|
I think I am going to go with a set of 180* headers. A few videos on YouTube have convinced me that the sound is worth the install/fitting hassle.
It will involve some pretty significant cutting
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4g8ty4OnfvQ
Dayum! That's gonna be rad!!
“Religion is a defense against the experience of God.”
— C.G. Jung
Mild progress - working on small bodywork issues here and there on the shell and picked up some new front tires and almost new rears for super cheap. 205/50r15’s and 215/60r15’s. I am likely going to buy some wider repro Fuchs at some point with fatter tires so this is really just to get it going for now.
![]()
I have decided to build a mild 283 (or 327) with as little torque as possible and max rpm. The small journal early Chevy motors can definitely spin pretty high with not a ton of work. By high I mean 6500-7000 rpm.
I found some freshly redone 283/327 “power pack” heads with aftermarket beehive springs and aluminum keepers which should help with these goals. Super cheap deal $50 for the pair and ready to bolt on on and go.
![]()
The front chrome cookies are 15x6.... awesome for on an air cooled beetle - not so much for a car with flares. I waffle back and forth between wanting the cookie cutter and Fuchs styles. I have been looking for a while for another full set of 15x7 cookies. Found a really cheap set this weekend so... Better offset to help fill the flare and can fit a bigger tire. I will probably buy a set of repro Fuchs at some point too...
I would love to mod some into a set of these...
But they will likely just get the plasti-dip stripped and repainted like these
![]()
Last edited by V8-190e; 2018.09.30 at 19:17 PM.
Minor progress happening on the 914.
Found a nice semi-vintage momo steering wheel stamped 1984 on the back.
Other than that the bondo dust is starting to hit the floor in the garage on a fairly regular basis recently - hoping to be done with all that by spring so I can paint.
Bumper is cut and starting to work out the details on the opening into the valence.
I added a curved piece of 3/8 rod so the opening will keep the same radius as the bumper.
Looks decent so far - got to take the bumper and valence off now to finish them off. The middle bar you see in the opening is actually the top seam of the uncut valence. That will be gone when done.
Hopefully will turn out like this.
![]()
And I did end up buying a pretty clean 283 shortblock last week. It is in Everett so I will be making a trip down to pick it up probably right after Christmas. Turns out finding a decent early 60’s block that hasn’t been bored at least once is starting to be hard to find. I couldn’t find anything decent for a reasonable price in the Vancouver BC area at all.
Wow Chevy performance parts can be so much cheaper than Porsche....
Intake and distributor on CL $30 Canadian for both (that’s like $22 usd right now!). I didn’t even bother haggling.
GM performance ZZ4 intake:
Mallory billet HEI distributor and coil:
So now I have just about a complete sbc motor in parts.
I have made some progress with the lower valence air intake sheet metal work. Still need to finish welding and then some body filler smoothing.
And a Small world kinda story - we had a roll up door at work that was needing service so I called a place to come and fix it. I was talking to the garage door guy that came out and we were talking cars and turns out he is a Mercedes and impala guy.... was saying I had a 190e with a v8 swap. Showed him the pics on my phone......
He was like ... wow that's cool.... but that looks a lot like a 190e a friend of mine had about 5 years ago .....especially with those wheels.....he loved that car and had to sell it.... always regretted it. Turns out it was totally the same car!
He had these pics of it on his phone.
![]()
Crazy!
Heading down to pick up the shortblock on Monday and also a set of boge rear struts with aftermarket springs. Not sure about what rate they are but they are a great price so I’ll try them.
Struts
180# weltmeister springs - apparently this is the best spring for a v8 car...
Block stripped down - going to a local engine builder at the end of the month to be hot tanked and magna-fluxed. If it checks out then it is getting built with some “mildly trick” bottom end parts. In the background you can see I switched the drivers (and passenger) door for a newer set that have the better window regulators and side impact bars.
![]()
The block was sent out to be hot tanked and magnafluxed - should be back later this week. If all checks out after it is back it will be getting bored .030” over and prepped for assembly with a forged crank and eagle steel floating rods. Still up in the air about which pistons at this point.
Painted up a spare door to hang on the wall.
And picked up this custom machined rear emblem.
![]()
Last edited by V8-190e; 2019.03.05 at 07:16 AM.