Author Topic: My Black Bitza (Read 110258 times)

Scott · « **Reply #20 on:** November 03, 2009, 09:55:38 PM »

Whoa. Bit of interest it seems. I might look into a replacement. I'll let you all know when I decide what I'm doing.

Scott · « **Reply #21 on:** November 05, 2009, 10:45:52 PM »

Ahh, looks like my post disappeared.

I got a response from the tech guy at VBandP. Their springs are the same from 69 to 81, so if I get the right bolts and bottom plate, it'll be fine. No shims needed as there is no twisting load on the spring, only up and down forces.

For future reference, they get their spring blanks, cut them to length and fit the end caps, so if you do want a slightly shorter spring it's no problem. They even keep a few in stock as they are rather popular. The standard width they make is slightly shorter than the stock 9-leaf spring.

So sorry guys, but the spring is no longer for sale.

demonx · « **Reply #22 on:** November 06, 2009, 06:27:14 AM »

Good new for you - the rest of us will just have to sulk for a while!

Scott · « **Reply #23 on:** November 06, 2009, 09:16:33 AM »

I'm sulking a little too, as now I have to wait another week until I can get my car back on it's wheels. I was so close :shake:
I ordered the parts this morning, so I'll see them next week some time I guess.

demonx · « **Reply #24 on:** November 06, 2009, 03:28:04 PM »

Quote from: Scott

I ordered the parts this morning, so I'll see them next week some time I guess.

Next Week??? Pretty much every USA Vendor I've purchased parts from takes a month minimum.

Are you saying VBP only take a week - I am impressed!

silver1 · « **Reply #25 on:** November 06, 2009, 07:06:16 PM »

VB&P had my full suspension kit and other parts at my door in 8 days[and i'm in the sticks]

the 20% off covered the freight
http://www.vbandp.com/

Scott · « **Reply #26 on:** November 07, 2009, 08:50:41 AM »

I bought my shocks and a few little bits just recently. They were in the country in a few days and delivered to my house in under a week and a half. Same for the other stuff I have bought from them.

Corvette Central is the worst I've come across. Twice I've ordered stuff only to get an email back saying there is a 4-5 week wait on 1 part. They don't have some parts in stock. They can't pack stuff either, so shipping gets expensive.

I highly recommend VBandP. It's a shame they only do brakes and suspension.

Scott · « **Reply #27 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:38:18 PM »

I had a package in the mail this morning.

I now have a rear spring, and my rear brake calipers back on. I have decided I'll need a heat shield to protect the spring from the exhaust heat, so I'll have to get hold of some sheet metal and whip something up. That means pulling the spring off again when I install the heat shield so I'll leave the suspension bolts out for now.

Scott · « **Reply #28 on:** January 23, 2010, 04:45:46 PM »

I was searching through the back-up drive the other day and I came across a couple of pics taken the day I got the car. It's at the servo right near the docks in Brisbane.

This is what it looks like now. Today I finally got the car back sitting on it's wheels after what was probably 2 years.

It's been a long time coming. I picked up a set of cheap rims a week ago, and got some tyres on there this morning. So now I'll be able to roll it outside and give is a clean, once my old man gets his car out of the way anyway.

I have also been fighting the engine mounts for the last week. I finally got them in, so I can bolt the headers up next.

For the past 2 months though, I have been cleaning up the seat shells.

After a lot of thinners, most of the red and white paint that was thickly applied is now gone. I'll have to clean my soaking container and go over all the pieces again to remove the left over splashes and what-not, then give them a coat of paint. I'll have to clean up the other seat pieces and rails, then I can bolt everything back in and make it look like a useable car again.

demonx · « **Reply #29 on:** January 23, 2010, 07:31:19 PM »

You're WAY ahead of me!!!

Good luck and keep the pics/progress coming!

Scott · « **Reply #30 on:** January 26, 2010, 10:07:37 AM »

Yesterday I put the fuel pump back in, only to find that the bolt through the engine mount was too long, causing it to hit the fuel pump. So I pulled the bolt out and cut 10mm off it. I had a die wound onto the bolt so after making the cut, I just wound the die off and the threads were ready to go.

Now there is plenty of clearance.

The other job done was installing the ceramic coated headers.

The first side went on fine. The second side was a bit of a pain. I had to remove the oil dipstick and tube to get the header in place, then knock it back in when I was finished.

The new pipes look much better than the old ones, and as a bonus, they don't hit the firewall :hammer: unlike the ones that were on there...

I'll have to try modify the exhaust a little to fit the new headers now. And replace the cut fuel lines.

Scott · « **Reply #31 on:** March 03, 2010, 11:04:07 PM »

Well, once again I have bought a batch of parts, and once again, I couldn't help myself. I now have new tierods and tubes, ball joints, lower arm bushes, a few other bits, and a set of tubular control arms! These have 5 degrees of castor ove the std 3 degrees. VBandP had their february sale, and since the top arms have new bushes and ball joints, I got them to leave out the duplicate items from the front end rebuild kit. All in all, it came out at a very decent price.

Last night I set the car up and removed the wheels. Tonight the fun started. First step, caliper and rotor off. I also dropped the shock out.

Next I spent the best part of an hour trying to get the tie-rod off. Using a separator (that I bought on the way home this afternoon), a hammer, the oxy, a bigger hammer and it didn't budge, so I gave up on it for now and moved onto the upper ball joint. A few easy hits of the hammer on the separator and the ball joint popped off. I think removing the split pin took the most time.

