Warning: This is a LONG post with a lot of pics and a lot more to come! :laughing:
Okay, heres a little back story on my car, Ill try to make it quick!
Its a 1980 L82 that I got back in the spring of 2005 when I was 17. I have always been a car guy, mainly a Chevy guy. My father is a firefighter, and was a part time Chevy salesman. I grew up playing in vettes on the show room floor and fell in love. My father bought the car as a mid-life crisis. I had helped him pick it out, we bought it from a Boston cop who had bought it from the PD after it was recovered stolen.
Anyways, my father had it for about a year and a half, but it just sat in his driveway through rain and snow:surprised (hes not too into cars) So after I had my license for about a year or so, I convinced him to sell the car to me...(yes I paid for it :laughing: )
So thats where the fun began. When I got the car it was running, but in rough shape. The front and rear suspension was shot, the body was painted some nasty red with typical cracking and fading, and the motor was strong but had plenty of leaks.
Over time I picked away at things on my high school income. I was working as a mechanic part time at a local shop, so I had access to everything I needed, and jobs I couldnt do I got help with. I started with the suspension, COMPLETELY rebuilding both front and rear. I eventually got to the body, doing most of the sanding and prep myself and then having it painted back to the original black.
There was a lot of things along the way, but that will take MUCH too long to list :laughing.
However, all along the way I had dreams of building a badass 383 stroker someday, but it was always out of my price range. Now, 5 years later, its time. Ive settled into my career as a Paramedic, and now have the time and money to take this job on.
Here was the car in the beginning:
Painted:
The Tear Down
Ive begun gutting the engine bay, and cleaning ALLLLL the grime off. I plan on etching all the clean metal, applying POR, then topcoating either a semi-gloss or gloss black.:
:WTF This control arm was missing a bushing and BOLT!:surprised
Since these pictures Ive gutted more from the engine bay.... the heater box, wiper motor, wiring and hoses. Ive cleaned a lot more, and hopefully will be doing some paint prep and painting later this week:thumbsup: Ill try to get some new pictures of the progress.
Heres the interior. The dash was junk, so Ill be replacing it along with an aluminum center console and speedo/tach face plate, both filled with autometer gauges.
Now the best part! The beast to come... A 383 stroker hydraulic roller motor. My local engine builder, who lives literally 2 mins from my house, is going to be building it. Hes in his early 70s and has been doing this since his teens! We just got the block, and after cleaning and magnafluxing it, we've found NO cracks...its perfect.
Its a 1987 4 bolt main, 1pc rms, roller block.
Bottom end: SCAT rotating assembly with a cast 9000 series crank, forged 6" rods, forged KB flat top pistons, and ARP hardware.artyon:
Top end: Edelbrock Power package: Edelbrock 170cc/64cc E-tec Aluminum heads, Hydraulic roller cam w/ 296/300 duration, .539/.548 lift, Edelbrock Vortec RPM Air-gap intake, Edelbrock performer 750cc carb. artyon:
Before cleaning:
Well thanks for putting up with the long post, just wanted to catch you guys up. Ill be posting throughout the process with more pictures (and probably looking for advice) so stay tuned:cheers:
Okay, heres a little back story on my car, Ill try to make it quick!
Its a 1980 L82 that I got back in the spring of 2005 when I was 17. I have always been a car guy, mainly a Chevy guy. My father is a firefighter, and was a part time Chevy salesman. I grew up playing in vettes on the show room floor and fell in love. My father bought the car as a mid-life crisis. I had helped him pick it out, we bought it from a Boston cop who had bought it from the PD after it was recovered stolen.
Anyways, my father had it for about a year and a half, but it just sat in his driveway through rain and snow:surprised (hes not too into cars) So after I had my license for about a year or so, I convinced him to sell the car to me...(yes I paid for it :laughing: )
So thats where the fun began. When I got the car it was running, but in rough shape. The front and rear suspension was shot, the body was painted some nasty red with typical cracking and fading, and the motor was strong but had plenty of leaks.
Over time I picked away at things on my high school income. I was working as a mechanic part time at a local shop, so I had access to everything I needed, and jobs I couldnt do I got help with. I started with the suspension, COMPLETELY rebuilding both front and rear. I eventually got to the body, doing most of the sanding and prep myself and then having it painted back to the original black.
There was a lot of things along the way, but that will take MUCH too long to list :laughing.
However, all along the way I had dreams of building a badass 383 stroker someday, but it was always out of my price range. Now, 5 years later, its time. Ive settled into my career as a Paramedic, and now have the time and money to take this job on.
Here was the car in the beginning:
Painted:
The Tear Down
Ive begun gutting the engine bay, and cleaning ALLLLL the grime off. I plan on etching all the clean metal, applying POR, then topcoating either a semi-gloss or gloss black.:
Since these pictures Ive gutted more from the engine bay.... the heater box, wiper motor, wiring and hoses. Ive cleaned a lot more, and hopefully will be doing some paint prep and painting later this week:thumbsup: Ill try to get some new pictures of the progress.
Heres the interior. The dash was junk, so Ill be replacing it along with an aluminum center console and speedo/tach face plate, both filled with autometer gauges.
Now the best part! The beast to come... A 383 stroker hydraulic roller motor. My local engine builder, who lives literally 2 mins from my house, is going to be building it. Hes in his early 70s and has been doing this since his teens! We just got the block, and after cleaning and magnafluxing it, we've found NO cracks...its perfect.
Its a 1987 4 bolt main, 1pc rms, roller block.
Bottom end: SCAT rotating assembly with a cast 9000 series crank, forged 6" rods, forged KB flat top pistons, and ARP hardware.artyon:
Top end: Edelbrock Power package: Edelbrock 170cc/64cc E-tec Aluminum heads, Hydraulic roller cam w/ 296/300 duration, .539/.548 lift, Edelbrock Vortec RPM Air-gap intake, Edelbrock performer 750cc carb. artyon:
Before cleaning:
Well thanks for putting up with the long post, just wanted to catch you guys up. Ill be posting throughout the process with more pictures (and probably looking for advice) so stay tuned:cheers: