The Project Pad

My new to me “project!

Long read, longer project!

Had been looking for another 200 20V to replace my 450k pearl white. Bought it for $2000 and drove it for ten years and 250k! Didn’t lose any money on that one! Added upgrades over the ten years and wanted another 20V as not to lose some of my good parts!!!!

After six months and lots of searching I found a Glacier Blue one in Nevada (Craigslist). Original adult owner, garage kept and looked clean in pictures received! After numerous emails I ended up buying it. Price was fair, but then had to get it trucked to NY. That was a fiasco, but in early February it arrived. It was even better than I had hoped for. Still has paint on suspension bits underneath and almost no rust (unheard of in the northeast!)

Owner sent the title, extra keys and bonus: Original bill of sale and window sticker!!!!

Was still driving the pearl, but started getting real funky when any boost. Was hoping to drive it longer while I sorted out the new one, but didn’t work out! Of course I ended up with the flu, so lost over a week of “work time” on the new one.

Had my son come over and tear down to the timing belt and start stripping out good upgrades off of the pearl.

Rear Bilsteins, euros and relays, boost gage, ECU, samcos, Forge BPV, crank breather, swap wheels, etc….

Installed new timing belt, wp, idler etc. Replaced ALL vacuum hoses. Installed Samcos, New plugs, cap, rotor and new narrow tip rotor. Had good Bosch wires, left them. O34 crank breather hose from other car. Avus 16”s and tires from old car (215-55-16’s)

Leatheriqued the nautical blue leather and cleaned carpet and interior. (Wife busted me cleaning the hood liner last Sunday!) She mentioned that the closet (my stuff) needed cleaned but I told her the dirt on the liner was probably 20 years old and took priority. Of course also cleaned engine and bay area!

Still had the Bose system and factory installed CD changer in trunk! Rear amps had been replaced under warranty (have documents) but front speakers weren’t working. Have another parts car besides the one I’m replacing and of the six amps I had only one worked. After lots of research on replacing caps and part numbers needed I discovered that Maximas and infinity’s (95-99) had comparable amps! (info on corvette forums) Thirty dollars and a week later I installed the Nissan amp and have a fully functioning Bose system. I do have a replacement aftermarket set-up in the last car, but had too much other stuff to do with-out installing.

Finally able to use my Chuck strut bar! Repainted brackets and bar. Last 200 had a replacement brake booster, turned out to be a different length and was never able to use the bar. This (new one) car had been aligned previously and owner sent paper work. Adjustment was maxxed out, but camber with-in specs. Installed and cranked slightly and gained 1/16” between struts. Will drive some and get camber checked prior to alignment so I‘ll know if I need to go more! Debating going with powerflex for the outer lca/swaybar bushings prior to alignment. Definitely replace prior one way or the other (stock rubber or poly)

Splurged and got some Konis for the front. Seriously considered some H&R’s, but roads are pretty ugly in upstate NY! Splurged again and got a short shifter. Short shifter directions said 1-2 hours….yeah, right. Only able to get full reduction after drilling and dropping shift rod yoke.

Had a friend buff out the original paint. Some scratches and nicks, a lot of which came out. Need to see about getting some dings taken out though. Not quite sure how PO took such good care of the car, yet so many little dings??

Avus rims I had gotten from my son many years ago, they’re now pretty beat up/bent. Found a set of 16” fuchs locally and got them. Great price until I checked them on the balancer and one was bent! Just bought another and waiting for it to arrive. Still reasonable price. Had the other three media blasted and ordered a bunch of Wurth paint stuff. Now I’m getting into not so reasonable price for the set! Hope to get them painted this weekend. Will be ordering Conti DWS06’s this week, 225/50/16. I know many go 17’s and up, but at the shop I see a lot of bent 17’s due to not much sidewall and too many potholes and frost heaves!!!!

Left to do: Need a blue glove box handle

Once chipped ECU in need to see if clutch is okay. If not, spec stage 1 in pearl will come out and get installed. Hoping not, cause this thrash has taken forever!!!

And, would like different exhaust. Posted below elsewhere, would welcome input!

Pondering my exhaust options. Not so fond of the Stebro sound, my son has it on his modded 5000. Only mods engine wise is chipped. (apx 280hp). This is DD, no further performance will be sought after! (have my 450hp Camaro if i need more!)

My previous 200 (recently finally died) had gutted cats and leaky resonator pipes. Little loud, but not terrible.

Had been thinking through various options (Which i had planned to do on the last 200)......

Have a bender at work, but largest i can bend is 2.5". If i go 3" i have to take to another shop, more cost

Tentative plan is: Mod down-pipe to connect to single 2.5. (Fabricated bends welded in) 2.5 single pipe back to "resonator" (borla or magnaflow) continuing onto rear borla or magnaflow. Both locations will be the largest case i can fit to lower drone/noise.

