1964 Corvette Coupe: Twin Turbo Build

[_BQ]

Hey everyone,

I thought I would combine a site introduction and a build thread into one and get started over here. The car is a 1964 Corvette coupe that is currently undergoing a 4 month long twin turbo build. This is a pretty massive undertaking (to say the least) that is being spearheaded by my brother. In short, he’s a genius who has forgotten more than I will ever know about cars, with significant experience in high horsepower, forces induction builds and fabrication.

This is version 3.0 of the car. When I got it in 2016, it had a non-original, period correct 327 with a Muncie 4-speed in it. I took the car on the Power Tour in 2018 and long hauled it, but oiling issues ate the heads up and we decided to build a 383 for the car. The 383 was assembled and combined with a Holley Sniper, TKO-600, and (thankfully) Vintage Air AC and version 2.0 was born. We long hauled it on the HRPT again in 2019, and then we did the Emerald Coast Cruzin’ in PCB, FL, in the fall before we decided to go big with this forced induction build which started in January.

Here is the car before we started the new build:

174789

174790

174791

174792

174793

The plan for the twin turbo build was to go back through the motor and refresh everything to withstand 1000+ horsepower. The block accommodates a hydraulic roller setup with LS7 lifters. The bottom end is a forged GM aftermarket crank and should be good up to 1400-1500 hp. The cam is a custom Comp grind. Heads are World Products Torquer S/R with big valves and a bit of port work, but nothing major. Compression on the motor should be right at 9:1. The intake is a Weiand low-rise single plane that accommodates direct port EFI, which will be managed by Holley HP. The throttle body is a Holley 4150 1000cfm unit. Injectors are Siemens 80lb. The distributor is a Holley Hyperspark that I previously used with the Sniper setup.

Here’s a few shots of the motor before it went back in the car. The accessory drive is the new Holley Mid-Mount in satin black. It is an extremely nice piece that really compresses everything into a tight package.

174794

174795

174796

LS7 lifter setup in a SBC:

174797

Oil cooler lines installed above the oil filter:

174798

Motor going back into the car:

174799

And back in its home:

174800

[_BQ]

Fuel system consists of a 450lph in-tank pump with Aeromotive regulator. The tank is a Holley tank made for EFI in a midyear Corvette. All new fuel lines and return lines were run for this build...

174801

174802

We eliminated the stock fan shroud and are using a big Spal fan with a custom shroud. Space comes at a premium in a midyear corvette engine bay and we need all we can get...

174803

174804

174805

My brother is a wizard on fabrication, which you will see illustrated continuously throughout this build. Here’s the new overflow tank for the radiator, crafted to move it back a bit in the fenderwell for more space with a better mounting design:

174806

174807

174808

Ignition box, fuses and relays mounted on a panel which will go on the firewall:

174809

174810

[_BQ]

Fabrication on the hat begins. We had visions of this thing looking like a cross between an old-school Buick air cleaner and the period correct mechanical fuel injection setup. The hat houses air-to-water intercooler cores on each side that will be fed by the turbos. Blow off valves will be mounted on the front of the hat. The water tank that will feed the intercoolers will be mounted in the driver’s side fender well...more on that in a second...

174811

174812

174813

174814

174815

174816

174817

174818

Here is the hand fabricated water tank. A pump is installed on the bottom that will circulate water to a heat exchanger at the back of the car near the spare tire holder and then back to the intercooler cores. We mounted another small fan on the exchanger for maximum cooling.

174819

174820

174821

174822

174823

174824

174825

174827

[_BQ]

Parts to build log-style exhaust manifold arrived and fabrication on the those and the turbo mounting location began. Turbos are 61mm Precision, with Precision wastegates and BOVs. We anticipate tuning this setup to an extremely conservative 800 crank horsepower until the car receives a new chassis and accompanying larger tires, trans strengthening, etc in Version 4.0. Here are the pics everyone has been waiting for:

174829

174831

174832

174833

174834

174836

174837

174838

174839

Oil cooler is being mounted in the nose of the car. Heavily insulated lines keep engine heat at bay.

174840

174841

The lid for the hat is one of the pieces of the build that my brother and I were most excited about. I wanted to keep the theme of a stock fuel injection appearance, and this is what he came up with and made:

174842

174843

The lid and section of the hat just under the lid will be blasted and satin clear coated to keep the natural finish. Everything else will be satin black.

174844

Of course we needed stainless radiator plumbing, because of course. They will be powder coated gloss black.

174845

174846

PCV setup is hand fabricated in two units. One under vacuum and one under boost:

174847

174848

174849

[_BQ]

Fabrication of cold side plumbing begins. Charge tubes fabricated and air intake tubes run through the factory radiator support and up into the nose of the car where the air filters are located:

174850

174851

174852

174853

174854

We ran a bigger oil pan to accommodate as much oil as possible. We’re big fans of oil. This pan gained us an extra quart, but the steering linkage just hit the pan. Pan comes off and the solution is fabricated:

174855

174856

174857

174858

174859

We got the hat lid and valve covers blasted and they look like factory cast pieces. Really excited about these. Check them out:

174860

174861

Compared to original valve cover:

174862

That brings us up to where we are today. All plumbing, tanks, shrouds, etc have gone off to powdercoat and we will be wrapping all the hot side components. Engine wiring is left to be done as well as a few other odds and ends before we can turn the key.

