Roadkill's 1983 Chevy Z28 - (Work Starts on Page 5)

[Ralph]

Good man! See that's instant progress haha

[Roadkill]

I just bought the last bits for the next, next, next generation of exhaust pipe (or at the least the pipes I need for testing the A/F mix).

This design is just an extension to the collectors, no cross-over and dumping down on to the road . . . fairly un-glamorous but it'll ensure free-flowing gas while I play with the tuning and mix etc . . .

I do need to have the collector flanges made, though, so need to measure these and do a design . . .

EDIT - the stuff I ordered from Summit is now in the country and the tax and duty is pre-paid so I should have that early next week.

I reckon I'll be ready to go as soon as the warmer weather arrives (or when the Camaro gets evicted from its current home).

[Roadkill]

Hopefully the beginning of a good year, project-wise but I/we actually made some progress on the Camaro !

Ha !  Never saw that coming did ya !?



I spent about an hour Friday night fitting the 2 x A/F gauges and the boost gauge into the triple-pod pillar cluster . . . bit of Dremeling needed but all O.K.

Spent about 5 hours solid doing bits and bobs, with Ian's assistance earlier . . . Some generally good - albeit not earth-shattering - progress.

No photos but we got the A-pillar cover off and modified to take the new triple-pod, got that and the gauges physically installed, got the new fuel pressure gauge and its pod mounted to the dash, removed the dash-pad and modified it enough so it would fit back into place with the new pods and wiring in place . . .  I've also ordered a couple of minor bits in order to get the new gauges connected . . .

Next job will be to start plumbing the take-off for the fuel pressure gauge and running the cables / lines from the other new gauges while Ian faffs with the wiring.



* Buy / Replace battery (purchase lined up for this month)
* Buy / install (exterior) battery kill switch (purchase lined up for this month)
* Remove existing exhaust system (long story - I think I've explained ?)
* Measure up for new pipes / design new stubby pipes
* Buy / make remaining bits needed for exhaust (bends, straights & flanges)
* TiG together and install
* Fit Sensors to exhaust, run wiring inside of car
* install both controllers inside car in accessible position, wire up
* Remove D/S A-pillar cover, test fit new triple-pod pillar, test fit gauges
* Install 2 x A/F gauges, 1 x vac gauge to pods, run lines, install pillar
* Replace manual fuel pressure gauge under bonnet with take-off
* Install fuel pressure gauge in car, run lines to take-off and wire up
* Remove clutch pedal, mark up for cutting (it's never been right)
* cut/weld clutch pedal, paint and replace
* Remove rear harness points
* Design and make strengthened harness points
* Paint and replace
* Trim (and cap) bolts protruding on the underside of car (under seats)
* POR15 missed areas under wheel arches
* Front wheel liners (what to do) ???
* Repair hood (I'll need to have a strengthening plate made, too)
* Respray hood (got the paint already)
* Investigate gauges (some behave oddly)

That's all I can think of for now . . . . Oh, yeah -

* Time / tune
* MoT & Tax
* Try not to crash it !!

[Ralph]

Top stuff mate!!!

Satisfying seeing that list get smashed out too!! Keep at it mate.

[Roadkill]

Well, nothing's ever simple . . . I must've spent around 2 hours figuring out the best / best looking / cheapest approach to getting the vacuum line from the new gauge to connect to the engine . . I've ordered a collection of odds and sods from eBay and think I've covered it.



I've also drawn up 2 different drawings for the new header flanges, printed each at actual size and cut them out ready to offer up.

Based on this I've also ordered a small piece of 6mm 304 Stainless plate so it'll be ready to go once I've confirmed which of the templates are O.K.

On a completely separate note, I've also bought a pair of black fishnet tights . . . . more on that, later.

[Roadkill]

Another £120 in "bits" spent today . . . I do keep kidding myself when I say there's nothing left to buy BUT, there really isn't anything left to buy, now.

