USMCFieldMP

iTrader: (1)

There's always something. So close though. Some times the nickel and dime stuff near the end of a project can pile up fast too, unfortunately.

I know when I was hanging out with a bunch of different road racers people (old Grand-Am series and ALMS types), they had a saying...

"Do you want to know how you become a millionaire at racing? Start off as a billionaire."

Pretty applicable to most sanctioned versions of "going fast". Hell, even for the street car stuff. I was thinking the other day about all the things that I know I'm going to need in the next year; suspension ($1500-$2500) and tires ($1500 for the Viper, $1000 for the Cobalt) are the biggest hitters.

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

I have heard that saying, I’m not sure where that puts me as I didn’t even start off as that millionaire

That’s a lot of money for 8 tires, we both have expensive wants’. I cringe when I think of all of the odds and ends that I need because I know I’m still missing other things that will end up on the list.

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

I talked with the rep from Coan and he told me that running the car and easing up the revs was absolutely fine and not harmful to the torque converter. That was good news and saves me $$$.

I tried ordering the replacement double adjustable coil overs ((Strange) and they are not available for months. One company just sold their last pair the day before I phoned. I tried other sources but no one had them in stock. A local performance parts store says they have a set of QA1 that match my specifications. I’m taking in one of the single adjustable shocks to make sure the QA1 are a direct fit. Because of the 4 link setup and the fact that the chassis was built with the Strange coil overs in hand, I don’t have any adjustability on ride height. The upside to the QA1 is that they are giving me a break on price to move them and I don’t need to pay shipping/duty which will save me a few hundred dollars, if they fit. I’m not getting excited at the savings until I have bought the new ones because things like saving money doesn’t usually happen with the car.

BlackielawlessSS

iTrader: (1)

Awesome news Rod!

CobaltSS313

cant believe this thread still exists lol

Deej

iTrader: (1)

Still watching and waiting.

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

It’s long overdue but I'll take the time for an update



As suggested awhile back, my Strange single adjustable coilovers needed to be upgraded to double adjustable ones. There was limited supply and choices due to lack of parts to make everything. I ended up getting a set of QA1 double adjustable at a reasonable cost which was a surprise considering that I bought them locally. Doing the swap over went painlessly which was a nice change from the usual way things have worked out for me. On top of that the fabricator, Dwain, had a project that could use the original coilovers so those were sold.

Strange shocks compared to QA1

QA1 coilovers installedThe Strange aluminum housing that I had originally bought for the drag strip was based on using the Ecotec LSJ and the specifications were vastly different from we I’m at now. While all of the internal parts were strong enough for my HP, the case itself was not designed for that kind of pressure. I bought the upgraded housing from Strange and had the fabricator Dwain swap over everything from the original case to the Strange HD case. Once Dwain did the swap over, the 3rd member came home, and I pulled apart all of the parts so that I could remove the 3rd member made for the street with 31 spline axels. Removing the brakes and axels went smoothly and I took pictures along the way just in case I needed a reminder of what went where. I was concerned about how it was going to be to remove the axels, but all of that worry was for nothing. It took one hit per side with the slide hammer and the axels were out.



Then the next step was removing the 3rd member. That too went easily and once the track locator wishbone was removed and the housing was un-bolted, it was simply a matter of laying underneath it and basically lowering it to my chest. Installing the new housing went well and then it was time to button up all of the removed parts. The 35 spline Pro axels needed to be cleaned up a bit as they had been sitting around for many years. Once the axles were in it was time to see if everything was in the right place. I went to turn the axel on one side and held my breath just because things don’t always go as planned for me. This time it all worked out and everything turned.

Dwain found a buyer for the original case but as usual I took a hit on the price that I got for it. I also had a Strange, street 3rd member, which was never going to be used anytime soon, so Dwain also found a buyer for it too. All of the money from the parts I just left with Dwain for the next round of things he needs to finish up. The main things that Dwain has to do is plumb the fuel system and setup the suspension. Because of how fast my money gets spent at the different shops, I am trying to do everything that I can to save money. Some of those things are more time consuming than I want them to be but I either kill myself with working overtime or I spend time in the garage working/learning.













I’m working to get the car into paint but there are many things to do prior to painting the car. I have painted the added roll cage bars inside the car and as well as all of bare metal underneath the car. Because the colour scheme of the car is red and black, I decided to continue that with the roll cage bars under the car. Yes, it took extra time doing 2 colours under the car but it’s how my brain works. There was a lot of masking, painting, demask, remask, paint and demask again but in the end, I like the look of my effort. It would have been great if I could have gotten the car up another 12-18 inches as spraying so close and in tight spaces doesn’t make for the best paint job but in reality, no one will really see it unless it’s on a hoist.

