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Thread: Sue's 59 Corvette project....

  1. #121
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Nice work and writeup Richard!

  2. #122
    Registered Member busterwivell's Avatar
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    Thanks for the update from "Masterpiece Garage".

  3. #123
    Registered Member Belair-o's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by busterwivell View Post
    Thanks for the update from "Masterpiece Garage".
    I agree!
    Buster, Excellent name you gave Richard's shop (and posts)!

  4. #124
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    Thanks guys, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to put together the shop I want, and I don’t build vehicles for others, so I can build them the way I want, too.

    FYI, I’ve started accumulating parts for the next build, given the shortages and price inflation. It’s the 69 Camaro you may have seen in the background of some of the pictures. I’ve purchased a gen v LT4 and Tremec 6speed, along with a full frame Roadster Shop SPEC chassis. I figured the 650hp/650ftlb motor would be a bit much for the factory front subframe.

  5. #125
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    Mounting cold air tube and filter

    Been working lately on getting the engine 4" cold air tube and filter mounted. There isn't a lot of room under the hood and in front of the engine. The a/c compressor is in the way of routing the tube to the passenger side, so it has to go to the drivers side. After trying a few options, it was also clear there is only one path that would work, and this required relocating the radiator fill cap/tube and hood-hold mechanism. The radiator fill tube was in the way of the cold air tube and the hood-hold mechanism was in the way of the filter element.

    IMG_0662.jpeg

    I also wanted the filter to draw in outside air and not heated motor/exhaust air under the hood. Therefore, the air filter had to be in a box, with access to outside air. Turns out there is a 5" diameter hole already in the driver side radiator support wing, and it is in a usable location. It was originally used for the fuel injection tube to the air filter box mounted on there fender well. Also, the box couldn't block the power steering pump cap access on the motor. The final consideration is there is not much space between the underside of the hood and the radiator support top. Since the hood was so close, I decided to make a template of the underside of the hood at a few critical places. Thus, I could be confident with air box/hood clearance.

    IMG_0668.jpeg

    IMG_0669.jpeg

    With all this, I had enough to make an air filter box and lid.

    IMG_0675.jpeg

    IMG_0687.jpeg

    IMG_0686.jpeg

    The box and lid clear the hood templates and provide access to the power steering pump cap.

    IMG_0681.jpeg

    IMG_0691.jpeg

    There are still a few details left to do, along with painting, but this completes the majority of the work on the air tube and filter mounting.

  6. #126
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Richard. That looks good! I've got to get back over there and get caught up on Sue's 59 Corvette work...

    I'm not sure what all you did there with the templates, but maybe now that my ticker is 'fixed'..(hopefully , you can come over and show me how that works on my '57 Nomad?

  7. #127
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    Still working under the hood

    Worked the last couple days on fitting the hydroboost and master cylinder. As indicated before, there really isn't much room under an early Corvette hood. Even the original single reservoir master cylinder required small a cutout at the top corner of the hood for access to the master cylinder top for removal. Installing a hydroboost and 2 reservoir master cylinder requires a bit more work. There were 3 areas requiring work: the hydroboost accumulator clearance, the master cylinder top clearance, and the master cylinder top bolt access.

    The hydroboost can be mounted in 1 of 2 orientations: with the accumulator up and the hydraulic line connections down, or rotated 180 degrees. Digressing a bit, the accumulator (natural aluminum colored tube in picture below) provides enough stored pressurized fluid for 1 to 2 powered brake pedal actions in case the motor dies. After that, the brakes revert to manual mode. After looking at the 2 options, it became clear that the fluid lines would not be accessible if they were up, because they would be under the fender with virtually no clearance (actually, the fiberglass would have to be ground away some). Mounting with the accumulator up meant the inner fender had to be cut away to clear it, but the lines would be accessible. Decided to go with this option, even though it requires more fiberglass work later.

    IMG_0703.jpeg

    The next clearance issues were with the master cylinder: clearing the underside of both the fender and the hood. Clearing the underside of the fender just took a little "clearancing" and the master cylinder tucks under the fender. The interference with the hood will take some surgery on the hood, and some more fiberglass work later. (have I mentioned there isn't much room under the hood?)

    The last issue related to access to one of the master cylinder top removal bolts, since it goes under the fender. The next picture shows the access hold drilled in the weatherstrip area for access. I'd preferred not to punch the hole, but it's acceptable since it's covered with the hood down and isn't too conspicuous.

    IMG_0701.jpeg

    Working the master cylinder required installing the pedals, and there are some modifications to these. The original brake and clutch pedal pads and quite large, especially considering the small area at the floor. Although difficult to see in the next picture (only one I have), the size of the pedals can hopefully be seen.

    IMG_0156.JPG

    I like the size and shape of the 69 Camaro pedals. The Corvette brake and clutch pedals were reshaped, including trimming and welding, to match the Camaro size and shape. as seen in the next picture. Another change was made, removing the hand parking brake assembly and replacing it with a foot pedal assembly, again a 69 Camaro design.

    IMG_0697.jpeg

    Another mod is visible in the picture, the block that holds the top end of the steering column and the pedal assembly. This places the Ididit tilt column in the right place for the new speedo/tach bezel shown in the next picture. This bezel removes the small tach that sticks out from the main gauge level, and provides room for a tilt column. The bezel is a design by Paul Atkins Interiors/Hot Rods. The small gauges are standard for oil pressure, water temperature, voltage and gas. The top gauge assembly will be a Dakota Digital unit, per the artwork following.

    IMG_0705.jpeg

    Vette-gauges-3.jpeg

    This about completes the brake-related modifications on the Corvette.

  8. #128
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    very nice modification work Richard! and great writeup in your posting! (I don't envy you having to make all these mods, but I may have warned you a bit when I asked you 'Why do you need a 495 hp LT1 in a '59 Corvette' (long ago)..

  9. #129
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    Thanks Gary, and the mods are all a part of building a restomod. A lot of the work is what I consider “packaging effort”. Although, early Corvette’s are really limited on head room space above the motor, there’s only 2 to 3 inches, and less toward the fenders. But that’s ok, we’ll find room for all we need.

  10. #130
    Registered Member WagonCrazy's Avatar
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    Lookin' good Richard. I have a hydroboost setup in my Nomad too, and inverted it like yours. But theres alot more room under the hood and between the valve cover and inner fender than what you have there. Plumbing the lines will be fun on yours.
    1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
    1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

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