The Virginia Muscle Car

(76 Vette, 350/180(+)hp - L48(+), Super T10 4 speed, 336)

Back in the late 1980s a friend and co-worker, Brian, said I was taking my job too serious by taking work home. He said I should get a hobby. He was right (thanks Brain). So about 1990 Jan gave the OK and Andy and I went looking for a 4 speed Vette. Andy took the above pictures just as we took possession of the car. It needed some work and I was willing. However, I did not realize how much work was involved. Although for the money and at the time, it was a good deal. Maybe I am a little too fussy about this car, but not as quite bad as another friend, Dan, who has several cars (67 Chey II, 63 Vette conv. and 32 deuce) he has been working on for several years ...

I have since rebuilt the 350 L48 (180hp) to something a little stronger and performed some general upgrading/maintainence. Kept the original cast 8.5 pistons, cast crank, and 2-bolt block. The machinist felt that the pistons were actually 9.0 compression and not 8.5, but I think he was wrong. To me they look like 8.5 and the original L48 specs called for 8.5. I used a local Manassaas machinist which was not the same machinist that setup the green Nomad's engine. This machinist also said the 2 bolt block would be good up to about 600 hp. This L48 engine is nowhere near that, but my L88 Nomad was (see Nomad section). The block did not have to be bored and the piston clearances came within LT-1 specs. This is with 125K miles on the car; it may have had a replacement engine or it could have had regular oil changes with gentle highway miles. The 76 cc heads were redone with stainless steel 2.02 valves (fuelie valves), heavy duty springs, screw-in-studs, larger steel exhaust seats, bronze guides, magnafluxed, and hot tanked. Replaced all the other engine parts in a typical rebuild, e.g., crank/rod/cam bearings, rings, oil pump, oil pump rod, fuel pump, fuel pump rod, push rods, rockers, and rocker lockdown nuts. Rebuilt the Quad a little hotter. Installed a new 327/350 - L79 Crane cam and lifters.

Went through the drive train and suspension upgrading and replacing parts, e.g., rotors/hubs, rebuilt calipers, brake pads, wheel bearing and seals, U-joints, rear tires and rims, Borg and Warner clutch, and rear HD leaf spring. Other parts that need normal maintenance have also been rebuilt/replaced, e.g., radiator, plugs, cap, rotor, coil, spark plug wires, alternator, water pump, temperature sending units, air and oil filters, drive train fluids, starter and solenoid, and an ignition switch.

There are other parts that I have replaced or intend to replace soon. 76 Vettes have a terrible time with certain items rusting out; the radiator support is one of these items and it has been replaced. In addition, new interior parts were purchased which included door panels, carpet, seat backs, hand brake console unit, and a dash pad cover. Have yet to install a front bumper cover, chrome headers, Hurst Shifter (from an eBay purchase), and timing gears (verses a timing chain). Looking to buy chambered exhaust that mount under the car (verses sidepipes). Since sidepipes were not an option on the 1976 Vette, I feel they would look funny if installed. Except for the catalytic converter, I ripped out all the pollution stuff because now the car is older than 25 years so an emission system is longer required. The cat will be eliminated later as part of installing a chambered exhaust system. Also looking to replace the ERG valve and seat covers.

As far as painting and body work go, it has been slow. I am shooting coats of black lacquer and hand rubbing it. In the above photo, the left rear quarter panel is just about done - no orange peel. Still have to do the rest of the car. Personally, I am finding that painting is a chore. When I attended a car show in Manassas many years ago, I had the art of using a sanding board on a Vette body explained to me by some ole geezer. He showed me how to follow the lines of the body and straighten out imperfections. We also crawled under his 71 Vette so he could show me where half of the rear clip was replaced and how he had joined the two halves. And as far as bondo is concerned, Andy said to replace any putty with original material, i.e., resin and matt, and I did, except for a couple of small places.

I have done everything myself, except for the engine machine work. However, I did mic and plastic gauge everything before assembling the motor to make sure clearances were neither too loose nor too tight. I assembled this motor with the same care that I took with the L88 that I had about thirty five years ago. The L88 held up for four years with constant pounding before I had to sell it to get money for college. It was still in great shape when I sold it. I also took it apart occasionally to check bearing surfaces and clearances. Never had to replace anything major - just plugs, wires, and the like. I will probably go through this same paranoid behavior with this motor once it is on the road, i.e., taking it apart from time to time just to satisfy a nagging question of mine - is it OK? Hopefully this small block motor will hold up as well as the big block did. This is the first small block Chevy motor that I have personally built/rebuilt and I can't wait to listen to that famous small block Chevy whine that Bill and Andy where always talking about those many years ago. Finally made it guys - took me a little while. You know, I was thinking of how easy it would be to install a L88 rat(aluminum even). It would be easier than a Nomad!

