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    1. #81
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
      Location
      Mesquite, TX
      Posts
      4,901
      Country Flag: United States
      The stock F-body battery cables are too short, and I had no luck soldering them (I suppose I wasn't pumping enough heat in).



      I do, however, have some convenient 3/8" NiCopp fuel line sitting around.  That'd be a functional crimp connector.



      And of course we finish with heat shrink.



      Started off small.  Airbags, fog lights.  De-pin if I can, cut at the bulkhead if not.

      2

      Won't need the ABS wiring.



      And the pile grows.  Won't need the emissions bits, the stock stereo connectors, amplifier, etc.



      To hop to another issue - I may have neglected to mention, I have a leak at the rear calipers.  This is the driver's side, it's fine.



      This is the pass side.  There is DAMAGE near the banjo bolt, you might be able to see it.



      The damage is from putting this hose on backward - it won't seal, and the edge dug into the caliper body.

      I've asked the local FLAPS to order me a new one, they didn't even give me a price just said they've requested it and they'll give me a call.  Not sure if that's a blowoff or not. 

      In this implementation, this pass side caliper is a 97 Camaro driver's side rear.



      Pulled out more wires.  This looks to be the same wires that were a few pictures back



      De-pinning the PCM is actually easy once you know the trick.



      AIR pump, EGR, etc.



      By this point I've got power to the car.  Some things work, some do not.  Right turn signal is a "no", and it looks to be because the pin in the column connector is bent over.

      Tried to straighten it, no dice.



      I am not convinced that this dashboard goes with this car (maybe an LT-era dash?).  Not because of the metric calibration, but because nothing lights up correctly.  High beam makes the oil pressure go sky-high (and then Check Gages comes on).  Odometer never came on.

      I don't need it.



      I have adapted the 60s headlight switch to the F-body harness.  It works.



      Conveniently enough, I had two damaged oxygen sensor connectors.  Removed those, and put the other two as the "front" in the PCM.



      Radiator Support Cover (whatever the proper name is) cleaned up and primed.



      AC box also primed.  It looked better in vaguely sanded bondo; I still have work to do here.



      I made a fake dashboard out of cardboard.  This is with the hazards on; note that (as mentioned), the right turn indicator isn't working.

      2005160020_tn.jpg"></a></td><td>

      Added a clamp to hold wires away from the headers.



      I got a new set of column connectors (well.. to be fair, I got three different ones).

      Painless 30805 is a new connector with pigtails and was almost $50.&nbsp; That got returned.

      American Autowire 510643 is a big kit with a bunch of connectors, one of which is this. I got it and haven't used it.

      American Autowire 500428 is just the connectors here and was less than ten bucks.

      The connector opens up like this.



      New connector crimped in place (also soldered, not seen here)

      Also not seen here:

      The Camaro F-body uses separate bulbs for brake and turn.&nbsp; That'd be.. unfortunate in this case, since my taillights only have one socket.

      The Firebird, however, uses one filament for both stop and turn.&nbsp; The difference is a connection between C216 P and the brake light switch. ; Simple enough, since I have the connectors already.



      And with that, my turn indicators work.



      These pictures were mainly for me to keep track of what pins had and had not been removed.






      The stock 69 AC controls provide power to the compressor at all times when the mode switch isn't in "off", so long as this switch on the mixing box thing is happy.

      My switch is not happy.&nbsp; At no point does it make contact.

      So quite a bit of electronic contact cleaner later, and this switch conducts electricity when the lever is like this



      but shuts off when the lever is like this.&nbsp; That corresponds to the diverter door being closed - at this point, the incoming air is entirely what's come through the heater core.



      Not pictured, because it wouldn't be easy to photograph and probably wouldn't make sense:

      I bought some cheap (less than ten bucks for the set) power door lock solenoids from Amazon.&nbsp; With those, I was able to set up the key fob.&nbsp; It works.

      Not pictured: Unlike the turn signals and the high beam indicator, the Security light is grounded via the BCM and gets power from the fuse box.&nbsp; With that configured, the security light on my cardboard dash turns on for a couple of seconds at key-on, then turns off.



