budget v6 spider makeover - Page 5

**alfavulcan** · #61 (**permalink**) 05-29-2009, 08:44 PM

i guess my camera has a problem w/bright red. i just noticed how orange the photos are. yuk.

Alfasixnut · #62 (**permalink**) 05-29-2009, 11:04 PM

Good to see more progress - but I guess your "Rain" of Alfa parts and subsequent roof repairs took some time.....

**alfavulcan** · #63 (**permalink**) 06-04-2009, 05:26 PM

slow progress due to work issues. i started assembling the engine bay and started running the wiring harnesses where they need to go. one change i made you can see in the first photo is the use of a gas pedal assembly from a spica car. the throttle lever on the passenger side points up as opposed to the bosch lever pointing down and not lining up with the v6 throttle body. i still can't get the camera to get the color right. the bright red looks like hemi orange. i will re-install the dummy motor and trans soon and start on the headers. i have a set of shankle v6 header top halfs to start with. fun. i can hardly wait. not

**alfavulcan** · #64 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 10:59 PM

went saturday w/ jim and cut out taillight buckets from a 71 spider. i already had a rear bumper from a 71 or ?. i am still debating whether to leave the deck lid smooth or use the niki lauda style rear spoiler i have. i am leaning towards smooth but that means more holes to fill from the 87 spoiler. also started final smoothing of the front air dam so hopefully i can mount it in a week or so. slow process as i am also replacing the plywood core in the pilothouse of the sailboat. so many projects, so little time [ or was that....]

**alfavulcan** · #65 (**permalink**) 06-16-2009, 04:57 PM

mocking up for new sheetmetal for taillights. once it is sized to fit the cleaned up 71 tailight buckets will be tack welded amd the whole assenbly tack to the rear after the existing sheetmetal is opened up. the 71 lights mount lower than the series 3. also sinking in the holes along the rear that mounted the spoiler. i will probably tack in small metal circles and finish w filler. it will have to wait a couple of weeks going to dallas for 10 days work. hopefully get a chance to go by vick's. also a better shot of the seats. narrow on bottom, fits well. top flare will just barely rub top frame on passenger side, no problem on driver side. wish they had them in solid black, though.

**alfavulcan** · #66 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 06:17 PM

i was finally able to do some work after returning from dallas. i filled all the holes from the spoiler and uncovered rust under the plastic trim near the tailights and the trunk surround. about the only rust i found on the car other than a little in the spare tire well. not too bad. but now i have to go to kansas city for 3 weeks so work is on hold again. when you work for a utility company you follow the storms.

**alfavulcan** · #67 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 12:41 PM

i finally returned from kansas city last week and can start working on the spider again. i decided to repair the only real rust area on the car, the spare tire well. it had many pinholes rusted through. after grinding all paint and loose rust to bare metal as possible, i soaked the area with evaporust. that stuff works! i then painted over with 2 coats of por-15. then 3 layers of fiberglass cloth w/ marine epoxy. after sanding and some body filler to smooth it out, primer sealer and 3 coats of rubberized truck bed liner sprayed on. underside used heavy undercoating. i want to soon paint the trunk and door jambs. also will be reinstalling the dummy motor and trans to start on the headers. one big change i am considering is the new cast bellhousing that larry jr is coming out with. one less headache to engineer. wish i took some before shots

**alfavulcan** · #68 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 12:47 PM

photos did not load

**alfavulcan** · #69 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 05:42 PM

finally back in houston long enough to do something and fortunately its cooling down just enough to spend more than just a few minutes at time in the garage. i re-installed the motor and trans to check to new spica style throttle linkage. the vertical arm on the driver's side hit the back of the head and had to be trimmed, leaving enough for the return spring. i have a pile of various mandrel bent 1 1/2" tubing and flanges. i am starting on the driver's side as that side has more room. i am the worst welder in the world and am just going to tack everything and have a professional finish welding it. its amazing how many ways you get the pipe to point slightly wrong. trial and error. i am using hooker alignment sleeves to keep the tubes straight while welding.

PSk · #70 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 05:55 PM

Good work ... are we aiming for a factory or custom look?

Pete

**alfavulcan** · #71 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 07:17 PM

car has already been modified in its previous life as a 4 banger but will be shedding more of its 80's cladding.

**alfavulcan** · #72 (**permalink**) 09-17-2009, 06:22 PM

more header work today. cyl #6 is in and i am mocking up for #1. #1 is too close to fenderwell for my liking but i have some tight radius tubing on order. then i will redo that one and do cylinders 2 & 3. 2 will go down and snake between the drag link and crossmember. 3 will just exit down and back between 1 and 3. drivers side is much tighter than driver side. i have the 3 tube collectors but will probably take the car to a good muffler shop to tie the 3 tubes per side together as the bends are more complicated than simple 45 and 90 degree bends, after i have each tube tig-ed.

**alfavulcan** · #73 (**permalink**) 09-20-2009, 12:42 PM

recieved the tighter bend tubes and redid cyl 1. it is tighter to the motor now but i will still need to relocate the brake lines a bit higher. now for 2 and 3. so far everything clears fine with steering turned lock to lock. i wish i had these tighter bends when i did the drivers side. hindsight is 20-20. i have never built headers before so it is a bit slow but i really enjoy it so far

DonBeeson · #74 (**permalink**) 09-27-2009, 07:35 PM

Keep up the great work! Any updates in the past week?

Has this motor got anything special going on with it?

**alfavulcan** · #75 (**permalink**) 09-27-2009, 08:22 PM

thanks, don. the motor is fairly stock save for some minor cleaning up of the ports and some fairly aggressive cams i have for it. as of now i will use a milano verde harness and ecu's, but i have been eyeing a megasquirt set-up. i already have the milano set and also for a gtv-6, so one less expense. i would have finished the headers today but Ma Bell needed me.here is as far as i have gone on the driver's side. i mapped out another way to route #6 to the collector as opposed to these pics as the pieces just did not line up too well. hopefully i"ll have them done and ready for final welding by next weekend