Worked on it some this afternoon and got the pedal all bolted up tight, the pedals adjusted and the steering column reinforcement plate back in.

Then sanded the heater box and repainted it. I have a nos gasket to reinstall it as well.

 

Went to install the heater box seal today and discovered it was nowhere close to even being the right shape so started it on 2 holes and then work down both sides until it was close. I still have to clean the other stuff that bolts to the heater box but just set it back in place for now.


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Doesnt matter how you position it the stick on gasket isnt even close.

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Started at the top to holes and worked it down as I went.


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Mounting clips back in.


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Just setting back in place for now.

 

Havent had any spare time to work on it but did pick up another TPI set up over the weekend. Ecm and fuel lines are wrong as they are for a TBI car but there was plenty of other stuff with it that I needed plus more spares.

I brought my intake upstairs that was on the mock up engine so going to install the new Accel 24 lb injectors I have as well as some other missing parts.


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This one was pretty complete and I needed a few pieces off it.


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Came with a box of parts.


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Runners are beat up like most but I do have 2 sets of runners that have already been restored.

 

What number on the ECM?

 

I'm hoping to see that on a 4" x 3" 302. (IIRC, discussions included that possibility.)
I've a sneaking suspicion that it might do surprisingly well. It won't rev like a DZ 302, but might be an interesting street setup.

 

 

The 302 is definitely getting a TPI on it as it has to look stock but I've got an Edelbrock base and going to port the runners and plenum. I was digging out my spare stuff today and looking over it but this is my mock up for the 302. I have a TPIS Mini Ram too but it wouldnt look correct on this car.

 

I'm probably going to use the 89 only plenum as the 88 Morrison Cook cars got updated to that and IU have one but in digging out parts today one of them has an 84 date code on the bottom and does not have the egr ramp in the front. At first I thought it may have been ported but in seeing the 84 date code wondering if it was maybe a first design piece.


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3 88 and earlier plenums and 1 89 only.


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Top fins.


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Front of the 87/88.


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Bottom of the 87/88.


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89 on the left, 84 on the right.

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Front of the 84, no ramps inside behind the throttle body.


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84 bottom.


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Front of the 89


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Bottom of the 89

 

Plenum differences between the 88 back with the 9th injector and the 89 up.


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Driver side 89 plenum top. 88 back 9th injector bottom.


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You can see the extra hole in the lower plenum.


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Passenger side is the same on both. The top fins are shorter on the 89.


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Runner differences. 88 back versus 89.


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88 back 9th injector runners on top, 89 on bottom.


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Hole for the cold start injector. 88 back.


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Closer look.


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Back view of the 88 back runner.


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89 runner bottom of pic with no 9th injector hole.


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Closer look.


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Back view, 88 back on top, 89 bottom.


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88 back.


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89.

 

While I've long since outpaced the capacity of the OEM TPI, (357 CID @ 7000 RPM) I always liked the look of it. It seems to me that decent heads with a 2.02"/1.60" valve arrangement on a small CID with a 4" bore would be pretty slick. Somewhere there's some math that would indicate what kind of peak HP RPM it would support.

I tossed all of my TPI stuff (or sold) long, long ago (25+ years). EFI hadn't really been adapted to the hot rod scene then with little to no aftermarket stuff that was affordable (or functional for that matter). So I went back to my carburetor roots when I returned to the hobby/sport after a long spell away.

Are there still people around that can put a tune into the original ECM's?

 

I wasn't aware of the fin length difference. Although you can't make it any easier than you did having all the parts, here's my 88 stock set up.


Drivers side 88 Cold start injector.


1988 Intake

 

There looks to be several offering prom service plus there are other options out there including an ecm modification to be able to tune from a laptop. I'm undecided at the moment which way I am going with the ecm as I need to do more research there.

I'm thinking with the stock style runners and plenum even with the engine mods and other supporting stuff on the 302 we are probably going to run out of induction around 5800 to 6200. I've got a higher rpm capable module for the distributor as well. I'm sure it will be a learning curve. If it turns out to be a dog then I may just throw the Mini-Ram on it later down the road.

 

The 91/92 plenums also have the short fins but they have a third vacuum fitting for the map so the 89 plenum is a one year only deal. The linkage on the throttle bodies and cables also changed on the later TPI as I have both styles of those too. The 89 up plenums need a hole drilled in the front when using the 88 back throttle bodies for the idle air.

 

I have several throttle bodies including 1 that I have taken apart to rebuild but decided to take the one apart today on the intake I just bought.

