Space City 1982 GP Build

[Texas82GP]

Yep, both the hydroboost brakes and the damn firewall insulation are from its diesel heritage. When I finally get around to doing mine all that stuff is coming off.

I'm going to leave the hydroboost. I didn't get to drive the car as much as I would have liked before I tore it down but the brakes felt fine to me and I like how little space it takes relative to a vacuum booster. The car needs too many other things worse.

Did you ever replace the door panels, and if so, what do you want for the "casket handles" and woodgrain panels with the switches?

The interior project is on the horizon. I have buckets and a non-pillow top back seat out of a Monte waiting. I also have a floor shift column and a late 70's Trans Am steering wheel (black) with an arrowhead horn button instead of the firebird. After I'm done with the drivetrain restoration I hope to enjoy the car some and then I will do the interior. When I do, I'll save the casket handles, woodgrain panels, and woodgrain switch panels for you.

 

[GP403]

late 70's Trans Am steering wheel (black) with an arrowhead horn button instead of the firebird.

+1 to that

 

[Texas82GP]

Hydroboost question has been addressed, but let me add

Thanks for the advice on the hydraulic hoses for the hydroboost. While the car came from the factory with the hydroboost, the power steering pump that was on the 400 only had one return port on it. The diesel's pump would have had two. The pressure line from the pump runs to the hydroboost, then a pressure line runs from the hydroboost to the steering gearbox. Then, there are two return hoses to the pump, one from the steering gear and one from the hydroboost. The prior owner overcame the lack of having two return ports on the power steering pump by tying the two return lines together with a Rube-Goldberg contraption of brass fittings and hose clamps that leaked like a sieve. Before I decided to pull the engine I bought all new hoses and the diesel style pump to fix the gusher. That will all be going on the car along with a close ratio steering box I bought at the same time.

 

[Texas82GP]

+1 to that

Yeah, that wheel looks great in there! That is so much cooler than the stodgy three spoke stock plastic wheel with the woodgrain.

 

[Texas82GP]

Have a little progress to report. Haven't worked on it too much in the past month. I've been spending most of my free time on my dad's 1962 Ford Galaxie and on my brother's 1978 Z28. I did get the motor mounts cut off of the frame. They were welded on and were higher and farther back than where they should be.

 

[Texas82GP]

I also got my bell housing cleaned up. It was filthy. It had raw oil on the inside and the remains of two different corporate blue paint jobs. I don't have any before pictures. I started out at the quarter carwash with engine degreaser and the high pressure soap. That got me to a decent start but almost all of the paint survived and there was some baked on crust that was very stubborn. Next I brought it home and used easy off oven cleaner. The top layer of paint came right off and it also attached the crust pretty well. I used several applications followed by rinsing it off with the sprayer on the garden hose. That got it pretty clean but it had turned a dull chalky grey. I tried some aluminum brightener but I didn't have any luck with that. I ended up just going over it with a red scotch brite. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm going to leave it bare.

 

[Texas82GP]

I also got the four speed cleaned up in preparation for the overhaul. It also was filthy. It had geologic layers of crud on it. It's looking better now.

 

[Texas82GP]

Here is pic of the wheels and tires I have on the car now. These are the 16" ZQ8 wheels. I bought the arrowhead decals on ebay. This was the first thing I did to the car. I don't have a picture of the car with them on though. I put these on it and replaced the sloppy stock 4-speed shifter with a Hurst Competition Plus shifter as soon as I got the car.

 

[Texas82GP]

Here is where I'm working. It's a 10'x25' storage around the corner from my house. I don't have the space for it at home and don't want it sitting outside.

 

[mr evil]

I also got the four speed cleaned up in preparation for the overhaul. It also was filthy. It had geologic layers of crud on it. It's looking better now.View attachment 40818

Lol, geologic layers! Love it!
Beautiful car, keep up the great work.