Realize most use 3", but i don't need to support 800hp, only 280. Would think cats delete and free flowing exhaust would allow 2.5 to be adequate

I do have two 3" in/out magnaflows that were on the Camaro, could always fabricate adapters to drop to 2.5! But they're the small case (14")

Guess that’s enough for now! Will add more as I remember….

Eric

Welcome!! Get some photos up when you can. Sounds like a good score!

Can't wait to see the pics!

So, no pics yet. Back from trip and car is/was ready to drive.... Had my son mount and balance the new Contis on the 16x8 Fuchs i refinished right before trip.

We got back and had co for Easter. Told my #2 son to run to the store with the 200 and he leaves, and comes right back inside! Starter's making noise.... Sure enough, it is! We pull the starter yesterday (have the parts car starter, still in car) and turns out the end of the nose cone broke off! So, i can see the piece lodged in behind the clutch and try to get it out. It finally falls down low and i can't see it. Have my son turn the crank trying to move the piece, lo and behold, tooth is missing on the flywheel.... So, parts car with pretty new Spec clutch will go under the knife this weekend. Have another flywheel out, but may as well change out the clutch and recently resurfaced flywheel in the parts car.

And, while i''ve got the exhaust out may as well go ahead with my exhaust fabrication! Will fab up down-pipe with bends and run 2.5 pipe and two large borlas (one in resonator position and one rear) Going with the 19" pro-xs...

And, while it's down guess I'll send injectors out as i suspect I've got a drippy injector which is causing long warm starts....

At some point i may be able to drive this? Argh... 40's in a bag is right down the road and my son is all over me to bring it this year!!!!

So, spec clutch and flywheel with all the teeth are in and everything back together! Towed it back home from the shop as the injectors weren't back yet! Had noted on the order form that i might have injector leak down, but when returned the flow sheet didn't mention anything found along those lines. I did vacuum test pressure regulator, holds vacuum.

Installed injectors and new fuel filter. Cranked, checked for good connections, then started... Seems to run better (also new ox sensor). Let the car run for a while to let all the greasy hand prints burn off the exhaust and then shut off.

Hour or so later went to go for a test drive, car started to turn over than acted like hydro static lock! Wouldn't crank.... Tried turning crank, but couldn't get the socket in bar easily! Argh...

Put it in third and pushed car backwards.... Turned over slowly, so tried starting... Cranked, then fired after a bit with some smoke...

To the question: Easiest way to deal with return line? Will pull injector rail and injectors. Can i just disconnect return line and find a solid bolt to install in place of banjo bolt? Or, will that put too much pressure on injectors while checking for drips/leakdown?

No, haven't pulled plugs as of yet, just put injectors in before dark!

Little back story:

Have been working on car since Beginning of march switching upgrade parts, etc. Only drove twice, always had hot start issue after sitting for a bit.

Around Easter son drove the car for a bit, then came home and parked for a hour or so. Asked him to go to store quick, he came right back in and said starter acting up. I went out and starter was making racket..... Pulled out the next day and nose cone broken off and behind clutch. then discovered broken flywheel tooth.

Hadn't experienced the lock prior, but very little run time since i started working on it! Had chalked up starter/flywheel issue to Bendix (felt rough) but maybe it did lock when it crapped out?

Guess I'll pull plugs after running and some "bleed down time" and look, but may be tough to see. If the leaker cyl has the piston down in the hole probably impossible. And not real keen on cranking with plugs out to see which hole makes the geyser????

Don't think return line will reach. But, could pull a feed line off the parts car and attach once rail out and regulator removed and re-positioned?

Thoughts?

Eric

So, dug into my supposed injector issue tonight! Pulled injectors out w/rail and started removing regulator so i could hook the return line with rail swung over...

Pulled off the FPR vacuum line and wala, a large gush of gas!!! Had tested with a mityvac and it held vacuum, guess 43lbs trumps 28" vacuum.

Pulled the FPR off the parts vehicle (recently retired!) and installed. Saw a puddle of gas in injector hole and siphoned out with a small vacuum hose. Pulled #5 plug as that was the first runner by the vacuum port and cranked over a bit. Some spray, but not too bad.

Changed the oil after a good warmup even though i didn't observe any increase in the oil level.

Car now starts as it should.....

After a bit of thought i decided to check the ECU water trap.... and of course, it was half full of gas. Was tempted to put in the chipped ecu, but decided to wait a bit. Been through everything on this car, but need some road time to make sure.

Looks like 40's in a bag will be do-able!