Tango's Ultimate Hot Rod House

TANGO · Administrator

My 1983 Monte Carlo

TANGO · Administrator

Here is were I started to replace the Stock open 2.93 7.5" Rear end with a 8.5" 3.73 Posi that came out of a 1987 442 that I owned . I Also installed SSM Lift Bar's with new Coil Springs and Shocks .

-- Edited by TANGO on Sunday 24th of April 2011 08:37:34 PM

TANGO · Administrator

It Needs all new Line . The Easy way is to Buy a
Pre-Made Brake Line Kit . But at $169.00 Bucks with out the Over Sized
Box Shipping Charge ? No Way ! So I went to the Local Auto Store and
Bought the Longest 1/4" and 3/6" Steel Line they had Total under $30.00
Bucks . I cut them down and Re-Flare them as Needed . I finished From
the Proportioning Valve to the Diff and to both Drums .

B-L.jpg picture by HOTRODHOUSE

-- Edited by TANGO on Sunday 24th of April 2011 08:36:47 PM

TANGO · Administrator

the 355 that I am running in my Monte Carlo .

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009.jpg picture by HOTRODHOUSE

011.jpg picture by HOTRODHOUSE

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-- Edited by TANGO on Sunday 24th of April 2011 08:42:35 PM

TANGO · Administrator

First Start up . Just to see how it Ran .

TANGO · Administrator

Test Run #2 with Engine Idle . You can hear that Cam Ha- biggrin

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TANGO · Administrator

Here is How them 305's Look Stock Wow ?

� Hope I don't need any of these Part's� biggrin

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Man that Engine Looks a Lot Smaller Now biggrin

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This is How I hold a Transmission�with no Engine in Place . Long Pipe with 2 Long 3/8" Bolts .��

TANGO · Administrator

I cut open the Heater Box and Removed the A/C Coil and Some other Un-needed A/C Parts . Made a Plate so I still can get some Heat out of this Heater Box .

COOL More room for My Headers or a BB

I did a Bit of trimming on the Trans Tunnel . I had one heck of a time removing that Bolt Before

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TANGO · Administrator

These Headers I bought at a Speed Shop back in 1995 . I bought them for a 1978 Camaro I owned . I never opened the Box Till today . They were on Sale back then . But not Cheap just over $100 Bucks .

From what I remember they are 1 5/8" Tube Headers . They Look a Little Larger to Me ? That's Ok with the Porting I did to the Heads this 355 will Like them .

TANGO · Administrator

Ok in with the New smile

Hey to all them G-Body Forums that Don't Know if the Early Headers Fit . They do but on the Right Side the Header is very Close to the Upper A-arm .

TANGO · Administrator

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TANGO · Administrator

One Time I asked the Guys at the Top Monte Carlo Forum What Radiator I could Up-Grade to ? Well I thought they Could Tell me Just Like the Headers ? They Said oh that Stock one will work Great ? Kind of thin to me ? Yes they Make Some High Dollar ones . Maybe I could Find a Budget Aluminum Type . Well I knew I had one in Storage . I think this one came out of a Late 70's Pontiac T/A 6.6 . To the Worlds Largest Monte SS Forum This one Fits

But I need to Buy a Late 70's Camaro Upper Radiator Hose for the Larger Radiator outlet . That's also a good thing .

TANGO · Administrator

I installed the new Battery Cables and 19" Flex Fan with 2" Spacer . Like one Guy Did remind me them Fans are very Sharp . I was Careful and did not Cut myself . First Start up with Engine in Car . My Good Friend T.J Made me that Cool Key Chain smile

Thank You�

TANGO · Administrator

Here are some Photos with that Pontiac T/A Radiator installed .

TANGO · Administrator

Check out this Dual�2-5/8"Gauge Set up I Bought for the Monte Carlo. It Looks real COOL �Like the Old Hot Rod Style . Also very Heavy and Well Made . And you Can't Beat the Price $31.95 Part # SUM-G2972�

Next I installed that Camaro Top Radiator Hose and topped it off with Coolant . No Leaks Cool� smile

Lets see how well these new Gauges work

Not Bad

TANGO · Administrator

Started out Pulling all the Front Brake off

Needed everything

The night before I went on line checking part cost and item #s . O'Reilly auto had the best price on my brake parts .

I paid $105.00 for all of the parts on the ground � smile

I went with organic pads just for now because they won't rust up from sitting . They are Dangerous to use and they do not stop well . Once this car hits the street and is dialed in . I will up-grade to Ceramic Pads . Here are the Old Rotor's�

Rotors are not cheap for these car's . I was going to take a trip to my Local Junk Yard and see what I could find . But O'Reilly had these made in china Rotor's for 24.99 each . I hope that the first time they get Hot they don't turn into Scrap Iron for the Metal Man ?

