Finally installed my 389 connecting rod steering column drop. I think I found a local chromer so I thought of trying them and have the rod chromed. Once I build a dash, the support behind it will be hidden. I'm going to take out all of the dash except the top cover and extension. I left the piston pin sticking out. I would love to figure out how to mount my tach off of it and install a shift light inside the pin.
In mounting the rod I also used other rod bolts to secure it to the mounting stub. You can see the football heads on the bolts.




After I get the old dash out of the way I'm going to reinforce the drop with a couple of side shafts. Mark L

Yesterday I decided to retain the chromed cast pot metal section of the dash. This would normally hold the speedometer and center gauges or air vent as was in my car. Then the Passenger side has a identical opening as the speedometer on the driver side.





So you can see that Im still using the extended top section that closes the top all in and the mid to leading edge will get padding and uphostered. The the mid section will stay the chrome casting and get the two outside holes closed. The openings are curved so I may just make a sheet aluminum filler and paint it black OR, if I can find some flexable plastic glass I will put some kind of design on the backside and paint black over the that and install to fill the holes. I want to build a "deck" out on top of the steering wheel support behind the connecting rod top/pin with twin pods on either side of the center. Maybe a fuel gauge between the pods and a 5 inch speedometer in the inside pod and a 5 inch Tach in the outside pod. I'll build a small center console coming down form the center of the cast dash and install important guages up in the center of the chromed dash and secondary gauges and radio in the part from the chrome dash to the floor. Going to try to draw a concept of what I'm talking about if I can.
With the center built I'll build the drivers side "pods" etc and tie that into the center and then build the bottom of the passenger side and tie that in. We'll see how well I do. Mark L

I got that Howards aluminum rod from my friend this morning and set it up for my steering drop. The little shift light I have is laying next to it and is just a hair too big to set in the pin end but that won't take much to fit. Getting there slowly. Time to get serious about finding a speedometer, tach and gauges.



Mark L

I've been accumulating parts here and there as I wait for the heat to go away, 113 yesterday, 113 today and possibly 115 tomorrow. For me I hit the jackpot today. I'm using a Hilborn can driven fuel pump off an old local dragster for my fuel pump. But I didn't want to pull the fuel all the way from the rear tank with it. I wanted to find a Moon tank to mount in the front and feed it with a small electric pump. This would feed the Hilborn pump really nice. But I also wanted to have a fuel level control of some sort in the tank so I was thinking to modify whatever tank I got with a flat flange to accept a Holley fuel bowl. Bodda Bing, Bodda Boom, I look on Performance Years classified pages and what do I find??? Just exactly what I needed. To a tee. Thanks to Chris (Torment) I've got my front Moon tank.


As you can see in the second pic it even has the Holley float bowl mounting flange on it. I could not have custom ordered it any better.
Plus I got a good clutch from Hooter that probably won't be the clutch I will ultimately need but it will get me by on start up and break in etc. Until I know what I need, or change over to an automatic if it becomes necessary. It'* just a good old Centerforce 10.5 clutch but in great shape.

I also got my shifters. One Hurst v-gate and one Mr. Gasket v-gate to try out to see which one works the best. I have to have time in the garage to a make shifter mount and the rods. Again just too hot.

The motor is all balanced and with just one more machining item left it will be ready to assemble. Things are rolling along nicely.

Mark L

Finally got my axles in and the disc brake brackets welded on. Moser 35 spline axles with 5/8th studs and nuts. The discs are front Firebird/Camaro 10.5 inch discs. I still have to paint the housing, assemble it and buy the calipers.



The axle end on the right is the 35 spline versus the original Pontiac axle 31 spline on the left


Mark L

I assembled the reareand today and installed the brakes. One bracket must have been bent after it was made as the caliper would not line up with the caliper mount spacing etc. I had to rebend and adjust the bracket a lot to get everything to line up. But once I did the caliper and the brakes all came out great. I did a paint job on the housing and the center section. Mounted the brakes and it'* all ready to go. Just have to run the brake lines.





