What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2022]

[Supercharged111]

Here's a copy/paste from LS1Tech. I captured the week's progress in this post. First race next weekend if I didn't fv¢k anything up on assembly and Dyno on Thirsday. Motor and trans were recently scattered.

Alright, time to try and catch up to where I am.

So a big part of why I pulled the motor to deal with the heads was so that I could slap a 4x reluctor into this thing which required me to drop the oil pan. Fast forward to a week ago and every online source was backordered on the OBDII LT1 keyway. The local GM dealer was not, so on Tuesday I picked up the correct keyway. I was cautiously optimistic about it.

That's not .100" worth of keyway to engage as much reluctor wheel.

But it's OK. Here is the keyway with a 350 Vortec unit and the chewed up early one I removed.

I probably could have Dremeled down that 350 key, but I'm glad I got the correct OBDII one from the general.

Next thing was to seal up the bottom. First I had to address the busted crank windage tray thingy. Luckily I had one in a spare truck block on the shelf. This would have sucked to grab at the pull and pay.

Much better.

Time to deal with the top end. My machinist scolded me for whiz wheeling everything. We'll see if this thing is still ****ed, then I'll rub it in his face if it is. He suggested 320 grit on a rubber brick as a less bad alternative. It gave a much different appearance and even old machining marks reappeared. Maybe he's not full of it? My halfassery has served me quite well to this point. So I set the heads on the block, and before I cranked them down noticed that the one appeared to suck for oil drainage.

That's quite the wall.

Much better. After cleaning I cranked these down to 70 ft/lb per ARP specs. Next up was the valvetrain. Check out these.

I wonder if one head got hotter than the other? The rockets went back on at 7/8 turn of preload.

Here I was last night with a (finally) fully assembled LT-Juan.

This morning the weather was nice, so I dropped it in before it turned sour around lunch time.

What a sight for sore eyes. Once that was done I ran the engine stand and cherry picker to the hangar and procured some brake pads and a way better clutch release bearing for reinstall. Upon return, I got the clutch and trans reinstalled. I don't know what got into me, but I lifted that T56 back in like nobody's business. I got it most of the way in, propped it with a jack and spun the crank just a smidge, got back under it and that trans about fell into place. Quite possibly my smoothest install EVER. Too good to be true, right? Yep. Forgot the damned fork! So I yanked it back out, popped the fork in, and the trans fell right back into place. Is it better to be good or lucky? No need to celebrate just yet, I have plenty to keep me busy between now and the weekend getting this thing race ready again. But being where I am now feels a damn sight better than this morning with a completely blown apart car.

 

[ck80]

Well..... I'm nearing retirement age vs being a young-gun. Never had 'new car payments' & I was able to get a loan for a house when I was 35 so that didn't significantly impact things for me. But, I also had been @ my job for 15yrs, had no outstanding payment obligations, & had money in the bank.

I get the new car deal but I've only had used/older cars for the most part. Buy them, do my personal tweaks w/o going overboard on the investment vs return, & drive them for years basically for the cost of driving any vehicle per year (registration fee's, proper insurance coverage). I was either to re-sell them & broke even or I made money. Can't do that w/a new car unless the market is crap like current. Typically it was drive a new car off the lot & it tanked in value 30%. If you had to get out from it you'd lose on your end of the deal. Everything was pre-computer until I bought a'93 Mustang x-DPS car around '98. I sold it in '90 to be interest free as far as credit-card debt while purchasing parts for other projects. I recouped all investment on that one & drove it for free.

Where you are on the map plays into this & not living in the rust-belt helps.

Times have changed though... the prices of raw land or homes have increased exponentially above inflation, even if you ignore the last 2 years.

What you could buy in 1985 was far more expensive in 2020 if you just adjusted for inflation. Even worse if you go back in the 1970s.

So many are just content with always having a payment. I work with folks who have zero notion of ever owning a car or house outright. I don't like payments, but I've had/have them and will continue to do so in the future. But a $900/mo truck payment? I guess I'm not adult enough to drop 60 grand on a damn vehicle. I prefer something I can kill in 2-3 years. Right now my only debt is my mortgage and HELOC (which is basically my hangar, so also real estate). Once you buy into something semi-expensive, it gets easier to buy up assuming you've either paid it off or put significant equity into it.

This is why we started buying/owning mustangs since 201 instead of gm stuff. Good gas mileage before the wife went virtual for work, but more so great equipment included for the price.

Costco pricing got the deal below invoice by a couple hundred saving thousands. Customer sales incentives knocked off another $4500 or so. USAA discount saved $250, and, every 2 years or so ford offers a $3000 PCO that stacks with everything else to me. All said and done, a nearly $34k car winds up $22k out the door. Then we finance between usually 0% and once in a while 1.9% with a 60mo term, and if we choose, pay it off early. Even prior to the used car craziness they didn't go much below what we pay by the time 4-5yrs go by. The pattern has been high option premium trim with a na 3.7 engine, plus a low option 5.0 engine of same color same year. But then they ruined that by getting rid of the na base engine for ecoboost crap we refuse to buy.

