AllC34Me

New driveshaft from Fort Wayne clutch and driveline. Perfect fit.

Dry fit the z-bar assembly today and it appears all clearances will be okay. Whew.

Full forward on z-bar to measure full amount of throw I will have for the pedal assembly.

Full back before interfering with the Borgeson unit. Will calculate total distance and see how that plays for the pedal assembly.

Bob K gave me some valve covers to help pretty up the engine. I think they look great and look forward to using them. Will be getting wiring router for the spark plugs and get it installed as well. That should button up the engine.

From the other side. Came out nice.

I will be away tomorrow but will button up final torques on Wednesday and be ready for body drop on Thursday.

Body raised today in anticipation of the chassis marriage on Thursday.

Chassis will roll up onto lift and be raised up into the body. Have done eight body lifts this way now and sad to say this will be my final body installation at home. But life goes on.

Torqued Off

You do nice work David. Its fun to do this kind of work, and I enjoy it. When you can hold each part in your hand, make it like new, and assemble it all into a complete running car, you have achieved something. Those who are constantly chasing an old car, trying to fix it as you go, and never doing the job the 100% complete way like you do, like I did, really never get the car to the same level. But......its not for everyone, and I understand that.

doorgunner

AllC34Me

I've spent way too much time fussing over the spark plug wires and only just decided to move on and will have to circle back on them after I drop the body back onto the chassis. I don't think there is a perfect solution but if you have solved this riddle and have it looking nice on your car, please share. I am open to change.
Today I will be working in Robert K garage.
Wednesday I will be working to button up the chassis tighten and torques.
Thursday body drop.
Cannot wait.
David

pspicci

Great looking car! i'm looking forward to seeing the car completed. one question - is the fuel line to the carb just temporary? in the picture it looks like it is running up against the header.

Torqued Off

As you know, C3 Corvettes from the factory ran the spark plug wires down the back and under the factory cast manifolds. Headers can change everything, but on my engine, it still worked, with my headers. I think it makes for a clean installation from the topside and protects the wires from heat, as much as they can be. When I did my 406, I bought the MSD wires that were made to run under, and they had plenty of length to do so. The front two cylinders on both sides go down, and across, and up under the engine mounts to the front two. The rear cylinders on both sides go down and forward as necessary. It takes some careful routing, but I think on my engine, the wires are as far from the headers as possible, and looks clean, since you really only see the wires as they come out of the distributor and down . Since you already bought plug wires, this may not be an ideal solution.....but, just throwing in my opinion since you asked.

red topless gator

David, This is how I did mine. Have had this setup for couple years with no problems from the headers etc.

minitech

This suggestion may be just too late or just in time.

Have you considered placing a heat shield on the body at the front by the engine and trans tunnel while the body is off. Keeps the heat from coming in in the first place and less need to heat proof the inside under the carpet.

SHARKBIT77

IT looks in the pic that the z bar is coming in contact with the new steering box. I believe that it should pass just to the side of the box to give you that last inch of pedal travel.

theandies

Looks like the same kit I used but I have center bolt valve covers. One of my per peeves is plug wires. They can ruin a nice neat engine bay. These holders put the plug wires on display IMO. I can't remember who makes them but I keep all my receipts etc. so I can find that info if you need it. I believe I got them from Summit or Jegs. These work well with shorty/block hugger headers. Here are mine on my ZZ4

AllC34Me

Yes, it was temporary for engine break in. Will be replaced by a braided line in the near future. Good eye.

AllC34Me

Already complete that on the underside of the body. Also running dyna-mat inside the car to help off set that heat. Good suggestion.

AllC34Me

Yes those are the looms I have been looking into. Very nice setup and gets those wires up and away from the headers. Nice clean look. Thank you.

AllC34Me

The Z-Bar arm passes next to the Borgeson but does not hit it. I won't know what the connecting rod will do to that clearance until I get it installed but for now it appears I have room. Fingers crossed.

AllC34Me

Thursday update, Wednesday's progress.

A big shout out thank you to Bob K. for coming up and helping me yesterday on my 74 project car. It was a good day.

1. Emergency hand brake cable is on.
2. All brake lines are on.
3. Rear half of the car is tightened and torqued with the exception of the trailing arm shim bolts.
4. Z-Bar is assembled and installed with springs and brackets to the shift linkage. (Some adjustments needed today).
5. Sorting out the air cleaner fitment issue with the combination of the AVS2 carburetor and MSD distributor. Not resolved yet, question posed here on the CF in another thread. (CARB QUESTION HERE)
6. Stopped short of installing the brake calipers and hoses because I made another direction change. Wilwood brakes will be installed when they arrive in about four weeks.

Thursday plans include:
1. Finish up torques on the chassis.
2. Locate and install the foam sound and heat shields under the tunnel and atop the bell housing.
3. Install front grease caps.
4. Move rolling chassis from bay 2 to bay 3 and pull her up onto lift 2.
5. Raise the chassis up and under the body and give final blessings to the marriage.
6. Lower the car back down to the ground.
7. Have a beer in celebration of the work. (This is the most important step for today).

Friday head back down to Bob K's garage mahal and continue working on his 1972 as we move towards his body drop.
Saturday assess the engine and interior work to be done and come up with a plan for completing both.
Sunday is rest day for me.

