I drove the car backwards then lowered the life then drove it up on the lift for some final touches. I still have to hook up the e-brakes and bolt down the seat belt anchors. The exhaust manifold is still not hooked to the pipes and I still need to bleed the brakes.
I've put on the engine covers, will install the hood later. In the mean time, I've recieved back the re-vamped and painted guage cluster and will install that. The volt meter is changed, the oil pressure guage is re-calibrated up to 80lb, and the tach is now electronic. It retains the original oil guage which hooks to the motor via the little copper tubing. Here is an "after" picture of the guage cluster to compare with the "before" picture from the previous page.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4070004.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4070005.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4080004.jpg

Here's my update of the week:
I've bolted down the seat-belt anchors to the chassis, bled the brakes, installed the guage cluster and completed the intake. Not sure you can see in the pic but there is a polished heat sheild around the air filter which draws air through the big hole on the drivers side.
The new tachometer is electronic and hooks to the computer. The new voltmeter hooks to a keyed source in the fuse box. The oil pressure guge was changed to 80lb and I installed a new copper tubing kit using an adapter on the LS2 motor.
I ordered a heim joing and in the coming week will have it welded to the frame. I also have to find a pair of 2-bolt flanges to connect to the exhaust manifold so my muffler shop can connect the side-pipes. My local speed shop told me today that LS1s and LS2s don't have gaskets between the pipe and exhast manifolds. Is that right?

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4120005.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4120004.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4120007.jpg

Colt,
Looks like things are coming along very well! I used the stock double wall steel ex manifolds on my F-Body LS1 but had my buddy who owns a muffler shop cut off the humongous triangular shaped flanges and weld on some two holers. We did use gaskets between the manifolds and head pipes which I think is a good idea. We also cut off the EGR flanges and welded up the holes. I had them Jet-Hot coated and they still look brand new! I just looked at my car and it appears there are no gaskets between the head and manifolds, maybe that is what he meant. Keep the updates coming.
Nick

Thanks for the info. I'm currently looking for some 2 hole flanges. Have found some on Ebay I'll probably buy. I'll have my muffler shop cut the pipe near the top then get rid of the 3-hole flages and replace with 2-hold flanges. I did buy gaskets to go between the exhaust manifolds and heads. Got them at Chevy.
But where did you get the gaskets that go between the exhaust manifolds and pipes?

My buddy at A&A Muffler in Ca has a bunch of common 2 and 3 hole flanges with gaskets hanging on the wall that he uses all the time. He builds a lot of custom systems for street rods and muscle cars so he's got lots of stuff. Go to your locally owned muffler shop (not Midas) and see what they have.
Nick

Can you tell me a little more about your wheels. Tray informed me that without doing mods to the body the widest wheel you can run is 8" with 245s. I see that you are running wider wheels and are using some type of spacers that allow you to do so.
Where did you purchase the spacers?
what size are the wheels you are running? Tires??

Thanks for the help!

Tray told me this too. But I put on 17x8.5 inche wheels because there are so many more choices in that size and you can get C6 wheels in that size but not in 17x8. I'm still testing it, but as you can see, the front end sits pretty low (haven't messed with adjusting the coil-overs yet) and I've driven the car 6 miles so far with no tire rubbing the stock fenders. The spacers were bought on Ebay. The tires are Eagle F1 245/45ZR17.

Cobrastang,

8.5" wheels fit just fine, but 245 tires are just about the max for stock rear wheelwells. You could get 265 tires in there if the alingment and spacing are perfect, but you would always stand a chance of rubbing in compression when the camber changed.

Regards, John McGraw

Front?
 

Wondering about the front wheel/tire size as well?


- Jon

All 4 tires/wheels are the same size.

Car show
 

Connected the exhaust and am now driving it, breaking in the engine.
It sounds great. Ia finished with the parking brake too.

I took it to the first big car show of the season this weekend at Englishtown, NJ for the anual Spring Car Show and Swap Meet. The first day was a wash-out due to the rain (see pic).
But Sat was good and it was nice to see all the attention the car got!
Now I just have to fine tune a few things then it will get paint.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...2/P4260021.jpg

:thumbs:
Seems like we're all set for my 61 now. Deposit was wired over today so you can get ready for the same treatment on my C1!

/Runar

Thanks, Runar. I'm eager to start on yours next!:thumbs:

i was at englishtown and completely missed seeing your car,were you in the back side toward the water?

Yes, we weren't far from the vendor entrance gate on the south side.
My next project will be Gasser55's '61 vette (see above post). I hope to have the chassis/engine ready by Corvettes at Carlisle in August.
Colt

Ill be there ,hope to see it good luck.:thumbs:

Sorry if it's been covered, but where did you send your tach to convert it?

BTW

your car looks great!

90ZR1 your car looks fantastic !! Have you got any idea yet is the streetshop frame stiffer than original ? How about the driving feel over all ?

Thanks, Bowtie.
Yes, it feels very stiff driving it. I actually adjusted the Aldan shocks down to about 5-6 (from 11 setting) because it felt like driving a stock car! And plenty powerful. Fun to drive!
I took it to be computer aligned ($285) and it drives super-smooth on the highway. It goes 65mph at 1400 rpm in 5th gear....
Colt

Sorry, I never got your message. Anyway, I sent the whole guage cluster to Redline. They did a good job and were available to answer questions. Good price too.
Colt