Current status pic (that I couldn’t be more excited about:

174863

Thanks for letting me share. I’m stoked about this build. It will be on the Power Tour again this year, if it doesn’t get canceled. If it’ does get canceled, me and some close friends will come up with a tour of our own this summer. Either way, this monster is getting on a road trip ASAP.

[thumper877]

Beautiful car and amazing fabrication skills. I need to borrow ur brother for awhile. Lol

[digitalsolo]

Wow, what a great build! Thanks for sharing!

[_BQ]

Thanks for the kind words.

The exhaust on the car is a bit of a tricky issue. Version 1.0 and 2.0 both used Hooker side exit full-length headers that mated up to a factory style side exhaust pipe. However, because the factory side exhaust was so restrictive, Sweet Thunder made a set of pipes that have a 3” case and 2.5” inner diameter. They’re appropriately named the “GNM”...short for Gives No Mercy. They’re loud and sound amazing.

Version 2.0 of the car was the same 385cid stroker, but with a Comp 282 hydraulic roller. It sounded absolutely fantastic and was truly perfect for the car. When we decided to do turbos, my brother warned me that the sound would change drastically. The cam is smaller, and now the exhaust is much, much different, for obvious reasons. I was concerned about that, but decided the sacrifice was worth it.

Even with the 2.5” inner diameter GNM pipes, we were concerned about power loss due to the design setup. We looked at new side exhaust options to open up the exhaust more. Unfortunately, you can only fit a 3.5” pipe under the factory exhaust covers, an no one makes a good muffler with a 3” ID and 3.5” OD case. We even considered fabricating an open 3” pipe with no muffler at all.

Ultimately, the best option ended up being a set of QTP electric cutouts that will be mounted along the down pipe and under the car. Hopefully now I’ll have a car that’s a little quieter at cruise and on the highway, but still sounds nasty idling along at the touch of a button. Maximum power preserved, too.

174904

[_BQ]

Got parts back from powdercoat today. Everything looks perfect.

Over flow tank, water tank, fan shroud, PCV fittings and intercoolers are satin black:

175080

175081

175082

175084

175083

Air intake tubes and charge tubes are texture black:

175085

175086

175087

Radiator plumbing is gloss black:

175088


Excited to see it all back on the car.

[FLYNAVY53]

Welcome to the forum, and great build! Its always good to see someone else building and driving their C2 as opposed to wiping it down with doilies in a field somewhere while someone else makes sure the color of the stripe on your drive shaft is "correct".

[ryeguy2006a]

All I can say is WOW. That intake you guys made looks amazing and what's more is that it's very functional. That engine bay looks so neat and tidy. Great job, I'm subscribing for sure.

[Interceptor5588]

Pretty awesome

[_BQ]

Welcome to the forum, and great build! Its always good to see someone else building and driving their C2 as opposed to wiping it down with doilies in a field somewhere while someone else makes sure the color of the stripe on your drive shaft is "correct".

Purists going to hate this one. LOL

I’m actually trying to keep a retro feel to the build while simultaneously building a street monster. It’s kind of a delicate balance. I felt strongly about keeping the block orange, not chroming everything out, etc. Guess I’m kind of weird that way.

[_BQ]

All I can say is WOW. That intake you guys made looks amazing and what's more is that it's very functional. That engine bay looks so neat and tidy. Great job, I'm subscribing for sure.

Thanks very much. I’m excited to get it back together now that all the parts are coated. I think we may build a block-off panel to hide the wiper motor and pull the brake booster off and paint it black. I don’t want anything drawing the eye away from the motor.

[RMMiller]

Man, cutting up such a nice second gen Corvette, you're my kind of car guy! Love the car, always wanted one since I was little but will probably never do it.

[_BQ]

The hat is completely finished. The intercooler cores and inlets are powder coated satin black, while the lid and center section was blasted to a natural finish and coated with Cerakote. Twin Precision BOVs mounted.

Couldn’t be happier with how this turned out.

175392
175393

[FLYNAVY53]

oh wow, that turned out beautifully!

[andrewb70]

Very clever design for the intake top! I very much like the intercoolers built into the intake.

What are the two little distribution blocks next to the Bussmann panel?

Are the intercooler cores divided? I would like to know the water flow path, please.

Andrew

[Toccoa]

Awesome workmanship! What type of metal are you using for the intercooler core?

[_BQ]

Very clever design for the intake top! I very much like the intercoolers built into the intake.

What are the two little distribution blocks next to the Bussmann panel?

Are the intercooler cores divided? I would like to know the water flow path, please.

Andrew

Those are high capacity relays. One is for the fuel pump and the other is for the fans.

The intercoolers on each side both have an inlet and outlet on the back. The water tank flows down the driver’s side to a heat exchanger at the back next to the spare tire well and then routes back up the passenger side to the motor in a single 3/4” hose. There is a Y built in there that feeds both intercooler inlets. The intercooler outlets both feed directly back to the water tank in the drivers side fenderwell.

[_BQ]

Awesome workmanship! What type of metal are you using for the intercooler core?

Intercoolers are aluminum. Garrett cores.

[dug]

Amazing build. I can't wait for V4.0 and seeing the chassis you build.

[andrewb70]

Who makes those big relays?