We were so busy yesterday I didn't take pictures but it is hard to see the progress of these things anyway so pictures will be taken at the start of today when we push the chassis back outside to enjoy working in the sunny weather.

Cheers.

David

68/70Vette

Great thread to read. In the OP photo I wondered how you were going to drop the body with the hood being held up by the ceiling. I didn't see you have the gantry crane positioned over a four post lift! Thanks for the tip about the HF gantry crane.
.......................
General interest comments.

Need custom double flared SS brake lines or gas lines? Mock your lines up with copper tubing. It's so easy to bend and double flare copper. Then send your custom made opper lines to In-Line tube. They'll laser scan them and their computerized tube bending machine will duplicate them. I've done this and the returned lines fit and look really nice. Copper tubing with the same dimensions as brake line steel tubing may not be at the local hardware store, but air conditioning repairers use the correct sized copper tubing.

The 68 Corvettes had a nice fiberglass insulation system not used in later C3s. It covers the lower half of the external engine firewall and extends under the passenger's and driver's seats, once again on the exterior of the body. Steel panels protect the fiberglass from road debris. It can be bought from Paragon and it's not very expensive.

AllC34Me

Here is a long Sunday update for those that have followed along and those that have commented with good suggestions as well, all are appreciated.
Thursday Bob and I came across a relatively small issue when I attached the spring to the clutch fork from the Z-bar. Let me say from the very start that is issue was 100% my fault and I paid for the mistake on Thursday morning.

A little background. I purchased a new Mc Loud flywheel and clutch setup (aluminum) and to use it I also used a new Mc Loud throw out bearing setup. It is a throw out bearing setup that has three spacers which you use either one, two or all three to get the proper clearance depending upon which transmission you use. Well I stored the throw out bearing on the input shaft of my Muncie but never checked to make sure it was correct and I am here to tell you that there is a correct and incorrect way to install that throw out bearing. I had never installed a Muncie manual transmission before and with some embarrassment I am sharing that I put it on the input shaft backwards and it would not hold the shift fork in place.

Bob K. saw the issue of the fork and we decided to pull the transmission while access was so easy and see if we could resolve the (at that moment) unknown issue. We removed the transmission at 9:30. Bob saw the issue immediately. We reversed the throw out bearing, put it all back together, and by 12:00 we were heading to lunch. Now I questioned Bob when he told me how the clutch fork rides on the throw out bearing so we called Jody Haag of Jody's transmission's to have a chat. Jody is an expert with these, he rebuilt my Hurst shifter setup and assembled it on my transmission for me. He is also a good friend. Well he told me how this should assemble and confirmed that Bob was 100% correct. I should have known and trusted Bob's knowledge on this as he has done many before, so I apologized to Bob and we finished the installation.

Friday I went down to Bob's and helped him on his 1972. New #4 body mounts are being installed and I figured the least I could do is crawl in the car and do the inside work while Bob riveted the new cage nuts from the underside of the car. The good news is he has it up on a rotisserie so it made that aspect easier to accomplish. That task is now completed.

I ordered new parts for the chassis on Thursday and they are to deliver on Sunday. When looking at the body sitting over the chassis I recognized a few items that were still missing like the foam on the side rails and the foam that sits atop the bell housing. Those, and a few other items, are ordered now. I've come too far to skip or be impatient at this point with details.

So I put the car body in a "holding pattern" and will finalize the chassis when the parts arrive, which should be today or tomorrow.

Then we will land the body onto the chassis.

I am confident that my goal of having the body bolted back onto the chassis in May will be achieved.

Until I have more of an update that is where I stand at the moment.
Replacing this tired old foam with new foam. On order now.

Getting closer by the day.

It is nice to be able to slowly move the chassis up and under the body while you watch for interference. Just a quick note. I use two gantry cranes for the straps, two straps on each crane. This allows me to move the body left or right as we raise the chassis up and into the body. Front to back is completed first, then left to right. The nose is supported, the back is not and you can see it is sagging some by the door gap. If it were hanging for a longer period of time I would support it in the back as well.

Friday I picked up a new tool chest. Saturday Bob helped me organize and install it at the front of my garage.

I have to load and organize the new tool chest and repair the walls from the holes from my air compressor which is now gone. Looks much cleaner now.

Today will be a play in the garage day to move my tools and label my cabinet in anticipation of removal of the old tool chest, elimination of some of the tools (or rather replacement I should say) and waiting for my parts to be delivered some time today.

I hope you all are having a fantastic weekend.

David

AllC34Me

Oh, almost forgot. Two items to be installed today on the body while it is still up in the air are the alarm horn and the antennae assembly. Both go in the back of the car behind the drivers side wheel and, well, it won't be easier once the car is together so now seems like a good time to knock those two off of my list.

Okay, time to get busy.
Have a great weekend.
David

OldCarBum

Hey David,
Great thread and awesome work on the 74.
I plan to run all my spark plug wires up from under the exhaust headers on my 73 bb.
They will be completely hidden and will be under the rising heat from the engine.
I’ve done this on all my drag boats and several cars.
I just don’t have any photos.
MSD makes some nice 8.5mm wires with bending spark plug boots that you can form to any degree you need for easy fitment and to help keep the boots away from the header tubes at the head.