View Full Version : Project "Jane Doe" at Best of Show Coachworks - 69 Camaro
Gandalf
12-08-2010, 11:05 PM
Welcome to my 69 Camaro Coupe build thread, known as “Jane Doe” until we come up with a name. I’m 5yrs into this build and never posted a project thread so here it is. If the guys at Best of Show finish the car before this thread gets posted I’ll never hear the end of it!
The story so far…..
Here she is back in 2005, as purchased, ready for a few days’ work to get her running and on the road again. It had come with a fresh SBC crate motor built by Joe Sherman Racing here in SoCal. The car was an older, driver quality restoration and it looked like it had been done "ok". An x11 car with a/c but after chasing numbers on an earlier project, I could care less. I had different plans for this one.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1101616973_r2bCf-A-LB)
The crate motor and trans were just sitting in the car with nothing attached so before reconnecting everything I decided it was easy enough to pull the motor and trans to “clean up a few things”. Well, from there it spiraled out of control and I ended up with what I once heard Steve Rupp describe as a bad case of "While I'm here, I might as well ...".
Before I knew it I had completely gutted the car. I had stripped the underside, fitted DSE mini-tubs, replaced a tulip panel, smoothed the firewall and had most of the trim holes welded closed. Then off to have the entire shell media blasted inside and out including the doors & the front sheet metal.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1101625549_kZ5rU-A-LB)
The shell was really good except for a few issues. The passenger quarter had been replaced from below the sail panel leaving a cavernous weld that had been filled over with bondo and the drivers side had some rust down low that could be patched. I decided to have both full quarter panels. Here she is freshly stripped, right before being put in primer.
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With the floors, trunk, doors, roof and everywhere else being solid, I would have a good canvas to start the build. Sweet!
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The first shop took more than a year to replace both full quarters. Thankfully they did a quality job fitting, aligning and welding these. During that time they managed to "loose" most of my stock front sheet metal, steering and suspension. On top of that the car was left outside for weeks while still in etch primer! Needless to say it needed to be stripped again. I pulled the car from that shop. A total waste of money, time and extremely frustrating.
Gandalf
12-08-2010, 11:05 PM
Not long before that I had met Steve Rupp who had introduced me to the guys at Best of Show Coachworks. They were less than 5min away so I literally trailered the car down there. After looking over the car together, I sat down with D!ck and we came up with a plan. Within a few days Best of Show got to work refinishing the previous metalwork including the firewall which was totally redone.
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The car was then stripped section by section back to bare metal with the DA and lots of 3M cleanstrip wheels. It was great that BOS let me contribute my own labor to the process. I felt like I still had a connection to my own project and I didn't mind getting down and dirty to get any job done.
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Several areas were POR15’d and later the entire shell was sealed-up in epoxy primer. We had collectively achieved more in 2wks than I had seen done in the previous year!
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From there the guys got onto bodywork and primer. This was awesome progress after my experience at the previous shop. It would serve as ground-zero for the build ahead.
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Gandalf
12-08-2010, 11:13 PM
Fast forward 10mths..... I did not have BOS do much more on the body itself. I did get most of the drivetrain & suspension pieces together.
I purchased a number of brand new items including a powdercoated AME subframe w/C6 suspension, ATS engine mounts, Art Morrison LS headers, Ron Davis Radiator and G-Bar setup. I also snagged a freshly built LS6 and 4sp auto as part of the deal but I had other plans.
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The LS6/A4 was sold off to help secure an LS7 and FBody T56! I ordered up a few choice performance parts and took everything up to Charlie Williams @ RPM Motors in Santa Clarita to get some love ;-). Charlie has a great reputation as a high performance LSx builder and tuner, especially in the Corvette and CTS-V community. The stuff I see and hear in his shop makes my jaw drop. Charlie & I sat down and went through the build and came up with a plan. I supplied many of the build parts and let Charlie work his magic. I cannot wait to run this motor!
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It also helps that RPM have their own in-house transmission shop with a TON of T56 builds to their credit so I had them build the T56 using some much stronger components.
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I purchased a "G-Bar ready" Moser narrowed 9” rear and axles from Frank at Prodigy. We welded the G-Bar in place and BOS then sprayed the entire underside of the car with their Wurth StoneGuard. We mounted the GBar components and then the 9" rear.
With Matt overseeing the show, we introduced the freshly built engine and transmission to the sub-frame. From there we used DSE solid aluminum body mounts and polished hardware to mount the sub-frame to the body. A big day!
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Like my new rollers? Leave your wheels scattered around the shop and they will be put to good use, Ha!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120711065_8kwuR-A-LB)
Since I had changed it up to the LS7 we figured this would be more than just a good idea to add some DSE subframe connectors.
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They came out real nice - I had BOS make them a bolt-in with the Art Morrison sub-frame.
Gandalf
12-08-2010, 11:14 PM
Aluminum center section from Currie arrived - 3.89 gears and TrueTrac should get the job done.
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Delivery from Wilwood who helped us spec out the combination we were after:
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All wired and ready to rock! Apparently not one of D!ck's favorite tasks......but still nice to know my rotors aren't going to come flying off anytime soon :-)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120723221_RSjwU-A-LB)
On to the custom roll-bar. Would have helped if I had taken photos when it came back from powedercoat and before I wrapped it for the install - oh well. You'll have to imagine it like I have to for now. Went in real nice.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120721248_hG4cP-A-LB)
Matt@BOS
12-09-2010, 10:14 AM
Gregg, let me know when you need me to hold parts. Also don't worry about Mark, he just decided to put a flat firewall on his car.
Matt
Steve1968LS2
12-09-2010, 10:28 AM
For some reason I REALLY like your hood.. and your wheels.. and your water pump and several other parts.. I feel a "connection" lol
Car is gonna be super cool when done and it's starting to make some serious progress!
Rybar
12-09-2010, 10:58 AM
Nice Gregg, I saw your car in Camaro Performers recently. Looks like you are well on your way to completion.
Gandalf
12-09-2010, 03:51 PM
Fast forward to November, 2010....
While at SEMA again this year, I got to see Steilow’s latest build and realized the overall simplicity but quality of that car was exactly what I was wanting (for most of us the LS9 and ABS will have to wait). That and several other quality builds really had me nail most every other (major) design decision I had to make for my build. Seeing some of those same cars go out and run hard at Optima a few days later just completed the picture for me and I came home all fired-up! Now that Matt’s car is baked and Penny has gone home for a while, I can get some “me” time at BOS.
Gandalf
12-09-2010, 03:55 PM
Out comes the aircraft stripper......
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Lots of bodywork including fitting the trunklid from Matt @ Anvil. More Carbon fiber goodness coming from Anvil - almost seems a shame to cover them with paint!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120724997_cPrg2-A-LB)
So now "somebody" thinks his ass is funny when he shows me the freshly applied PINK guide-coat! Very funny. I'm not the one who now has to sand it all off again.... :-)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120726813_3ZNCz-A-LB)
The boys really knocked it out of the park with the bodywork - lines and gaps are looking killer already.
