In reply to MuSTANK :
How's your finger healing? All good now?
In reply to MuSTANK :
How's your finger healing? All good now?
MuSTANK said:Oh, before bringing this thread entirely into the arena of the interior and, later. the body modifications, I wanted to mention how the problems with the engine were resolved.
After installing the 327/Saginaw combination and getting everything sort of mostly sorted out, we ended up with a dire problem with the engine. It was a rebuilt/over bored Corvette 327/300 hp engine that we bought right out of the C2 Vette. The heads were done badly, so we had them re-built top to bottom. New valves, seats, springs, and had them planed down to increase compression. New lifters installed, new push rods, everything adjusted correctly, new Pertronix distributor, plugs wires, coil, and new Holley Brawler 600 carburetor as well.
Engine ran terribly with the previous used Edelbrock carb and refused to start at all with the new Holley. After over a month of fussing to no good end, we gave in and brought the car to a professional. He diagnosed the problem in under an hour and fixed in in less than a day's time.
Turns out that the floats were adjusted improperly from the factory and yours truly committed the cardinal sin of connecting the rear carb vacuum outlet directly to the crankcase breather opening at the back of the block; the small aluminum cone commonly called the "dixie cup" which sits on top of the opening which leads to the lifter galley. In doing so, I created a massive vacuum leak that prevented the carb from working at all.
The large vacuum port at the rear base of the Brawler is meant to be connected to the brake booster and fitted with a one way check valve, NOT plumbed into an open hole ! The shop plugged the vacuum port and DONE ! ! ! The car now preforms better than any 409 SS or GTO that I've ever owned. Like a damned Super Car ! ! It'll now light up the tires while already rolling at thirty five MPH in second gear, seriously lights them up again at the second third shift, and really has no need at all for the third fourth shift unless you're already up on the highway and at speed.
That reminds me of a podcast I heard with Jim Hall explaining how during the development of one of his Chaparral race cars he came to question why it needed a transmission at all. Turns out, it didn't.
In reply to Indy - Guy :
All good to go. The surgeon pulled the rod out of it last week, no longer bends at all, bones fused together as one, flesh mangled to crap, but looks pretty reasonable from two feet away.
Making some pretty good progress, in spite of this insanely cold weather. Steering wheel is now on for the final time with center crest in place, horn button needed to be re-located to the dash because of the DPO wiring set-up, but works great. One stock horn, one "highway" horn.
Put in the foil sound deadener, quieter, you can already tell the difference. Nearly finished up installing the new carpet. WAY easier than expected, just had to do some lay-out on the ground first and mark/make the cuts ahead of time. A small amount of adjustment once in place and almost done. Makes a HUGE difference. We'll post some good photos when everything is down and "settled in." Next up, seat belts, shifter boot, center console and interior panels. We'll need to repaint the interior black and green before hand though. Photos coming soon . . .
Be careful, I'm told that if you hook up 300hp in a Vega, the windsheild will pop out...
Watching with interest, just finished the exhaust on ours.
In reply to bentwrench :
Have a brand new windshield installed by a local glass shop, not at all worried . . . although that IS a kinda cool fiction.
In reply to Shavarsh :
We had the exhaust pieces all ready to install but decided in the end to have a stainless exhaust done up by a local hotrod shop instead. Between the resonance of the stainless pipes and the Flowmasters, the sound is PERFECTION. A smidge costly, but worth it, we would have failed in our "home grown" attempt for sure.
Been trying to install the new carpet, but foolishly didn't save the original to use as a template. We're having to cut the shifter and e-brake holes based on estimated positions and are having trouble fitting and trimming the excess at the thresholds and in the foot wells. Not our finest hour, but making SOME progress, ought to have everything all set by tomorrow afternoon. A lesson learned for when we begin the Mustang, NEVER scrimp on the carpet kit ! !
