Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

Just dropped off the engine parts. He agreed the bores looked great...and then laughed and said "But the ridge (and the bore measurement) indicates it's time for bigger pistons." He said to blame Gramma for that: all those two mile trips to the beauty salon with the engine never fully warming up and the choke flushing all that extra gas down in the engine ends up washing the cylinder walls of oil.

So now I have to start shopping for some replacement pistons once he tells me what size we need.

Anyone have a Summit Racing coupon out there???

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006288.jpg

Steve, are those idiots lights on the left side of dash cluster?
What is under the ashtray ?


I am REALLY impressed with the Tom Jones pic. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif[/img]

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

Yup, those are the factory idiot lights in the large circular gauge on the left. You had to pay extra for the gauge package back then. I installed an autometer mini gauge cluster in the map pocket of the console back in the 90's just to keep an eye on things.

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

Looks like that old Firebird has been well preserved and well maintained. Those cars really show the wear and tear if they aren't. Nice car!

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

Spent the day cleaning the turbo 350 tranny. Since the car sat for most of its life, all the seals needed attention. I replaced the torque converter seal, the tailshaft seal and the pan gasket and filter.

Here is the rather dirty trans wheeled out the driveway after I swapped the converter and driveshaft yoke seals. The old furniture moving cart came in handy, along with some old railroad tie sections.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006296.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006297.jpg

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

I then used a spray bottle full of Purple Stuff degreaser and some wooden sticks and vinyl/brass brushes to clean all the oil, tar, mud and sand that was encrusted on the sides. Took several &quot;lather, rinse, repeat&quot; iterations to get it comepletely clean. I stayed away from steel wire brushes as they tend to scratch the aluminum.

Sure is handy having the cherry picker to hang the thing on.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006304.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006309.jpg

After hoisting the tranny up I was able to pull the pan and replace the filter. The pan looked great, no metal in there. I guess someone back in the 70's replaced the filter as there was some gasket goo on the pan gasket. The underside of the pan was pefect, flat, and scratch free, further evidence that the tranny had never been out of the car. (They usually get dragged across the floor when removed.) I was careful to not place it on the ground, in order to further preserve the pan's finish.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006310.jpg

Here is the VIN stamp location on the turbo 350. Happily, this one matches the car and the engine.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006307.jpg

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

All done and headed back into the garage. Last thing left to do is the filler tube O-ring which doesn't arrive til tomorrow.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/S7006303.jpg

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

Steve, do you recall where you got your material for the headliner from?? I need to do my 74 z/28.
Thanks

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

These are the guys that have most fabrics for our era cars.

http://www.smsautofabrics.com/

Re: Gramma's Car: the new project!
 

Thanks Steve. I will give them a call.