Speed Metal Army's LSV8 Build!, Green is the fastest color. Options

[speed metal army]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I think I actually started this a year ago.I bought a 5.3 out of a wrecked Silverado with almost no k's.(11,000 IIRC)I went back and forth,should I,shouldnt I...I actually called the fella who was going to build it for me and asked him to sell it for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Then,as luck would have it,my car was giving me grief early this summer.D-jet hassles,etc.No surprise,I dropped a valve seat.At this point I was pretty sick of DJet(had some sweet Italian Webers in the wings lol),and really wasnt feeling the big 4 idea,though I had collected parts already.I just wanted to drive my car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) I wanted to be able to turn the key,and get instant fun and reliability(motor wise),and yeah wayyyy more power than the 2.0 was giving me.Needless to say,the dropped seat made me make up my mind much quicker which direction I was going to go.After reading a bunch of V8 threads,and some you tube stuff(Especially Byndbads vids and car,that thing just kills)I put the wheels in motion.

The motor I bought is an LS Iron blocked engine,and came with FI.But Truck FI.(quite tall)My buddy Murray at Real Horsepower had been doing carb'd LS's for a while,I like carbs,so we converted it to a carb'd motor.We used the MSD programming module to run the coil packs,bolted up a LS carb manifold(Edelbrock) and put on a Holley 670cfm Street Avenger.The other thing about the 5.3 Truck motors are the pan.Quite deep.Too deep!No sweat,Murray had a brand new takeoff from a 2010 Vette he did in 2010. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Its nice and shallow,lotsa clearance.

Week 1-12
I phoned Renegade,ordered the loot and waited.In the meanwhile I mounted the fuel pump and filter(Did Sir Andy's cool fuel pump trick) and started to cut up the front of my car a bit. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (The guy in the car is my buddy Andrew.I owe him big for all his help!)I tig'd in woven SS mesh to keep birds and 2x4's out.The rear firewall had lots of shitty old brown glue on it,and the battery tray sucked too.I welded in a new tray and got my body guy to respray the firewall as well as the mesh.(After lizard skinning it)
I ripped out all the carpets,fixed an ugly spot under the drivers side seat and welded the Engman kit in.My body guy sprayed lizard skin over the entire floor/inner firewall.
I also repalced the throttle,and clutch cables as well as ran a new 3/8" SS fuel line through the tunnel.Installed Racer Chris's Sway Bar.
I had a nice uncracked dash top saved for this,so it went in too.I also installed a new black carpet kit for good measure.
Bought a high torque starter.Put in all new brake hoses and 320 calipers in the front.Installed the tee.
Whew!

Week 9

Cooling system from RH came! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Installed it and ran some wiring for it too.

Week 12

The rest of the RH stuff came!(In the most destroyed boxes I have ever seen,but thats another story lol)
I dumped it all off at Real Horsepower.Murray went on vacation for 2 weeks!!AARRGGGGG!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Im still learning how to be patient!lol
Anways,Murray came back and he bolted the whole works together.The one thing RH doesnt make a provision for is the Iron block LS's are missing a tapped hole for their alternator mount.(We used a single wire 120 amp alt BTW)Murray and I made a slick mount that you can see in the pics.
I called Murray and said"Hey,give me a shout before you bolt that thing in the car,I want a couple of pics!"He told me i'd better get my ass over there now,cause it was in progress! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Murray's a cool guy.Hes not a Porsche guy tho.He has his shop full of beautiful(customers,and his own) hotrods.When I told him what we were up to,(the conversion I mean) He didnt even bat an eye.He was in.I told him I wanted to do as much of it as I had time for,and that I had to do the exhaust.I told him I would take the car elsewhere to work on the stuff I wanted to do myself,and he refused.Murray is a cool guy.

The other cool thing about this whole thing was the reaction from the regulars,and his new customers too."That is going in there?? That is super cool!!"My little car was on the lift,surrounded by $100k Hotrods,and it was the Belle of the ball. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
While I was there,there were at least 4-5 phone calls to Murray from his cronies."It it running yet?Have you driven it yet?"

Anyway,Murray and I probably did the whole install of the motor/transaxle in about 4.5 days,including Andrew and I doing the exhaust.Murray held up the old wiring harness and said"Tom this thing is kinda scary!Im not using it!" So,all the wiring got a nice upgrade in the bay.I used the Parkerflex coolant hose,expensive,but very tough and can bend into a tight,tight radius with zero collapse.Yes I ran hose under the car.It bugs me.(I wish I was more patient and ran SS like I will do for next season,but I simply did not have time.The sun is running away!)
The goodies from Renegade all worked as they should.Thier instructions are (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) No,really they need an update and I told them so!Hi Scott,Steve, Ian! Despite the "Instructions" The parts,and the guys at RH are top shelf.I called,I got answers.Really good guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Murray and I started the car.It was almost alien!Ive started the car many times,but this time it lit up in 1/2 a revolution,and sounded crazy!It was odd at first,my little green car sounding that way,but not in a bad way.More like a "Oh thats much better"kinda way!We filled it with water(Also weird as hell)and follwed the burping procedure. That was last night.This morning I got to drive my car! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/evilgrin.gif)

