These photos show the engine compartment after cleaning and the battery tray corrosion.

Once we got the old 305 out, the tedious task of cleaning the engine compartment started. I removed the front crossmember and the two large supports that bolt on with the front sway bar. I removed the motor mount support plates (I probably won't be using them if the Big Block Chevy motor plate works OK. The battery tray spot welds were drilled out to remove the tray since the battery will be mounted in a sealed box in the back. Battery Acid corrosion was found where the tray was. The corrosion was ground with a wire wheel and rust dissolving acid was used to get down to bare metal. The area was then coated with heavy duty primer. 

Day 7   Body Work

Pass. side floor rust   The Monza after seven days. Restoring rusted areas and straightening the doors.

Even though I am nowhere near the engine building stage of the project, I purchased a set of Big Block Headers for the Monza. I bought them used from a member of the H-Body Association. I only bought them since finding a used set of Hooker Super Competition Monza headers for a Big Block Chevy is pretty impossible and it allowed me to save some money.  Here is a picture of them:

The new 'glass nose from Unlimited Performance Products.

Two of the passenger side header tubes go up over the frame rail near the brake line which will be moved. The drivers side is supposed to tuck between the steering shaft and the block. I can't wait to see that work. Actually, since I am using a motor plate and have removed the factory motor mount supports, there just may be enough room. I've considered a custom crossmember that will allow a rack and pinion steering system. That would give me all the clearance I would need plus save some serious weight. By the way, those primary tubes are 2 1/8" ID. The factory Y-pipe was only 2"!! These headers have 3 1/2" ID collectors which I will run into a 3" exhaust system.

Next Page... More body work pics (quarter panels)

More Monza and Vega (H-body) information
 
 

For more Monza information visit the H-Body Owner's Association at http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/gmhbody or  http://www.inwave.com/~bacchus/HBOA/.

Also visit Bob Gumm's Building a V-8 Monza at  http://www.v8monza.com .