      Time for the big test: Can I chat with the PCM?

      Yes.&nbsp; Yes I can.

      It's flaky, quite a bit of that is because of the really low output of this optima battery.&nbsp; With the charger cranked up, I can connect to it and pull the current data.

      There's still some funkiness with key position and such but that may be power level, may be grounds... we'll see.&nbsp; This was a really good sign.



      My stock controls have definitely seen better days.&nbsp; I got a new lens, but the lens is far from being the problem here.



      The backing is trashed and I haven't seen anyone talk about how one replaces this.&nbsp; I assume I'll mask off the chrome and paint it flat black?



      I have Had An Issue with the radiator cushions.

      I bought a set of Nolathane for a 69 with a big block.&nbsp; They didn't fit (not pictured, I returned them).&nbsp; Not surprising, the BB wasn't original to the car.

      So I bought a set of Nolathane for a 69 with a small block.&nbsp; They also didn't fit, and I returned those too.

      The top two are old cushions from this radiator.&nbsp; The very top one is just like the third one down and the one I mounted.&nbsp; It fits.&nbsp; The second one down is my other original, and it's unlike the rest of these.

      The Internet seems to think that the best route is to CUT THE CORE SUPPORT to fit the larger cushions.&nbsp; I am not to that point yet.&nbsp; I'll use my original small one in the other end of the upper here.



      So what's next?

      I have measured for the driveshaft.

      I have ordered the hole saws I need to run the PCM wires through the firewall rather than through the windshield opening.

      I will have to adjust the lengths of all these wires.

      I - knowing that the fuel pump isn't hooked up yet - went ahead and tried turning the key to "Start". The engine did not spin over - but the starter did hum. Maybe that's a failed starter, maybe it's low power. Does tell me that the car is happy with the VATS I have.

      Still need to run the wires to the rear lights, fuel pump, and fuel sender.

      I have to do some planning on the dashboard layout; what I thought I was doing wasn't (apparently) correct.&nbsp; I don't want to drop $350 on a plastic custom dash to mount these autometer gauges and I certainly don't want to have that stamped steel gauge-holder under the dash this time.&nbsp; I've got two 5" and 3 2 5/8" to mount (Oil pressure, water temp, fuel level... maybe I should get a voltmeter too?).

    2. #82
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
      Location
      Mesquite, TX
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      4,901
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      This is not such a documented-progress-post. Some doesn't need photos, some I just didn't think to take any. Electrical is hard to document forward progress.

      I got the driveshaft (3.5" with 1350 series u-joints front and rear) from a local shop.



      Wires from ECU to interior (C220 and C230 plugs) have been run but the length may need attention and they definitely need wrapping.



      The side mirrors - when I pick them from a junkyard - have about a 45 degree angle on the mounts (both sides).



      PCV hookup was a concern.&nbsp; I'd found suggestions on the web about converting to the LS6 valley pan that required cutting up the existing hose, etc.&nbsp; Good idea but only if you actually have the old hose.

      This is Dorman 46036 for a 2000 Ford Expedition.&nbsp; It fits great.



      Inside part of the AC box has been mounted.



      One-man bleeding of brakes and clutch.

      I am not convinced that the clutch is properly bled though; with that dual-disk McLeod clutch I had expected a much firmer pedal out of it.

      Have confirmed that my brake leak has been corrected by replacing the caliper.



      The clutch pedal sits (sat) far lower than the brake pedal.&nbsp; Also the through-hole was 1/4"; but the existing holes in the clutch pedal were 5/16".

      I'd thought to try to find a rod end with a larger through-hole and longer threaded shaft.&nbsp; I failed.

      Instead, I found directions that specified making my own 1/4 hole in the pedal arm, so I did that.&nbsp; I also adjusted the brake pedal to be much lower.



      With the driveshaft in, no reason to not fill the transmission and put the cover on.













      I'm using most of the 50 year old AC/Heater controls.&nbsp; I need to update my wiring diagrams to match.

