2 Mar 2013
Prepare to Do Work

So not that productive of a day. Lots of planning and prep work to do, which is now (to an extent) done.
The lower column brace bracket (whatever you call it) from the stock 69 column does indeed fit correctly for the 2000 Trans Am column I'm putting in.  The screws to hold it all together are #12x1" (I had to go buy some).  Here the column is mounted, even though I'll have to pull it all back apart when I mount the clutch master.  I'm one short on #12 screws, but it probably won't matter as the far-right screw hole will likely not exist in the altered firewall.
Used the drill press to enlarge the bottom two bolt-holes in the AFX clutch master bracket.  Now it fits, but needs paint (in general, not from the drill press)
Mounted the booster to the bracket too.  Almost looks like progress, but this too will need to come off so I'm not sure why I did it.
So on the AC box - I don't like the little notch that I put in the firewall, I want to close that back up - but the LSx-era coil is larger than the stock box will fit, so I'll need to adjust the box if I'm going that way.  I am assuming that fiberglass works for repairs on these.  It better, since I already cut the hole for the lines here.

Note that the pointy bolt on the coil packs is far too close to the box and will need to be replaced with a normal bolt, as well.
So note the body mount thing between where the fan goes and the rest of the box.  I know the fan chamber can't grow without ruining airflow, and I also figure that it can't get much bigger near that mount lest it interfere with the fender.. so I'm thinking to slit the whole box at the red line and expand it however much is appropriate for this coil.

Conveniently enough, I have a spare (unmolested) complete AC box so if this doesn't work out, I can just swap that one out.
I need to get a new cup for the TIG.  Last time I tried, Airgas sold me the wrong ones. Here's what the correct one looks like, and what the torch looks like.  It's a WeldCraft WP17, and hopefully with that information I can get a few extra of the correct cups.

I also need to repair this flappy-thing.  The hinge has seen better days, and the vacuum canister bracket is broken.  Figure I can make a linkage, not sure yet how to fix the hinge.
And then I spent hours cleaning the work area.  Not that you can really tell, but there was a lot of stuff on the left side of the picture that has been put away now (a couple of tool boxes, a full size drill press, a lot of garbage).  This should make future work easier.

The tube sticking out of the window contains the window chrome - it's a heavy cardboard tube from a roll of linoleum so should protect everything well.  I need to seal the ends and put it up in the attic.

So I spent a little bit of money: I ordered the headers (Hedman 68534). They're uncoated LS1 headers for a 2000 Camaro/TA, and they have the EGR/AIR ports so at the very least I'll have that to rework. With those, and finishing the firewall rust repair/paint, I'll be ready to put the front clip back on (which doesn't mean it'd run - still need electric and fuel and cooling and different accessories). Need to finish the frame welding too.

Additionally, I found, bought, and installed the band saw blade I needed so hopefully I can now cut metal without having to put the blade back on the pulleys every half inch.

I am not really sure how the package tray repair is going to go. I *know* that it doesn't have to be perfect; that I can get it close and cover the panel with vinyl or something, but that doesn't seem "right" and I'm thinking that I want to do the package tray the same as the dash - eggshell black paint. We'll see how it goes.

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