My "Late Life Crisis"!

[Steve Shauger]

Well done! Now go and enjoy the heck out of it!

['69Novajoe]

So, first things first, out with the "old".....






The original M20 Muncie....



I really didn't know it was that "dirty" under all the "components"! It's kind of embarrassing!!



Now it's beginning to get real.....

['69Novajoe]

So, a few of the things I was going to provide for the engine were, new AFR heads #1040, 195cc, 65cc chambers with angle plugs, new Doug's headers #D323B (this is before I had them coated), the existing Comp stainless roller rockers, the existing MSD distributor, the existing Holley 750 double pumper carb and other miscellaneous parts.

['69Novajoe]

I decided too not reinstall the smog pump this time around but thought I would have the alternator refurbished by Ken Bruno.

Before.......







And after....

He did an amazing job and it looks great!!

['69Novajoe]

While the engine was out I had other things to contend with. I thought, if I was going to have 500 horsepower, I’d better refresh/upgrade a few things. I went with solid aluminum body mounts from Global West (#800) along with their tubular upper (#CT-79A) and lower (#CT79L) control arms and subframe connectors from Competition Engineering (#C3116).

[BJCHEV396]

Just read the whole thread Joe.Looks like you're doing her right.Keep up the good work and good luck! Following!!

['69Novajoe]

Control arms going in.....












I even took on the task of “rebuilding” and detailing the calipers, which, after a bath in Evaporust, turning out looking pretty good!!























One thing that was brought to my attention about the lower control arms was that they might not have a “bump stop” to prevent the steering from going too far. After bolting everything up, that was exactly the case!! When moving the wheel to full lock, the tire would hit the frame!! I called Global West and was told that, sure, I could just drill and tap the lower arm to accept some sort of stop!! Since I really didn’t want to do that, I asked my neighbor for some help. We came up with the solution of drilling and tapping the steering arm instead and it worked perfectly.

['69Novajoe]

Since everything was looking better, I thought I’m now committed to detailing most everything!! I ended up painting the springs a few times before I was okay with the color!!



Ended up with this....It might not be the "correct" color, but I like it!!



The steering box was seeping oil for some reason, so I had that rebuilt also!!

['69Novajoe]

I guess I got a little “out of sequence” with the pictures!! Here are the spindles before, during prep and after painting, along with the steering arms.









Also notice the new Hotchkis sway bar....



I had the backing plates and caliper brackets replated also.





Here are the subframe connectors going in. I made the mistake of undoing both sides at the front leaf-spring location and had a heck of a time getting them back together!!! Notice the "come-a-long" around the rear axle tube !!!!





Back to the engine. I had the block cleaned, masked off and painted good old Chevy Orange and then received a text message, with a picture and nothing else, from my engine builder. Who can guess what this is, why it’s bad and whose block it is?? No points for guessing correctly, just know that you’re knowledgeable in things mechanical....



I wish he would have waited until after he was working on the block to have me paint it, but that sometimes happens in the world of engine building?????? He just happened to have another small block laying around from the ‘70’s, had already sent it off to have it machined, and we were back in “business!”

[EZ Nova]

Stroker clearancing in the block that got into water passage?