MAJOR MILESTONE ACHIEVED!!!!!

This is the first time the Vette has moved under its own power since before I got it. Remember, it didn't have a motor when I bought it in March of 2007. I spent today adjusting the clutch, re-bleeding the brakes, adjusting the e-brakes again, filling the power steering fluid and bleeding the system. The speedo and tach are sitting loose on the windshield frame and the gauge cluster is sitting loose on the console floor. The radiator is firmly clamped to the frame. Now I can move it around and complete all systems checks while the front clip is off. Next is more installation, fabrication, assembly, fiberglass repair, paint stripping, sanding, painting, etc. Not much, huh? BTW, you really need to hear that exhaust live. It is soo sweet.

Last week was exciting. I had an engine compartment fire. Apparently, whoever it was at the vendor that assembled the new repro engine/headlight harness took a short cut. I was using a branch ground wire to ground the fan relay bracket during my test starts. It got hot and must have been crossed over a power wire and the insulation and electrical tape flamed up. Well, the branch ground was simply wrapped, not soldered or crimped, around the main ground wire inside the wire bundle, worked loose, got hot and, well....smoke, smell, and flames are a good indicator you have a fire problem. I managed to douse the flames w/o having to use a fire extinguisher. Damage was minimal and the effort to repair the damage to the harness is minimal, a little splicing and taping.

I just watched the first video again.....hmmm, kinda looks like a street rod, doesn't it! I wonder....chrome the radiator bracket, cycle fenders over the front wheels.....naaah!!

Stand by for more....

Quick update to the last post.

First I want to say what a great psychological milestone this is, to be able to start the motor with consistency and have it run reliably. I can now run systems tests. The day after the last post, I temporarily mounted the radiator using clamps and hooked up the radiator hoses. I put a step up/down connector in the end of the heater hoses so it would run as a return loop. I'm using plain water in the radiator for now because the radiator will have to come off several times before the car is complete and water makes less of a mess than coolant.

Anyway, this way I can run the motor longer than a few seconds now. This was the first systems check; the thermostat kicked in at 190 deg like it should, the first fan turned on at 205 deg, and the second didn't kick in during this run because the coolant didn't get hot enough. However, there were problems when I hooked up the one-off fan relay and while trouble shooting it, the coolant got close to 250 and both fans would run so I'm confident the 2nd fan will kick in when necessary. I found a leak at the rear heater hose boss on the water pump. The threads have probably worn due to my trying several different fittings. This is the reason for the systems checks and it's much easier to solve them before the front clip goes back on the car.

I haven't worked on the car since last Wednesday. My Harley needed some maintenance and TLC so I worked on it a couple days. Then I left on Sunday to attend the California Superbike School sessions at the Thunderbolt Raceway in NJ. When I got back, I finished the work on the bike and this weekend I'll leave  for a short work trip. I won't be back until after the 11th. Also, this heat and humidity we've been having is not conducive to working in the garage. Hopefully, I'll get more work done and more updates. Sorry, no photos in this post.