Alright, got some time this evening to wrench on the car and made some good progress! Got several big items checked off my "to do" list for the weekend...
First, I got the grommets installed for my engine harness:

Next, I got the engine and trans set down in the car. Let me tell you, there's just barely enough room to get that thing in there with the setback engine mounts! 1.5" doesn't sound like much but that's just about the difference in the motor/trans fitting and not fitting. Thankfully, the trans crossmember fit like a champ. I need to drill one trans mount hole that didn't line up but overall, I'm real happy. I got the crossmember from Bowler at a deal because it had some powder coating chipped on it. I fully expected to have to modify it as they said it was for a big block/6 speed combo.

Here's a shot of the clearance between the firewall and motor...apologies for the poor lighting, it was about 10:30 at night...the DSE headers fit well; as they should!

Here's a shot of the front showing the clearance you have with the Mast oil pan. I've been happy with my decision there. You've gotta be sure to get the matching dipstick, though. One other item of note is to be dang sure you follow their instructions and clean that thing thoroughly, it was covered in grit from the casting process. You definitely don't want that stuff getting in your engine.

Here's a shot from the side showing the clearance of both the oil pan and the DSE headers. I'm extremely happy with that. No more worrying about dragging headers on speed bumps, etc. it's a little hard to see in detail but the header tubes are actually about an inch or more above the bottom of the oil pan. You can see them in the pic just above the drain plug. They also sit about an inch or two above the subframe rails so there's literally nothing hanging down. It doesn't appear as such, but that shot was actually straight on from the side.

I don't know any combination that's gonna give you better ground clearance than that!

Just a gratuitous engine shot😬

Yet another shameless pic of the engine...I've got a Holley Mid-Mount accessory drive kit that's been on back order but it's supposed to ship first of next week.

those front tires are monsters, killer stance :thumbsup:

That's all kinds of sexy. :thankyou:

Simply Awesome !!!


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Thank You all, I appreciate the positive feedback! I got my shifter hole cut and my Finch Performance gear shift boot ring mounted. Let me just say, there's nothing like working with quality parts. I ordered a different Finch shifter handle so I can get rid of the ape hanger in the pic. If it was all about function, it'd be one thing as it sits close to the steering wheel but I just can't get over the looks of it...Next to get the engine fuse box and electronic throttle pedal mounted and get the transmission VSS/backup lights, etc. wired up.

Not a whole lot of progress to report but wanted to see the inner fenders and core support on it. Removed the radiator so I could take it to PRC here locally and have some stuff rearranged for an LS engine.

So finally got my accessory drive kit in and had a few hours over the last couple of days to whittle away at it. I went with the Holley Mid-Mount system. I liked the fact that it had no spacers and uses the C7 style cartridge water pump; no having to disassemble the whole front end of the motor if you need to change the water pump!
I went with the black version as I like the contrast it offers. With the premium kit, you get an ATI balancer along with all the other accessories. This is a really nice peace of hardware, the fit was perfect and aside from a few minor things like chasing the powder coating from the threads on the AC compressor, it all went together flawlessly.
Once I get my radiator back from being swapped over for LS power, I can wrap up the cooling system plumbing. Also got the Vintage Air components ordered and hope to get the fuel system wrapped up this weekend...I'm dying to hear this thing run!

Pulley alignment is spot on...

I really like the all black, been thinking bout doing the same on mine for a couple of years now.

Got my radiator back on Friday so I was able to make some good progress today. In keeping with the theme, I painted it black with polished stainless hardware. While I had my make-shift spray booth setup, I also murdered out my Tanks, Inc. fuel tank. In the spirit of low maintenance, I decided to bedline the lower half of the tank to provide protection from rock chips, etc. as I plan to drive this thing and autocross it at every opportunity.

To at least add some texture in the sea of black, I also bedlined my fan shroud after it was painted... Not terribly noticeable but I try to add detail everywhere I can.

Shot of the fuel tank...

Awesome build 1911! Your car and mine are practically twins. The only difference is you are moving way faster than me!