Typically when taking these apart you can expect to ring off the head of at least one of the lower screws that hold the coolant plate on but this one I rung off 1 of the TPS screws too AND the IAC broke leaving the threaded porting frozen in the coolant plate. Never seen, heard nor have that happen but after a bunch of work I was able to get it out.


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Rung the head off 1 of the TPS screws.


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Rung the head off 1 of the coolant plate screws.

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This is what the others look like once removed.


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Plate off and you can see how nasty both the coolant and the air portions are.


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Was able to get the rung off coolant plate bolt out.


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Repairing the TPS screw hole.


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I had to drill slots into the id of the broken IAC fitting so I could chisel it into itself to get it out.


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Broken portion of the IAC valve out.


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Flat filing where the IAC gasket sits.

 

The TPI set up that I bought had a real mint looking throttle cable with it so I swapped it out today for the one that had been on the car. I also reinstalled the wiper motor and got the steering column to dash frame bracket bolted up tight so next up is to put the steering column back in.


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Throttle cable swapped out for the nicer one.


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Wiper motor back in place.


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Slowly but surely getting everything back on the firewall.

 

Also pulled the non-carpeted console out of the parts car today and just roughly set it in the car. Eventually I will have to swap the top out as mine has manual windows but for now just getting stuff mocked up.


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Pulling more parts from the parts car. The radio is not going in as mine was radio delete but will put it in my parts room for now.


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Console just roughly setting in place.


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I'll clean all the plastic up after the car is painted and then will seal it.


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Passenger view.

 

Working on rebuilding the fuel rail today after cleaning it, repainting any of the steel parts and then installing viton orings in it. Also installed the Accel 24lb injectors in it with new retaining clips.


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Cleaned, metal parts repainted and new viton orings anywhere that it had rubber ones to begin with.


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I still need to get an adjustable regulator but installing the block to the rail.


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Installing the tubes to the rail.


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Fuel rail assembled.


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Installing the Accel 24lb injectors.


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New locking clips.


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Injectors in the rail and ready to mate it to the intake.

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88 back 9th injector rail on the left and the 89 up on the right that no longer uses the cold start injector.

 

Working on putting the lower plenum back together and installing the fuel rail and injectors on it. Still need a thermostat and a few other pieces but got most everything rounded up.


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Injectors and rail bolted back to the lower intake.


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Water neck added.


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I always bag and tag parts when taking them apart. I had taken several TPI units apart so bagged each separate.


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Plenum fittings tagged.


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Resealing the vacuum fittings before reinstalling them.


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Vacuum fitting installed. Waiting on a fast response IAT sensor to get here for the open hole.


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The car was converted in 89 to do away with the 9th injector but for now I went ahead and reinstalled the sensor for it.


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Hose added.


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Throttle bracket back on and just mocking up the maf and tubes.

 

Rounding up the pieces to rebuild the throttle body. I have a new IAC coming and need to order the screws to bolt the coolant plate to it.


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Ran the throttle body top in the ultrasonic and the lower coolant plate had been metal blasted and baked.


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Rebuild kit.


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Lower gasket.


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Setting the coolant plate on.



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These came from another rebuilt throttle body that I had and interestingly the rebuilder used these instead of the torx headed ones that are prone to wringing off.


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Assembly breakdown.

 

I've got the steering column loosely back in the car for now and it mostly plugged back up. I'm not going to tighten it down until the engine is back in and we can make sure all the electrical components on the column are good.


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Start of making a pattern to make a new seal between the mounting plate and firewall.


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Cleaned the flange up and then repainted it.


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Rough template just for the outer shape.


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New seal installed. I punched the holes out before putting it back in the car.


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Starting the column back in.
\

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Mostly back in. I have to dig up one of the nuts.


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Looking more like a car every day.


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I havent bolted it back to the firewall yet incase it has to come back down or out.

 

Pulled some more odds and ends off the parts car today and then pulled the pulley off the power steering pump so both can be cleaned up and bolted on the mock up engine. The machine shop has the machine work done on my block but havent balanced the rotating assembly yet.


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Pulling the pulley off the pump.


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Pulley off.


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Another view of the puller.


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Need to clean both of these up. I have an nos bracket on the mock up engine so may use it instead but either way I will have a full set of front engine spares in case I want to build a vintage legal engine later on.


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I know I've been slacking on getting much done on it but I bought an injector flowing and testing machine and have been trying to get it set up and situated. I'm going to pull the Accel 24's back out when I break the intake down for it to go on the engine and test the injectors just to see how close they are.

I've cleaned up the ps pump and set it on the mock up engine and have the motor mounts cleaned and painted and ready to bolt on it too. I also had a nos heater fan motor come in today so will be getting it and the heater box back on the firewall soon.

