Plastic Fantastic 2

People are saying those Chinese heads are structurally sound now, they would lose rocker arm studs years ago (and big chunks of Alum with them). Hopefully, you've gotten through all the problems.

Interested to see how it runs and driving impressions.
 
I have kind of an ace on those heads - a machinist who is a friend.... he pointed out the only thing I should have done different.... bought them bare then filled them with my parts... but the casting and the machining is most definitely okay.... lots of sharp edges but where it counts (valve seats, square guides) they're well done

today, remove such silly stuff as steering
first remove power part
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it's in good shape (painted pretty)
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move the tie rods to the manual hole
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move the Buick to the Fiat hole, the the Fiat to the Corvette hole, then the Corvette to the lift
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time to start cleaning it up
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all of these have issues - but between the all, I think I have one good one
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finish remove steering
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pretty part... wrong one.... again, this is a 48 spline 1" and a 30 spline 3/4.... which is exactly what I didn't order
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I did, however, get medieval getting it apart
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so I'm kind of stopped there for a moment - no worries, there is much I can do.... what? well, you'll just have to tune in next time on As the Corvette Flops.
 
so knuckle-dragging suspension (meaning, mostly race car - like Greenwood) or bleeding edge? I'm hesitating a bit because I don't know which way I want to go.... with the wide fenders, I could bolt most of a C7 Corvette's suspension under this .... or I could do incremental changes.... rack and pinion in the front? or simply update the geometry? In the rear... I suspect I'm going to have to replace everything and it doesn't cost more to simply go with the greenwood bits I already have....

I really think I could make what I have really perform with custom-fab'd a-arms and little more (widen the track and then get more castor with more camber gain as well). I think I need to some envisioning work - but that's my current thought and figured I'd put it up here to see what the pros think. To my thought there would be a best-geometry for a specific tire size that I would fabricate arms to meet that criteria but I'm not a pro so I've no idea where even to look....

and for the record - I could take a pile of money to someone to do it, but I'd rather spend more, work harder, make the mistakes and learn then simply spend money.
 
OLD hotrodder here, been through a few over the 60 year span.....IMO...I"d do what I did again, given to do it over again....

I did my own rack install with TT's help and a fellow in Europe who did the first shark/rack install name of Yoshi?? I think that was his handle anyway, and so figgered out the rack came from a '89 Grand AM, CTO rack, got my own adapter block from local machine shop, and measured/cut up steel for my own mounts using stock rubber parts for the rack, and stock clamps....

I have a cross support between A arms....and did my wheels on a budget have '89 vette wheels 17x9.5 on it with VBP 2.5" thick adapters....NOT SPACERS....so it's ten nutz to get to the rotor....I limit the radius in front so the 255/50/17's do not hit the frame/sway bar....

In back I moved the ebrake mount to behind the rotor, so wheels/tires clear just fine.....on this you have to know my '72 has flares and mud flap style change....it was an old show car.....

no change to the rear, except small sway bar, front sway is the smaller one....360 VBP plastic rear spring to save me neck on the rough roads around here, much less the stupid 'rumble strips' on a main drag in/out of here.....

stock arms and perf align by a decent shop.....

it's only a 4 bolt main 350 block 30 cut....L98 heads, highly modified LT1 induction like a '94 vette, BUT retained the HEI in back nice and dry, the way God intended......built my own 200 4r auto over a couple daze some years ago, HAD a 700 in there, but the HUGE drop from 3 to one, down th 1.8 was too much in traffic...obviously both were done with Trans Go kits....and top quality parts from a local shop....upgrade converter clutch material too....can't remember what, though...Teflon??

Billy Stein sports on all 4 corners, 460 VBP coils in front....
Hurst chrome shifter bar, with 8 ball on top....just not cool unless you have a 8 ball on your shifter.....interior is totally not stock, call it black and tan.....

the windshield was totally resealed with RTV when I got the car....no rust possible now, totall filled everything....electric wiper door.....

being too tall, and arthritic as hell....I moved the firewall forward about 3" along the bottom and up to column height, and glassed it in, dropped the rear of the seat about 2" also old stock '72 foam....still comfy.....a late shark TT wheel/column...spaced 3/4 inch off the firewall....

this is just a short form note about all the mods...Hydro boost brakes, serp drive- '88-91 vette so later compressor, not some super heavy boat anchor....