      The orange relay feed wire in the first pic is replaced by the red wire from the Camaro blower relay.&nbsp; The brown wire in the sixth pic (four pin connector with only three pins) is the power feed for the whole assembly; it connects to the equivalent Camaro brown wire.

      When I wire up a quick-disconnect for the dashboard, these are the inputs I need.



      I will be cutting up my existing dashboard and creating a metal insert.&nbsp; Cuts go at the outboard edges of the red tape.&nbsp; Hopefully I won't end up regretting this.

      I did go ahead and pick up a volt gauge.



      The Tremec app seems to be OK with my driveline angles.



      Finally got the broken glove box lock out.&nbsp; It's a shame to have to sand this down with that fancy pinstriping (from the 80s!) but it's not in good shape.

      Also need to replace one of the mounting studs (#10-24, it appears).



      (no pic): I bought a battery, and then had to go buy some extended-length side mount battery bolts.

      All this, however, pales in comparison to the big news:

      With the new battery the car cranks over just fine with the key, and also I can very quickly connect to the PCM with EFILive.

      The fuel pump relay doesn't energize, which requires troubleshooting still.

      If I manually trigger the relay I get up to the appropriate 58psi of pressure (and get a fuel leak, which I have corrected)

      With fuel pressure and this new battery, it still spun with the key but did not try to fire.

      One Crank Relearn later, it tried to fire.

      And then succeeded.

      It did not run well - open headers and I suspect one or more of the injectors has gummed up over the past fifteen years, and it's relearning everything - but it did run.

      I tried to get a pic last time but couldn't get it to come out during the previous update - I'd wondered if I'd punched through the boss above the oil filter to mount the oil pressure line.&nbsp; The pic showed that apparently I had, the
      fitting was threaded into it.&nbsp; Was it punched through though?&nbsp; Did not know.

      Unrelated: I do have oil pressure.&nbsp; I know this because I did not put an oil pressure line on, and sprayed a lot of oil around.&nbsp; I need to add oil to the engine now, I bet I lost a quart.

      Next up:
      • Hook up an oil pressure gauge
      • Figure out the fuel pump issue
      • Install cooling system
      • Maybe build exhaust
      • Maybe let it run a bit
      • Finalize pedal positions and mount the various switches

    3. #83
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
      Location
      Mesquite, TX
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      A lot of the progress isn't really "stuff that photographs well".

      I put the driver's side fender on.&nbsp; I had previously mounted the cruise control box on the inner fender (you'd think I'd have taken a pic; I used rivnuts and everything, that's a thing that would have actually photographed well!).&nbsp; It interfered with the fender, so it had to get moved.



      Also - probably more importantly - the mount for the forward fuse box interfered with the washer bottle mount (and, in theory, the washer bottle).



      Pass side went on easier, and it looks like I can tuck the ECU up on the outer side of the battery (not quite sure if it's to be vertical or angled yet)



      I had *thought* that I was going to be able to put the two large gauges plus the four smaller ones in the dash.&nbsp; I don't know why I thought that, there's just room for two large and maybe two small at most.

      So I'm going to run the crappy three-gauge panel for oil pressure, water temp, and voltage; the main dash will have the two large gauges plus fuel level and the indicator lights from the cardboard panel.



      Moved both fuse boxes towards the firewall (moved the forward one to the back).&nbsp; Now the washer bottle clears.&nbsp;



      So I bolted the AC box together with the new coil and it promptly broke when I bolted it to the firewall.



      I suppose that would explain it - the short side is about half an inch too
      short.



      Adjustment in progress.



      Exhaust in progress too.



      The exhaust is welded up.

      As referenced in post #79 - this exhaust has got a reputation, so yes, this is really bad welds all around... but I didn't blow through so it *should* be leak-free.



      Mounted.&nbsp; Used the rivnut tool to mount the hangers.



      Tried a half-dozen different radiator hoses without finding one that really worked (O'Reillys will let you keep returning and ordering different ones but they get sick of it too) so instead I've just got the flexible universal ones.&nbsp; Suboptimal but it is what it is.

