Enter your username:
Do you want to login or register?
  • Forgot your password?

    Login / Register



    Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast
    Results 41 to 60 of 80
    1. #41
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      Car is now painted with the Hugger Orange basecoat. We added the black DX1 stripes today.

























      Clear coat goes on tomorrow. Still need to spray the underside of the car with black epoxy paint.

      Tony
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    2. #42
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      Paint is completed, just needs final wet sanding and buffing. Here is the total:

      2 coats black epoxy primer
      2 coats white base
      5 coats hugger orange
      3 coats black for the hood stripe
      4 coats clear















      Only work remaining is to paint the underside of the car with satin black epoxy paint. Then it comes home for assembly!

      Tony
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    3. #43
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      I'm currently working in Africa, and won't be home in another month. My good friend William (will69camaro) and the wife went and picked up the car from the paint shop today. It is now safely in my shop. Thanks again Will!







      Tony
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    4. #44
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Jacksonville, FL
      Posts
      1,651
      Country Flag: United States
      Very nice!
      Chris
      1968 Chevy Camaro SS
      LS3/T56 DSE suspension


    5. #45
      Join Date
      Feb 2014
      Posts
      767
      Country Flag: United States
      Oh wow. Speechless on this one, just amazing. Thank you for the thread!

    6. #46
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      Work was really hectic last last year. I spent more time overseas in Africa and Europe, than I did at home. Well, at least until the oil prices tanked and I was laid off. Being currently unemployed, I've been spending more time in the shop lately. I needed this time off.

      First off, I began looking through my massive parts shelves, documenting all the parts I already had, and writing down things I needed. I discovered that I have a bad habit of buying things twice, because I forgot I already bought something. That is what happens when your project spans 10 years. Plus, I've had several 1st gen Camaros, and bought various parts for those cars too, but didn't install them. From now on, I'll keep a parts spreadsheet for each car.

      Then, I went through the parts I did have, and found that I'd rather use some newer items on the market to make this job a little easier. So, I sold a lot of stuff (and still more to go) and bought newer stuff. Those boxes that the new stuff shows up in, sure are handy for selling/shipping the old stuff.

      Since Hot Rod Power Tour is finally rolling through my home state of Texas, with 3 stops here, I decided to push for completing this car by June. I've built entire cars in 3 months (post-paint) before, so I'm confident I can do it again. I'm sure there will be some late nights, but I am the type that will work on something until I get tired.

      First, I tackled the front suspension. The rear suspension was installed by GAP Racing when they did the sheetmetal and minitubs, it is the Speed Tech torque arm setup with a new Moser 12-bolt. But, the subrame was purchased before I went with the torque arm setup, and it was fitted with Detroit Speed uppers and lowers. I'm not known for doing mix-and-match stuff, and I'm too anal for mixing up systems, so I sold the DSE parts and bought Speed Tech uppers and lowers to match the rear suspension. I figure that will save me 5 minutes of explaining what parts are on the car, when people ask me later on. Also went with the ATS/Speed Tech tall AFX spindles. Replaced the Hotchkis lowering springs with a set of QA1 coil-overs while I was in there. I installed all new Pro Forged ball joints, tie-rods, and idler arm. I have to say the quality of the Pro Forged stuff looks great, and they already come with EDP coating that looks nice. Also installed some billet tie-rod sleeves. I retained the DSE/Lee 600 series steering gear box, as those are great units. I also kept the DSE sway bar, as I like how it has the little stopper plates that keep it from being able to slide laterally between the frame mount bushings. It runs very close to the frame during rotation, so I'm not wanting any shifting there.

      Before. Using Guldstrand holes, stock type spindles.



      Blasted and painted the bare steel hubs on the AFX spindles, as they were showing surface rust. I'm trying not to install any bare metal parts on this car, is it looks awful later on. Spend some time doing it right the first time, and there aren't regrets later.





      Blasted and POR15'd the factory steering parts. I find that I use that glass bead cabinet a LOT, and I'm glad I finally took it out of the box and assembled it a month ago. Now I wander around the shop and look for rusty stuff to blast. Restore, not replace, when possible.



      Old (DSE) on left, vs new (Speed Tech) on right. Both are quality parts. Not shown are the lowers that I also swapped. I did like two features on the Speed Tech lowers better. They came with nice Heim-joint linkage rods for the sway bar, and also have adjustable steering stopper bolts. That will be nice to tune out any potential tire rubbing on the inner frame, later on.