The overall theme called for a few small modifications to the body but I did not want to detract from the original lines of the car. I liked the thought of raising the filler from down behind the license plate. We'll tidy up the bumpers front and rear, delete the door and trunk locks but keep the original door handles.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120727059_MgDfN-A-LB)
johnny68
12-09-2010, 08:50 PM
boy that looks great should be amazing when done cant wait to see it
john
DFRESH
12-09-2010, 09:07 PM
Looks awesome----everything that BOS lays their hands on comes out amazing come to think about it. U must be very stoked that it is making such great progress and coming out so well---congrats! Hope you guys do make it out for RTTC--would be great to see the car in person.
Doug
67 ls1 vert
12-09-2010, 09:25 PM
so, you are going PINK, huh? Nice touch. :lmao:
Looks like they have done a few things since I seen it last. Good luck with everything. I will be watching.:twothumbs
Matt@BOS
12-10-2010, 12:26 PM
With Matt overseeing the show, we finally got to introduce the engine and transmission to the sub-frame and then the sub-frame to the body. We used DSE solid mounts and hardware. A big day!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1120709459_8EtRM-A-LB)
Dude, as I recall I wasn't the primary supervisor, that day the shop looked like a caltrans work site.
Matt
Steve1968LS2
12-10-2010, 01:04 PM
It's like a trunk monkey but farther forward in the car...
Gandalf
12-10-2010, 01:07 PM
LOL!! I knew I should NOT have deleted the trunk lock!
Gandalf
02-01-2011, 11:16 PM
The boys at BOS continued to block the entire car AGAIN and refine the bodywork even more. The firewall was also blocked and the car given some final fit and finish.
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A familiar looking all Carbon Fiber cowl hood from Anvil
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The car was blown apart again. Jesus got down to work and gave the firewall area and inner fenders a few layers of Hot Rod Black. The door jams also received sealer and their respective base and clear coats. Finally some color - woot!
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With the front sheetmetal off the car one last time, we took the opportunity to unbolt the sub-frame and take care of a few things. I removed the engine and transmission, cleaned-up the subframe and suspension.
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Received my SupertTwin P-Trim clutch and flywheel setup from Jeremy @ Spec. Looking forward to a quiet, reasonable effort 1400lb-capable twin clutch.
Paul @ TurnKey installed the updated pilot bearing, SPEC flywheel & clutch. The guys there are great and their facility is like going to LS-heaven. Tons of engines and bins of go-fast parts for LS engines.
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Gandalf
02-01-2011, 11:22 PM
Everything back together and ready for front sheetmetal. I confess I did not realize just HOW great the engine would look against the Hot Rod Black firewall.
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Ok - reassemble the front end one last time before paint. That boy Jesus can mask a car quicker than anyone I've seen!
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Time for some paint.... Jon sealed the body Thursday and painted all day Friday. The weather was perfect (for the paint process anyway - we're not sure about Jon)
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Outside a few days later, still curing. Tough color to photograph.
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Let the colorsanding begin.....
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Flash68
02-01-2011, 11:35 PM
That's bad ass. I didn't see it posted - what color is that?
Gandalf
02-01-2011, 11:36 PM
After a week and a half of colorsanding and buffing (even from the phone pics in the v. late afternoon sun you can still catch a hint of what all the hard work produced). Jon tells me there's still 2 or 3 stages to go but he refuses to do them until "you guys and your grubby fingers have finished assembling the rest of the car". um, er, "ok Jon" :-)
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Gandalf
02-01-2011, 11:42 PM
Jury is out on the red calipers distracting from the paint and bodywork.
67 ls1 vert
02-01-2011, 11:46 PM
looks real nice Gregg. Must be happy. :) Whats next?
Gandalf
02-01-2011, 11:58 PM
So, how is our schedule looking for RTTC? Mmmmmm...... not great. Not impossible but not great. After 5yrs and being so close, I'm certainly motivated but I don't think either the shop or myself want to rush this last phase of the project. After all, this is supposed to be the enjoyable part, yes? Needless to say, getting ready for a show would be one thing but hammering on a fresh drivetrain, brakes and suspension is something else. I'd only be comfortable if we end up with some decent tuning and shake-down time which basically gives us two weeks to complete the build. So, while it looks unlikely, we'll continue to forge ahead.
In the last few days, D*ck & I got the clutch bracket/pedal & steering sorted and swapped the rear suspension back in-place. D*ck got most of the stainless brake lines run today and Chris made a start on the ISIS install for me, including looking to mount Rodger's brackets. More pics to come.
So for now - one foot in front of the other and we will see where we get to. With any luck we might get close enough to throw the stock interior in and join the cruise on the Friday - fingers crossed. Either way, I will be at RTTC even if I'm on foot!
G.
Gandalf
02-02-2011, 12:16 AM
looks real nice Gregg. Must be happy. :) Whats next?
Dude......after 5yrs......I'm stoked! LOL!
What's next? - take your pick of any one of a gazillion things. My head is spinning (and I don't mind saying, so is my wallet!!). The good news is we have most of the major pieces either here or on the way. Having Peterson redesign our drysump tank - once that gets here and we have that hard-anodized, that can go in which is holding up a few things right now. No question there is plenty else to get done in the meantime. Will try to keep the posts coming.
G.
David Sloan
02-02-2011, 07:00 AM
Looking good Gregg
Cant wait to see it complete!
1968CamaroSS_Sam
02-02-2011, 07:26 AM
The car is looking great. Love the color. I would love to see some more pics.
Bryce
02-02-2011, 07:32 AM
Looks great!
johnny68
02-02-2011, 07:53 AM
looks beautifull very nice see you at rttc
john
Matt@BOS
02-02-2011, 11:06 AM
Looking good Gregg! I think I have a couple of pictures to upload from my camera. Let me know if I can lend a hand and hold some parts or throw down some sound deadening, which D!ck seems to think I'm good at, for some strange reason.
Oh, and if you're really aching to lose those red calipers and don't have time to order new ones you can help yourself to the gray C6Z ones on my shelf. You can also bolt in my new seats if you haven't found any yet. I'll help you with whatever it takes to get to RTTC while making the car look as good as possible.
Matt
p.s. the "black" looks good all color sanded and buffed.
Rybar
02-02-2011, 11:19 AM
Congrats Gregg the paint and car looks great.
colt zantop
02-02-2011, 12:11 PM
looks killer! MORE PICS!
Motown 454
02-02-2011, 05:41 PM
It looks great, like glass.
r.a.w.rods
02-02-2011, 06:51 PM
Nice!
DFRESH
02-02-2011, 07:11 PM
Beautiful bro----looking awesome---you have to be stoked!! Yeah, don't rush to get it done for this event---you've waited this long already---but once you get it running, keep it that way so that you can attend every event you want too. You will have a blast once you start attending! Looking forward to seeing you out there at the events running with us!!
Doug
Frankenstine
02-02-2011, 07:23 PM
:headbang::headbang:Sweet Ride Looking good
LeighP
02-02-2011, 11:56 PM
Your car is looking fantastic....I notice a hint of blue in the sunlight to the black....
is it a custom mix or a factory colour?
