the brake lines suck, but working it
most everything else is hooked-up or some identified gigs to be worked-off. except 4 hours of stuff; probably turn into eight hours....this for a start-up. She has a HR cam so no fancy break-in req'd.
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George Kettler
SOLD 70 Elky 496/th400 3/.90 68 RatVette 68 Camaro Ragtop
Figured the brake lines not working was a bad match-up between 'conversion' line kit and a 'repro' type brake set-up Have this fixed, new lines. Just a few clips and then bleeding
Fuel lines in, just must connect the FP to the carb
Water management seems in order; the parts are here just a few fittings to install damn, need a radiator drain valve HAVE a mech water gauge hooked to it fer run-in
67 Camaros the shock angles are the same. 68s have staggered upper location. Now why the fancy bottom plate for the spring perch for the dvr side came angled forward, not overhead. Ground a slot, applied big hammer, welded the shock mounting tab near vertical
I grabbed a few blocks of Electrician Duct Seal for the kick panel sealing. Will also use a lot for ye olde windshield trim I had the big pillar post stainless steel pieces polished
Camaro guru Jon stopped in FRI. He strongly recommended new wiring harnesses with the correct RS/CONSOLE/Gauges stuff vs tacking conversion harnesses onto 49 Y/O stuff. So $1k for wiring, due soon. I did score a 2.5 turn lock to lock steering box and stuff from Mark 68z28. He went to R&P for a number of reasons. This was his 500-mile take-out. ;) Already in the Camaro.
Lots more to tell, this just the highlights. Looking good now after all the delays.
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George Kettler
SOLD 70 Elky 496/th400 3/.90 68 RatVette 68 Camaro Ragtop
Good call on the new wiring harness. Now is the time to do it while its all still apart!
I know you already ordered... but have you seen the new M&H ones that are plug and play with the original harnesses, but have the updated blade fuse box?
So essentially you change out the fues box and primary underdash harness- and all the other OEM harnesses plug right back into it like it was still the original one!
Thats what I want to do eventually- but like yours its about a $1k investment to update all of them... thats a lot of coin for something i don't need yet.
(Mad scientist voice) It's Alive, ALIVE!!!!! Time of first fire-up around 7pm Sunday.
Details. Fixed the fkking ATF leak at the TV cable. Fixed where Dennis bombed on my repro 'tower' hose clamps on the lower radiator hose. I wish he had told me of trouble BEFORE the coolant/water went in. Yup, made a mess of this..... So Sunday I sourced a few things from Rick (gray primer 67 Camaro drag car) like a gauge oil sender nipple, 68-type small valve cover grommets, etc. He said he was thinking about doing burnouts with his Camaro but needed to do a fuel run. I brought a full 3-gal jug with me for him. He liked that! Refilled my fuel jug on the way home. Installed the goodies from Rick, attached engine grounds, snugged down the carb (remember the stud had pulled, re-set it with epoxy). Checked some of this, some of that... Pulled the distributor, hooked up the oil gauge, put a bolt and nut on the AT dipstick tube through the bell housing hole (2004R has the multi bell on it, BOP-C) into the BOP hole. Got my hand 1/2 Makita drill out, cut-down HEI primer tool from Dennis...got 50psi oil pressure in short order. Cranked the engine to a few other positions...more priming. Left #1 spark plug partly out, cranked engine over, pssssssssst with compression. short clicks until TDC reached. Distrib dropped in 1st or 2nd try...but way outa phase. Tried around 100 more times, used a bare distrib shaft to move the clocking on the oil pump drive she wouldn't drop. Craig came by. The car must have felt bad, moments before his arrival, the distrib dropped into place. We got partial fire, backfires. Went back through TDC, I must have messed up the timing badly. Moved the wires a few slots...VICTORY! A runner But wait....fuel everywhere! Clean the floor, tighten the fitting...another shot, fuel everywhere! To the parts house for a new nipple Got that on...WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! Rick arrived. Got to working on burping the cooling, more burp of the PS, more fill for the AT, and those new car burn-in smells and smoke Craig departed (THANKS CRAIG!) Many short run periods, fix or adjust stuff With the car's arse up in the air the rear brakes did not work...prop valve cut the fluid at some point the other day. Re-bled the back, tightened fittings, re-bled. Victory. The trans sucked up the 3rd gal of ATF, wants a bit more. Ran it through the gears, Rick set the TV cable. I'm very glad that I had installed the Shiftworks conversion kit on the horseshoe shifter, not only additional detents but DRIVE is in a slightly different position....would have been problems.
