TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

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TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby lsvega_w » Tue Mar 10, 2015 6:23 am

I thought I would start a thread on my build. Things started off easy enough and snowballed like crazy but hope to have it running this summer so I can begin to enjoy it from behind the wheel.
Here it is when I first got it.
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The car was pretty solid. Little rust on the lower fenders and rear quarters but the floors were good and solid. The simple plan was to put the vortec headed 350 that had built on the stand in and start buning rubber. When I got under the car I discovered that the mounts for the suspension front and rear were completely shot and needed to be rebuilt. I had a two door two wheel drive 87 s10 blazer frame around and was going to use the front spindles to convert to 5 lug. After doing some measuring I decided I would use the whole frame since it was already set up for a small block.
I didn't want the car to sit up like a truck so I cut the floors out. And since the frame already had good brake lines, fuel lines, and a driveshaft that fit I decides I would move the rear wheel wells to fit the 101" wheel base.
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The car set nice on the frame but I didn't like the fact the frame was so tall under where the seats were going to be. It would have my head hitting the ceiling. So I made some 2x3" frame rails and moved them out to the rockers so I would have a little more room. At this juncture I also the sold the 350 and picked up an iron block 5.3 for the car.
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It was sitting a little high in the front so I got some 2" drop spindles for the s10 and started on the fire wall and floors. Built in some cross bracing with 1" square tubing under the floors to help stiffen things up nice.
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I didn't like the big s10 steering box and didn't really want power steering in the car so I bought a manual steering rack from a friend with an 80 faimont. Narrowed the rack to fit the vega and built mounts for it. I had to cut away part of the crossmember for the steering shaft to pass so I built some new solid motor mounts while I was at it.
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Last edited by lsvega_w on Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby lsvega_w » Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:09 am

The car has under gone a few changes. I bought an 08 aluminum block 5.3 and decided to go twin turbo and keep the fuel injection.
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I bought a 73 donor car from a friend and pulled the front skin and rear bumper to put on my wagon. I really like the look but in doing so I had to redo a lot under the hood. The engine had to go back 3" and had to redo the turbo mounts to get them away from the tires again. The radiator had to stand up as well as the intercooler. I couldn't use the ls1 intake because it put the throttle body too close to the radiator so I used the carb. intake and made an aluminum elbow to fit under the hood. I now have the Holley intake like this with the injector bosses already drilled and rails. I also built 1" aluminum square tube braces that run under the fender lips and tie in to the fire wall and front frame rails. These also hold the hood mounts in the front and radiator and intercooler mounts.
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I now have the exhaust and all the tubing for the turbos done. I need to finish up the transmission tunnel and then pull the engine and get it all buttoned up. Need to clean and paint the fire wall and engine bay while it is out then maybe next time it goes in it will be for good.
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I have an ls9 cam and set of valve springs to go in when the engine is getting buttoned up. I also have the Holley hp computer to run this thing. I need to make a decision on a transmission, I really want to build the 200-4R but may not have that kind of funds right away so the th400 in the floor may go in for this year. I also have 8.8 rear from an explorer with disc brakes and 31 spline axles I need to get narrowed and put in. Like I said I hope I can get it done and going this summer. Thank you for looking.
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby zeke » Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:23 am

Lots of work there! I like the fancy steering shaft frame relief too! Beauty exhaust system suggests a name for your project - "Forced Feedback" Nice work dude! :th:
Chris

zeke's 79 Monza Project

zeke's 78 Sport Coupe

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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby waybad » Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:54 am

I love this build!!!!! :th: :th: :th:
Tinker
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby bbcowboy » Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:29 am

Oh my gosh what a build...love it...I can't believe your working on a dirt floor...
Byron

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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby NixVegaGT » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:41 pm

Motorhead porn
- Nic '73 Vega GT "DogBoxx" Batwing LS1
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2357894
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby chevyart » Tue Mar 10, 2015 3:22 pm

beautiful job. you didnt just bring this vega back to life, you made it into a super vega. cant wait to see the finished product. i keep saying our forum site has the best fabricators guys in the hot rod world. no bolt ons for the vega guys. NICE WORK art
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby lsvega_w » Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:21 pm

Thank you all!! This is my first build on this scale so it has been a learning experience for sure. I am enjoying all the problem solving that has gone into making everything work together and fit in this small package. Like was said there aren't any off the shelf parts that work, everything has to be made to. I am thankful to have a roof over me but the dirt floor has definitely posed a whole other set of challenges. I did everything where it is sitting but I do have friends with nice shops with level floors so when I got everything together we took it to one of them to make sure it was all good. Again thank you for the kind words. I will keep it up to date when I get things done.
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby bbcowboy » Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:52 pm

I don't mean to take over this forum but I agree with Chevyart....most other cars out there you can just buy parts over the counter....but the H body guys we can build some awesome cars.
Byron

Cosworth Vega #0756 (IMSA inspired CV)
Cosworth Vega #1044
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby BadBowtie » Tue Mar 10, 2015 6:35 pm

Sweet build, I can see how things sort of snowballed but it sure looks like it was for the better! Looking at the last picture it would be hard for anyone to really notice the wheelbase is stretched. Great seeing the car being saved/converted into such a monster, that turbo setup looks great. You probably saved yourself a lot of work, trying to get all that to fit under the stock shell/unibody would be difficult.


If you want some turbo LS information or overdrive maybe 4l80e info id check this website, he has a lot of good information that pretty cost effective:
https://sites.google.com/site/sloppywiki/everything-ls/4l80e-info
James

1975 Vega GT sbc, Microsquirt w/Edelbrock MPFI, M21 4-speed and Ford 9"
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby lsvega_w » Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:20 pm

I looked at a lot his stuff. Really cool guy. Thank you very much. I think the 4l80e is going to be too big for me in this car. I have a th400 in it right now and it seems huge with the engine set back where it is. With the 80e it would put the output shaft right about where the seats are. I don't think I want that it is already pretty tight in there.
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby b_pappy » Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:48 pm

Amazing build! Wow.
Bruce
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby megavega » Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:00 pm

never caught this one before, alot of work went into that.... pretty sweet! I like the louvers in the hood for the turbo venting, I am doing the same thing to mine. :th:
1972 hatchback, 28,000 orig miles, 427BBC/twin T4 turbo's/T56 six speed/big wheels, lowered down pro touring style-work in progress....

1973 vega wagon-under the blue flame knife.
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby Ckill » Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:17 pm

Nice work. Love seeing individuals fab such a good quality car on their own. Will follow along. :th: :th: :th:
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Re: TT 5.3 1976 vega wagon

Postby vegastre » Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:02 pm

Impressive build!

I like just about everything you've done so far. S-10 sub frame, 73 front end, twin turbos. The list just goes on. As mentioned in that last pic you posted the car still looks basically stock. I especially like the dirt floor and metal building. Classic Hot Rodding.
Phil Kennedy~
72 Chevrolet Vega GT Hatchback
75 Pontiac Astre SJ Safari Wagon
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