73 nova Air ride ls1 turbo swap thread....

[73 nova guy]

Originally Posted by MeanYellowZ

Here are a few pics of the one Im doing, using the C6 vette manifolds flipped upside down...

i had a set of those manifolds that i sold on here.

[MeanYellowZ]

Originally Posted by 04600rr

meanyellowZ how does that thing get water? it looks like the hot side runs right against it....

It will have a CSR straight thermostat housing on it

[73 nova guy]

well slow going here i was away camping last weekend so i didnt get to touch the car i have also been trying to finish my garage and make improvements to tools so its putting a damper on the budget.


well this weekend i got a few hours to work on the car. this was in between putting a new pool liner in my neighbors pool and working on my moms car.

so here we go Friday i took a trip to the local junk yard and picked up a 4l60e just to get some mock up done i dont no if i will keep the 60 or go to an 80e yet. the 80e's are hard to find here.

so this is what i got a 4l60e



so i bolted it up and stuck the hole thing on the sub frame. then i stopped for a cold beverage and took some measurements of the stock motor mounts and the carshop mount plates and made my own solid setup

this is my second time with a tig welder what do you think?
here is a pic of the truck manifolds and the nova cross member


not going to work with the truck manifolds lol.

i also got the firewall stripped down so that i can do some smoothing on it and



well that's what i got for the weekend. i will try to get the trans mount in today. then i need to decide what i am going to do with the headers.. don't no if i am going to go all out with a set of stainless turbo headers or cut up a set of sbc headers and make them into turbo jobs or just do a the truck manifolds the right way and do a cross over..

[73 nova guy]

well i have been working on the oil pan for three night's now and the problem i face is that i have no ground clearance. most pans i look at have like 8 1/2 inches of drop for the pan rail. being that my car has air bags when i drop it down at the show the sub frame is about 1/2 inch of the ground witch leaves me with about 4 3/4's. so i am using a stock Vette wing pan and cutting the crapola out of it and building a new sump. i had the motor all mounted in and every thing was good till i put the power steering pump and the alt on and the hit the upper A arm so i had to move the motor forward so i had to start over... with the pan

so tomorrow i hope to finish the pan then i can start on the headers

i hope to post some new pictures tomorrow..

last night was my first time welding aluminum so i took most of the night welding up some scraps... wow is all i can say

[73 nova guy]

well not much to report over the weekend i took the orginal frame mounts off because they were way to short and the motor was not sitting in the right spot. it was way to low. so i decided to put the sub frame back in the can and then remake the frame mounts. i also want the radiator support in so i can start building the headers. i should have the parts to start that this week some time if the big brown truck shows. here are a few..



the more i put stuff back together the less header room i have hehe. i keep saying oh boy

[73 nova guy]

well the big brown truck came today! the header parts and the some of the cross over parts!

[73 nova guy]

well about 5 or 6 hours and this is the drivers side so far.. i didn't think it looked to bad for the first time i ever tried something of this complexity

[eviltwin_1987]

header looks great. speedway motors kit?

[73 nova guy]

yes sir! speedy shipping. i was going to use stainless but. spoke with a friend that owns a fab shop and he gave me some first timer advice and do it this way much cheaper for make mistakes

[mac_z_28]

Originally Posted by 73 nova guy

yes sir! speedy shipping. i was going to use stainless but. spoke with a friend that owns a fab shop and he gave me some first timer advice and do it this way much cheaper for make mistakes

do you mind me asking what the price range was for the headers? jw

[73 nova guy]

185$ not bad for a first timer

[eviltwin_1987]

i used one of those kits when building the headers for my brothers 5.3 nova. its a great deal for what you get. i didnt like the flange thickness though.

[73 nova guy]

Originally Posted by eviltwin_1987

i used one of those kits when building the headers for my brothers 5.3 nova. its a great deal for what you get. i didnt like the flange thickness though.

its not a bad kit but... the flanges are not the best and there is no collector stars that would be nice. one other thing the one collector was the wrong size one is right for 1 3/4 pipe the other i got is for 1 5/8 pipe and i got the 1 3/4 pipe so the first one i did the collector fits like poopie.

[73 nova guy]

well i with a ton of welding i got the drivers side done what a job to tig all those tubes up! i give new respect to those that build headers wow and now understand the price behind them! i am proud never tried any thing of this complexity i hope the work ok!!!!!

now i hope to have the other done this weekend if i dont drink to much tomorrow i may get it mocked up! ha

[73 nova guy]

well finally i finished up the headers! here is some pics of the passenger side. i don't think it turned out as well as the drivers but it will do.







now i can start the cross over and then i am on hold till i get a turbo

[hookemdevils22]

lookin' nasty (in a good way)! you said those are 304ss? they look like stainless.

[73 nova guy]

No I wish they were ss there just mild steel. I hope they hold up for a wile. U spoke with a friend that's a very good fabricator and he said for my first time to go mild for my first time. I plan to coat and wrap them. Thanks tho!

[73 nova guy]

well i am on hold with the turbo setup. i am still waiting to get a turbo i hope this week! but so i have been working on the oil pan

[chevellepowered]

awsome headers.. i was thinking about doing a log set up on my chevelle..good work and hurry up and buy the turbo already,,haha..

[V8 FC]

man i use to love your car now i hate it! (because you got your ls1 in before i did)..lol let me know if you need help man i can swing down some time!