Nice work it's looking good!

Thank you guys for all the positive comments! This certainly isn't one of the more glamorous, one-off builds here on Lat-G but I'm definitely proud to call it my own. I enjoy just being able to look back at the progress made after a good day's work in the garage. Of course, the ultimate reward will be when this thing's turn key and ready to drive, fine tune and enjoy!

So over the last couple of days, I've been able to track down and install radiator hoses and button up the cooling package (with the exception that I'm a couple of thermal clamps short) as well as get my fuel system plumbing done. Doesn't sound like much but that's two big checks on the To Do list. I can post up some part numbers for the radiator hoses if anyone's interested. I combed thru the part number archives here and test fit several variations and even cut up a couple only to decide I wasn't happy with the fit/appearance before finally settling on a couple hoses from NAPA. There's plenty of good options out there, but for me, dealing with availability and the fact that I wanted to see it with hoses installed, I think these look pretty good...

Another shot from the top...oddly enough, one of the goals for the top radiator hose was to have it run prallell with the radiator and the front drive system. I'm happy with the result here...just waiting on a couple more Gates thermal hose clamps and I'm all set, other than the Vintage Air components, of course. Hopefully I'll see those this week!

It's a little hard to see much detail but here's a shot of the front part of my fuel line plumbing. I made the line a 2 piece setup after having lots of fun trying to remove the one-piece fuel/brake lines that I had during the initial disassembly. With the Quadralink setup and all the intricate bends it requires to keep things tucked out of the way, I didn't see the point in torturing myself trying to make it one piece in the event it had to be removed at a later time. I took great care to keep the lines tucked up tight and away from heat sources. I went ahead and put some DEI insulation on the line where it would be closest to the tail pipes as they came over the rear axle.

Here's a shot of the coil over crossmember area. I mounted the filter/regulator combo to the top of the crossmember. Originally, I wanted to mount it to the frame rail just behind the rear footwell area but I just couldn't seem to make the fittings accessible with the E-brake cable and sway bar mounts. Besides, I knew the mufflers would be occupying the adjacent real estate and that would compound the removal issue (since this will be a maintenance item), not to mention the heat exposure. I'm not totally crazy about the current mounting spot but it's the lesser of evils, is out of the way of the suspension travel and relatively safe from heat...hard to see all my attention to bending with the heat insulation on it!

Here's the fuel line running up the rear frame rail area...got some clamps coming so I'll be able to get it secured...I wanted to keep it as close to the top of the frail rail as possible...

Here's a random shot from the back which shows how well the DSE headers tuck in for ground clearance yet they still have plenty of distance from the floor pan...totally worth the money...

I still need to relocate the second hole for the trans mount so you can see my reference marks on the painter's tape...

Just for reference, the part numbers for the radiator hoses I ended up using are 8961 for the top hose (1.25" diameter on both ends) and 9662 for the bottom hose (1.5" diameter on both ends). Again, these are Gates hoses from NAPA. Both required some minor trimming for size/fitment but I'd rather have too much then not enough. I'm running a PRC radiator with twin Spal fans setup for LS hoses.

So I came across this bracket in an attempt to not have to redo the Third Gen Camaro/Firebird throttle mount setup. This mount uses three bolts in a triangular pattern. Since I originally planned to reuse my big block and this setup, I welded up a mount to the inside of the firewall during the build.

After switching to an LS motor with the DBW setup, I knew I'd have to work up a different mount but hated to have to deal with undoing the sound deadener, rewelding/repainting/re-bed lining the affected areas. In a lazy effort to try and utilize the work I'd already completed, I searched far and wide for an LS DBW pedal bracket that would bolt to the existing pattern I had. I found mostly the brackets that utilize the steering column mounts for rigidity but didn't like the fact that they look like an after thought in the car. So I resigned myself to modifying the GM bracket but the problem there is that they appear to require a sizeable spacer to position the pedal properly and upon doing so you lose some much needed rigidity.