[_BQ]

Amazing build. I can't wait for V4.0 and seeing the chassis you build.

Oh man...didn’t mean to mislead anyone! I will be BUYING an aftermarket chassis. LOL

[_BQ]

Who makes those big relays?

I will have to find out on that...my brother ordered them. Let me ask.

[_BQ]

I will have to find out on that...my brother ordered them. Let me ask.

It’s Waytek Wire.


https://www.waytekwire.com/item/46095/EATON-s-Bussmann-Series-Power-Relay-Module-70A-/

[TANKMASTERJ]

Looks unbelievable great.
Wow

[_BQ]

Small update...

You may have noticed that in order to keep the turbos from sticking out of the hood, we had to cut reliefs in both inner fenderwells. My brother fabricated these patch panels by hand to fit, and then created a jig that would allow him to cut louvers into the panel. This will give us needed clearance room and allow heat to escape right night to each turbo.
175739
175740
175741
175742
175743

I also found a new project car I couldn’t resist. It’s a 1971 coupe, original big block car that was optioned fairly well with PS, PB, PW, and AC. Numbers match, although it’s an auto trans. I plan to bag the auto and put it away in favor of a manual, and also add a Holley Sniper I previously had on the ‘64. I also plan to paint the car myself.

Maybe it’ll get its own thread soon. Body is coming off almost immediately to get started on it.
175744
175745
175746

[FLYNAVY53]

Your brother's fab skills are quite impressive! I dig the new project as well....any thoughts what direction you're going to go with it? If you're going to pull the body, it might be cool to have the stock frame stitch welded and reinforced according to the Chevy Power Book, then put it back together as a street version of a vintage race car....period suspension, 15 inch wheels with Hoosiers, keep the big block and the Sniper, manual trans, etc.

There was a guy over on the Corvette forum that did a similar build with a '69....I'll have to see if I can dig up his build thread....

[FLYNAVY53]

Here it is:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/3738011-69-corvette-road-race-inspired-build.html

175752

175754

175755

175757

[_BQ]

Yeah that car is tough, man.

I’ll probably do something in between that and a more conventional restoration. I’m going to keep the stock frame, but upgrade suspension stuff. Coilovers in front, mono spring and good shocks in the back. Solid brakes. Interior will be stock appearing, but with Dakota Digital gauges, AC upgrade, maybe C6 seats, etc. will convert to electric headlight motors. Motor will be relatively mild...500-550hp with aforementioned fuel injection. Will definitely go with the Holley Mid amount accessories again, electric fan, etc.

I’m looking forward to it. I want to learn to do fiberglass bodywork and paint and this car will be the test bed.

[_BQ]

Got this pic tonight of the hat and valve covers on. Just the look we were going for. 175821

[RMMiller]

Clean and sanitary, looks great.

[_BQ]

Clean and sanitary, looks great.

Thank you, sir. That brake booster is killing me. LOL. Getting painted ASAP.

[RMMiller]

I didn't even notice it but I can see why it's bugging you!

[_BQ]

I didn't even notice it but I can see why it's bugging you!

I do not want anything in the engine bay to draw your eye away from the engine and turbos. So, I’ll paint that booster black and we’re probably also going to make a small block off plate for the wiper motor as well.

[FLYNAVY53]

POR15 in a rattle can works really well on brake boosters...it also is more resistant to an accidental brake fluid splash than any other paint I've seen, as long as you get it wiped up with a wet towel immediately.

- - - Updated - - -


Yeah that car is tough, man.

I’ll probably do something in between that and a more conventional restoration. I’m going to keep the stock frame, but upgrade suspension stuff. Coilovers in front, mono spring and good shocks in the back. Solid brakes. Interior will be stock appearing, but with Dakota Digital gauges, AC upgrade, maybe C6 seats, etc. will convert to electric headlight motors. Motor will be relatively mild...500-550hp with aforementioned fuel injection. Will definitely go with the Holley Mid amount accessories again, electric fan, etc.

I’m looking forward to it. I want to learn to do fiberglass bodywork and paint and this car will be the test bed.

That'll be cool....let me know when/if you start a build thread....either here or the Corvette forum.

[_BQ]

A little more progress.

I had cooling issues at slow speeds on the Power Tour last year. The car wanted to get fairly hot as we idled our way into a lot of the venues, which, at times, took a while. I figured it was an airflow issue because when the car was at speed, it ran almost too cool.

We found that the radiator that was in the car was a stock-style replacement, but that it had less than the factory spec capacity. We decided to go with a custom unit that maximized every bit of room that we had in the front of the car. There shouldn’t be any cooling issues now..
176206
176207
176208

The fenderwell inserts, fan shroud, and radiator cover are off to powdercoat. Next up is the down pipes.

[_BQ]

I couldn’t help myself and I bought another car. It’s a 1971 Corvette with a factory big block. It’s a basket-case but it’s my basket-case.

Build thread here:


1971 Corvette: Big Block, EFI, PT Build
https://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?t=134206

[_BQ]

Down pipes started
176402
176403
176404
176405

[NOT A TA]

First time I've seen this thread. Beautiful car! >>>> Off to check out the 71 thread!

[_BQ]

Made my way to my brothers place for the weekend and we got a lot done with the car. Getting really close now and feel like we should be tuning and off to the dyno within a few weeks.

