First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List Re: Cheviac or Ponchette? by "Tom Grzywacz" <ban67shee@hotmail.com>
(back) Subject: Re: Cheviac or Ponchette? From: "Tom Grzywacz" <ban67shee@hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 06:23:50 -0500 d) sratch my head and stand there like an idiot? I would go with D, and you said it first, so I don't feel too bad. I guess = sometimes practice outweighs theory. To each his own. I say sell the vette = engine and trans for 3K, add $1000 to 1500 extra for mods (completely new fuel system, motor/tranny mounts, driveshaft mods and ps/alt bracket reconfiguration) and 100 hours trying to figure out wiring. Take the $4000 = and buy yourself a real engine..400 or 455 and get a TBI/fuel injection = and 200/700R4 if thats your goal. Just my opinion..CH&%Y engines in ANY = Pontiac is a disgrace to the car. I believe when you are finally done, all that = time and money spent will be a dissappointment. Not knocking you Rowan. I am a realist, and sometimes great ideas are far more work/trouble than thier worth. But then again, without new concepts, we would stagnate. I guess I have reformed into a purist. Any counter strikes? Tom .......................................................................... Yesterday, a friend and I went and bought a wrecked '86 Corvette the = guy we got it from had taken the hood and fenders for his car, and said it didn't run,but he had started it on carb cleaner, and it sounded good. = We gave him the thousand bucks he was asking, and he dropped it off at the = shop my friend works at around 11;00 am. We found a batery, checked the oil = and water, and plugged in the MAF sensor from the car I ws driving. A few cranks for oiling,then a puff of carb cleaner, and VROOOM! We bunjie'd = down the battery and did a few laps around the parking lot. Fast and smooth, probably a better car than mine. we had a good laugh at the two previous owners not having figured out how to start it, and got to work. My friend needed some interior and top parts for his 'vette, so he = busted into the dash and interior while I got busy in the engine bay. By 7;30, dead tired and soaking wet from the rain, we were done. Engine(350TPI) and trans(700R4) with complete(and uncut) wiring harness. the cleanlieness of the motor(inside anyway) and paint marks on the trans indicate they were not original(it ran very well...I'm guessing 40-50K on the motor). sosension assemblys and interior were removed, and there was not much left. We learned you can cut safety glas with a Sawzall! Fiberglass cuts even faster. Anyway, I ended up with the motor and = tranny, radiator, and A/C. I have an A/C firewall for a '68, so I think that is = the way for me to go. A bit of cleaning, maybe some fresh gaskets, and remove some duff from = the wiring harness, and I'll be due for some major decision making. Do I: a) set the motor as far back as I can without the HEI hitting anything? b) position the tranny to work with my driveshaft, and go from there? c) just put it where the mounts are easy? d) sratch my head and stand there like an idiot? I intend to have functional Ram Air, but probably through the grille. A mass airflow sensor wll have to be found, hopefuly for under $200, I = know Autozone has some real cheap ones. The computer may mount above the glovebox. I'm bummed I have to go to Arziona for a few days around next weekend instead of working on this, but Its grandma's birthday, and I wouldn't = miss it. Wish I could take my Bird tho. Well, thats the state of my project, and I am pretty excited. Rowan *68 lurking _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com