1973 T/A resto mod project
 

Thought I might update the progress on my ’73 T/A resto mod. With the virus problems my mechanic/engine builder can spend more time on my project. Here are some pictures he sent me recently.


The first set show the brakes which that will go underneath the 15x7 rally II’s. There seem to be extra material on the rims which require a spacer to clear. You will notice that the studs are short and longer ones have been ordered from Wilwood and will be installed once they are received. I may have to reduce the size of the tire. Mechanic saw a possible problem with rubbing. I’m running a 255/60/15 all around right now. Won’t know if that will have to change until the engine is in and the car is on the ground.

second set
 

The second set shows the engine getting ready for placement. Just need to get all the firewall items put in….master cylinder, power brake booster, reservoir for the hydraulic clutch , etc…..

Looking good! SO happy to see a Poncho mill under the hood- too many guys 'resto mod' them w/ LS's.

Wow
that engine is too pretty to hide inside of an engine bay.

Gonna be a Killer Car

I had 255/60/15 on 15x7 R2's on my 73 for a while.
It was faintly lowered front & rear.
Mild rub on full turns in parking lots, was easy enough to overcome. (just don't turn to full lock)
Hope it works out for you, that is the best looking size combo.

Thanks both of you for kind words.

Engine was finally put in the car today. Not completely setup, but at least it is in the car. :):D

Latest updates consist of Power steering, fuel, fans and cooling systems are complete. Brake system is also complete.

Next week is on to the installation of the T-56. Will be interesting to see how much of the transmission tunnel has to be cut. This is a change from a turbo 400 to manual Tremec 6 speed.

I have read some threads that say not much cutting is done and others that say a lot of cutting is necessary. We will see.

Awesome...quite the powerplant.

Neat to see a restomod that will retain the 15" wheels. I don't mind 16" or even some 17" wheels but when they get bigger than that the proportions are all off.

Thanks Guys!

In one of the pictures of the master cylinder , you can see the #16 casting ID on the SuperDuty455 heads . SWEET

All the mounting/bracketry assembly and accessories on the front of engine look super ultra mega deluxe.

Latest update is this Griffin radiator. The fans and the radiator are one unit that work together, rather than as separate units or brands. I have experience with different brands of radiators and fans and find this unit works very well. This is the biggest unit that fits in the T/A. I have the same thing in my 1970 GTO, but it is bigger. The GTO can hold a bigger unit and it has worked out well, even with using waterless coolant.

My understanding is the waterless coolant runs hotter than conventional coolant and should not be used with stressed cooling systems. Because of this I wanted to use conventional coolant with water wetter. The T/A has smaller openings for cooling and I didn’t want to an extra 10 to 15 degrees added to an already tougher car to cool and bigger motor.

The transmission install hit a wall. Everything was mocked up and then it was discovered the bell housing was wrong. It was for a Chevy not a Pontiac. The invoice had the right part number, but the wrong housing was put in the package.

The mechanic was able to get in touch with the company. They had the correct bell housing, but are working with a skeleton crew. The person in touch with my mechanic was working from home and the part needed to be brought from one warehouse to another to be shipped. UPS can’t handle it since the housing weighs 95lbs. and has to be put on a pallet. Bottom line is it will take two weeks to get here. It snowballs and puts out the final measurements for the driveshaft. I’m sure other people have run into this.

Baron,

Thanks for the nice comments.

Jim

I had to cut quite a bit of the tunnel to fit a T-56 in my 70. But I have a DSE subframe, which pushes the engine back 1", so may get away with less surgery. Some cutting will be required unless you're OK with the transmission tail pointing downwards. I bought a tunnel cover piece from Speedtech, but my sheetmetal guy went ahead and fabricated one before I had a chance to tell him.

The transmission is in. Looks like there wasn't much surgery to get the T-56 in.
Here are pictures from the bottom and top of the tunnel and the cross member installed.

1st set.

Second set.

Project is looking great!!! Motivates me to work on my 72 resto mod

Latest update includes the install of the Power Master Hi-torque mini-starter and Doug's Headers (Primary 1 7/8, collector 3”). There is a two week delay on the driveshaft. Also, having problems getting a Hurst shifter that will fit. It seems since Holley bought them they have eliminated a lot of shifters. Hedge Fund corporate raiders at it again.

Here are the latest pictures of the ’73. The exhaust is mocked up and interior is finished with the new console and shifter. The 4 speed knob is temporary. It will be replaced with a six speed Hurst white knob. The drive shaft is still MIA. It is supposedly corrected and shipped out. Hope it is here for Friday. Probably more like Monday is the day it will arrive.

More Pixs.