Calvin Grannis' 1974 TR6 with LS1 (project diary)

[dwtr6v8]

Love the Blue, even though it's not Ford Blue!

Did you give Brenda a Blue Valentine as well?

Keep up the great work!

[74ls1tr6]

Thank You Don for your continual support. "Yes" gave Brenda a gift of blue all over my hands for V-day!
 
Taped off the back end the next day and sprayed the black paint. Check out the sun! Wish people had the sun in the east, maybe it's coming your way soon.


Pealed the tape job off, sprayed the clear on. When taping, ran a piece of tape for the edge then ran a piece of tape on the brown paper, now the tape on the paper had the other tape to stick to. Trying to tape with one piece of tape to hold the paper it would come off very easy.



No flaws on the line. Came out real good. Will need to sand clear then buff the whole car out for a better depth finish.



Made a line right at where the body panel has it's spot weld crease



The only bummer part about doing this paint job is, the little bugs that were getting in the clear, oh guess take off the legs and blend them in.

[74ls1tr6]

Sprayed base on all the fenders and one door. Base color is easy to spray and it does dry fairly quick. If there is a mistake, can sand , but need to respray before clear. 2 coats were applied to get enough coverage.

[74ls1tr6]

Took some photos of the engine bay with the sun shine showing the very fine pearl in the paint.



It was fairly hard to get into the small areas in the corners to spray evenly, but ended up without any runs in the clear, happy about that.







Even sprayed the front, and sprayed the clear.

[74ls1tr6]

Was able to get all the fenders and one door sprayed with clear. Had to go do a service for the business, stupid me, the still small voice within told me, to pick up that white tarp on the ground in the lower right hand of this photo. Well I didn't fold it up, and a nice little wind came through the breeze way, lifted that freeking tarp right up on top both right side fenders. Guess with the bugs in the clear, lets add some tarp texture. #@*&^^^>><< moving on!

[74ls1tr6]

Been fairly busy, but had time to post today. These heads (243 or 799 castings) from Texas Speed were delivered a couple of weeks ago. Thery are D shape exhaust port heads, CNC ported (LS6 stage 2.5) with 2.02 intake 1.575 exhaust, dual 650 lift valve springs http://texas-speed.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=134&catid=20

The machining on these heads look great!

These heads have been milled to 62cc chamber size. I think stock 241 ls1 heads are 66cc. Alot of others go to 59cc and sometimes 57cc. Went conservative, can stay with normal pump gas.



The CNC work is awesome looking.



The Cathedral intake port is huge, was able to stuff my hand into the port minus my thumb.



Can't wait to have these on and tuned!

[74ls1tr6]

Went ahead and upgraded to ARP head bolts, for alot more strength, and more peace of mind. These bolts can be re-used unlike stock GM bolts can only be used once.



Went with ARP crankshaft bolt, so it can be re-used for cam change if needed.



Box of all the other goodies that will be going in the engine. When the engine was tested at the recycle yard for compression, all 8 were good.

[74ls1tr6]

Was able a few years back to get this kit from Brooks Motor Products. All the bolts are stainless steel with clips, washers,rubber faced washers, for mounting all 4 fenders. I don't know if this guy still in in business.



I have another kit for the engine, but changed to the ls1 since then. So will probaby sell that kit.



Everything was labeled and packaged for easy assembly.



Installed a 4 fenders on the tub a few days ago. I lighted up this photo since it was so dark.

[74ls1tr6]

Ran a drain tube from the vent for both sides so that water would drain outside. The 74 has an open vent in the cowel where TR250 and early TR6 had a flip up door. The factory let it drain inside this area. The water would drian onto the top of rocker panel, then drain down inbetween the fender and rocker panel (prone to rust in this area).








The factory had 2 holes on the drivers side door sill, one on the passenger side for a sensor when the door was open. Opened both these up for Painless contact strip, instead of wire passthrough, not wanting to deal with frayed wires. May use for electric windows or...



It was cold and windy when spraying the clear, has alot of orange peal look. sanded a section and buffed, will look good in the end.

