Mollested 6t8

[terrys6t8roadst]

When I first purchased my 6t8 roadster over 20 years ago it was in bad condition, not good enough to drive and I could barely afford my dream car. Originally a 350 hp 327 4-speed car. Love the small blocks.. I had just purchased my home the year before [ a log house on a few acres]. It was the least expensive home I could find and also in rough condition,[just coming out of a divorce]. Needles to say I was jumping on the bit to get it up and running so I could drive it, but had to work on the house. Finally saved up enough to replace the broken exhaust manifolds, worn out Q-jet. Went with Hedman headers, custom built exhaust with H-pipe, Holley DP and Edelbrok manifold. After a tune-up she was ready to drive, OOPS the hood doesn't close, so it was off to the swap meet at Iola Wi. Found a hood that someone had grafted a L88 scoop onto it [4" rise] and a Hurst shifter. Need to strip off 7 layers of paint [you should of seen all the different colors, what a history], then sprayed it the color I'm still working on painting the car. Now I can't see the right front fender, but she is ready for road use.
Now it's time to address the totally worn out suspension. Purchased a complete dual mount kit from VP&B. WOW what a difference to the handling. Every step was painstakenly slow, cleaning the frame and painting. This was the first step from keeping it original, but the front end repair would always keep this car from being a top flight car.
The front end was smashed at one time in the 6t8s early life and sagging took forever to figure out what pieces were missing, get them ordered and installed. The black interior was shabby so it was treated to new carpet and door panels new window seals[ what a PITA] and a lot of other little year correct pieces. Now it's looking pretty good.
This brings me up to about 10 years ago, sorry no digital camera, so no old pictures. Next installment will bring you all more up to date on the mollestation of my 6t8. T
This pict was taken spring of 2012

 

[terrys6t8roadst]

carring on

Yesterday removed the gas tank to upgrade the return port to #6. We have already upgraded the tank sender to #8 line and also the supply line to the carb. What a PITA. Welded on some brackets just below the front upper A-arm bolt for mounting the spreader bar. Found them at Jefferson last weekend for $5. Also enlarged the pulley clearance area of front frame crossover member for the install of the lower blower pulley.
Made some progress on the engine assembly; got the cam degreeded, clayed the piston to check for valve to piston clearance, Installed the Felpro 1152 head gaskets under the new AFR 195 heads and torqued them into place. Did all that rocker geometry stuff and will order the new pushrods today at a length of 7.850. Put the oil pan on so today I can set it on the workbench to mount the scatter shield to make sure it's centered with the crank. The offset dowels are ready and waiting. Then it's back onto the engine stand to finish the assembly.
Doing this kind of stuff sure is a lot better than having to leave home 5 days a week to hustle a buck. I've been waiting along time to be able to do this.
Thanks for following along. T
More car history soon and I promise some picts.

 

[Toms007]

Keep it coming Terry! Enjoy reading your story.

 

[terrys6t8roadst]

need to go fast

Wednesday the rear wing arrived, can you believe it the 2 wing planes are not of equal length. So as we racers go, we make it fit and it off to the machine shop for mods. Mounted the water pump, KRS power steer pump and the blower bracket. Friday the Brown guy delivered my pushrods from Straub tech. .116 wall thickness, so in went the Morel lifters, pushrods, and Harlan Sharps 1.5 to 1 rockers. Today we will set up the guide plates and adjust the valves, maybe finish engine assembly. Cut off the return bung from the gas tank and brazed on a #6 an fitting, so while the tank is out I'll glass in some reinforcements under the rear deck to support the wing. So much to do and I want to schedule a track day on May 30 and the 31st at the Milwaukee Mile with the SCCA for a shake down run before the Road America event coming up later in June. So I better get cracking. T

 

[terrys6t8roadst]

engine is done

Finished up the main engine assembly Sunday. Now to finish up the engine compartment so the engine can go in. T

 

[terrys6t8roadst]

