'83 3.8L big brakes 50 MPG

[economiser]

First the bad pics:

[airwolf16]

Second, the show stopping awesome pics:

[economiser]

Yeah, after the car is done. I'm trying to show progress, triumphs and failures in how I do things, like my own big brakes, my own Watt's link, and fitting this engine, then the show stopping result. So now 3 good "before" pics, then 2 progress pics, including my first test-fit of the '94 Camaro gauge cluster.







The car is about to be painted blue, and there's been a snafu with some bolts.

[economiser]

[economiser]

That's all for this morning.

[economiser]

Today's progress, stripping and sanding towards Maaco.

[economiser]

Just got the FC front suspension / steering / brakes / crossmember / anti-roll bar, except for the springs and struts. Ordered new KYB struts. Now back to the cosmetics.

[economiser]

Each different thread has different ideas about how thick of a spacer between the rear of the FC K-member and the SA framerails. I saw this as adjustable anti-dive, but then I'm having difficulty wading through all the search results for that. I'm thinking It safest to start with a stack of spacers totaling 1" thickness, then test drive very cautiously, then go 3/4" thickness, then test again, until I've tested down to no spacer.
 Likewise, I think I'll be moving the FC K-member back about 1" to keep the front wheels from being too far forward in the wheelwells.
 Comments welcome.

[rk970]

The bottom of the FB frame rails are about 1.5" lower then the FC. When you put in the FC sub frame the front roll center will be "under ground" (on a FC at normal ride height the control arms go up hill toward the center about 5/8").  To low of a roll center equates to lots of weight transfer to the outside tire, dartness/twichy handling and bump steer problems.   Now if you section the ends off of the FC subframe and plate it to fit between the frame rails in the proper location for ride height you can correct the roll center.  You would also have to section  the frame rail to clear the tie rods. 
A roll center that is to low will give quick transitions turning left to right.  Do not mistake quick transitions for good a "good" handling car.

[economiser]

More work, but possibly more return on investment. Thank you very much for sharing that.
I guess I will check hood clearance for this V6 just bolting it to the existing pair of front bolts for the subframe, then get to sectioning as practical.
 As to the rear suspension, I'm going for a 3-link, with the car's stock lower trailing arms, possibly shortened an inch or 2 so they don't attach behind the axle, that looks stupid, and a top center link, possibly the same length as the lowers, then move the Watt's link to be chassis-mounted, behind the bottom center of the axle. To attach it to the axle, I bought 2 feet of 1.5" x 1.5" x 0.1875" mild steel square tubing. I'll weld this to the leaf spring pads GM welded to the bottoms of the tubes, and have them extend far enough back to clear the diff. Speedway offers a kit for $ 70 that will help, http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Watts-Link,3398.html?gclid=CNzUxJDhpMECFWqCMgodciUAZw
and I got a pivot off a '98 Lincoln.
Yesterday I redrilled one rotor successfully, and made progress on the "new" axle.

[economiser]

[rk970]

http://www.norotors.com/index.php?topic=2877.100


Have you seen my build. 

[economiser]

Thanks to your link, I just started reading it. Thank you!
 So yesterday I went after a 3.08:1-geared Explorer 8.8 for my 4-cylinder non-turbo S-10, and I already have the complete 8.8 assembly from an '01 Mustang GT for my Camaro. The 2 couldn't be much more different, the Explorer version has so much extra mass. Mass no car needs. Big Daddy Dwayne Gutridge pushed his Mustang into the 6s in the quarter mile with the Mustang housing. I got the Explorer version more for the payload than anything else, and that was by far the heaviest deadlift of my life. I solemnly declare it a sin of stupidity to put it in a car. Transfer its 31-spline guts into the Ranger 8.8 before you leave the yard with 50% more mass than is useful.

[economiser]

[economiser]