Roll cage prep



Painted interior roll cage

Underside of car before final painting

Masking done for painting new roll cage bars




masked ready to prime

primed ready for red paint

masking removed


Underside of the car is completely painted

NHRA 7.50 certification tag mountedI really want to button up the interior, but some wiring still needs to be done so I will do what I can as I search for a wiring expert who is willing to come to the car. I don’t need too much wiring done but I do need to just pay someone to finish the odds and ends. The guy who wired the car at Dwain’s shop doesn’t work with Dwain anymore. The annoying thing, about the way that the car was left, is that while the wiring guy worked at Dwain’s, Dwain was getting his cut of the cost, but he accepts none of the responsibility for the unfinished work.

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

I really want to button up the interior, but some wiring still needs to be done so I will do what I can as I search for a wiring expert who is willing to come to the car. I don’t need too much wiring done but I do need to just pay someone to finish the odds and ends. The guy who wired the car at Dwain’s shop doesn’t work with Dwain anymore. The annoying thing, about the way that the car was left, is that while the wiring guy worked at Dwain’s, Dwain was getting his cut of the cost, but he accepts none of the responsibility for the unfinished work.



I am now focusing on the remaining body work so that I can spray the car. I’m going with single stage as recommended to me by a body shop owner. I have a gallon of paint so everything should get plenty of paint before I cut polish any problem areas. I am also going to spray some more 2K epoxy primer on a few areas with metal showing from the previous body work/modifications. When I went to test fit the side rocker panel moldings which were supposed to lengthened by 1.5”. After paying good cash for the modifications there was still some filling, that I needed to do which I was fine with because after leaving the rockers at the body shop for 9 weeks my parts were not a priority for them anyways. Imagine my disappointment when I went to install them to discover that they had been lengthened 2 3/4” making them too long. I guess I will be fixing these myself because I can’t keep throwing money away to shops who just don’t do the work that we agreed to. The only upside is that I can paint these separately and it shouldn’t impede my painting the whole car.



As I have been sanding the car, I am not as far along as I thought. While wiping down areas after the sanding I am seeing what still needs to be dealt with. As a painter, I can’t just spray over everything. As I started priming and blocking, I found issues with the front/rear fenders which were re-worked to allow for the extended wheelbase and openings for the large tires. I am not skilled with metal, and I accept the fact that there will be imperfections in the steel. I am not spending $$$ to get another shop to maybe fix the steel properly. I care about the paint finish because paint is what I do. If anybody starts looking at the fenders and complaining about a bump, here or there, I am just going to lift the hood and point at the engine. At the end of it all, I have a greater appreciation to the cost of doing a really good paint job. The prep work is time consuming and tedious. I can see how someone who can’t paint at all would be overwhelmed by all of the time needed to prep the job right.



After everything is sanded and touched up, ready for paint I will start spray the car in about 3 or 4 sessions. I have been thinking how best to spray the car to get the best outcome. The underside of the hood and inside of the doors will be sprayed off of the car. I have chosen to spray inside the door jambs and the main body in one session. I will then hang the doors and fenders, mask off what was sprayed and then spray those areas. I also chose to take off the bumpers to spray them separately. Trying to spray the complete car in the garage leads me to a space problem. When the house was built there was a support post put in the garage between to 2 spaces in the garage. This makes it a real pain for walking around the car. Removing the doors and bumpers help a lot but it also adds to the process. On top of that issue, there isn’t enough room in my 20x20 garage with everything inside the garage. I chose to remove everything away from 1 wall and either put that stuff in my trailer or outside. I now only have the parts that I am working on for each session in the garage. I have hung my poly and covered the floor. I cut a piece of plywood to fit in the garage door doorframe. I then cut a hole in the plywood for the fan pulling out the overspray. I then took a 4’ step ladder, put the fan on it and strapped it down. I have a second fan that is low enough to blow air into the garage just under the garage door which will be open about 6”. I’m hoping the airflow is enough to remove the overspray dust.


Masking done to keep the dust out of car as I final sand the body







Everything underneath is masked off

I spent too much time painting under the car to let overspray wreck the job


final body work on fender

final body work on hood

final body work on rear bumper

final body work on rear quarter



Once the painting is done and I have no more concerns with dust on the paint job I will turn on my 2 electric heaters in the garage to help with curing. After 24 hours I will start with putting all of the seals/sills and other rubber pieces on the car. Then I will call in a glass company to get the front/back windshields and side windows installed. The door glass I will do myself. After all of this is done, I need to re-install as much of the interior that is going to work. I will still need to figure out how to mount my digital dash from Holley.

