1988 Monte Carlo LS ProCharger Build (10/12/21 - Back to Painting, Switching directions for power added)

[64nailhead]

I'll bet half the pushrods look pretty bad on the lifter end.

Be sure to check the heads as well for valve stem height (straight edge) and valve recession. The DOD failure is hard on them when this ^^^ occurs.

 

[Burning]

I'll bet half the pushrods look pretty bad on the lifter end.

Be sure to check the heads as well for valve stem height (straight edge) and valve recession. The DOD failure is hard on them when this ^^^ occurs.

Honestly the valves looked good as did the pistons. I think the lifter just ate itself up... The camshaft has one little scuff on it but not too bad at all. The push rods were all straight when we took them out.

Ill dig into it more when that time comes. Going into a plastic shrink wrap for the time being till i get past the body work and frame stuff.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Been a busy last couple days trying to work here and there as i can.

I got the rear stripped down so that i can take the body down to metal. Besides the seam sealer being shot, this car has been incredible that there hasn't been any rust besides at the vinyl top..

Combination of a wire wheel and paint stripper tool i got the most of the rear up to the rear cowl stripped.

Ill drop the gas tank tonight and do that last little bit and the rear cowl. Plan is to scuff with 80 grit, wax and grease remover, tack and then spray epoxy on the trunk area to seal it up. Got a little bit more work to do on the roof and then ill do the same to the whole roof area.

These little wheels have been awesome, did the whole back with this one wheel.

Need to go get some decent carbide cutters for this trim areas before i can continue. Gap looks decent right now, some more fine tuning needed.

My buddy is coming over sunday and nights next week to start taking off the doors, stripping the back sides and start stripping the shell. Ill pull the motor start stripping the engine bay and filling in unwanted holes while he does that. Plan is to have the back of the trunk lid, jambs, firewall, backside of doors, and back side of hood all stripped to metal and shot in epoxy by the end of next weekend. Hopefully getting the whole car in epoxy by the end of the month.

Gawd that looks awfully familiar! Déjà vú!!

 

[Burning]

Gawd that looks awfully familiar! Déjà vú!!

Lol, indead it does. Thanks for all the help you have lent so far.

A Little update but not much going on in the garage.

Still stripping body panels! Almost there, ran out of sand paper so i need to grab some more and my buddy is bringing his sand blaster over so we can get those hard to reach areas.

Overall the car is pretty damn straight, there is a couple small little dings and dents here and there that we are gonna dolly out.

Found this little gem as we pulled the doors off, either i am gonna try and figure out how to fix (not sure if i am capable of it) or just get a new door. The factory way this was sealed up is garbage, and i know why it rusted out. Luckily the other door is just starting to surface rust so i can still get that one cleaned up.

Im deleteting the chrome trim, which means i have to deal with this situation also. Im thinking about cutting the seams on both sides and then welding in a patch panel there to fill it in.

Also i am running into this little issue with the hooker headers! Damn bolt is hitting the headers and its all their system ~ clam-shells, poly mounts, and stands!

Still aiming to get the car in epoxy soon, i didnt quite understand how much time would be used stripping this damn thing!

 

[RabbitHoleSS]

Lol, indead it does. Thanks for all the help you have lent so far.

A Little update but not much going on in the garage.

Still stripping body panels! Almost there, ran out of sand paper so i need to grab some more and my buddy is bringing his sand blaster over so we can get those hard to reach areas.

Overall the car is pretty damn straight, there is a couple small little dings and dents here and there that we are gonna dolly out.

Found this little gem as we pulled the doors off, either i am gonna try and figure out how to fix (not sure if i am capable of it) or just get a new door. The factory way this was sealed up is garbage, and i know why it rusted out. Luckily the other door is just starting to surface rust so i can still get that one cleaned up.

Im deleteting the chrome trim, which means i have to deal with this situation also. Im thinking about cutting the seams on both sides and then welding in a patch panel there to fill it in.

Also i am running into this little issue with the hooker headers! Damn bolt is hitting the headers and its all their system ~ clam-shells, poly mounts, and stands!

Still aiming to get the car in epoxy soon, i didnt quite understand how much time would be used stripping this damn thing!

Looks awesome.Thats alot of work that should pay off in the end. How did you strip it? Im curious since ill need to do mine in the near future.

 

[Burning]

Looks awesome.Thats alot of work that should pay off in the end. How did you strip it? Im curious since ill need to do mine in the near future.

IF i had to do it again i would pay someone to come soda blast.

I am using a combination of a wire wheel on a die grinder, paint stripping wheel from 3M, DA 6" with 80 grit, DA 4" with 180 grit, and lots and lots of elbow grease.

 

[axisg]

ughh when I was younger and had more energy I would have done the same. Now that I have a small soda blaster myself it is so much easier. You go thru a tonne of media but it's so much cleaner and quicker to have someone with the right equipment blast thru it all in an afternoon vs a bunch of weekends trying to do it yourself.

Great job on the build BTW !

 

[fleming442]

There's this guy on here in Jersey that's been threatening a blasting operation for a few years. I wish he would get started!

 

[Burning]

Finally got the car wrapped up on the stripping side of things. Cobbled together the front end, slammed a 2x4 where the spring goes and roller her out to prep for media blasting.

Got the entire door jamb blasted, front windshield channel, quarter windows, and fire wall. Still have to do some work on a couple areas where the media wouldnt take off the material but the hard work is done.

I underestimated how much of a mess that would be, but i am gonna be stripping the entire inside of the car out in prep for paint anyways so ill clean it out as much as possible. Working this week on going back and getting any areas the blasting couldn't get off and scratching the entire car with 180 grit. We are scrambling to get the car in Epoxy by Wednesday and hopefully shooting 2k on Saturday.

We decided that it would be best to go ahead and do the body and jambs first, then go back and spray the front clip, bumpers, doors and trunk lid separately. Should matter since im using a black color and i have 1 gallon of it.

Also have been stocking up on some go fast parts, i have now aquired FID1600 CC and FID2000 Injectors, a Magnafuel 4303 pump, Fuel sump kit and currently working on getting my BTR .660 springs and custam cam from John Bewley.

Also my buddy took this video while i was blasting and he was holding a light. Thought it was pretty satisfying.

 

[Tony1968]

Looks like a really clean body. Congrats