1958 SWB C4 Fleetside - NZ Build

[56VETTETRUCK]

QB,
Could you post some pics or vid of your ebrake cables and how you routed them. Thanks!

[58 pache]

Great build.
You do a fantastic job with your videos
I just got my donor 85 vette, And will be tearing it down soon. ( once i get all the spiders out of it)

Cheers mate!

[QBRacing]

Ok. Got some more completed today.

Finished off the engine mount setup to mate the Holden LS1 engine on the Flatout Engineering C4 Corvette subframe in the 59 Apache. Now to try and locate some headers that will work with all that.

Dented the power steering line (the engine slipped while hoisting it out) so now i will need to fix those as well.

Mounted the brackets to secure the hard brakelines to the chassis.

As always here is another Update Video on my Youtube Channel.

[daveshilling]

Looking great! Don definitely is a cool guy, he will make sure to resolve any issue that comes up for sure.

Now you've got me thinking about adding the sway bar!

[Blown58]

I just wanted to say thank you for all the detailed pics and videos of your truck. Soon I will be building my 1958 Apache and will be doing similar modifications. Keep up the great work....

[QBRacing]

Nutcase - unsure on clearance yet as the front rims I have are from a BMW (5x120 not 5x120.65) and are a strange offset. Im down the line for a few weeks starting tomorrow for training so will drop the Nova rims on there when I get back to check as I want a 20*8 0p on there (Novas are 18s) but that should give me an idea.

In the mean time here is my LATEST VIDEO CLIP showing I am god and that I can wire anything ... "Insert evil laugh here" .....

Basically the LS1 transplant is ALIVE an just in time.

Q

[QBRacing]

@Dan in Pasadena
first photo showing max turn on my temp BMW rim. Has a bout 20-25 mm clearance however tyre well under guard so with correct offset would be more

While waiting for the next shipment to arrive a decided to start on the cooling. The factory radiator I took from my donor car (2000 VT Commodore) will fit with minimal mods. All I need to do is chop out the c rail where the factory radiator mounts to allow it to sit further forwards and increase the hole size to ensure max airflow hits the fins. The a/c condenser also fits a treat between the slam panel and the grill too.

now to get to cutting...

[QBRacing]

I decided to make a quick video for my channel about how I made my a condenser and radiator brackets.

Keep in mind that the both are from a 2000 Holden Commodore so replacement parts are easy to find and match the engine going into it. Looks like it should work a treat.

Q

[QBRacing]

so I stated playing around with the steering column the other day. here I was thinking there was very little support so I went looking and found this odd part in my box of goodies.

do you know how annoying it is to have to remove all the wiring you have done to fit it. grrr.

while I was at it I relocated the ls1 ecu into the engine bay.

good news is that my parts are in nz finally ... now I just have to wait for customs

[QBRacing]

I got goodies today ... its just like Christmas time. I cant wait to get in and stat installing some of it.
I made a short unboxing (not) video of all the goodies but here are some of them....

[58 pache]

Those are some nice goodies!
Thank you for all the pics and videos of your progress.

[QBRacing]

just a quick update with how things have gone since I got my bag of goodies last month (here is thevideo link incase you cant be bothered reading)...

I have installed the vintage air setup but had to remove it so I can paint the firewall (next month) but at least its all test fitted and I know were stuff goes later.

I have installed the Dakota Digital dash and controller and I have even managed to setup a basic handbrake switch on the factory handbrake.

Ive installed the OBDI plug from the LS1 transplant

I installed and removed and returned the electric wiper kit I bought as it was for the wrong one. forgot I have a 57 firewall/cab not a 58-59. So now im trying to figure out which wiper replacement I need.

More goodies should be arriving next week (TEA heads, Speedtech headers, and my replacement throttlebody.

Thats it for now
Q

[58 pache]

Some nice progress, And thanks for the video.
I love the gauges you got.

[QBRacing]

No video this time but here are some pics of the completed radiator and AC condenser setup.

For the radiator I basically bent up a piece of plate, drilled and tapped the radiator support mounts and joined the two. This formed the lower plates for the radiator to sit on. Up top I basically made a couple of C plates which I bolted to the front slam panel.

Think I covered the AC but if not... I basically welded a couple of hollow tubes to the front of the rad mounts and made a couple of temporary plates up top.

First time I fitted it all up together today and I was quite surprised at how clean it all looks.

[QBRacing]

Its VIDEO TIME....

I start by showing the above radiator setup before moving into the three things I accomplished today..

1) I final mounted the 84-87 C4 Corvette front swaybar mounts with the use of the Flat Out Engineering adapter kit. I basically made a 20mm box spacer from the lower chassis and put in a couple of rush tubes. With the +20 BMW rims the tyre just touches the swaybar at full lock. Once I go to a 0 offset this should leave 20mm clearance.... Choice.

2) I show the box of wizardry a friend of mine *NED made. With a 3 wire hookup (power, earth and signal) I can control the factory Commodore power/eco switch and ECU.

3) I started the mounting of the Commodore accelerator pedal. Looks like it should work a treat and allow everything engine and cooling related to be from the VT I got he engine from.

I also pulled apart the wiper motor the other day and that was a mess. Basically the power wire was just wrapped around the terminal and loose and there was only 1 screw holding the switch in so it had moved and was always on. Think I have fixed it but thats a job for tomorrow.

