‘63 Chevy II Pro-Touring Build
 

I made the trip over to Eau Claire on Friday, but of course the glass guys were delayed a few hours, so I wasn’t able to see the car with the windshield and rear windows installed. Kurt was able to get the digital dash installed, which looks awesome!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c4210c6578.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...745af2c2f3.jpg

We also test fit harnesses. I’m using Schroth 4 point harnesses with their anti-submarine technology. These harnesses also have their AutoComtrol feature, which is an inertia reel that locks when the there are sufficient levels of force (acceleration, deceleration, side to side movement, etc) as measured by electrical sensors placed in the car. This setup acts similar to a retractable three point shoulder harness in that you can move your upper body in the harness freely, except when it is needed to be locked in case of an accident or sudden movement.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...08d3e0655d.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...da81cc9a38.jpg

Kurt sent me pictures after I left and the glass was finally installed. The replacement trim we received fit perfectly.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8b2a271930.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...35c211e137.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f1bf62349f.jpg

The glass is tinted smoked gray, and appears darker in these photos than it really is. The side glass in the picture below is a better representation of the level of tint. It’s subtle, but definitely noticeable and looks great with the shark gray metallic paint on the car.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3496bf2cc0.jpg

We’re trying something a little different for the headlight dimmer switch that is mounted on the floor. I wanted a dead pedal for my left foot, and didn’t like the look of the dimmer switch on the floor. So, we’re using the dead pedal as the dimmer switch cover. Kurt fabbed up a hinge for the bottom of the dead pedal that will allow the dead pedal to hinge at the floor. The upper portion of the dead pedal will rest on the dimmer switch, and you can simply depress the dead pedal to turn high beams on and off. We’re going to powder coat the dead pedal in a color similar to the body color and all of the little holes in the dead pedal will be filled with black rubber plugs. I think it will end up looking pretty cool.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7e7b20f970.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6f9808c3a6.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2bccb2bf1a.jpg

Kurt also got the digital dash powered up today and sent me a pic...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0762cf25ca.jpg

And the rear view mirror powered up as well.. pic of the mirror with the front HD camera rolling...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...505f23332f.jpg

Heading back to Eau Claire on Friday to get global tune file uploaded into the ECU, and test electrical connections on ECU, digital dash, etc. in anticipation of firing up the LS7 sometime next week!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

All of that looks so good bro...

Thanks - appreciate it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

‘63 Chevy II Pro-Touring Build
 

Made the trek over to Eau Claire yesterday... was -17 outside when I left the Twin Cities with black ice on the road. I passed probably ten cars in the ditch on the way over, three of them upside down, so drive took a little longer than normal - lol.

More progress made this week on a lot of little details. Close to being done with installation of Schroth 4 point harnesses. Engine bay is basically done now - radiator and heater hoses all custom fit nicely with Gates powergrip heat shrink clamps. A/C lines are also custom fit and routed. Only thing left to install is the cold air intake and hook up the IAC sensor. Couple of pics of engine bay... I’m happy with how clean it turned out!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...91bb5442e1.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2d594d6ef9.jpg

Close up of A/C lines, heater hoses and lower radiator hose...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...69fbce8c8a.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ae6c63540f.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b71f28cd04.jpg

We got the steering wheel installed, though need to install a 1/2” spacer to provide sufficient room for the horn button.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6651053c3f.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7e7f77c5da.jpg

I got the firmware in the Holley Dominator updated to the latest V6 firmware, and successfully uploaded my global configuration file, so the ECU is all ready to go.

Took a short video of the digital dash showing the turn signal indicators and high beam indicators that I programmed into the dash. If I can figure out how to upload that, I will. You can customize the dash screen adding gauges, lights, switches, etc.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...95b3c559a3.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7c57816d81.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...08f7d5a9b0.jpg


Also took a short video of my headlights to show how they interact with turn signals. Normally, the halos are white and are illuminated white at all times as daytime running lights. When you activate the turn signal indicator, however, they flash amber in unison with the turn signal. You can see the passenger halo is white in the photo and the driver side halo is amber with the turn signal.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...641beecc7c.jpg

We still need to hook up the fuel tank filler neck to the tank and install the Ridetech cap. The cap is painted black to match the rest of the trim - I set it in the fender to get a sense of how it will look. I left the screws (not shown in the picture) their natural aluminum color, which I think will look cool as a contrast against the black.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3e7c917f50.jpg

We’re going to start filling it with fluids this week. The motor has been sitting for 18 months since it was run on the dyno, so we’re going to pre-lube it before starting. Found a cool little pump from mdr tuning with fittings that screw into the drain plug hole and the front oil galley plug on the driver’s side of the block. The pump draws oil from the oil pan, and then pumps it through the oil galley plug on the front of the engine. Based on the video on their website, you can build up ~40 psi of pressure through the system as oil circulates. Pumping for a few minutes should be sufficient to fill the oil filter, fill the engine oil cooler in the radiator (and related lines), as well as immerse the valvetrain through the pushrods. Ideally, you would prelube with the valve covers off until you see oil coming out of all 16 pushrods, but we’re not going to disassemble everything for that. The motor was run on the dyno and the oil pump is already primed from that, I just don’t want to spin it dry after sitting for 18 months. The pump was only around a hundred bucks with shipping, which is a pretty small cost for the peace of mind that comes from knowing the engine is fully lubricated at start-up.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7c30286d35.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you mention where you got that billet a/c manifold?

Hey Jody,

They’re actually made by Metalworks Classics, the shop in Eugene, Oregon that I purchased my Nova from back in 2018. Here’s a link to their website:
https://metalworksclassics.com/for-sale/

And a link to a video they have on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RmU4cEnzvjY

Thanks,
Brian


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Been awhile since I last posted - busy times at work and at home. Will be going to Eau Claire this week to pick up the Chevy II from AutoKraft and take it to the interior shop to begin interior work. Also need to have final tuning done on the motor whenever that can be squeezed in. Hard to believe it’s been three years since I dropped it off there... will post some additional details of recent events and some better pictures of the car when I get it home. Here’s a short video I took last week when I stopped by. Hidden hood latch needed some adjusting, which is why the hood is not closed in the video. Sounds really nice, though idle is a bit high (~1,100 rpm)... will drop that down to around 900 or so when we do final tuning.



Brian




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats, Brian! The car sounds and looks fantastic.

The car sounds and looks great. What a sweet ride!

Really nice looking car Brian. Can’t wait to see more of it.