The car has always had manual steering and I really had no intention of changing that, but the Holley Mid Mount accessory drive came with a PS pump so I figured it was finally time to convert. I got a Borgeson conversion kit and we installed it first thing to check for interference with the turbo plumbing. It’s tight. Had to make a minor tweak to the wastegate location but it fits and it’s installed.

176875
176876
176877

To compliment the new power steering, I picked up a 15” Grant steering wheel. The mahogany finish looked great with the interior, but I didn’t care for the super glossy finish. A scotch brite pad took care of that and it came out great.

176878
176879

Intercooler inlet and outlet hoses plumbed and secured for what we hope is the last time.

176880

We spent a ton of time running oil feed and return lines for the turbos, as well as wrapping the hot side components and installing blankets on the turbos themselves. The wrap came out pretty good...hard to get it perfect, but it should get the job done. We also wrapped probably 3/4 of the side pipes themselves. (Please ignore the black zip ties you see on some of the plumbing...we ran out of metal zip ties. That will be rectified shortly.)

176881
176882
176883

Final pics for today...we installed the custom valve cover decals I ordered on the hat.

176884
176885

[andrewb70]

Super cool. Are you using Holley EFI?

Andrew

[_BQ]

Super cool. Are you using Holley EFI?

Andrew

Yes sir. Holley HP.

[_BQ]

The rest of the parts came back from powdercoat. Ready for final assembly and wiring.

The louvered inner fender panels look killer:
176962

Radiator and radiator hold down:
176964
176963

Air filter mounts for radiator support
176965
176966
176967

New radiator plumbing
176968

These came in as well...front coilovers and rear smooth body double adjustable shocks
176969

Parts going on:
176970

[dhutton]

Some amazing fab work here.

Don

[WildCherry66]

Wow this is an awesome build!

[ryeguy2006a]

That's a masterpiece. I won't be surprised if a company knocks that off. Very innovative.

[DblTrbl]

That's a great build!

[_BQ]

Radiator, shroud, fan, hold down, and rad plumbing are in. All that’s left is to install the hot side, AC lines, and finish wiring. Getting really close.

177092
177093
177094

[Bill Wellman]

The engineering and craftsmanship are really nice. I'm enjoying the pictures.

[_BQ]

Sorry for the lack of an update. We made great progress with the car and then a few life issues got in the way. I finally made another trip out to AL thinking we were finally going to get it finished up, tuned, and brought home, but it wasn’t in the cards. We had all kinds of electrical issues, issues with a set of lifters, leaks, and just general “new build” bugs. The car just wasn’t ready.

Everything has been addressed, the build is reassembled, and we’re finally back to getting it tuned. With any luck, it’ll be running like a top and off to the dyno within a couple weeks.

A few updated pics...

These are the fenderwell inserts that my brother made to make room for the turbos, finally installed. Came out fantastic and very functional with the louvers.
178317
178318

New front splitter painted and installed. Should help direct airflow and looks great.
178319

Couple final finished assembly:
178320
178321
178322

Hopefully the next posts will be dyno results and videos.

[FLYNAVY53]

Looks great!

1. Your brother could probably make some good money selling those fender louvers

2. Is that chin spoiler from Dynamic Corvettes? I've been eyeing that piece since they came out with it.

[mistral]

Welcome to the forum, and great build! Its always good to see someone else building and driving their C2 as opposed to wiping it down with doilies in a field somewhere while someone else makes sure the color of the stripe on your drive shaft is "correct".

Haha, so right, "LIKE"

[_BQ]

Looks great!

1. Your brother could probably make some good money selling those fender louvers

2. Is that chin spoiler from Dynamic Corvettes? I've been eyeing that piece since they came out with it.

He made his own tooling for the louvers. It works incredibly well.

The spoiler is from Dynamic. It fits great and is fantastic quality, but it does not come pre-cut with clearances for the factory bumper brackets. I they figured that most would use it in conjunction with their carbon fiber or fiberglass bumpers, which don’t retain the factory brackets. It wasn’t particularly difficult to measure and cut, but the angle is a bit funny and it took a few tries to get it just right.

I think it really adds a lot of depth to the nose of a midyear.

[FLYNAVY53]

I agree....I've been watching since they first started teasing the prototype photos a year or so ago. Its really the first good spoiler option that doesn't require hacking up a Camaro piece. What finish does it arrive in?

[_BQ]

It arrived in a black, almost gel-coat like finish. I just did some conventional paint prep and sprayed it with some decent semi-gloss and it came out great.

[FLYNAVY53]

perfect....its definitely on my list

[_BQ]

Well, the hood is on. I feel like that is a good sign.

Like pretty much everyone else, 2020 has put us through the ringer. There have been delays on this build but we’re moving forward and are finally approaching the finish line (fingers crossed).

The car is idling with no leaks. This is big progress. We also struggled with the cooling system holding air pockets and have remedied that situation as well. Only some minor tweaking to the final overflow setup and it’s finished.

These panels are fabricated to protect the hood just above the turbos. The location for these couldn’t have worked out better.

179626

Driveability tune is inbound. Then off to dyno.

Soon.

[DblTrbl]

really enjoying the build

[Crazy Horse]

Wow!!!
You're gonna need bigger brakes...lol
Super

[_BQ]

It’s on the ground again. Good sign.