Payton King
02-03-2011, 05:35 AM
Car really looks great. I personally like the red calipers to break up all of that black, but it is your vision! I saw where you were trying to sell your valve covers...what are you going to run?
Took me 6 years to build my car and it was worth every second when it was completed. Congrats on getting so close
Steve68
02-03-2011, 07:47 AM
after reading this yesterday, now I know why you havent answered my PM's on the "G"
Gandalf
02-03-2011, 08:51 AM
after reading this yesterday, now I know why you havent answered my PM's on the "G"
Yeah - been a little busy and I lost track of where we were at. Get me that PP today and I can ship later today with the brakes and suspension that just sold.
Cheers bud!
G.
Gandalf
02-03-2011, 09:05 AM
Car really looks great. I personally like the red calipers to break up all of that black, but it is your vision! I saw where you were trying to sell your valve covers...what are you going to run?
Took me 6 years to build my car and it was worth every second when it was completed. Congrats on getting so close
Thanks man. My initial design thought was the same regarding the calipers. I'm going to play it out at least until the car is a little more "together" before I decide 100%. The dark centers and brushed hoops of the Forgelines make the calipers stand out more. With the new wheels on the way being polished plus fitting the bright trim back on the car might tone them down a little - we will see. But I will admit, the bodywork and paint really is better than I had ever envisioned so I find myself just wanting to keep staring at it LOL!
Gandalf
02-03-2011, 09:18 AM
Your car is looking fantastic....I notice a hint of blue in the sunlight to the black....
is it a custom mix or a factory colour?
Good eye Leigh. The color is a custom mix based on a BMW Black I liked. When the sun hits it just right you can really catch the blue pearl. Other than that, it looks mostly black. Indoors, under flourescent light it starts picking up the blue but in a different way - it's a little trippy really.
I'm looking forward to getting some decent shots of the car when we have some more pieces on her - maybe taken this time with something other than an iPhone and not taken in the last-minute afternoon light! For now - she is glued to the lift indoors while we get her assembled.
G.
72mach1
02-03-2011, 12:55 PM
That car is beautiful, did you mention the color?
Gandalf
02-03-2011, 01:40 PM
Looking good Gregg! I think I have a couple of pictures to upload from my camera. Let me know if I can lend a hand and hold some parts or throw down some sound deadening, which D!ck seems to think I'm good at, for some strange reason.
Oh, and if you're really aching to lose those red calipers and don't have time to order new ones you can help yourself to the gray C6Z ones on my shelf. You can also bolt in my new seats if you haven't found any yet. I'll help you with whatever it takes to get to RTTC while making the car look as good as possible.
Matt
p.s. the "black" looks good all color sanded and buffed.
Thanks Matt - I'm sure I'll take you up on the offer to help out more than once before she is done (those tires are kinda dirty). Luck would have it I'm slammed busy this week so I'm not putting in the hrs I'd have hoped. Going to be using up some "nights and weekend minutes" me thinks.
And yeah - the "black' came out ok ;-) Apparently that old geezer makes some sense when he says he's gonna put 6 coats of clear on and immediately take a couple back off!
Mmmmm....new seats....now i'm just curious.... "what's in the box?"
Cheers!
G.
Matt@BOS
02-03-2011, 03:41 PM
Gregg, I'll be down on Saturday to check out my growing "too good a deal to pass up" pile, which includes the Sparco Milano seats in the boxes. I don't remember if the seats came with 2nd gen mounting brackets or not, and I don't know if those brackets could be made to fit, but like I said, if it saves you time and money you can toss them in the car for RTTC. Even if I had to steal them back, I'm not concerned. I'm pretty sure I know where I could find your car.
Oh and we should probably brush up on some driving skills at the local "Walmart autocross" before the big event.
Matt
Gandalf
02-08-2011, 11:49 AM
Well it seems the stars are not lining up to have her done for RTTC but the work continues. It's actually the most rewarding (enjoyable?) part of the build so far - putting pieces on the car that potentially have no reason to be removed again (during the build phase at least). Long ways to go but I'm determined to take my time and enjoy this part of the build and not rush.
Among other things, we got the lower steering wrapped and D*ck has been running brake lines:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/1180751283_EC7C7M-1.jpg
Chris got my ISIS laid out and mounted for me to complete the wiring:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/1180751883_P5kmoM-1.jpg
Fuel lines are next, new wheels should be getting close, waiting on our redesigned drysump tank to arrive and about to start laying out the Damplifier Pro mat.
G.
csx4766
02-08-2011, 01:15 PM
WOW, Very nice build - Looks like you have a team on it that is very professional. Motor looks awesome against the black fire wall.
67 ls1 vert
03-06-2011, 07:04 PM
what happened to the updates Gregg, its been a month.
CruizinKev
03-07-2011, 12:55 AM
very nice build! looks great :twothumbs
senor_camaro
03-10-2011, 12:01 PM
pm you about the recaros you asked about.
Ron.in.SoCal
04-19-2011, 07:48 AM
Hey Gregg - how's the car coming along? Also, I have a question for you - you mentioned in another thread about your dry sump oil pan clearance issue on your AME frame. Did it clear and if not what did you have to do? I may have this same hurdle...
Oh, and post some pics! :)
Matt@BOS
04-19-2011, 09:09 AM
Hey Gregg - how's the car coming along? Also, I have a question for you - you mentioned in another thread about your dry sump oil pan clearance issue on your AME frame. Did it clear and if not what did you have to do? I may have this same hurdle...
Oh, and post some pics! :)
Gregg has been holding out on us! Every time I stop by the shop it is looking more and more complete. I believe he has taken care of all of the minor fitment issues. Since it is Gregg's build I won't say anything more, other than that he has some cool stuff to show off.
Matt
Ron.in.SoCal
04-19-2011, 09:24 AM
Thanks Matt! Knowing Gregg I'm sure it's trick. Tell him to log in and show off..
67zo6Camaro
04-19-2011, 12:46 PM
Wow, just looked at the paint pictures. Niccccce.
HOSTILETAKEOVER
04-21-2011, 04:00 PM
Gregg,
Great looking car. There is just something special about a black car.
What headers are you using? What size are those primary tubes. I'm building an LS / AME 69 camaro also.
1970 TT Rustang
04-22-2011, 02:20 PM
What size wheels are you using in your last set of pics?
Also great job
Gandalf
05-10-2011, 07:16 PM
what happened to the updates Gregg, its been a month.
Hey Pat - yeah, it's been a while for sure. I'll be posting some updates over the next few days. I've been snapping random pics along the way. We've come a long way with plenty more still to do. Not long after those last pics were taken, Best of Show had to move shop. Only a couple miles away but anyone having moved a bodyshop before knows it may as well be another state away - there's just a crapload to move and setup, let alone all the cars finished or not and all the parts. I was part way into my drysump (tank) build when the move happened so I put the front of the car together to give the best chance of a damage-free move. All went well and they are settled into the new shop. I put my 69 Convertible in storage for now and as some of you know, James (OLC) bought my other coupe. Updates to come.