Recently, I have been adjusting the front bumper's framework. I have the bumper off the car as you can see in the above photo (Yes it does run - the drive train is completed). Although, I will probably rebuild the read end and transmission at some point. They are OK for now. I would like to go through the process if rebuilding these items myself for the shear fun of it. However, dealing with the smell of old trans fluid is not my idea of having fun. Hate that smell. Once when I swapped out the Nomad’s Chevy rear end for that of a Pontiac rear end, I had accidentally spilled most of the old fluid all over my overalls and had gotten soaked to the bone with this old evil smelling stuff. I was so blackened by this fluid that I wazs not permitted to come into the house until I washed off using a complete bottle of dish washer soap and a garden hose. It took me weeks of scrubbing to finally get the smell out of my skin. Back to the above picture, I was thinking of putting it all back together that night, but noticed a couple of places that needed a little straightening. As you can see by the shinny paint, I have replaced the radiator support. I have also prepared the bumper cover for priming.

Right Side Fenderwell and Frame Beat Up and Welded
(Probably a result of curb hopping and not unusal for a car of this age.)

Right now I am trying to determine if the original front sway bar was slightly bent. I just want to spend a little time measuring things. Since I am looking into the frontend, I have replaced the A-arm bushings(TRW/Federal Mogal), Ball joints(TRW/Federal Mogal), front springs(Mid America), and swaybar(Eckler). Decided to stick with the GM rubber style bushings rather than the new style polys. Good enough for GM of the 60's and 70's, its good enough for me, besides TRW/Federal Mogal makes a good product. Bought HD F41 front coils spings (Big Block springs) to match the rear HD leaf spring and a new HD one inch swaybar. All parts went together well except for the swaybar - This is the first time I have done frontend work. Kind of fun but took me a while.

Talked to Classic Automotive about the frame and my suspecions that it might have to be straightened. They said it was not problem; if it needs adjustment they can fix. Eddie said that often times when a frame is straighened the ripples smooth right out. So I'll take it to them after I finish assembling what I have taken apart and do a little more painting so as not to embarrass myself in front of them.

Dan said I should paint the A-arms and frame while I am rebuilding the fontend suspension. He suggested starting with Rust-oleum Satin Black and a top coat of John Deere Blitz Black. This is what he is using on the front suspension of his 67 Chevy II. He is using a tooth bush to clean some of the parts like brake tubing - afraid I am not going to this extreme. The Rust-oleum will hold the any rust a bay. The Blitz Black is supposed to be equivalent to the GM Frame Black - but at much reduced price. It repels water (you can wash it), does not fade, and will keep its luster for years, i.e., that's why it is used on John Deere tractors .... Have not had this much fun since I worked on the green Nomad 35 years ago ... mental therapy ...

Back together again - front suspension rebuilt (mostly). Sits a little higher in the front, as you would suspect it should. However, the front right wheel does not sit just right in the wheel well. Probably 3/8s of an inch up and back - thus a frame adjustment is needed from Classic Automotive. This adjustment will also not doubt solve my swaybar issue: the sway bar mouting points have about 3/8 of an inch difference in height - thus the new swaybar does not mount properly (all due to curb hopping). A restoration book indicated that Vettes having been in front end collesions sometimes bend their frames at the dog ears. This must be where the damage was done on the 76's frame ... the dog ears ... Heck I might have called it the pig ears ... :)

Family has gotten involved too. Some wives are great. My school teacher wife helped me put the assembled engine and trans into the body. I tried to do it by myself with an engine hoist but couldn't. Years ago, I would phone Bill or Andy and ask for their help. Now they are not in the area so calling them was out of the question. But with Janet's help, it took a little under 10 minutes (just the bolts in the motor mounts). For each summer since about 1990, I have said I would have it on the road. I am getting closer, however family comes first. I was hoping to drive the kids to high school in the morning with this Vette, but it did not work out. They are grown now. Recently, I got tired of waiting for the mechanic to finish with this Vette, so we bought the 85 Vette. (I'm the mechanic.) Jan has been pretty good about things. She is not a nag and she has told me that it was OK for me to have a mid-life crisis. I chuckled and said, "nah it isn't that - I don't care what people think; I have always been this way about cars and I just did not show it." The poor girl did not know what she was getting into when she got married! And Andy - he sure gives me hell for not having the 76 on the road. It a hobby more than a car.

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Background music is "Money" by Pink Floyd (a copyright and duty free synthesized version). ~Bob

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