73 Vega 5.3 Turbo T56 build

[anorexicvega]

Edit* This is round two on my build, as I have more free time now, I decide to make a better build thread, and I've decide to change somethings as well.

So i've been searching high and low for around the last year for a clean mostly rust free and unmodified vega at a decent price. I found several super nice all originial cars, but they were out of my budjet. I was really dead set on building a 71-73 trunk car due to the fact they are the lightest and strongest of the h-body platform, and not as popular. Basically i was fed up with waiting on finding the perfect canidate, so i settled with something real close to what i was wanting.

I found a 73 hatchback car, that had been drove into a lean-to on the side of garage and parked in 1984. The car, firewall back is virtually rot-free other then surface rust. The owner, for some dumbass reason, used the hood and front end to store his empty burlap feed sacks for the duration of the car sitting there. So, what little weather the car endured from the open ended lean-too allowed the feed bags to get wet and the salt and sugar played a little hell on the bumper, bumper filler panel, and the driver side inner fender well.

My plans are to build a car capable of daily driving, or drive it anywhere. I'm picking up a L33 shortblock next weekend, i have a M22 4 speed im going to use, and a 12 bolt cut to stock length with strange axles. Im going to make all my own rear tubular control arms with heims, for the front i will purchase a set of Justins upper and lower a-arms. I plan to keep this car as light as possible, chromoly subframe connecters, k-member brace, transmission crossmember. Im ordering a 1 piece fiberglass front end and hatch from glasstek in the next few weeks.
Enough typing, ill post some pics, and update when i make progress.

[anorexicvega]

Lets see if this works.

[anorexicvega]

I think I've figured the photos out.

[anorexicvega]

Glovebox contents.

[anorexicvega]

Here's the start on the shortblock, the rings, bearings and all the gaskets came in two weeks ago.

[anorexicvega]

More engine parts.

[anorexicvega]

Coils and engine harness. I had the coil harness's extended. The coils will be mounted where the factory Ls engine mounts bolt, as I'm using a front plate and forward facing turbo headers.

[anorexicvega]

I'm going to strip the undercoating off of the whole car. Just from weighing what I stripped off the floor boards, the whole car has at least 50-75lbs worth on it. I really want a black molded vinyl mat to cover the whole floorboard like nova's and other gm cars had. If not I will prep and smooth any rough areas and it will get sprayed semi-gloss to keep weight down.

[anorexicvega]

Car mocked up with the 2wd S10 8.5, the 12 bolt I originally planned to use was too narrow. I'm still trying to decide if I want to keep the rear wheels at 10" wide, or have them cut down to a 8 or 9" with beadlocks. I really want to go with a 8 inch rim with the 26x8.5 so I can tuck the tire up in the fenderwell, but the 26x8.5 is suppose to be more stable on a 10" wheel when you get down in the low 5's.

[waybad]

it's pretty bad that we have to mini-tub our cars to fit a 8.5 tire LOL

[anorexicvega]

it's pretty bad that we have to mini-tub our cars to fit a 8.5 tire LOL

you can tuck a 8.5 slick or a 235 60 15 drag radial with massaging. look at rustorbust's green car. I had a wagon that i cut the inner fender lip out except for a 1/4 inch, and the folded that up to make the fenderwell have some strength. it tucked an 8.5 on a 8 inch wheel with 4x4 spacing with no rubbing all the way around. I do have some more photos I need to post on here

[anorexicvega]

Ive changed the build up a little bit until later in the future. Im keeping the 5.3 naturally aspirated and im building a g-force t5 instead of a t56.

[anorexicvega]

[anorexicvega]

[imghttp://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg134/drainbeadkustoms/10294347_714053531973906_2866952642588724561_n_zps087c3181.jpg][/img]

[zeke]

Keeping the powder blue exterior? Nice project eh!