Next I did some cleaning of my Frame and used some Rust Converter on it . Not a Great idea to Let your car just sit for over 10 years . Yes it will take a lot of work and money to bring it back

Then some Chassis Black Paint . No I am not trying for 1st place in a Car Show biggrin

Now for the new front Brakes . I painted the hubs of the rotors if not tomorrow they would be Rust Brown .

Here is the Drivers side next is to make my steel front Brake Lines Eastwood had a Line kit that has the GM Large head type fittings .

TANGO · Administrator

I made both Front Brake Lines from the Caliper Hoses to the Proportioning Valve . They came out nice and it was not to bad of a job � smile

Well I filled up my Brake Master and the Brake Fluid was Raining Down ? Not from the New Lines ?� No from the Two Lines that come from the Master Cylinder to the Proportioning Valve ? Them two Lines Looked Fairly Clean ? Well were the hold down clamp went on the Frame . That's the Spot were they Rotted out hmm

Now these Line are a real Bear to change . And with this Engine re-installed and to make things worse Headers too . I had to cut flare and Bend them from a roll of Line . Yes I am told no one is making them for G-Body GM Car's B.O everywhere in the U.S.A �

. Yes I bitched but I can make them � biggrin

You want to try and take the Old Line's off in one Piece so you can match and make the new one's Like OEM .

This is the Tight spot ? the Bear of this Job �

I removed my Shift Linkage to make a Little more room to work .� yawn

this is why my hands are so messed up . To many year of all this fun stuff .

Here's a Close up Photo were I wiggled the Camera between the header .

Look's Like OEM Stock� biggrin

COOL .

TANGO · Administrator

Well a Corvette Guy that I know set me up with this Fresh Re-Built TH-350 that came out of his son's Totaled Camaro . Very Nice Guy gave me a real good deal on this Trans . And he said by the way that trans was built with a Shift Kit Hope that's Ok ? smile

I said thanks for letting me know that's even better news to me . I will be install my New Stall Speed and Cooler too .

TANGO · Administrator

As for this TH-350 holding up ? It should be ok but if this trans go out . My TH-400 Short Shaft is going in next . For now I have I will run this Converter . Later on going with a Bigger rear gear and Higher Stall Speed .

I am Old School and not much into Highway Cruising

3-Speed auto with stall Speed and 3.73-4.10 Gear is just right for what I want to do biggrin

Removed my TH-350C more fun yawn

That old Trans would not Lower with the Ear's on the Case hitting my Headers . Had to Loosing up One Header . Trans Fluid everywhere hmm

Also changed the Front Pump Seal and Flex Plate .

Hey that New Converter is kind of small for a 2800 Stall ? biggrin

Stock type 13" Converter on the Right .

TANGO · Administrator

I had to make some Tango Mods to my Shift Lever that goes on the Trans . The Stock Rod was much Smaller then the Stock Lever Hole ? I was going to used a Small pipe over the rod . But instead I weld two pieces off another Lever that was the Right Size but had the wrong angle .

Next was to Make my Stock Crossmember into a Dual Exhaust Crossmember . Them Catalog house's want up to $200.00 for one

This is how we made them before they made them . Notch out were the Pipe will Run and Weld a Plate were you had to Notch it out . I will wire Brush it and Paint it then I will install it .

The Stock Rubber type Trans Mount will not Live Long with much more then 350 Horse .

TANGO · Administrator

I installed my crossmember and shift Linkage with the Lever I did the mod's too . Work's nice smile

I have a New Pan with a Drain Plug and a High Flow TCI Filter that is going on next .

I Re-Built my stock Drive shaft for now . Thank's to FFR428 for the U-Joint that he had for a Buick G/N . He sent them to me to help out smile

I will see how this Drive shaft works out . If the Car leaves to Violently it will have to be changed before it blows off

Ran the new Tran's Lines as far away from the Headers as I could .

TANGO · Administrator

First I had to do some Body Work to my shinny new Trans pan . It was shipped to me Dented up . I was reimbursed for that part .

It's a Hayden Ultra-Cool #403 3/4" Thick x 7-1/2" x 12-3/4" . It's not a Bad Sized Cooler . I would say it will be Just Right for my Monte Carlo . I ran it Cooler to Trans Only with out the Radiator Hook up .

I do not Like to mount them right onto my Radiator . Here is the bracket I made . I think it came out good . And it's strong to .

TANGO · Administrator

I added my Trans Fluid did a Test run on Jack Stands . Found a Trans Line Leak fix it and Let it roll . Here I kicked it half way down biggrin

That Little 355 GM Iron head Engine don't run half bad ? biggrin

Man that Rubber smells� good�

TANGO · Administrator

I am Bummed out ran out of Money and Weather so I had to Park it in my Back Garage / Pole Barn . In the Spring it will get the Fuel Cell with #8 Line and Exhaust System . Also going with Moroso Trick Drag Rear Coils . Then It's Time to start Driving it

TANGO · Administrator

My 12 Gal RCI Fuel Cell and Line / Fittings Showed up today COOL .