I'm back

Been out of it for awile, some medical issues. This is the hood we made [lotsa help from friends] Took 18 months from start to finish. It's shown in top pict so I've been running it awile [kinda proud of it]. When it was first installed there was also a schroud on back of radiator and it conducted all of the rad hot air out through the hood. Fan is mounted on front of radiator. I took that schroud out in lue of installing a cold air intake system, that is also sitting on the shelf. This is the engine that came out, 411 RWHP, what a hoot to drive. So back to the tank story: got the new engine in [ sorry CAC wont allow any more picts] and every time it's started up if squirting fuel out the carb vents. So after a bunch of calls to the carb guy [You know that blow through carbs cost almost 1k] and lots of fuel all over the floor [and I mean a lot] I find out I need a bigger return line to tank. A number 10. OMG where is that going to go. So it's ordering time from Summit and another buchfifty, ouch this conversion is getting expensive. Remove the #6 line and install the #10. Turned out looking good. Did I mention that that 6AL-2 system needs the timing programed with a laptop [like I know how to do that]. SO I get help from Tim, and we fire it up again, running pretty good. Almost out of fuel time for test drive, on way back from fuelstore, went to use some of that fuel, I guess to much cause it went bang then knock knock knock, blew a half shaft u-joint. Only 1/2 mi from home, so just limped . More to come. T

 

[Tom Bryant]

That hood come out great. Sounds like the engine did too. I had a similar thing happen once with a '65. I was also fortunate to be close to the house and the posi drove the left side to get me the one block home.

Tom

 

[kpic]

terrys6t8roadst: It looks great and thanks for sharing pictures..

The hood is a beauty!

That's a mighty small pulley.. Evil grin....

 

[terrys6t8roadst]

Backstepping

Thanks guys, I like this forum. From my reads seems friendlier.
I suspect that you all guessed that I like to take this car to the track. Living about 45 minutes from Road America seem like a good choice. What a beautiful track. 4.1 mi. and 14 corners. Corner 5 is my favorite, while going through the carasoel into the kink is probably the scariest. When I first started the car still had the 3.36 gears and the original 327 4/speed with Michilen P/S tires. Still had the OEM chairs and they gave some crap at tech in because the shoulder restraints did not go through the seat. Next winter it got some Corbau A.4 chairs [nice upgrade, kept my but in place]. So my buddy Dale [who just loves spending my money found this Auburn 3.73 gear set with new brgs, seals and Auburn posi unit, all brand new for 650$. So now everything is in place for me to go fast right ? Over the course of two days at the track you get 10- 25 minute sessions. For me approximately 7 laps and every time after the session the rear end is banging, hopping every time I turn. Then there is gear oil all over the back end. We put at temp guage on diff [infared] it reads 325F. What can I do but keep it full and go for it. The next week I sent the diff back to Auburn, they tell me 650$ to fix a brand unit, I tell them to keep it. Get a new Eaton and put that in and also the cooler system that I pictured.
The next winter was an expensive one. Stage III of engine build [I'm now on Stage V]. Dart Pro 1s, Lunati Vodoo solid roller, RPM air gap MSD 6AL with mech advance distributor, and a Quik Fuel carb, Tremic 5-speed, and power R&P steering. Boy did that wake up this vette.
The next summer at R/A I moved up a class {no longer in the beginers group]. Did a lot of passing absolutely no problems [well I take that back, had some brake issues like they would go away] , diff ran at 155F. I did start to notice some of the flaws that still need to be sorted out. Like no brakes and the push in the front under heavy steering. I guess the 16x8 front wheels just aren't going to cut it. Now that the bank account is empty it's time for the credit card. It seems only 2 picts per post, so more next time. T

 

[terrys6t8roadst]

terrys6t8roadst: It looks great and thanks for sharing pictures..

The hood is a beauty!

That's a mighty small pulley.. Evil grin....

The pully just got smaller yesterday. Went from 3.11 to a 2.87 in an attempt to increase pressure at lower RPM. T