After all of that work is done then I start doing the next biggest challenge, installing the motor and everything else into the engine bay. I started going over the list, with my wife, of everything that I need to do, and it is a very long list indeed. Talking with Jim the engine builder we decided that the engine will go into the car with everything else before we run oil and fuel lines. That conversation was the first time that we talked the engine coming home. Because the engine needs to be mostly stripped down to install, it makes no sense dressing it at the shop only to strip it down again when it comes home. Having the trailer available to move it between shops really makes a big difference. The fabricator also wants everything installed when the car returns to him for the last few items that he needs to do. After all of that we still have to deal with tuning and I’m not sure how that will be dealt with yet.



I also need to hire a shop to strip out everything from my Reid powerglide case. The SFI certification expires in September and while the case is brand new it still needs re-certification. I contacted the only shop in Canada certified to do the inspection and of course he’s 3,000 miles away. I asked him about him removing the internals and he said that the extra cost shipping it back and forth, more than pays for it to be re & re’d out here and just send him the empty case. I talked with one shop to do the re & re but he’s booking 2-3 months from now and that would likely mean no track time this year.



Well, if you have read this far then I have saved the best news of this update just for you…….



the engine comes home after work this coming Tuesday

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

So glad to see a big update, good to see it's moving forward.

USMCFieldMP

iTrader: (1)

Nice work. It feels like it is so close.

BlackielawlessSS

iTrader: (1)

Awesome Rod! You are so close!

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

Yes, it is getting much closer and I’m excited to finally be able to put the drivetrain in to my car. It will be the first time that the car has had a drivetrain in it since May 22, 2006.

However, my to do list for the engine bay/drivetrain/body/interior is a bit daunting, if I look at it in its entirety. I went over this list with my wife the other day and when you look at everything that I need to do, it would really be nice to be an octopus right now as the extra six hands would come in handy. For now, I will just look at the list one item at a time and check it off as I go. As always, I will document the work with pictures for future updates.

Parts for me to re-install:

· 427 CID motor with ARE oil pan and custom motor mount

· Flex-plate

· ARE drysump pump

· Custom, ceramic coated headers

· Starter

· Alternator

· Wilson Billet intake manifold

· 2 speed powerglide transmission with filler tube

· Coan torque converter with transmission oil

· Catch-can for transmission

· Custom driveshaft

· Holley EFI coil packs

· Vortech V2 YSi-B supercharger with brackets

· Supercharger intercooler

· Supercharger charge piping

· Radiator

· Transmission oil cooler

· ARE drysump oil tank with catch can

· Custom length Moroso plug wires

· Finish installing carpet

· Mount Holley digital dash gauges

· Install dashboard

· Re-install console with rocker switches

· Re-install other interior pieces

· Re-install handle/cable for parachute

· Re-install window net

· Re-install door glass

· Re-install weather-stripping/seals

· Re-install seats

· Install 5-point harnesses

· Mount fenders

· Mount bumpers

· Re-work rocker mouldings

· Paint rocker mouldings

· Mount rocker mouldings

· Mount hood

· Mount trunk lid with wing pieces

· Mount parachute

· Double check all fittings

· Fill and bleed braking system

· Fill rear end with lubricant

After that’s all done, I am sure I will find a few other things that I need to do. If you see something that I have missed, feel free to point it out to me. I am also considering adding a fire suppression system for under the hood. I will see how the cash holds out as I still have some items to pay for.

I also have several things that the shops need to finish up once I finish my list. That list includes:

· Run oil lines

· Run fuel lines

· Install gas pedal with cable

· Make door skins

· Balance the complete suspension

· Finish electrical wiring



I am happy to see that my list is longer than the list for the shops because that saves me a lot of money. Yes, it would be faster to pay someone to do many things on my list, but I am tired of all of the hours that I get billed for to do something wrong and then billed again to do it right. We it comes to re & re’ing parts I am good at that. The work also helps prepare me for maintaining the car afterwards. I know many parts much better after working on them. Besides, there is still one more big-ticket item that I need to pay for, tuning the car. Besides hiring a tuner, possibly having to fly the tuner in and paying for dyno time, there are always the costs that I have not anticipated. I am in a bit of a short window here because unless I can get the transmission re-certified, I’m not going to get the car on the track after the middle of September. Anyways, after all of that, I need to head off to work as I’m starting really early today so I can get home and do some painting on the car. Tuesday is coming and the engine is coming home. I am so stoked to be so close to having a running Cobalt once again.

BlackielawlessSS

iTrader: (1)

Rod I was telling my wife about your build and she said your wife is probably glad its finally done as well I am so glad you are finally there! Its to start enjoying it! You should start a YouTube channel and document this build! This is such a cool build. I bet others will feel the same way! Keep plugging along my friend! Cant wait for more updates!

