FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

[74_Vega_GT]

Thanks Spence, I took note of your post for sure about the sharpie. The project has slowed to a crawl at this point and I am in need of a bit of help I am afraid. My first priority at this point is to get the rear end mounted back up in place, then assemble all of the front end and steering box and get some wheels under her so she will roll. First things first, the rear end. It is assembled with drums and ready to go up, but...I really need step by step instructions since I didn't remove it. This is the rear with a panhard bar and a torque arm, two trailing arms. Hang the shocks first? Torque arm cant go on till the tranny is in. Will I need a spring compressor? Is there a link to a place here on the forum that I can be referred to? Thanks in advance.

[gerbsinmd]

I'd do the lower control arms first. Then you can raise, lower the rear to position the springs, jack the rear up, then put the shocks in to hold it together. The panhard bar would be next, and it would be ready for wheels.

[74_Vega_GT]

Thanks Gerbs for the straightforward input. ......The rear end is up and the trailing arms are in place as well as the panhard bar as of today in 97 degree weather. The front end is on hold because we discovered the lower control arm bushings ..were ordered wrong...they were for the rear trailing arms of which would have been needed on the 74 GT 4-link had we not decided to use the 75 Cos. panhard type rear diff. The correct LCA bushings are on the way from Rare Parts and should be here next week. New fuel line and new brake line got installed into the nice shiny engine bay today. I still have to order the correct S10 master cylinder and the hydraulic clutch assembly. Steering column (tilt type)gets refurbished and paint this week. Steering gear box is refreshed and ready to be installed as well.
I am performing experiments with glues and vinyl fabrics for a dash recovering. I seem to have all the cracks filled and leveled. Flex-Seal will be the first coat after scuffing all of the plastic covering on the dash. Next will be a thin foam layer and finally four way stretch vinyl fabric. It it all fails to perform, I'll box it and bite the 850.00 bullet with just-dashes in California.....maybe...LOL....pics..pics wheres the pics?

[Monza Harry]

I am performing experiments with glues and vinyl fabrics for a dash recovering. I seem to have all the cracks filled and leveled. Flex-Seal will be the first coat after scuffing all of the plastic covering on the dash. Next will be a thin foam layer and finally four way stretch vinyl fabric. It it all fails to perform, I'll box it and bite the 850.00 bullet with just-dashes in California.....maybe...LOL....pics..pics wheres the pics?

I found these pic's a few years ago for the Monza, I've never looked for a Vega Dash.

1st

Monza Just Dashes.jpg (30.48 KiB) Viewed 684 times

2nd

Monza Just Dashes II.jpg (9.73 KiB) Viewed 684 times

3rd

Monza Just Dashes III.jpg (22.93 KiB) Viewed 684 times

Notice all the "Faux Stitching" that isn't there. Harry

[74_Vega_GT]

I did notice that the faux stitching was missing. I was thinking about the faux stitching and thought, for the kind of money that just dashes wants, why not have it done in real leather with real stitching.
Not sure which part of the resto project we will be working on today. I took the drive shaft to have it balanced and they said the u-joint had an issue with the c-clip so before they can balance it, that has to be corrected. Its the drive shaft from the 74GT which we had to shorten when we installed the 77 monza rear end, which is now a backup. We're using the 75 cos rear end. I suppose the 74GT 4-link rear needs a home and will end up in the for sale section along with the 74 heater core and evap core assembly. It wont be long before we dispose of the cannibalized 74 chassis as well....Peace

[Monza Harry]

I did notice that the faux stitching was missing. I was thinking about the faux stitching and thought, for the kind of money that just dashes wants, why not have it done in real leather with real stitching.....Peace

My thoughts exactly! But I can't find anybody near me that would be willing to try, I have a pretty ok one [about a 7.5 or 8 out of ten and I can improve it a little as well] Let me know if you find an upholsterer and how it turns out I'll be watching with baited breath as the real old timers would say. Harry

[74_Vega_GT]