Just about the time I decided to make one from scratch, I stumbled upon the exact mount I needed from Scarebird Classics. I got it today and did a test fit after drilling out the mounting holes for 5/16" bolts and I must say I'm quite impressed. It's a heavy piece and very sturdy. The pedal bolts on perfectly and when attached to the mount I made, the pedal is located exactly where GM recommends in their instructions in relation to the brake pedal...plus it feels natural to the foot. I'm going out now and buying a lottery ticket b/c this is just too good to be true! Anyway, here's a couple of pics. I pulled it back out for paint and once installed, I can check that off the list!

Painted and ready...

Been busy working on wrapping up some details. Got the Vintage Air evaporator kit, condenser kit, etc...made more sense to buy the various kits I needed as opposed to the complete kit as I already had some of the key components.

I forgot to take a pic with the evaporator in place but here's a "before" shot.

My Mike Norris PCV catch can came in. It's a nice piece. Got it mounted/plumbed up. If you're like me and ever wondered what's inside this thing, here's your chance...if you unscrew the top, there's a baffled tube with a piece of red scotch-brite pad on the inside to separate the oil from the vapor.

Here's the baffle tube...if you unscrew the silver piece, there's a piece of scotch-brite pad inside.

Got the Ridetech fuel cap installed as well.

Is it safe to say that you are close to BoonVegas then? Awesome Build. Hopefully I will be starting on my 73 very soon!

Just couple of quick pics of the Evap unit mounted. I had purchased a first gen bracket set from VA to mount a mockup Evap unit during fitment. In the month or so between that time and when I ordered the kit, VA changed their mounting setup considerably. Luckily I had moved the unit up higher in the dash already and they still used some of the same mounting points so it all worked out. I will say the new brackets with the front support bolting to the dash where the glove box attaches is far superior to what the original setup was.

Despite what seems like non-stop thrashing on this thing to get it running and tie up loose ends on some of the components, I'm at the point where it seems I'll never get done!:bang: Although I'm making progress, it's hard when that "progress" doesn't leave any major (or even sometimes minor) cosmetic difference.
At this point, I still need to wrap up the exhaust system, HVAC system, rear axle brake lines (had bent some up but I'm not happy with the fit so I ordered more stainless and I'm redoing them), sound system and wiring for the front clip. The car goes out for carpet and headliner the first week of July and hopefully sometime mid August my Recaro seats will show up. I ordered my gauges yesterday and at the very last minute, did a 180 and went with the Dakota Digital VHX/BIM module setup. Seems to make the most sense and provide not only a cleaner install and better readouts but also excellent visibility and a classic look!
I'm excited to see the interior start coming back together as I feel that'll breathe new life into my mindset. It's been exactly 13 months since I took what was a pretty nice 68 Camaro and COMPLETELY cut it to pieces and changed almost everything that wasn't painted blue. All things considered, I'd do again in a heartbeat, albeit with a few changes and improved efficiencies.
My goal has been to drive this thing to LS Fest in Bowling Green in September. I should be good to go as long as I have some seats to sit in!!

Here's what it looked like "before"...

More "before" pics...

In keeping with my Johnny Cash theme, I did complete/murder out the air intake yesterday. I ended up buying a couple of pieces of 4" aluminum tubing, a coupler and filter. All together, I've got $150 in this setup. It's nothing extravagant but i wanted something simple anyway and couldn't bear to spend $300-400 on a kit just to have 10' of leftover tubing. Originally, it was gonna be about 3" longer, however, due to a "snag" (literally) with the chop saw, I had to shorten it.
I tip my hat to those of you who can fabricate smooth, flawless, compound bends in these things with no signs of the welds, you make it look too easy!

Also, made some headway in the front end area with regard to painting/assembling the headlight buckets, hood latch, etc. in preparation for getting the front sheet metal hung. Once I get this thing running, get the HVAC lines plumbed and determine there's no issues, the front clip will go back on...

Nice. Looks like you're moving along.

I'm pushing to have my car done for LS Fest also