Eparmo's Phase 3 Rebuild Progress - Updates From The Garage

OK, so here we are, 2014. Eparmo is 37 years old, and she's starting to show her age. Her yellow is getting faded. She has stress cracks. Her underside is getting rusty, and is covered in road crud and old oil, tar, and yuck. All the new steering, suspension, and brake parts I put on in 99 are chipping paint, and getting rough looking. Hell, even some of the steering parts are starting to weep fluid again.

I need to do something about the power wall I hit because of the undersized carb (see my hints link for a discussion of proper carb CFM sizing), and I need to deal with the barfing TCI TH350. In neither of the 2 previous rebuilds did I do anything with the rear-end, or the trailing arms, and the trailing arms definitely need some attention.

Over the last 10+ years I sold off my 70 GTO Judge, and my 69 Firebird Convertible, as well as all my other cars and projects. Eparmo is all that's left. So, 2014 dawned and I decided it's time to put her back on the road with one big, last, top to bottom, rebuild, and customization.

I'm going to pull out the interior, and re-carpet, and re-seal the cockpit. Pull off the body and send it to the shop for a new coat of yellow, and stress crack repair. While the body is off I'm going to strip it down to the frame, sand blast everything, re-coat and paint all the parts. Install a re-built rear, a set of trailing arms, and a new stainless fuel tank that's designed for fuel injection ( i.e., has baffles, a internal fuel pump, and w/ a return line set-up). Drop in a modern 700R4 4 speed overdrive transmission and converter, along with a custom made shortened drive shaft. To top off the previously built up engine I'm fixing the breathing problem with a Edelbrock sequential, multi-port, fuel injection, system, a EFI compatibal, drop in, distributor from Mallory, and a Multiple Spark Discharge system 6A with Blaster 3 coil from MSD. To get rid of the exhaust I'm going to install the Hooker headers and Side-pipes I bought a couple of years ago, but never got around to installing. And Finally...... Once it's all back together I'm going to put on some 21st century 18 inch Nitrous 5 wheels from Foose, and 4 offset Michelin Pilot A/S 3 UHP tires. Keep an eye on this web site for pictures, status, and updates on the project!! You can check the "links" page for references to all my vendors, and parts I'm using.

---DAILY UPDATES BELOW---

Cleaned out the garage, Replaced the motor on my Ingersol T30 Compressor (the original shorted out!!), and got Eparmo into the garage!

Tore out the interior, Got the hood off, and started to disconnect all the underhood connections that tether the engine/frame to the body. See today's pics:

Today was the Big Bucks Day! I ordered the Edelbrock SMPFI system and all the new engine parts from Race-Mart. Ordered the 700R4 and all the related tranny parts from Bowtie OD. Ordered the Mallory distributor from Mallory via Amazon. (Got a $200 price break that way!) Ordered the New poly body mounts and trailing arm mounts from Zip Products. And, finally the Foose Nitrous 5 18x8.5 wheels from Wheels for Less. That's enough for now! Time to get Eparmo stripped down so I can use the parts. Also need to marshall all my tools, and get some new ones.

I finished all the underhood and topside connection removal, and put Eparmo up on the lift and started on all the underside connections. See today's pics:

No work on Eparmo this weekend, BUT I did clean out the shed so I could get access to my sandblaster, arbor-press, and engine crane. Plus, I had a bunch of ancillary stuff out there I needed. See today's pics:

It's been a while since I entered an update. The whole project has gotten put on hold because I got laid off from my job on 7/2.

I've been in FULL-TIME job hunt mode since then, and have not been thinking about the resto. While I've been job hunting all the parts I ordered back at the end of May have arrived. The EFI System showed up from Race-Mart after I had to file all those complaints, AND threaten them with criminal charges!

The "Bowtie Xmission is here as well as the Foose wheels, and all the other piece/parts & tools. I just need to get the last few body to frame connections undone, and lift the body. Then it's off to the races.

Just hope to score a new job soon, and then I can get back to extra-curricular activities!

Still job hunting! I'm a BSEE/Systems Engineer with 30 years of experience, and I've not even had an interview in the last 3 months! When people tell you we have a shortage of "High Tech." workers, believe me, it's BS! I have about 5 other close friends/peers in the same boat as I am. Why? Because I'm 50YO, and I screw up a Co's health insurance curves, AND with 30 years of experience I actually expect a living wage for my skills. These days they want to pay pennies on the dollar for your time!! They won't hire young people cuz they have "too little" experience, and the won't hire us older people cuz we have "too much" experience. i.e., we cost too much. I get calls for work, but they literally offer me 1/2 of what I was making at my last job! HAH! I DO Have some pride! So, let me tell you there are plenty of very well trained, high tech. workers out there. We just aren't desirable to the Big Corps. Cuz they can buy an H1-B visa from India for 1/3 the cost, and work them 24x7, or beat some poor slob to death for pennies on the dollar of what they're worth.

RANT OVER

As for Eparmo, I've been spending most of my days job hunting, or working on an R&D project for a friend of mine in silicon valley. Eparmo is in the back of the queue. However, now that temps are cooled off here in WV. Maybe it's time to get back in the garage, and get that body popped off!! It's only a few wrench turns away.

Here are some pics from recent days to chew on....

EMAIL: vette@eparmo.com