Gandalf
05-10-2011, 07:27 PM
Hey Gregg - how's the car coming along? Also, I have a question for you - you mentioned in another thread about your dry sump oil pan clearance issue on your AME frame. Did it clear and if not what did you have to do? I may have this same hurdle...
Oh, and post some pics! :)
Hey Ron. Yeah - that's a story that might take time to tell - lol. Suffice to say it's all about good planning and matching engine mounts, exhaust, sub-frame/susp and firewall clearance. Whew! I'll post some details and a couple pics with what we went through. In hindsight, most of it was self-inflicted but given the option again, I'd wet sump that sucker and be done with it. The key with the AME subframe and a stock LS7 pan is to definitely run the AME mounts (or at least some other mounts that are 1/2" thick with the same placement. The prior mounts were 7/16" and you'd be surprised the difference that 1/16" made with with clearance). With different headers and/or no flat firewall, it would have been very different. Doing some custom headers would have helped but in the end we had to modify the tunnel for trans clearance anyway (after the mounts were worked-out, everything was just too tight for my liking. It's all doable though - just hard to find anyone who's documented the process with the combination is all. Let's be sure to talk and compare notes. More to come.
G.
Gandalf
05-10-2011, 07:49 PM
Gregg,
Great looking car. There is just something special about a black car.
What headers are you using? What size are those primary tubes. I'm building an LS / AME 69 camaro also.
Thanks! Went with the Art Morrison 1-3/4" headers that came with the subframe setup. They suited my "mostly street" goals by promoting the torque side of things. Not sure at this level it makes that much difference and I may need to step up to 1-7/8" depending how it feels. In fact, going with custom headers would have solved several clearance issues we ran into. Ironic seeing that the reason I went with their headers in the first place was to minimize clearance issues. Oh well. To be clear though - this is a combination of many factors, not the fault of AME parts. Again, you're paying what I call the LS7-tax. Certain things are just different enough from the LS family that can make certain things a challenge if you don't know better. As an example - the FBody wet sump pan clears the frame by a country mile. Let me know if you need any more info - be glad to help.
Gandalf
05-10-2011, 07:54 PM
What size wheels are you using in your last set of pics?
Also great job
Thanks. Those wheels are Steve's Forgeline WC3's from Penny. They are 18"s (9.5" front and 12" rear I think). I really wanted to run them but the cost to refinish them with the polished hoops and darker centers was enough to send me running back to the wheel I wanted to run in the first place. Probably the biggest change to the project plan to date and I'm REALLY happy with the result. Stand-by caller......
Ron.in.SoCal
05-12-2011, 08:06 AM
Hey Ron. Yeah - that's a story that might take time to tell - lol. Suffice to say it's all about good planning and matching engine mounts, exhaust, sub-frame/susp and firewall clearance. Whew! I'll post some details and a couple pics with what we went through. In hindsight, most of it was self-inflicted but given the option again, I'd wet sump that sucker and be done with it. The key with the AME subframe and a stock LS7 pan is to definitely run the AME mounts (or at least some other mounts that are 1/2" thick with the same placement. The prior mounts were 7/16" and you'd be surprised the difference that 1/16" made with with clearance). With different headers and/or no flat firewall, it would have been very different. Doing some custom headers would have helped but in the end we had to modify the tunnel for trans clearance anyway (after the mounts were worked-out, everything was just too tight for my liking. It's all doable though - just hard to find anyone who's documented the process with the combination is all. Let's be sure to talk and compare notes. More to come.
G.
Hey Gregg - excellent update! I'll give you a call for sure. What wheels did you decide on? Would love to see some pics...:cheers:
scottysimp7
05-13-2011, 05:53 AM
sweet rig. Love the wheel set up, and the paint looks killer.
Steve1968LS2
05-15-2011, 08:13 AM
Isn't this done yet??? lol..
Car looks killer in person and the paint is amazing. Gregg has put a ton of his own sweat into fabbing up little details and this will be a sweet car when done. I feel a connection to this car, but that might be because of all my parts on it. lol
And since this thread needs more shots.. here's one of the LS7 install.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/05/2pried5-1.jpg
Motown 454
05-15-2011, 09:26 PM
It looks aweome! BOS does beautiful work. That pretty LS7 helps a little bit too.
63Duece
05-15-2011, 10:18 PM
nice..... i like the paint......
GL w/the rest of ur build
Gandalf
05-18-2011, 03:55 PM
Thanks guys. Yes, a TON of my own sweat and tears for sure. Ok, with work out of the way for a few hours, time for some well-overdue updates:
I ordered my Dry Sump Tank from Kevin @ Peterson Fluid Systems back in early December. They delivered early in January as expected but unfortunately the top half of the tank was created without the changes we had ordered. From there we got put back in the standard production queue and did not see the replacement until early February. Disappointing but there was plenty else going on so no lost ground. Here's the tank initially delivered:
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This is essentially the ATS part number (still available from Peterson) but included additional ports for a temp/pressure sender and a heater element in the base (I later nixed the heater element port). The top part of the tank had been ordered with the filler to one side and the 2 ports clocked to aid fitment into the first gen fender. Once the correct part arrived, I set to work, spending hours (days) fitting, cutting, mocking-up and had to fab a custom bracket to mount the tank. You can get a sense of it from this shot early in the process (note to self - straigten the bracket before pictures - doh!)
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You can see the offset filler in this next shot. It enabled me to set the tank further into the unused portion of the fender while still being able to access the filler. This paid dividends as I soon realized how tight this fit was going to be. You have to cut on the inner fender in just the right spot and mocking-it up is a challenge as you litterally have to consider the limiting factors on ALL SIX planes including top and bottom. It's tight but it worked-out.
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Gandalf
05-18-2011, 04:05 PM
You can see the ports in the top part of the tank more clearly in this shot. These parts all headed to be hard annodized (black). You can also see where Jeff @ Precision Metal Crafters closed out the extra port on the lower tank for me.
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Gandalf
05-18-2011, 04:13 PM
While at the shop I spied a couple of Jeff's LS intakes getting ready to ship - amazing stuff!
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Gandalf
05-18-2011, 04:28 PM
Next came the fun for several weeks while we moved BOS. I gave them a hand including helping to deliver this stunning gem belonging to another PT member <spy shot> ;-) This will be one awesome car when finished! The paint and finish on this car is absolutely stunning and this is one of the best first gens that I have seen leave the shop (customer just wanted body and paint - doing the remainder himself).
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Gandalf
05-18-2011, 04:36 PM
To move my car I figured it wise to move as much in one piece rather than multiple parts so I put together the remainder of the body (using ample masking tape!) Here she is freshly delivered to the new shop.
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Gandalf
05-18-2011, 04:55 PM
Not long after the move - Jon @ DriverzInc delivered my new Fikse wheels....
