Just another v8 thread...
 

Hello fellow Pelicans!

Over the past few months, I've amassed a huge pile of parts, and the time is getting closer for me to put some serious hours in and get this project rolling. I thought I'd create a thread here just to share my project and get some positive feedback and any creative suggestions. That being said, I don't want to hear any posts about not liking v8's, me ruining a good car, etc.

Backstory:

In late 2009, after some heavy craigslist searching, i found a local seller who had an '83 930 euro car. He got the car from hsi dad who essentially walked out on the family, and left the kid two slant nose converted cars. I was stupid and didn't get a pre purchase inspection, and thought i was getting a pretty good deal because the car had only 44k on the clock, sport seats, the slant kit, boxed rockers, and was only $17k, down from asking price of $30. Here's what i came home with:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1300327376.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284088939.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284088940.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284088941.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284088935.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284088936.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284088937.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1284310604.jpg

Looks pretty good at first, doesn't it? Not bad from 15 feet away.

Well, as it turns out, things weren't as good as they seemed.
*The car was repainted.
*Fuchs needed rechroming
*Boxes rockers were held on with screws of different shapes and sizes (wood, drywal, sheet metal)
*There had been some shady wiring work done over the years from various aftermarket alarm and stereo installers.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1288067412.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1301440253.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1301440254.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1301440255.jpg

*The suspension was shot, and the rear sway bar was missing
*Rear torsion bars were the wrong size
*Power windows didn’t work
*Brake rotors were cracked
*Transmission needed a reseal
*Engine had been sitting too long and had oil leaks that required a rebuild to fully rectify.

So, after all that, i thought I'd buy another Porsche engine and do a minor resto mod. I bought a "fully built" 3.6 turbo long block from a local member on here. It was alleged to have gt2 evo cams, pauter rods, 993t pistons, fire ringed heads, fully ported heads, etc etc, with only a couple thousand miles of break in and dyno time. My friend who owns a Porsche shop advised me against using this engine because he wasn't familliar with the build or parts used. After a leakdown test came back with marginal numbers, I sold it. Turns out, the engine was garbage. There were metal shavings in all the oil passages, ceramic lining on heads was missing huge chunks, one of the valves was brand new (why?), head porting was meant for ITB's only, cams had wear from running on low oil, fire rings were pinched and not seated right.

In the meantime, I'd completely torn down my car. Here's some pics in no particular order.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312071657.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312071659.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312071660.jpg
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http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312071656.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1311611854.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1311611913.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1311611938.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1311611946.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1311611964.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1311611985.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312065874.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312066327.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312071651.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312071655.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312122017.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1312122003.jpg



With little money left and still with an itch for finishing what i started, I accepted that the only way for me to get the excessive power levels i was looking for was to go with a v8. I wanted to build a car that I could drive to work a couple days a week, and have fun with on the weekends at the autocrosses, or track events. Nothing crazy, and I’m not trying to compete in any racing classes.

So, I put the car in storage, and started collecting parts, upon parts, upon parts.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0040.jpg

Which brings me to where i am today. A huge pile of boxes, and a car that needs to be put together.

Here's the specs of what's going on the car:

*LS3 engine, stroked to 6.9L with fully forged internals. Bought it from a legit friend, who only put 5k on it in his CTS-V, and made 522rwhp/490tq.
*Custom LS standaolone engine harness from PSI Conversions
*Rebel racing coilover conversion all 4 corners. Custom billsteins in front, adjustable billsteins in the rear.
*Rebel racing adjustable hollow sway bars, rebel racing poly bronze front bushings.
*Rennline battery relocation kit with Oddysey 925 battery.
*Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel.
*Elephant racing adjustable spring plate system (APS), and fully reconditioned trailing arms with monoballs.
*Sparco evo2 seats
*Fully rebuilt transmission with revised gear sets to optimise the v8 power band, and a brand new OS Giken Superlock LSD.
*996tt brake upgrade from Instant-G, with a dual master cylinder conversion with bias bar
*Hydraulic clutch conversion
*Renegade hybrids cradle, Kennedy clutch and flywheel.
*CCW 11.5x17 rear, 17x8.5 front.
*Dawes Motorsport - Rear fiberglass 930 fenders, widened a little and raised to prevent tires rubbing during suspension travel.
*Getty FRP front fenders, with euro H4 light conversion.
*Fiberglass roof, hood, and ducktail.
*Front ball joints converted to rod ends, another Dawe’s motorsport.
*Cooling system undecided. I’m trying to avoid cutting into the car, and I don’t want one of those goofy radiator in the wing setups.