179734

Tuning has begun.

[_BQ]

It’s been down the road for the first time. Street tuning continues. I’m headed to Alabama next weekend for a dyno session on Saturday and to finally bring it home. Very excited.


https://youtu.be/9bXqlx5wjz0


https://youtu.be/J6oU1Wx6fgU

[_BQ]

We’re off to the dyno in the morning. Y’all keep your fingers crossed.

180030

[andrewb70]

Good luck. I'm very excited to see the results!

Andrew

[_BQ]

Well the dyno results are a bit of a mixed bag. Ultimately, we ended up with 600hp and 700tq to the tire at about 9.5lbs of boost. It seems a bit strange to say we’re disappointed with the results, but we are.

After we reached these numbers, the car just absolutely refused to improve any more, no matter what we changed. Timing is right at 25 degrees and we felt sure that the power numbers would come up as we added timing in, but they didn’t budge at all. Same with fuel...the mixture was rich at about 11.5-11.7, but it didn’t move a single number by leaning it out. No matter what we changed, the numbers didn’t move. At all. The only thing we didn’t do was move up to 12-13 pounds of boost...mainly because it’s at more power than the car can handle as it is.

So I guess I would say that we’re actually not disappointed at all that the car made 600/700 on 9.5lbs...only that we’re disappointed that it stalled out at that point. There’s a lot of things we can point to, but none of them really matter right now. 600/700 is a stupid amount of power for this car in its current form and it’ll do just fine until I stick an aftermarket chassis under the car. Then we’ll reassess.

We got driveability tuning to do today and tomorrow and it looks like I can finally bring the car home. Which I’m stoked about. Then I’ll get to the Viking coilovers and rear shocks and firm a few other things up before we go to Panama City Beach next month.
180065

[andrewb70]

Just out of curiosity, what were you expecting at 9.5psi at the rear wheels?

[_BQ]

Just out of curiosity, what were you expecting at 9.5psi at the rear wheels?

I may not have said things as clearly as I intended...

I’m happy with what the car did at 9.5psi. We hoped to push farther but weren’t comfortable given the way the car wasn’t responding to any inputs.

[andrewb70]

I may not have said things as clearly as I intended...

I’m happy with what the car did at 9.5psi. We hoped to push farther but weren’t comfortable given the way the car wasn’t responding to any inputs.

If the fueling was good and the spark was optimized without knocking, the only thing to do is raise boost pressure to get more power.

[_BQ]

If the filing was good and the spark was optimized without knocking, the only thing to do is raise boost pressure to get more power.

Yeah, the more we look at it, the more we realize that we’re really maxed out at the boost levels we’re at. It’s probably not responding to changes because it’s maximized at the current level. We’ve got plenty of fuel pump and plenty of injector left. There is no knock retard. I think we’re really in good shape until it’s time to turn the wick up some more.

In hind sight...I wish we had taken a break and talked through a lot of this while we were there. We were just in a thrash because of a thousand reasons. If we could do it again, we’d dial it up to 12-13psi and see what the response was.

[Lonnies Performance]

Those are good numbers for only 9.5psi.

You can expect about 20-25 more hp per lb. of boost if you turn it up more.

600rwhp will easily chew up just about any tire you can fit under that car.

[_BQ]

...

[_BQ]

Ok I don’t know what’s up with getting the video to embed...

Here’s the link:


https://youtu.be/rffqmp-t64A

[FLYNAVY53]

Thats awesome! If you got 600/700 safely and reliably, I'd say you're doing well. That chassis can't handle that level of power any way. I think its easy to get caught up in chasing glamorous numbers on the dyne, when in reality, it doesn't matter if the car cant put that power to the ground.

[redmanf1]

Very nice build... Great work you and your brother do...

[ryeguy2006a]

Glad that you were able to get a great safe tune on the car. Those are some great numbers by the way. It will be a handful haha

[_BQ]

Making progress on some of the smaller projects for the car now. The Viking front coilover conversion is installed and set up, as well as the Viking smooth body double adjustable rear shocks with fiberglass monospring. The stance looks good and the ride is great, although I’m still learning my way through the adjustments.

I also finally got my Dakota Digital clock installed and working correctly. That wouldn’t seem like a big deal, but it’s been a bit of a saga. Looks fantastic with the other gauges...
181003
181004

I finally broke down and painted the brake booster. It was driving me absolutely crazy...looked so dingy and out of place. It’s a lot better now and doesn’t stick out any more.
181005

We’re headed to Panama City Beach for Emerald Coast Cruisin’ this weekend. If any of you are going, stop by and say hello.

[DblTrbl]

Well the dyno results are a bit of a mixed bag. Ultimately, we ended up with 600hp and 700tq to the tire at about 9.5lbs of boost. It seems a bit strange to say we’re disappointed with the results, but we are.

After we reached these numbers, the car just absolutely refused to improve any more, no matter what we changed. Timing is right at 25 degrees and we felt sure that the power numbers would come up as we added timing in, but they didn’t budge at all. Same with fuel...the mixture was rich at about 11.5-11.7, but it didn’t move a single number by leaning it out. No matter what we changed, the numbers didn’t move. At all. The only thing we didn’t do was move up to 12-13 pounds of boost...mainly because it’s at more power than the car can handle as it is.