      Also - not previously discussed - I had, a long time ago, bought a Lincoln Mark VIII fan as part of a group purchase on P-T.&nbsp; It was too large, and didn't really clear the water pump.&nbsp; Also the wiring for the Mk8 fan would be
      a pain; I'd have to figure out how to turn the two fan inputs into high/low speeds here.

      Easier option: bought an LS-era Camaro radiator fan setup.&nbsp; Maybe doesn't flow as much, but a lot easier to wire up and the size works pretty well.&nbsp; Rivnuts to mount, because when the only tool you have is a hammer....



      Also added the correct heater hose, and filled the system with water.



      So with the cooling system sorted, it's time to fire it up and validate the clutch works.

      It doesn't.

      It doesn't disengage, which means that when the car's running I can't put it in gear.

      Replaced the clutch master (the old one was used?) and re-bled... and now the clutch works.

      Still a lot softer than I expected but maybe that's correct?



      The steam vent is hooked up, I drilled and tapped the water pump housing for the water temp sensor, and got a 3.5" bend for the intake tubing.



      Oh - and not pictured at all - rear lights are wired up. The Type 56 connectors I'd used actually kinda suck - had to disconnect and reconnect a couple of times to get good conductivity; maybe that's me and maybe it's the connectors.

      So: Clutch is up, cooling is up. Still need to lengthen the wires to the ECU and finish wrapping the wires with electrical tape. Need to replace the front tires, and then I will be able to take the car off the jackstands (which will make getting to the wires to wrap a bit easier).

    4. #84
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
      Location
      Mesquite, TX
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      I bit the bullet and did the cuts for the main dash panel.&nbsp; I think I got a little in a hurry and the high beam indicator (top center) may not be perfect.&nbsp; If that's the case, I'm sure it'll drive me nuts for the next decade.



      The 4th-gen Camaro wiper motor works, because why wouldn't it?

      Marked where it &quot;parks&quot;, then realized the whole thing was hitting the bolt at top left, and marked again.

      I need to find out how long the stock EC wiper arm was so I can make this one pretend to be that long.&nbsp; If I could find the old arm, that'd be easier.



      Got the radio and front speakers.&nbsp; I have a speaker box that I'm going to cut up to fit better, and in theory I have an amp for it but I don't know where it went when I tore the car down back in 2006!&nbsp; Where does the time go?



      I did not understand why there were two large bore wires from the battery - one to the fuse box and one to the alternator... so I made it one large bore wire and a connector.&nbsp; This one is 12" and is really too long.



      (Reference pic for the AC controls)



      Current to-do list. At least the items get simpler.



      I bought a better sandblaster, or at least a bigger one.

      I'd done my reading before purchase so expected to have to make some modifications, such as this one talking about updates to the pickup tube.</td></tr>



      Yeah, that's not the pickup they supply anymore.



      Also I'm short one M4x20 screw.



      I have lots of spares though, just not an M4.

      (not pictured) I went ahead and ordered the Skat pickup from TP Tools and yeah - this still sucks.&nbsp; I've apparently done something wrong as there's no sand flowing through, just air.



      Decided to do something easier - the little rust damage on the pass side fender, and close up the trim holes.

      Yes, it's true; in my absence my ability to weld didn't improve at all!



      Trim holes went well enough, at least.



      Cleaning up the back edge unearthed a rarity: a half-ass repair on this car that cannot be blamed on me!



      And the more I cleaned the worse it got...



      Part needed to just be cut out and replaced (okay, probably more needed that than I did)



      Yep, still suck at welding.&nbsp; Especially in the driveway on a windy day.



      I don't know how well you'll be able to see it but there's a high spot at about dead center of this pic.



      Also the bottom edge is not straight at all - did it get jacked up wrong?&nbsp; High-center a curb?&nbsp; No idea, but the other side was straight.



      I am not a hammer and dolly expert but it's at least much closer now.

      Still need to finish cleaning up the backside and put paint on it so I can mount this fender and call it good until I start on external bodywork.



