Finally...Coach's New Build...

[coach]

Coach, JD and I expect to see you in Bowling Green. Chop Chop.

Can't say funds will hold out. I've got a ton left to finish this thing, and it's not cheap.


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[Red C5]

Your attention to every little detail is unreal. Loving the build!!

 

[longball]

Your attention to every little detail is unreal. Loving the build!"

Well said. Coach's car is going to be freakin' AWESOME!!! I'm gonna have to drive down to PA to see it when it's done!

 

[coach]

Well said. Coach's car is going to be freakin' AWESOME!!! I'm gonna have to drive down to PA to see it when it's done!

Thanks to everyone who is following.
Got more "shiny" stuff today.
Mirror Polishing Co did the water pump and Oil Cooler adapter, while Speed n Sport chromed the hold down for the billet water neck. They also did all the bolts on the water pump and a few other items.

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[GNONYX]

Hi Coach, The rate you're going you will be needing double shade UV400 polarized lenses will help protect from dangerous rays and eliminate glare from all of the shiny, mirror components you are installing. Looks Great!!!

 

[tbone87]

Hey coach want u to check out SHARKHIDE it is used for like pontoons on a boat to keep aluminum from oxidizing for 4 years plus. It is a coating to put over pollished aluminum. There is a guy using it down here and guarantee it won't oxidize for 4 years or he will redo it. I am fixing to do all my stuff with it just though I would tell ya ps lost ur #

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[coach]

Hey coach want u to check out SHARKHIDE it is used for like pontoons on a boat to keep aluminum from oxidizing for 4 years plus. It is a coating to put over pollished aluminum. There is a guy using it down here and guarantee it won't oxidize for 4 years or he will redo it. I am fixing to do all my stuff with it just though I would tell ya ps lost ur #

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They had a glazing put on already. Supposed to work about the same

Thanks


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[coach]

Here's a little something I built a while back. A new front connecting brace. Gotta get some color on it. It bolts to the same places as the 3 separate bars sold by many vendors, but also attaches where the factory sway bar did. It's made from 0.065 wall chromoly tubing that's 1.25" in diameter. The entire thing weighs 15 lbs, but is strong as hell. The front bar is kicked forward and actually acts as a guard for the intercooler pipes. Nothing in the street or curb stops won't be able to damage the tubes.
I just thought it up one day, and started cutting and welding.

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[charlief1]

Well now you're just bragging Donnie. Now when do I get mine.

 

[coach]

Well now you're just bragging Donnie. Now when do I get mine.

Charlie...you could build one in a few hours. I started by cutting the 1/4" chromoly plate and mounting it onto the frame in the 5 positions I wanted it to bolt to. Then I cut the main bar across the front and actually taped it into place. The two bars that run back in the "V" shape were cut and tack welded into place and it was on from there. The extra bar closest to the under engine mounting plate is actually a piece of 0.045 wall and it is a mounting point for my new transmission cooler. Since I installed the huge front mount, I had no place to put my tranny cooler. I still run it thru the radiator, so I basically run dual coolers.
One day I was mocking things up and saw all the space behind the up pipe where the stock intercooler sat. I figured that if an engine could run with a shroud and the intercooler mounted there, it should work for a different cooler.
I started figuring out how I might mount it. I ordered the largest and thickest cooler I could find. It's 1.75 thick x 12 x 12. It's a fin and plate design and uses 1/2 NPT fittings. After I built the front brace, I started a billet alum frame to hold the cooler. Once I had the cooler framed in an alum housing, of sorts, I was good. The alum U-channel I made it from has heat resistant rubber in the top and bottom to absorb shock and vibration of street driving.
The RJC up pipe cheated me out of a ton of space, with how it was bent, so it had to go. I searched for a PTE up pipe, and found one. After modifying the end under the radiator to meet up with the Megacooler, I bought a 3 foot piece of intercooler hose and after I figured out the maximum distance forward I could put it, I cut a piece to attach to the throttlebody. I now had a ton of room.
I then hung the alum framed cooler off the up pipe with some string, until it was directly in front of the fan on the crank pulley. I took a few measurements and fabbed up some alum mounts. Once in place, I started working on how to mount it on top, so it did not fall back into the fan. As luck would have it...2 waterpump bolts lined up perfect. I cut 2 pieces of 5/16" stainless all-thread and made some Hex shaped alum extensions. They stick out and are bolted to the alum frame around the cooler.
I machined the bottom mounts so I could add sheet rubber pieces around the chromoly front frame brace. The frame, itself, has a cushioning rubber holding the tranny cooler, so it kinda floats in there. I run HR engine mounts, an HR tranny mount, and the RJC rear engine brace, so basically my frame and engine all move as one unit. It's my thought that having the cooler mounted to the frame brace and the engine will not be an issue at all. It's pretty stiff, and the cooler can actually absorb shock since it floating in the frame. All I have to do now is run the new tranny lines over to the radiator and attach them where I had the others.

Let me know what you think of this set up. The cooler will have a sheet metal shroud around it and it uses 2...3 inch diameter thin plastic pipes to get air. It will not use the engine bay air. It should work just as the factory intercooler. The 2 pipes run on top of the frame brace and out to the front air dams, where the SLIC use to grab its air.

********No the belt does not touch the alum extensions when the tensioner is tight.********

Wait until you see the other frame get its modifications.

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[charlief1]

You need to do some posts in the fabrication section Donne. That's a killer brace and I'm sure you're going to do more things that others might like to know how to do.

 

[coach]

You need to do some posts in the fabrication section Donne. That's a killer brace and I'm sure you're going to do more things that others might like to know how to do.

I was thinking of doing some, but I never took pics as I was building it. I try to snap pics as I'm going on projects, but I did not on these two.


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[forcefed3.8's]

You will have to get rid of that NASCAR belt. I don't know how well it will work going straight.

 

[coach]

I have a ton of little items to get yet. I just ordered $300 worth of fittings and hose to build oil cooler lines, turbo drain, and tranny cooler lines. I have about 3 lists going at one time.


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[GetOwnedVette]

Cool mount for that trans cooler!!!!

 

[tbone87]

Hello coach! Where is some more good pics?

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[charlief1]

Happy birthday Donnie!

 

[rmar]

Happy birthday Donnie!

X2
Hope someone is taking him out so he don't waste any project $$$.

 

[coach]

X2
Hope someone is taking him out so he don't waste any project $$$.

Don't worry Ronnie. I just got home from Summit Racing. Now heading to dinner with friends. The car will get worked on tomorrow.


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[coach]

Happy birthday Donnie!

Thanks Charlie.


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