[tom s]

WOW,you certainly have deep pockets!Tom

[64speed]

Originally Posted by tom s

WOW,you certainly have deep pockets!Tom

Layaway and tax refund

[tom s]

At the end of the day its still right at 6K for a street driven car!Good for you.Tom

[64speed]

I have about 8000 in the engine and right at 9000 in sheetmetal work and thats just from the doors back. I still havent had the fenders or hood or the decklid worked on. Then I gotta paint it, and chrome, and interior, and AC.

[64speed]

Block and all parts except for pushrods, gaskets (except head) and cam bearing are going to machinist Tuesday. We have worked out a deal I’m not gonna get in a hurry and give him until midsummer and in exchange he is gonna align bore the crank and came tunnel, fit the studs to main caps, assemble pistons to rods and ring the pistons, degree cam, zero deck block, do all the cylinder bore and home and everything else that goes into it including assembly and testfire and break in for 1600. He will be providing the Lunati pushrods, oversized cam bearings, and all gaskets except for head. I think that’s a hell of a deal. What are your thoughts?

[grivera]

Good deal!

[Old Man Taylor]

Originally Posted by 64speed

Well I put the Transmission Kit on layaway today. TKO600 with quicktime bellhousing, a dual friction clutch, shifter lever, upgraded shift mechanism, kevlar synchros and billet shift forks, lever to clear the bench seat and all the other crap that goes with it like trans mount and bolts etc. $5911 and some change. Also includes the driveshaft and a 1350 yoke. I hope to have it paid off with some of this and next year tax money. American Powertrain said there is no limit to how long it takes to pay it off but I am trying to get this done asap. I hope to have the car on the road in 5 years

If you have a 1350 yoke on the front, be prepared to "massage" the floor. I had to beat up my '64 Tempest quite a bit with the 1350 right behind the Powerglide.

[HWYSTR455]

OMT - Were your floorboards sagging? I had to massage the floorboard on my 2nd gen 'bird right where the brace was when I went to 1350s, but I just used a floor jack and a piece of wood and jacked the floorpan/brace back into place. Problem solved.

Both my 71 & 72 A bodies were find, no problem with the 1350s. I'm not familiar with the 1st gen A bodies though.

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[Old Man Taylor]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

OMT - Were your floorboards sagging? I had to massage the floorboard on my 2nd gen 'bird right where the brace was when I went to 1350s, but I just used a floor jack and a piece of wood and jacked the floorpan/brace back into place. Problem solved.

Both my 71 & 72 A bodies were find, no problem with the 1350s. I'm not familiar with the 1st gen A bodies though.

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My floor boards were fine. I did not replace the floor, but I beat the he!! out of it with a hammer.

[Skip Fix]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

OMT - Were your floorboards sagging? I had to massage the floorboard on my 2nd gen 'bird right where the brace was when I went to 1350s, but I just used a floor jack and a piece of wood and jacked the floorpan/brace back into place. Problem solved.



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My 79 Camaro IS was fine with the 3.5 driveshaft and 1350s where the TH400 put it.

[HWYSTR455]

Mine was an obvious issue, the tops of the front seats were tipped towards the center when looking from the behind.

Not sure if that happened over time naturally, or if that was from me inside a stripped interior wire-wheeling the floor board during a POR-15 event. But since, I've noticed a bunch of 2nd gens with the same issue, as I drove behind them or at cruise/show events. (because I knew what I was looking at)

I have 1/2" body bushings too, so that adds to the 'condition' some. When I jacked it up with the wood, I gained like 2-3".

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[64speed]

Dropped all the parts and the block off at Sless Racing engines today. Should be done in 8 to 10 weeks. I will post pictures of the run in and first start when I pick it up. Can’t wait!!!!!

[64speed]