[74ls1tr6]

Have been working on windsheild and frame resto. As you can see in the photo, the flat black paint was weathered down to the undercoating just from driving on roads for some 11 years, then sat around for the rest of the time. Was taken off the road in 1985. It was my personal plater box until it was time for resto job. Some 25 years later 2010 it's time for resto.

Started by cutting the glass out. The glass was pitted somewhat, so have a new one ready to install.

The plastic covering that was lining the interior was cracking, pulled all of it off, so have new covering ready to install. The new covering is formed fit which looks easy to glug back on.

Drilled out the two pop rivits that secure the CF number plate on the driver side frame. Drilled out all the aluminum pop rivits that hold on the aluminum cover cap, on the top of the frame.

Took out all the scew insert clips. Sanded the whole frame down, wiped down with Acetone to cut all the glue that the factory used, to hold the plastic covering on.



This photo shows the CF number plate (behind the glass). The flat black paint is weathered and coming off. The the chrome center bead was weathered in the glass rubber seal. The window seal wasn't in that bad of shape, but didn't want to break the glass out. Someone out there may need it.



Primed with 3 in one primer on both sides. Sanded down with 600 grit sandpaper.



Painted with detail gun 2 coats of base, then two coats of clear. Only painted top, sides, and front with base color and clear. Left the back side primer, plastic covering will stick better to a primer surface.

[74ls1tr6]

Put tape on all clear coat surfaces to protect paint, when working on glueing the plastic liner on the other side.



Took these photos to show where all the screw holes were located. Later, makered on the top and bottom sides with a magic marker, so I knew where the holes were. After glueing the liner on, found the holes, cut them out with small sharp razor blade. The two holes on the bottom are for the rear view mirror. The two small holes on top (both sides) are for the sun visor clip holders. I don't know what the rectangular hole and the one next to it, is for?



This is the CF number tag that came off after removing the aluminum pop rivits.I may just paint with base color and clear since the frame is now blue instead of flat black. Will need to strip the paint off. Took my body hammer a tapped flat on the edges on a vise flat surface. It wasn't very straight on the edges.



Glued one pre-formed liner on with spray 3M glue. The ends, used a hot glue gun so it wouldn't make a mess and get all over my hands. The bottom hole is for mounting a factory hard top, through the frame bolt.

[74ls1tr6]

Glued the other side on then did the hole cutting.



Installed the top and bottom liner, found all the holes and cut out for the screw holes. Inserted the scew clips.



Both sides are done with holes cut out a screw clips in.



Can see the little magic marker lines used for locating the holes.

[74ls1tr6]

Holes cut for the mirror



Installed right visor with mirror for wife.



Left visor for me with NO mirror.



Center photo of retainer visor clips.



 Parts were purchased from the-roadster-factory. Glass was from Victoria British, and aluminum top cap from Moss.

[74ls1tr6]

Couple of photo's of finished window frame without glass & seal. The aluminum top cap has been pop rivited back on with aluminum rivits. Also left the rear veiw mirror off for now. The liner came out real well. Will need the window seals installed later and fuzzy door seal once the window frame is back on the car. Need to do a little buffing on the clear coat for the window frame.

Getting closer to assembly time and still have a grin on my face!

[dwtr6v8]

Ok Calvin,
We all know that you really wanted the visor with the mirror for yourself!

Keep up the great work.

[TR6-6SPD]

Calvin,
Funny enough, I was replacing my front glass and restoring the windscreen frame on my TR6 just about the same time as you were.
I was doing it about two years too late. The leak on the glass to frame seal got so bad last year that during a heavy thunder storm, I could get a 1/2" of water on the uncarpeted floor of my car. We were bailing!

Many websites recommend using 1/4 or 3/8" rope to "pull the glass" in. I bought and used 1/8" and it worked fine. They also recommend an assistant to push down and in on the glass but I initially tried it alone and finished it alone since I found because the glass is so small, it requires more manouvering than force.

Question: What product did you use to seal the aluminum top cap to the windscreen frame?

[74ls1tr6]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the note using 1/4" rope!

To seal the aluminum top cap, (factory used that clay stuff you see all over the body to plug up holes) used my 3M seam sealer that I used for the body seams. I put a big bead under there, then pop rivited back on, wiped excess off. The seam sealer will stay somewhat soft.

Bailing water is not fun!