OK, hope the link works https://www.facebook.com/george.kettler/videos/1542043332495440/
-- Edited by kettbo on Monday 1st of May 2017 08:32:14 AM
-- Edited by kettbo on Monday 1st of May 2017 08:32:56 AM
__________________
George Kettler
SOLD 70 Elky 496/th400 3/.90 68 RatVette 68 Camaro Ragtop
Those look like SPC Performance Adjustable A-arms. Come over and get your steering gear and I can show you what they look like! :)
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Erik '69 Chevelle Sport Coupe, EFI355, TH350 '68 Chevrolet C10 Stepside Project, 292, t-56, C4 IRS (project) '77 Chevrolet K20 Silverado LWB, 400CI, TH400 '91 Chevrolet V3500, TBI Gen V 454, 4L80E, Lifted
the turn-around vid was too long-loading on YouTube so I cancelled it. Here is Camaro getting a bath. She was a mess. She is pretty loud, but the pipes are not sealed or clamped at this juncture except to hold things in position. The metal is on good-enough for the moment. I need to put more weight on her to compress the front coils and get the upper arms off the chassis. Then I can adjust the uppers outward. Gonna add door glass and qtr glass. Hopefully I can drag Craig away from his other life and get that windshield in SAT(?) or FRI nite(?)
the pic is from a month ago...
-- Edited by kettbo on Tuesday 2nd of May 2017 05:20:36 PM
Craig was by the other day, installed my windshield. We then got 98% fit on the convertible 'top of window frame' trim. Not perfect alignment with the pillar-post trim but damn close. I've not been above to address the car since with company and east coast travels. Usual house stuff at hand, yatta yatta. Some texture shooting coming up; get after the master bath mud/tape/finish as well as the custom shower stuff., Have more SS trim to polish, seat backs requiring a re-do on the medallion (needs the backing trim and some more fluffing from Ben), have the new main harness for all the gauges vs old bare bones harness and adaptor cables
Before I get too crazy throwing parts on, I will get out the AIM and put the parts on in the correct order I am thrilled that I did get a newish quick ratio/mid effort steering box off Mark Brown and the very limited driving, it felt great. Hope to get the side glass and mechanisms in soon, window felts, seals...might help to bring the nose down some but really thinking I'll be putting different front coils on
-- Edited by kettbo on Thursday 7th of September 2017 05:01:17 PM
__________________
George Kettler
SOLD 70 Elky 496/th400 3/.90 68 RatVette 68 Camaro Ragtop
Craig was by the other day, installed my windshield. We then got 98% fit on the convertible 'top of window frame' trim. Not perfect alignment with the pillar-post trim but damn close. I've not been above to address the car since with company and east coast travels. Usual house stuff at hand, yatta yatta. Some texture shooting coming up; get after the master bath mud/tape/finish as well as the custom shower stuff., Have more SS trim to polish, seat backs requiring a re-do on the medallion (needs the backing trim and some more fluffing from Ben), have the new main harness for all the gauges vs old bare bones harness and adaptor cables
Before I get too crazy throwing parts on, I will get out the AIM and put the parts on in the correct order I am thrilled that I did get a newish quick ratio/mid effort steering box off Mark Brown and the very limited driving, it felt great. Hope to get the side glass and mechanisms in soon, window felts, seals...might help to bring the nose down some but really thinking I'll be putting different front coils on
-- Edited by kettbo on Thursday 7th of September 2017 05:01:17 PM
Lots of house stuff done, the main house is presentable for the first time in ages. Earlier, some areas got textured to match, some other work, a lot of paint, better hardwood floor in the widened areas by JustKyle. Then my pal Matt floated a custom shower floor. I had to hurry, get the last of the LR trim up, then my sis rolled into town. Today playing with the under tile heat, ugh. Camaro, below the master bathroom, is in the way off some serious DIY home electrical for the floor heat. (ceiling of garage is subfloor for the master bath). Camaro cranks but not firing, no time to play with it. I will deal with that soon enough, manifold swap to EPs with oil fill tube ahead. Wife is sold on efi with a pal chiming in the other day... she may get sticker shock. Thinking Holley Sniper.
Grand daughter Keegan got her stem cells the other day. She will be sick from the radiation and chemo for possibly two weeks, hope no issues with cell rejection. Long recovery ahead. Importantly, helping out here is priority. Trunk full of Camaro parts awaits me
-- Edited by kettbo on Monday 26th of March 2018 01:14:33 PM
-- Edited by kettbo on Monday 26th of March 2018 01:27:57 PM
__________________
George Kettler
SOLD 70 Elky 496/th400 3/.90 68 RatVette 68 Camaro Ragtop