My Project

In January my dad, who's getting up there but still does good engine work, asked me if I wanted to take on a project he started and abandoned 8-9 years ago . He built a L88 head 496 for it with a very mild solid lifter flat tappet cam. Maybe 450 HP. Ladder bars but the chassis and body condition was poor to be kind. Its been sitting out in the open in the pacific northwest for the whole time and needed a LOT. I made the decision to...

1. Gut it from the front seats back
2. build a 10 point cage
3. restomod light interior
4. build a 4.10 spooled Dana 60
5. 3000 stall Edge converter
6. Build a rollerized really beefed up TH400
7. Change essentially all the sheetmetal except the roof panel\
8. Tear the engine down, change over to a very healthy hydraulic roller Vic jr, Fitech fuel injection ( still gathering parts ) etc. Low 600 HP range build.
9. Lots of other stuff.
10. Paint and everything else done by me and I want it done by the end of the year.

I'm intending this to be a street car but well into the 10's when I drive to the drags.

This is my progress at the 3 1/2 month point...

 

I should note that this is a car I'm building for my youngest son . He's 11 but I'll train him to drive it and we'll do the High School drags thing. When he turns 25 I'll hand him the keys for good.



This pic should hint as to the depth of this project

 

This is what it looked like when it entered my garage a few months ago...

 

So my son and I went for a drive around the block yesterday and got a bunch of nasty looks from the neighbors whom I am convinced hate my guts in my nice upper middle class neighborhood . Brakes work and those 3" dynomax mufflers are louder than hell. The transmission does everything its supposed to which is a relief every time I build one . The 47180 Morosos's are as I expected completely topped out and there is zero suspension travel in front. I'll have to cut the springs a little even with the drop spindles. Did a couple of nice burnouts IN MY GARAGE because thats how I roll.

Issues...

1. No front front suspension travel.
2. I'm running Morel/Howards race roller lifters with 400 lbs open pressure springs. Some of the lifters bleed down after sitting and some don't so I can only give them 1/4 turn preload before the valves start hanging open once the oil pressure builds. Means that theres a lot more cranking when hot to get it started than I prefer as the oil pressure in the system builds and allows the valves to open. Once its running its fine but shut it down warm , the oil bleeds out of the lifters and start it 5 minutes later it takes 5 seconds or so to fire up. That may change with the fuel injection but it seems to be more of a valve issue.If I had it all over I'd just go with a solid roller. I wondered how I would like the juice lifters. I don't.
3. I'm going to have to rethink my ignition because the Fitech system I will be installing once my pressure pot gets here doesnt allow for a 2 step MSD controller as the spark cuts at the lower limit and the O2 sensor goes crazy.
4. Tearing the front end apart next week to put all those little nuts in that attach the inner fenderwells. Its all pretty much mocked up right now but the real body work is about to begin.

Of interest ...

The dash. The NPD dash fits so so. Still havent quite figured out how to attach it securely where the gauge cluster goes in and that aftermarket cluster is a poorly executed nice try. I'll get it secured better sometime . Its not terrible but it needs some work. I'm leaving out the whole lower dash so its on me..




Yep, Its a '79.



Of special interest is the Strange Dana 60 housing. Note the 9 inch style bearing adjusters. Makes setting it up a cake walk.