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Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:05 pm
by Roccosvega
Your Minibike is a Ruttman.

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:47 pm
by BadBowtie
NVEGAR8D wrote:Hi,
looking good Bad.
nick75vega

Hopefully it turns out to be one heck of a sleeper!

meangreen73vega wrote:Very nice! Keep posting, it motivates me...lol

No problem, I always run through peoples project journals for ideas!

Roccosvega wrote:Your Minibike is a Ruttman.

Looked up that bike and it does look very similar, but its actually a BOA snowmobile one like i mentioned. I have a picture of the only identification marking and in the blank spot its stamped the year of production (71). Thanks for the input.
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Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:43 pm
by BadBowtie
Motor is in and bolted, so is the Transmission, starter and headers... Couldn't be able to do the work without my father, huge thank you to him on this as usual. Headers/starter was interesting to install and so was getting everything to fit JUST right.

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:55 am
by vegon71
Lookin really good BB :th:

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:13 pm
by Kenova
BadBowtie wrote:. Headers/starter was interesting to install and so was getting everything to fit JUST right.


It's like a Chinese puzzle. Everything has to go into place at the same time. Four hands are barely enough to get the job done.

Ken

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:23 pm
by BadBowtie
Kenova wrote:
BadBowtie wrote:. Headers/starter was interesting to install and so was getting everything to fit JUST right.


It's like a Chinese puzzle. Everything has to go into place at the same time. Four hands are barely enough to get the job done.

Ken


:lol: Sums it up perfectly

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:33 pm
by BadBowtie
Productive few hours tonight, I'm in between homework and lab reports but it feels good to get away from the computers and notebooks. Got the shifter mounted and the transmission tunnel fit for the Shifter arm, going to mount and seal the plate up tomorrow. The shifter is a Hurst Competition Plus with a 72 Camaro shifter Arm, the transmission is a M21 (Close-ratio).

Tomorrow I'm picking up some re-usable header gaskets, maybe a shifter boot and my new Hurst roll control (and possibly set that all up. Weird how in just a few nights we've made such a big push and if it weren't for school or work we would be up till 1-2AM no problem!

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:49 pm
by BadBowtie
I was busy doing homework today, but my father made a template for a gauge cluster that I've been meaning to do. Turned out pretty sharp and looking forward to seeing it made out of metal. However all does not end well, I put my alternater on for a test fit and realized I have a clearance issue with my rad hose.... :bang: And its a custom rad so I dont think I was to put a 90degree bend on there (I currently have 1 1/2" clearance) Looks like my simple corvette short water pump parts wont work... :cuss:


**EDIT**
After taking a break and coming back to it it looks like i might be able to drop the alternator more to the drivers fender with some modifications and move the rad just a bit to clear. This might still work out, only time will tell.

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:25 pm
by NixVegaGT
I want to say you get used to welding upside down but you don't it pretty much always sucks. LOL! My favorite story from this past winter: It was cold so I decided to wear my Carhart under my welding jacket. I got a pretty light jacket with mostly arm protection because I was doing a lot in the summer. The problem is it wouldn't close well over the carhart. No big deal, I thought, let's roll. So that's what I did, under the car. By now I'd put down… well up… a couple 4 foot welds to integrate my frame rails into the pinch seam all the way down the rocker panels. I'm feeling pretty accomplished with welding on my back, and I was getting pretty good at dodging the periodic puddle snap and shower of molten blobs. I know you know what I'm talking about there, welding with no gas. YIKES!

OK, by now I'm working a large patch where I removed the spare tire well to make room for a full gas tank. I'm feeling like I've got TONS of room back here. I'm rolling along and I ran out of gas. The puddle is getting more and more angry. I figure I've only got another 6" so I'm gonna just push through. I'm using flux core wire for thin sheet metal to be used in combo with CO2/Argon. Stuff works amazing, BTW. It's called "Twenty Gauge", just in case you want to look it up. Anyway, I decide to push though. I get another inch and "POP" the puddle collapses. DAMN! I decide to move on. It's pretty cold but I start feeling warm. I'm thinking Ahhh that's nice. Then I start seeing flickering light inside my shield. I'm like: WTF is that? Wow this weld is really smoking.. cough cough. I look down and my chest is on fire!

OH SHIT! LOL! Ha ha ha ha.

Ya know the other thing that really bugs me. The fact that the blobs are so hot they don't let you know they've burned a hole in your chest until you're taking a hot shower a couple hours later. LOL! WOW that sucks.

Anyway. Way to dive in and learn welding. I bet you'll get hooked like me. Pretty soon you'll be coming up with stuff to do. Here's an example: I gutted my T-5 for some pretty bitchin' altra-stout straight gears. I had all this stuff left over so I welded it together and made a piece of artwork. FUN!

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:14 pm
by BadBowtie
Hahah that's a great story and I definitely understand the joys of welding and I'm going to look into that wire cause for now I mostly weld with thin sheet metal (First shot on heavy stuff I got it right away). I'm definitely hooked I want to keep welding for practice because its a great to know how! :mrgreen:

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:10 pm
by BadBowtie
Did a bunch of work in the past few week:

Test fit all the components for the engine and noticed the alternator was going to interfere with the radiator outlet. I will get a low profile K&N filter once the car is running.
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So I got the rad customized (again) and the driveshaft shortened. Both are installed, water pump and pulleys are bolted in and so is the alternator and brackets. I need to get a corvette belt/see if I can find better hoses. Transmission now has fluid and everything has been tightened up. Finished off the rough interior and have the new carpet just sitting (flattening out). Should be getting the interior all put back together and then the cluster done soon enough. Still have to connect my hydraulic clutch and re-bleed my brakes but after that its all electrical and engine fluids (oil/coolant)!!!!

Starting to see a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel!!! :dance:
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Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 8:18 am
by Stevie
Hey Badbowtie,

why do you got German licence plates in your garage ? :th:

Steffen

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:26 am
by bbcowboy
boy that is a tight fit between the water pump and the radiator. Are you using a short shalf water pump?

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:26 pm
by BadBowtie
Stevie wrote:Hey Badbowtie,

why do you got German licence plates in your garage ? :th:

Steffen


Apparently there is a story behind the plate or something to do with the numbers/letters meaning something but I dont know, personally I prefer the other plate in the garage.
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bbcowboy wrote:boy that is a tight fit between the water pump and the radiator. Are you using a short shalf water pump?


Yep, short shaft water pump. Its close cause I'm running a 3-core rad and did not recess it into the front header (or the flimsy support panel). It fits as expected!


Got a bunch more work done today, got my radiator hoses, cut and fit them to the car (fits like a glove!). Got my electric fan mounted and half wired. Started trimming my carpet and mounting my back seats but I'm going to clean everything up before the final install.

Re: 1975 Vega GT

PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:28 pm
by BadBowtie
A few more pictures!