Mein Corvette ist Deutsch: Now with more Axis powers

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MonkeyNutZ: Dec 26, 2008; "A cave isn't gonna cut it, we're going to have to use Beebo"

Seven years ago, before I was even old enough to drive, I did a dumb thing and bought a non-running partially disassembled classic car. A semi-rare, front mid-engine rear wheel drive coachbuilt German fastback coupe; a 1969 Opel GT.

It wasn't pretty, but I could see through the rust holes, missing parts, and horrible black spray paint to what it could be.

Granted, the interior had been baked into a crumbly mess by 20 years of desert heat in a California salvage yard and the transmission was sitting on the parcel tray behind the seats but dammit, it was mine.

Powered by a 1.9l "Cam In Head" engine (making 80 SAE gross horsepower in 1973) it's a weird cross between a cam in block and overhead cam to make it as short as possible for hood clearance. About three years into the project it became apparent that this engine wasn't salvageable; a blown head gasket, badly pitted cylinders, three completely circular cam lobes, and water passages made from solid rust sealed its fate long ago.

In 2008 (or '09, I can't remember) I started a project log here detailing my painfully slow progress stripping the car down in a cramped barn in the dead of winter. The plan at the time was to completely tear the car down, fix a few rust holes, and do a simple restoration with some light performance and livability upgrades. About a year in, progress stopped as I spent six incredibly tense months trying to get the car titled in Ohio. Eventually, with the help of a local Opel group, my car had a clean title.

With that sorted, work on the car started up again with renewed vigor. I started teaching myself how to fabricate and weld new patch panels from scratch, tore apart the suspension and refinished it with gloriously shiny POR, rebuilt the steering rack with all new bushings, and things started really moving along. Thanks to my new job mowing lawns and shoveling out horse barns I even started amassing a serious collection of shiny new parts:

and then suddenly it was on hold again. I moved away for college and the Opel sat sad and alone for five years, nothing but an empty shell.

In those five years I started college, worked for a year as a engineering intern at a company in western North Carolina, took up motorcycling, moved back to school to finish the last two years, graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in May, and finally got hired as a full time engineer and moved everything down to North Carolina in June. Everything except the Opel. Since it was a non-running vehicle, the moving company that was doing my relocation wouldn't ship it with the rest of my belongings and it had to stay behind.

That is, until my dad and brother lowered the dolly it was on by two feet and trailered it down here on Halloween:

Through a series of incredibly bizarre events, this car was directly responsible for me getting the internship that lead to my current position. I owe it one.

With that said,

Next up: Things are about to get... weird

MonkeyNutZ fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Dec 24, 2015

# ? Nov 12, 2015 03:40

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# ? Apr 18, 2024 06:17

Hypnolobster: Apr 12, 2007; What this sausage party needs is a big dollop of ketchup! Too bad I didn't make any.

Ground floor.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 03:44

Boaz MacPhereson: Jul 11, 2006; Day 12045 Ht10hands 180lbs
No Name
No lumps No Bumps Full life Clean
Two good eyes No Busted Limbs
Piss OK Genitals intact
Multiple scars Heals fast
O NEGATIVE HI OCTANE
UNIVERSAL DONOR
Lone Road Warrior Rundown
on the Powder Lakes V8
No guzzoline No supplies
ISOLATE PSYCHOTIC
Keep muzzled...

It's baaaaaack! YEEEESSSSSSS. :black101:

Hell yeah man. Can't wait.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 04:41

IOwnCalculus: Apr 2, 2003

MonkeyNutZ posted:

Next up: Things are about to get... weird:

If by weird you mean loving awesome, then yes.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 04:48

Chris Knight: Jun 5, 2002; me @ ur posts; Fun Shoe

Aw hell yeah. Always wondered what happened to it!

Friend of mine's older brother back in high school had a GT under a cover for ages. Never found out if he ever got the drat thing running.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 04:51

Dagen H: Mar 19, 2009; Hogertrafikomlaggningen

Boaz MacPhereson posted:

It's baaaaaack! YEEEESSSSSSS.

Hell yeah man. Can't wait.

Seconded.

Hypnolobster posted:

Ground floor.

Ummmm, no poo poo? :v:

# ? Nov 12, 2015 05:01

Seat Safety Switch: May 27, 2008; MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.; Pillbug

Weird stuff with an Opel sounds good to me.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 05:04

mafoose: Oct 30, 2006; volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs and vulvas and dogs and volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs and volvos and dongs and volvos and dons and volvos and dogs and volvos and cats and volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs and volvos and dogs

I've been waiting for this for too long!