      After: Using original non-Guldstrand holes, and tall spindle. Should be better geometry.



      - - - Updated - - -

      Now that the front and rear suspension were sorted out, I busted open the dusty Wilwood boxes that have been sitting since 2005. And, so began the royal pain in the ass that has wasted far too much time. The problem with buying parts that you can't test fit right away, is dealing with the surprise factor later on. I originally ordered this kit through Precision Brakes Co, before they went out of business (or simply changed their name). They used Wilwood components, but built their own brackets and rotor hats.

      Rear kit was designed for GM 12-bolt, and luckily I had no issues there. Except for the external parking brake, which protruded so far back behind the rotor that I think it will hit my mini-tub during suspension travel. Not Precision's fault, as their kit was designed for stock width axles and mine is narrowed as much as possible to get a nice deep rear wheel lip. The newer Wilwood systems have the internal parking brake, which I prefer, but I also don't want to toss a good kit away just to get a parking brake.

      Rears: 12.88" diameter, 4-piston.







      Now for the front brake "fun". Nothing fit well. The kit was supposed to be for the C6/AFX hubs, but I discovered that they sent me the wrong rotors. I mocked the parts up on the car, took a lot of measurements, did calculations to figure out the proper caliper offset and rotor placements. Then spent hours digging through Wilwood catalogs trying to gather up a parts list that would work.





      Final solution:



      I discovered that Precision had sent me four rear rotors, with just different hats. The front calipers are much bigger SL-6 billet 6-pistons, and needed a much thicker rotor to work. How much thicker? 20.6mm up to the new 35mm size. Huge difference. I ordered a new set of Wilwood racing rotors, in 13.06" diameter.





      Finally on the car:





      How she sits today.



      With the brakes in place, I was finally able to measure the car for wheels and tires. I had a slew of wheels around my shop, from various cars, so I had a fun day of sticking things under the car to visualize colors, tire fitments, diameters, etc... I placed my order for a set of Forgeline wheels this week, as I am a distributor/dealer for them and really like the brand.

      Yes, this is a 2014 Dodge Viper wheel with 355 wide Pirelli. It fits. But, I'm going with 345 wide to give a little more space. GAP racing did a nice job on notching my frame rails, and moving the mini-tubs in as much as possible. They also pulled the quarter panels out a tiny bit, as we shot for 15" of inner clearance. Nailed it.





      18" front and 19" rear. 25.5" front tire, 27" rear tire. I like this wheel diameter and tire height fitment.



      Testing a Viper 19" Forgeline GA3-6 up front, to see if I liked the silver finish. I didn't like the diameter, just seemed too big for my taste. Sticking with 18" fronts.





      Another Forgeline just to see color. Transparent Smoke center.



      I ordered the Forgeline GZ3 wheels, since I had some on my '14 Viper and love the spoke pattern. Will share details when they arrive...

    7. #47
      Join Date
      Aug 2015
      Location
      charlotte
      Posts
      924
      Country Flag: United States
      great write-up and I'm liking the progress. Can't wait to see it on the ground

    8. #48
      Join Date
      Jun 2015
      Location
      San Diego
      Posts
      165
      awesome build Tony!

    9. #49
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Ma.
      Posts
      5,567
      Country Flag: United States
      The car looks beautiful! The rotor looks to be two to one of the thickness of the other one. It's looking great!!
      Wayne
      Car FINALLY home !!!!!! lol
      Project FNQUIK https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ghlight=FNQUIK

    10. #50
      Join Date
      Oct 2015
      Posts
      23
      Country Flag: United States
      Nice looking car so far... can't wait to see it completed. I like the tall 427 valve covers especially since the coil packs hide inside them... where did you purchase those?

    11. #51
      Join Date
      Feb 2015
      Location
      Ladera Ranch, CA
      Posts
      25
      Country Flag: United States
      Lookin' good!! Keep the pics coming!!

    12. #52
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by drc9805 View Post
      Nice looking car so far... can't wait to see it completed. I like the tall 427 valve covers especially since the coil packs hide inside them... where did you purchase those?
      Bought them years ago, not sure if they are still available. I designed the logo on them, had them cut them to spec. If I don't use them, they will be for sale.

