What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2019]

[Local Hero]

Held "shop class" today.

My office is closed though Wednesday. My older son, Jr. (who drives the Cop Vic) has two friends who recently earned their full driver's licenses. Their parents aren't "car people." Both have their first cars: Honda Civics.

So, both brought their cars to the shop today and I walked them through checking fluids, checking tire pressures, how to change a flat tire and how to safely jump start. It was good thing we did too. One had lug nuts on so tight (probably from an impact) that I had to use a breaker bar to break them loose. NO WAY would the kid have been able to break them loose on the side of the road with the factory lug wrench. I then went around and broke them all loose and re-torqued to a suitable spec so he can be successful in an emergency situation.

The other car had the bolt that holds down the spare tire rusted to where it couldn't be removed. So he would have been stranded as well. I was able to get it removed and anti-seized it before reinstalling.

All in all it was a fun day in the shop. All the guys seemed to appreciate the lesson's learned. And I felt good being able to pass along some of my grizzled old knowledge.

 

[81cutlass]

Got the shelf built for the heater, new hole drilled through the wall for the gas line and all the fittings gooped and its pressure testing now. If it holds like it should I will get the tap into the main line done in the basement, check for any smelly leaks and do a soapy water check, attach the heater to the shelf and tighten up the last few fittings and we should be in business!

 

[TURNA]

Got the shelf built for the heater, new hole drilled through the wall for the gas line and all the fittings gooped and its pressure testing now. If it holds like it should I will get the tap into the main line done in the basement, check for any smelly leaks and do a soapy water check, attach the heater to the shelf and tighten up the last few fittings and we should be in business!
View attachment 132278

Since heat rises, wouldnt it be better to mount the heater lower like a radiator?

 

[81cutlass]

Since heat rises, wouldnt it be better to mount the heater lower like a radiator?

Yeah it crossed my mind. I have this set close to where the previous owner had their heater, and there is a ceiling fan mount in the center of the garage so I'm guessing they either wanted air circulation or it did heat "soak" the ceiling.

With only having a 2 stall garage I wanted it off the floor to gain some storage space on the floor. If the ceiling gets too hot, I'll just throw a fan in and get some circulation going. I have a spare used fan I swapped out of the house so it won't cost me anything to put one in. Might help in the summer too.

 

[Local Hero]

I installed two used ceiling fans in my shop. It is also insulated for the North Pole. In the summer it never gets above 70 inside if I keep it closed up even if it's 90+ outside. The ceiling fans on high are like poor man's AC. In the winter the place never gets below 40 even if it's below zero outside. I keep the fans spinning on low to push the heat back down from the ceiling.

 

[81cutlass]

Bam!

Maybe now I can get to the body work on the turbo coupe regal hood for the wagon!

Next up probably get the lights hung in the garage.

 

[CopperNick]

Most building codes require heaters to be high mounted as a safety measure. And the fans do do a good job of pushing the air around. With my floor being concrete, the cold from the ground keeps things nice and comfortable until almost the end of the day. May have to give some thought to ducting to bring the heat down to floor level and let it rise naturally.

As for my own non-G project, today I finished cleaning off all the snow that had accumulated on it so that I could drive it if needed. Weatherheads say about a foot fell. That is just over 30 cm for the Cajuns in the band.

 

[MrSony]

Not really my project, but my brother is infatuated with 3rd gen F bodies (I personally ****in hate them) and aside from being yet another rigged up trailer-trash mullet mobile, it's ok body wise. It had a TPI setup, the dumbass that owned it before swapped it to carb and, well, it's bad. wires cut and left bare everywhere, kinked fuel line ran from the driver's side over the front of the motor rubbing on pulleys, sending unit just sitting in/on the tank, lock ring missing, tank all mangled from him prying it out, standard f body hole cut in the floor for said sending unit, pre 86 intake on an '89 sbc which he said was a 350, pretty sure it's a 305, edelbrock that looks to have been used exclusively as a cover for painting engines with a chunk of the choke surround missing, standard f body bent/shifted rear end from hitting curbs, etc. The main reason for the new intake, the guy ruined that intake manifold. It was a pretty nice edelbrock EPS that has the center 4 holes (2 on each side) completely demolished and misshapen (you can actually see into the lifter valley through them) from ramming grade 5 walmart bolts (and allen bolts) down that were too long, broken and loose intake bolts, intake gaskets clearly very old and falling apart after multiple uses, half a pint of silicone holding them together, worst spark plugs I've ever seen, the ugliest hood I've ever seen with a random off center hole cut for a massive 4" scoop, I could go on.


Where was I? Ah. I felt bad he got screwed so I got him the right intake. The right one, Weiand 8126. For '86/87+ iron non vortec heads.

I'm no master mechanic, I do what I can with what I have, but there is literally no excuse for anything done to this car.


Some people just need to stay away from cars. Forever.

 

[Supercharged111]

Not really my project, but my brother is infatuated with 3rd gen F bodies (I personally ****in hate them) and aside from being yet another rigged up trailer-trash mullet mobile, it's ok body wise. It had a TPI setup, the dumbass that owned it before swapped it to carb and, well, it's bad. wires cut and left bare everywhere, kinked fuel line ran from the driver's side over the front of the motor rubbing on pulleys, sending unit just sitting in/on the tank, lock ring missing, tank all mangled from him prying it out, standard f body hole cut in the floor for said sending unit, pre 86 intake on an '89 sbc which he said was a 350, pretty sure it's a 305, edelbrock that looks to have been used exclusively as a cover for painting engines with a chunk of the choke surround missing, standard f body bent/shifted rear end from hitting curbs, etc. The main reason for the new intake, the guy ruined that intake manifold. It was a pretty nice edelbrock EPS that has the center 4 holes (2 on each side) completely demolished and misshapen (you can actually see into the lifter valley through them) from ramming grade 5 walmart bolts (and allen bolts) down that were too long, broken and loose intake bolts, intake gaskets clearly very old and falling apart after multiple uses, half a pint of silicone holding them together, worst spark plugs I've ever seen, the ugliest hood I've ever seen with a random off center hole cut for a massive 4" scoop, I could go on.


Where was I? Ah. I felt bad he got screwed so I got him the right intake. The right one, Weiand 8126. For '86/87+ iron non vortec heads.
View attachment 132374

I'm no master mechanic, I do what I can with what I have, but there is literally no excuse for anything done to this car.


Some people just need to stay away from cars. Forever.

I wonder if the PO is the one who wired my 4th gen Camaro. 🤔

 

[TURNA]

Took a ride in a Vette while I blasted the wife off to Mars!