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We were united in thinking it totally transformed the look of the car. Fikse Profil 5s in 18", Technipolish centers with polished hoops. 9.5" up front and 12" in the rear. Thanks to Jon for his patience - he walked me through every step of the process including measuring and changing finish a few times lol - thanks Jon - you're a rock star!
Gordz32
05-19-2011, 08:51 PM
Wow, Looks great Greg, good choice on the wheels, one of my favorites. The new shop looks sweet!
Gandalf
05-20-2011, 12:23 PM
Thanks man - yeah, pretty stoked with the wheels. The new shop is great. Not sure if it's necessarily bigger but it's definitely MUCH better laid-out and everything is more accessable. No more juggling cars every 5min to get something done. Tons of parking, secure storage, lifts, nice machine shop, lots of outside covered bays, covered detail station, a dedicated BBQ area (lol!) and a kick-ass sound system. Even the office whooped-up by Rupp indoor decor inc!
Gandalf
05-20-2011, 12:52 PM
So having moved-in, that's where the fun really began. With the dry sump tank situated and all the parts away being hard anodized, I decided to get busy again on the wiring. That lasted all of half a day before I got fed up with how things were fitting. I had elected to run my engine harness through the tunnel since one of my main goals was to keep as much plumbing and wiring hidden from view. It seemed I was working "up-hill" trying to make each leg of the SpearTech harness reach and also having to run some really tight corners. The driveline angle built-into the Art Morrison clip is about 4deg so raising the trans tunnel and creating a slightly larger opeingin in the firewall for the trans would give me some more options.
So reluctantly, we pulled the front-end including the engine and trans again.
To be clear - this was not the fault of the harness - John @ SpearTech had designed the harness exactly as requested and it came out great. Similarly there was nothing wrong with the Art Morrison setup, I had just elected to run less of an angle, closer to 2deg. Since we could not drop the front of the engine lower due to the dry-sump pan clearance at the rack, we will raise the trans. With the earlier move to the AM engine mounts, that extra 1/16" thickness helped with some issues (like exhaust and pan clearance) but showed up in other areas like the engine-to-firewall / tunnel area. Not a big deal if you are running a stock firewall but in our case, too much work had gone into this to not stop and get it fixed now.
Eric is the newest addition to the BOS team and is a fantastic fabricator. We had Eric cut out and create a new trans tunnel with more clearnace for everything.
Here's Eric doing his thang....
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The real joy - doing all this on an already painted car...ugh! Jesus refinished and sprayed the firewall and once out of the booth we re-undercoated the tunnel with Wurth StoneGuard.
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Prior to reassembly we took the opportunity to locate and mount our 4-port a/c bulkhead, ready for the Vintage Air and Jesus & i took care of the shifter cutout and mounting. With the engine and trans back in, we were finally getting set to go forward again!
Gandalf
05-20-2011, 01:45 PM
Long story but my original ATI underdrive balancer for the LS7 finally arrived back from ATI so we were able to swap that onto the engine in place of the standard ATI balancer. The main difference was not as much the underdrive ability but the offset difference allowing me to run FBody accressories and not the YBody/Corvette setup. Again, looking to keep the engine bay reasonably tidy and therefore the a/c and alt down low in the frame - not up high like standard Corvette accessories. I taped that ATI puppy up REAL quick because in the 12mths the other balancer had been mounted, it had started to turn a nice shade of dark purple(!) Not sure the tape will help but it cannot hurt.
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My new coil-relocation kit from Jason @ Katech showed-up so I mounted those on the Katech valve covers I already had. I wanted to start nailing-down my final "look" for powdercoating the valve-covers so I gave them a quick squirt with the gloss black rattle-can to check the look. Didn't come out too bad. I'm not 100% on it yet but I have time before my next powdercoating order so I'll sit with it while the remainder of the engine compartment comes together.
Also Greg @ Meziere repositioned the connectors on my electric water pump so I could have one less connector in plain view, enabling me to hide it within the harness. Meziere just happens to be a couple blocks from BOS and Greg has a VERY nice '69 Camaro PaceCar Convertible - he happens to be a helluva nice guy and a car guy like you would expect. Thanks again Greg!
Rybar
05-20-2011, 03:46 PM
Man it's coming along nicely. I really like the wheel choice of course.
Ron.in.SoCal
05-20-2011, 04:27 PM
Awesome Gregg! Wheels, tunnel clearance, sano approach to the engine compartment. Thanks for posting. Keep going Bro! P.S-> be careful w the blue tape. That stuff sticks real good after a few months and the summer heat...
johnny68
05-20-2011, 07:36 PM
Gregg the wheels are truelly great and Jon is a great guy helped me also car is looking awesome great job
john
Motown 454
05-20-2011, 08:30 PM
Nice idea on the offset fill for the dry sump, saved a lot of aggravation. The car looks great, nice attention to detail.
PAI Racing
10-11-2011, 12:31 PM
Wow, that really looks nice! It's been years since I've been on this site for an extended look around and straight away, I know who's blue convertible that is! Very nice work on your '69. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.
troysspeedshop
10-11-2011, 01:27 PM
super job guys
Matt@BOS
10-28-2011, 01:06 PM
We just put the finishing touches on Gregg's engine. It is just about ready for SEMA next week lol!!!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/IMAG0194-1.jpg
And yes, that is an LS13, but I'm not giving up any more info. You'll have to wait for a full press release with the car's deput next week.
Matt
Gandalf
10-29-2011, 02:25 AM
Lol - too funny Matt! I picked up the real valve covers from Powder coater today and put them on this evening. They look much better :-) All the RideTech gear went on tonight also on top of an already productive day. The guys finished up a 2-day (re)color-sand and polish today. I 'heart' my paint lol! Seriously - I'm amazed at the difference the colorsand and polish has made. Jon promised and they delivered for sure.
This week has been incredible and in fact the last 5-6wks the car has come a l.o.n.g. way with the help of some really great people. I now have a (albeit small) first-hand taste of what "the thrash" is all about..... All I can say is my hat is off to you gays and girls who do this for a living.
I'll post some pics and well overdue updates hopefully after she's all tucked away in the trailer tomorrow (now today!). At worst - when the car is situated in the booth and I can rest behind a burbon or 3....
Sunday morning - Vegas baby!
Gregg
Ron.in.SoCal
10-29-2011, 08:32 AM
Hey Gregg I cannot wait to see your car! What booth will it be in? I'll be in town Wed night and give you a call...
SRD art
10-29-2011, 11:30 AM
Awesome outcome!! Looks beautiful so far, make sure to post photos from the show!
Bryce
10-29-2011, 12:22 PM
What booth will you be in?
Matt@BOS
10-29-2011, 09:40 PM
I believe Gregg's car will be in the Hot Rod Industry Alliance booth.
The car really came together these past few weeks, and everything from paint to the interior, wiring, plumming and suspension is purposeful, and undertated. Anyone who walks by it at a show because it doesn't have loud graphics, huge wheels or a chromed out engine will be missing out on something special.
See you in Vegas Gregg! I'm looking forward to crusing our pair of "not black" cars down the strip.