      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com


    13. #53
      Join Date
      Oct 2015
      Posts
      23
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by Nine Ball View Post
      Bought them years ago, not sure if they are still available. I designed the logo on them, had them cut them to spec. If I don't use them, they will be for sale.
      I'm not sure I will know if I can use them or not before you are ready to sell them but I would love to have them... they are sweet!

    14. #54
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      I'm steadily making progress. I still hope to have it completed for Power Tour this year. 3 months to go!

      I figured out that my brake hats weren't sitting completely flat on my hubs. They rocked a tiny bit, before tightening the lugs down. The centerbore on the wheel hub has a rounded fillet where it meets the lug pad. My rotor hats had square corners on the ID. I had my next door neighbor put a radius on the backside of the rotor hat bore. Minor setback, but it is good to have neighbors with full machine shops!




      Ever since I assembled my glass-bead blast cabinet, I've wandered around the shop and looked for stuff to blast. It is almost addicting, to restore metal. I try my best and save original parts when I can, as they tend to fit better and seem more sturdy than repro parts. I should have had one of these years ago, I use it a lot.




      This was buried under the paint. Pretty cool to find.


      With those items blasted, as well as headlight buckets, I installed the DSE headlights and Marquez billet fog lights. I didn't realize the Marquez lights were not just a simple bolt-in. It requires drilling two new mount holes, and cutting away the original light support bracket. That was nerve-racking, working with a drill and air cutter around fresh paint. Not a reversible modification, you'll have to commit to doing them and keeping them.





      Also spent some time doing some final body/gap alignment on the front end panels. Started assembling the brake master cylinder setup, which was a nice piece. Wilwood 7/8" master with their optional proportioning valve system. The kit came with all the tubes and brackets, making this an easy and clean assembly. Will run brake lines this week.



      I'll be moving the car to my 4-post Rotary lift for final assembly. So, I upgraded it with a new jack system. I like new tools

      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    15. #55
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      I restored the 1969 Camaro firewall cowl tag yesterday. It has been off the car for 2 years now, since starting the sheetmetal work. Here is a step by step process, to help others do the same restoration.

      Remove cowl tag by drilling out old pop-rivets. Here is how mine looked.





      Get some aircraft stripper, let the plate soak in the stuff for about 20 minutes. The old paint will lift right off. Use a plastic bristle brush to gently remove all the paint remaining.



      Here is how it looked with all the old paint stripped away. It was a bit harder to read, due to the texture of the surface. My tag was also a bit warped, and had a couple edges lifted. I used a small 1" wood roller (used for installing wallpaper or dynamat) to smooth the tag out. Sort of like a small rolling-pin. Try to avoid rolling on the letters, just the surrounding borders. Got the badge to lay perfectly flat again.



      I spray painted the tag with matte silver metallic. I wanted something close to the bright zinc color on the backside of the tag. Let the paint bake in the sun for 30 minutes. It came out perfect.



      Painted, in same lighting as before. The paint really made it easier to read.



      Before/After



      I used some aluminum pop-rivets and put the tag back on the firewall. Pedigree is restored. For you cowl-tag decipher guys, X55 = SS 350, 72 = Hugger Orange, 711 = black standard interior, 01C = build 3rd week of Jan 1969.





      Tony
      Last edited by Nine Ball; 03-04-2016 at 06:58 AM.
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    16. #56
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      I had a productive weekend in the shop. Engine bay is almost complete, will be ready to install the engine soon.

      Started with freshly restored original pedal assembly. Modified it by fabricating a clutch master cylinder (cut down length of rod, welded on rod, threaded, and added Heim joint. I'll admit this took me two attempts, the first time I snapped the weld off when threading it. Ground two flats into the side, so that I could grab it better when threading it. Drilled a 3/8" hole on the clutch arm, near the location that Speed Tech suggests, since I was using their firewall bracket.









      Next up, installed some Lokar brushed pedals.







      Installed the pedal assembly, tilt steering column, clutch master, and Wilwood 7/8" brake master. This was a bigger chore than I anticipated, since the two studs on the pedal assembly that hold the brake master weren't long enough. Had to pull the stuff back out, and take a cutting wheel to cut the heads off of those two studs to remove them. This is because they are welded into the frame of that pedal assembly. Replaced the studs with 2" long grade-8 bolts.





