Thread: Everybody that is currently building a car...

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Originally Posted by falconvan

I started out planning to put a Ford into a Mopar so I dont know if a GM is a step up or not.Your motor looks good! Is that going into or coming out of your car? Some years ago Hot Rod stuffed a 500 Caddillac into a Chevette. Theres probably pictures of it on the internet somewhere.

That picture was when it was a little crusty and sittin on the floor, but thanks. This has been gone over and put in. I have a season on it so far. I Love the torque of the 340 and that 509 M/P cam works well too.

Looks good in there!! Never have ran anything with a 340 in it, had a few cars that were Mopars, but always had the 440's in them....

Maro is looking great, Dave! You engine looks awesome, Mopar. I'll be glad when I can get back on the Plymouth. Hopefully this Chevy wont take too long, maybe a few months or so. I worked on the steering column today, it was definately going to be in the way. I pulled the lower shaft off of a Astrovan at the boneyard this week, cut the bottom 10 inches off the Chevette column and grafted it on. It gave me a decent offset, should be able to wedge a V8 in there now. I've got the motor set up with a early small block short water pump and pulleys, and the radiator came in today and looks like it's going to fit fine. On a humerous note, some kids broke into my work car and stole the stereo right in my driveway. What a bunch of idiots. The CD player has been broke for a long time and it only picked up 3 AM stations. They did a real clean job removing it, didnt break a thing. The dumbasses did me a favor by taking it out. I had a new one I was being lazy about installing cause I didn't feel like pulling the old one as long as it worked. The cops nabbed them breaking into some other cars in the neighborhood that night.

Looks good Falcon!!! Hope you're going to at least send the thieves a thank you note, could even include your favorite lawyer's business card!!!!!!

Did a little messing around with the 'maro today, started fabbing up a steering column and some mounts for it..... Yeah, I know. Nothing wrong with the stock one, but I just don't like it!!!!! Sure do wish somebody wanted to buy the thing, would be a lot easier working with someone else's money then mine!!!!

Dave,
where do you get steering column bearings? The Chevette shaft didnt have a lower bearing because the shaft didn't have a u-joint. Now that it does, I need to support the shaft where it comes out the bottom of the column tube, The I.D of the tube is about 1 7/8" and the O.D of the shaft is just a hair over an inch.

I use 3/4" OD DOM tubing for the steering shaft, then use the slightly oversized 3/4" heim joints made for circle burners... For a bearing between the housing and the shaft, we have a company locally called Malloy bearing, I just get the OD of the shaft, and the ID of the housing and go find one that fits..... I've also just used a chunk of bronze and the lathe to make bushings to go in the housing and support the shaft.....

Thanks, I'll check that out.

Decided the 'maro needed a bit more engine set back so it doesn't plow thru a turn as bad.... Just did some cutting and mock up for now and set in a sbc hooked to a 700R4. In the pictures, the engine is back about 5" further then stock which locates the front cylinder about 1 1/2" behind the spindle centerline.... Still have to go find some junk heads and intake for mockup but it will end up in this area. Have to do some more cutting and build a recess for the distributor, too bad chebbie set it on the wrong end of the engine, things would be easier!!!! Going to have to raise it up a bit, the trans pan is a bit lower then the lowest point on the car.... Also going to have to do a bit of fab work on the firewall....

Anyway, just a mock up to see where I'm at. Lots of work to do on these cold, nasty, snowy days anyway.....

Looks cool, Dave. Just dont ask me to help change those back two sparkplugs.

[QUOTE=Dave Severson;338210]Not getting old, I AM old!!!!!!!


Dave,

Well if your old than what am I?

I don't get on my computer very much any more, they are running me ragged down here in Orlando. Planning to go to the drag races this Saturday though.

How's the doors coming along? I was thinking maybe you should wait untill I get home this spring before you work on them..... I'll make a templete off my stock doors so you'll be able to get the right bend on them.

A cool day here only in the 70s

[QUOTE=Tom F;338809]

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Not getting old, I AM old!!!!!!!


Dave,

Well if your old than what am I?

I don't get on my computer very much any more, they are running me ragged down here in Orlando. Planning to go to the drag races this Saturday though.

How's the doors coming along? I was thinking maybe you should wait untill I get home this spring before you work on them..... I'll make a templete off my stock doors so you'll be able to get the right bend on them.

A cool day here only in the 70s

Hey Tom, how goes the "vacation"???? Good to hear from you! Could you PLEASE pack up about 40 degrees of warm weather and send it my way????

Originally Posted by falconvan

Looks cool, Dave. Just dont ask me to help change those back two sparkplugs.

Yeah, going to make the upkeep a bit tougher, but gotta do something to get a bit more rear weight on the car.... Got to get the weight right and the suspenion in it that will work before it's worth putting any kind of power to.... What I've seen of the '82-89 Maro's, they couldn't hook up the power of that puny little 305 and their handling was even worse!!!!!

Damnnnn--I did that to put a Lincoln in a 55 ford----and the back plugs are changed from the inside of the car---

Picture is a bit decieving, there's a bit more room in there then it looks. I had a '70 Mustang with a 429 in it, this one looks easy compared to that!!!

Today was test fit the engine/trans day. I talked my son into coming over to help me but while I was waiting I decided to try my air cleaner idea. I built a dual snorkel out of two Astrovan air cleaners. It was too tall when it was done so I cut the bottom out of a recessed bottom air cleaner I had and that did the trick. Here's some pics of that. The motor is together, I found an old Edelbrock Streetmaster low rise intake that will let me shut the hood without having to put a hoodscoop on, and I painted it blue to go with the whole factory prototype theme. The motor fit pretty decent but the bummer is that there's no way manifolds are going to work. It's going to have to be headers and the driver's side is going to be a major pain. Other than that, moving right along. Time to build motor mounts.