I've read through the entire thread again, because I really like what you've done and also I was looking to see if you mentioned anything about the valve springs.

If I had to guess about maxing out at 9.5 psi, I'd suspect the valve springs first. You most likely already know this, but unlike naturally aspirated engines, the boost pressure in the manifold, against the back of the valve, makes it difficult to close the valve, so boost with naturally aspirated springs will cause the valves to float. For example with a two inch valve at 10PSI will have over 31 pounds trying to keep it from closing and a 60# spring is now 29#.

If you've already addressed the springs, the next thing would be a boost leak. You've got some large sealing surfaces and areas, although one would think they only get tighter as the intake manifold expands. Have you tried and static pressure testing? I once had a leak that took what seemed like it took forever to find.

[_BQ]

I've read through the entire thread again, because I really like what you've done and also I was looking to see if you mentioned anything about the valve springs.

If I had to guess about maxing out at 9.5 psi, I'd suspect the valve springs first. You most likely already know this, but unlike naturally aspirated engines, the boost pressure in the manifold, against the back of the valve, makes it difficult to close the valve, so boost with naturally aspirated springs will cause the valves to float. For example with a two inch valve at 10PSI will have over 31 pounds trying to keep it from closing and a 60# spring is now 29#.

If you've already addressed the springs, the next thing would be a boost leak. You've got some large sealing surfaces and areas, although one would think they only get tighter as the intake manifold expands. Have you tried and static pressure testing? I once had a leak that took what seemed like it took forever to find.

Thanks for the suggestions. When I say we maxed out at 9.5psi, I just meant that we decided not to push any farther than that. In hindsight, I think both my brother and I wish we had put some more air to it to see what happens. But again...at 600/700, we were already so far beyond the capabilities of the stock frame and suspension that we decided to stop there.

With that said...we definitely have a pretty significant restriction in the cylinder head. I mean, it’s an iron World Products Torquer with minimal port work. I feel like with a decent aluminum head and maybe a slightly larger cam, we would carry power a lot further than 6000rpm. So that’s what’s in store for the motor when I finally have a chassis under it that can absorb those power levels. Aluminum heads, maybe a slightly bigger cam, and about 5 more psi of boost.

[_BQ]

I have dreaded updating this thread, but it’s time.

I hit a deer in the ‘64. There’s $22k worth of damage. Luckily, it’s completely cosmetic and none of the forced induction stuff or even the radiator or oil cooler setup was damaged. The car needs an entire front clip, which would also, obviously, need paint. But I don’t think I can stomach having the car with a half a new paint job...so this is the part of the story where I start to make the best of a bad situation...

First off, the entire car is getting a new paint job. I’ll come out of pocket to finish the car, but this is the way. This is the only way.

I’m also ordering the chassis that the car deserves. Still deciding on which one is right for me, but I think the Chassis Concepts and SRIII are the most likely options for me within my budget. I’ll get the new chassis under it before the car gets painted and finish up with some bigger wheels and big tires. Will have to glass in new oversized wheelwells to make something in the 315-345 range fit.

I think we’ll finish off the rebirth with a set of aluminum heads and maybe a slightly larger cam that will carry power closer to upper 6000rpm range.

Stay tuned for version 3.0.

Happy New Year

[andrewb70]

What a heart break. I'm glad you're fixing her! 2020 just keeps on giving...

Here is to a better 2021! Happy New Year

Andrew

[RMMiller]

That sucks but there's always that silver lining! Good luck with the rebuild!

[FLYNAVY53]

Oh man, sorry to hear that, but glad you're ok and its "only" cosmetic. Personally I'm a big fan of the SRIII frame but you can't go wrong with either. Looking forward to the continued updates!

[_BQ]

I know SRIII is extremely reputable. For the price point I can afford to be in, it looks like I can get their frame with C5/C6 suspension components. The Chassis Concepts frame is not as well known, but still has a good reputation. For the same money, I can get their frame with a full C7 suspension front and back.

I still need to call them both and get down to brass tacks on options and final costs.

[sru1436]

I read the build thread and it was an amazing job your brother and you did. Really sorry to hear about what happened to the car.

[ryeguy2006a]

2020 strikes again... Sorry to hear about the car, that's an awful thing especially since you just got it up and running again. Care to share any pictures of the damage?

[_BQ]

2020 strikes again... Sorry to hear about the car, that's an awful thing especially since you just got it up and running again. Care to share any pictures of the damage?

Ah man...you called me on it! LOL. I try not to look at these, but I don’t mind to post a couple. I actually keep the car covered up in the shop right now just so I won’t dwell on it. Anyways...

183193
183194
183195
183196

The good news is, I put a deposit down on a SRIII chassis today. So I’m stoked about that. It’s about 4 months out, though. So I’ll remove the wrecked front end and break all the turbo stuff down while I’m waiting. Will also cut out the stock rear tub and bond in the new rear tub with larger wheelwells. Then once the chassis arrives, I’ll transfer the cab and rear body to the new chassis and take the car to Charleston for the repairs and paint.

The car is going to be down for a while and that’s disappointing, but what can you do at this point.

I did pick up a new tow rig / dog transport vehicle, though...

183197
183198

Got a couple small projects for this thing, too.

