My Cam Research for the Experts Eye

ON THE GROUND! ...........

Another milestone today, after four years on stands, it's back on tierra firma.
Now it looks like it sits low, I'm not used to seeing it sitting on its tires lol.
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After the picture above, I also added tape guides and a rear tire stop to ensure that it fits back into this exact spot. With our truck next to it and the overall door width, it's gotta be in a certain area.

This is why I clay bar the paint and polish the chrome and stainless ........

Not everywhere on the car (less on vertical surfaces for example), but here's the result of using the claybar on about a 16 in by 16 in section of paint. This was on the car right after I washed it - it looked clean but there's always contaminates in the paint surface. I never wax unless I've used the clay bar, feels like I'm waxing over sandpaper if I don't. On my daily drivers I clay bar about every 8-10 months or so, then wax. All I do in between is wash the vehicle.
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This is what I generally use, this stuff has worked fine for me, but everybody has something different.
I forgot to include it, but I use Optimum "No Rinse Wash & Shine" in water as a clay bar lubricant. Again, there's tons of products out there.
I have clay bars in fine and medium grades, I always start with the fine grade, but sometimes if there's more contaminants, I then go with the medium grade.
I've found Nu Finish to be just as good as the higher-price polishes I've used for the paint.
Mother's chrome polish and Autosol have been effective on chrome and stainless.
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After clay bar paint is squeaky-clean and ready for wax.
I'll clean up the chrome and stainless next, then wax everything.
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The paint (Deltron base/clear) is in great shape for being done in 1987 in a garage, but in person it's got a few small chips and some of the leaded areas are starting to show form. There are also small pin "bubbles" that have slowly evolved over the years on the passenger side - not everywhere, but enough that, along with everything including a re-alignment of gaps, doors, etc., make a good case for a re-paint. Much much later...... right now the car still looks good.
 
I've got to admit that you put a great deal of time and effort into maintaining the cars looks , and keeping the car in far better condition than many of us could or would! that's impressive , thanks for posting the photos and sharing the tips on car care!
honestly you make me feel guilty , of how I've been neglecting my corvette during the last year, but I had rather more important issues to contend with.
 
@TXChevy,

Have you ever remove the iron that gets deposited on the paint. It's amazing how much iron there you will find, it turns purple and runs down the side.

I've used this product.


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thank you for the tip!
does it have any effect on the paint?
 
Not if you rinse it with water before it dries. Then use some diluted IPA or IsoPropyl Alcohol.

 
Rick, I've never tried the iron remover. Interesting.

Final Cleanup ......

Finished up all the paint, chrome and stainless, it all looks really good.

This was the general condition of the chrome, not pitted but really grungy.
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This is comparison of what it looked like after initial medium grade claybar cleaning.
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All shined up after application of Mothers Chrome Polish after the clay bar surface cleaning.
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The Autosol does a really good job on stainless.
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Still a few minor items, one of them remembering that I need to re-install the trunk latch. Seat belts are on the way, clean out interior and trunk.
While I was cleaning, I found something interesting on the airflow through the front grille - that's for later, but I can improve it.
 
Odds and Ends ......

For now, I'm using an open element with 4 in filter, which is what was in the car before.
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But I really want to duct in outside air. I've already bought a very similar air cleaner like this one:
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There's a couple of perfect locations for flanges to attach the intake ducts on the inside of the fenders, each side. The neat part is that there are air intake grille "eyebrows" over the headlights that attach to ductwork to bring fresh air into the car. I can easily cut 3.5 in holes for intake flanges on the fenders that go straight into that ductwork. More later.

New seat belts arrived. These are DOT approved, not fake $9.95 "seatbelts" made from cheap webbing.
As you can see they are set up for bucket seats and are the racheting type. Very nice quality.
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Not needed for that first drive, but since the wiring was in place, I installed the trunk lighting.
Sorry to highlight the mess in the trunk.
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On/off switch is discreetly installed on the right side inside the trunk, no big toggle switches ;)
I'll be going back and cleaning up those welds too, now that I see them on camera.
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Tomorrow I've got some fender bolts and the trunk latch to install, so if my pals can get here, maybe late in the day I'll actually take that first drive!
Going for early voting in the morning.
 
