Frame off restoration kind of.

[Sam Colalillo]

Chris, the seat track modification works out great. I know my wife and I are too tall. Getting the seat down lower sure does make it more comfy in the cockpit. It fits even better than my Monte which has power seats.

Busy weekend, Timing is adjusted, XFI internal data logger, EGT module, Trans brake PWM is mostly complete. Bracket for the shifter is complete, and the center console modifications are complete.

Still have a lot to do, and I will be traveling for work and won’t be able to work on the car:frown: .

Need to:
Bleed the brakes
Install a windshield
Install seat belts
Install the seats
Front end alignment
Get the slicks mounted
Front end stuff still has to go on, bumper fillers, front bumper and a bunch of misc. trim.
Several other things I am forgetting

I hope I can get it down to BG for some tuning time . I am going to BG with or with out the car. Hopefully with the car.

 

[V8Assassin]

Bring the car!!! :biggrin:

 

[Wrenchmonkey]

Wiring is almost complete. Thanks Cal for the help with accessories going to the XFI. Also thanks to my Buddy Wrench Monkey for hooking me up with weather pack connectors. I am sure I owe you something for the connecters I used.

Tell Pat that I think this is where I bought the weatherpack connectors(Its been a few years...) and if he knows anyone that's good at TIG welding aluminum I'll trade a bunch of the remaining connectors for a little welding

eBay Motors: Weather Pack Connector Kit Weatherpack 606 pc Supersize (item 360048762766 end time Jun-01-08 08:23:43 PDT)

 

[BuickCamaro]

Chris, the seat track modification works out great. I know my wife and I are too tall. Getting the seat down lower sure does make it more comfy in the cockpit. It fits even better than my Monte which has power seats.

Busy weekend, Timing is adjusted, XFI internal data logger, EGT module, Trans brake PWM is mostly complete. Bracket for the shifter is complete, and the center console modifications are complete.

Still have a lot to do, and I will be traveling for work and won’t be able to work on the car:frown: .

Need to:
Bleed the brakes
Install a windshield
Install seat belts
Install the seats
Front end alignment
Get the slicks mounted
Front end stuff still has to go on, bumper fillers, front bumper and a bunch of misc. trim.
Several other things I am forgetting

I hope I can get it down to BG for some tuning time . I am going to BG with or with out the car. Hopefully with the car.

No problem Sam, glad everything worked out good and everyone is comfy for the ride your about to take in the car!!!!

 

[Sam Colalillo]

No problem Sam, glad everything worked out good and everyone is comfy for the ride your about to take in the car!!!!

Glad you decided to modify the passenger seat tracks also. That is where I will probably be sitting most of the time. See you Saturday with the car for the last minute things which need to be welded up.

Seats really are much more comfy with the additonal head room, thanks again.

 

[Sam Colalillo]

it moves!!!

Brakkes are blead and the car moved and stopped under its own power for the first time yesterday. Loaded into the trailer to goto Underdogs shop so he can baby sit it for me while a new window is installed. He also wants to do some final buffing to the paint

 

[Sam Colalillo]

window is in

Thanks Tim for arranging getting the window installed for me today. Our car sure looks happy sitting in your shop with its other siblings.

 

[KevinB]

Your wife ought to be happy now:biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[Sam Colalillo]

Hey UR50SLO, I think I have set a world record for borrowing a welder from some body. Thanks for letting me use it, and once again thanks for all the work you did for me.

I purchased an LT1 air pump like you installed on your camaro. I want to catch up with you, and get the run down on how I modify this thing like you did yours. I know you are busy with that frame restoration on your customers Buick GN. I heard the paint turned out insane on that car, need to check that out too.

 

[Sam Colalillo]

She is happy!!!

Your wife ought to be happy now:biggrin: :biggrin:

I think she is a little nervous about racing the car with its completely new set up in front of everybody at BG. She is extremely excited to go and constantly reminding me that I must get it done.

 

[Wrenchmonkey]

Sam had some problems yesterday, dropped the tranny re-installed it and made to to Bowling green at 2:00AM this morning. By the time he was ready to hit the track it started raining. I think he was drinking when I called him at 4:00

 

[Wrenchmonkey]

Bad news.

Sam snapped a timing belt in the pit before the drag race.

 

[turbo6x2]

What did Sam find when he tore the engine down???? Inquiring minds want to know?

 

[KevinB]

If Sam did not lock his trailer, me and the rest of the KevinB pit crew were going to push the car out and repair it in the pits!

Seriously though, I hope there is no real bad damage Sam. These pictures in this thread do not do this car justice. Sam's work is beautiful!

 

[Sam Colalillo]

What did Sam find when he tore the engine down???? Inquiring minds want to know?

Jamie,
The rollmaster timing chain and gears stayed together. The key way in the camshft timing gear sheared. When the crank rotates both timing gear sprockets rotate, but the camshaft does not move. The timing gears are fine but the key way came out in several pieces. Engine is out of the car and completely apart. The cam is hurt. Looking into a stronger keyway or possibly machining a second key way into the cam and timing gear.