[ianjpage]

that's the last bit of spending

[Roadkill]

It'd be nice, yeah.

Hadn't budgeted any money at all in January for the Camaro but ended up feeling guilty and decided to act on it . . . . with the new battery it's got up to over £400 this month !



I need to draw a line somewhere . . . probably a few grand ago.  

Anyway, Friday, Sammy's working til 6.15pm so I *plan* to be back over at around 6.30pm . . . hopefully some of the stuff I ordered last night shows up.

[Cunning Plan]

This is the problem when you are already financially committed to a project, once you put money in, it is hard to stop and leave it because the money you have already put in would be wasted unless it was finished

I'm currently on a unnecessary spending freeze at the moment for certain reasons.  

[Roadkill]

This month truly has been a typical "little bit here . . . little bit there" kinda thing.

Some of the vacuum fittings were only £4 but once you've bought several to cover (hopefully) any eventuality it really adds up.

My relationship with the Camaro is a bit twisted at the moment . . . I know I need to get her done before I start hating her and there's a real risk of that.

[ianjpage]

Quoting: Roadkill

It'd be nice, yeah.

Well apart from all the fuel you'll burn when driving her

Quoting: Roadkill

Anyway, Friday, Sammy's working til 6.15pm so I *plan* to be back over at around 6.30pm . . . hopefully some of the stuff I ordered last night shows up.

OK sounds good

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Roadkill

* Buy / Replace battery (purchase lined up for this month) DONE
* Buy / install (exterior) battery kill switch (purchase lined up for this month) (98% DONE)
* Remove existing exhaust system (long story - I think I've explained ?)
* Measure up for new pipes / design new stubby pipes
* Buy / make remaining bits needed for exhaust (bends, straights & flanges)
* TiG together and install
* Fit Sensors to exhaust, run wiring inside of car
* install both controllers inside car in accessible position, wire up
* Remove D/S A-pillar cover, test fit new triple-pod pillar, test fit gauges DONE
* Install 2 x A/F gauges, 1 x vac gauge to pods, run lines, install pillar DONE
* Replace manual fuel pressure gauge under bonnet with take-off DONE
* Install fuel pressure gauge in car, run lines to take-off and wire up - 75%
* Remove clutch pedal, mark up for cutting (it's never been right)
* cut/weld clutch pedal, paint and replace
* Remove rear harness points - STARTED
* Design and make strengthened harness points
* Paint and replace
* Trim (and cap) bolts protruding on the underside of car (under seats)
* POR15 missed areas under wheel arches
* Front wheel liners (what to do) ???
* Repair hood (I'll need to have a strengthening plate made, too)
* Respray hood (got the paint already)
* Investigate gauges (some behave oddly)

* Time / tune
* MoT & Tax
* Try not to crash it !!

Updated.

That list isn't very fair, as it doesn't show all the work that was involved in fitting the "kill switch" . . . originally I'd planned to fit it on the (-) side of the battery so it just breaks the circuit when switched off but, on doing extensive reading, decided to install it as per the NHRA guidelines on the (+) side so the switch actually kills the car when running . . this meant running a second cable the full length of the car, as well as other alterations.

This isn't for racing purposes, more for peace of mind, security and to reduce the risk of killing the battery while in storage.  This set-up still leaves the alternator "live" when the switch is off but that's all.

Quoting: Roadkill

On a completely separate note, I've also bought a pair of black fishnet tights . . . . more on that, later.

Another, surprisingly time consuming job, not on the list . . . with the ducting, vents and speakers removed from under the dashboard, you can see through the windscreen, through the holes in the dash, to the red (unpainted) bulkhead and the wiring below . . . this always irritated me but not enough to remove the dash pad and actually do anything about it.

Well, fitting the pod and the fuel pressure gauge meant removing the dashpad so out came the fishnets (no, not used these were brand new before you say anything, C.P) . . . with a lot of faffing and a little more adhesive -

Before -

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After -

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A pic of the gauges in the main pod after a bit of fettling with the Dremel -

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My version of the vacuum take-off for the new boost/vac gauge . . . the AutoMeter supplied Tee-piece was crap !

