72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?) Totaled!!

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72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?) Totaled!!

Postby waybad » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:51 pm

:bang: :bang: :bang: [/u][/b]Man this is going to be a job getting all this stuff in this little box,,
I made a different cross member for the k member,,didn't work :bang: I don't want to cut the pan :x
will have to re-do it later :bored: ,,, I have the motor and trans in the car just sitting on blocks.
i think I will have to get out the BFH to make some more room at the top of the trans tunnel?
it needs to be set further back and up higher in the engine bay, I need more room for AC, PS,
and some more clearance for the front sway bar, I will either get a rack and pinion, or just bend the pitman arm and idle arm down to get more clearance,, either way I will need a bump steer kit for the tie rods :bang:
here are some pictures hope they load? getting surgery Friday so it will be on the back burner for a couple months :x
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Last edited by waybad on Fri May 04, 2018 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby waybad » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:57 pm

more picts
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby RockDaddy » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:39 pm

I know you have seen my project pics. I suggest doing the same with the steering shaft as I did. Wasn't too much $ but boy did it help with the exhaust room.

Rock that bad boy!
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby RockDaddy » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:41 pm

Oh and to clear steering side to side I just cut the oil pan on the front, each side and welded it back up. Like to dimples.
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby speedphreake » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:44 pm

here is a pic of my K member I made, maybe it will help in building your new one. I can run a stock small block oil pan ( the generic ones) with out hitting the K member or notching the pan. I didn't bend the pitman arm or idler, I ovaled out the mounting holes in the frame to pivit the steering box and idler arm down. No need to rebend anyting when parts where out and need to be replaced. Bump steer kit is a must for me now.
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby waybad » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:46 pm

I will be doing the steering the same way,, I have some u-joints already bought!
some how i forgot how you did your k member,, that's probably how I came up with the same idea to make it,
(your idea first).. I wanted to move the mounting holes, but a friend said it would be easier to just bend them down?? I think I will just remount them lower like you did,, sounds better to me also,, Thank you so much for looking at my build,, you have saved me a ton of work.. I better go back through these builds again and steel some more ideas,, no use re-envinting the wheel if someone else has done it first,, I will try to give credit where credit is due,, if I miss anybody just say so!! :mrgreen: TC
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby grandam75 » Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:56 am

Nice to see thet you are getting started with the LS1 install!
You can use the sway bar from a monza. It is bent in the middle for V8 clearence.
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby waybad » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:24 am

grandam75 wrote:Nice to see thet you are getting started with the LS1 install!
You can use the sway bar from a monza. It is bent in the middle for V8 clearence.


thanks!! I didn't know that :mrgreen:
keep the ideas coming,, I REALLY NEED THEM :bang:
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby megavega » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:19 am

Looks like the engine needs to go back yet, it will all get better the further back you go as far as clearance,except the tunnel! The back of the heads needs to be just about touching the brakeline holder bracket on firewall. Youll most likely need to slice the tunnel and move it up and wider slightly. You can do this with minimal intrusion, by only slicing it and then move the metal strips up and make it wider,taller. You would then use added metal to cover up the work from bottom side. nothing you can see with engine and trans in car. The original tunnel is quite small and offset due tothe original design set up for a opel transmission. I also found this out the hardway, no way to get a t56up in there due to the size of the transmission and bellhousing.

I added the info to your pic, the( green lines) would be where and how youd slice it, the (red )would be where the back of the head needs to be right at the bracket.
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby NixVegaGT » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:24 am

Yeah, dude. This is the shit! If I was more interested in finishing than customizing I would be using an LS engine in a sec.
- Nic '73 Vega GT "DogBoxx" Batwing LS1
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby waybad » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:47 am

NixVegaGT wrote:Yeah, dude. This is the shit! If I was more interested in finishing than customizing I would be using an LS engine in a sec.


Thanks Nix,
Coming from you, that means something!!!!
I will probably be copying alot of your stuff also!
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby NixVegaGT » Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:01 pm

OH I was also going to second Mega's moving it back comment. You may not want to go back and do that now that you are on track but every little bit counts for weight distribution. I did that with my engine. It was kinda fun. There's that customizing problem again...
- Nic '73 Vega GT "DogBoxx" Batwing LS1
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby norcalace » Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:26 pm

On the steering; DO NOT bend the pitman or idler arms!! The steering geometry gets real reatrded when you do that. Trust me.

Rotating the box and Idler arm or dropping the center of the drag link are the best options outside of a rack and pinion but the bump steer kit will be a neccesity.

I don't envy the work you have ahead of you but it is doable and will be worth the effort when it's done.
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby waybad » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:05 pm

norcalace wrote:On the steering; DO NOT bend the pitman or idler arms!! The steering geometry gets real reatrded when you do that. Trust me.

Rotating the box and Idler arm or dropping the center of the drag link are the best options outside of a rack and pinion but the bump steer kit will be a neccesity.

I don't envy the work you have ahead of you but it is doable and will be worth the effort when it's done.


Thanks,, I think it was a bad idea to bend them also :shock:
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Re: 72 ls1 Vega ( 10lbs of crap in a 5lb box?)

Postby 72 SS PNL » Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:25 pm

think chevyart and 1 of the others cut the center link and dropped the center of it and welded um back up

looks like a nice start
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