No pictures yet, sorry you have to wait till the end of the week for em, then I will post up a bunch of them.
Right now the Monte is getting some pretty cool -n- racy make overs, things like a new leather wrapped steering wheel and tilt column, some dash re-wiring, and I’ll leave the last one or two out on purpose, it’s gonna be a surprise so check back in the next few days.
One reason for this post is that I realized today that cars are pretty much like anything in life, if you do not stay in the game your skills get rusty.
Why do I say that?
Because, today… I struggled.
Removing my old steering column and replacing it with the new one I bought, really gave me headaches, and it was in the end, not done as easily as it could have been. I overlooked a very simple step, and it sort of snowballed into a major time eater, as it took me 3xs the amount of time to accomplish the work I wanted to as it would have if only I would have had the knowledge before hand I needed.
It dawned on me after I realized how far I had gone off the correct path that you simply can’t stop working on cars for years and years like I did and then tackle major projects without some set backs. It was just a case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
Over confidence is a killer in this game, I approached this steering overhaul with the idea that it was a simple matter and not anything I was not able to do, despite the fact I had never done one before, I didn’t bother to buy a shop manual. After all this is a 1972 Chevrolet, how hard could it be?
In reality it wasn’t hard but my wrench turning skills are so rusty now a days that I really got mired down in problems that wouldn’t have been problems with the correct information at my finger tips. Would it have been 15 years ago when I did this all the time, the simple parts I over looked would have been so glaringly obvious.
I had to eat some ego today for sure.
Onto some of the thoughts about other things I’ve been doing to the car as well, and that is putting the 3.73:1 Rear gear in there.
How do you spell fun? “3.73:1″ That’s how.
Mashing the go fast pedal now a days is like sitting on a very bad tempered bull. The minute the pedal hits the floor the 6 foot long hood rears back and a roar is unleashed from her duals that sounds like twin demons from hell just woke up.
5000 RPM and a shift into 2nd gear comes fast. The 454 Spools up MUCH faster now and with the trans in L1 the shift light is popping on in a bright yellow glare in a scant 2-3 seconds.
Hit second and you are rewarded with a sharp bark from the rear tires and the trans is slamming hard as the car is pulling past 40 MPH. You’re pinned back in the seat the entire time with a great big grin plastered on your face.
I haven’t pushed it too much higher than 80mph right now, as I want to give those new rear gears a good break in period, but I’m thinking if I ran her on the 1/4 now, I’d see a mid to high 13 second pass, changing that rear gear and getting both back tires turning really gives the car a new feel.
Another tweak that will come tomorrow if I can wrap up my work on the steering is a re-jet of the demon carb, I’ve been thinking the demon is running a little lean and I was right, the car is still somewhat sluggish coming out of the hole although it’s vastly improved from where it was, the 454 seems to be starving a bit for fuel right now, so a jet change is in order.
Hopefully in a few more days I’ll have another update for you…so come back soon.
