Post by 1bad2k2ta on Sept 30, 2005 23:27:53 GMT -5
docspeed said:
Good for you...that cool the husband and all...I just don't care for all the rich people buying fast cars...
Well, I hope you won't hold it against me, Doc. Go grab a fresh cold one, this is gonna be a long one.
I helped a friend build his 327 motor for his '69 Rally Sport many years ago (1974, I think), and always wanted a fast car. My dad bought me a new '76 Camaro for graduation, my birthday, and Christmas (November 1975); dark blue metallic 350 4-barrel, 4 speed, with the spoilers. Loved that car and had great plans, but no money. I eventually drove it into the ground and sold it for $1000 with a bent rear axel and a cracked pilot shaft; a lady hit it while it was parked out on the street in front of my apartment. I swore that someday, when I had the money, I would buy another hot rod. That was 23 years ago. At Thanksgiving 1997, we were visiting my wife's sister in Portland (east of Houston). I got bored so we went for a drive back to Houston then down the Gulf Freeway toward Galveston. I saw a Chevy Dealer and thought I would stop and get a brochure on the new '98 Camaros I was hearing so much about. I ended up test driving one with the M6 and knew then I had to get me one of those. This is getting long, so I better speed it up a little. Fastforward to August 2001. I bought a 2000 Pewter Trans Am M6 identical to the '02 I have now, but it didn't have the short-throw shifter or traction control. Started buying suspension parts because I have always been a believer in "make it handle and stop before you make it fast". I lowered it and put a tubular panhard and boxed lower control arms on it. Finished it Saturday, got drunk and totaled it Tuesday night. Didn't know when you lower them, you lose traction due to the change in the instant center on the rearend. Took my suspension parts back off and sold it. Did a lot of research, formulated my plan, bought the '02, spec'd the motor out, and continued buying suspension and go fast parts. I bought all the parts piece-meal over 3 years, stored 'em up in the garage. When I had everything, I took everything for the long block to local machinist with a good reputation and had him blueprint it (Lunati internally balanced the crank from the rod and piston weights I gave them), clearance as necessary, deck the block, true the heads, degree the cam, check the valve train geometry, and do the assembley. When it was all done, I picked it up and put on the stand in my garage for about a year and a half while I continued collecting parts and money for the install. I knew that with all the stuff I was going have done, it would take me forever to do it evenings and weekends when the notion struck me. Besides I didn't have access to a lift and I knew some of my install would require some fabrication. So, I decided I would get it done by someone reputable and help some if I could. I ended up taking it to a guy who has a good reputation with ZR-1 Corvettes, as well as other cars. He has his own dynojet, etc. I took a week off work and we got most of it done, I went back to work, he finished it, I broke it in, he hooked up the belt on the s/c and tuned it, I drove it a little, took it to the track, hot lapped it for an hour and 20 minutes, fried the slave/throw-out, and there it sits even now.
I am 48 years old, I work 9-10 hours a day, make pretty decent money, and just have a hard time getting motivated to go out sweat mya$$off turning wrenches when I get off. I much prefer my recliner, a/c, and remote control. Even though I didn't build my own long block, I did do the final assembly and helped some with the installation, but I have the money and prefer to let those with the facilities and expertise take care of most of my mechanical issues. I have the know-how and most of the tools, just really not motivated and know if I take it to Corey, it will get done right and a lot sooner than if I did it myself. I don't care too much about whether somebody built their own motor, or does all their own work. That's great and a lot of guys get a great deal of satisfaction out of it. At the same time I don't care whether a guy goes to Lingenfelter and buys one of their twin turbo Vettes, pays cash, drives away and never thinks twice about it. Chances are he paid his dues somewhere along the way. But, since he didn't go through the creative process, the planning, saving, waiting, dreaming, building, etc., he will not have the same intimate attachment to his car. It will be more of a possession (maybe obsession) rather than a labor of love.
Well, I have been typing this for over an hour so it's time to quit. Since it is so long, most probably won't even read it. I guess I could have just said to start with that I have pulled my share of transmissions, done a few clutch installs, and generally turned the ratchet more than a few times, and since I am getting older and maybe lazier, and make decent money, I just prefer to let somebody else do it. I'm not rich, but at my age, I would rather buy it now and drive it away than sweat, cuss, and get pissed off, walk away for a day, or two, and come back and start it all over again. Life is getting too short for all that. It is time to sit back and take things a little easier. I hope you will forgive me.