Matt
Cris@JCG
10-29-2011, 10:07 PM
Looking forward to checking out your car Gregg! We will be in the same booth!
Steve1968LS2
10-30-2011, 02:59 PM
Car has one of the slickest and straighest paint jobs I've ever seen..
Gandalf
10-31-2011, 03:39 PM
Thanks guys. We are at SEMA and the car has been placed. I feel very fortunate to have been asked to display the car in the ARMO/HRIA booth in HotRod Alley, just along from RideTech.
Looking forward to seeing everyone.
G.
Ron.in.SoCal
11-03-2011, 06:01 PM
Saw the car today. I'll let Gregg post his SEMA story, but I gotta say the car is incredible! Top to bottom, front to back Gregg and BOS did a freaking awesome job. It's all in the details...
Resurrected69ss
11-03-2011, 06:39 PM
Not long before that I had met Steve Rupp who had introduced me to the guys at Best of Show Coachworks. They were less than 5min away so I literally trailered the car down there. After looking over the car together, I sat down with D!ck and we came up with a plan. Within a few days Best of Show got to work refinishing the previous metalwork including the firewall which was totally redone.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1101627362_Gf2Dd-A-LB)
The car was then stripped section by section back to bare metal with the DA and lots of 3M cleanstrip wheels.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1101633042_g3pRP-A-LB)
Several areas were POR15’d and later the entire shell was sealed-up in epoxy primer. We had collectively achieved more in 2wks than I had seen done in the previous year!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1101628995_fvnNN-A-LB)
From there the guys got onto bodywork and primer. This was awesome progress after my experience at the previous shop. It would serve as ground-zero for the build ahead.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14775476_5C6oG#1101629592_m8P6X-A-LB)
Car came out great dude! I love the firewall, Does he manufacture these?? I'm wondering if he can make one for my 69 exactly like yours.
Gandalf
11-04-2011, 06:37 AM
Car came out great dude! I love the firewall, Does he manufacture these?? I'm wondering if he can make one for my 69 exactly like yours.
They are a custom fit and fabrication for each individual car. Each car has it's quirks and they take the time to ensure they come out perfect on each project. Plus, each customer has their own preferences for what they want to see on/in/around the firewall. That said, give Best of Show a call - you may be able to come up with something.
G
ccm399
11-04-2011, 06:43 AM
:postpics:
The pic they posted on the SEMA 2011 thread is good but we want more!!! LOVE the color but I can see what you mean about the silver coming out too. Either way AWESOME!
Chris
Bryce
11-04-2011, 06:47 AM
I saw the car at SEMA. very nice!
Gandalf
11-04-2011, 06:54 AM
Ok guys - I have some pics from the show. This week has been an awesome experience. Again I acknowledge the huge opportunity that has been given to me - to be able to display the car at SEMA for it's debut. Sure there are still lots of little things to take care of but I'm looking forward to those things even more now. I had no idea how rewarding it would be to watch and interact with industry car folks appreciating the car and all the hard work that went into it. An unforgettable experience for sure.
My good friend Chris flew out from San Diego for the day and was kind enough to snap these pictures.
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Vegas69
11-04-2011, 07:11 AM
Beautiful Gregg! Is that Carbon Black?
ccm399
11-04-2011, 07:26 AM
BEAUTIFUL!!!
I have PM'd back and forth with Gregg and I know (from the build thread) it is a BMW color that BOS tweaked for him. Gregg has not confirmed or denied they started with Carbon Black.... but that's my guess. Black Sapphire Pearl would be my other guess and with the hint of silver (factory BSP has a small amount of aluminum flake in it, CB does not) here and there that might not be too far off.
Maybe we can get Gregg to set the record straight.
Chris
1968CamaroSS_Sam
11-04-2011, 08:02 AM
Congrats on being able to get it in SEMA. Car looks awesome love the craftsmanship and quality. Especially love that color.
Payton King
11-04-2011, 09:54 AM
Wow, that thing turned out nice! And what a great place to debut.
Looking forward to driving impressions
JayBird
11-04-2011, 10:33 AM
Very nice. Black paint looks amazing and congrats on debuting at SEMA.
mdprovee
11-04-2011, 10:44 AM
Got to meet Gregg earlier this year at RTTC II. Great guy, and Congrats the car turned out wonderful.
andrewb70
11-04-2011, 11:23 AM
So what's a LS13?
Andrew
Rybar
11-04-2011, 11:54 AM
Congrats Gregg, the car looks Killer, we need some bigger pics!!
Chevy Kid
11-04-2011, 07:52 PM
Saw the car this week. Absolutely beautiful. Tim
wrkcar
11-06-2011, 05:05 PM
jawdrop: can't wait to see more.
Steve68
11-07-2011, 05:02 AM
the car is awsome with the paint and wheels!!!!!! beautiful pics too !!!!
Lycan
11-07-2011, 05:20 AM
The paint has nearly an endless depth. Congrats to a sweet build, awesome car!!!
Gandalf
11-10-2011, 08:42 AM
So what's a LS13?
Andrew
Sorry Andrew - no idea on the LS13. Matt's sense of humor, you'll have to ask him lol.
Gandalf
11-10-2011, 09:14 AM
Thanks guys - I really appreciate the praise. The car came out better than I could have imagined and while I will take credit for the overall design, Best of Show deserve most of the credit for the execution of that design. More on the SEMA experience and build specifics to come.
Gregg
Car has one of the slickest and straighest paint jobs I've ever seen..
Saw the car today. I'll let Gregg post his SEMA story, but I gotta say the car is incredible! Top to bottom, front to back Gregg and BOS did a freaking awesome job. It's all in the details...
The pic they posted on the SEMA 2011 thread is good but we want more!!! LOVE the color but I can see what you mean about the silver coming out too. Either way AWESOME!
Chris
I saw the car at SEMA. very nice!
Congrats on being able to get it in SEMA. Car looks awesome love the craftsmanship and quality. Especially love that color.
Wow, that thing turned out nice! And what a great place to debut. Looking forward to driving impressions
Very nice. Black paint looks amazing and congrats on debuting at SEMA.
Got to meet Gregg earlier this year at RTTC II. Great guy, and Congrats the car turned out wonderful.
Congrats Gregg, the car looks Killer, we need some bigger pics!!
Saw the car this week. Absolutely beautiful. Tim
jawdrop: can't wait to see more.
the car is awsome with the paint and wheels!!!!!! beautiful pics too !!!!
The paint has nearly an endless depth. Congrats to a sweet build, awesome car!!!
Gandalf
11-10-2011, 09:29 AM
Beautiful Gregg! Is that Carbon Black?
Thanks Todd. Not Carbon Black but that was one of the final 4 colors I got down to - I love that color. I wanted something just a little different but still on the "moody" side, more black than blue, with no purple. Mercedes, Lexus and BMW all in the final choice. A lot of time and energy (and $) went into research and nailing down the final color. I learned a LOT about paint, colors, finish and process during this exercise. Lots of test spray-out panels (which were each cleared and hand finished just like the car itself to get the "actual" finished product).
