Bluemalibu

Robert, are you happy with the quality of the console that you purchased? I have been searching for a base that is built well... and after only finding cheaply made units, I had pretty much resigned myself to waiting for a good original to come available.

I finally got the rear discs ironed out... it took some car-crafting, but she's together. The C-clip eliminator and strange axles bumped the axle flange out 1 1/2 inches on each side, so no factory designed set-up would fit. I ended up selecting pieces from three different cars to make it work: PBR calipers from a '98 Camaro, NOS caliper mount for a 1LE '92 IROC Z-28, and rotors for a '93 Firebird.

Either adapter bracket will work, Ryan. You just have to ensure that whatever bracket is used, that it places the hydroboost at an angle to provide a straight line for the actuating rod into the hydro. The non-angled bracket will allow a lighter brake feel, as the leverage is increased using the manual brake hole at the top of the pedal arm.

It got a might warm here today. 107* I put eight hours of work in on the '72, fabricating and routing new hydraulic lines for the steering and hydroboost, and installing a couple of theft-deterant sysems. I then wimped out and moved the operation indoors to take advantage of the Twenty-first Century climate control. I spent the evening resurrecting 12 year-old cast valve covers that are almost the size of SBC heads. They started out so badly oxidized that they looked like raw forgings. After hours of elbow grease and liberally applied Gord's polish, they might pass for chrome.

Might anyone know if the different engine plants used different styles, or why the '72 big block Chevelle came with the flared ones from the factory, and we received the round flavor? My '70 SS with an Oct '69 build date came without them, (which is consistent with Chevelles not having them until '71) but the '72 Chevelle 454 had the flared ones on it when new.

Here ya' go Larry: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-GM-8-Spark-Plug-Exhaust-Manifold-Heat-Shields-396-402-427-454-Engine-Motor-/331579713714?hash=item4d33b0e8b2

Until GM designed the LS platform, the Vortec heads were the best flowing heads in their stable. Stone stock, they will out flow a set of ported camel-humps. I still have several engines and Vortec heads on the shelf... when using a small block, they are the 'go-to' formula. They do take a dedicated intake manifold The guides will be dictated by the flavor of cam that you choose. You can use your current cam with some work on the heads: http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/148-0208-vortec-heads-valve-lift/

Robert, the socket is connected to a black wire and a pink one with double white stripes. Doug

You're quite welcome, Brandon. If you or Timothy decide to do the swap, let me know and I can loan you the tool to remove the large nut that secures the hydroboost to the bracket.

I can empathize with you, Robert. I wired up the A/C today in 94* heat... configuring it so that activating the A/C will trip the HVAC blower relay and the cooling fan relay through the trinary switch. That completes the entire car (minus the taillights) being re-wired from scratch. I relocated the battery to the trunk with 2/0 welding cable running through a heavy under-ground plastic conduit within the frame. The 2/0 is only hot after tripping a latching relay. The 2-spd Lincoln fan and stereo amplifiers put quite a draw on the system, so I've swapped out the CS130 alternator for a DR44 that puts out 120 amps at idle.

I researched the available stereos pretty thoroughly before purchasing one for the '72. What held a lot of sway for me were all of the car enthusiasts on the different boards with multiple vehicles that had purchased each variety. The overwhelming consensus was that the very best available was the RetroSound Model 2. http://www.retrosound.com/product-p/1970-72-c51-m2.htm They were really brutal in their comments against the quality of Custom Autosound. So much so, that most purchased the RetroSound as a replacement even though they had just spent the money on the Custom unit. Personally, I can't testify that any other brand is inferior to the RetroSound, but I am delighted with the sound quality and build of the radio. In addition, you can order it to suit the style of interior that you are looking for... with any combination of black or chrome buttons and faceplate; and with a variety of dial printings. The '70-'72 radio can likewise be ordered with 12 different style knobs, including the factory correct ones. The faceplate can be mounted with the balance of the radio as normal, or the bulk of the unit can be detached from the face and mounted anywhere up to four feet away. All modern options are included... USB/ iPhone/iPod connections, remote, BlueTooth, RCA cables, Pre-Outs, etc. It's 25 watts RMS per channel. Aaron, looks like we posted at exactly the same time. LOL!!! Like you, I too initially bought an expensive Alpine to mount remotely and kept the stock radio in the dash... but the RetroSound unit simplified this so much, and it is everything that the Alpine unit offered as well. Doug +

I got the hard lines bent that deliver fuel up to the engine compartment and mounted a fuel regulator to the brace at the rear of the inner wheel-well. Braided stainless hoses were then assembled and connected between the regulator and the fuel log on the Demon carb. Then, after fabricating a mounting system utilizing exhaust insulators to place the A/C condenser to the rear of the radiator support, I got all of the front A/C components installed and connected. This allowed me to finally re-install the grill onto the front-end... and she looks like a car again!!!