Q

[QBRacing]

well I got a call today from my importer advising my next boxes were ready to collect.

1 big box from "Speed Engineering" containing my 1 7/8" to 3" stainless long tube headers.
2 boxes from TEA containing my 5.3L - 862 stage 2 heads.
1 small box from Holley containing a throttle body.

I knew they were close but on the Friday before a long weekend .... score

[QBRacing]

I know I only updated the other day but I got bored today and simply cant wait another 8 days for the certifier to come and check my engine and gearbox mounts so I decided to play dressups.

Once I was done I made Yet Another Video showing it all and explaining why ....

Couple of pics below as well.

Basically I removed the factory intake and sat the Edelbrock Super Victor and fuel rails, Holley efi throttle body and Edelbrock valve covers on.

Cant wait to do this for real now....

[QBRacing]

Video Update Time ... Well there isn't much to update really other than the engine is out and I have started the teardown and rebuild. I have struck an issue in that I cant for the life of me get the pulley bolt off. I've tried pry bars and extensions but no joy.

I ended up making a special tool that I've bolted onto the end of the crank (in place of the flywheel) (shown in video). This means no screw driver or trying to ratchet a single bolt on the flywheel and I might be able to get enough pressure to crack the nut.

Ive also started the 1 piece window conversion. I had previously started the grimms/blackdiesel conversion found on the site but ended up going with the specialty windows 1 piece electric setup anyways. just need to get in and mount the rails and finish it really.

With the engine and trans out I plan on finishing the firewall and engine mounts / brackets and then everything is ready to g back in for the last time once I sort the engine.

Cheers
Q

[QBRacing]

Update number 7698.....

I decided to partially rewire the main truck loom and ECU loom. The main truck loom now comes out a separate grommet and runs in separate conduits down the chassis rail to the front and rear. The ECU exits down near the floor board and step and will almost completely hide the ecu loom from the firewall once installed.

I finally got the crank pulley bolt out with the help of my brother-in-law only to find out that the harmoonic balance pulleys I have wont work on the LS. I ended up buying one of amazon and 7 days later it arrive in NZ for half the price of what they cost in NZ. go figure.

Discovered that the cam bearing journals are a little worse for ware so will probably take the block to the engine shop and get them changed Hopefully the bottom end bearing are ok ....

I have all but completed the trunion upgrade. I the new shells are all fitted and I just need to go and buy some new pliers so I can install the c clips as I cant find my old one anywhere.

I have installed the electric motors in the doors and now just need to run the conduits to the cab and I can fit my hardboard window and test the movement.

Here is the latest video update covering the above and here are some images as well.

[QBRacing]

What to do when it's raining and you've had a few days off... Rebuild the LS1 of course....

Factory rings & bearings on factory rods on factory crank reinstalled
Trickflow stage 3 cam installed on new bearings
Lifters soaked and installed and rockers fitted. need to redo 1 as its graunchy and I'm not happy
TEA stage 2.5 862 heads installed
Water pump installed
Valley cover painted and installed

missing the gaskets for the intake and need 1 new knock sensor so kind of hit a wall. so close

q

[QBRacing]

Couple more bits sorted today. basically waiting on Summit to see if they will supply another trunion. I thought it was the bearing but there is a sharp lip on the inside of the race ..... not likely to find one over here so if I have to ship back I guess I will... grrrr

[Jason 56]

Looking great! Sucks that one trunion is messed up. Especially with your shipping distance. Did you end up changing all the bearings?

[QBRacing]

Jason.
I only changed the cam bearings as they really did look shot. Looking at the main and rods they looked like new so I just oiled them up and placed them back in as they may have been done previously (i dunno). The rings and oil scraper looked in super good nick too

And I LOVE SUMMIT.
They have just agreed to send me out another complete BTR trunion kit to replace the 1 damaged trunion and bearing shell and told me that because of the distance and freight costs not to worry about returning the kit once done (15 free tunions for later just incase) ..... score. I guess living so far away, in paradise, in the lower corner of the pacific does have its bonuses some times.

Insert VIDEO LINK HERE



Q

[QBRacing]

Think I've mentioned it earlier but I plan on using a 94-96 Cutlass column which had tilt steering, Auto on tree, and indicator with cruise.

When I started this a few weeks back there was a bolt already broken off in one of the pins so I had the local engineering shop get it out for me. After that I ended up buying in the special tool from Amazon to remove the pins and for the $10 freighted to my door it was well worth it.

The plan I come up with was to use the factory mounting style to mount the column to the truck dash but the cutlass column was a larger diameter.

I should have cut down the brackets and simply put a larger tube around both halves but by the time I thought that out I had already cut the outer bracketing of the column.

Might be time to refer to another video.

Now I just need to remove the lower bearing and the external fork bit to pull the tube which needs extending about 170mm so I can put it all back together.

If that dosn't make sence, watch the video

[QBRacing]

Ok

So my original Cutlass column ended up being no good as it had previously ben cut and welded (god knows why). I managed to get a couple more broken shafts from my importer and after some design speak with a hydraulic/steering company we come up with this solution.

Video showing the outcome

The attached pics show the shaft fully removed and exploded then the spring mechanism that stops rattle between the two pieces and how it all goes back together.

In this fashion the column can still collapse and is now truly serviceable