# ? Nov 12, 2015 05:21

blk: Dec 19, 2009; .

quote:

Next up: Things are about to get... weird

Jesus, you know how to cliffhanger

# ? Nov 12, 2015 06:50

wargames: Mar 16, 2008; official yospos cat censor

AI needs more opel gt's, I know when ever I get employed(probably never) there will be another.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 08:04

scuz: Aug 29, 2003; You can't be angry ALL the time!; Fun Shoe

Spectacular setup, can't wait for the payoff.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 15:41

sean10mm: Jun 29, 2005; It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World

OK, I'll bite, what engine is that? :saddowns:

# ? Nov 12, 2015 16:06

Fo3: Feb 14, 2004; RAAAAARGH!!!! GIFT CARDS ARE FUCKING RETARDED!!!!

(I need a hug)

sean10mm posted:

OK, I'll bite, what engine is that?

I don't know for sure either.
Looks like a suzuki and it's g13b to me, but can't be can it?
Were proper suzuki swifts even sold in the US?
E: I know the gm product/metro etc didn't have the g13b

Fo3 fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Nov 12, 2015

# ? Nov 12, 2015 16:13

Suburban Dad: Jan 10, 2007; Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself

I remember reading the original thread and have wondered what happened to this car. Glad to see some updates!

Somebody fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Nov 12, 2015

# ? Nov 12, 2015 16:26

revmoo: May 25, 2006; #basta

quote:

In those five years I started college, worked for a year as a engineering intern at a company in western North Carolina, took up motorcycling, moved back to school to finish the last two years, graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in May, and finally got hired as a full time engineer and moved everything down to North Carolina in June.

God drat has it been five years since the last thread?

# ? Nov 12, 2015 17:00

CommieGIR: Aug 22, 2006; The blue glow is a feature, not a bug; Pillbug

Hey all, whats with the German in the thread title.....

.... :boom:

# ? Nov 12, 2015 17:13

atomicthumbs: Dec 26, 2010; We're in the business of extending man's senses.

MonkeyNutZ posted:

Next up: Things are about to get... weird

put... put a blower on it

# ? Nov 12, 2015 17:23

slidebite: Nov 6, 2005; Good egg

Larrymer posted:

Somebody fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Nov 12, 2015

# ? Nov 12, 2015 17:28

Dagen H: Mar 19, 2009; Hogertrafikomlaggningen

Nothing to see here.

Dagen H fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Nov 12, 2015

# ? Nov 12, 2015 17:32

Fender Anarchist: May 20, 2009; Fender Anarchist

I remember this was one of the projects going on back when I first registered, nice to see it back in action!

# ? Nov 12, 2015 17:34

buttcrackmenace: Nov 14, 2007; see its right there in the manual where it says; Grimey Drawer

Fo3 posted:

I don't know for sure either.
Looks like a suzuki and it's g13b to me, but can't be can it?
Were proper suzuki swifts even sold in the US?
E: I know the gm product/metro etc didn't have the g13b

the answer you seek is right there in the title where it says More Axis Powers

... bookmarked.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 18:24

CroatianAlzheimers: Jun 15, 2009; I can't remember why I'm mad at you...

gently caress yeah, let's get weird.

# ? Nov 12, 2015 19:45

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; Can't post for 10 years!

Yes! One of my favorite AI threads returns!

# ? Nov 12, 2015 22:29

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Hey, what's that Ford ute you have there?

# ? Nov 12, 2015 23:01

Raluek: Nov 3, 2006; WUT.

You Am I posted:

Hey, what's that Ford ute you have there?

Looks like a 70s Ranchero.

# ? Nov 13, 2015 01:03

Hypnolobster: Apr 12, 2007; What this sausage party needs is a big dollop of ketchup! Too bad I didn't make any.

Yeah, 74 Ranchero. It was hideously ugly, and there is/was a nasty big block in the basement destined for it, but it never happened which is probably good for a lot of reasons.

# ? Nov 13, 2015 01:06

Raluek: Nov 3, 2006; WUT.

Hypnolobster posted:

Yeah, 74 Ranchero. It was hideously ugly, and there is/was a nasty big block in the basement destined for it, but it never happened which is probably good for a lot of reasons.

Well, I know a guy with an Opel GT that needs a motor...

