Plastic Fantastic tew

[silver_bullet]

"heads are torqued down... next problem, 3/8" pushrods don't fit in 3/8" guides... grumble... "
becoming a grouch.... are we? Just breath deeply... tomorrow is a promise of a better day!

[SuperBuickGuy]

today, remove such silly stuff as steering
first remove power part


it's in good shape (painted pretty)


move the tie rods to the manual hole


move the Buick to the Fiat hole, the the Fiat to the Corvette hole, then the Corvette to the lift




time to start cleaning it up


all of these have issues - but between the all, I think I have one good one


finish remove steering


pretty part... wrong one.... again, this is a 48 spline 1" and a 30 spline 3/4.... which is exactly what I didn't order


I did, however, get medieval getting it apart




so I'm kind of stopped there for a moment - no worries, there is much I can do.... what? well, you'll just have to tune in next time on As the Corvette Flops.

[SuperBuickGuy]

so knuckle-dragging suspension (meaning, mostly race car - like Greenwood) or bleeding edge? I'm hesitating a bit because I don't know which way I want to go.... with the wide fenders, I could bolt most of a C7 Corvette's suspension under this .... or I could do incremental changes.... rack and pinion in the front? or simply update the geometry? In the rear... I suspect I'm going to have to replace everything and it doesn't cost more to simply go with the greenwood bits I already have...
.

[silver_bullet]

contemplating direction.... that's a tough one..... as the results depend on two things... how many times do you want to re engineer this, and how much do you want to spend.... speed costs money(especially around corners)... how fast do you want to go?
http://www.ridetech.com/applications...9-c3-corvette/

Coil-Over Suspension, Chevrolet, Corvette, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, Complete System

CoilOver System for 68-79 Corvette. Includes front and rear HQ Series CoilOvers, front TruTurn, rear StrongArms and front MuscleBar.


http://www.ridetech.com/products/ste...reinforcement/

The C2 and C3 Corvette's are known to have flexing issue at the steering box when running a wider tire on the front. This was an issue that has needed to be addressed for years. During the 48 Hour Corvette build, we built a prototype steering box brace as a bolt-on reinforcement. This bracket is designed to work with the Borgeson power steering box and will simply bolt on to your existing system in just minutes. The 48 Hour Corvette runs a 315-30-18 tire all the way around while seeing more abuse on the autocross and road course than any car should have to endure. The frame and box flex is now a thing of the past, thanks to this bracket we are now offering to the public.

[fatguyzinc]

honestly, a stock suspension C3 (provided its all in good shape or
recently replaced ) with a halfway decent motor in it will already
outrun, out brake and out handle--basically run rings around--
any 'normal' small block camaro, mustang, chevelle, etc...

that almost-but-not-quite semi mid motor design ( the crank pulley
is behind the front wheel center!) lends itself to some fantastic
if archaic handling.

hell, with that iron headed rat motor in mine and smallish 15x5
fronts it will still keep up with most of em.

i mean, if youre going for the 'wow' factor, maybe i see grafting in
a whole different suspension, whether its aftermarket, C5, C7,
whatever. but the stock stuff with new bushings and such is
surprisingly capable.

its one of the reasons i got into vettes in the first place, a stock
couple hundred dollar rebuild and the car drives like a chevelle with
several thousand dollars in global west or 'pro touring' (yuck...) upgrades.

its good enough that theres a few guys that pro-solo with basically stock
rebuilt with upgrades C3's (delrin or poly bushings, higher spring rates, fatter
sway bars etc.) and do really really well against million dollar lambos
and such. i read about it right here in bangshift !

that steering box brace is a good buy though. and lots of guys run solid
mounts to tie the block/frame together as well.

[SuperBuickGuy]

So Loren, what did we decide on front and rear suspensions? do I make it as good as possible with factory stuff, or do I experiment?

[SuperBuickGuy]

I think the decision is made for me.... the bushings don't look terrible, the stub shafts don't have play in them, u-joints are okay - thinking the right choice will be to put a 700 hp motor in front of it and fix whatever breaks.

[fatguyzinc]

the only three things i would suggest in the rear are--

1) spacer plate for strut rod. that puts strut rods/halfshafts in plane to reduce breakage.
see dragvette.com...

2) adjustable strut rods with poly or rod ends. makes a world of difference.

3) stiffest rear spring you can tolerate. think 400/lb rate+....stiffer the better.
(hey, thats what she said...) helps stop 'squatting', and squatting = breakage.

and never EVER step off the clutch at 3500RPM...let it up a bit till it starts to
catch, and then you can pop it. i know SO many guys that floorboard the pedal
till its in valve float then sidestep the clutch--and they cant understand why they
keep breaking T-10's, muncies, saginaws, T5's, dougnash trannies, tremecs, etc.....

shock is what kills manual trans/rear ends, and with easily 500+ftlb out of that big
block thats a hell of a shock. load it up first, it will be ok. sidestep on the floormats
usually equals KABOOM somewhere. maybe not the 1st time, or 2nd, or 12th, but
eventually....

[SuperBuickGuy]

I never treat my builds like rental cars. Rental cars, on the other hand, are the fastest cars on the planet.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Apparently the old engine paint I had does not like brake clean


I have to paint anyway, so here it goes

yes, I painted aluminum aluminum color

shiney and orangey


cleared


tomorrow is all about the pressure washer under the car.... get it squeaky clean then shoot paint over it all.

[Deaf Bob]

There is a reason my kids seldom break rears and driveshafts..
Slap shifters do not get slapped without the brakes applied (rear only)
Side stepping the clutch seems to make wheel hop or something that breaks. I do like to row the gears..

[Loren]

Re; suspension, ain't nothing wrong w/ just making incremental (or no) changes at this point, especially since you're leaving the body on the frame here. After the motor's in, that money's spent and you're all adjusted to it and everything (meaning racing wildly around town raising hell in routine fashion) you may find the spirit moving you more toward this choice or that with the rest of the car. I would think your style would be to experiment with something nutty...

W/ me, things are so much about wheel/tire combo, it's kinda like those roll under there first then the suspension is figured out behind them.

Our suspension conversion project around here is kinda stalled right now, due to two different fabricators butting heads. I'm one of them, development on that will be leaving "their" shop and going into mine now. Have picked up a nice 5' x 8' cast-iron welding platen table for that...

(edit) Hey, see Marlan Davis' 'Vette in the new Hot Rod? Radial T/A 50s, it's probably about the 35th anniversary now (seriously) of when those (that style) were dropped. The flares on that car would probably look great, with a little more tire under them to fill things out.

[SuperBuickGuy]

You know, that makes perfect sense, but we need to frame that - the reason I have flares is because I was unwilling to cut apart a finished car.

[fatguyzinc]

all i know is that if someone gave me a blank check i would
chuck a shortened dana 60 under my white vette with the old
(and sadly like SO many other things now discontinued)
part #1557 mickey thompson 29x12.50 tubeless--with a few
crossgrooves carved in with a heated speedway tire groover
so it stops going sideways in the rain.

ladders and coilovers to round out the rear, and leave the front
alone and id be a fat happy fool.

although at this point id put the $ towards the 55 instead anyway.........

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'll never understand why people make corvettes into dragsters because they weigh so much and have such short wheelbase there are far better options... not that I care that people do, it's their car, but not something I'd ever do.