Project 'Overtime': Pro-Touring 68 Acadian (Nova) with L92 swap

[scherp69]

Thanks frojoe. Always nice to see another member from BC on here.

So today I got the front sway bar mounted. My buddy confirmed and even gave me part of the money, that he's going buying my Foose Nitrous wheels and Falken tires. Now to figure out which new wheels and tires to go with. Still leaning towards Billet Specialties Fast Lanes, 10" in the back and 8" in the front with 315's back and 245 or 255 in front.

Next Friday or the following Monday I'll be going across the line to pick up some new exciting parts Will post pics of the parts as soon as I can.

Before my buddy comes and picks up the wheels/tires, I thought I would mount them on my car to see how it's going to sit. This is the first time my car has been outside in over 7 years. Here's some pics:

[street3285]

Project is looking good! Definitely gives me some motivation to get back to work on my own.

What are your plans for the drivetrain?

[scherp69]

Thanks. That's part of what's coming next week. I'll update when I get it

[scherp69]

So I know many people decide to name their projects, well I've finally come up with a name for mine which I feel is appropriate. My build will now be known as project 'Overtime'. The reason I chose this name is in order for me to get this thing done sometime in the next decade, I'm going to have to work a bunch of overtime shifts. I already have 5 ten hours shifts planned for the next month, so it's a good start.

After much debate on what I was going to run for a motor...I finally made a decision. I am officially part of the LS group. I ended up going with one of the L92's that Frank at www.gpsuperstore.com had. For those of you that don't know what the L92 is, here's what Pace Performance has about it:

Standard equipment on the 2008 Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon Denali, the L92 has brought Corvette technology into the truck market. The L92 engine brings you the same 403HP @5700 RPM effort from a 6.2L Vortec V-8 small block that borrows from all of the features that have made our LS family of engines world renowned for thier efficiency, design and performance. Now the L92 is available to you as a crate engine from GM Performance Parts. The 6.2L L92 engine features an all aluminum design: deep skirt 6 bolt main LS block, variarble valve timing, coil on plug design, high-flow L92 heads designed with influences from the LS7 Corvette head, true 4-into-1 exhaust manifolds, hig volume intake plenum, beehive valve springs, cast aluminum rockers on needle bearings, and a large volume throttle body.

Here's also a good thread about it on www.ls1tech.com http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/genera...-l92-info.html

This engine is 403hp and 417tq stock. The displacement is 378cu in. It is basically a truck version of the LS3. If I was to take out the VVT cam and put in a LS3 cam, they would be almost the same (from what I understand).

Here are my plans for the motor:
- Get rid of the truck intake and put on a car intake, either the corvette one or the new FAST 102mm intake
- Cam, springs, water pump and 3 bolt timing gear upgrade. Will likely go with a comp cam: 231 / 239 at .050, and 616 / 623 lift
- Vintage Air Frontrunner or Billet Specialties serpentine kit
- I plan on keeping the VVT technology. Right now Mast Motorsports is the only one that is producing an aftermarket computer to run this set up. I will likely go this route unless by the time I need it, there are more on the market
- Speed Tech/Stainless Works polished stainless long tube headers http://www.speedtech-performance.com...rod/prd183.htm
- Autokraft oil pan and motor mounts
- polished valve covers with some type of coil relocation set up

With the cam upgrade, I've been told I should be at around 525hp. I'm hoping with the intake and headers upgrade, I will be closer to 550hp when I'm all done.

Anyways, enough yapping and onto the pics:











I already bought the Autokraft oil pan and motor mounts. For some reason though the motor mounts were in the package. Need to make a phone call this morning. Amazing work though on this oil pan.





And I also decided to get new Goodmark door hinges for both sides. I didn't like the Classic Industries ones. These ones look more like the original ones I took off so am much happier with them.

[scherp69]

Well definitely not as exciting as the last update, but I did get some work today. I had to take the subframe off again so I could get the firewall done and painted. Once that's done, the subframe will be back on for good.

Now that I have the motor and I know that I will be using a drive by wire throttle, I decided to smooth out the throttle cable hole and the throttle pedal mounts.

Two areas to smooth



Throttle hole smoothed



I posted this in the Body section also, but since this is my thread, I thought I'd post it here also. I know there are lots of great fabricators and body guys on this site, none of which would ever need any advice from a guy like me, but I thought I would share a tip a discovered today,all because I was lazy the other day.

This is for anyone who had a hole in a panel that they needed to fill in with more sheet metal. I'm sure a lot of us have sat there cutting and testing, cutting and testing until finally the filler piece is the right size. Sometimes it may take several attempts, but eventually we make it. Today I was doing some more work on smoothing my firewall now that I now I will be using a drive by wire throttle. I cut out the area I wanted to smooth and started looking at the hole I had to fill trying to figure out the best way to make a template. I happened to look over on the floor and saw a roll of masking tape that I was too lazy to pick up the other day and it gave me this idea.

I thought of taking pics after I had the tape on, but you'll get the point.

The area I wanted to fill in was the pedal holes to the left of the steering column hole.



Once you have the hole cut, cover the entire hole with masking tape.



I used an exacto knife to cut along the sides of the hole



I then stuck the newly cut piece of tape to some sheet metal giving me my template



If you cut it along the side of the tape, it will be the about the same size of the hole. Since I wanted to butt weld it, I cut a little smaller than the tape



Take the tape off and you have your patch



Tack it into place. The nice thing about trimming a bit smaller than the tape was it left me nice gap to fill in with weld



Finish your welding



And finally after some clean up



I'm also going to smooth out the two mounting holes for the emergency brake. I'm going to fab something up to mount the new Lokar unit when I get it. I had smoothed it out, but forgot to take my camera back to the shop with me so will post pics later.

These will be filled in

[70rs]

Nice project. I like the new power plant too.
Thanks for posting the tip on patching holes. I am a total rookie with the body work and could always use this kind of info. This one of the reasons I like this site so much. Everyone sharing ideas and experiences.
Keep the updates and pics coming.

[JohnKellum]

I just sat here and read this whole thread.... What an inspiration!

[waynieZ]

Hi Mike how's the car going. Post up some pictures when you get them. I live Vicariously through other peoples progress. lol I hope all is well. Wayne

[scherp69]

Thanks for the comments guys. I know how you feel Wayne. I too live vicariously through others....especially when I see cars on the street. Unfortunately no updates right now. A few weeks ago I decided I was going to extend our 3' x 5' porch to about 8' by 3'. Then I got the Home Depot flyer and saw some new railing I like, next thing I know I was planning a 400 square foot deck. So the past couple weeks I've been doing that. Even my wife was surprised when I spent a week while she was away on a course working on the deck and not in the shop working on my car. I think I'm getting domesticated Here's a couple pics of the deck transformation:

Before:



After:

[1badchevelle]

nice view.

Hope you coated your wood before installing it as it looks plain.