OK, after a little shifter sidetrack........this should get the basics of the car documented and we can start speculating for the future. :D

The hind-quarter is nothing special, Global West leafs, DSE plates, 1" blocks and 2* wedges. I believe it's the original 12 both which I had freshened in the early 90's and was talked into the C-clip eliminator set up with Moser axles. Gearing is either 3:30 or3:42 can't remember and the tire/drive-shaft revolution count is tweenered. Fact is the 26.5" tire at 2300-2350 rpm with .63 6th delivers a GPS'd 85 mph.
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2014-L.jpg
The drive-shaft is a 3.5 steel from Inland Empire.

This photo "highlights" the DSE plates, rear drum brakes :_paranoid and Monroe Gas Magnum shocks which LOL were pretty hot stuff when I bought them in '91. :lol:
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...MAG2010-XL.jpg

Blocks and 2* wedges. I still have a bit of vibration at cruise rpm so I'll probably try 4* wedges and see what happens.
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2013-L.jpg

Now that the mediocrity of the car has been somewhat un-robed we can start having some 1st Gen upgrading fun. :yes:

One of my long-time friends is Grant Springer who was a true icon in Eugene, OR during '74-'76 when I was in high school. I'd get out of school and head straight to his shop to help in anyway possible, sweep, clean, sort, organize, etc. but most importantly stay out of the way of the go-fast guys at the shop. I was fascinated and always watching and listening to everything happening in that 6 man shop. I owe Grant an un-payble debt for being understanding enough to let a punk school kid hang out a learn what has become a life long hobby. I still to this day cherish a 7/16 wrench he ground down, torched, and bent, to as he said get those F'ing Pontiac headers unbolted. The Pontiac was mine, a silver 66 GTO, which was my first car in '76. I spent damn near every dollar I made on that car and a the Grant Springer Racing Engine in it was my pride and joy.

Grass roots drag and circle track boat racing motors were Grants forte back then. Here's a couple cool nostalgic articles about NW Funny Car Racing in the 70's. The #13 Springer & Price car is referenced in text only.
http://capracing.com/sixtyfour.html

http://www.capracing.com/nwnitro.htm

I got involved wrenching and pitting on an open-comp circle track car for a friends older brother in the late 70's and early 80's. Grant was building all the competitive roundy-round motors in the area. Our 70 Nova, was a Redfield coil over chassis, Franklin quick-change, Brodix headed, Carillo rodded SBC top five car in the area. Grant decided to build his own car, a 73 Camaro body with his custom designed truck-arm chassis and this little motor he has laying around the shop from a boat customer that had fallen on hard times and could pay his debt. It was a ZL1 that Grant had stroked to 390ish spec that would spin up over 9K. Never will I forget hearing and watching that car, stupid fast........when it would hooked up. :unibrow:

Time passed, business got crappy and Grant decided to put himself through college to learn about computers, he ended up working for Intel in Portland for about 5 years until he couldn't stand it any longer. He'd kept all his equipment in storage, where, I'm not sure. About 9 years ago he opened up shop again about 8 blocks from his original shop. Here's a few pics I snapped the other day.

Grant, now 68, on the right teaching another young kid the trade
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2027-L.jpg

Tools of the original trade
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2025-L.jpg

Home-made flow bench that tells no lies
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2026-L.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2024-L.jpg

Couple little Big M heads with 2.40" intakes off a 630 inch straight-liner
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...MAG2029-XL.jpg

One thing I admire is even though Grant worked as a "designer" for Intel, all his tools of the trade are manual...........no CNC. I was checking his current schedule and there's 31 hand-built motors currently in progress.

So there's a little more of my life history blended into a project named Norwood. :thumbsup:

My car came with the same or similar Monroe shocks you posted and a 2" block. I went down to a 1" and a coilover. Tremendous difference. :thumbsup: I have not seen the wedges employed before.

Very cool story and pics on the old timer! :thumbsup:

Cool story. Nothing like learning form the old cream of the crop. I am very fortunate to have learned from a couple of eng building/ racing legends. First Dick Landy then Lambeck Our equipment is pretty much the same as in those pics. Some of the stories of yesteryear racing and "the way we used to do it" I get to hear are priceless

Keep it coming Seig

I wondered how common that was, and while it is often done with lifts and 4x4's I have not encountered wedges in my meager experience...that I noticed or observed.