[_BQ]

183199

One more so hopefully the preview pic for this thread will no longer be my wrecked car...

[FLYNAVY53]

Absolutely love the two rig!! 4wd??

[ryeguy2006a]

Wow, those pictures are hard to look at. I'll be honest, that was way worse than I was envisioning in my head. Glad that you are keeping a positive attitude about it and will keep moving forward.

That tow rig is AWESOME!!

[Vimes]

:drive2:
_BQ, driver--a man whose Corvette is barely alive
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We
Have the capability to make the world's first bionic car. _BQ's Vette will be that car
Better than it was before: better, stronger, faster

Hopefully the 6 million dollar reference brings a smile. Sorry to see the damage, but it could have been a lot worse - sometimes the deer will join the driver through the windshield, and the impact doesn't always kill the deer. No one was hurt, the damage is very repairable, and the car will be better than before when you're done. And hey, add a heads-up FLIR and you'll have a nice bionic eye to see the next deer. :razz:

That's a sharp pickup you have too. At least you'll have a nice ride while waiting on the repairs.

[_BQ]

Absolutely love the two rig!! 4wd??

It’s 2wd. A 1986 C30 with 454 and th400 trans.

Got decent plans for this thing. I sold my 2018 Sierra because it just sat and was never driven. For half the cost of the Sierra, I got the C30. It’s been completely repainted and has a new interior. It’s original 70,000 miles and is in phenomenal shape. Got a few mods planned though...

Have bought:
Gear Vendors overdrive
Headers
Intake (which will result in the removal of all the smog stuff)
Belltech 3” front / 4” rear drop
Alcoa replica wheels
New stereo system
New hitch receiver
New fuel tanks

So yeah. Should be busy with this for a minute.

[_BQ]

Wow, those pictures are hard to look at. I'll be honest, that was way worse than I was envisioning in my head. Glad that you are keeping a positive attitude about it and will keep moving forward.

That tow rig is AWESOME!!

Yeah, I honestly had to cover the car because it was getting to me mentally to look at when I went out to the shop. I am going to cut the front end off soon and remove the hood, and am honestly looking forward to it.

[_BQ]

:drive2:
_BQ, driver--a man whose Corvette is barely alive
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We
Have the capability to make the world's first bionic car. _BQ's Vette will be that car
Better than it was before: better, stronger, faster

Hopefully the 6 million dollar reference brings a smile. Sorry to see the damage, but it could have been a lot worse - sometimes the deer will join the driver through the windshield, and the impact doesn't always kill the deer. No one was hurt, the damage is very repairable, and the car will be better than before when you're done. And hey, add a heads-up FLIR and you'll have a nice bionic eye to see the next deer. :razz:

That's a sharp pickup you have too. At least you'll have a nice ride while waiting on the repairs.

I’m lucky. When I hit the deer, it kicked the car out a little, which got me onto the shoulder of the road, which spun the car. I truly thought it was going to roll. The car only has lap seat belts, so that would have been real bad. I’ll be addressing that, for sure.

The recovery will be slow, but the car will be back better than ever.

[64G-lark]

Sorry to hear about the damage. I went through a similar situation (fire) on my previous project. It’s heart breaking at first and like you I struggled to even look at it. In the end I salvaged a lot of parts and I am building a better car now. Your car will be better than ever with the new chassis. Best of luck and I will look forward to your updates.

[_BQ]

We are back at it again. FINALLY.

There has been no progress on the car up until this weekend, other than I am in line to have the body work and paint done at Jamison Custom Corvettes in Charleston as soon as the SRIII chassis I have a deposit on is built and delivered. The waiting game has been slow, and it still looks like another 1-2 months before my chassis is even built. But my brother decided it was time for him to head my way so we could start breaking the car down and getting the body ready to come off when the new chassis arrives.

We began by removing the hood and some of the major engine and turbo components, but soon we were ready to be rid of the wreckage once and for all…

189257

Once everything in the fender wells was removed and clear, we broke out the sawzall.

189258
189259
189260

Now we had a lot of room to work with, and we had the engine and trans ready to come out in no time.

189261

We removed the gas tank and all the fuel lines, and pulled the heat exchanger and water lines for the inter cooler water tank as well. Pretty soon, we had it all wrapped. So we began breaking open the box that contained the new rear floor that will be installed to accommodate the new chassis and 345 tires.

At first, we just kind of held up the new wheel tubs and some of the floor panels and giggled and laughed about how awesome it was going to be. Then, carpet started coming out. Then someone grabbed a sharpie and started tracing. Then the sawzall and cutoff wheel reappeared…

189262
189263
189264

We made such a huge amount of progress this weekend. It feels good not to be staring at the wrecked car any more and to be progressing towards what I intend to be the baddest midyear Corvette on the planet.

The new floors will be going in as soon as a buddy and I do some final trimming and cleco everything into place. Then the body comes off.

[SPLATT71MC]

Damn! that sucks. Make me sick to my stomach when I see a custom car get messed up.

[DblTrbl]

I think I see a back half in your future

[andrewb70]

I like where this is going!

[_BQ]

One other update…decided to change cylinder heads and go with aluminum. Got a set of Brodix IK200s. Should help carry power a little higher in the rpm band and improve everywhere.

