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05 September 2008

Finally starting some work.

After several months of remodeling work in the house that was supposed to be a few weeks........&*^&%&^%# contractors!!!! Well, I have my garage back and some time to devote to the project. Slow steps at first and I know this probably isn't worth the effort to post, but I've never owned an engine hoist and never lifted a motor before...aaand I'm finally doing something after being delayed by the contractors who had their material in the garage...so it's a major milestone - 1st official step, so to speak. I wanted to get the motor off the pallet, keeping it on its small crating pallet, and putting on to a dolly so I could move it around and start the mock up of engine accessories. Besides, the big pallet was taking up room and I can now get around the garage to organize my work area.

23 April 2008

Parts update

I've haven't started work on the car yet. Work and other home projects, ya know! I have been gathering parts and spending money like crazy, though.

So far:

1. 98-02 F body alternator, steering pump and reservoir, pulleys, brackets and bolts - Ebay and various on line used/reman parts shops.

2. Early 90's F body AC compressor - on line used.

3. AC bracket and pulley custom made by Josh @ superpowers, hydraulic clutch master cylinder, and his LS1 harmonic balancer, and maybe his '82 driveshaft once I install motor and tranny for mock up.

3. LS2 starter, dip stick and tube, odds and ends from Chris @ Superior Chevy - good guy and fair discount for Corvette Forum members.

4. Used T-56 6 spd w/shifter, clutch, bellhousing, pedal assembly, driveshaft from Contemporary Corvettes in Bristol, PA - dba FBody on EBay. Also from them a 75-77 vette HEI tach and an Fbody fuel pump. Rocky and Ron are good guys, too.

5. Energy suspension motor mounts and tranny mount

6. LS1 motor mount adapter plates from Dan @ Vetteworks, also ordered his install kit for the F body fuel pump.

7. Got Speedhound's LS1 adapter plate and ZBar 'cause I thought that I would install the stock 4 spd first but changed my mind. I'll see which plates fit best for my application and return the ones I don't use.

8. Custom ECU and harness from Speartech.

9. Coil packs from EBay

10. SS radiator and heater hose kit from EBay

11. Flex-lite dual electric fan kit from Summit

12. Ordered and waiting for a Hydro-boost to replace the power brake booster from Matt

13. Waiting for the Killer Light Bracket kit to convert the hydraulic headlights to electric.

14. Set of 17x8 ZR-1 rims for C3 in Hyper Black (it looks silver to me) from SLP Performance through Eckler's which cost $100.00 more than the SLP online store.

Items still to get:

VBP Performance Plus suspension kit to upgrade to C5 type suspension and their Rack Attack rack and pinion up-grade.

Speedhound's coated headers for the LS/C3 conversion.

More odds and ends for drivetrain and suspension

I won't even talk about interior work and paint yet.

13 March 2008

Slow down.

I've been ordering parts, mostly the front engine accessory items, off EBay and reman parts off the internet and they've been coming in steadily. The ole work schedule and other things needing my attention thing is coming into play. I'm going to focus on them for now and let the project sit for awhile until I an give it the attention its due. I need to take an inventory and see what else I need, then find and order parts that will take me to the next step. I need to get an engine hoist and cradle.

Some next steps:

1. Remove the stock hood w/the aftermarket scoop and unload it. I have a pristine stock '75 hood.
2. Clean and prep/touch up the engine compartment get it ready.
3. Mock up/fit the front engine accessories and the wiring harness from SpearTech.
4. Check my old bellhousing and 4 spd to see how they fit.

06 March 2008

LS2 in MY garage

It's just another picture of an LS2 on an engine pallet, but it's my LS2 in my garage. Ordered the ECU/harness from John at Speartech today.

I think Josh has convinced me to bypass my plan to install the factory 4 spd and start looking for a T56. I'll ponder it for now. He's also fabbing the AC bracket and providing the hydraulic clutch master cylinder for the T56.

I cleaned up the garage a bit yesterday. Also, I ordered a custom ECU and harness from Speartech today. Other small parts are coming in; alternator (LS1 FBody), AC compressor (87-92 FBody), Flex-Lite Dual Electric Fan kit from Summit, etc. I still need the starter motor and all the brackets, tensioners and pulleys. Ray sent me the intake, TB, MAF sensor and air intakes, engine/fuel rail covers and other items separately from the engine.

29 February 2008

LS2 on the way

The mileage when it was removed.

TJ, the tuner pulling my motor.

Ray's beautiful '07 and old home of my LS2.

Got a call from the shipper today. The LS2 will be delivered next Thursday,6 March. I've been researching options for my tranny. I'm leaning toward installing the LS2 with my factory 4 spd so it's driveable. The T56 6 spd has fitment issues that will require extra work modding to build a crossmember tranny bracket and to the shifter to fit in the stock location. Tremec 5 spd kit, however, is a direct fit with proper shifter location and no mods.

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.