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The sensor thingy for the electronic fuel pressure gauge installed -

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The kill switch mounted underneath the car -

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Sorry, I know, it needs a clean . . .!

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And finally, another job not on the list . . .

I decided to raise the air cleaner up 1" so the engine got as much of the cool air (theoretically) from the cowl scoop as possible . . . . This, again, took longer that anticipated but now leaves just a few millimetres clearance under the hood . . . It means that I *could* get away with a 3" Cowl if I had to (mine's a 4") by removing the spacer . . . we'll see what happens when I come to repair the hood . . . options, though.

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The next jobs are to continue with the wiring under the dash, connecting the various bits and bobs up, then move under the car and address the exhaust.

Thanks to Ian for assistance . . .

[Cunning Plan]

Great progress!

Quoting: Roadkill

so out came the fishnets (no, not used these were brand new before you say anything, C.P)

Me? Pffff, you mean Artb.

Have I missed something? What do the fishnets actually do?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Have I missed something? What do the fishnets actually do?

hopefully stop you from seeing -

Quoting: Roadkill

through the windscreen, through the holes in the dash, to the red (unpainted) bulkhead and the wiring below

We'll know soon.

The gaps are bigger than they look and the wiring clearly visible . . . with the fishnets in place it *should* stop you from seeing it at all, but still give the look of the stock dashpad.

Hopefully.  

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

The gaps are bigger than they look and the wiring clearly visible . . . with the fishnets in place it *should* stop you from seeing it at all, but still give the look of the stock dashpad.

aha!

Goth Roadkill?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Goth Roadkill?

I was never a Goth . . . . much to my friends at the time's dismay.  

[Ralph]

Some ace progress chap!

You won't hate it, just make sure you come out to play once it's done! ;)

Motor looks pretty tough!

[Roadkill]

5 Jobs on that list all revolve around the exhaust (again) . . . . I think, for my sanity, it makes sense to have a crack at these next . . . there's also a few other jobs that involve jacking the car up that could be tackled at the same time relatively quickly.

[Ralph]

It's been well over 4 weeks now... Come on man! 4 weeks until the V8UK Full Power Launch event! :D :D :D

[Roadkill]

There was some progress, wasn't there ?

:tongue:

Work has been aimed at the garage recently . . . . the Camaro becomes homeless VERY soon so will be back at mine next month . . . I doubt I'll have time to do anything more before then.

:down:

Garage is looking good, though.

:up:

[Ralph]

Hope you have been working steady on this so it's ready to roll up on Sunday! That would make me happy!

Seem to remember you turned up to last years FPL in the Caddy!

[Roadkill]

Haha, no. 

No work on the Camaro, it would've been brought back home by now but I've lost my only free parking space to the wife's new car, meaning I have to get other projects (ie. the garage floor) finished to get a space back !

The meet over in Aylesbury is on my radar but I've got a lot on at the moment, plus it'll mean leaving the missus and nipper at home OR taking two cars as the Caddy is not kiddie-friendly.

[Ralph]

Ah that's a shame, one day I will see that Camaro in action! haha

[Roadkill]

The floor in the garage is finished, meaning the Cadillac is back in the garage, meaning I've gained a parking space back, meaning the Camaro is back home !!!

Although brought back on a trailer (cheaper than taxing and MoT'ing) she did drive on and off the trailer under her own power (looks like we've finally cured that mysterious battery-draining problem as the battery had sat for 5 months untouched) although she did pop a 5A fuse to the fuel pump.

[Cunning Plan]

we've finally cured that mysterious battery-draining problem

:clap3:

had sat for 5 months untouched

:nono: :rtfm:

lthough she did pop a 5A fuse to the fuel pump

Frustrating, there is always something.