Poking through the random photos of the engine installation, we found a few images of the various details that make up the erzatz "factory" approach that we've been taking with the car. Trying to instill/install as much C2 Corvette into the build as possible, practical, and affordable. Things like the Harrison expansion tank, intake, valve covers, oil fill tube and cap, stainless fuel filter, pump, and lines, water neck, correct clamps, brackets, hoses, and all of the rest.
One of the more important things with the transplanted drive-line was being able to keep the factory torque arm, as aftermarket versions are expensive and don't really fit as well as the factory unit. The torque arm was an up-grade made to the later model Vegas and completely eliminates "wheel hop," a very troublesome problem with the early cars. Careful measuring and placement of the trans fore and aft made using the original arm possible, re-drilling a hole or two in the tail of the Saginaw, small spacers need to clear the housing, and a new two inch "bushing" pressed into the transmission end made everything work as it should. Took time and some head scratching, but really paid off beautifully and, above all, looks "factory" now that it's in place. The one thing that's most important with this build. That small scratch, in need of a touch of orange paint, really, REALLY, bothers me. Bruce never mentioned it when he was tightening the bolts . . . DAMN him ! It also kills me that the center nut doesn't match the others, look like a visit to the hardware and trip under the car this week is a MUST ! What made him think that he could hide this from me ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ?
Looking great. Who made the carpet? ACC?
MuSTANK said:It also kills me that the center nut doesn't match the others, look like a visit to the hardware and trip under the car this week is a MUST ! What made him think that he could hide this from me ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ?
While you're at it, the lock washers look like they need flat washers under them. You're welcome!
Finally got the carpet in along with the floor mats, need to get some good photos of those, but managed to shoot a nice dramatic "money shot" of the wheel, shifter, and dash panels all done. The wood grain dash panels (along with the wood grained door and rear panels) were all sun faded out to a horrible yellow tint. We ended up using a mixture of wood stains on them with a satin clear coat to being them back to factory fresh. Managed to score a few "chrome" pens to touch up the plastic trim. Came out SO much better than new in the end. Of course, the C2 Corvette wheel and center cap is the finishing touch.
Bruce wanted to get the interior fully sorted out before the body work, so the hood scoop is set aside for now but making pretty good progress on the interior re-installation. Carpets are in and new mats are down. Front seats went out for reupholster and the rear seat is back in along with the side panels. Rear panels are just placed for fitment'adjustments.
Quick photo of the rear carpet and panels in the back storage area, so far everything is looking "factory fresh," although it's been a really long haul to get to this final point in the assembly. Weeks of just freshening up each little piece. Seems like when you refresh one of the components, it makes all of the others look terrible and you need to address ALL of those as well . . .
This Kammback had an extremely curious modification made to it, most likely when first built or very shortly there after. The modification looks, for all the world, like something done at GM. It has an increased sized gas tank, rear fill as it should be, and over to the far right, with a spare tire well on the left. It has a four bolt, correct width, inflatable mini-spare set into that, with a cut out in the side trim panel. This side panel also has a factory hole and speaker grill. NONE of the Vegas, Kammback or otherwise, came with a left side speaker, they were all right side and only offered when you ordered the AM/FM radio option. The finish work on the rear deck and spare tire well is insanely well done, with factory welds and panel work. The spare tire well even has a drain hole in it just as would have been done at the factory. There is a stud to hole the jack and handle, and a bracket in the fender well to hold the factory GM hook to keep the spare tire fast in it's place. The jack base fits perfectly within the spare tire center opening and has the correct GM butterfly nut.
This is just SUCH a mystery and we have yet to find anyone who can explain or comment on this beautiful modification !
A shot or two of the empty spare tire well itself:
In reply to MuSTANK :
Dang that's clean!
Made some decent progress on the Kammback today in spite of the cold, got the door panels and center console installed. Seats are out being re-upholstered, still waiting . . .
I always liked the look of the early Vegas, particularly when they were in that color green. I remember a buddy and I riding our bicycles down to the local Chevy dealership back in 1971 to check them out. 
You'll need to log in to post.
