[Gator67]

Originally Posted by JUDGE3

Shaker is done (except for the drain hose).The stanchions we built are adjustable so can easily tweak the height of the shaker.

can you post a picture of the adjustable stanchions you built? I am anticipating the need on my upcoming engine swap in my 79. would really appreciate it.

We tried a couple different designs, and this one turned out the best. Essentially, I screwed threaded rod (M6) into the holes used to secure the fuel rail brackets onto the intake (this is a good location because the stanchions are inboard and not very visible). Secured those in place with nuts. We covered the threaded rod with some black hose so it blends in. We then made a shaker base from some sheet aluminum, which sits on washers and nuts (hence the adjustability). Installed nutserts under the shaker base. Shaker is held down with some really flat button head screws.

[Gator67]

We installed the console yesterday. Had to open up the lower rubber seal a bit to accommodate the boot over the TKX shifter stub, but everything ended up fitting well, and the shifter is in the right spot. Easier and cleaner install than with the T56 Magnum in my '70.

We installed a switch in the glove box to disconnect the fuel pump. We also installed the EFI handheld controller and a subwoofer remote control in the glovebox.

[Gator67]

Carpet, seats and seat belts are in. Door panels are next.

[Skip Fix]

Looking nice!

[Gator67]

Finished up the interior then drove it a few miles. The car is very quick and handles great. Getting closer!

[78Macho]

Congrats!

Looks beautiful and like it is going warp speed just sitting there!

Wasn't there some mention of the Y84 decals and striping?

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by 78Macho

Congrats!

Looks beautiful and like it is going warp speed just sitting there!

Wasn't there some mention of the Y84 decals and striping?

Thank you!

Yes, the car will get the Y84 decals and striping. We still need to install the grills and headlight bezels too. But before we do any of that, we'll need to sand and buff. Am planning to ceramic coat it too, but have to confirm whether we should do it before or after the decals are installed.

In the meantime, we'll need to get the AC charged and an alignment. Also need schedule another remote tuning session to address a few minor issues (longer prime, turn on A/C kick, DBW pedal rate, cam sensor to sequential, etc.).

[Gator67]

We polished the bumper and installed the headlight bezels and grills. The parts shelf is now completely bare.

[JUDGE3]

beautiful. special edition striping or did you decide against any? look great either way.

[Gator67]

We're definitely going to do the SE striping etc. Is there a go-to kit?

[EVO]

Phoenix has pretty good service and quick turnaround. Ive used them several times

Evan Q.

https://phoenixgraphix.com/gm.php#trans_am
Part #7881SETAU is the complete kit I think.

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by EVO

Phoenix has pretty good service and quick turnaround. Ive used them several times

Evan Q.

https://phoenixgraphix.com/gm.php#trans_am
Part #7881SETAU is the complete kit I think.

I called and ordered PG's complete decal/stipe kit yesterday, and picked it up from their location in Chandler today. Smaller operation than I expected. Nice group of guys.

We're going to have the car professionally polished and buffed (Aug 6th) prior to installing the decals, and then we'll take it back to have it ceramic coated.

[EVO]

Sweet! When I had my black TA detailed, I had them put the heavy duty PPF on the wheel flares as they will get chipped up pretty quick. Ceramic coat everything else.

Evan Q.

[Gator67]

We took the car out yesterday for a drive and some errands. The ignition started to work intermittently, and by the time we got home, no crank at all. After ruling out binding on the switch rod, starter wiring, and the neutral safety switch, we discovered it would occasionally crank when the steering column was tilted all the way down. So this morning we dropped the Flaming River column and moved the ignition switch forward a bit, which seemed to have solved the problem, but it was tricky to find the sweet spot where both the start and accessory positions would work. Not sure why the switch functioned correctly for the last several months and then decided not to quit yesterday, and whether the issue is with the switch or the rod, or both.

As an aside, in addition to the two screws that normally secures the ignition switch to the column, Flaming River uses a short self-tapping screw to secure the ignition switch so that it doesn't move...if they go the trouble of doing this, one would think they would make sure the ignition switch is in the right location first. The Ididit column I used in my '70 uses electronic switching and relays, and I've found that the key is little touchy if you're not used to it. So for this car we went with a Flaming River column because it uses a traditional ignition switch set-up, which gives the key a more positive feel. But given the issues I've had with this column, I'll go with Ididit next time for sure.

[Gator67]

The TKX came with a built in neutral safety switch, and the installation instructions indicate quite clearly that it can be wired directly to the car's neutral safety switch wiring, so this is what we did. However, in thinking through the issue we had yesterday, something occurred to me. The wiring on the TKX NSS switch is like 16 gauge, which doesn't seem sufficient for the starter solenoid, which probably draws like 30 amps initially and then 10 or 15 afterwards (this is why the NSS wires in the car's harness are like 10 or 12 gauge). 16 gauge wires also likely indicate that the switch isn't designed to handle that many amps. I checked with a friend here who's installed a few of these and he said he had a switch burn out that was wired directly like the instructions say. We're not have an issue with this yet, however, we'll wire in a relay to control the TKX switch just to be safe. This should be a bit easier than installing a NSS on the clutch pedal (I loath working under the dash).

[Gator67]

We drove the car a bit yesterday and the day before. Runs really well and stays cool... the brushless fans are great. We may also switch out the 3" exhaust tips for 2.5". The 3's are really tight in there, and the only way of making them fit without contact with anything is to angle them in slightly. We'll take care of that when we switch out the headers...I'm sure that will require some modifications to what we've done. We'll also have the exhaust pipes coated in black so everything is less visible from behind.

[Gator67]

We received the new stainless long tube headers from Ultimate Headers and installed them today. Pleasantly surprised we didn't need to remove the steering shaft and we were able to remove & install the AC Delco starter (and heat shield) with headers in place. Existing spark plug wires and dipstick worked fine. The new headers are 1 7/8" but definitely more compact than the 1 3/4" Hookers that we replaced. Most important, it looks like we'll gain about an inch of ground clearance...LH and RH sides about the same height...about even with the frame rails. We'll reinstall the rest of the exhaust system over the weekend. Would definitely recommend these for a LS swapped pro-touring style second gen bird.

[JUDGE3]

Incredible. Entire car is a work of art.

[Gator67]

Thank you, Judge3. I don't know if it's work of art, but it is turning out better than we expected.

We didn't have to do much tweaking to get the exhaust hooked up to the headers, but when building the exhaust originally, we used a couple slip fittings so it would be easier to make minor adjustments if needed. It turns out they've been leaking and we can't get them to seal up with band clamps, so we'll pull the exhaust out and tig it up.

[Gator67]

We measured ground clearance again once the car was settled, and it turned out we gained about .75"...doesn't seem like much, but as my son pointed out, that's a 45% increase. But still too low, and the springs were set as high as they could go on the shocks, so we swapped out the 800# springs with 850#s and installed a taller hat on the shocks. We're now at a comfortable 3" and still have room to move the springs up on the shocks if needed. The stance is also more level now, which looks better than the slight rake it had before, and the ride is not noticeably stiffer, so I think we're good with the suspension.

Still have to adjust the 3" exhaust tips a bit...they seem to grow as they get hot and make slight contact with rear lower lip of the body. We may swap them out for the 2.5" version.