HAFRODs 78 Aeroback Salon build

[HAFROD]

Got started on my 350 engine. I done some trading a couple years ago and ended up with it. It was in a late 70s Chevy truck. It was running but mileage unknown. I tore it down to find it all standard and a 2 bolt main. Crank looks pretty good and not much of a ridge so I'm just going to put in new bearings and rings, double roller chain, Summit cam and lifter kit, and a new stock pressure Melling oil pump. I have a set of heads from an 88 Chevy truck that had low miles from being rebuilt. I'm going to lap them and put on new seals. I bought a Weiand Street Warrior intake to fit these centerbolt heads. I also bought a set of Proform aluminum valve covers. I have a 600 Holley carb that I had on a 57 Chevy last year. It is new but since its been sitting, I'm going to take the bowls off and clean them up. I'm on a budget so I'm doing everything myself. I installed a friends MSD distributor last summer and he gave me his Accel HEI that was barely 4 months old. So between used and new parts I had bought for a past project that I just sold, I got some good entry level speed parts. I got the freeze plugs out of the block and three stone honed the cylinder walls. I followed that up with a ball bead hone. I also lightly honed the lifter bores. Gave it a good degreasing and washing followed up by a blow job I got the old rings off the pistons and retorqued the caps on. I used a 180 grit barrel sanding roll and lightly worked the rods making sure they were not egg shaped. Basically redneck rod resizing. Got to go get some plastigage and 800 grit sandpaper so I can cut it in strips to polish my crank journals. I've built ALOT of small block Chevys but this is the first one I've not taken to a machine shop.

 

[HAFROD]

Did a few misc things. I stripped the dash I bought from a salvage and cleaned it. I polished up a few trim items that I had extras of till I found super nice pieces. Got my new intake marked with a blue Sharpie for a gasket match I'll be doing tomorrow. Pulled my new valve covers out of the box to make sure I got hardware. Finished going through a large tote of misc G-body nuts bolts and screws and separated them. This way I can choose the nicest ones.

 

[DRIVEN]

Gonna look nice.

 

[ssn696]

You will be so happy you organized all your fasteners. That car doesn't understand what a good deal it got...

I usually find the missing bolts I squirrelled about a month after the part is put back on...

 

[liquidh8]

You will be so happy you organized all your fasteners. That car doesn't understand what a good deal it got...

I usually find the missing bolts I squirrelled about a month after the part is put back on...

Yeah, that happens to me too.

 

[HAFROD]

Got my crankshaft polished and installed in block. Checked with plastigage and its now within spec. I tried a set of standard bearings but too loose. I used a set of .001 oversize. Spent most of the day cleaning my garage and putting up tools. Kinda nice assembling an engine in cleanliness. Even better when the tools are back in the tool box. No more looking around for 10 minutes. Got the pistons and rods soaking in a tub of gas. Hopefully the gunk in the ring lands will come off easier. I'm hoping for tomorrow to get the pistons and rods installed and do a mild port job on my heads. Its supposed to be nice tomorrow so hopefully I can stave off the urge to jump on my ZX14R

 

[DRIVEN]

Don't fight it.

 

[liquidh8]

Hell with it, just go for a ride!

 

[HAFROD]

Well, I did not work on the engine today. I removed the rear window for a few reasons. The glass has really bad scratches on it, I need access to the rear most corner of the quarter windows channel because of rust, and I want all the nooks and crannys painted this next go around. I'm going to get another rear glass from my local salvage. I had forgot that the previous owner used an air hammer and removed the factory seat belt anchors from the floors. This was his idea of putting seat belts in a 64 Nova. Why he would not make some from scratch is beyond belief. My buddy I had traded the car to made an attempt at patching them. I cut his work out. My main specialty is metal fab. I will put in patch panels and weld on the correct size nuts so the factory torx bolts will work. After I got the rear window out, I removed the package tray trim that is at the bottom of the rear glass. Under that was a nice shiny section of the original russet metallic color. I really like this color so I will NOT paint it the red I found at Summit.

 

[HAFROD]

It was in the mid 40's here today so not much done. I had my wife help me use piano wire to remove the windshield. It is not broke but dull, hazy, couple small chips, and the shaded strip at the top turned gold. Got a new one for it a couple weeks ago. I test fit it to make sure it was the correct one. I layed under the car holding construction paper while she marked the lines for the patch panels from inside the car. At least I did something!