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Got my Donor car!

Forum: C3 General Discussion

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Got my Donor car!

Posted: 2/17/07 8:48pmMessage 1 of 4
D
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Phoenix, AZ - USA
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 537
Vette(s): 1975 Stingray Nomad Wagon, with Daytona front, custom hood scoop, dual side vents; 420HP 350; Doug Nash 5 speed; 1980 rear end W/4:11 gears; Cherry Red metallic paint.
Ok, to remind what is happening.  I had a under hood fire on my '74, which means rebuilding everything under there.  Due to the fact that i drove and will drive that Vette everywhere that i possibly can (20K+ per year), i decided to redo the engine to my needs.  As I stated before, i bought the car for the body, not power, so I am going for fuel economy.
  I now have my donor car.  Its an '83 Trans Am, with a Chevy 305 with Cross fire fuel injection (the same motor from the '82 California Vettes)  It has the 700R4 in it, but for now i am leaving the stock 4 speed, and in the next couple of years putting in a 5 or even a 6 speed.  The car itself only has 61,000 miles on it, and that motor just purrs.   It had tree limb dropped on the back seat area, did a whole lot of damage back there.
   My current plans are to pull out the motor, have the heads and intake manifold polished, the entire motor rebuilt, injectors replaced, see about a new hotter distributor  I am going to be pulling out the wiring harness and CPU while its getting done.  I am going to mount the computer in the compartment behind the seats.  I will be redoing the trans tunnel insulation, along with the battery cable.
   I am going to be using the electric motors from the T/A headlights to make mine electric (killer headlights), hoping that i can adapt the tach from it (just a hope) to fit the Vette. putting in a new dash pad and interior screw kit, and saving the seat belts for a later adaptation (for some reason, my Vette has only lap belts).
    Any Suggestions as i start going about all this? Any thing else that i could/should do while i am at it?
  Thanks one and all! Dave.

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Got my Donor car!

Posted: 2/17/07 9:18pmMessage 2 of 4
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Waterford, MI - USA
Joined: 9/13/2002
Posts: 1795
Vette(s): 1973 Red coupe
Sounds like you have a lot of work planed. Next time you might want to post some pics so we can drool over it with you.

Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


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Got my Donor car!

Posted: 2/18/07 9:01amMessage 3 of 4
D
Lifetime Member
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Phoenix, AZ - USA
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 537
Vette(s): 1975 Stingray Nomad Wagon, with Daytona front, custom hood scoop, dual side vents; 420HP 350; Doug Nash 5 speed; 1980 rear end W/4:11 gears; Cherry Red metallic paint.
I plan on taking pics of everything (except the T/A, where I am now), and posting as i get each step done.  It will be alot of work, thats for sure!, but i really think i can end up with a C3 with 25+ MPG, and i wont have more than about $2,000 more invested in it.

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Got my Donor car!

Posted: 2/18/07 8:12pmMessage 4 of 4
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Burke, VT - USA
Joined: 1/23/2002
Posts: 7609
Vette(s):
SOLD - "The Toy" - '70 Convertible
SOLD - "The Beast" - '90 ZR-1 (#682)
SOLD - "Betty" - '28 Ford Model A Tudor
SOLD - "BLKBRRD" - '78 Pontiac Trans Am
"BLUBYU" - '04 Coupe
Sounds like a fun project.  You'll like the "killer lights".  I saw Chris McDonald's beast at the 50th gathering and that headlight conversion is sweet.  Keep us posted on your progress.
 

Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

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