Northern MI Cucklyfe: Floating Garage Edition

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Sadly, I lost a lot of my epic past car stories (e30, 944) in the burninating of DFD 1.0, but I think most people here know them, and I'll retell if necessary.

Anyway, current stable:

2016 Silverbrahdoe (the original 1SMP)
ERROR: Photo not found, too basic to share

2016 Volt (ZFG image for ZFG car)


2003 Corvette in it's natural state:

[ChrisoftheNorth]

The Volt

It's probably the most surprising car I've ever had mostly in how decent it is. I expected a rolling heated steering wheel, and ended up with something much more fun and engaging than I ever expected. The electric motor is really torquey, the steering is direct, and the ride is firm without being harsh. It's damned near sporty feeling, way more than a Prius. EV range we've measured at 40ish miles when going 75 on the highway, can go farther the slower you go. We've already put 2k miles on it, and I've only filled up the 9 gallon tank twice. Infamous charges at work for free, so we pay nothing for her commute. Once gas goes up, we'll be in business.

Oh, and the heated steering wheel is actually 5/7. Don't let Infamous know I said that.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

2016 was a bad year. At the end of last year, I noticed a wobbly harmonic balancer, which is a common failure on these. In early summer, I noticed some slight belt squeal, indicating the balancer getting worse. So I took some time off around my birthday with plans to fix it. While in there, I decided to replace the front main seal which had been leaking ever so slightly and the steering rack, which had also been leaking just slightly.

Well, it turns out that I made both issues worse. The balancer works great, but the FMS leaks worse than before, and the steering rack dumps a full reservoir of fluid in a week. Source appears to be my "rebuilt" steering rack. I dumped some lucas power steering stop leak in there, some shitty ATF and hoped to drive it for the fall.


The car had other plans...

Leaving work 3 weeks ago, I get in after a long hard day at work. Fire it up, first gear, and pull out of the parking spot. I clutch in as I'm coming to the end of the row and all of a sudden BANG/CLANG...car stuck in gear, clutch doesn't work, I get it into a spot, slam on the brakes to stall it, and weep gently into my cupped hands. Clutch in makes this rusty spring kind of sound. It's trying to do something, so the slave isn't dead, must be a clutch pressure plate failure. Great. Get the car towed to Bag End, push it in the garage with a cover on it, and call it until the winter.

For a brief moment, I debated . But that's not the answer. No, the answer is to build. Build it like it never thought it would be built before. Beefed up clutch
Ported LS6 heads
Custom cam
Radiator (probably)

Goal is 450 whp.

We'll see if I make it, but I'm going to give it my all. The car thought it won, but instead it ignited something it never dreamed. It's days as a garage queen brubbing around town are over. Transformation to monster commence.

[goIftdibrad]

2016 was a bad year. At the end of last year, I noticed a wobbly harmonic balancer, which is a common failure on these. In early summer, I noticed some slight belt squeal, indicating the balancer getting worse. So I took some time off around my birthday with plans to fix it. While in there, I decided to replace the front main seal which had been leaking ever so slightly and the steering rack, which had also been leaking just slightly.

Well, it turns out that I made both issues worse. The balancer works great, but the FMS leaks worse than before, and the steering rack dumps a full reservoir of fluid in a week. Source appears to be my "rebuilt" steering rack. I dumped some lucas power steering stop leak in there, some shitty ATF and hoped to drive it for the fall.


The car had other plans...

Leaving work 3 weeks ago, I get in after a long hard day at work. Fire it up, first gear, and pull out of the parking spot. I clutch in as I'm coming to the end of the row and all of a sudden BANG/CLANG...car stuck in gear, clutch doesn't work, I get it into a spot, slam on the brakes to stall it, and weep gently into my cupped hands. Clutch in makes this rusty spring kind of sound. It's trying to do something, so the slave isn't dead, must be a clutch pressure plate failure. Great. Get the car towed to Bag End, push it in the garage with a cover on it, and call it until the winter.

For a brief moment, I debated . But that's not the answer. No, the answer is to build. Build it like it never thought it would be built before. Beefed up clutch
Ported LS6 heads
Custom cam
Radiator (probably)

Goal is 450 whp.

We'll see if I make it, but I'm going to give it my all. The car thought it won, but instead it ignited something it never dreamed. It's days as a garage queen brubbing around town are over. Transformation to monster commence.

also you are up early as all fuck

[ChrisoftheNorth]

2016 was a bad year. At the end of last year, I noticed a wobbly harmonic balancer, which is a common failure on these. In early summer, I noticed some slight belt squeal, indicating the balancer getting worse. So I took some time off around my birthday with plans to fix it. While in there, I decided to replace the front main seal which had been leaking ever so slightly and the steering rack, which had also been leaking just slightly.

Well, it turns out that I made both issues worse. The balancer works great, but the FMS leaks worse than before, and the steering rack dumps a full reservoir of fluid in a week. Source appears to be my "rebuilt" steering rack. I dumped some lucas power steering stop leak in there, some shitty ATF and hoped to drive it for the fall.


The car had other plans...

Leaving work 3 weeks ago, I get in after a long hard day at work. Fire it up, first gear, and pull out of the parking spot. I clutch in as I'm coming to the end of the row and all of a sudden BANG/CLANG...car stuck in gear, clutch doesn't work, I get it into a spot, slam on the brakes to stall it, and weep gently into my cupped hands. Clutch in makes this rusty spring kind of sound. It's trying to do something, so the slave isn't dead, must be a clutch pressure plate failure. Great. Get the car towed to Bag End, push it in the garage with a cover on it, and call it until the winter.

