The_Shark

After driving around a small zippy miata, i soon realized i wanted another 8cylinder, so i looked for firebirds and camaros and other sports/muscle cars, but i cant get riled up about a common solid axle tank, so i started looking at 928's and i finally came about my new car.

Its a 1978 (25th anv) Corvette. most of the angles look good but the front has a peeling nose, the carpt is falling apart and stinky, but the console, door panels and switches are almost perfect, and the t-tops are cracked. i figure this will be a fun project car especially during the winter at that time im redoing the carpet and having the nose fixed.

this Sunday its getting a water pump, alternator and speedo cable. next week its getting a new exhaust pipe, i fixed the leaky brake hose and inoperative turn signals and adjusted the steering box already. but this far its just a blast to burble around while listening to the 8-track and having my shoes melt from the heat of the engine underfoot.

by no means am i rich, thats why its a project car, im sure someone here has gotten involved in a project like this, if you have lets see it.

redfisher1974

First vette I have seen with cragers on it! looks good.

Lunchboxer

Sweet! Keeping the Miata?!

Ttam Says Blarg

Nice!! I was expecting to see a shark tho..

butt_housed247

cool.  did it come with a free mullet?

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

Awesome ride, Shark.
But wear a paper suit when you start prepping for new paint.
Trust ThunderbirdJunkie on this.

Also, are those American Racing Torq Daisies?
Awesome.

No, but it came with a free drug test [&:]
As should all automobiles

jd31

very nice!

The_Shark

thanks guys, i did have a mullet and rat tail combo at one time, but those days are past, now i just keep short hair and slick it back. i feel very odd driving a car thats older than i am.

yep, they are American racing rims, not sure if they are Torq daisies, thats a little before my time, i was surprised at how light they where.

miata is going bye bye and unfortunately getting absorbed into the ray, i will miss the little bugger. $2,600 and she's all yours.

im glad to be back driving a American V-8 cant beat the sound and the way it just wants to tear up pavement, but i baby this one. once interior and exterior work is done, im going to put in a mild cam, better pump, holly carb and intake just to put a little kick in the pants, im not looking for crazy but 350HP sounds good (that would need headers and other tid bits to do).

i will keep this updated, major work is going to be done in the winter, for now its a daily driver.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

They are indeed Torq Daisies, and ITBJRC the old OLD ones (which those appear to be...slightly different style than the modern ones) have a magnesium center and a steel barrel, constructed in a similar manner to the Cragar S/S.

That was back when American Racing's name was two words that made sense, rather than two words that have nothing to do with their business model (considering American Racing hasn't made a REAL high performance wheel in forever AND 99% of their stuff is made in China)


Anyway...Edelbrock currently makes a Performer RPM intake manifold for the Vortec '96-02 SBC Vortec heads. A set of those heads, a 650 or 750 cfm carb and a decent cam will get you to that 350 hp goal no problemo, and the low compression just means it's easier to start and will run on cat pee

Lunchboxer

Poor Miata, got abandoned after only a few weeks... :P

The_Shark

i have heard of using modern vortec heads on this engine, i kinda hate the mess of putting in new heads though. this is going to be a fun project, i just hope it doesnt make me go broke.

yeah i know from march-26 to august-2 it is my shortest owned car. to date ive had a 318 dakota, volvo 850turbo, pontiac fiero, miata and now corvette. the miata will be passed down to the 8th owner!

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

SBC heads are easy to swap out dude.

It can be done in 2-3 hours.

Give yourself a day and start at 8 am you can have the cam broken in by dinner time.

You MIGHT have $1000 in parts in it to make 330-375 hp including some reasonably priced used headers.

Or you could take the Miata money, and build a new mild 383 with 10:1 pistons and all that jazz for about 2 grand, hang a built 700R4 behind the new engine, and you'll be good to go

The_Shark

you have a point, but since is the 25th anniversary and stuff, i want to keep all numbers matching, i can always swap out heads and cams to bring it to stock, but transplanting another engine is a little more difficult.

i want to kick it in the pants, not inject it with steroids

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

Keep the old engine on a stand. That way you still have the matching engine, unmolested.

The_Shark

hotrod mag said you can build up a 350 to 390HP with vortec heads, intake, carb, cam and electro water pump, thats plenty for me. at least i wont be milling out my engine.

i really have to remind myself to stick to the plan, fix it up before you beef it up.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

Boring out an engine is probably already necessary from wear. The nickel content of the sleeves on the SBC is awful. when you DO pull the heads check the ridge on the top of the bore; unless it's been rebuilt in the last 30-50k miles it'll have at least a small ridge.

ThunderbirdJunkie has rebuilt 150-200k mile Buick and Oldsmobile engines that didn't need any machine work, but the small block Chevy will definitely need minimum a .020" overbore and likely the deck surfaces machined. Never seen one that didn't...the worst was a 400[:'(]

Hmm.

Put a 500 Cadillac in it. Screw the purists

The_Shark

ha! i could just imagine the sound of a 500 in there those bores where massive! that the first engine i ever disassembled.
the odometer reads 53K however the spedo cable is broken so i dont really know, i would guess not much past 60k from the looks of the frame and that there is no blow-by. she sat for almost 10 years, got sold, and then i bought it after 6months of more sitting. its glad to be driven agian.

i also have mono-leaf and rack and pinnion conversions in mind later down the road, you know this is going to be a money pit[&o]

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

All GOOD cars are money pits

redfisher1974

True with almost anything.

rowdog_14

My Feedback: (5)

This is one I started about three years ago, looking great. I finished the outside put ran out of money to do the inside. I wanted to put about 2 grand in the inside because it needs carpet speakers radio,.....everything. My dad keep it outside uncovered so it destroyed everything. I also had to put a new master brake cylinder, brake booster and calipers. It stops on a dime now. Take a look at these pictures, I did the body work and paint myself. I have a 928 too but I am trying to finish the Corvette Stingray first. Good luck.

iexion

Sweet Car... Now how about a lawn Mower?

lee172

very nice 'Vette [8D]

The_Shark

hey rowdog, what kind of primer did you use? i heard it needs to be a special primer. that car looks good, the 80's rays had a neat bumper design.

i was surprised at brake performance on these, big vented rotors all around and beefy 4piston fixed calipers, little need to upgrade these.

rowdog_14

My Feedback: (5)

I used what is called 2k primer. It is a tan/brown color. The gray you see there is actually spray can because I needed to put something on it at the time because I was outside. I mainly used 2k though. I got all my paint from Oreailys Auto parts. Here in Nashville, TN they supply body work supplies and automotive paint supplies

The clear is called Transtar (blue can). I love it. They have a classic (red can) kind that is thicker, put if you do not spray it just right you get a lot of runs.

The_Shark

ive had to put 15gallons in her already and maybe drove 130 or so miles! GLUG GLUG.[]

im just worried that i will melt the fiberglass with a spray can untill i get it painted by a pro, he fixed my miata's rocker panels and they looked better than new (they were swiss cheese)