Jeffs 1978 Z28 Project

[fltinstructor]

well, first letdown but sure it wont be the last...

Came off the freeway with a loud clunk and extreme metal grinding. I actually thought i blew the rear end. Used my Hagerty towing to get it back to my house. lucky / unlucky I suppose...the axle studs stripped off and i lost my lug nuts on the driver side rear. amazingly didn't destroy the quarter or anything major. aw project cars...aint they grand


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Wow. You are the second member to have that happen in a month. Glad you are okay.

 

[Jeffp541]

Got her jacked up and pulled the wheel off to evaluate the carnage. it looks to me like the brake drum came off the axle with it the rim, and the ends of the studs gouged the inner face of the drum. Inside the back of the rim there's clear metal on metal damage and to me it looks like the drum was spinning / riding inside the rim. as you can see in the photo it looks like the studs left quite a wear mark from when the drum and wheel left the axle., it also clearly destroyed the mounting holes in the rim. I got another z28 rim on the way, and I pounded the old / broken studs out the axle and got new ones pressed in. The brake shoe has a chunk gouged out as well, so that's on the list of things to handle to.

 

[Mr Monte]

Things could of been so much worse. You did good stopping when you did.

 

[latvius]

So the wheel studs just broke off? Is that what happened?

 

[Jeffp541]

So the wheel studs just broke off? Is that what happened?

2 were snapped off, 1 was bent and the other 3 were heavily stripped. and the rim is now yard art.

 

[Jeffp541]

So, we were having a family dinner chatting with my grandma and my oldest uncle (older / better memories of that time period) about my Camaro and I told them how I was planning on building my 454 to the specs of grandpas ls7 in his 71 and they both started chuckling about it. Apparently, my grandfather had that ls7 in and out of his Camaro a dozen times constantly having to do something to it, and it was one of his nemesis motors and was one he always complained about due to horrible mileage, no reliability, and he had to have it machined / blueprinted. They didn't remember exactly all the issues he had with it, other than he always called it the fastest paperweight he ever drove. So idk. The machine shops local to me all pretty much said they won't put a solid or a flat tappet cam and lifters in anything, and now with that info from family...I'm starting to think its a fool's errand to try to relive the past by building an old ls7 and just going to be signing myself up for expensive trouble. IDK.

Thoughts?

 

[f-body freak]

Just read this whole thread...
Amazing amount of work in a short period of time on that 71/78
Crazy, the deals that have come your way during this journey. I'm kinda the opposite of your story. I was trying to get my 79Z together(currently in sheet metal jail, for 3yrs or so) & last fall I had a 70 Formula follow me home that is drivable & has much less rust. After some small upgrades & correcting some issues, I've just started to drive the Formula. If no major issues this summer with that, I hope to get back on the 79Z this winter.

 

[Jeffp541]

Just read this whole thread...
Amazing amount of work in a short period of time on that 71/78
Crazy, the deals that have come your way during this journey. I'm kinda the opposite of your story. I was trying to get my 79Z together(currently in sheet metal jail, for 3yrs or so) & last fall I had a 70 Formula follow me home that is drivable & has much less rust. After some small upgrades & correcting some issues, I've just started to drive the Formula. If no major issues this summer with that, I hope to get back on the 79Z this winter.

Thanks for stopping in and reading my little thread. I miss my formula, but as a college law student, money time and space is limited and had to send her down the road. Sucks but such is life. not the first car Ive sold i regretted. But- my current i wont be as i know i couldnt find another body as solid as this one without spending $$$$$$.

 

[Jeffp541]

Not much to report really, but the wheels of progress are slowly turning. New z28 rim arrived and will get the tire mounted on it hopefully tomorrow. It looks nicer then my other 3 so got some motivation to have to take and strip them all and have em powdercoated.

Also been preparing to do the butt lift on the Camaro. My grandpa had a saying that nothing is rust free until its naked and rust free. these quarter panel ends definitely reminded me of that lol. lot of Bondo and rust hiding under the paint. But, can get them straightened out and ready to go just some elbow grease.

looking forward to ditching the plastic bumper and taillights.

 

[Jeffp541]