The CAM-Z: autocrossing a Z28

Small updates. Even for a temp installation I hated this. It's embarrassing.

So I fixed it.

Found an inline remote switch and re-routed all the wires around the shop to be a touch... neater. Still a temp solution but at least it looks like I cared.

Also installed a new cabinet. (that hanging wire is from before I re-routed them)

Just trying to make this space a bit more workable.

The Stealth Tank will be ordered from Summit's Black Friday sale. I was going to last year but the savings were meh, the as soon as the sale was over they upped the price $100. 

Also with the upcoming economic crash just a few months away, I figured I'd better get it sooner than later.

The Camaro got booted out into the cold so I could get some work done on the Volvo.

That's almost done now and we're getting ready for the big Fuel update.

The biggest and most expensive component arrived last night.

Flows 58 GPH and claims to support up to 600hp na.

Probably overkill, but it should future proof the build. 

For now, it's going to sit in the corner and get in the way.

Life has been unpleasant, and there have been delays. An injury at work has thrown all plans back by months.

Awesome.

With the current targets of the very well thought out tariffs being cars and car parts I'm anticipating an industry wide increase in prices. I went ahead and ordered the last of the big ticket items.

The most expensive item there is the 2 stage regulator. the wiring setup is from the same manufacturer as the tank and is designed specifically for adding that tank to a vehicle that doesn't currently have an electric pump. It should take the guesswork out of the process.

This isn't everything I will need, but it is the expensive stuff. I still need the lines, hoses, fittings and the access panel.

Progress is slow, but it is happening.

Oof... Hope it's a break and not a joint problem so it's over and done with. I'm just the other side of a bunch of injuries that kept piling up, so I'm rooting for you. 

I've been wondering about this car and how it's doing, and glad to see it hasn't been abandoned. I did a quick scan through the thread to find your redneck cosplay because I copied it a while back. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do. 

I keep forgetting how bad the fuel starve issues are on the '82-'84 carbureted F-bodies. Not just reserved for cornering! There was the factory fix (which took years to come about) and the Real Fixes.

A break would have been preferred but no. I have a Torn tricep tendon. Unpleasant. Because it's a tendon I have almost complete mobility in the arm, the hand has full functionality. there's no pain at all 99% of the time. But if I try to lift anything, or put any weight on it it's agony.

Not really anything to do about it either. Just take it easy and wait...

I spent some time under the hood yesterday to try and figure out where the regulator is going to end up. Not really a ton of space over there.

first thought was on the shock tower right above where the factory hardline terminate.

Sticks out pretty far and is pretty close to the headers.

Option 2 was to roll it back just a bit.

this gets it away from the headers but slightly complicates the hose routing. Not too much of an improvement.

I could mount it on the firewall

This would be nice and clean and keep it away from the headers, but again, tons of back and forth with the fuel lines.

The final option is this nice spot up front

Fits in there real nice. Be easy to make adjustments. But that is a busy corner with a coolant hose battery cables and a cutoff switch. Plus that's three fuel lines running right to the front corner of the car. That's just asking to die in a fireball.

If we look at the configuration of the regulator...

... we see that the fuel flows in the furthest portion of the regulator, and out one of the sides. The return flow exits from the bottom.

If I can make a side saddle bracket I could mount it slimwise on the shock tower with the end of the regulator facing the firewall.

with short jumper hoses connecting to the ends of the factory hardlines and one hose coming out the side and going straight across to the carb.

The factory bracket is pretty bare-bones 

But it shouldn't be too hard to rig up something a little more useful.

So that will be my next project. I can probably manage that with one arm.

The Regulator I bought on Friday is already $20 more. That's not a lot, but it's not nothing.

So another round of purchases and we're almost there.

New pump, new tank, new wiring harness, new relays, new stainless steel hardlines, new regulator, and huge pile of A/N fittings.

I've also got the UMI torque arm that's been in the garage for a while, but with the rear coming out to replace the tank now is the time to install that.

I still need the AN hoses (I won't know exactly what I'll need until everything else is in place) U-joints (while it's out) and whatever metal I'll need to make the trap door.

Speaking of metal, I picked up a small sheet of 0.125 6160 aluminum. I'll make the new fuel regulator bracket out of that and have it welded to the side of this Canton coolant reservoir. Not the way I want to do it but that location is absolutely perfect.

As always there are projects preventing projects from even getting started. Before I pull the car in I need to wrap up my workbench situation. I've absolutely outgrown my old service cart and it's time for a proper tool cabinet.

The plan is as follows. The Service cart will go away, maybe to be the pit box for the Lucky Dog team. A rolling cabinet will replace it. Unfortunately the cabinet is 4 inches too wide to fit with both benches, so the centre bench will get moved inside to my other workshop (the cosplay room) along with the wall cabinets above it.

Because we rent I can't hang the cabinet off the wall like I did out here. instead I'll need to hard mount it to the workbench, which means reinforcements.

One of my Lucky Dog teammates went above and beyond, helping me get the new cabinet home and in my garage.

Unfortunately when transferring all my tools into the new box I have already run out of room. The 15 inch side cabinet is on order, and the locker will likely get ordered as well, just to get all the power tools in one place.

file photo:

Basically this setup but without the top chest. And reversed.

Swimbo looked at it and said, might as well get another 42 inch cabinet and just go all the way across. My wallet whimpered, but I might do that.