Remaining To-Do List

"MM54" (mm54mk2)
02/23/2020 at 20:15 • Filed to: '71Chevelle

I don’t know why most of my pictures are from the other side; here’s this side for a change.

Complete underside of hood refurb (scrape, prep, paint)

Move boxes stacked in/on/around car

Install hood

Move gas from adjacent cans to inside gas tank

Trim bush partially blocking garage door

Add washer fluid (optional; I keep forgetting about this until I see pictures with the empty reservoir )

Start engine, run in cam, etc.

Put in storage for a few weeks

DISCUSSION (16)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > MM54
02/23/2020 at 20:23

Wow; that looks really good. Is that a 350? Any idea how much power it makes? What for a trans? Final gear ratio?

Very nice. No Rust-oleum paint job there.

Boxer_4 > MM54
02/23/2020 at 20:34

That’s looking really good!

Aremmes > MM54
02/23/2020 at 20:53

“Put in storage for a few weeks”

That’s a weird way to spell “send it.”

MM54 > Aremmes
02/23/2020 at 21:29

That comes afterwards, not keen on sending it in the snow and salt

MM54 > Boxer_4
02/23/2020 at 21:29

Thanks!

MM54 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/23/2020 at 21:38

Thank you. It was a 350, I’ve rebuilt it bored .030 over and stroked to be 383ci. Forged bottom end, solid lifters, aluminum heads with exceptionally large valves, probably too much cam, long tube headers, single plane intake, and a 750 double pumper. Guy at the shop that did the machine work (who has been building engines like this for 40 years) said I should be at a comfortable 500hp “or more” which is kind of absurd. I got carried away with the engine build but it’s done right to last a long time .

Transmission is the same muncie M20 4-speed I had behind the old 307, it should last for a while though I’m on the ragged edge of how much power you can put through an m20 before you split the case and/or break a gear (because it flexed the case and affected mesh). The rear end is doomed, it’s still the stock open 3.08:1 10-bolt. It’s life expectancy is to get the engine broken in and some cruising this summer; the next to-do item for the car is the rear end, probably next winter while it’s off the road (if the funds are available; 3.55:1 LSD disk brake 9-inches aren’t cheap ;) ).

The fenders are in epoxy primer, I’ll progressively be going over the rest of the car (particularly around the rear wheels) to finish rust repair; once everything is ready to go I’ll paint it all green again. That will be a while, I am not a bodyman and don’t particularly enjoy it; the main motivation is to have it all one color again.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > MM54
02/23/2020 at 22:00

I have no idea what it costs, but for all your engine effort, you might think of springing for a chassis dyno evaluation. I probably would. And perhaps some tuning at the same time.

500 is many horses. I think if I had that large of a herd under the hood, I’d want an automatic transmission with programmable shifts.

3. 08:1 is pretty tall. For my Crappy Vic, I just bought a 3.55:1 LSD used and I’m going to replace the clutches. I had fun on Friday corresponding with some folks and I finally fully understand how the differential gearing works in a rear end. Had always been a mystery...

How much have you invested in the engine?

My other project, the rusty Vandura, I might LS-swap someday. We’ll see. It currently has an inline-six and a three-on-the-tree. Many people have never even seen one of those... I have a T-5 5-speed for it. But that project is on hiatus because the carburetor is out of town with an Old Guy in Tennessee... (Long story)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > MM54
02/23/2020 at 22:00

I’m curious about that primer: pricey?

The Snowman > MM54
02/23/2020 at 22:33

If you use a vintage style tire you can put all the horse power you want through a 1 leg 10 bolt without any fear of breaking it.

shop-teacher > MM54
02/23/2020 at 22:34

That list is tantalizingly short!

MM54 > shop-teacher
02/23/2020 at 22:44

It is! Hoping things go well and this time next week I can have it down to the last item of picking a decent day to hop across town to go into storage

MM54 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/23/2020 at 22:46

It’s So uthern Polyurethane epoxy primer, about $45/qt plus $45/qt for the activator. Cheaper by the ounce if you buy the gallon (I think they’re $105ish each per gallon). It’s good stuff, can be scuffed and topcoated at any time, and is good to stay as the top coat for a few years before degrading. Tough and great adhesion for maximum corrosion protection.

MM54 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/23/2020 at 22:54

I have a wideband in one of the collectors so I’ll be able to get the tune pretty good on the road, though at some point a few runs on a chassis dyno would be cool, for both tune and “how much power does it really make?” purposes.

I am the programmable shift :)

The 3.08 rear isn’t too great, but it’s what was there. At least it’s not the 2.73 (or something thereabout) which was also a possibility from the factory. The 3.55s in this should be pretty good; without overdrive it will be a little high on the highway but once I have limited slip and get a little more tire out back, I don’t know that the transmission will last all that long - and if it goes, a 5-speed (with o/d) would probably replace it.

I spent almost triple my engine budget on it. There are quite a few (used) cars I could have bought for the same price but none of them make the same power or noises as an angry smallblock. At some point I’m going to make a post about life goings-on; I feel like I’ve posted about nothing but this car for the year and a half it’s been torn apart.

An LS and 5-speed would be pretty cool in that van, but so would a mild smallblock and keeping the 3 on the tree if possible (great anti-theft if nothing else) . I guess it depends on how much of a hot rod you’re looking to build. Looking forward to hearing more about it, that is a cool project.

MM54 > The Snowman
02/23/2020 at 22:55

Hey eventually the spider gears would wear out from spinning the one tire all the time!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > MM54
03/01/2020 at 11:33

I am very curious about the engine compartment stuff you’ve done and what some of that has cost. Would you consider talking with me a bit about that via email?

oliphant.chuckerbutty@gmail.com

MM54 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
03/01/2020 at 11:58

Sure thing, sending an email your way now (so you can edit the address out of the post to minimize the spam)