Thanks Harry, turns out that my Girlfriend says she is a master seamstress and knows how to cut and fold in the right places. I am willing to let her have a go at it to see how it turns out and I'll let you know. I have my moms old school industrial type sewing machine here for her to try on as well. How cool, mom loaned me the the 500 bucks for the Vega in 79 , now I get to use her machine to help restore it.
I discovered that when we shortened the drive shaft years ago , that it was done improperly and that the drive shaft was bent and needed a new yoke on it today. A large 24 bay I-75 truck place that specializes in drive trains, is welding a new yoke onto a new tube and balancing it for me for around 150 bucks. Today the lower control arms got fitted with the correct bushings and installed with new springs and shocks. The hydraulic throw out bearing and bleeder extender, braided stainless lines and master cylinder got ordered today. The steering column is painted, and installed, the steering gear box is mounted, The new idler arm is mounted. A new center link and outer tie rod ends and sleeves and inners are on order. Front sway bar bushings are now ordered for both this project and the 82 S-10. The cabin side firewall is now thermally protected with the double sided aluminum backed sound and thermal barrier stuff....The AC unit goes in very soon. I need some 15 inch knock about rims and tires so she will roll.. Peace

[74_Vega_GT]

Wrong proportioning valve!! Heres the set-up. S10 disks up front, S10 drums in the rear, 75 Vega Master cylinder. The most trusted thread that I have read on this recommends an adjustable proportioning valve and I failed to bookmark the page, it had considerable input from Bob Gumm. Anyone have a link they can pass to me. The S-10 proportioning valve doesn't seem to have the correct fitting size for the new brake lines we got for a 74 gt from inline tube. I do still have the ones from the 74 GT and the 75 Cos....
Progress.......Thermal insulation is on the innerside of the firewall now and the AC evap coil box assembly should be ready to mount. Waiting on a centerlink to arrive.

[Monza Harry]

Would it be this website by chance? Here: http://h-body.org/library/hbodyfaq/index.html I have never found a way back to the home page from the forum! Harry

[74_Vega_GT]

Thanks again Harry. I don't believe I have ever come across that "F.A.Q. " page but it is bookmarked now. There is great wealth of info here, sometimes difficult to pinpoint when trying to re-navigate to a particular article. I should use my browsers bookmarks more.
-- The AC evap coil /heater core assembly is mounted...woo hoo., .still waiting on the center link to arrive so we can finish the front end rebuild.
-- I am looking forward to the hydraulic throw out bearing modification.....Peace

[74_Vega_GT]

Progress -- Had to cut open the plastic ductwork for the AC to access the nuts to remove a faulty small vacuum diaphragm door activator with a Dremel and a small cutting wheel. ~ Dropped off the back (black) seat from the Cos to have it freshened up and have the carpet put on to the folding metal part that covers the gap when you lay the seat down.~ Sorted out the AC control wiring for reinstallation. The control is different from the 74 in that there is the Bi-Level position for the actuating lever. The entire unit comes from a 77 Pontiac Sunbird.
~ Scowering through the u-pull-it yard I saw a SunFire, bright yellow, probably an 04 or so, and the center console seemed like it might work for the Vega. Saw the special suspension of the S-10 Extreme as well with its extra shock absorber rear end setup. Strange indeed. We were mostly getting S-10 stuff and got a nice boot for our bellhousing where the hydraulic throw out bearing lines exit. Got the liquid line receiver and hoses for the AC system out of an S10 like someone here on the forum suggested. Found the replacement sway bar I needed for the 82 S-10 project I have going as well. The (4)bushings (Rare Parts Co.)were the same for the Vega and since we had not yet installed them on the Vega, we used them on the S-10.
~ We WILL have to move the Main Harness Junction / fusebox and are fabricating an inner and outer plate to mount the hydraulic master cylinder. Since our firewall is already painted, we will smoothe and paint the fabricated plate before installation.
~ I have given thought to a plastic box to cover that wiring and thought to a re-routing of the part of the harness that "drapes" across the radiator when we get to that as well which should be soon.
~ Picked up the driveshaft for the Vega I had dropped off to have balanced which now has a new tube and fresh "proper" welds. Proper as opposed to "backyard".
~ Funny, 74 vega parts on an 82 s10...Peace..

[74_Vega_GT]

As promised here are a few pics of the project. The rear suspension and the front have been installed, but the pics here do not reflect that work yet. Photoshop captioning and resizing is a real pain in the ...smile...Peace

[74_Vega_GT]

Here are a few more.

[74_Vega_GT]

Here are yet a few more .

[hammerdown7]

Nice work, I like that burgundy red!

Dick