Red Line- Customers 45LV Resto Mod Build " Pope's rig"

[RLMS]

If that truly is a GM 302 it is a very unique engine and worth a significant sum to the right person. I surely wouldn’t toss it out with the scrap.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Michael B]

It was GM’s first aluminum small block.

 

[RLMS]

Date codes are correct, and comply with the VIN. So the Born on date is verified! Tear down reveals that the gears are in "MINT" condition. I have not come across very many gear sets in this kind of shape! We will be rebuilding this 3 speed trans and Transfer-case to its OE Glory. We make custom Brass bushings for the high low gears in the T Case to get all of the oil cl. numbers back to spec as well as the end play numbers! (90380-40026) Dead part number. All of the needle bearings will be verified for size and or distortion in the transmission. The tricky part on the transfer case is the VAC Dia Module.

 

[RLMS]

It was GM’s first aluminum small block.

well hell, than it had to be a 307. It was full cast iron. Sorry for the mishap. I suppose I read the head casting numbers wrong, or wrote them down wrong anyway!

Justin

 

[RLMS]

More of the J-30 tear down process.

 

[RLMS]

T case and Trans are tore down. Next is all the parts Documentation process. The hardest part of this, is the hardware. All of it gets put into a file with correlation photos, qty's and types as well as CAD plating and or PC.

 

[wngrog]

Subscribed

 

[RLMS]

While the hardware from the trans and t-case is getting de rusted and cleaned, We removed this sweet rear bumper "thingy" We all know too well that the LV's had a rear bumper that was far too undersized in strength, but I can't ever seem to recall seeing a straight one. This "farmer Bob" was a treat to remove! One could say he thought the same.

 

[RLMS]

Pope's rig never had a gas tank skid plate once the rear bumper was made. I'm assuming here, So I had one stashed away from my first ever 45lv I bought at mearl's when I was 17.

 

[RLMS]

Gas tank removal time. The straps actually survived! And the Tank was, well, really heavy. Going to take the tank to a specialist, to have about what I think is 24 years of hardened 3" deep gas/ varnish. It thickened the shop air with a nasty, just plain nasty bad gas smell. Worst we've come across. But by the looks of it, no holes......fingers crossed

 

[RLMS]

Free labor rust removal on the trans and t-case hardware. This for us, is a great way to save the up cost of the cad plater. He won't have to bead blast the hardware! It also gives a nice sheen for the plating! We are sending out sections of hardware at a time to the plater. We don't want to have a complicated " re bag-n-tag" process once we receive it all back. So sections of hardware out and then back in, makes it far easier for us!

 

[RLMS]

Tear down of the 78 rear rear 3rd member, we will use the housing. New gears, cryo'd and rem polished. Keeping the open diff's

 

[RLMS]

Pre bumper picture before removal.....sorry about that

 

[RLMS]

The "sweet" exhaust system in the rear. Whohaww

 

[RLMS]

"Shocking" Worlds first set of "Coil-overs" on a LV? Mabee...............

 

[wngrog]

Pre bumper picture before removal.....sorry about that

View attachment 2496967

The Texas Red 66 FJ40 had a bumper and receiver like that.

 

[RLMS]

The rear tank, is out, trans case, t-case case and hardware is under resto plating, and coatings. so we started to tear into the interior and document what we find as we find. First. The gaping hole in the dog house. Had a 3 on the floor conversion, So that will be delt with. The interior components are looking good. They didn't get too crazy with drilling holes all over etc.. We are going to restore the heater, make a custom OE looking fire wall matt. It should turn out good in the end!

 

[Tancruiser]

I’ll be watching this closely I’m building the almost identical rig, keep up the good work.

 

[RLMS]

Interior was also hiding a varmint food storage bank under the Rear heater. We are lucky, this old girl had some tools, the jack and some one had "fixed" the rear heater lines.

Justin

 

[RLMS]

At this point, we know we have a "trans tunnel" or what I call a "dog house" that has been modified for a floor shift, we want OE "3 on the tree" so off to the fab table. Since I don't want to kill my guys with a massive metal work load, I figured we would get one off the list now...

Justin