Then I removed the top arm, making sure i taped the alignment shims together and labeled them.

and Lastly, I wrestled the spring out. It is almost impossible to get the spring compressors in there, but eventually I got them on the spring just enough to get the spring out. Luckily it's completely un-compressed once the lower arm is dropped.

So that'll keep me busy for a while, especially since I'll have to clean up and paint the chassis as I go along :shake: I just can't help myself.

demonx · « **Reply #32 on:** March 04, 2010, 06:12:03 AM »

Quote from: Scott link=topic=6964.msg1045936916#msg1045936916

So that'll keep me busy for a while, especially since I'll have to clean up and paint the chassis as I go along :shake: I just can't help myself.

Thats one thing that bugs me about mine - when I rebuilt the front end I wasn't planning on going into as much detail as I am now so I never cleaned it right up, I just rebuilt it.

I'm half minded about pulling it all apart and doing it again but thats a lot of work to do twice. You may as well do it while it's all out.

Seeing those new bolt on A arms - that'd save a lot of work!

Scott · « **Reply #33 on:** March 04, 2010, 03:30:37 PM »

I'm suprised you have left your car body on the chassis, considering how much work you are doing on it. Sometimes I think it may have been easier doing half the things I have done without the body on there.

demonx · « **Reply #34 on:** March 04, 2010, 05:41:03 PM »

Quote from: Scott link=topic=6964.msg1045936920#msg1045936920

I'm suprised you have left your car body on the chassis, considering how much work you are doing on it. Sometimes I think it may have been easier doing half the things I have done without the body on there.

Like I said before - I never planned on the car needing that much detail.

BUT - like you said - rebuilding the rear end would have been soooo much better with the body off. The front end a bit easier also.

Hind sight is a wonderful thing.

craigh · « **Reply #35 on:** March 08, 2010, 07:21:12 AM »

Hi Scott

What brand were your coated headers.

I am looking at some Hooker ones at present and want to be sure they fit well with no clearance issues.

Regards

Craig

Scott · « **Reply #36 on:** March 08, 2010, 11:32:36 AM »

Hey Craig,
They are Patriot tight tuck headers. They are the shorty type ones. I chose these because I'll be able to hook them up to sidepipes in the future if I feel the need

I had some factory chev manifolds on there before, but they were the wrong type and hit on the floor. These ones will require the re-routing of the auto cooler pipes and the earth strap from the starter, but that's about it. Them clear everything else fine. I started a thread on the corvetteforum.com site about fittment befire I purchased as I wanted to make sure they would fot fine. Unfortunately, purchasing from the US was significantly cheaper than buying from here.

Scott · « **Reply #37 on:** June 24, 2010, 08:07:34 PM »

I finally have gotten around to an update. The front end rebuild is coming along nicely with only a few hiccups. I left the last update pulling the front end apart. Fun and games.

Last bits off.

Time to start cleaning up. Every thing was de-greased and hit with the pressure cleaner, then the wire brush on the bench grinder and angle grinders. Finally, a nice coat of cheap enamel, applied in my 'state-of-the-art' spray booth.

The lower arms were a little more difficult. Took a bit to get the bushes and cups out. A little fire did the trick though :drink:

Then, new grease and bolt all the pieces back together.

Rebuilding the lower arms wasn't too bad.

The first one went together fairly easily. Getting the new bush cups in was a bit of a hassle, but I got there.

The tubes that go inside the bushes are too long, so had to be cut down by about 3-4mm each to give just the right fit. That took a while but I got there.

When it came to the second arm, experience meant the cups went in much easier and faster. So fast in fact that I forgot to put the rod in... :mmm:

So I had to bash one of the cups back out, put the rod in and then bash the cup back in. That was not fun.

More to come. I have a cricket game to go to :)

Scott · « **Reply #38 on:** June 24, 2010, 10:34:47 PM »

I was still struggling to get the steering rack off, so I bought a 2nd, different tie-rod splitter.

The one on the left here uses leverage and a bolt to pop the ball joint and tie-rods. It took me about 30 seconds to pop the steering off.

I wish I had bought this one in the first place.

Next was the actual chassis.

I wasn't looking forward to this. Using a bright light and a blunt 25mm chisel, I scraped most of the major chunks of body deadner and crud off.

Then spent a fair while lying under the car with the angle grinder with a wire brush attachment again. There are some awkward places to get to, but after a few long hours, it was looking much better.

After getting both sides fairly clean back o the body mounts, and welding up a crack in one ot the outriggers that holds the engine, I spent more quality time lying on my back under the car with a paint brush and the fish-oil.

Then last weekend, more quality time with the paint brush and the undercoat (2 coats). Finally on tuesday I managed more quality time with the paint brush and the black top coat. I managed to paint one side with a single coat, so there are still a few more stints under there.

But after paint comes re-assemble

I don't seem to have any pics of the painted seat shells, or the chassis for some reason. I'll have to try grab some next time I get to the shed.

72vet · « **Reply #39 on:** June 27, 2010, 08:48:27 PM »

The Joy of cleaning & replacing parts:thud:. Keep the pic's & updates coming Scott :ado:

The way you have the car chocked up with timber is a bit of a worry though.