Anyways, that’s about it for now. Keep checking back for updates 

sub

Looking forward to seeing the build!

Hey locals! The car is in sunnyvale, welcome to come by any time I'm there and check out progress (or lack there of) :-)

Where is the original engine?

pm sent

I don't see this mentioned but it appears like this car was smacked in passenger side rear pretty hard. The repair was not done correctly as they left a common tell tale sign of having the lip out of alignment. I think I can also see this in the picture with the decklid closed, it's off on that side.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1329424117.jpg

Scott - you're right. Nobody has ever pinpointed that, but it would explain why my right wheel was sticking out past the fender when i mounted it.

Whats the best fix for this, besides another car...?

Nice build bro! Looking forward to updates, keep them pics coming and looking forward to the new chapter in this car's life.
Yasin

Hey, go for it! You seem to have gone through your share of pain with this car, but $17K is not tooooo bad as a starting point. You'll end up like most of us and have more money in it than it will be worth, but the journey is part of the fun. I'd say the body work pointed out by Scott might be the most difficult problem. Good luck & have fun.

I sold the original engine months ago, as well as the brakes, tach, rear torsion bars, seats, and a few other small parts.

Thanks Marv. My wife thought it was a horrible starting point! But when i see complete rollers and abandoned projects go for less than half, i may tend to agree. Oh well. I always say that money is only good if you spend it!

dont feel bad about it. i took a really nice 78 930 and added a drive by wire ls7 with 700 chp and over 600 ft/lbs torque. never looked back!http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1329438370.jpg

Neither do the people you pass! LoL just messin with ya:)

Good one!!

Larry,
I love your car. I think i read your build thread half a dozen times, and sent you twice as many e-mails :-)

Keep checking back in the thread for updates!

-Cam

Scott - I learnt something new today..

Cam - The CCWs look sweet!!
Yasin

camerron, nice to put a car with the emails. looks like an excellent build plan. and if i can be of any help let me know! larry

Shiny parts
 

Well, I finally got some parts back from the powder coater.

Trailing arms from Elephant Racing- disassembled, bead blasted, clear coated, mono ball bushings installed, new wheel bearings.

Before:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...m/IMAG0038.jpg

After:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0055.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0054.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0061.jpg


Front control arm modification from Dawe's Motorsport. I have Rebel Racing solid bushings to mount these.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0059.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0060.jpg


996TT Brake Calipers, blasted and powdered green, clear coated over brembo vinyls.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0058.jpg

A quick update
 

Got some pics from my trans rebuid guy. A couple pics of my transaxle in it's current state:


Other upgrades include: OS Giken Super Lock LSD unit, and California Motorsports billet side plate.

Hoping to pick this up next week!

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1330486072.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1330486073.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1330486075.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1331730925.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...31730925-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1331730927.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1331730930.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1331730933.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1331730935.jpg

Progress has been slow.

My trans got dropped off this week (Rebuild - Marty Mehterian - Pelican User speedalac930 ) , as well as my ducktail (Thanks Paul!!).

Here's some pics of the trans:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...IMAG0482-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...IMAG0483-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...IMAG0484-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...IMAG0485-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...IMAG0486-1.jpg

Hoping to bolt it up to the engine this weekend and get it sitting in the cradle.

Not much else going on, I'll post again when i have something interesting to say.

Great project, I really like how those green Brembos look! Are you going to run a trans cooler and if so what have you got planned?

Thanks for the compliments. My wife isn't too hot on the green/white scheme, but I like it. I think the green brembos will really stand out behind the black CCW wheels.

Regarding a trans cooler, hadn't gotten that far yet. Marty told me that most guys are running a small tilton pump with a small cooler. Do you have any suggestions?

-Cam

You are doing a great job. I like the green myself.