Don,

I would be scared to see what I look like in the mirror, either a grin (which is OK) or a worried look, and a scared look of the new found power.

Calvin

[74ls1tr6]

Ken,

Here is a photo of the seam sealer. This stuff is pricey but very good sealer. I used this seam sealer on everything for the body.

[74ls1tr6]

Trying to keep busy on the build here, rain storm today, but kept going with getting something done.

Installed front fender running lights.

The process used to get a nice finish on the clear coat: 1st sanded with 1200 grit, to take the tops off the orange peal look. 2nd sanded with 1500 grit, then 2000 grit. Then started to use a hand buffing machine (at low rpm), with medium cut Mequires polish ( the curved areas did by hand). Then in the end used Meguires swirl remover the same way. I would like to spray a few more clear coats to get all the fish eyes out of the clear. I will probably later heat up the clear to about 95 degrees, then spray (On a hot day), and it will lay like glass.



Installed some heat shrink wrap on the wire + put in rubber gromets both sides.

Sanded, cut , swirl polished the inner fender wells (have not done the inner side panels yet), the same way all the outside body panels were done.



Here is a shot of the drain tube with the fender on. I will spray some Lizard skin to undercoat the area + paint with POR chassis black.



Installed the pedal assembly. Can see how the pedals are moved some. Notice the holes for the brake booster are re-drilled over about 3/4", the metal taken out for the booster boot clearance.There will be an aluminum gas pedal that goes onto that bracket, to the right hanging down.

[74ls1tr6]

Took some 1" square aluminum, tig welded up a rectangular frame to bolt down fuel cell. Used these shovel handle coverings, cut them up in 1" strips, glued them on the frame.



Used some 3/8" threaded rod with SS nuts, washers, and lock washers. Drilled 4 holes through the trunk floor. On the under side, used an aluminum plate for strength.



Used 6 SS nuts, washers, and lock washers for each side. There is nuts on both sides on the trunk floor that are tighten between the sheet metal .



 When making room for the fuel cell, the area that the rod goes through is double walled sheet metal. Tried to make this lite as possible but strong.

[74ls1tr6]

The neopream (SP) rubber worked well with the clamping the fuel cell in place. Tried to move the cell around, good and solid in there. If it isn't strong enough, can lengthen the rods, to extend down through the frame.



Here is the aluminum plate under the trunk area.



Hopefully can get a few more things done the next couple of days.

[74ls1tr6]

"OK" time to take the body off the dolly and mate it to the frame. Feel like I'm making progress now! The frame is up front ready to roll under the body. Installed all hardware rubber, spacers, and sealer to hold them in place. Rolled the engine hoist to the left some after this photo was taken.



Rolled the frame back some, pushed the engine hoist over the frame, and lowered the body down on the two stud mounts in front. Put a washer and nut to hold in place. Then lowered the back end into place. "Who said you can't do this by yourself"



Hoisted from the inner wing mounting hole in front, and used the inner tail light opening hole. With the fuel cell in I thought it would be tail heavy. Got it first try with setting up the straps.



With all the hard work and time put in, " Have a very big grin when taking this photo" it looks good!

[74ls1tr6]

Hope my tires won't rub, they are wide at 245/60/15. It has been a long time and didn't remember they were outside the flare almost a full tread line. Now just need to get the weight back in and see where everything sets.



For the rest of the day, installed all the mounting hardware except the trunk center bolt. Installed front hood brackets, back deck lid brackets, other set of door hinges. Found all my stainless steel hardware and scewed them in the holes where they belong loosely.


Hmmmm! Mig side...........



Tig side.............. Wish I had the tig machine in the begining. The tig side is almost flawless without any waripng at all. The mig side warped for sure. I can live with this, it will be hard to see with everything that will be going in there.



There is several rub though to base areas that will need to be blended back in the paint job. I couldn't wait it out for warmer weather, but will all look good in the end.

"It's time for assembly"

[alana]

Nice. Looks good on there.

[rficalora]

Looking good Calvin.  It's fun to see the progress at this stage.  I have my suspension back on, brake & clutch lines finished, fuel tank in & lines partially run, widow mechanisms in, most of the gauges & some of the switches in & have started recovering the seats (Mr Mikes covers).