Intake just setting back on the mock up engine for now.

 

Still cleaning and repainting a few pieces here and there for the mock up engine. Painted the ps pulley and just started it on the shaft but prob wont press it back on until the engine is back in the car. Bolted a junk water pump on and then the repainted pulley for it. One of the harder pieces to find for me was the rubber smog hose that runs from the driver side diverter valve, behind the engine and then to the passenger side union. Luckily the parts car had one so just set it in place today but still need to clean it.

A little closer in rounding up pieces for the mock up engine. With no engine or trans in the car when I bought it I've had to chase down a bunch of stuff.

 

For the epoxy I use and an unheated shop I need days where the temps stay above 65 and havent had that but it is starting to get closer so I started back on doing some of the body items that I needed to wrap up prior. I ended up using the driver rear lower quarter ground effect off the parts car so sanded it and bolted it in place today.

Next is where everything went south. I had planned on loosening the 6 mounting nuts for the bumper cover brackets so I could correct the bumper cover to quarter gaps and once loosened I found the bumper cover had a bunch of hidden damage that was causing the bad gaps. Pulled the bumper cover off and made the decision to pull and use the bumper cover off the parts car. I've got to strip it now and then do the whole epoxy process on it. Just more work I hadnt planned on and wasted time on the earlier repairs to the original cover.


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Last of the ground effects bolted back on. You can see the bumper cover fitment issues at the top where the bumper meets the quarter.


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Pulling the cover and found a nest, lol.


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Bumper cover coming off. Its repairable but needs so much work it just didnt make sense to spend more time on it.


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Bumper cover pulled from the parts car.


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Cover off.



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I'm going to fit the other one first and then pull it back off to strip and epoxy.

 

Some would say two steps forward, one step back. I always think of it as...all this work was there waiting for you, even if you didn't know. So even days that seem like steps backwards are progress, because you have to go through them to get to the end.

All of this attention to detail is going to pay huge dividends.

 

Test fit the replacement bumper cover today and then pulled it back off so I can strip and epoxy it.


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Test fitting the bumper cover off the parts car.


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Much better.


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Really pleased with this side fit considering how bad the old bumper cover was deformed and all the work I did on the quarter panel prior.

 

Have been doing some serious cleaning and moving stuff the last couple of weeks in the basement and moved my mock up engine and transmissions so now I can get an engine hoist in there but also the actual engine for the car once I get it back.

I did work on the car just a little this afternoon though. It had a nos GM passenger fender on it when I got it that had never had the hole drilled for an antenna and since mine was a no radio car that was good however the bottom had never been slotted for the front spoiler brackets. I made a template off the driver side fender and then flipped it over and drilled the passenger side. I still need to clean the slots up a little with a dremel but already checked fitment and good to go.


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Template I made off the driver side.


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Flipped over and taped in place on the passenger fender.


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Pilot holes.


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More holes to create the slot.


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Slotted.


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Dug the headlight reinforcement bar out today and sprayed and scrubbed it down. I have to pull all 4 headlight buckets to sand and repaint them as well as the metal brackets.


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Getting ready to get the grime and other stuff cleaned off it.


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My engine guy called earlier and the short block is together so more progress.

 

Now there's something I didn't know existed on these race cars. How do you suppose that would compare in weight to the factory crash bar (which I assume is absent)?

 

That is a factory piece that sets inside the bumper cover so its mostly hidden and I just separated it from the cover to clean and do some repairs. I'm probably painting the bumper cover without it in place to keep from getting overspray on it. These cars also still retained the factory supports and crush plastics behind the bumper covers since they did make occasional contact while racing.

 

The replacement front spoiler mounting brackets came in so I just test fitted them in the holes I drilled. Starting to warm up enough for my epoxy window so will prob be starting back on the body work this week. Also ordered the new cylinder heads today as well.


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Driver side


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Passenger side

 

Masked the engine compartment back off yesterday in preparation for starting back up on the body work and then disassembled the headlight reinforcement and headlights.


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A little more hammer work on the front fenders, more blocking and then epoxy.


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More blocking on the driver fender.



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Same for passenger side.


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Blocked half way back on the door.


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2 coats of epoxy.


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Front view.


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Passenger in epoxy.


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Front view.

 

The new cylinder heads came in for it today as well.



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Heads, rockers and push rods.


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Straight plug 180 runner with 2.02/1.60. With it only being 302 inches and the TPI my engine builder wanted to keep the runner size down.


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Fast burn 64cc.

