Got the pretty much finished pictures in the new post....

 

Daaaaaaaaaaayamn! Those are lookin good! What's your polishing technique? I do mine all by hand.

PS: I'll fix those empty posts if you don't mind

 

sanding, sanding , and more sanding.. LOL..

So ahead and fix the posts... i can't dellete them

 

Hey...that looks exactly like my engine! Looking good Nathan...I painted mine and I'm glad I did now because even trying to get the surface of the plenum smooth was a PITA. But you look like you tackle it very well. I can't wait to see it when it's done. My plenum and runners go back on today.

 

WOW ! That is incredible !

HOW DID YOU DO THAT ? I would like to know what tools, sand paper ?!?!? Cloth ?!?!? Where did you get the stuff to make it shine like that ?!! About how many hours ?

RP.

 

well.... I forget exact grit numbers... bu roughly I started at 180, going to 220, 300, then 400, 600 for added smoothness. The hardes part is getting it all smooth with the 180. Next step is the buffing. The garage/shop my car is at for winter (my buddy's dads house, he owns a collision shop) has all the goodies, including a heavy duty dual buffer machine. One side has a rough buffing wheel, and the other has a finishing buffing wheel. You use the compund "bricks" on the wheel and buff away.

As for the plenum, i started off with 120grit on a D/A sander to get past the cast roughness. This allows to get it down quicker, but also to keep it uniform and flat. The rest was the same procedure as the runners. I also picked up some buffing stuff at speedorama, got some buffing wheels for the die grinder and some compound. This should give it a better shine.

Remind you, they aren't perfect, like the ones you find at speed shops that are already polished... but, that also costs an arm and leg. I think it will look primo when it is all together. And its nice when people ask "who polished all that for you" and you say... I DID thats the best.. hehe

I'll post before an after pics after I get it all done, which hopefully wil be in a couple weeks, this week is test week... so, no working this week.

Later all

 

those injectors look great painted to match.

did you have any dents in your runners? i do and they look like crap after starting to polish. right now i am at the 400 stage. I think that i will have to get a new set of runners if i cant get the dents out.

a few places to check out on how to polish your plenum

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...umpolish.shtml

http://www.gmtips.com/3rd-degree/dox...m/pol-plen.htm

 

Nice tips... getting dents out is easy.. well, at least my buddy's dad made it look easy. I can explain what he did... I tried, and screwed up.. LOL

He grab a wooden handle, put it in the vice, placed the runner over top of it.... He localized the dent and forced trhe dent out from the inside while gently tapping the outside with a flat body hammer.. after the dent is out.. you have to smoothen it out with a sander. Be careful, the runners are thin, which you probably noticed already... be gentle.

Mine had dents in them as well... they are like new now

 

That looks great. I'll attempt to post some pics when I get my GTA back.

 

BEFORE




After (Current/Not Complete)

 

Dude! Very nice again! So what's the total labour count? I can't even imagine the amount of time you had to put into it to make it look like that.

I got two questions for ya...Is that the JET AFPR? That one was my next choice but I went with the Holley. And you don't happen to know the part number for you MSD wires do ya? Those are the same wires that I'm gonna be ordering in a couple weeks. I've already got the coil sitting on the shelf waiting to be put in. I just wanna get it dynoed before I change anything else.

So what's the next step for ya?

 

I am not sure on the part#'s.. But I know the ones they gave me were for a Big Block Chevy, and one was too short.... so I told the guy and he said those were the wires it called for You shoul dbe able to order them from any performance shop.

Yeah, its the JET AFPR... I can't believe I paid 150bux for a think I could have made for 10bux.

About the hours put in it so far, hmmmm.... well 10 hours last night... and i'd have to say about 35 all together. Now I have to buff out overspray in the engine compartment that is there from the previous owner.

I can't wait to here it run again!!!!!!!! Tonight hopefully

:rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon:

 

I had the pleasure of starting my up and taking it out for a boot last week...it makes it all worth while!

I got the Holley AFPR for $140...pricey but I think it will be worth it. A couple runs on the dyno to doing some tuning will tell.

Good luck.

 

Hey guys... got her running on the first try!! sweeet... had a vacuum leak though, forgot to plug in the brake booster line But it's all good.. runs nice actually. I know my fuel pump is good now, when I first had it running, I put the gauge on the fuel rail and the pressure was at 80psi!!!! Learned you had to LOOSEN the screw on the AFPR to decrease pressure.. LOL.. It ran nice when it was high, kinda smelled like a carbureted hot rod

Now I can't wait to take it for a spin... Still have more detailing to do in the engine, I will get a finished picture when its all done.

 

FOR YOU OLD GUYS (MYSELF INCLUDED) WHO DO NOT
HAVE TIME TO DO THE RUNNERS AND PLENUM: I HAD
MINE DONE AT ALLOY OPTIONS(ASK FOR STEVE) IN
ST CATHARINES.ONT. 1-905-688-9128. IT COST ME $125.00
NATHAN BLANCHARD ON THIS SITE HAS SEEN MY CAR AND
THE RESULTS.
BILZ88350

 

I hear ya Bill, it's a lotta work to do.

Nathan, congrats. I was just the opposite for the fuel pressure, I had it too loose and it started at 20PSI! It's a nice feeling ain't it!

 

yeah... i tell ya, its scary starting it up after you ge it back together... all I was thinking was.. "did I forget anything?" lol... but nopers

Yeah... alloy options does a great job if anyone wants tot ake the easy way just kidding BILL...