      Did some more cleanup on the husk of the old dash and started trying to figure out the mounting of the new panel.&nbsp; This is my view from sitting on the floor - I think the indicators will end up far too high and I won't be able to see them when I'm sitting in an actual seat, so this panel needs to be shorter.&nbsp; Since I wouldn't be able to do a good straight cut, I think I'm going to break out the bender and bend about half an inch to make a flange... which means I'll have to mount the bender and hopefully not screw this up when I do it.


    5. #85
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
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      Mesquite, TX
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      So, of course, once the weldery is done, need to get back to the initial plan: prime and paint the inside/where the hinge mounts.&nbsp; Priming is done.



      Not my best work, but... it's the inside of a fender.&nbsp; It doesn't matter.&nbsp; In fact, it matters so little that I failed to take a picture once I had the paint on it.



      I need two of these screws (they're for the parking lights, which are different from the Chevelle equivalent.&nbsp; Did not find at my local specialty hardware store.&nbsp; Have not investigated.



      Finally got around to drilling-tapping the weld table for the bender so I could get a nice crisp edge on the dash panel.



      I did not get a crisp edge.



      So the sandblaster is its own little story.

      I like the cabinet very much, but the gun is abysmal.

      I'm going to call this the "blow test": disconnect the pickup hose from the gun, and try to blow through the port into the gun.&nbsp; The gun that came with the cabinet flowed very little with the larger nozzle, and not at all with the smaller.&nbsp; Neither one worked for sandblasting.

      So I went to Northern and got this gun.&nbsp; It worked pretty well, but the aluminum nozzles are absolutely a consumable - I wore out both of them from this kit!

      Instead of rushing back up to Northern to get new nozzles, I tried the smaller gun from the old cabinet I threw away... and it worked better than any of the others.&nbsp;



      I made a pile of blasted parts.&nbsp; I really only *needed* the hinges and springs (and I suppose the washer bottle bracket) but as long as I'm at it....



      ...and primed, because that's the next step, and it was warm enough to do so.



      While waiting on the primer to dry, spent more time on the harness - need to extend the harness to the ECU by about three feet to mount up by the battery.&nbsp; It's very slow.



      Warm enough to put paint on these parts.&nbsp; They came out really nice.&nbsp; I need to wrap the bumper brackets up in newspaper and put them in a box to protect them, since I won't need them for a while.



      and then, of course, the pass fender fell over and got a nice dent.&nbsp; Don't know if that's really visible here or not.



      Suppose next up is more extending-of-wiring, the driver's fender, and the dash. Need it to be warm enough to shoot primer and paint on the fender though so maybe I should hurry there.

    6. #86
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
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      Yeah... the goal here was not to spend weeks doing this. That goal was not met.



      I ended up removing every pin from the connectors and marking them (R46 for Red 46, etc.), shown here in progress.



      The plan was to separate the red and the blue connector wires.&nbsp; Made a little tougher since some wires essentially connect the two.



      Bundled.



      Also needed to extend the coil/injector wires.



      For validation - run along the outer edge of the inner fender



      More lengthening and bundling.



      Put it all back together after lengthening everything and it was still a horrible rats nest.

      Back apart.&nbsp; Problem - in part - was because I just plugged all the red pins in and they ended up routed around each other, and same for the blue.

      New plan: Plug in red 1-10, 41-50, 11-20, 51-60, etc.&nbsp; Wrap the quadrants separately.&nbsp; It's still a rat's nest but not nearly as bad.

      Plug everything in, try to start the car: dead battery.&nbsp; Tries to spin the starter, no luck.

      Bought a replacement battery charger.



      Moving on to the next task: the AC box.&nbsp; I don't know what I'm trying to validate here beyond that it clears the engine, which I already knew.

      <tr><td>

      Started wrapping the wires as the battery charged.

      After a couple of days (trickle charge), the engine spun over, would start and then die pretty much immediately.

      Did I miss a pin?&nbsp; There's no codes reported (beyond "MIL indicator not found", which I knew).&nbsp; The sensors all seem to be working per EFILive.&nbsp;

      Maybe the battery still needs more charge.