I'm painting the ladder bars a metallic silver. They're drying right now. More pics to come of the ladder bars. I'm taking the front ladder bar crossmember to the guy that installed my front clip. He'* going to build brackets and weld them to the crossmember. Then I can bolt everything together, place the axle and ladderbars/crossmember all into placed and tack it all in. That will be next week.





Mark L

I found an ex Nascar truck series radiator to use in the trunk. The core is a double pass 24 inch X 20 x 3.5 aluminum with a side oil cooler in the tank. I still want the radiator to go in the trunk so I knew I needed a big radiator. This should fit the bill. I still have to engineer it into the trunk so it gets good flow etc.







I'll have to make a shroud to adapt my 2006 GMC radiator dual fans to it. It has one AN top tank fitting and a hose bottom fitting. The oil cooler has large AN fittings for it. Mark L

Today I was just out putsin' around on the Catalina, and I realized I still had a little bit of movement of the steering column on the engine side of the firewall. Looking around for a support to use or make, I looked again at the steering column drop I made from a Howards aluminum connecting rod, and Badda Bing, Badda Boom. It'* done. This is my steering column drop.



I cut off the rod shank where it touched the inside wall, drilled holes in the wall and the corrosponding locations in the rod shank, tapped for 1/4 inch bolts and wire brush polished the cap ends.





Just using some old useless parts, until now. Thank you Keith for the rods.


Mark L

I pulled the mock up motor and started to build the shifter mount off of the trans. I still have both a Mr. Gasket and Hurst V-Gate shifter so I had to make it fit both. I used a piece of angle to mount off of the top left tail housing bolt, cut a length of 2X3 tubing at an angle (like a shim) and welded the front to the angle iron piece. Then I built a mount support off of the rear transmission mount flange to support and hold the rear of the 2X3 tubing piece. I can mount either shifter unit to this mount but I still have to check for floor clearence at the top of the mount, once I get everything back into place. I have room in the brackets to lower it if need be.
This is the backside of the mount.



The end mount support off of the trans mount flange.



The mount with the Hurst unit mocked up in place.



And an end shot of the mount and Hurst unit in place.



I will locate the actual position relative to the seat in the car and the height I need for the shifter/shifters once I get everything back in the car and cut the floor open. Then permanently drill the mount for the shifter I select to use. The Hurst fits with zero mods and seems to be the more hand friendly unit as far as comfort using the trigger for 1st gear engagement. The Mr. Gasket is just as easy to use except the reach for the trigger while my hand is on top of the shift handle is too far and uncomfortable. The shift rods fall right into place on the Hurst as well. I will have to thread one of the rods about 3 inches to use the Mr. Gasket or make new rods completely to use it.

Mark L

I got the motor, trans, and shifter mount/shifter all into the car and the floor cut. But it brought the shifter too close ot my leg. i I had to move the mount base over to the passeger side about 1.5 inches. It was too close to my leg when I was relaxed in the driver seat. The shifter stick was OK but the T handle was touching my leg. I may go to ball **** also which will give me a little more clearance. Got another big swap coming early January and going to Pomona swap in January also. My brother in law had a normal sized 8 ball for a shifter ball back in the early '70'* and I always liked that. Maybe I can find one too. I got a great deal on a complete Accell 300+/375 controller ignition system and matching coil from a friend. Bought several years ago but never used. I also bought a 3 bar GM map sensor to use with it. I went on WE-Bay and found some 1 inch carb to carb hat spacers that I will weld to the bottom plate of the ShotGun twin barrel scoop. But i have to have the motor in place with the heads, the intake and carbs all in place for the final fitting of the scoop. It'* going to be a tight fit under the windshield.
I finally downloaded a couple of Iphone pics of my short block from a couple of weeks ago. It is supposed to be ready end of next week.







Thought I'd throw them on.

Mark L