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

Blackie, I never read it yet, how are your kids???

Your wife is right, my wife is really looking forward to the car being finished, simply because of the many things that have been put on hold due to the cost of the car. My wife is the greatest (for me) because she understands that until the car actually goes down the dragstrip, the money spent is all for nothing, especially with the car still in pieces.

I will have to look into getting a reasonably priced video camera to film the videos of the project going further, because I'm not sure my iPhone 11 is up to the task. Then I will figure out the YouTube channel thing. I'm not much for being in front of a camera but the cool things are going to be happening soon and those I can film.

BlackielawlessSS

iTrader: (1)

Hopefully ones it goes down the track you can get to spoiler her I bet you could do it with a good go pro. They are that expensive.

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

I try to spoil her when I have the opportunity to. Sometimes she just appreciates me doing the small things, changing her tires, doing her oil change, working on the house, taking her out to the movies (finally) or just sitting with her to watch some tv (I'm not a big tv person)

So what is expensive? Which model is best suited for my needs. I really don't see the need for 4K because I personally have nothing that can display 4K anyways. Help here is appreciated please.

I was hoping to get more done on the car this weekend but I was asked to put in some extra hours to help get a job completed. The funny thing is that while trying to do final touch ups, I found hours worth of work from the crappy job the other painter did.

I did get down to the garage yesterday and get all of the prep done so that I could spray the final coat of 2K epoxy primer on the hood, inside of the doors, the trunk lid and the front fenders. After having a few issues with my spray gun at first, the hardener for the primer wasn't any good anymore (too old) and it kept clogging. I cleaned everything up and double filtered the primer and managed to use it up. The second batch of primer was mixed with the newer catalyst and it flowed beautifully. I gave all of the parts a good couple of coats so that I wouldn't see steel when doing the final sanding before topcoat.

My setup for dust extraction worked well or as well as can be expected. I did spray a gallon of paint yesterday and the filter on the outside of the fan showed so much overspray that I will need to buy a couple more filters before spraying again. Also, there was no overspray on the car at all which makes me hopeful that painting the car in the garage will turn out ok.

I was back downstairs this morning at 3 am to start sanding the primer. I just have the hood and trunk lid to sand with the 320/400 before wiping down and sanding with the 600. When I get home tonight it's back to the garage to keep on sanding. I am hoping to spray all of these parts red, today or tomorrow. I need them done and out of the garage because the engine comes home tomorrow and I need the space.


final 2K primer hood

final 2K primer fenders and trunk lid

final 2K primer drivers door

final 2K primer passenger door

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Nice progress, bummer about the expired catalyst giving you trouble at the start.

ProfDNS

Some nice work!

As for the Go Pro, it's best to get a 4K model as even though you may not have the screen resolution to really see the difference, the video details themselves are much higher, giving a cleaner picture and more dynamic range of colours and depth than just 1080p.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

I second this, even getting the Hero 7 black will shoot high quality video (2.7k or 4k) for a reasonable price.

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

I will start shopping around to see how much I can get a GoPro for. I did look on Amazon for a few minutes and I’m pretty sure I saw someone selling a Hero 9 with a $65. accessory kit for almost $1k. I’m thinking there are enough dumb people out there who click on the buy now button.

I’m kind of cautious and cheap because what ever I pay comes out of the car fund. I will also look into 4K resolution.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

I'm sure you can find one for a reasonable price on the Canadian equivalent to craigslist or FB marketplace. The price new from gopro is in the $300-$400 USD and they usually come with at least a 32gb microSD card, and a mount or two to get started

ProfDNS

Same price as in Canada
https://gopro.com/en/ca/shop/cameras...01-master.html

USMCFieldMP

iTrader: (1)

There is a "chinese off-brand" that is made at the same factory - I know it's easily available on Amazon, can't remember the name though. I would search YouTube for reviews and try to figure out exactly what you need. My bet is that you'd be perfectly fine with an older model.

I have a 5-6 year old Hero 4 Black and I've had no complaints with its video output. Your biggest concern should be where you are mounting it and how you are mounting it. Vibration will likely be your biggest enemy.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

To deal with the vibration, get the 7 or 8 black edition, they added image stabilization and it's insanely good at smoothing out video without needed a gyro mount

victory_red_SS

iTrader: (2)

I was looking at the ad for the Hero 8 and I saw all of the mods for the GoPro, just what I needed, another bad habit. Next thing you know Blackie will get me hooked on the Chemical Brothers detailing kick.

The upside is that I can use it for the car as well as our snorkeling trips in Hawaii and I already have plenty of large micro SD cards.