      Move on to the next task: the damaged parking light mounts.&nbsp; This is the better of the two.



      And this is the worse.



      Reconstructed the missing corner.&nbsp; Still need to weld on a #8 nut to finish this out, then re-sandblast and paint.



      Same on the worse one - filled the holes, reconstructed, new mounts.&nbsp; Need to weld on the nuts, resandblast, and paint here too.&nbsp; Also may need to replace the bulb socket.

      One of these housings has a broken bolt in one of the lens mounts; still need to handle that too.



      I am not quite sure how this has occurred, but the epoxy primer and implement enamel have flaked off here at the headlamp adjustor.&nbsp; The adjustor is also trying to pull through.



      There is a difference between the "headlamp adjusting nuts" (skinny) and "license plate nuts" (thick).&nbsp; Replaced the skinny with the thick.



      Apparently I have a leak at the oil pressure gauge.&nbsp; Tightened.



      Minor concern that the PCV hose has a crimp.&nbsp; Maybe it's too long, or too short, or maybe it doesn't matter.



      After going through all sorts of possible causes (VATS?&nbsp; Low voltage?) the answer became clear.&nbsp; If only I'd looked at this gauge (that's still in a box on the cowl); it was correct.

      Added fuel and the car started right up.&nbsp; No new codes so I guess I hooked everything up correctly.



      Paint for the AC box.&nbsp; Guess next up is to mount the box and the ECU so I can put the fender on.


    7. #87
      Join Date
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      The mount for the ECU is "done".

      I think it needs another bracket to connect the top of the mount to the core support though.



      pictured with the computer attached and hooked up.



      Tried again with the AC box.&nbsp; It split at the front mount again.&nbsp; Apparently "flat" is not sufficient for the back, it needs to be a little concave to force the front together.



      Corrected the brackets for the parking lights.&nbsp; Oddly enough, the spacing on the screw-holes differs between the sides.



      Used duct tape and cardboard to figure out just where the dash needed to be to clear the column brackets, etc.&nbsp; Here is the first time the gauges have been "installed" in the car.



      I made the upper panel out of 22ga steel that was sitting around.&nbsp; Got it to line up well, but that metal is so thin!



      Picked up some 16ga instead.&nbsp; This is proper.&nbsp; Used the thin panel as a template.



      Then added the mounts to the upper panel.





      Test-fit again, with the upper panel in place and duct-taped to the face, on the bottom I added 3/4" more metal to push it back a little.

      Zip ties to hold the dash carrier in place, whee!



      In the initial test-fit of the AC box with the bundled wires, it became clear that I am not going to be able to run the wires between the inner fender and the bottom of the AC box - there just isn't room.&nbsp; So - let's make a channel for them.



      It looks roughly like this.&nbsp; It still needs work.



      The dash panel is coming together here.&nbsp; You can see the side panels, the lower edge, the lower mounts, and the close-out for the wiper switch there on the left.&nbsp; Everything is welded, and I didn't completely screw it up!



      I think it looks great, except where the beaver chewed out the column notch.



      And of course my carrier has seen better days.&nbsp; It's only 50 years old, I don't know why the plastic has damage to it.



      Used some exhaust tubing for the column surround.



      Welded in.

      Next step is to sandblast the whole thing, prime, and paint... but it's been in the 40s and 50s for highs, not quite warm enough for things to cure.

      The plastic dash carrier needs some attention with some JBWeld to try and correct some of the damage.&nbsp; You can maybe see the initial repairs to the upper edge in the earlier pictures.



      The wrapped wire bundle passes through the channel.&nbsp; I want to bore out the PVC that I fiberglassed in there - it doesn't need to be as thick as it is and I'd like more clearance.



      Hard to tell what's going on here, but the interior fuse panel is mounted up under the dash (one less thing dangling near the pedals!)



      The mount for the Clutch Anticipate switch is next up.&nbsp; This is ~10ga steel for the bracket - should hold up well enough.