 

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I was going to ask which version those heads but I see they're the 180cc offering.
Looking forward to the engine build.
There's another member here that's going all in on developing the TPI for higher RPM. That being 6000 on a 350 which looks to be a real stretch. Interesting work and plenty of tech just the same.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tpi/...-ported-h.html

 

Had to replace my shop compressor and get it plumbed back into my system so hadnt got much done until this afternoon. Spent a couple more hours stripping the second rear bumper cover down to urethane and almost ready to put it in epoxy. Have to hand sand some of the spots the orbital couldnt get to.


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Finally have the majority of it down to bare urethane.


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Have to hand sand a few areas out.


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Finished the hand sanding on the rear bumper cover and have it in epoxy now.


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Set up so I can walk around and spray it all at 1 time.


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First coat. Not bad for primer.


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Second coat.

 

Loosely installed the bumper cover back on today. Just have the 3 nuts on each side finger tight as I still need to set the gaps and adjust the passenger lower quarter effect.


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Pretty wild but shows how much exhaust heat and prob some flames have melted this over time.


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Back on the car after trimming the melted impact strip.


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Side view


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Driver side. I've got to bring the top in a little.


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Passenger side. I have to adjust the lower quarter ground effect up.

 

Working on the valve covers the last couple of days. Ran them a few times in the ultrasonic, sanded them and a test spray and it lifted the old finish so had to take them to bare metal.

We'll see if they change color any when they dry but they are slightly brighter than the nos one I have so information in prior threads about the correct paint and color to use may not be 100% accurate.


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Before .


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Before .


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After a few runs in the ultrasonic and sanding. .


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Underside after the ultrasonic .


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Test spray of base. If you look closely in the grooves you can see the new paint raising the old. .


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Back down to bare metal with 80 and then 180. .

 

Here they are after being painted and then cleared and compared to the nos one I have thats been in the box since 91 or so. You can see the shade difference in the 2.


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Repainted one on the left, nos on the right.


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nos


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repainted one


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Nos one on the bottom, repainted one on top.


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Nos one in the center of the 2 repainted ones.


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Nos one center.

 

A little closer after drying but still not exact. Close enough though that nobody will notice.


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24 hours later. Center one is the nos one.


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Getting ready to take the intake and valve covers to my engine guy.


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The intake is just natural as it was baked and metal blasted.


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No go on trying to find new and correct intake bolts at any source other than the GM ones which are about 13 bucks each. These came in today and the heads are smaller than the factory ones. Not going to use them.


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Heads are too small


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GM bolt on the left


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I was able to track down the superceded part number for the original bolts but GM list on them is 20 bucks per bolt so I got my used intake bolts back out and ran them through a die and then back through the ultrasonic. Sprayed the heads back so the color is consistent between them.


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Running them through a die to clean the threads.


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Back in the ultrasonic.


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Came out pretty decent.


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Setting them up to spray the heads.


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Satin black.


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Just set them back on the intake.


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Soaked the exhaust manifold bolts overnight in evaporust and then ran them through a die as well to clean them up. I still need a passenger side heat shield but just getting stuff ready to drop off at my engine builders.


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Exhaust bolts after soaking overnight. I have extras so need to figure out which ones go where.


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Running them through a die.


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Driver side manifold. It has been surfaced as well.


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Passenger side.


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I still need a passenger side heat shield but just mocking stuff up.


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I'm not sure the bolts and studs are in the correct places yet so dont use these pics for reference.


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Did some blocking on the driver rear quarter on some of my previous work and then hand sanded the rear bumper cover and driver rear lower ground effect. Put 2 more coats of epoxy primer on them. I'll line it all up before going to high build.


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Needs just a little more work at the center body line.


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2 coats of epoxy today.


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Between the new compressor keeping up better and a new spray gun I am getting better spray out than before.


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This is just the epoxy primer. I will prob put 2 more coats on it but dont see any reason to spray high build on the bumper cover.

 

I had a used distributor for it but the connector plug to the module looked questionable so I bought a new one and then swapped the stock module out for an Accel one.


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2 more coats of epoxy on the rear bumper cover and rear driver quarter so basically all of the body work from the doors back is ready to block the epoxy one more time, seal any bare spots that leaves and then I can go to high build. Up front still have a little bit more to do on the fenders and bumper cover before they are ready.


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Still need to line everything up but needed to get the last coats of epoxy on it today.


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Moved a whole pile of steel tubing and other metals that I had for fabricating out from behind it today so I can better clean the shop before spraying high build.


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Bumper cover is ready for final sanding now.

 

Quick road trip out of state today for a load of TPI intakes and parts. One had an adjustable regulator which I needed and now I have lots of spares. 3 were Camaro and 1 was Corvette.


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