Going to get the block from the machine shop tomorrow. Progress.

 

Be sure to junk punch him up in his man business.

 

lol, I'm riding with him, he is an old friend of mine, he just needed a little prodding I guess. I think we are going be putting it together this weekend as well.

 

Thats what a junk punch is. Friendly prodding.

 

Ha, ok, I'll give it a go. Got my block decked and squared to 9.00", all set to go, going to clean it up, paint it, chase some threads and assemble it over the next few days. It is getting painte a gunmetal color. I forgot the camera, I got to see my block get decked, and also to see a $130,000 valve job machine in action. It was really cool.

 

Went to the machine shop today and got to see the block getting decked. It was around 0.004" out front to back, took it down .025" to 9.000" deck height and chamfered the bores. I forgot my camera and my phone! Stupid. It was really cool. I also got to see a brand new $130,000 valve job machine in action. Fully programmable, it does the seat and down into the piston area, and can also do the chamber side some. Wow.

I got the block back to Voodoo Race Engineering and got to see my heads after being ported, tomorrow we are going to clean the block up, hone the lifter bores, pull the main studs and bottom tap them, chase everything and clean it up. Probably Monday it's getting painted a gunmetal color, hopefully built by tuesday! I'll get pics of all that. All rods are getting checked, clearances checked, a pro build and I get to learn the right way.

When I had it together before all I did was line the dots up for the cam install, it will all be right now. And being decked to zero, I won't have to use the 0.016" steel shim gaskets for the Vortecs and I can use a 0.040" regular one.

 

Sure glad your prodding worked Steve! Sounds like your friend is really giving the engine the full treatment!

 

Still trying to get our schedules to meet up to work on that engine. I just got my daughter a car so that has been screwing it up on my end. What I did get to today though was I cut the lower grill area out. The metal was done already, I cut the bumper pad, I'll get the urethane later.

This is how it goes. The center point was left in for strength. It could not go outboard any more because that is where the structural mounts are.

 

Interested to see what it looks like done. I always thought that would make a great spot for an intercooler.

 

I don't know if I've ever posted up any pics of the other "lightening" that has been done to the bumper. The brackets that hold the bumper to the subframe brackets were as long as the bumper, they are cut down now. Plus the extra supports on the backside of the bumper are gone, and the top is full of holes as well. I'll be getting G-Braces, and the bar that ties the front of the frame together going across in front of the sway bar so I'm not going to be lacking for structure. But this should save a few pounds.