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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 11:50 am
by PlastiZapCA+
Easily the coolest car project I've seen in a while. You've got to give us a kill list when you take her out. :mrgreen: I can just see the looks on peoples faces when they get smoked by that little beast. :lol:

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:24 pm
by romulus22
Thanks man. I'm still hopeful it's going to be pretty quick. The numbers are there. Just hope everything I've done all works together. If everything goes well I'll update with the cars I beat. In all reality though there's so many really fast factory cars these days. It'll just be a deceivingly quick car that takes out un suspecting stock mustangs, camaros, older corvettes

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 11:37 pm
by Jimbo302
I know the feeling about everything being fast now. I felt like building cheap hot rods just didn't make sense, when new cars became so powerful in the 2000's. But the truth is, they are still a blast.

An aquaintance had a turbo 302 pinto when I was young, it was awe inspiring. Your car will be in that super cool sleeper category just like that car was. Even though the competition will make it a little less imposing, it wont be any less fun.

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 11:52 pm
by RC10th
New cars give you a disconnected feeling and while fast don't "feel" fast, the sensations are dummed down.

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 5:57 pm
by PlastiZapCA+
RC10th wrote:New cars give you a disconnected feeling and while fast don't "feel" fast, the sensations are dummed down.
I don't know, I'm having a blast with my 2014 Camaro SS. I got it way sideways over the weekend. :lol: Turn off the nannies on the console and you'll get that old muscle car feeling. I got the manual trans LS3 in mine as I like to bang my own gears. I don't miss having to tune the carb every season and fooling with points and fouled plugs. That said, I plan to start looking for a 69 C10 pickup for a fun hot rod project. I really need a pickup anyway.

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 7:12 pm
by romulus22
Not sure if this is what RJ is talking about. But in a new car they are quiet, smooth, comfortable, reliable. In a car like my chevette it is going to be loud, uncomfortable, probably not that smooth. And the light weight is going to let me feel a lot more of the hp than the 3400lb car the engine came out of did. 150mph in each car would feel very different. Im not sure without looking at the rules my car would pass tech. But I'd like to try the Wilmington standing mile with this car. I think it would really turn some heads given a whole mile.

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:49 pm
by PlastiZapCA+
romulus22 wrote:Not sure if this is what RJ is talking about. But in a new car they are quiet, smooth, comfortable, reliable. In a car like my chevette it is going to be loud, uncomfortable, probably not that smooth. And the light weight is going to let me feel a lot more of the hp than the 3400lb car the engine came out of did. 150mph in each car would feel very different. Im not sure without looking at the rules my car would pass tech. But I'd like to try the Wilmington standing mile with this car. I think it would really turn some heads given a whole mile.
Oh yea I get what you're talking about, my new car doesn't have the feeling my old 68 Nova had in high school. I had no AC, no power steering, no power brakes, no anti-lock brakes, just the basic car. Wish I still had that one.

You're car would be crazy fast in a standing mile event. Probably need a cage.


A Road Kill car.
[youtube]uSB2_428P2w[/youtube]

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 10:52 pm
by GoMachV
Oh yea I get what you're talking about, my new car doesn't have the feeling my old 68 Nova had in high school. I had no AC, no power steering, no power brakes, no anti-lock brakes, just the basic car. Wish I still had that one.
Me too :o

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:39 pm
by PlastiZapCA+
GoMachV wrote:
Oh yea I get what you're talking about, my new car doesn't have the feeling my old 68 Nova had in high school. I had no AC, no power steering, no power brakes, no anti-lock brakes, just the basic car. Wish I still had that one.
Me too :o
Awesome! I wish I had pictures of mine. It was that old Chevy pale blue, it still had that glass bottle for the windshield washer fluid under the hood. I had slotted wheels, Keystones I think they were. I had air shocks and if you hit a bump too hard it would rub in the skinny rear fender wells. I can still hear that sound. :mrgreen:

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 6:53 pm
by romulus22
Finished welding the rear today and added a brace to the torque arm. Painted everything up and slapped it under the car. This is the ride height minus gas tank and fluids and no rear shocks. I think the helper shocks are going to be way too long and stiff.

Image

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One hiccup in the rear I didn't foresee until I got her in the ground and started to roll it. With the helper shocks on the car was locked into place. Even with no shocks there is no clearence. Under compression it clears but I can't leave it that close. Just have to remove the upper spring mounts and inboard them about an inch.

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 11:13 pm
by RC10th
Getting closer... Bet your happy?

When you get it on the road we should have a guessing game on the cars ET before you make a pass

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:55 pm
by romulus22
RC10th wrote:Getting closer... Bet your happy?

When you get it on the road we should have a guessing game on the cars ET before you make a pass
I'm happy it's almost to the point where I can send it off and let it be someone else's problem. Then pick it up running. I just ordered an aluminum driveshaft from Denny's driveshaft. After expressing my concern with the possibilities of alum not being strong enough. He explained to me the driveshaft I ordered at my length with my cars overall weight would easily hold past 700+ hp off a trans brake. Once the driveshaft is in I'm going to fill all the fluids and start making calls to reputable shops hopefully within a couple hundred mile radius.

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:29 pm
by romulus22
Back on track. I got lucky they were just spot welded.

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Tons of room now.

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Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:31 pm
by Diamond Dave
Nice! That was a "close" one. Keep going man. This car is going to rip right along.

Re: Project: LS1 Chevette

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:47 am
by PlastiZapCA+
The stance on that car is perfect, looks mean!