So Chris - I doubt that gives you the answer you were looking for but that is what I went through to achieve the look I was after. For more detailed info you might have to take on Jon at BOS - good luck with that lol!
Gregg
Ron.in.SoCal
11-10-2011, 10:24 AM
Sorry Andrew - no idea on the LS13. Matt's sense of humor, you'll have to ask him lol.
Don't be silly guys, it's an LS7 upgraded by a factor of 1.86. Time, $$$ and parts; Matt knows all about this...:D!
SDS MACHINING
11-19-2011, 02:58 PM
just got caught up on this thread.. extremely nice, congrats on the completed project.
I'm way behind in this, but, major congratulations Gregg, it looks fantastic and I hope that LS7 is treating you right!!!
Gandalf
01-17-2012, 06:56 PM
Well overdue for some updates! The last 6-8mths has been full of activity and despite the lack of updates, I've snapped plenty of photos along the way. Let's see if I can recreate the timeline and bring you all up to speed....
Jesus & I had a marathon assembly session to get back to where we were before the firewall/tunnel do-over plus fit a few other items. Front sheetmetal for the most part, door and trunk seals, trunk latch, door handles, jamb vents.
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D*ck followed-up with aligning the Carbon Fiber hood from Anvil on the DSE hinges, trimming the openings for the Marquez markers, fitting the Anvil rear spoiler and GM Sport Mirrors.
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I fitted the Marquez billet 3D taillights along with the spaghetti engineering LED rear lights.
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I changed out the style of mesh insert that comes with the Anvil cowl panel to have it match the cowl induction grill/insert also from Anvil. I really like how this piece turned out.
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Gandalf
01-17-2012, 08:43 PM
Time to take her home for some wiring and assembly. Stopped off on the way home to see Jimmy @ Warner Muffler in Oceanside, CA to get my exhaust started. The guy is a wizard with exhaust!
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As we pulled up the sun peeked through the clouds and we got to see a little blue....
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Jimmy designed and assembled my 3" stainless exhaust, x-pipe and connected the Art Morrison headers with stainless v-band clamps. After adding the 3" Borla XR1 stainless mufflers Jimmy noticed that we did not have enough adjustment in our Gbar setup. There was obviously an issue with the Moser 9" housing we had purchased with pre-welded brackets for the GBar. We decided to just dump the exhaust at the muffler for now and complete the system when we had all the rear end geometry worked out.
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Gandalf
01-17-2012, 09:01 PM
Back home now with a list a mile long of things to get done.....mostly wiring, ISIS, basic interior, seats, steering and lighting plus working out the rear-end/pinion angles.
With the focus of the car being mainly street with a little weekend-warrior/show, I wanted a more modern, comfortable and functional interior. Since we were doing every nut and bolt anyways, I had to figure we could bring the interior up a notch or two. Change out the first-gen seats, update the dash, controls and instruments. Quiet the interior as much as possible (good luck with that and your 3" exhaust!). A nice steering wheel and shifter combo. Modern a/c and lighting and of course update carpet and materials. So much for the list getting shorter…..
Some time back we had fitted a Gen4 dash. I’d seen one or two others do it so I was confident going in. It fit nicely once we had cut out the original dash and reused the 4th Gen cross-brace to help mount the dash solid. More on the dash later…
I chose a C6 Corvette steering column, mainly so I can use the controls like wipers, lights etc on the column instead of the regular dash-mounted switches. We are using ISIS for our wiring so we should have no problem making these work. The C6 column, like a lot of modern steering columns, is a multi-piece, collapsible column. D!ck and I collectively designed and created a mount for the column and incorporated this into the dash mount. A universal joint under the dash and a Borgeson bearing mounted in the firewall were required along with a lot of fab time and test fitting. It came out great.
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Note to self – make sure the parts are available to adapt your aftermarket steering wheel to your chosen column BEFORE selecting a column (!). Long story short, there was not one available for the C6/Momo combo I had selected (in fact there weren't any aftermarket hub adaptors available for a C6!). I ended up re-using the GM spline insert from the original wheel with some NRG hub adaptor components to create a one-off. It came out great PLUS I ended up with a removable wheel! Thanks to Mike @ NRG who was very helpful selecting the NRG components for modification, despite not having an exact part off-the-shelf for our combination. A local company here in Carlsbad used their CNC machine to help prepare and perfectly machine the parts. We press-fit the spline insert and backed it up with a welded collar which we fastened to the hub.
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The finished product:
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I did not want the aftermarket gauge / race car look plus we already had the LS7 and E38 GM PCM so I chose to use a C6 (Z06) instrument cluster. The cluster fit inside the Gen4 Camaro dash with the help of some custom mounting but like the dash itself, would require some extensive finish-work by the interior shop later on (more to come on this subject). Here it all is mocked-up and in place.
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Huge thanks to Gus and the gang @ Cleveland Pick-A-Part who provided most of the C6 Corvette components used in this build. The parts always arrived in great shape and packed perfectly and the price is always right! – perfect partners in a project like this. Thanks guys!
Gandalf
01-18-2012, 01:24 PM
I want to keep the cabin cool and quiet where possible. Sound deadening, vibration and heat-proof layers will get installed later, care of Second Skin Audio. For now, one of the more time consuming and messy jobs was to apply their Spectrum Pro product to the door skins where the rough factory finish was not going to work with adhesive mat product. I used different tools to apply the multiple layers including a thick brush, a roller(!) and various spreaders of different widths. The most challenging aspect was accessing the door through the one hole (I have scars to show for this job lol). I applied the layers over several days and followed the directions closely to insure I did not have to do it over for any reason. It turned out great and I can tell you the doors shut solid! Definitely worth the time and effort. This product is worth consideration for any difficult/uneven surface. Something to watch for when selecting doors/skins next time.
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John Wright
01-19-2012, 03:53 AM
Man that car it turning out great!...Love the newer dash with Corvette instruments and C6 column with the accessories already built in from the factory. Kudos for figuring out how to get all of that to work together...looks great.
Matt@BOS
01-19-2012, 08:29 AM
Man that car it turning out great!...Love the newer dash with Corvette instruments and C6 column with the accessories already built in from the factory. Kudos for figuring out how to get all of that to work together...looks great.
Just wait until the next update. It gets better!
Matt
Gandalf
01-19-2012, 08:32 AM
Man that car it turning out great!...Love the newer dash with Corvette instruments and C6 column with the accessories already built in from the factory. Kudos for figuring out how to get all of that to work together...looks great.
Thanks John - that means a lot especially coming from you. In hind sight it was definitely one of those "commit and figure it out later" ideas. If there was any question about using the ISIS system for this build - this was the area where that solution really paid for itself. With the ground-switched circuits and built-in push-button-start, it was almost fun wiring that stuff!
And yes, as Matt suggests..... "but wait, there's more!"
G.
Gandalf
01-19-2012, 09:11 PM
With the Gen4 Vintage Air mounted under the dash, it's time for some wiring.
Some of the ISIS components.
