Restoring the SSEi: F40 swap, HIDs, and a HY35 turbo.

[haro1225]

For those not on the book of feces.
http://youtu.be/VPJKibZ7JbI

[Zeik75]

As far as the 160 tstat it should run around 165 while cruising at least. How close does the exhaust and such get to the temp sensor could it be heatsoaking a bit possibly? Also do you have a bigger radiator or just stock size?

[95naSTA]

For your cooling issues, you may want one of these.

[MattStrike]

I never knew about that radiator, again thanks for the heads up on that!!

I've got one of those heat reflective wire wraps around the coolant sensor and wiring, clearance is better than stock and headers are rattle can ceramic coated. The radiator I have now is either a 1" or 1.25", can't recall, but some of the other 3800 turbo guys have confirmed a similar situation depending on the build.

[MattStrike]

Here are some more pictures!

Exploded view of the '96-'99 headlamp mounts - adjuster use the oddball and hard to find M7-1.0 thread. Like the '92-'95 the plastic piece on the up/down adjuster can be trimmed and put the M7 nut in the gear once the gear is filed down. That plastic piece strips very easily once rust starts. Again, the adjusters will benefit from grease fittings, at the very least fill them up with grease before re-assembly.


A behind-the-scenes look at my projector housing attachments:



13.4" Z51 rotors on a Bonneville?!


Almost! Still just a test fit to verify the bracket works, using a wood prototype built from a CAD template.


The wood bracket was modified to fit, changes that need to be made to the CAD file - these clearances mean I'll need a 2-piece bracket. Should see some waterjet parts in the mail soon.



Crashing the Lingenfelter cars and coffee the morning of the Woodward dream cruise; even the old guys that have self-proclaimed $340k minus labor invested in their C6 happened to notice what must be a beater by comparison (I would never tell them I've got under $2500 into this thing):


And test fitting my new oil filter bracket design on one of the spare/junk series 2 motors I have, 3d wax courtesy of Wes:


Some of the holes don't line up right, will need to double check the dimensions, though there were some printing difficulties that could be contributors:


Needs to be re-worked though, clearance to the power steering pulley didn't work out like I expected.

[nos4blood70]

Your projector mounting looks like a masterpiece. Good progress overall! Those purple calipers though.

[Oldsman105]

God I would love those brake brackets for my car!

[MattStrike]

Here's a video of the car going down the track last night:
http://youtu.be/Y2gkpAs7SDQ

[1oldman]

Here's a video of the car going down the track last night:
http://youtu.be/Y2gkpAs7SDQ

DARN IT! YOU LET THE OTHER GUY WIN!
by the way, I have a set of grey 16" aeros I'll trade you for those chrome 17" swoopes - LMAO!
Thanks for posting. Next time, don't let the other guy win. - BC

[MattStrike]

I forgot to share this, but I had the caliper bracket waterjet parts made a few weeks ago, all stainless steel. Need a few off-the-shelf McMaster parts to complete them. Also included are the pieces for the rear sway bracket for the e-brake cable mount:

[chevrolet.power.420]

beautiful build!

[Luxrain]

I gotta ask.... cause theres so many posts on this thing, that first vid that haro1225 posted..... is that manual?

[Wes]

I gotta ask.... cause theres so many posts on this thing, that first vid that haro1225 posted..... is that manual?

It sure is. Make you drool as much as me? haha.

The F40 mentioned in the title of the thread is the manual trans from a G6 GTP.

[Luxrain]

I gotta ask.... cause theres so many posts on this thing, that first vid that haro1225 posted..... is that manual?

It sure is. Make you drool as much as me? haha.

The F40 mentioned in the title of the thread is the manual trans from a G6 GTP.

hell yea that makes me drool.... theres a point where you say.... 'is it too much money? pffttt were past that point'
I wish I could do something like this but I just don't have the tools, space, money, or time. it just makes this build that much more awesome!

[redfury]

Finally finished reading through the whole thread....one, what was your time at the track!? 2, it sounded like something was ticking in the last video, do you still have an exhaust leak in the headers?

Any way you shake it though, that car is awesome. Seems like you might want to consider stiffer shocks in the rear end as much as it dropped when you hit 2nd hard. Makes me wonder how much it would take just to put a manual in my 2000....time, money, tools, sourcing the right parts. Seemed like figuring out the Turbo was more than the transmission.

[MattStrike]

I've been toying with figuring out a coilover setup for the rear. I've got the stiffest rear shock out there, the heavier springs, and the largest sway bar. No way in hell would I do the W-body special 'chain mod' or 'cable mod'. As far as the time? Well, it trapped at 97mph, but my shifting was a little slow and I didn't quite break into the 14's (turbo running about 7psi).

But all of that is on the backburner right now, I have a few other simpler projects to get done first. The list of things I want to get done, with the help of the 3D printer, includes:
-Front brakes (corvette Z51 rotors)
-rear parking brake brackets
-new short block, or find a way to get the higher volume oil pump to fit a series 2
-fix leaking headers
-swap in the PAC valve springs
-E85 and fuel injectors
-fix the oil leak (needs braided lines and AN fittings)
-redo the trans and engine mounts
-custom oil filter bracket
-axle boot tore
-oversized radiator
-finish the shifter boot bezel

And of course, there's the taunt of AWD... As it sits, the header leak is the main reason I don't drive it much, though right now it's misfiring under boost (suspect that one of my race only valve springs has broken). Someday I might try to fix the paint on this car too.

[MattStrike]

Things will be happening here this summer. A few of you know, the rest of you might be able to guess. I've been putting it off because of family (I have two kids now). Making time, making the money situation work, was a challenge but I didn't drive to Texas to grab a '92 SSE for no reason.

I never named the SSEi, I could have called it the beast, Thor's Hammer, or any number of things. I saved it from a fate worse than sitting in a scrapyard for months only to be crushed. I welded a bunch of metal back on it and drove it. Then I did one of the things I could only dream about - I made it a poor excuse for a racecar that I stopped driving every day. I spent more on a set of axles than the car was worth and made boosty with a nagasaki whirly boy.

It was fun, it was worth it. But for me, this journey is at an end.

I will be stripping this car down completely starting next month. All the go-fast, custom, or otherwise ill-conceived parts are coming off. Today I picket up a donor car, another victim of Michigan salt. I'm going to make one good Bonneville between the two and pass it on to somebody who will use it. This project will formally transition to the '92 SSE, the build thread will be even more epic!

[1oldman]

Things will be happening here this summer. A few of you know, the rest of you might be able to guess. I've been putting it off because of family (I have two kids now). Making time, making the money situation work, was a challenge but I didn't drive to Texas to grab a '92 SSE for no reason.

Oh, that is funny

Does that man I need to post all the photos I took that night? - BC

[MattStrike]

Of course! Pictures are always welcome!

[1oldman]

Of course! Pictures are always welcome!

Okay, now I have to figure out the new platform since photobucket changed. ha ha good luck on that one :-)
- BC

the cat is out of the bag

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... ml#p481499