....: MAJOR MILESTONE ACHIEVED!!!!!

21 August 2012

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....

8 comments:

James09 October, 2012 09:01
Hi,
Will you please post a link to your Blog at The Corvette Community? Our members will appreciate it.
Members include: Corvette Owners, Experts, Enthusiasts, Racers, Collectors, Clubs and Dealers.
It's easy to do, just cut and paste the link and it automatically links back to your website. You can also add Photos, Videos, Articles and Classifieds if you like.
Email me if you need any help or would like me to do it for you.
Please feel free to share as often and as much as you like.
The Corvette Community: http://www.vorts.com/corvette/
I hope you consider sharing with us.
Thank you,
James Kaufman, Editor
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Anonymous01 February, 2013 19:28
Any progress since August? I've been checking regularly as I am following behind you with my '73 Coupe. My frame came back from sandblasting and painting, and I am putting on the VBP suspension with the composite front and rear springs, tubular front control arms, etc. I have the Tremec TKO 600 5 speed, and originally was looking at a 502 crate engine in place of my L-82, but have since decided on the LS engine platform. I certainly know what you mean about starting in one direction and then going in another. I also know about the garage and the wife being "locked" out due to the body, frame and other boxes of parts taking up all the space and leaving her vehicle out in the cold... I promised her that she would have her garage bay back by winter (it was 7 degrees here last night and she asked me rather pointedly "Winter of what year?")
Anyway, just wanted to encourage you to write up your fine work, and as I've said before, for me, your blog is very important and I appreciate the time and effort it takes to not only put the car back together, but then to document those efforts with photos/video and text. Again, keep up the good work, I know it "ain't easy". - JKF
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CarlF02 February, 2013 09:06
Anonymous,

Thanks for following my blog. It looks like you've pretty much done the same drive train and suspension that I have now. Did you get the offset trailing arms from VBP? I definetely owe you guys updates. I've had a lot of distractions this past year, but plan to get going full bore on the Vette this winter and spring. I'll explain my distractions in a new post.

Thanks,
Carl
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Anonymous02 February, 2013 13:34
Carl -

Unfortunately I did not go with the off-set trailing arms back in 2000 or so when I sent mine out for a simple "rebuild" that started off this project. I bought my 1973 Corvette in 1975 and have had it ever since. I've got parts (Tremec trans among others) that went out of warranty and have been sitting "new" in boxes for years as I got together a piece here and there while trying to put this project together a little at a time. With kids, job and family, it is a matter of both "time and nickels" as they say. Seeing your build project has helped alot and has been motivational, particularly the personal notes as I can identify with those as well. I will watch for your updates and try to keep moving ahead to "catch up" with you. I am putting on the front spindles, new backing plates, rotors and calipers over the next few weeks as well as finishing up with the front and rear sway bars. I need to tackle the fuel system after that.

Thanks for a very interesting story, which is also very helpful.

Joe
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Jeff McCoy15 April, 2013 12:25
I linked you to my blog at http://vetteman74.Blogspot.com
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CarlF15 April, 2013 12:40
Jeff,

Thanks. I'm flattered. That's a great blog with some nice looking rides. I'll be home in May and plan to get going full bore to finish the project this summer.

Carl
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Anonymous16 May, 2013 21:38
Carl -
Had a question about your oil pan on the LS2. Did you use your stock Corvette pan with the VBP rack-attack or go to GM musclecar pan or ?? Also did the speedhound adapters put you in the same location as the stock engine?

Haven't heard from you in awhile and wanted to say, "We all miss your updates !!"

- JKF
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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.