FIRST DRIVE - YES RICK IT REALLY HAPPENED! :like:


This is just a short video leaving and coming back, my buddy's got another one too that I'll get posted.
Nothing burned or broke and the car felt really good. Great throttle response.
I'll get some more in-car videos that will better highlight the driving experience.

We ALL started on this a long time ago!

 
congratulation's on making it that far , and hopefully much further soon!
 
congratulation's on making it that far , and hopefully much further soon!
Thanks especially for the cam and engine help, the car sounds and runs great.


Details:
- engine cranks and runs fine but I still need to recheck mix and timing.
- car didn't pull to one side driving or braking
- no weird noises
- transmission shifted great
- rear axle was quiet
- the Saturn Ion bucket seats are perfect, they allow for lots of adjustment
- no wiring problems, 14+ charge volts
- engine temp maintained at 190ish, fans were running but kept control even sitting idling
- Transmission temp barely got registered with that big cooler
- I don't like neighborhood speeders so only a couple quick throttle jabs, but it felt really strong. And loud :like:
 
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Sure sounds good, bet it felt really nice to drive !!!

It only took 3 years, your first post was October 2021, that sound about right for a project of this size.
 
I had already been at it a year before I started with the engine! I keep a build log and the first entry was October 3. 2020.

Greatly appreciate all the help, it really made a big difference for me. I learned a ton of practical info.

I added a rear window sticker that sums up what I repeated to myself a thousand times lol.
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OK!!?? :facepalm: :like::cwl:
now what would you have done differently?
what would you like to upgrade and change??
I had to ask, before someone else did!
 
OK!!?? :facepalm: :like::cwl:
now what would you have done differently?
what would you like to upgrade and change??
I had to ask, before someone else did!
Right now, probably from relaxing a bit, there's nothing that comes to mind. But that will change I'm sure as I take time to think about it.

I did like the idea of a GM 6 speed but of course you're talking about electronic control. Not interested in a Gear Vendors OD unit. But my fresh th400 is doing fine.

I'll be adding a front swaybar, that's almost a necessity with this car. Rear bar would need to be a custom bracket setup.

My next focus is the interior, but that's not on a timeline, I'm happy to drive the car as-is while I plan out the interior design.

I'm really happy with this car.
 
that's really great to hear!
so many guys complete a project and think, about the results,
and have a nagging thought that they really should have done a few things rather differently
 
When you started out, did you have a list of things to do and stayed to that list. Or did the project grow as time went on.?
 
On all my project cars, I keep a binder that has the following sections:
- game plan
- parts
- work log
- general info
- receipts
I start out with an overall build plan for different main parts, like engine, transmission, body, electric, etc. Then as I think more on stuff, I start to refine the plan, knowing it will change as I go per specific info or whatever, but generally its my road map.
Example is that I had "engine rebuild" in the game plan, then refined it as I went along.
Parts - lists any parts or machine work, where purchased, how much, and when.
Work Log - a brief description of what I did that day (I'm on page 18). A good reminder and reference.
General Info - anything tech, like the engine report that Rick did, measurements, instructions, etc.
Receipts - self explanatory, correlates with Parts.

I also have complete wiring diagrams, relay/fuse diagrams etc, all with numbered labels, plus a wire label reference chart.

Its being a nerd about so much documentation, but this stuff is of great value later for me and/or for the kids when I'm long gone. I also keep removed or extra parts in labeled boxes, makes it easy to see what's on the shelf. I hate digging thru stuff.
 
wow! that's scary in how efficient you could be in theory at least,
I know I keep lots of documentation, but its rather amazing in how often "plans"
seem to go off track. or when I finally decide to do something using certain components I find that when I start trying to purchase all the listed matched parts,only then do I find out then that a few key pieces are either no longer available or currently on an unknown back order or just unavailable. (or the price is now two or three times what it was a year ago)
 
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