there are allen bolts on the vertical pipe sections

 

Done, waiting on a fresh batch of bedliner to redo/touch up the areas I sanded down nd a scratched area from when the car hung on my 4 post drive ramp extensions

stuff from the coater (everything except the SFCs is for my trans am)

 

Any updates there TT?

 

No, since I got my bedliner in I can now touch up the spots I sanded down for the SFCs and reinstall the exhaust. I did finish the overflow bottle for the water to air cooler so that it doesn't spill on the floor.

Also been working on the 2nd Hawks spoiler I got, doesn't fit for ***** again. Studs are in the wrong place, I bought a new decklid so I had one with the holes in the right spots so I didn't have to drill and actually have those rubber access plugs on the bottom in the correct spot.... still doesn't fit properly

 

sweet build man. legit custom pieces. Been reading it to fill my own void. haven't touched my car in 2 years cause of school. I've got a couple questions though.

1.) did you use truck bed liner on the plate for your gauges that you put where the radio was? I like the textured flat black look and want to do something similar.
2.) the drive belt on the alternator is thinner than the pulley and didn't look ribbed, any issues?
3.) if you don't mind my asking, what is it you do exactly? i mean, profession wise, or at least what did you go to school/train for? I caught onto your CAD bits and the little bit you wrote about torsional rigidity.

it must be sweet to have all these resources at your disposal too. Can't wait to jump into the deep end with something like this in a couple years too. Kudos.

 

quarter mile vid soon??


find a way to get orrs twin turbo camaro to the track and race be great

amazing build love that car

 

Absolutely amazing project, and attention to detail!

 

The rough textured stuff in the interior is simply wrinkle paint
a 3 groove belt is not a problem, been running that on several cars. Never an issue. Nascars and other race cars use that too.
This is just hobby for me, I'm an autodidact, I taught myself everything. Tinkering on these cars, welding, metal fab, cad work..everything. I simply bought an 82 vette, restored it and souped it up a bit. Someone crashed into me, tore it apart again and then it all went bat shiat crazy

No 1/4 mile vids, only 1 track here...I do my runs on the German autobahn

I finished doing the welded areas for the SFCs w/ bedliner and went to install the exhaust and sure enough...it doesn't fit anymore. I kind of expected it. the long pipes running sideways don't tuck up. I'm going to change it one way or another.

 

Really nice build!

 

autobahn video plz

 

Ok, So I might be bring this back from the dead but....... I just had to say holly hell man your car and you work are top notch! I just read from page 1,post 1, to post number 493. I started reading it to try and figure out how to wire up my ac delete box from hawks. but I am happy I read though it all. Good freaken job man!

 

i dont think its done. twi turbo does some great work, hes an all around amazing type of guy. seems sincere hes definitely smart because he translates all this into perfect english and his vehicles never cease to amaze me in wonder.

 

Got new meats mounted on the wheels, 265 30s front and 295 30s rear (Vredestein Sessanta Ultrac)
Wheels are a little greasy from the tire mounting

 

What brand of rims are those?

 

Röwhe

 

Those rims look incredible! Now you need to mount them, or at least hang one, to show us what they will look like on the car.

 

That's what I'm gonna do, put 2 on the camaro to check and 2 on the TA. I'll hav to see when I'll be able to get to the camaro. It's on the lit but there's a car under it and more crap around it, it's swamped in junk here