If Sam did not lock his trailer, me and the rest of the KevinB pit crew were going to push the car out and repair it in the pits!


Seriously though, I hope there is no real bad damage Sam. These pictures in this thread do not do this car justice. Sam's work is beautiful!

Kevin thanks for the kind words. It is amazing what you accomplished in the pits this year. A camshaft chenge in the pits is an amazing feet. I don't think I will make to Norwalk. Are you planning on attending colombus? I can't wait to see your car run after you get some more tuning time in on that new cam. It looked like GOD came down and kicked your car in the A$$ after it passed the 330 ft mark.

You raise the bar when it comes to getting things done in a crunch.

 

[V8Assassin]

Sam,
I had a great time meeting you and your wife in the pits. Very sorry for your unfortunate turn of events. Keep your head up and it will come together before you know it. Good Luck!

 

[KevinB]

Jamie,
The rollmaster timing chain and gears stayed together. The key way in the camshft timing gear sheared. When the crank rotates both timing gear sprockets rotate, but the camshaft does not move. The timing gears are fine but the key way came out in several pieces. Engine is out of the car and completely apart. The cam is hurt. Looking into a stronger keyway or possibly machining a second key way into the cam and timing gear.






Kevin thanks for the kind words. It is amazing what you accomplished in the pits this year. A camshaft chenge in the pits is an amazing feet. I don't think I will make to Norwalk. Are you planning on attending colombus? I can't wait to see your car run after you get some more tuning time in on that new cam. It looked like GOD came down and kicked your car in the A$$ after it passed the 330 ft mark.

You raise the bar when it comes to getting things done in a crunch.

Thanks Sam! Do to some family issues that need attention asap, I will not be in Norwalk racing my car. A friend of mine will be there with my car racing it though. I'm sure he will get the tune on it dead on! I might be there watching.

I hope to be in C-bus, things are looking better here on the home front and should be all good by August

 

[UR50SLO]

Sorry to hear about that Sam... ALOT of hard work to go down and have such a trivial part fail and end the weekend so shortly.

Good luck in the repairs!
~Scott

 

[turbo6x2]

Sam are you and Toni going to at least make it to Norwalk?

 

[Sam Colalillo]

Well all in all Bowling Green presumed the bad luck it has given to me and my friends for the past three years.

I owe so many people thanks for staying up till 2:30 and 4: O’clock in the morning helping me. Just getting the car down there felt like I accomplished the impossible.

Let me start the thanks that I owe some people.

My wife for coming out to the garage at 1 in the morning to help me bleed the brakes.

Tim gets big thanks for being so dependable. He got the windshield installed, let me use the lift in his shop, helped me knock out a four and a half page list (which kept growing) of things that needed to get done.

Chris, for coming over to Tim’s shop and doing some last minute welding to the parachute bracket and the skid bar under the car, and the brackets for mounting the engine midplate to the frame. (I wonder why he was wearing a “T” shirt that says “THIS JOB BLOWS”.) Chris your welding is some of the best I have ever seen. It is great to be able to count on your help.

Jason for stayed up until 4 in the morning helping me finish my four page list which was now ten pages long. We then get my wife up so she can pull the car into the trailer. Jason gets the car delivered to Patrick for front end alignment the day before I plan on leaving for BG. I leave for work at 6 O’ clock with plans of leaving work at 3.

Thanks Patrick, for staying late at work and performing a front end alignment on the car. I pull the car off the front end alignment rack and here a rattling noise I have never heard before. Also for coming over late at night and setting the timing up.

Get home pull the car out of the trailer and the noise is getting worse. I am to tired to mess with it. Wake up at 7 and go out to my shop. I realize the noise I am hearing is cross over pipe rattling against the mid-plate. I pull the trans so I can take the mid-plate out and cut it down so it clears the cross over pipe. Once the trans is out I still can not get the midplate out because the dowel pins in the engine wont allow it to drop down past the mounts we just welded to the frame three nights earlier. Next I loosen the engine and pull it out of the way. I am to close to making it to Bowling Green for this to stop me. Cut the midplate down, reinstall everything, and the noise is gone.

Arrive at Bowling Green 2:30 wednesday morning . It a rain out.

Next day I hear another weird noise. Then the engine stops running. Jamie Wolcott loans me an oil filter cutter, the filter looks good, a big sigh of relief from me not to find ground up bearing material in my filter. Don Cruz tells to rotate the engine and see if the valves are moving. They were not, we all agree that the timing chain broke. The famous Kevin B pit crew is ready to start installing a new chain.

Bring the car home and pull the engine. After pulling the engine and taking it apart I learn the keyway on the camshaft broke.

I still had a great time though. It is nice to meet up with all the people in the Turbo Buick Community. We really have something special here.