I got the other caliper back from my friend. I tore them both down tonight. And I wire-wheeled some spots that looked like the sand blaster missed (no big deal). Keep in mind, some spots may look like they have issues, but the metal is pores and not really much that can be done about that. As far as I can tell, all is prepped. I have zip-ties to indicate the colors. Tomorrow I will let my friend know I have them ready to go and see when I can drop them off with him.

 

So, I am a BAD person at trying to get "before" pictures (and right now, I don't have some after pictures). Since I am removing the Novi Paxton from the black Monte, I had to dig some things out. So, I grabbed some of the original stuff Mike included for the black Monte and began cleaning them up a bit..

• The passenger side engine bracket for the dog bone mount. Sadly, it is broken as seen in the pic. I am guessing it happened being moved around somewhere along it's life. Not a big deal. So add that to the junk yard parts list (I could take it from the blue Monte, but I want to keep all the blue Monte stuff with it).
• The driver side dog bone mount. Needs some cleaning (working on that).
• The ICM and coil pack tray, again, cleaning that up.
• The arc-ed metal loop/support between the passenger side engine bracket and the head/exhaust manifold. And the bracket for the purge solenoid. Both are getting sand blasted and fresh black powder paint.
• This car also has L67 coils on it (and I prefer to keep it that way). Sadly, I noticed this weekend, one of the coils has a crack. So, it is time to source a new one. If it was a non-L67 coil, I have a healthy supply of spares lol.

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Now a personal favorite of mine lol. For years, I joked Mike should remove the California emissions on this non-Cali car and move it back to Federal Emissions. Mainly because it is stuff the car does not need on the back of the engine (as well as one other spot). During the summer, I turned off the secondary air pump in the PCM. Saturday, I began removing it. I have about half of it out. I need to cap a vacuum connection and for now, get/make a block off plate for the exhaust manifold (I actually have a federal emissions rear exhaust manifold, but that will be a project for another time). I want to add, I found the connections on it were no longer tight and by the carbon on the one end, apparently a small leak. This is most likely from the factory.
Before anyone goes crazy about this, from what I have researched, this does not create an emissions problem. The reasoning for this:

1. - It will still retain requirements for Federal emissions (as long as I don't want to take it to California, all is fine).
2. - There is a label on the upper radiator core support. This label is what informs an inspection agent (which I don't have in Ohio, but I know other states do) on what the emissions are set for. This label is year specific NOT VIN specific. I will eventually replace it with a new label (it's about $30).

I want this car to retain being street legal for any location (well, I guess except California lol). I will retain the original stuff I pull off (so it would be possible to return it to Cali emissions if needed).
As I said in an earlier post, I am BAD at before shots, so I give an old pic for a "before" shot (mainly look at the stuff behind the upper intake).

 

Great stuff, I enjoy reading the progress.

 

I don't have much to update here..... So instead of talking about this, I will toss a picture and see who can guess the right answer as to what is planned based on the pic (and those who know because I told them, don't play lol).

 

Intake plenum upgrade?

Edit: Na, cant be that. You have the upper intake bolts already..

Headers?

 

Well darn. haha

 

Loving the build so far Jason. Glad to see the black Monte ended up in good hands.

 

You are pretty close, so I will give it to you. No headers. Both the blue and black Monte have PLOGs. Mike and I did what you really shouldn't do, re-use exhaust hardware (heat and age, it can become brittle and/or seized). But, both of use used anti-seize. I am getting gutsy and replacing all the exhaust hardware, at least on the front manifold and the cross over to stainless on both cars. I have most of it done on the black Monte.... Then I rant into an issue. Bolts were find UNTIL you ran into some brackets held to exhaust studs (you would had the stud, then a nut, then a bracket and then another nut). I found these stainless set screws! I think this will work better than bolts and spacers! I already test fit one. The original studs had a shoulder to prevent them from going all the way into the head, these don't have that, so they can go the full length of the hole in the head. To keep factory length of the exposed stud, I nipped the tip of these about 1/8th inch (about 2-3 threads). They then tighten in the head leaving just the right amount of exposed threads. These are 2.5" long, my other option would have been to get 2" set screws and not install them all the way (leave the amount of threads I need exposed). I did not go that route because I felt it more prone to possibly coming loose.
I need to get the stainless flange nuts to go with them next and I am going to toss in a lock washer for good measure (even though it should not be needed).


lol. You are already WELL aware of what I am up to lol.

 

Thanks. When I got into modding the blue Monte years ago, I admired a lot of what Mike did and this car was an inspiration, so it is kinda weird now owning this Monte. There probably aren't too many people who would care for the car as I do. I am just adding to all the stuff Mike already did. And Mike took outstanding care of this car (it has stunned many people, complete strangers, when they learned it has over 200k miles). This car is now about 22 years old. 3 more and it could get Ohio Historical license plates (basically classic car plates).

If I can eventually get my large garage/workshop built that I want, I hope I can have some bigger projects to talk about with the black Monte.