Dreamin Ta's
 

John
Sounds like quite a list
Would love to see pictures as things progress

I was thinking some front skirts on the front splitter
to the fenders. Aka Z06 style. Have not got that far yet
Trying to keep CAM class for rear splitter but will more than
likely do a larger one also

Good stuff. Keep us posted

Was also wondering your car weight?
Trying to lighten mine

Bob

My car was 3500 before the safety upgrades. Probably about 3750 after. During the current project I've removed a few things like the HVAC and more factory sound deadening but added metal to the front/rear firewalls and done a bunch of chassis stiffening plus added weight with aero parts so I'll guess it'll be up over 3800. The next engine/trans will be lighter and then we'll see what happens after that.

I'll get around to updating my project thread but till then here's a pic of some prototype parts I made for the front during mock up. Might give you some ideas.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...psfhida09i.jpg

Dreamin Tas
 

I finally got the wiring back in for the fans and relays
Mounted the Vac res tank and then did one of the
Brake ducts

Bob

Dreamin Tas
 

Finished Brake duct

Bob

headlights
 

Were the headlights made for any F-body or were they a universal number?

Dreamin Tas
 

Headlights are Summit racing.. 7" diameter I believe.. like $70
for the pair.. its a racecar not a show car... but trying to make
it look somewhat showy and I needed a place to put the turn signals

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

My buddy gave me a brace so cut it down
and then had my buddy weld it up

Dreamin Ta's
 

Painted it up and Fabbed a couple of plates to sit inside
the frame rails

Dreamin Ta's
 

Brace bolted in place

Nice! I have one that goes under the car. Looks almost like another sway bar until you realize it's welded in.

Dreamin Ta's
 

I decided to do a tow hook while I have everything
open in front. Kind of like a Mean Streets copy but with more
offset since the Birds grille is different

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Finally got the lights fitted up and the nose brackets
done. Need to add one more brace on the lower center
as things flex just a little too much

Bob

Nice work, Bob. You'll have it back on the road soon!

Dreamin Ta's
 

Trey
I have been a liitle slow on things lately
Had the death cough cold for a couple of weeks
Then I did a little yard work

Now time to get the bird done
Been looking at brakes

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Added one more vertical brace and a tie to the lower glass nose
as things were flexing slightly... I figured I needed the support for
the added piece I put on the spoiler

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Almost done with one of the braces... cleaned up
the cut inner fenders... got myself into doing some
body work on them and finally said good enough.... its
a race car

Hope to drive it this weekend and see if anything moves
around before I try to fit the hood

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Finally took the bird out for spin after playing
with Can Am cars yesterday. Good to get it back
on the road. Need to get the front sway bar mounts redone
then start on fitting the new glass hood. Several weeks
before running Crows Landing

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

I finally got to fixing the nutserts that were loose on the
front swaybar... fabricated some backing plates on both sides
and had to make access holes in the frame on the side where
the Power Steering is bolted thru

Attached is the fabrication starting

Bob

Dreaming Ta's
 

Finished backing plate for the passenger side
I then had to shim the sway bar to get the bind
out of it.. it took some time to get it right
Then I made some curved plates to keep the sway
bar from moving left and right.. I had this issue in
the past and hitting the frame with one side is not good

Might be a different car.. but I could not tell much on my test run

Getting ready to Autocross it so all that is left is the hood
but I could run without

Bob

Nice...:cheers:

Dreamin Ta's
 

Mikey
You need to come out and run at Crows landing
in two weeks. Good place to test also as they usually
have a test track you can run as much as you want for $20
Also close to home for you

Bob

So it looks like you threaded the bolts through the backing plate and then pounded a small piece of sheet metal around the head to keep the bolt from loosening when tightening the nuts on the bolts, is that what I'm seeing?

Why not just put a couple pretty good tack welds on the bolt heads to the backing plate?

I am afraid of having this same issue some day, with the monster muscle bar I'm running up front...I'm just waiting for the day those bolts pull out of the frame.

Car looks good, now get it finished up and go out and get some seat time in it!!

Yes. I plan on it. Now, if only i had a running car.....the tune is tomorrow (wed) so heres hopin its dialed by the weekend.....Sons weddin in our backyard in four weeks, prepping the house, then "no worky" on the house for 1.5 years.....Crows here we come!!!!

