93formulalt1's Projects Thread

[93formulalt1]

I think the overhead console idea from your blazer will look like crap and way out of place IMO. Also that article the guy didn't run the 2.73 gears rearend at the track and he made the car very light. He took out all the sound deadener and carpet and put in cheap stuff to save weight. He cut up his hood underside and also ran a th350 trans with his own homemade nitrous kit. The car ran some very impressive times though and was a sleeper if you ask me. He also had drag wheels for the track but they were cheapo black wheels from jegs or summit.

My bad. It was still VERY impressive for what he had invested in it. The nitrous kit he made was pretty cool, considering he improvised most of it (scuba tanks converted to nitrous tanks, drilled his own jets, etc.

I'm thinking very hard about the possibility of a nitrous setup, not a big shot, maybe around 75hp, but that should be enough to help me become more comfortable with the idea. Definitely not going to be anytime soon, if I do it at all. I'm going to be getting a Vig 3200 stall first, and I'm still doing research on the gears/locker idea. I don't want to put too much stress on the stock rear end, and I'm not too sure about the streetability of a car with a locker. I don't plan on doing a whole lot of drag racing, but I think it might be worth it. I might end up just going with gears and rebuilding the stock diff. Still need to do more research, though. Anybody have a bolt-on LT1 with 3.90's (or 3.73's) and a locker that would be willing to give me a ride in a couple months?

Bought some more parts last night. . . I'm still amazed nobody has started harassing me for a "parts list" yet, I've got a bunch of parts standing by for install right now, and I don't think I've mentioned most of them yet. lol

Right now, I'm looking for a deal on a converter, and I'm probably going to be ordering the trans cooler next week.


As far as the overhead console idea goes, I'm not sure just how it will look, I'll take some pics and get some opinions before I do anything, but I'm not planning on just bolting it up. I want it to look like a stock install. Keep in mind, my car being a hardtop, I have a little more real estate up there to work with than a t-top car, so I can work it into the headliner a little better. Either way, I'm putting a switch panel up there, I just need to find a way to make it look good. Anybody have any ideas (with pics, preferably) for installing a switch panel?

[93formulalt1]

Got a 3" QTP cutout on the way, working on a set of OTVC wires and looms, as well as a few security upgrades. I gotta stop spending money on the car soon, I'm going to need some money to put gas in the tank when I get home. . . lol

[93formulalt1]

Grand Total (mods/6 months)=$3,289.95

I'm done. No more parts, going to install what I've got, and maybe I'll upgrade some other things later on, but this is enough for now. I'm addicted, and I am quitting, cold turkey. lol

This car has me pouring over racing parts websites looking at crate motors and racing transmissions. . . MUST. . . RESIST. . .

[93formulalt1]

Rims arrived at the house Wednesday. Should have all of my parts there by the time I get back. Hoping to hear back on the status of my discharge within a week or two, my paperwork was already approved by Company, Battalion, Brigade, and JAG, just had to add a form authorizing accelerated repayment of any debts I have to the government. It was re-submitted today, hopefully it will come back soon.

Paint job is on hiatus, I had an unexpected snag here in Korea that forced me to go buy $500 worth of uniforms. . . I hate my leadership. Why in the hell should I have to buy new uniforms, out of my own pocket, when I'm working on getting out of the Army?! Does that make ANY sense?! Maybe I'll repaint the car later this summer or next year, I've already got the color picked out, but until then, the car is staying as it is. Just going to install the parts I have waiting at home, then drive the hell out of it.


Anybody care to enlighten me on 1.6RR's? I know a lot of people go that route for a little extra power, I was wondering how expensive the swap is, how difficult it is to do, and what kind of performance gains one would see out of it. . .

[Gottork]

I thought you were just trying to get a transfer back to the states not a discharge.. DId I miss something?

Yes that sucks about the uniforms but I cannot shed any light on it, hope it all works out for you though, your really moving along quickly, hopefully when you get home you will be able to get it all together soon..

[meissen]

Go with 1.6rrs - you just upgrade the roller rockers and springs if you aren't already.

[phoenix_rising]

Awesome! What rims did you go with?

I was thinking of a darker red, but if I go that route, I'm going to have to do something really off-the-wall with it, like HUGE metal flake, the kind you'd see on a jet boat. . . That wouldn't look bad with some black stripes. . . If I do a brighter red, I'll go with a candy apple red or something similar. I was even considering a dark orange, but I didn't want to veer too far from the stock color.

Uh Oh, I see someone is falling in love with my car...

[93formulalt1]

I thought you were just trying to get a transfer back to the states not a discharge.. DId I miss something?

Yes that sucks about the uniforms but I cannot shed any light on it, hope it all works out for you though, your really moving along quickly, hopefully when you get home you will be able to get it all together soon..

Spoke with my 1SG about it, he said I have very slim chances of getting a reassignment approved, because there are no Army installations near home that have an open slot for a 31B (MP), and I don't have enough rank to work in an administrative position at say a Recruiting Station or MEPS. The only place I could potentially be reassigned to back in the states is Ft. Knox, Kentucky, which is just short of 400 miles away. Not to mention, I would still be considered deployable. 1SG and my Commander both agreed, my best option is to submit a packet for a Hardship Discharge, go home for a couple years, take care of everything and do what needs to be done, finish my degree, and come back in as an Officer. That's assuming I decide to go back into the Army, I think if I go back in at all, I'll be going Air Force.

The Army doesn't suck because there's anything wrong with the Army, the Army sucks because of the people who run the Army. There's a combination of Officers who don't leave their desks long enough to realize that the regulations they are putting out are making it harder for us to do our jobs, or are just flat-out stupid, and NCO's that think they are the only competent people in the unit, and use their rank to belittle other people. It's ridiculous the bullshit that I, as a lower enlisted MP, have to deal with.