It would indeed make sense, for the same reasons adjusting driveline angle.
My 79 Bronco lift had 4* blocks for a 4" Lift to promote the same pinion angle as I recall.

Good Stuff Seig.
Do you know what GW leaf you have? I was recommended the L2-R2 which is not a StarWars droid but "lowers 2 and has a reverse eye."

Great story Sieg - prob my favorite post in this thread so far. Just like me, those early experiences make you and your car what it is today...:thumbsup:

Jerr - You really are fortunate to have two of the all time best next to you. Don't ever use the wrong wrench or Bob'll take your head off! Ask Mikey about that one...:D Did you hang out w Landy over in VN - Saticoy and Woodman? In the very early days, he'd fire up his motors and the whole neighborhood would rumble.

I bought them before they had L designation, they were as firm and low as they had at the time and still not low enough, but they are firm. With the old Goodyear Eagles on the rear Norwood was turned into a drifter. :D

Thanks "Gentlemen" :unibrow:

What's disappointing is a lot of memories of the early days were before compact camera's and digital. In comparison, today's world makes it so easy to create and archive a photographic time-line of your life. I've always dabbled in photography and have boxes of prints, I need to go through them again and scan more of the automotive images to digital.

HA HA I know all to well about Bob and his antics Bob hates lock washers too LOL.. I worked for The Landys over in Northridge back in the late 80's And like Seig I too crewed for a few circle track guys over at Saugus speedway back in the day

Ok back to Seigs build........................

Some may wonder why the name Norwood, the obvious would be the manufacturing facility which is the primary reason but the secondary reason is being born in May of 1958 I feel fortunate to have grown up in what I feel was the greatest segment of the cartoon era and Norwood has a little similarity to character names of the period.........IMO. Some may find that stupid and I'm quite OK with that, but I wasn't naming the car Claude. :D

May 1961 here. Taz is my co pilot and OLD SCHOOL CARTOONS ROCK!!!

Atta Boy! :thumbsup:

From a northerner's casual observation there's a few boys on this forum I'd like to invite out on my birthday for a little celebrating with hidden video of course...........Cinco de Mayo. :unibrow:

I've had to utilize wedges also.

You running coil overs front and back?? I knew you were holding out :cool:

I picked mine up in 2000. I had Doug de-arch them another inch. So far I am happy with them.

Great story BTW. Must have been a great time working with some legends.

Wanted to mention from an old post of yours but forgot, you want to match caster up front. Uneven caster could cause straight line instability at higher speeds.

Thanks! The springs are OK now with the blocks (aka bandaid's =)

As the saying goes Grant forgets more than I'll ever know. :D

Regarding the 3.9/4.3/0.4 caster settings, are you refering to equal on R&L, or obtaining 0.0 cross-caster??

Yes sir. Caster should be the same on the left and right side. As much as you can get but I know the control arms and attatchment points limit the amount of positive caster. Can you check something for me? What I have noticed on first gen subframes is that the attatchment for the upper control arm at front on the passenger side is bent towards the engine bay. Is yours like that?

So I made a little drug buy at a near by I-5 exit on Thursday..........

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2082-L.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2084-M.jpg

I can say no to most drugs, but these are different. What they'll lead me into more than a little concerning. :rolleyes:

Thanks Greg! :thumbsup:

Yeah bra, dats da medicine :thumbsup:

It doesn't really look bent inward, but there are no shims in in the front R.
Here's an overhead of the left:
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2089-L.jpg

Here's the right:
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...MAG2090-XL.jpg

Note: My subframe is questionable and it's ugly. I would love to replace it with a Canadian unit eh? But based on alignment specs there are other priorities at the front of my capital expenditures line. :(

Here's proof of the ugly:
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2091-M.jpg

Think Norwood may have been in one or more abusive relationships at some point in his life? Or maybe just a bad one-nighter? :rolleyes:

Add one of these:
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2079-L.jpg

And a few of these:
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2077-L.jpg

Add a roller bump-stick from Bullet, an RPM Air gap and 750 QFT, and a little TLC from Springer Racing and you have the makings of an Old Skool OBA. :unibrow:

Nice....what are the specs on the cam? Didn't get details on the heads either....