Any of you thinking about an LS conversion, I've got a parts deal. I've got a 5-speed 965 G50/52 and LSD with new Kennedy LS to G50/52 conversion plate, new Sachs clutch kit and new Kennedy

LS to G50/52 conversion flywheel for sale. The Turbo transmission is supposed good for up to 700HP. I'm asking $8,000 for the package.

FS: 965 Turbo 5 speed:G50/52 w/ LSD, LS conversion plate, flywheel, SACHS clutch kit

I could split up the kit, but the adaptors should go together, I'd think. Of course, I'm expecting to discount over retail prices.

Dang, seems as though some of my pic links don't work. Need to fix those.

Looks like I'll have the rear end on the ground again this week, minus the brake system setup.

In the meantime I was able to get the ASP from Elephant Racing installed, and the rear suspension together (pics not in order).

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...8143270071.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...8143271029.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...8143269592.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...8143270552.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...9867522524.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...9867524506.jpg


http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...9867522048.jpg
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http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...9867527086.jpg
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http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1779408963.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...1779408484.jpg

Also had the bump steer/bracing installed by Elephant Racing...Have I mention what a fanastic guy Chuck Moreland is? He's always willing to answer my annoying questions and never rushes me out of the shop when I show up to bug him with a technical question or need a part.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...6513542216.jpg

Also, here's the ducktail and some other body parts.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...6513542687.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...6264479348.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...6264481847.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...6264491211.jpg

The trans before, and the diff:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0015.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0016.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0017.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0004.jpg

One more of the diff:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...p/IMAG0018.jpg


Oh, and this thing showed up...pretty neat!

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...7979569836.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...7979568712.jpg

It occured to me that a Rover 3500 engine might be a good choice for a replecement engine in one of these.
It is light...a V8....has versions that were injected and turbo charged (as in Buick...same engine)...and I think put out about 300 HP in good form.
Just a thought.
Bob

That's going to be an awsome unit when its done! Congrats, "Mr Spoon"!
I have been procrastinating [as usual] about an engine replacement for the 2.7
in my '76------ The 'big' Chevy might be more than I need,but a suitable unit
that would suit my 'Needs[wants] is the 4 litre Toyota IUZ-FE.
It has a great reputation in this part of the world,and several importers are bringing
used units from Japan for about half the price of a set of cylinders for the Porsche.
I am tempted to buy an engine,just to play with!
The installation pictured is in a Triumph TR7

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1344316706.jpg

Deathbyspoon: Are you sure this wasn't a factory slantnose?

Pretty sure. There were numerous things that led me to believe this isn't a factory slant nose car, one of them being the crappy headlight assembly construction with individual headlight motors. It was definitely a euro car, but not a slant.

Vin decoder shows...does this mean it was an S car, or just a regular 930?

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...7at64337AM.png

Ahh, a man after my own heart. I've been into triumphs for years (always on the look out for a clean early spitfire) - as a matter of fact, I did a LS2 powered Triumph Wagon (tr10) not too long ago, but the project was such an abomination, it needed to be compeltely re-done.
Anyhow, the 1uz is a fantastic motor, and I love the way it sounds. Can't deny that it costs a lot to extract massive amounts of power, though I will agree that you can pick these engines up dirt cheap.

Bob,
I'm sure that there are other variations, but those original buick/rover 215 engines are getting hard to find. It would be a fun swap though! Just not enough power/bang for the buck :-)

Not to hijack but I did a powerplant swap in a TR10 also, only I swapped out the 948 for a 1500 Spitfire Motor.

Just odd to see another past TR10 owner especially doing an powerplant swap.

Terry

Terry...Feast your eyes:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...52607_8491.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...52610_9285.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...52627_3946.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...B/IMG_3553.jpg

It was a '58. Got a full tube frame. Narrowed nissan 240sx rear end with inifiniti q45 lsd and brakes, cressida front struts with 300zx turbo brakes, LS2 - cammed and carbed, t56 6 speed. 17x9 and 17x10 wheels. It was meant to be a monster, but the engineering on the build was so far from safe. It effectively needed to be started with just the shell again, and I didn't have the 40-50 grand it would've taken. My goal was to take my dying father (who i got the car from) the ride of his life, and I did. Probably the most exciting and scariest ride around the block we both had! LOL.