Problems and Progess

 Well, we blew up the driver's side inboard CV joint on the rear axle. Not entirely clear what happened, but our guess is we shortened that axle just a tad too much, so upon full droop of that rear corner of the car, we overstressed the joint. We think. We put one of the original longer axles back into the car and will see what happens when pushed hard again. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, a full punchlist of remaining work was created and a couple of simpler elements were knocked out. Niether of these were parrticuarly pressing, but are on the list and any progress is good progress.

First up was a sheet metal duct plate that directs exit air from the back of the radiator down and out of the car; i.e., to keep the hot radiator air from migrating up and warming the intercooler.

And second, some simple covers for the rear upper shock/spring mounts were made from aluminum sheet metal:

Springs and Shocks and Woot!

 Springs and shocks were installed with all new grade-8 hardware. We then took her out to begin shaking down any/all issues. Still needs dyno-tuning, improved brakes, a proper alignment, etc... but boy, is she already q.u.i.c.k. Love it!

Odds and Ends...

Got some odds and ends done this week while we wait for springs and shocks to show up. Sheet metal cover for the tunnel was completed (with insulation), as was the under-dash firewall and tidying up of wiring. Coolant system overflow tube was fabbed and installed. The engine was run for about 30-minutes in the Arizona heat with no overheating. Hopefully, suspension pieces show up soon so we can get her back into a drivable state.

Interior Sheet Metal

 While we wait for delivery of the springs and shocks, some progress was made on the interior. Specifically, the tunnel sheet metal cover was fabbed. It will be held in place with a series of small screws that will tie into nutserts on the frame. The shifter will get a leather boot at some point in the near future. (And yes, the seats are in desparate need of re-upholstery/re-covering....)

Keeping Cool

 Overflow catch-can is now complete; Joe created a work of art. Radiator shroud is next up in the queue. Southern Arizona is a friggin' hot place to live, so anything/everything we can do to keep the engine temps in check are worth the effort.