....: Small update and opinion poll

07 July 2011

Small update and opinion poll

I just ripped the rest of the interior out, getting it ready to clean for re-install. I'm waiting for a custom speedo/tach/gauge set up with custom dash/engine compartment/AC wiring harness (not the LS2 ECM wiring harness). Jody at VettAid.com is building it for me. I temp installed the clutch/brake pedal assembly to test the clutch pressure. It's nice and easy, so I'll stay with the mechanical clutch linkage. I test fitted the C5 ZO-6 driver power seat, ran pwr from the battery to it, and operated it to determine operating limits (adjustments). It sits too high and I'll have to mod the seat mounts to lower it and re-locate the mounting holes. I'll post pix of the mod when I do it. Since I had the battery as a pwr source, I tested the pw motors. They work and I finally got to run the windows down so that they're protected in the door.

Last week I installed the body mounts and temporarily adjusted ride height with shims. I'll make final adjustments to the body mount shims when the car is closer to it's curb weight. I also removed the exhaust from the headers-back to give myself more work room underneath the car. Boy, I sure miss the body off configuration for easy access to work.

Now the opinion poll: here's a pic of my new rims.

They're Pontiac GTA/Buick GNX rim in gold center. I had to have adapters custom made for them. Since these rims don't clear the brake calipers, I needed the spacers/adapters. I needed at least 1/2" to clear the calipers, leaving very little thread on the studs, thereby requiring adapters. In order to clear the studs, the adapter had to be 1". I used rear rims all around. The rears are 16mm offset w/5 1/4" back space. The fronts are 0 offset w/4" backspace and with the 1" adapters, they would have stuck out too far. For reference, the stock ralley wheels are 4" backspace and , I think, 0 offset. I got a set of cheapo chrome three spoke spinners that I painted with Dupli-color black chrome. The 5 spoke rims in hyper-black (silver) in the main blog photo are SLP copies of the C4 ZR-1 and '96 Collector Edition (CE) rims in 17x8 for C3 cars. They have 255/45/17 rears and 235/45/17 BFG G-Sports. The gold rims are 16x8 with Falken 255/50/16 rears and 245/50/16 fronts. I also have a set of correct C3 Ralleys that I had sandblasted and I painted the correct silver. A set of after market rings and a set of original center caps go with them. BFG Radial TAs in 255/60/15 and 245/60/15 are mounted on them.

So the question is; Which of the pictured rims/tires do you guys like, the 17x8 ZR-1 copies, or the 16x8 GTA/GNX? I favor the GTA/GNX.

The new slotted & drilled rotors and ceramic pads from Brake-Motive.

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1973 Corvette Project

This blog will chronicle the tale of my '73 Vette project car. I've been a Corvette hobbyist since my first vette, a 1973 silver with black leather interior, L-48, 4 spd coupe. It was my first, and only new, Corvette. Subsequently, I owned a total of seven Corvettes; a '77 coupe, '68 roadster, '80 L48 4spd, '73 coupe, '94 coupe and this '73 project.

It's obvious that the '73 is a favorite of mine. I found this one in an AutoTrader in October of '06. After talking and negotiating via email, I decided to buy it. It was an original BB, 4 spd car with 52,184 miles on the O'meter.

Now this is all according to the guy I bought it from. History of the car:

The seller's uncle bought it from the original owner when it was six months old. He pulled the BB and hot rodded it with a SBC for years, garbaged out the interior by cutting holes in the door panels and rear compartment doors and back of the compartment for speakers. I shouldn't bad mouth him, though. I cut a hole in the passenger side dash panel of my first '73 to mount an eight track (yes, I'm that old!!) player so it would look factory.

Then he passed away and the seller's older brother had it for years until my seller got it. He pulled the SBC but never told me what he did with it. He installed the following: new 4-core radiator, new shocks, new calipers and rotors, new rubber bushings in the suspension (missed the trailing arm mounting and control arm bushings, though), all new heavy duty u-joints, new windshield, and pulled the gas tank and had it cleaned and sealed. It had the CenterLine wheels you see in one of the pictures and the aftermarket hood scoop.

It was located in East Mesa, AZ in a desert suburb of Phoenix and I towed to my house in Flagstaff, a distance of about 160 miles from a elevation of around 1,000' to 7,200'. The trusty old Dakota made it.

The first thing I did was buy a set of '72 stock ralleys, rings, and center caps from a guy on the corvette forum and mounted 234/15 BFG Radial TAs on them. I will eventually put a set of 17x8 Vintage Wheel copies of ARE TorqueThroust Originals on it. I found a stock '75 hood to replace the existing hood w/scoop. When they put the scoop on, they cut a hole in the stock hood for the air cleaner, making it impractical to glass back to original.

Then I towed it on a U-Haul trailer 2,500 miles to CT it with the poor old 2000 Dakota that had 184,000 miles on it.

My plans: My original intent was to put an old school SBC in it. Then I thought about a GMPP Ramjet 350. I just sold a '94 Vette with an LT1 in it that I was going to upgrade to a LT4. I have the LT4 heads, hot cam kit w/1.6 rr, and an LT4 intake that I had the top ribs polished and cleared. So I planned to build an LT4 to drop into the '73. Meanwhile, I'd been watching EBay for LT and LS motors. I've also been following a thread on the corvette forum on LS-C3 conversions.

Well, I bid on on EBay for a LS2 w/5,800 miles on it that was still in the '07 vette, won, started a dialog with the owner, Ray, and started doing more research. Ray just installed a custom built LS7 last week in his '07 and pulled my motor last week and crated it for shipping. I used some FF miles I had to fly to Seattle to see the LS2 and rode in Ray's car. I'm sure Ray will post some info and pics of his new motor and ride.

Ray has been a great guy and a source of a ton of advice on the LS2. I talked to Dan at Vetteworks, the folks at SpeedHound and SuperPowers, Josh, from the corvette forum. Josh and I have pm'd and spoken on the phone about my conversion and he has really been an absolute wealth of information.

I'd like to thank Josh and all the other gear heads who pioneered the LS-C3 conversion and who are making this project a lot less a blind drive like I thought it would be.

I'll install a T56 6 spd, upgrade the suspension and steering, redo the interior (I bought a set of '04 ZO6 black leather searts for it, too), do some minor glass work and try to paint it myself.

Okay, from here on my updates will be on posts. Jump in with comments and suggestions. Any one in the SW CT area who has some knowledge, wrenching skill, cold beer, or the need to supervise, give me a shout - an extra wrench and a torso that can bench press a t56 6 spd are always welcome.