Its crazy.The car feels the same,but just wayyy more assertive.Im taking it easy,because of clutch break in,but wow.Its so much more fun you couldnt beat the smile off my face with a baseball bat.My car is "fixed" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) The cooling system works flawlessly,it sounds tough,and is scary fast.I loved my car when it was stock.It still feels that way,just more.
I had two guys tailgaiting the hell out of me on the way home(My maiden voyage of considerable distance,45 min)to the point that I pulled over.They also pulled over,and I immediately thought"Shit!somethings on fire!" Nah.They wanted to know what was in the car! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Jeesh!
Anyhoo,here is some pics of the process.It was fun as hell.(though,it would have been cooler if it was done 9 weeks ago lol)
Thanks to
Mikey 914
Andrew
Murray@Real Horsepower Hotrods
Cheers!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)






(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[speed metal army]

Cont'd (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

[speed metal army]

Cont'd (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)




Heads up!This is the bracket you need to fab for the LS IB to make RH's Alt bracket fly.Heads up!This is also a terrible photo!Ill dig for a better one.

[speed metal army]

Cont'd (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[Andyrew]

WOW that is one clean install!

Congrats! You should be proud! (Tig'ed SS exhaust is a very nice touch)

[speed metal army]

Cont'd (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif)





Cool bonus for me.The Tuner guy shows up.Hes a highschool pal of mine ive not seen in 19 yrs!The very first drive I took in the car,Brian(The tuner/Buddy of mine from GR 12)was sitting in the passenger seat with a cable flapping away over the targa bar programming away while we bullshitted about the good ol days!

Cheers!

[balljoint]

Very sweet. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[matthepcat]

Very clean! Like everything about the car....but a carburetor??!!


It's like getting to the Olympics, and then sleeping in past the alarm. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Drums66]

...Very sanitary man!(monster power plant) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[bulitt]

Very Nice! Couple of questions.
Why the carb on backwards? Easier to install the throttle linkage?
Stock linkage?
Did the Avenger need alot of adjusting?
Where did you get the metal mesh?

[SLKWrx]

Awesome install. You do really great work. Though, all I thought of when I read the title was: (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/cdn2.shipspotting.com-2845-1348142873.1.jpg)

[ottox914]

Looks great. Bet it drives great as well. Hopefully that awesome exhaust doesn't melt any wires near by. But I suspect as clean as this install is, that has been addresses and any melting danger is just the perspective of the photo and not a real problem. Does that beast run an air cleaner, and how does it fit under the engine lid?

Nice, nice, nice.

[tomeric914]

Where did you get the metal mesh?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-wire-mesh/=jdg639

[speed metal army]

Very Nice! Couple of questions.
Why the carb on backwards? Easier to install the throttle linkage?
Stock linkage?
Did the Avenger need alot of adjusting?
Where did you get the metal mesh?

Easier to mount the linkage!
Almost no adjustment at all.The carb idled a shade high out of the box,that was it.
The pmesh is a 10 ga ss wove mesh from a local supplier. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[speed metal army]

Very clean! Like everything about the car....but a carburetor??!!


It's like getting to the Olympics, and then sleeping in past the alarm. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Ha! I knew someone would rip on the carb. I dig carbs,and if I want ( doubt it ) i can run FI later. I didnt have to cut up my engine bay at all either. This configuration( so far) is way more than I can use anyways. Plus it looks cool! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[speed metal army]

Looks great. Bet it drives great as well. Hopefully that awesome exhaust doesn't melt any wires near by. But I suspect as clean as this install is, that has been addresses and any melting danger is just the perspective of the photo and not a real problem. Does that beast run an air cleaner, and how does it fit under the engine lid?

Nice, nice, nice.

Thanks! The wires are safely tucked away,i think its an in progress pic. I can close the lid,and do run an air cleaner. Im going to make one for myself that uses a k&n 4" cone.
With this setup,it barely fits under there.

[porbmw]

Wow!
Nicely done.
Hope to get a chance to see/hear it sometime!
That pretty well ups the ante around here...!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[ballioint]

Can we see the front bumper? Curious on how it looks. The rest of it looks amazing!

[speed metal army]

Can we see the front bumper? Curious on how it looks. The rest of it looks amazing!

You can!I will take a pic for you.Its super stealth.One cool thing about the big rubber bumpers.(Plus I dig the way they look) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[speed metal army]

Wow!
Nicely done.
Hope to get a chance to see/hear it sometime!
That pretty well ups the ante around here...!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Im cruising to Stanley park on Saturday! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)