Yes, the 4L80E will bolt right up to the rear of the 5.3 and the ECM controller will operate it as well, ...just use a 4L60 to 4L80 adapter harness. To support the other end, G-Force has a crossmember that's been fabricated for A-body 4L80 swaps. I used it on my conversion, and it is truly a piece of automotive art. http://www.crossmembers.com/shop/crossmembers-general-motors-body-chevelle-gto-cutlass-1968-1972-chevelle-malibu-monte-carlo-camino-skylark-cutlass-442-f85-lemans-tempest-gto-crossmember-4l80-hardtops-p-377.html?osCsid=jfss6b9lvgkvhs3mhibeng5m27 The slip-yoke is easily three times thicker on the 4L80, as it was designed to handle 440 lb ft of torque without complaint, vs the 4L60's 265 lb ft. They make a U-joint that adapts the larger yoke to our smaller 1310 bearings on stock drive shafts. It is the #448 adapter. I chose to go the other way, and used 1330 U-joints on both ends of the new chromoly shaft that I built. (You'll need a different length drive shaft than your stock one.) Either way that you go, be sure to use solid U-joints, not grease-able ones; they're twice as strong. And likewise, you'll need a new torque converter to marry up the 5.3 flex-plate to the 4L80E. I found that replacing the cooling line ports with banjo fittings allowed a much easier installation of the lines. In a previous post, I discussed some costs of the conversion: http://www.firstgenmc.com/forums/index.php?/topic/13497-smoked-the-trans-last-weekend/ Doug

You got a 'two-fer' Larry! ...And thanks Tony.

What size bolts secure the upper anchor point? (The PO removed the shoulder strap from the '72.)

I contacted two of the best shops here in the North-State, for quotes on swapping the 3.73's into the rear-end in place of the 4.11's, ($430 and $600); and then spent the day wrapping the headers and exhaust back to the X-crossover and re-mounting them under the car. There is only a 2" clearance between the exhaust and the 4L80E and I had already fabricated a heat shield to separate the two; I just needed the peace of mind that over-kill provides.

Congrats Scott! That is a heck of a buy. What direction are you thinking for a cam? ...solid/hydraulic, flat/roller?

FGMCC is an addiction...

Hey, thanks Doug. My future is now secure... with two Dougs intent on an outcome, fate wouldn't dare short-change us! LOL!!! My wife just asked me why I come running in from the garage every hour or two and jump onto the computer. It is just to order another part or two that I've found that I need, but I'm sure she is beginning to think that I have a cyber affair going on...

Larry, I just completed the 4L80 swap as well. No tunnel work is required. ( I did give it a couple of bumps at the location of the speed sensor, just to add a little clearance for peace of mind. The install goes much easier by replacing the cooler ports with banjo fittings. ) Jason, I kept my cross-over by using a small pipe inserted between the collectors and the X. It now crosses just aft of the tail-shaft. The thing that concerned me was the wide body of this tranny. The exhaust is only a breath away from the pan. Because of this, I fabricated a heat shield that runs from the collector to the X-pipe. Vincent, if you really want to keep it simple, then use a 700R4 or 200-4R instead of the 4L60E. Neither needs a stand-alone controller. Doug

Pressure, you say Doug? Pressure? LOL!!! It's a bit overshadowed here by my wanting to scream, due to the frustration. I have a rear-end and a dash, both suspended in mid-air, awaiting back-ordered parts to be able to finish up their assembly and replacement into the vehicle. Aaron, I see where the guys going to the East Coast Meet are corralling E-Z Ups to be brought to the meet. Will we be needing any? ...Let me know if you need one to make the trip up from California. Doug

LOL!!! ...You read my mind Doug! I was hoping that I might find that at least some of the restoration on the Woodie had been completed for me, if I had to be without the car for all of these years. And, for all of my hatred of the mountains of regulations that we are forced to live within, in this, our Great State of Confusion, there is one section of the Calif Penal Code that may actually be of benefit... it addresses Vehicle Conversion. As part of sentencing, the courts can order those convicted of buying and selling a stolen vehicle to reimburse the owners three times the value of the vehicle that was stolen from them. And thanks for the encouragement Jared. But there wasn't much left of the '70 when recovered. The interior was but bare rusted metal; even the dash and dash pad were gone. The interior was a swimming pool for two years. The front end was bare to the firewall. The numbers-matching engine that I had put $10k into, had been stripped to a bare block, and had sat in the rain for two years rusting it solid. The variable-pitch TH400 was missing as well. All trim had been stripped and silver paint had been shot over the Seamist Green on the remaining body panels. I accepted an offer of 10k for what remained of the SS and I've used the garage bay as a therapy couch, over the last 12 weeks... putting the '72 car together for the Western Meet. ...And, with less than three weeks left, I need to get back out into the garage! Thanks again, guys. Doug

Sorry Brandon and Timothy, I didn't catch your additional questions about the swap. I didn't Tee into the return line, as I read too many posts about some applications developing problems with steering when the brakes are applied with a Tee in the system. Likewise Brandon, NO COOLER OR FILTER in the return line from the hydroboost! Any restriction at all can cause fluid to back up in the line from the hydro and apply your brakes. I've installed a 6" x 14" cross-flow cooler in the return line from the steering box,between it and the PSC reservoir. As to your questions about the brake pedal, height is the same as before... you can dictate this by the length of actuating rod that you leave to connect to the pedal arm. The only alteration that is necessary is to attach the actuating rod itself into the top hole on the pedal arm that is normally used for manual brakes, instead of the lower one such as we do with our power brakes. This provides a straight angle for the actuating rod into the hydro and also increases the leverage applied to the unit. I swapped in a chrome master cylinder out of an early 'Vett that is the correct bore size. You want one with an inch to an inch and an eighth in diameter piston bore. Doug

Thanks Tony... I'm hoping that they do, indeed. Doug

Matt, You will indeed see a marked increase in height with the installation of the new stock springs. You can see the ride of the front-end on my red '72 below, with stock springs swapped in... and this is a big-block car. The tires in the rear of it are 27.5". Since this picture was taken, I've added the same height tire to the front as well. Therefore, to end the 4x4 look, I swapped the springs for BMR 2" lowering springs, and installed tall lower ball joints to take another 1/2" off of the height while correcting the horrible bump-steer that our car's geometry creates. The result was a perfect correction.