      - - - Updated - - -

      Now for a product endorsement. I read some reviews on the S.U.R.&R. brake line system, and how easy it was to use. The tubing is some special alloy that is softer to bend, and has a thick enough wall that it won't kink. They also claimed that it would be easier to flare. They were right! I was able to fabricate my front brake lines by hand, without using a bender. You can even straighten the tube out by hand, if you get angles wrong. I literally measured the approx length I needed for each run, then sat in the engine bay and bent as I went along, following the route I wanted to use. My first test flare was perfect, and so were the rest of them. Zero re-dos, easiest stuff I've worked with. Info on the kit here: http://www.surrauto.com/brake.html I bought the complete 3/16 EZ kit from Summit, about $117.

      Oh, and that fancy flaring tool? Worth every penny. It was easy to use, and makes perfect flares every single time. I used to get frustrated when it came time to run brake lines. Now it is actually enjoyable!















      Up next, wiring the entire car...
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    17. #57
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      Time for some more updates, I've been cranking it out in the last couple weeks.

      Having owned more than my fair share of LSX vehicles, I never liked how the bare aluminum blocks tend to oxidize and turn chalky/hazy over time. That, and the LS7 casting is blotchy with dark and light areas on the surface. So, I decided this would be my first painted LSX engine. I'm going for an industrial all-business theme under the hood, so decided to use a simple non-metallic gray color. I masked off all the machined areas and plugged all the threaded holes, then scrubbed the entire block and heads with acetone. I used VHT spray paints, first 2 coats of VHT gray engine primer, followed by 3 coats of VHT "Ford Gray" paint. Good quality paint, it laid down very well and had excellent coverage.







      Primer applied:





      Gray paint applied:







      The same aluminum issues occur with the T56 casing, so I painted the T56 as well. This one was rebuilt about 7 years ago, and just sat on my shelf in the shop. It looked pretty awful at first:



      After 3 hours of scrubbing with a wire brush, brillo pad, and acetone. Damn that waffle looking casing, so many corners! :



      Found a new use for an old 15" wheel and tire. LOL



      Primer coats:



      Gray paint coats:







      This is a good example of how some things don't have to cost a lot of money, to make an impact. Just some elbow grease and patience is really all that was required. It is much easier to do this stuff now, then it is to regret not doing it later once it is in the car. I'm sure people will notice the attention to detail, on the finished project.

      Tony
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    18. #58
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Ma.
      Posts
      5,567
      Country Flag: United States
      Nice job Tony, I know how much work went into cleaning that trans up. They both look great and are going to dress up that engine bay for sure.
      Wayne
      Car FINALLY home !!!!!! lol
      Project FNQUIK https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ghlight=FNQUIK

    19. #59
      Join Date
      Feb 2003
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      3,445
      Country Flag: United States
      How about some motor-vation? I made a video of my LS7 yesterday.

      GM LS7 block (new)
      Mast/ETP LS7 head castings, CNC ported
      Beck CNC runner cross-port intake manifold
      Callies Compstar crank & rods
      Wiseco pistons
      11.1:1 CR
      Comp Cams 233/239, 0.595/0.603, 113 LSA
      Factory LS7 rocker arms w/ Comp Cams trunion upgrade kit
      Mast LS-swap oil pain (wet sump)
      Hooker 1-7/8 black ceramic coated long-tube headers
      Wegner Automotive machined pulley system
      Longblock machined/built by Texas Speed & Performance. Assembly by me.

      Video: https://youtu.be/HO1wBlG_Y5Y

      Some pics:



















      Tony
      Co-Founder, LS1TECH.com


      Forged Wheel Dealer, Contact me for a quote!
      www.DV8Motoring.com

    20. #60
      Join Date
      Apr 2007
      Location
      Huntsville, Tx
      Posts
      481
      Country Flag: United States
      Is that a crack on the front left intake runner? Looks like it. If is it could cause a vaccume leak.

      Sam
      69 Firebird convertible T/A pro-touring custom, Now LS1/T56 six speed, 3:42 Eaton posi, 18" Iforged wheels, 04 GTO interior.
      www.fquick.com/SamHatco
      Jack of all trades, master of none.

    Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast




    Advertise on Pro-Touring.com