      And it gets welded in.&nbsp;



      So does an equivalent bracket for the two brake switches.&nbsp; Yes, I still haven't learned to weld.



      I need to figure out how much clutch pedal travel I'm supposed to have/how much I need so I can mount the clutch stop and the clutch safety switch.


    8. #88
      Join Date
      Jul 2002
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      2021-05-15 edit: This ends the archived posts; additions will be slower.

      The most high-tech of paintbooths:



      A full coat on the dash carrier too:



      Various trim as well:



      I need to clean up the center dash vent - it's *rough*. By "rough" I mean:
      • The carrier is broken near the lever
      • The louvers are broken and glued together
      • There's JBWeld or similar filling the gaps
      • Not sure if you can tell - but there's a TOOTHPICK holding the edge together on the bottom left here.




      They Say the vents for the 69 Chevelle with AC are not being reproduced.

      They Say you wouldn't be able to get this housing apart to replace them even if they were.

      They're right, of course. But... if you're careful, you can use a dremel to cut away the seam where the front and back parts of the housing were connected at the factory.



      The Chevelle vents aren't being reproduced - that's correct - but the 69 Camaro and 69-76 Corvette ones have the Exact Same Dimensions. (OER 748614)

      And really... these are horrible.



      So a quick pass to try and fix the broken carrier (cardboard as a pattern, fiberglass resin over that):



      A quick test fit:



      Paint, and it becomes hard to believe we started from the same place.



      Also need to finish the cleanup on the AC controls.

      Start with some black "low acid fade resistant" posterboard:



      A bit of cutting, and you've got a heck of a before-and-after:



      I finished up the pedal switches. The clutch safety switch ended up in a really convenient-to-attach place:



      The other switches seem to be in decent places and are out of the way. Now to start the car, you have to press the clutch like on a real car!

      The dashboard is coming together. The gauges fit nicely in the housing and I've got all the indicators I need (and maybe one I don't -- the one bottom right of the speedometer is the cruise control, and I'm not seeing where I'm going to get the "yes, you're in cruise" signal)



      With the gauges in the housing (along with the radio):



      I thought I was getting close on the AC box. It's not perfect, but used the last of the gloss black to look for imperfections (found some!)



      More sanding, cleanup, etc., and then a coat of the "charcoal" paint I'd bought for this.

      Yeah, this is not the color I anticipated. Will look for a better match to the factory color.



      I went ahead and cleaned up the driver's fender for paint on the inside:



      Predictably enough, I found crappy repair and rust.



      I fixed the rust with a second crappy repair:



      Painted and mounted the fender (even used shims!) - this should be pretty close to its final location. I'm not sure why the door edge looks like it's got a bend in it like that.



      It's very pretty, in areas that won't typically be seen:



      Got the parking lights taken care of. Unfortunately the gaskets I made are much thinner than the original gaskets, so the original screws won't torque down. Minor concern that it'll put the lens too close to the bulb and melt things.



      I also handled the electrical to connect the parking lights:



      Unfortunately I used the wrong ends for that connector so it all had to come back apart. It's a little sad, those were outstanding crimps:



      I have a concern about mounting the flashing security LED and the light sensor. It looks like there's room behind of the speaker ahead of the pad, but that'll conflict with the AC vent.



      Reckon the next up is to try and get a better tune on this thing - it's running extremely rich; I don't know what sort of tune they had on it when I got it but from a quick review, their VE table is very different from the stocker I found on the internet. Means I'll have to remember how to do this (read: learn how to do it).

    9. #89
      Join Date
      Aug 2002
      Location
      Waleska Ga.
      Posts
      2,710
      Country Flag: United States
      Nice build thread!
      Keep up the good work!
      We used some of the same parts.
      it cool to see a different approach with them .
      David Sloan

      If you’re suggesting sending men with weapons of war to take my weapons of war,then I’m fairly certain that’s what’s called an act of war… and the definition of tyranny.which coincidentally is the reason for the second amendment to begin with!


      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ght=fun+camaro

      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...lcamino-build!

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