First off...hello! Been awhile since I've been here as life has hammered me with some nasty surprises in the past decade plus. I have a pair of autoimmune diseases that ripped my life out from under me violently, but enough of that.
My '78 Monte Carlo is nearing completion. I have a fresh full roller 383 stroker that spit out 604 HP @ 6800 RPM on pump gas. I have a TH375B trans behind it, though it has many years behind it, including hundreds of passes @ Numeda Raceway in Pennsylvania and will be refreshed in the near future. I have tubular control arms @ all 4 corners, 450 lb springs in the front, stock rear, the largest sway bars I could locate, upgraded front brakes & spindles to allow for a conversion to a 12" rotor. I'm running full race headers with 1 7/8" primaries into 3" collectors. From there n back is a PYPES 3" stainless dual exhaust with the X pipe & dump pipes with a pair of Flowmaster 40 mufflers. Mechanically the car is 95% complete and it now resides in the body shop being refinished.
One are I need to upgrade once the car is on the road is the steering box. I have far too much assist @ speed, which doesn't leave me feeling confident when throwing the car into a corner at high speed. I know I can buy a box already built, but where can I buy the parts or kit to build it myself? I have 30+ years of professional experience as both a tech and a shop owner, so I have zero apprehension building my own steering box. I know I need to lose the excess assist and the sector shaft plays a major roll on that front, but I'm coming up empty locating parts to "customize" my own box.
I also will be buying new wheels, and I'm about positive I'm going with the weld wheels. My question here is what is the widest wheel I can safely run in the back of the car with NO possibility of a tire and/or wheel making contact with the quarters. I know I can fit a 245-60 tire underneath with no issue, but would like to go bigger there as well, so what is the largest tire & wheel that will fit a stock wheel housing on a G body car? Again, If I have to go a small amount less wide to assure myself of no possibility of tire contact with the sheet metal, so be it. What back-spacing, diameter & width is what it boils down to. I also would like to run something close up front, but being my headers each have 1 tube that goes outside of each front frame rail to get the best flow #s out of my exhaust, I can't afford to go nuts up front.
My final question is related to classic car insurance. Do I have to have the car appraised and then insured at a set value or how does this work? Mechanically I have over $20k into the car in the past few years alone. The engine/exhaust/suspension & brake upgrades were not too far shy of the $20k figure by themselves. I've never had a classic/antique car worth anywhere near what I have into this, and being I've been hit 5 times by people with NO insurance, I need to be beyond positive my car is protected. The car will not see anywhere near 1000 miles per year when complete, though I am not the kind of guy to baby it. I intend to drive it and have fun doing so. You can't have an honest 600 HP under the hood and drive like a 90 year old man. My days of dragging the car are long gone, but I do indeed love finding long, isolated, twisting mountain roads and seeing how well my driving skills are holding up.
I greatly appreciate all answers. If anyone has any questions for me, don't hesitate to ask. I am a lifelong professional auto/truck/equipment technician and I am certified to the hilt.
Thanks
again, Kirk Bonanny.
My '78 Monte Carlo is nearing completion. I have a fresh full roller 383 stroker that spit out 604 HP @ 6800 RPM on pump gas. I have a TH375B trans behind it, though it has many years behind it, including hundreds of passes @ Numeda Raceway in Pennsylvania and will be refreshed in the near future. I have tubular control arms @ all 4 corners, 450 lb springs in the front, stock rear, the largest sway bars I could locate, upgraded front brakes & spindles to allow for a conversion to a 12" rotor. I'm running full race headers with 1 7/8" primaries into 3" collectors. From there n back is a PYPES 3" stainless dual exhaust with the X pipe & dump pipes with a pair of Flowmaster 40 mufflers. Mechanically the car is 95% complete and it now resides in the body shop being refinished.
One are I need to upgrade once the car is on the road is the steering box. I have far too much assist @ speed, which doesn't leave me feeling confident when throwing the car into a corner at high speed. I know I can buy a box already built, but where can I buy the parts or kit to build it myself? I have 30+ years of professional experience as both a tech and a shop owner, so I have zero apprehension building my own steering box. I know I need to lose the excess assist and the sector shaft plays a major roll on that front, but I'm coming up empty locating parts to "customize" my own box.
I also will be buying new wheels, and I'm about positive I'm going with the weld wheels. My question here is what is the widest wheel I can safely run in the back of the car with NO possibility of a tire and/or wheel making contact with the quarters. I know I can fit a 245-60 tire underneath with no issue, but would like to go bigger there as well, so what is the largest tire & wheel that will fit a stock wheel housing on a G body car? Again, If I have to go a small amount less wide to assure myself of no possibility of tire contact with the sheet metal, so be it. What back-spacing, diameter & width is what it boils down to. I also would like to run something close up front, but being my headers each have 1 tube that goes outside of each front frame rail to get the best flow #s out of my exhaust, I can't afford to go nuts up front.
My final question is related to classic car insurance. Do I have to have the car appraised and then insured at a set value or how does this work? Mechanically I have over $20k into the car in the past few years alone. The engine/exhaust/suspension & brake upgrades were not too far shy of the $20k figure by themselves. I've never had a classic/antique car worth anywhere near what I have into this, and being I've been hit 5 times by people with NO insurance, I need to be beyond positive my car is protected. The car will not see anywhere near 1000 miles per year when complete, though I am not the kind of guy to baby it. I intend to drive it and have fun doing so. You can't have an honest 600 HP under the hood and drive like a 90 year old man. My days of dragging the car are long gone, but I do indeed love finding long, isolated, twisting mountain roads and seeing how well my driving skills are holding up.
I greatly appreciate all answers. If anyone has any questions for me, don't hesitate to ask. I am a lifelong professional auto/truck/equipment technician and I am certified to the hilt.
Thanks