Dreamin Ta's
 

Lance,
yes threaded thru... locktight red then the sheetmetal
Not sure how to use the new welder my buddy has at my
shop... need to get a quick lesson.... so just went with this for now
After 28 years these things were bouncing around.. if I have
an issue I can get to them now..Nutserts were a pain to get out
I have a big gash in my arm from the sharp rotor when trying to pry them out

Mikey,
yes time to go to Crows.. mine can run even if the hood is
not on it.. would like to get the gear changed but too much
going on at work right now

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

So I finally weighed the car.. after adding the 5 point roll bar,
Disc brakes- still going to go bigger, 18" wheels with larger tires
out back, glass front end, hood, alum front supports, lexan rear window,
mono leaf springs, no side windows, sub frame connectors, hollow
front roll bar, alum fender braces etc I have saved 232 lbs so far
Car is at 3448 lbs without me in it... I know that's not the way
to weigh it but was how it was weighed at the good guys ride tech booth
a few years so I know it was accurate

I also just bought my folding bike so I don't have to walk a million
miles out at Crows landing this weekend.. getting old and the old
back pain goes right to the knee

Bob

Now you have to customize that bike!!!

Cars tuned, almost ready too run, but gotta help down in LA this weekend with my oldest, wedding prep sturff....

Keep it sunny side up and Crows!! how a bout some pics??

Dreamin Ta's
 

Mike,
I had a couple of other buddies wanting me to put
an engine on the bike also.... Hot Rodders:)

Might just run Crows one day to shake things down
as I have a million other things going on also

Bob

Nice work, Bob. Now go have fun beating on the car!

Agreed. :thumbsup:

Dreamin Ta's
 

One of my Buddies is wanting a 455 for his girlfriend's car
So I brought two more motors from my old shop to the new one
to see what I have

1975 455 destroked to 428 but bored so 440 with carrillo rods, weisco pistons,roller rockers, etc.. crank walked due to bad scatter shield... all bearings bad
Built in Idaho

400 balanced, blueprinted but all stock items 1971 block
Rod bolt went out the side of the pan.. built in Oklahoma

455 1973 stock motor out of a junk car... spun bearing

Here we have 4 of the 9 motors this car has had over the years
so I thought a group shot before I start getting rid of them

Bob

Bob,

If you had a nickel for every Poncho motor you had in that car...

:G-Dub:

lol

Car's looking great! Won't be long now.

Dreamin Ta's
 

Thanks Doug,
Trying to figure out what way to go with brakes
found out the Speed Tech road assault uppers cannot
take an AFX spindle so need to change them if I want
to go Aero brakes... Baer makes a 14" setup but I wanted to
stay away from a drilled rotor.. they do make one but for
$600 dollars each too much..

Question is does it make sense to go 14" all the way around
or do 14" in front and 13" in back or keep my 6 piston 13" wilwoods
and buy a 6 or 4 piston 12.888 out back

If I change things out on suspension later then will the brakes be wrong
sounds like it... tired of doing band aids but for $5k in brake systems
it better be right.. seems like pandoras box keeps opening up

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Did a little digging into one of my hurt motors
Thought the 400 had a broken rod bolt that went
thru the side of the pan. After pulling the pan it looks
like the rod bolts held up fine but as you can see the
Rod did not fair too well... Kinda hard on the crank also
Everything else seems to look ok

Now to check the 455 I think I spun a bearing. Never know
what you find in an abused motor

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

So I finally got into another damaged motor yesterday
A 1971 455 that was only run about 5 times
before I spun bearing...I did win at Slush series
with this motor before it let go... a junkyard dog that
I bought for $455.... everything else looks fairly
good so trying to decide if I get it redone or
sell it the way she sits now in case someone
wants to stroke things up etc

Bob

Dreamin Tas
 

I figured out that I could not run Good Guys
without a hood so thought of taking the Pantera
but decided I might as well get the thing done
Cut the new latches in.. needed to get longer screws
and cut and file the underside as it was double layer
in some spots and not in others... Hot outside but
got it done.. Then I finished drilling my hinges for lightness:)
and then started the fitting.. hood to hinges needed to be
notched to let it move forward then I had to notch the bolt
holes to the fenders so it would sit down

It fits fairly well but I need to do some glass work in the center
to get the nose to line up.. go enough to go racing now.. will deal
with it when it goes to paint later

Bob

Any pictures of the aerolatch pin mounting on the core support? I am getting ready to do mine and collecting ideas.

Dreaming Ta's
 

I will be at my shop tomorrow night and
can shoot a few more pictures. My core is
actually an aluminum tube. You need to look
under the hood to see where the backing plate lands since the hood
has some layers and curves. Then i found a place where
I could get to the verticle from underneath the tube to get the nut on

Really a lot easier than I originally thought
The thing I really like is positive locking and
if you don't have them latched you can see them
sticking up from the drivers seat. Been to a few events
where someone forgot to put hood pins in and busted
the hood and windshield. I actually had a vender break
A hood on my 69 trans am clone many years back
Tech took it down the street with hood locks open

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Picture of the latch pin
Like I said on an alum crossbar
but just find a place you can get to below

simple install

Bob

Dreamin Ta's
 

Hard part was finding a place to fit the latch
where I could have the backing plate installed
I had to cut a little off one end in order to get it
installed... but all good... also as stated before
my screws were too short so a trip to the hardware
store for metric screws was needed

Glad this part is done.. have fun with yours

Bob