For a brief moment, I debated . But that's not the answer. No, the answer is to build. Build it like it never thought it would be built before. Beefed up clutch
Ported LS6 heads
Custom cam
Radiator (probably)

Goal is 450 whp.

We'll see if I make it, but I'm going to give it my all. The car thought it won, but instead it ignited something it never dreamed. It's days as a garage queen brubbing around town are over. Transformation to monster commence.

also you are up early as all fuck

?

I always wake up at 6. Though, I didn't have to this morning because I have a 9am meeting downtown...so I took the opportunity to whore a bit.

[Melon]

LS6 Cam, p&P 243 Heads, if you went larger on the TB with a FAST 92mm intake at a min, you'll get same close.

[goIftdibrad]

Ah, my time is an hour off.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

LS6 Cam, p&P 243 Heads, if you went larger on the TB with a FAST 92mm intake at a min, you'll get same close.

Nah, I'm going much more aggressive than an LS6 cam...I'll let the head guy spec the cam, but it'll probably be a medium cam in the 230 duration range and around .6" lift.

I have a really hard time justifying the value of a new intake manifold. A Fast 92 is $800+ (even used), and might gain 20hp if that. The stock LS6 intake manifold on my car flows pretty well apparently. If anything I may get a P&P TB, but I'll talk to the head guy to get his take on that. Not changing the intake might keep me in the 430 range, but I'd rather spend that money on a new radiator.

[Melon]

I have your feels on the intake manifolds, they're so expensive for the benefit, but more air in = more power out.
And going from 76mm to 92mm makes a big difference when talking better breathing heads and higher lift and duration cams.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I have your feels on the intake manifolds, they're so expensive for the benefit, but more air in = more power out.
And going from 76mm to 92mm makes a big difference when talking better breathing heads and higher lift and duration cams.

Yea, true. I'll see what the engine builder thinks, meanwhile I'll troll for used deals.

[Johnny_P]

resurrection

will live again!

[ChrisoftheNorth]

resurrection

will live again!

I won't let die that easily.

[Melon]

LOL @ Thread title.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

LOL @ Thread title.

[Desertbreh]

resurrection

will live again!

Depending on the horsepower added it could be an INSURRECTION

[ChrisoftheNorth]

resurrection

will live again!

Depending on the horsepower added it could be an INSURRECTION

Yea, we'll see.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Contacted a prominent drivetrain shop here, they said they'd swap the gears in my diff for $240 labor if I bring them the diff by itself. Plus $425 for R&P, I'd probably ask that they rebuild with some seals, etc...another $100 and I'd be in for under my $1k estimate.

Damn.

[troyguitar]

Contacted a prominent drivetrain shop here, they said they'd swap the gears in my diff for $240 labor if I bring them the diff by itself. Plus $425 for R&P, I'd probably ask that they rebuild with some seals, etc...another $100 and I'd be in for under my $1k estimate.

Damn.

Wow that is cheap. If I keep my car I might have to get the shop name... 4.10 C5Z ol: fuck the police they can't catch me.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Contacted a prominent drivetrain shop here, they said they'd swap the gears in my diff for $240 labor if I bring them the diff by itself. Plus $425 for R&P, I'd probably ask that they rebuild with some seals, etc...another $100 and I'd be in for under my $1k estimate.

Damn.

Wow that is cheap. If I keep my car I might have to get the shop name... 4.10 C5Z ol: fuck the police they can't catch me.

Yea, apparently they do a lot of C5 work, so they have it down.

Dang, 4.10's would be so much especially if I hit my 450ish WHP target. Nothing could catch teh

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Sale on Monster clutches...$125 off from now to the end of the year. Time to shit or get off the pot.


Still not sure if the LT1 dual disk clutch that holds 700hp is worth $300 more than the single disk that holds 550hp. I'll never see over 500hp, realistically.

[goIftdibrad]

Sale on Monster clutches...$125 off from now to the end of the year. Time to shit or get off the pot.


Still not sure if the LT1 dual disk clutch that holds 700hp is worth $300 more than the single disk that holds 550hp. I'll never see over 500hp, realistically.

the double plate will be a much sfoter pedal doe

IE, 350 hp per clutch. Plus you get to be a baddass for having a multiplate clutch, even if it s OEM parts

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Sale on Monster clutches...$125 off from now to the end of the year. Time to shit or get off the pot.


Still not sure if the LT1 dual disk clutch that holds 700hp is worth $300 more than the single disk that holds 550hp. I'll never see over 500hp, realistically.

the double plate will be a much sfoter pedal doe

IE, 350 hp per clutch. Plus you get to be a baddass for having a multiplate clutch, even if it s OEM parts

Apparently, the one that holds 550 is pretty near stock. @Troyguitar has it in his car.
But yea, I'm sure the LT1 clutch is even more stock-like...and certainly badass. The fact that it's a factory clutch makes me I prefer factory parts whenever possible.

$300, doe...that could go towards a better radiator...

[ChrisoftheNorth]

To recap, current plan is:

Clutch
Heads/Cam
4.10 gears

Trying to keep the entire cost to around $4k, so there needs to be some balancing. If I save some on the clutch, I could probably stretch the budget for a better radiator and oil cooler.

Should be the most vehicle I've ever had.

[goIftdibrad]

To recap, current plan is:

Clutch
Heads/Cam
4.10 gears

Trying to keep the entire cost to around $4k, so there needs to be some balancing. If I save some on the clutch, I could probably stretch the budget for a better radiator and oil cooler.

Should be the most vehicle I've ever had.

you will need the cooling, i'd save the money and not on the radiator

[dubshow]

wait you have a shop taht size with a lift?? or is that your dads house?