For example: My company is on "Dry Status", meaning nobody assigned to my unit is permitted to consume any alcoholic beverages. Who did I see at the bar last night? (I was on MP Town Patrol, where we walk around the village outside post keeping an eye on soldiers in the bars, making sure there's no fights or trouble) My Company Commander, the very same person who told us all less than 6 hours before, that we were not allowed to drink. What did the Staff Sergeant in charge of us do? He noticed who was sitting at the bar, told us to turn around, and explained to us outside that nobody saw anything.

I hate the Army. I'm proud of what I'm doing, serving my country and all, but I hate the BS we have to deal with. Unfortunately enough, I see the reasons behind most of the BS that goes on, and most of it is in place to help "guide" the less intelligent and/or undisciplined soldiers onto the "right path". People like me, who follow all the rules and do my job to the best of my ability, are simply hindered by the BS, and I'm constantly treated like one of the idiots that's always getting in trouble.

[93formulalt1]

Uh Oh, I see someone is falling in love with my car...

Not so much, I was thinking of a REALLY dark red, as in almost black. . . Think Black Cherry Metallic. . . Or even black with a dark red metal flake. . .

Don't worry, I'm not stealing your thunder, my car isn't going to be painted this year most likely, I'm going to try to get the Monte Carlo finished in time for Woodward, and it's going to take some money out of the Formula's piggy bank, so some things I planned on doing are on hiatus for now. I still have a TON of parts to install on the Formy, though, and it's going to be a completely different car after all's said and done than it was last year. Should be fun feeling the transformation when I take it for that first ride this summer with all the mods done. . .

[93formulalt1]

Another little update, I forgot to mention this. The last time my Dad and I spoke on the phone, he mentioned he had a ford 9" stored in my Grandpa's barn that I could have. . . It's been sitting there for probably 15-20 years, but if it's still there, I'll be bringing it home and getting started on a rebuild. . . There's a GM 12 bolt posi in the Monte Carlo right now, it needs rebuilt as well, so I have a couple of projects ahead of me. I'm not sure which one is going to be the stronger rear when they are rebuilt, but I'll find out. Whichever is strongest is going to get a set of 2.72's or 3.23's and go in the Monte Carlo, the other will get a set of 3.73's or 3.90's and go in the Firebird. I'm planning on doing a disc brake conversion on both of them. Shouldn't be too hard for the Firebird, but the Monte Carlo may take a little work to do. . .

After some more reading, I think I'm going to go ahead and build the 9" for the Monte Carlo, but that's going to be an ongoing project, since I want to do it right the first time. . . I know rear ends are expensive, but I think I might be able to get these done pretty reasonably, considering the fact that I already have the housings for them, and the diff in the 12 bolt is still good. I think the only thing wrong with the 12 bolt right now is that the wheel bearings are bad, but I'll tear it apart to see what's up with it this summer.

Heck, I'm not planning on making more than maybe 350hp or so with the Firebird, I might just throw the locker and gears in the 10 bolt for now, and have some fun with it. I've read in a couple of places that the stock 10 bolt is generally good to low 13's/high 12's in the 1/4, but anything lower than that will likely grenade the rear. Is that true?

[phoenix_rising]

Looks like you have got a lot of cool ideas going Nick. I hope you can follow up on all of them.

I was thinking about your paint, why not respray your bird the same Bright GM Red with an Orange pearl over it since then you won't have to deal with cutting in the doors, underhood, or decklid area plus you will have a cool custom paint scheme for cheap. I saw a red car shot with a pink pearl shot over it and it looked awesome.

Have you figured out what you will do for work when you get back? If you are to afford a house, a band, and a pile of custom cars you will have to wrestle with this sooner or later.

I wish you the best buddy! Good luck.

[93formulalt1]

Looks like you have got a lot of cool ideas going Nick. I hope you can follow up on all of them.

I was thinking about your paint, why not respray your bird the same Bright GM Red with an Orange pearl over it since then you won't have to deal with cutting in the doors, underhood, or decklid area plus you will have a cool custom paint scheme for cheap. I saw a red car shot with a pink pearl shot over it and it looked awesome.

Have you figured out what you will do for work when you get back? If you are to afford a house, a band, and a pile of custom cars you will have to wrestle with this sooner or later.

I wish you the best buddy! Good luck.

My employment arrangements and my personal finances are not topics that need to be discussed with anyone on this forum. I have jobs already lined up, I'm going through separation counseling to put my resume together and work on interview skills. My personal finances are in order. Let's keep this thread on topic, please.

Ben, you have a PM.

[DETROITMUSCLE]

your right the 9" is stronger than a 12 bolt but a 12 bolt can live alot longer than low 13s/high 12s many f body cars run single digits on them and the torque arm is the failing point in most cases which is something you won't have to worry about with the monte carlo. Either one of those will take some work to fit into your car though.

[93formulalt1]

your right the 9" is stronger than a 12 bolt but a 12 bolt can live alot longer than low 13s/high 12s many f body cars run single digits on them and the torque arm is the failing point in most cases which is something you won't have to worry about with the monte carlo. Either one of those will take some work to fit into your car though.

Last section of my post, I meant to say 10 bolt, not 12. My bad. Don't post while tired! lol I was wrecked when I posted last.

If I put a convertor in my car, and a True-Trac diff with 3.73's in the stock 10 bolt in the Formula, will I run into any problems? I know the rear end is the weak link in the drivetrain, but I'm not planning on making TONS of power, like I said, only about 350hp for now, MAYBE 400 in the future, but that's doubtful.

[DETROITMUSCLE]

I doubt you'd have any problems without some sticky tires on there and even then I'd leave the 10 bolt.