If you're paying $400/mo it's paid off within about 4 years, and residual value is within 2-3k of what you spent. Of course right now they're worth equal or more than we paid, but that's a whole different animal.

 

[MrSony]

The same reason everyone makes fun of my $50 Walmart android phone. It literally does everything the $1500 iphone of the month does. I don't care. I don't want a 70k truck I can't work on. I'll stick with my crappy $1200 trucks. This one explodes? Leave the keys in it on the side of the road.

 

[mclellan83]

Well..... I'm nearing retirement age vs being a young-gun. Never had 'new car payments' & I was able to get a loan for a house when I was 35 so that didn't significantly impact things for me. But, I also had been @ my job for 15yrs, had no outstanding payment obligations, & had money in the bank.

I get the new car deal but I've only had used/older cars for the most part. Buy them, do my personal tweaks w/o going overboard on the investment vs return, & drive them for years basically for the cost of driving any vehicle per year (registration fee's, proper insurance coverage). I was able to re-sell them & broke even or I made money. Can't do that w/a new car unless the market is crap like current. Typically it was drive a new car off the lot & it tanked in value 30%. If you had to get out from it you'd lose on your end of the deal. Everything was pre-computer until I bought a '93 Mustang x-DPS car around '98. I sold it in '00 to be interest free as far as credit-card debt while purchasing parts for other projects. I recouped all investment on that one & drove it for free.

Where you are on the map plays into this & not living in the rust-belt helps.

I was able to make like $10k out of my Edge, was able to get a really low interest rate. But just as you said, I had my hand me down dad's van that was great cause I could do 110mph and nobody would look twice. But she started the money pit, before that happened I traded it in for a new 2013 Ford Edge Sport. The payment was a **** ($750/mo.) but when PA decided I wasn't allowed to drive for a year I decided to sell it. Took me a bit to sell since it had every option available and you rarely see a blue sport I knew what I had and waited. Ended up selling it to a dealer from like North Carolina or something who sent someone up with cash and all the paperwork to sell it even though the bank owned it technically. Man I do miss that thing though, she was sharp

 

[scoti]

Times have changed though... the prices of raw land or homes have increased exponentially above inflation, even if you ignore the last 2 years.

What you could buy in 1985 was far more expensive in 2020 if you just adjusted for inflation. Even worse if you go back in the 1970s.

This is why we started buying/owning mustangs since 201 instead of gm stuff. Good gas mileage before the wife went virtual for work, but more so great equipment included for the price.

Costco pricing got the deal below invoice by a couple hundred saving thousands. Customer sales incentives knocked off another $4500 or so. USAA discount saved $250, and, every 2 years or so ford offers a $3000 PCO that stacks with everything else to me. All said and done, a nearly $34k car winds up $22k out the door. Then we finance between usually 0% and once in a while 1.9% with a 60mo term, and if we choose, pay it off early. Even prior to the used car craziness they didn't go much below what we pay by the time 4-5yrs go by. The pattern has been high option premium trim with a na 3.7 engine, plus a low option 5.0 engine of same color same year. But then they ruined that by getting rid of the na base engine for ecoboost crap we refuse to buy.

If you're paying $400/mo it's paid off within about 4 years, and residual value is within 2-3k of what you spent. Of course right now they're worth equal or more than we paid, but that's a whole different animal.

Pretty sure everyone is aware of this.

 

[Flyers9928]

View attachment 195186

I know the thought has crossed your mind.

This sh*t WORKS!! I had an 90 Bronco with a 351, when I did the water pump half of the bolts broke off. RTV'ed the crap out of and and sent it. About every 12-18 months it would start dripping, dump another in same time period. No issues with heater core clogging either. This will not harden unless its exposed to air IE a coolant leak. Just follow the directions

 

[ck80]

Pretty sure everyone is aware of this.

Sure, but every time I hear the argument about what someone did 20 ot 30 years back, and how they afforded it or qualified for it, it needs to be pointed out, the world was entirely a different animal back then.

Most people who say 'I did xyz' could NEVER do the same thing today. Costs, wages, rent vs saving ability, everything is out of whack from the opportunities that existed decades ago.

 

[CopperNick]

Nice looking Merc. Can't see the grill but thinking 49?? if the roof has been chopped then whoever did the work got the chrome window frames and trim just right.



Nick

 

[81cutlass]

Fin, done, adios

Bathroom project is done.

I guess it still needs a mirror and silicone between the floor and tub, the ledge of the tub to tile wall and around the toilet, but I'm calling it close enough.

Put in the toilet and vanity, baseboard heater, baseboard trim, cleaned the extra grout off, toilet roll holder, and door/trim.

Need to order a glass shower door also.

 

[Supercharged111]

Fin, done, adios

Bathroom project is done.

I guess it still needs a mirror and silicone between the floor and tub, the ledge of the tub to tile wall and around the toilet, but I'm calling it close enough.

Put in the toilet and vanity, baseboard heater, baseboard trim, cleaned the extra grout off, toilet roll holder, and door/trim.

Need to order a glass shower door also.

View attachment 195892

View attachment 195893
View attachment 195894

Did you take a dump in there yet to christen it?