Those pics are conveniently another 383 customers parts. Heads are older AFR 190's w/ 2.00/1.60 70+ cc chambers, they've been decked so they need to be cc'd. Grant's working up some numbers for me. If I can make it happen the cam would be custom grind to his specs, 520 lift range, 10:1 comp.

I hear AFR's are the best heads out of the box. My cam is custom ground with an LSX firing order. Might want to ask yor builder about that. Also, I would recommend a Victor Jr Intake. I used mine on the street for years with a cam that was .250 duration at .050 and it was fine. Especially since your running a 5 speed. If I was running a 5 speed I would probably go to a 3.73 gear.

Thanks for reminding me, I remember reading your LSX firing order, forgot all about it. How much different does it sound compared to conventional?

Grant has been a proponent of the Victor Series for years, but he's the one that sold me on the Air Gap, he said they're producing equal or better numbers, with a slight look of amazement on his face.

I'm running a T56 Mag close ratio, .63 6th. Rear gear will end up at 3.55-3:73 leaning to the later. I tend to prefer a slightly taller gear, especially on my track and offroad bikes. Poor mans traction control. :D

You ever hear the drone from a modified LSX? I get that at a certain rpm. alot of guys dont like that but I think it sounds pretty cool. More like a howl rather than a drone.

When I had my air gap back in the day I dyno tuned my car. Switched to a Victor JR and re-dynoed. The Victor gave me 50 more hp. no lie.

When picking rear gears think about the top speed you will be running at the end of the longest straight of a track that you run at peak or max rpm.

With a 25.6" tire and 3.42 gears 145 mph is my top speed at 6500 rpm. I picked that speed according to Thunder Hill. So far I've hit 6200 rpm at the end of the straight which puts me at around 139-140 mph. A lttle more wheel time and some aero work I should hit my mark.

Since it was brought up, and you are deciding or having decided for you which route to take, I am curious on the differences/benefits of the LSx, 4-7 swap, and "Cleveland" firing orders. I just learned of the "Cleveland" firing order last week (also called the 4 cylinder swap).

:lateral:

I haven't heard the LSx in person. LSx, 4-7 and Cleveland will make for good discussion at the shop.

I've been out of the market a while, how many versions/revisions of the Air Gap are there? Performer and Performer RPM are the two I'm aware of.

My car has a late 80's Torker II on it, the revised version is rumored to be much better.

The Victor on a SBC looks proper :yes:

I'll assume your gearing/rpm numbers are based on 1:1 final drive? My intention is to base the track gearing off the 1:1 4th gear. 5th and 6th are recreational/transport gears IMO. :D

I am aware of the original Air Gap and then one update, but maybe there is more.

I had a Torker on my Pontiac motor in high school. :thumbsup:

And yeah 4th gear 1:1 (I'll answer for G) as I know he has a beefed up Muncie / Spec 25.

The Victor Jr and Super Victor are great looking intakes I agree. :thumbsup:

LS swaps 4-3 with 7-2 in the firing order. I'm no engineer but I'm assuming it's a better arrangement.

Yes, 1:1 final. Running standard Muncie gearing in trans.

Grant put an Offy Dual Plane on Pontiac motor he built for me in '78. :D

Received the take-off shifter today with a RA slip from American Powertrain. Appreciate the quick turn around time. :thumbsup:

So I had the swap discussion at lunch, the primary reason it's desireable is to reduce the load on lightened small journal cranks. Doesn't sound like it's desirable with standard V8 intakes like an Air Gap or Victor. Individual runner systems are required.

Here's one of Grant's legal 360 motors at our local dirt track this weekend, Kyle Miller is the kid (19) driving from pole in the #10 car. He's good but also has a slight horsepower advantage. :unibrow:

Added another project to the que today. Thanks for the connection GW. :thumbsup:

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Cars/69-Cama...IMAG2169-L.jpg

Nice....... "rod".....


:rofl:

Yes but it took 4 hours to get it back on the ground

Care to elaborate Mr Sieg or are you going to leave us all hangin' :D

GW hooked him up with some wide Intros so he needed to swap subframes. :unibrow:

Thank you, thank you very much. 120" x 3" of old growth stainless.
:D

:beathorse :beathorse

It's been like that for 39 years, doc said there's nothing to worry about.

Sure!

I'm hoping he can hook me up with some 22" gold wires. :unibrow: