V8 Project Update, Ready for the 2025 Season Options

[FL000]

Hi World, I am moving on to the next phase of my project, and have enough things planned that I will call it phase 2. Hopefully this thread will motivate me to see it through quicker, and maybe help someone else at the same time.

Phase 1 was my 7 year adventure taking a banged up 73 roller and installing a SBC, renegade kit, and Sheridan body kit. Here is basically what it looks like now



Had fun driving it for a summer and a winter, then realized I am ready to start the next round of upgrades. The list in no particular order and consists of:
Heat and a/c
Audi 01E install
Fuel injection
Boxster brakes
Fix passenger door gap

Time and money varies, so no timeline for when it will get done, but my wife's 62 Lincoln is next in line so I do have some encouragement to finish!

[FL000]

Been a few months since I have done much work but I have been having fun driving! A/C seems to be working well but may need a few more tweaks down the road. Went on a long road trip last month and the cab got heat soaked; AC was still blowing cold but it was getting hot inside. If anyone has any ideas I am open ears, and I am thinking a couple of things may help:

1) I need to make a panel to seal off the opening between my radiator and forward bulkhead in front of the gas tank so the hot air only escapes through the cutouts by the tires. Relying on my fiberglass hood to do that job isn't working well, especially at speed when the increased pressure is pushing the hood up.

2) Additional thermo mat in the cab couldn't hurt. I have a decent amount on the floors, the front/rear firewall, and inside the doors. I forgot to put some under the targa top.

[76-914]

Been a few months since I have done much work but I have been having fun driving! A/C seems to be working well but may need a few more tweaks down the road. Went on a long road trip last month and the cab got heat soaked; AC was still blowing cold but it was getting hot inside. If anyone has any ideas I am open ears, and I am thinking a couple of things may help:

1) I need to make a panel to seal off the opening between my radiator and forward bulkhead in front of the gas tank so the hot air only escapes through the cutouts by the tires. Relying on my fiberglass hood to do that job isn't working well, especially at speed when the increased pressure is pushing the hood up.

2) Additional thermo mat in the cab couldn't hurt. I have a decent amount on the floors, the front/rear firewall, and inside the doors. I forgot to put some under the targa top.

Oh yes. BTDT. In my case the tank would get so hot that the gas, being pre-heated, would vapor lock after 45 minutes or so unless it was cold outside. I chased it for months before realizing I had created the problem. I ran 4500 miles w/o a problem until I changed radiators in anticipation of a future AC install. And along with the larger radiator I increase the opening in the grille thus violating the 20% rule which I had adhered to during the original conversion. My intake allowed too much air into the trunk and the excess would escape over the gas tank and into the cabin. What seems like heat soak in the cabin happens when the heated air from the radiator is passing over a tank full of hot gasoline. You'll need to balance that out by increasing your fender well outlets or ducting your intake air out the fender wells. If increasing the fender well cutouts doesn't work you need to get a pressure differential gage to check that the there is negative side (the area where the wheels are) and a positive area in the trunk. I've read comments about flares interfering with this but cannot confirm as there just isn't much reliable info out there. I can say that every conversion I've been in has some "overflow" of warm air into the cabin. If you duct and it is sealed you will have 0% overflow. This was the best thing I ever did to mine. The AC was the 2nd best improvement. I choose aluminum because I had a little experience with it and all the tools to do so. Otherwise, I might have chosen some flexible AC/Heat duct or canvas. Canvas being the more durable of the two and less likely to tear. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[theer]

Been a few months since I have done much work but I have been having fun driving! A/C seems to be working well but may need a few more tweaks down the road. Went on a long road trip last month and the cab got heat soaked; AC was still blowing cold but it was getting hot inside. If anyone has any ideas I am open ears, and I am thinking a couple of things may help:

1) I need to make a panel to seal off the opening between my radiator and forward bulkhead in front of the gas tank so the hot air only escapes through the cutouts by the tires. Relying on my fiberglass hood to do that job isn't working well, especially at speed when the increased pressure is pushing the hood up.

2) Additional thermo mat in the cab couldn't hurt. I have a decent amount on the floors, the front/rear firewall, and inside the doors. I forgot to put some under the targa top.

Oh yes. BTDT. In my case the tank would get so hot that the gas, being pre-heated, would vapor lock after 45 minutes or so unless it was cold outside. I chased it for months before realizing I had created the problem. I ran 4500 miles w/o a problem until I changed radiators in anticipation of a future AC install. And along with the larger radiator I increase the opening in the grille thus violating the 20% rule which I had adhered to during the original conversion. My intake allowed too much air into the trunk and the excess would escape over the gas tank and into the cabin. What seems like heat soak in the cabin happens when the heated air from the radiator is passing over a tank full of hot gasoline. You'll need to balance that out by increasing your fender well outlets or ducting your intake air out the fender wells. If increasing the fender well cutouts doesn't work you need to get a pressure differential gage to check that the there is negative side (the area where the wheels are) and a positive area in the trunk. I've read comments about flares interfering with this but cannot confirm as there just isn't much reliable info out there. I can say that every conversion I've been in has some "overflow" of warm air into the cabin. If you duct and it is sealed you will have 0% overflow. This was the best thing I ever did to mine. The AC was the 2nd best improvement. I choose aluminum because I had a little experience with it and all the tools to do so. Otherwise, I might have chosen some flexible AC/Heat duct or canvas. Canvas being the more durable of the two and less likely to tear. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) I have the same issue on my Subie conversion. The bulkhead seal makes a big difference, if you can get it to seal. Also, make sure to close off all the original heat/fresh air holes. That’s how the hot air is getting in the cabin. I saw that You currently have an AC hose coming in through one, so that might be tricky. If you’ve taken out the original fresh air blower and diverter valves, you’ll have eight openings to block off- 4 on each side: a round opening by the fender wall where the hot air came from the stock motor; above it a smaller round hole for the side dash vents; oval hole where the diverter valves were mounted; And, the defroster openings. Maddog makes a kit to seal off all the openings except the defrosters. Without the air box installed, outside air will come though the cowl grill and into the cabin through all those, and any other, openings. I was surprised how much air gets in, even with the roof on and windows closed.