:surrender::eek::twitch:

I have later/better pix of the car today, on corvetteforum.com under mrvette handle......I need change post pix here too...the link at bottom is not valid anymore.....
 
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Apparently the old engine paint I had does not like brake clean
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I have to paint anyway, so here it goes
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yes, I painted aluminum aluminum color

shiney and orangey
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cleared
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tomorrow is all about the pressure washer under the car.... get it squeaky clean then shoot paint over it all.
 
I like to paint the aluminum bits too just to try to keep the oxidation/discoloration at bay. I like a uniform finish.
 
it also makes it easier to get the grease off

time to clean the underneath
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then the long part, dry it
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finally got the guides so tomorrow night I may be able to finish assembly of the long block - of course, the other plan is to paint the underside
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back to 427s
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box of receipts, most importantly the lash adjustment (16,18)
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shortened the dipstick so it reads accurately
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lash adjustment
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and yes, I need a touch taller valve cover

intake manifold glued in place
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test fit the side pipes
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it'll do
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My goal is fired it a week from Sunday - that actually means driveable
 
bloody hell that was a pain to find.... no special-material-distributor gear required - this from Comp Cams web page http://www.compcams.com/Pages/402/camshaft-cores.aspx​

Street Roller Cam Cores (Hydraulic or Solid Roller)
(special material - works with most standard distributor gears)
01-000-8 CHEVROLET 454-502 Generation VI Big Block
07-000-8 CHEVROLET LT1 Engine
08-000-8 CHEVROLET 262-400 V8 with Roller Cam (1987-98)
09-000-8 CHEVROLET 4.3L V6 with Roller Cam (1987-98)
11-000-8 CHEVROLET 396-454 V8 (1967-96)
12-000-8 CHEVROLET 262-400 V8 (1957-98)
18-000-8 CHEVROLET 4.3L V6 (1985-99)
56-000-8 CHEVROLET 4.3L V6 (1992-99) with Balance Shaft
 
I'm afraid you won't talk me out of this harebrained idea but rather even give me more reasons to do so - but here it goes.

I'm putting CIC 2" front 4" rear flares on my car - and I think that gives me opportunity to simply graft in a C5 front suspension along with a highly-modified-center-section C5 rear. After all, the track is wider ... or am I just making a lot of work for very minimal gains? For a center section, I'll probably use a Ford 9" center with the CVs from the hubs out of the C5....
 
I'm afraid you won't talk me out of this harebrained idea but rather even give me more reasons to do so - but here it goes.

I'm putting CIC 2" front 4" rear flares on my car - and I think that gives me opportunity to simply graft in a C5 front suspension along with a highly-modified-center-section C5 rear. After all, the track is wider ... or am I just making a lot of work for very minimal gains? For a center section, I'll probably use a Ford 9" center with the CVs from the hubs out of the C5....

Someone posted a conversion kit recently.

Go for it. The landcruiser turned out good.
 
so a bit got done. First was get the balancer on - which meant taking it off because it wasn't fitting correctly
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now it does and brake clean does wonders getting the paint off :)

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I'm glad I test-fit the headers - I need to get medieval on this header otherwise the plug doesn't come out
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I also did some test fitting
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why have a box when you can have a sexy, shapely girl?

basically it's just sitting on there - so now I can daydream on how it all will fit together.
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and some fitting is required (a lot)
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How I ended up with 2 shifters is a mystery to me - but it's good because wretched excess is a good start.
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Looks awesome, same kit as Brent used right?
Concerning the "get medieval on headers", did you see the video on Engine Master Youtube channel? In a nutshell, it doesn't affect anything.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azPKIjxmmdU"]this video[/ame]
 
been away for a while. Looks good!
Denpo, that looks like the same flares that I have.
 
sigh - I'm not sure about doing an L88 hood.... it will be a lot of work, all to look like everyone else
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but I did get a good deal on a 454 hood off a 74 - a beat up hood, but a hood with badges
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you can take the hick out of the trailer park but you can't take the trailer park out of the hick
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I still know how to put a car on tires :)
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dagnabit, 2 leakers
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getting ready for paint
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thankfully I didn't have to remove the rivets
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I feel so ricey doing this

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