# ? Nov 13, 2015 01:12

Fo3: Feb 14, 2004; RAAAAARGH!!!! GIFT CARDS ARE FUCKING RETARDED!!!!

(I need a hug)

Hypnolobster posted:

Yeah, 74 Ranchero. It was hideously ugly

They'd look a lot better if they used the XA or XB falcon ute front.

# ? Nov 13, 2015 09:08

Kia Soul Enthusias: May 9, 2004; zoom-zoom; Toilet Rascal

MonkeyNutZ posted:

Next up: Things are about to get... weird

I didn't think they sold these in the U.S. At least one that new I mean.

Is it supposed to be a mystery ...? Why all the edited posts?

# ? Nov 13, 2015 13:32

MonkeyNutZ: Dec 26, 2008; "A cave isn't gonna cut it, we're going to have to use Beebo"

Just setting up the dramatic reveal, I'll get the next part posted this weekend.

Until then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVrzH9h-aH0

MonkeyNutZ fucked around with this message at 16:47 on Nov 13, 2015

# ? Nov 13, 2015 16:38

Kia Soul Enthusias: May 9, 2004; zoom-zoom; Toilet Rascal

oh I thought it was a Daihatsu haha

# ? Nov 13, 2015 17:05

Left Ventricle: Feb 24, 2006; Right aorta

The Swift/Metro 1.3 makes 70 hp, right? Isn't that a bit of a step down from the stock engine? Or will there be something added, and I'm getting ahead of the story?

# ? Nov 14, 2015 00:39

IOwnCalculus: Apr 2, 2003

An accurate and honest 70hp engine would, at worst, be a side-step from the generous SAE Gross rating on the original Opel 1.9.

# ? Nov 14, 2015 00:50

Kia Soul Enthusias: May 9, 2004; zoom-zoom; Toilet Rascal

Could you get the GT with the 1.1L that came in the Kadett? Anything would be a step up from that, although I hear it gets good mileage.

# ? Nov 14, 2015 01:03

NinjaTech: Sep 30, 2003; do you have any PANTIES

According to wikipedia the twin cam 1.3 is 100hp/83ftlb. Should be pretty fun in that light of a car.

# ? Nov 14, 2015 02:11

Left Ventricle: Feb 24, 2006; Right aorta

NinjaTech posted:

According to wikipedia the twin cam 1.3 is 100hp/83ftlb. Should be pretty fun in that light of a car.

Well blow me down. That's quite a bit beefier than I thought. I guess the Metro got the 70 hp single cam version then.

# ? Nov 14, 2015 02:23

MonkeyNutZ: Dec 26, 2008; "A cave isn't gonna cut it, we're going to have to use Beebo"

Why the engine swap you (didn't) ask? As I said, the original Opel engine was toast. If the block and head were salvageable it'd still be several thousand dollars just in parts to rebuild it to make 100hp at best. Coincidentally the same week I discovered the Opel engine wasn't worth saving a friend of mine had the front control arm mount tear out of his 1989 Mk2 Swift GTI at an autocross.

Fo3 nailed it.

He had a chassis not worth saving and learned my engine was shot at the same time. A few dollars changed hands and one beer fueled day of wrenching later we had completely stripped the Swift of everything I needed. As NinjaTech mentioned, rather than the pedestrian G13A and G13BA 8V SOHC engines, what I have is a G13B 16V DOHC beast:

1298 cubic centimeters of motorcycle engine inspired Japanese fury: 100 hp at 6,500 rpm (with a 7,400 rpm redline) and 83 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm, forged internals, 10:1 compression, aluminum block and head, gun drilled cams, and multipoint EFI. Most importantly it's one of the smallest and lightest engines I've ever seen, the cast iron Opel engine weighs more than double what this little Swift engine does. With a transmission to match it's over 200lbs in weight savings over the GTs drivetrain. 50% less weight and a 25% increase in power? Yes please.

Speaking of transmissions, the front wheel drive unit in the Swift simply won't do. Thankfully Suzuki are a crafty bunch; the Suzuki Samurai happens to have a 5 speed RWD transmission that bolts straight to the GTI block. A quick peek at craigslist and I managed to pick up this cute little Asian tranny for a mere $80:

As you'd expect with a cheap craigslist tranny, it had some issues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VepUNUhGDDA

With a small investment in bearing pullers and a 12 ton press I tore the thing completely apart and rebuilt it with all new bearings, seals, and synchros: