Well, it's been quite a while since I updated this, but I conquered a big hurdle today. The engine is back into the car!
Nearly everything has been rebuilt or replaced. It currently has:
Rebuilt bottom end, 0.020 over with Wiseco forged pistons, refurbished stock rods, and the factory forged crank
stock rebuild "287" head from Randy, with a Cometic head gasket and the PT lifter mod
Stock replacement camshaft
Enforcer II Turbocharger with 0.48 A/R
Stock 2 piece intake, appears to have been ported to match the 52mm throttle body by the previous owner
Stock exhaust manifold, mild port by me and a high-temperature ceramic coat with TU 3" swingvalve
TU Deep well oil pan
Stock clutch for now. My stage 2 spec clutch was wrong and I ran out of time before I could get the right parts in hand.
Stock 555 5-speed, replaced external seals and gaskets.
Poly motor mounts from Johnny
Stock rebuild front suspension using poly bushings and mounts, KYB GR2 struts, moog ball joints, and rebuilt factory CV axles
Rear suspension is still in good shape, just cleaned it up a little bit.
As well as all this, I had my pizza wheels refinished by a company called Wheel Dr. up in Portland. It looks good, although I'm not 100% satisfied with how they turned out. Still miles better than how the were!
Things have been moving quickly as I'm going back to college and I'm taking the car with me. It has to be complete enough to, at least, roll onto a trailer.
My hope is that I've laid down a good foundation for me to get the car up and running again, with lots of room for more serious modding when it comes time to start really dialing in the performance and handling of the car.
In that vein, what are some things for me to look out for as I'm preparing the car for it's first start? Keep in mind that in the time I've owned this car, it has never ran, nor moved without the help of a tow truck. I know the entire vacuum system is questionable at best and likely has to be redone from scratch, but what are some other things to keep in mind so that everything goes smoothly?
Also, some of my bolts have gone missing since I took the car apart. Most of them aren't much trouble to replace, but I'm worried about the missing nut and bolt for the front motor mount (the one that goes through the mount bracket and polyurethane mount itself). Does anyone know what size this is?
Anyways, the next couple of months should be pretty busy. There's still a lot to do, but being able to finally drive the car will be a huge milestone.
Thanks,
Isaak