I know I said I was going to get Maaco to paint my car and I had stuck to that plan up until today when I was working on the trunk latch and seeing how things were progressing and how truly nice everything was turning out. Last year I had a company called Classic Pontiac Rescue (CPR) come out and give me and estimate he was very high. High enough for me not to even consider him. Well a friend of mine has a friends that runs an automotive acid dipping place and I took my new trunk lid there today to get it acid dipped and see exactly what I was dealing with. In the process of filling out the invoice my friend said to me I should get the rest of the car acid dipped (except the body shell) and then I could really see what I had. I got an estimate to do my doors, hood, inner and outer fenders, core support and all the other little pieces like bumper brackets etc and they cut me a bulk deal so I setup a time in the future when I have the money to do that. My friend Larry then said you know CPR was just basing their estimate on what they can see and if you get all that back and it’s clean you can probably get a better deal. Larry knows the guy so Larry called and buttered him up and then I got on the phone. We talked for over and hour about expectations, plans for the car etc, and we’re able to work out a reasonable deal from a true restoration shop that specializes in Pontiac’s. Basically for 13k I am gonna get the parts dipped and deliver them and the bare shell to him, he is gonna paint it, assemble all chrome pieces like the grill and the door and rocker mounding, fix all rust and provide and install glass and gaskets and install it all. Basically return to me a finished car that I just have to put my motor and trans, wire it up and get it upholstered. Best part is for me at least is I don’t have to choke up 13 grand at first he is gonna take half up front and let me pay 500 a month till the car is done. So basically the car is getting the care it deserves and I am cutting no corners.

[Tomslemans67]

Just remember by dipping parts there are going to be areas you will never get a new coating back on. There for it will be raw metal. I don't think acid dipping is the way to go. There is other dipping ways besides using acid!

[64speed]

Originally Posted by Tomslemans67

Just remember by dipping parts there are going to be areas you will never get a new coating back on. There for it will be raw metal. I don't think acid dipping is the way to go. There is other dipping ways besides using acid!

I’m not dipping anything that I can’t coat thouroughly with anti rust. Eastwood has that fogged nozzle that you hook to there anti rust coating. I was gonna put it in holes in the trunk lid between the seams and the same on the hood and fog it all over and turn the part and do it again and again as I rotate the part. You really think rust will be an issue after that. For that matter I could take a gallon of rustoleum and just pour it in the seam acces holes and shake the hood and trunk around until it’s coated then just let the body man get the excess off the outside before painting. Do these not sound like good ideas

[HWYSTR455]

Was just saying yesterday on a post he did on FB that I should go down there and take a peek at his projects and work. Joe seems like a good guy and am curious to see how the shop works. Seen pics of finished projects, and they seem like quality work.

As for the internal frame coating and anti-rust sprays Eastwood has, they work well. Yes, the trick is to cover areas entirely to prevent corrosion, though in many areas you can only guess if you have adequate coverage. You have to try to get it into seams, joints, and bends, which can be difficult in some areas. Spraying large flat surfaces can be a challenge. It's suggested to apply after paint, so no paint chemicals wash it off. That too can make a mess, so have to be mindful/careful of that.

Usually when dippers dip parts, after they go thru a wash/bath, and a type of corrosion inhibitor. Bare metal would flash almost instantly, so they do that so they don't get complaints, for one. Ask.

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[Tomslemans67]

There are companies out there that do E coating using large dip tanks That is what I always have done after dipping panels doors etc. But never acid dipping. Check out this company in Toledo Ohio for more info. All American Metal Cleaning. They do complete shells of cars. And for E Coating I use Midwest out of Ottawa lake MI. They both have web sites you could look over and see the process.. Tom

[64speed]

Work on the engine has begun!!!!!! Should have it done in a couple of weeks and then it will go into a deep slumber until such time as it can be mated to the car as part of final assembly. Transmission is on layaway and I HOPE to have it out by February but I also have some extensive dental work that I am having done spread throughout the year so it may delay that a little bit. I am also helping my father in law with his very well optioned and uniquely colored 66 Impala SS. Every option you can think of and it’s turqouise with a white painted roof. Before you balk look it up it actually looks pretty neat. He was originally gonna go black and red and he still might but after we found out all the options are original and it’s a numbers matching car I think I have him convinced. Plus it will stand out in a sea of common black cars. I just wish I had his money. He doesn’t understand why progress is so slow and why things get painted instead on powder coated LOL

[64speed]

Well latest step in the machining process the machinist said the cam bore was .003 out of spec and even with Paul C straightened cam it did not turn as smoothly as he would like. Bored the cam Tunnel and installed durabond .10 over cam bearings and now the cam turns like it’s on rollers. Onward and upward. He posts his assembly videos to his Facebook posts so I don’t know how to post them on here but if anyone wants to friend him to see the build it’s Wayne Sless Sr at Greenwood Autoparts. The build is anything that has my name David Graham tagged in it

[HWYSTR455]

I friended Wayne and liked the shop page, poked around for a while, he's a busy guy! Shop looks orderly, and relatively clean, which is refreshing to see. Obviously a seasoned machinist and builder. He's done a number of Pontiac builds, and has some in there now even.

I think you're in good hands there!

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