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The SpearTech engine harness, E38 PCM and Vette DBW pedal. This harness came fully labeled, complete with fuseblock and separate labelled diagrams specific to my harness. I had John make the harness so I could locate the PCM inside the car, add a second OBD2 connector to pull some data for the dash and also added some lines for me to route to the Corvette cluster. I have to note that John was one of thee most helpful vendors during this build. He never quits being available for questions and followup. Thanks John!
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With the tunnel and firewall now modified, I re-mounted the PCM, re-installed the Speartech engine harness and fuse block. I modified the ISIS mount that Chris had originally come up with. The SpearTech fuses and the ISIS system (the MasterCell and 1 PowerCell) will be hidden under the dash and be accessible by dropping down the glove compartment door. I started wiring the C6 column into ISIS which was a breeze with the ground-switched inputs and 22ga wire.
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I had seen the Corvette guys switching over to these Braille batteries and at 17lb it was hard not to at least try one. The small size and bracket that would fit nicely in the side recess of the trunk could work well. I plan to add a C-Tek maintainer with an external connection. The grey of the battery would later be changed to black and the aluminum bracket that was anodized did not come out as nice as I had hoped so that will be powdercoated.
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I ran the battery cables from the passenger footwell to the trunk alongside the ISIS power and a few lines I ran separate from ISIS. I ran these through the rear side panel using a large grommet obtained from John @ SpearTech.
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I designed a removable aluminum panel to mount behind the rear seat to try and help keep any noise down. I neglected to get a photo of the final product so you get to see the cardboard mockup lol. We later covered the aluminum piece with Dynamat.
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My 2nd PowerCell and InMotion Cell are mounted in the trunk along with all of the main ISIS power fuse blocks. If I could have found a tidy way to mount a cell in the engine compartment somewhere, I’d have done that and just run the few rear lighting circuits back to the trunk. That would have been more efficient for the individual circuits (lights, fans etc) but with the battery in the trunk you have to think about where you are going to route your power to each cell AND where to mount the main fuse blocks. Planning ahead makes all the difference with the ISIS system and it worked out well here. Here’s the mock-up of the rear ISIS modules mounted vertically in the forward trunk area while I wired everything and made sure everything would work as intended. The module on the left is the inMotion cell for door locks and windows. To the right is the second PowerCell.
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Moabdude
01-30-2012, 12:15 PM
Incredible, what a car!!
Also saw it at SEMA.
Even layed down on the soft carpet to look underneath it, haha.
soloracerSD
09-03-2012, 01:31 PM
I hope you Bring it down to our event at Qualcomm SCCA. I see you already have Hoosier DOT race tires to go with all that trick suspension.With a complete frame change some say it won't even be legal for CP.If that happens just try BP or XP or just run "X".just running but not in a class.
Greg I'm the one that gave you the flyer at GG DEL MAR March.
George p
Check out what I posted under "San Diego Autocross" and Bryce's post "San Diego SCCA Events"
Gandalf
09-04-2012, 08:58 AM
Hey George,
thanks for the post(s) and all the PM's. I cannot fault you for your passion lol! Just keep the events updated in the events section and probably the local (Western States) - that way you don't have to keep posting on multiple threads :-)
I'll come down one of these days. I'm a little confused about the classes but I understand the need for them. For me, I'm just after seat time anyway so I could give a rats really. I like to work on getting my own <actual> times down and it's a bonus if I get to compete with friends from here just for the fun of it.
So no doubt I'll see you before Summer is done. Thanks for keeping the PT crowd informed.
G.
Gandalf
09-04-2012, 08:59 AM
Hey George,
thanks for the post(s) and all the PM's. I cannot fault you for your passion lol! Just keep the events updated in the events section and probably the local (Western States) - that way you don't have to keep posting on multiple threads :-)
I'll come down one of these days. I'm a little confused about the classes but I understand the need for them. For me, I'm just after seat time anyway so I could give a rats really. I like to work on getting my own <actual> times down and it's a bonus if I get to compete with friends from here just for the fun of it.
So no doubt I'll see you before Summer is done. Thanks for keeping the PT crowd informed.
G.
soloracerSD
09-04-2012, 04:40 PM
Just run "Xruns" it's just to run like your asking.I tried PMs but nothing was showing in my sent mail. so I kept tring to sending. I guess you did get something.. Sorry about that..I'm still tring to find my way here.
soloracerSD
09-04-2012, 04:52 PM
Just one thread that I posted San Diego Autocross, and two others I mentioned the event on.I'm just sticking to San Diego Autocross now. If you know Bryce he has had one posted that I didn't find until I posted one. Nothing wrong with having two...LOL
soloracerSD
09-05-2012, 08:50 AM
Greg I hate to bug you <,But check out what I added to the beginning of my San Diego Autocross thread..We are having a Pro-Touring class Sept30 called "PTX"It could be a one time deal.. it depends on turn out of you guys.
Flash68
09-05-2012, 09:03 AM
Lol!
Gandalf
09-05-2012, 09:07 AM
George, I cam dialling 911..... :-)
Thanks for the added info. I will take a look at the schedule next week.
(Unlike Todd - I was going for the shortest possible build thread and you are messing up my stats lol!)
soloracerSD
09-05-2012, 11:00 AM
Todd? is he someone I can bug?...LOL
Ron.in.SoCal
09-05-2012, 11:12 AM
Todd? is he someone I can bug?...LOL
please do...:D
Matt@BOS
09-05-2012, 06:48 PM
please do...:D
Haha, Todd is going to be down next week. George, I think now would be the appropriate time to find him and bug him.
Bonus points will be awarded if find out where he is staying and manage to leave a flyer under his door.
Matt
Gandalf
09-05-2012, 11:12 PM
Don't worry - I will PM you his number but only call between 11pm and 5am PDT.
soloracerSD
09-06-2012, 06:11 AM
I don't think the PM is working for me..Mine still shows O sent .You say you got a few from me.I haven't had a PM show in my INDOX either.So if anyone has sent PMs to me.I'm not getting to it..
What does Todd have to Drive?..I have one guy ready to take part in PTX class.and one Falcon if it's ready on Sept 30.Three saying I want to be in PTX but my car isn't built yet.24 days to go.I want 8 cars 5 is okay.
So Greg any chance of 8 showing up at our SCCA event.You know more then I. It's a phone in signup BTW
soloracerSD
09-06-2012, 07:35 AM
Greg.or any Pro-Touring guy interested in San Diego SCCA autocross PTX renamed AM-X class here is my home #
soloracerSD
11-29-2012, 04:32 PM
Just saw you doing laps at the GG Del mar Nov 2012.Youtube video..even heard announcer say 2nd at this time 59.657 your 3rd car in video posted just like this"Good guys car show Delmar 2012"
SicMonte
07-22-2013, 06:56 AM
This car is awesome...the power is amazing and it sneaks up on you.....ask me how I know. lol
Awesome car and an awesome owner!!
LUV2XLR8
08-13-2013, 10:43 AM
how did you do @ motorstate
Congrats to GB for the feature in CP
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