My 79!

[bigjoenvegas]

I started on my door panels the other day. I went to my local upholstery shop and picked up a sheet of the 1/8 inch thick cardboard. So far I have just cut out the cardboard by using the old panel as a template but I made sure I left a little extra and trimed it off as I test fitted the panel. Next I will remove the metal that the factory pushed through on the old cardboard using my 4 1/2" grinder and a metal cut-off wheel. Once that is removed I just have to rivit the cardboard to the top door plate that holds the window felt and cover with foam/vinyl. I also painted my lower panels with another coat of black, so they are ready to go. Here is where I am at right now and I will have the rest of it done and posted by the end of the weekend. BTW, the lower panels I paid $8 for at the junkyard and the rest of the material didn't cost me more than $30. So, it's pretty inexpensive.

 

[bigjoenvegas]

Haven't been able to do much on the elco lately because I am in the process of moving and I've been working my *ss off. But the other day I found out that my intake manifold is leaking in the front where the rubber gasket is. Looks like it just popped out? Anyways, so after the move, I am going to tear off the manifold and replace the gaskets. When I do that I am also going to put on new valve cover gaskets, valve cover fingers, spark plug wire holders, and I'll get the edeljunk rebuilt! I'll be back at it soon!

 

[bigjoenvegas]

Got my gauge pod courtesy of kuruption, (thank you) and my Iroc mirrors. Picked up the mirrors at the junk yard for $5. I got a power mirror for the drivers side because eventually it will be hooked up, passenger will just be non-power. I have more time this weekend so I can start wrenching on the elco. I'm gonna be changing the intake gasket, temporary installing the gauge pod, primer mirrors/install and install upper door panels. The door panels will be finished tomorrow and I'll post pictures of those when done.

 

[kuruption109]

Got my gauge pod courtesy of kuruption, (thank you) and my Iroc mirrors. Picked up the mirrors at the junk yard for $5. I got a power mirror for the drivers side because eventually it will be hooked up, passenger will just be non-power. I have more time this weekend so I can start wrenching on the elco. I'm gonna be changing the intake gasket, temporary installing the gauge pod, primer mirrors/install and install upper door panels. The door panels will be finished tomorrow and I'll post pictures of those when done.

No prob.. nice to see things coming along wit the elco.

 

[Lue]

looking good Joe.. Make sure to post pictures when you switch over to gauges. I'm doing the same swap, but dont know if my engine harness will work. What type of engine did it originally come with?

 

[bigjoenvegas]

looking good Joe.. Make sure to post pictures when you switch over to gauges. I'm doing the same swap, but dont know if my engine harness will work. What type of engine did it originally come with?

Thanks, I most definally will post picks on the swap. The malibu forum has the diagram for this exact swap. I never really checked what motor came in my car and so I went to elcaminocentral.com and looked up my vin. It came with the 231 v6 but now it has a 350 in it. Will this make a difference? I already have some aftermarket gauges hooked up and they are mounted where the ash tray goes but I would like for these to work.

 

[Longroof79]

Joe,
Looking at your old dash and new gauge cluster/ pod. What are you planning to do as far as your wiper switch is concerned?
Obviously, the new type cluster bezel does not accomodate the old dash mounted switch. Do you plan on going with the column/ stalk mounted switch?

Also, for your intake manifold leak. Do not replace the rubber runner gaskets. The better solution is going with RTV on the block rails. I believe you lay down approx. an 1/8" bead on the front and rear intake rails. Just be neat and careful not to get excess silicone down into the lifter valley.

 

[bigjoenvegas]

Joe,
Looking at your old dash and new gauge cluster/ pod. What are you planning to do as far as your wiper switch is concerned?
Obviously, the new type cluster bezel does not accomodate the old dash mounted switch. Do you plan on going with the column/ stalk mounted switch?

Also, for your intake manifold leak. Do not replace the rubber runner gaskets. The better solution is going with RTV on the block rails. I believe you lay down approx. an 1/8" bead on the front and rear intake rails. Just be neat and careful not to get excess silicone down into the lifter valley.

Yeah, thats why it was leaking. I read not to put in the rubber runner gaskets but I guess I thought I could make them work. I thought wrong, so I get to redo it! When I bought the car it came with an extra steering column because the original was stripped from someone using vice-grips to steer. But on the new column I had the wiper/ turn signal stalk, so I'm gonna hook it up that way. But recently I have had some more major issues with the car. I pretty much haven't driven the car too much since I bought it but lately I've been having to use it for work. The other day I go and hop on the freeway only to find out I have no 3rd gear! As I am putting along I try to see if I can manually put it in 3rd but then I find out I can't shift down to 1st or 2nd. When I pull over to look I notice my exhaust must have bottomed out bad at one time and it's sitting up against my shift selector shaft and making it leak like crazy now. I pretty much HAD to drive it for a couple days now and I felt like I am driving some crappy smoker car! To make things worst, As I am coming home one day (doing 45 on the freeway) I start to hear one of my tires seperating. So before it does any damage, I pull over and check it. Thank god it wasn't completly seperated because I didn't have a spare. It was good enuff to get to the tire shop in which I bought 4 all new tires. Yipee, right? Nope, I get to spend the weekend changing the intake gasket and some of the seals on my transmission. I didn't have my kick-down cable hooked up, so I am hopeing that is why my 3rd gear was missing or could it be that I was losing vacuum from the intake leaking? Maybe it could be the vacuum modulator going out? Would the low transmission fluid pressure be the cause? I'll be working on it tomorrow with my mechanic friend but he usually just tells me what to do, cause he's been working on cars all week. Anyone have any tips or pointers for me?

 

[bigjoenvegas]

Now that I have been back working, I've been able spend some money and get some work done on the car. I just had to change out the gaskets and fix all my vacuum lines. My detent cable was screwing up my 3rd gear, now it's adjusted right and she flies down the freeway again!
Before

Halfway

Swapped alt. housing for a cleaner one that I had and now I'm done!

Next weekend, I am gonna clean her up good! Remove air conditioning, full cleaning, paint up brackets snd other parts.

 

[kuruption109]

SWEET...