189272
189273

[shelteredchevelle]

Those heads might very well be the key that unlocks the door to making power. I'm following and can't wait to see how that chassis looks under that bad girl!

[DblTrbl]

How much horsepower will the bottom end hold?

[_BQ]

How much horsepower will the bottom end hold?

Well over 1000hp, according to my brother (who built it). Possibly upwards of 1500hp. I doubt we’d take it that far.

[ryeguy2006a]

I'm already in love with Version 2.0!

[_BQ]

Mocked up the new rear floor. Some minor trimming needed along the front. Will continue fine tuning until it’s as good as I can make it and then will panel bond it into place. I’ll ultimately reinforce the seams in the center with some sheet metal and will add some strength and rigidity with pop rivets on all the panels before adding fiberglass to fill and finish.
189456
189457

[TANKMASTERJ]

Friend of mine had a specially ordered 79C30 with a Detroit supercharged 2 stroke v671. It was badass. Sorry was I guy ordered it for pulling a dozer. My buddy got hard up and sold it. It would be awesome restored and it ran and drove sold for 10grand.
Love them old square bodies.
Sorry about your Vette I cannot imagine after all we go through to get her. On the road and hit anything at all.
Deer everywhere around me .

[_BQ]

Friend of mine had a specially ordered 79C30 with a Detroit supercharged 2 stroke v671. It was badass. Sorry was I guy ordered it for pulling a dozer. My buddy got hard up and sold it. It would be awesome restored and it ran and drove sold for 10grand.
Love them old square bodies.
Sorry about your Vette I cannot imagine after all we go through to get her. On the road and hit anything at all.
Deer everywhere around me .

My square is almost done. Have had to do quite a few small projects on it, but it’s coming together now. Just need a full exhaust fabbed up, wheels mounted and tint.
189460

[ryeguy2006a]

Any updates?

[_BQ]

Well I had kind of been waiting to update because the process has been so slow and the things to come will still take a bit of time, but here’s what I’ve got…

I finally got my finished chassis from SRIII. It’s powdercoated and finished with C6 Corvette stuff. I couldn’t be happier with the chassis itself but the process of getting it was a little disappointing. Anyways.
203258
203259
203261

Got the new rear floors with the tubs all fiber glassed in and lined the complete underside of the car with raptor liner. Coated the inside of the rear of the car with DEI Boom Mat spray.

203262
203263
203264
203265

Installed the body onto the new chassis and dropped the car off at paint and body jail back in June. Looks like we’re getting close, finally. There was a lot of work to do. Jamison Custom Corvette in Charleston, SC is doing the work.

203266
203267
203268
203269

I’m excited but there’s a long way to go. Once it’s done in paint, we’ll begin reassembly. Still need to line up an interior guy for custom carpet. Then I’ll get the car back to my brother’s shop for drivetrain install.

Hope to have more updates soon.

[thumper877]

Where are u located at. I know a great interior guy but he's in Chicago.

[_BQ]

Where are u located at. I know a great interior guy but he's in Chicago.

Coastal Georgia between Jacksonville, FL and Savannah.

I have a good guy in Jacksonville but he’s covered up. I’ll probably take the car there.

[1966 stingray roadster]

I love the work you have done to your 1964. I have followed this from the start. How long did it take you to get your SRIII after you ordered it.
Thanks

[ryeguy2006a]

Wow, that's a fantastic update!! Love the progress and keep it up. That chassis is amazing!

[Senek67RS]

Coastal Georgia between Jacksonville, FL and Savannah.

I have a good guy in Jacksonville but he’s covered up. I’ll probably take the car there.


This guy does outstanding work down in Alabama. https://www.builtbyricky.com/

[tcronkright]

Incredible vision and fab work. Nicely done!

[_BQ]

I love the work you have done to your 1964. I have followed this from the start. How long did it take you to get your SRIII after you ordered it.
Thanks

I ordered it in January of ‘21. Got it this last May. The guy is super nice and the frame is beautiful, but I wasn’t extremely happy with the overall buying experience. I’ll be kind and say the pandemic did a number on his business and that was a big part of the wait.

[_BQ]

This guy does outstanding work down in Alabama. https://www.builtbyricky.com/

Appreciate that. I’ll check him out for sure.

[Barrongi]

Where are u located at. I know a great interior guy but he's in Chicago.

Who do you reco in Chicago as I’m up here and looking for one locally?

[thumper877]

Cassin customizing1206 Rail Dr D, Woodstock, IL 60098
8153085926
Tell him Ron Starforth told u to call
Who do you reco in Chicago as I’m up here and looking for one locally?

[Jimbo1367]

amazing build. I was hoping you would go with a SRII (whatever it is) chassis. While idk t have any experience with them, they look great and well thought out. It will be interesting to hear your opinions. I really hope you love it.

subscribing.

[c3rocket]

Are you going to upgrade to a t56 6 speed and what wheel tire set up and I love boost as well . great job for both you and your brother .

[_BQ]

Are you going to upgrade to a t56 6 speed and what wheel tire set up and I love boost as well . great job for both you and your brother .

I love the T56 but I’m going to stick with either my TKO600 or a TKX.

Wheels are going to be Schott Fuels with argent colored centers. Thinking about Diamondback Redlines for tires. Hope to get a 345 out back and I think the DB only go to a 325…

[_BQ]

Love the car c3rocket