[Berg]

Update: The Black car got a master cylinder, a few brake lines and wheel cylinders for safety and to pass inspection. It seems when the car sits for a long time the pedal gets very spongy. I noticed it was wet around the master cylinder piston by the booster. I also noticed a few of the lines looked pretty crusty. I planned on replacing all lines and hoses but I'm on a budget and plan on selling the car so I just used some parts store brake lines and wheel cylinders and a Fenco rebuild for the master. It is nice having a brake pedal again. I swapped the trunklid back out for the one with the repaint and bondo so I can keep the mint one for the SS. I cleaned up the hood hinges and painted them with cast blast and lubed up the contact points with white lithium grease and they have never worked better. I gave a whack on the rivets and it seemed to take the slop out of them too. I cleaned up everything under the hood and am debating on swapping on an Edelbrock Performer with a Holley carb and HEI distributor I have. I'll throw the stock stuff in the trunk for whoever buys it.
For the SS I decided to clean up the 454 and paint it up Chevy Orange. I set up the power steering stuff and the alternator and bent up a new hard line with 2 short rubber pieces and an inline filter for the Quadrajet. I cleaned out the carb and replaced the accelerator pump and gaskets. I gave away my non-EGR intake with my other engine (not thinking) and gave away a used MSD box I had out of a truck that I could have put into the other Chevelle. Oh well. I put the flex fan on and made sure my pulley setup from a 1986 Chevy K30 was good to go. I have a 100 or 105amp 12SI alternator with serpentine pulley and since the wires were cut near the radiator support going to the alternator I used a piece of a harness for the 12SI up to that point. I spliced them and put a piece of plastic wire loom on them for now until I wrap up the harness with tape. I used the regulator bypass so I wouldn't have to cut the factory plug off in case I ever want to go back to the external regulator. The Oil pan I have is a deep sump and the sump is longer than the Chevelle pan so it hit the crossmember. I found a new pan and dipstick with tube and checked the height of the pickup for the oil pump. Installed sending units and dropped in HEI distributor. I slapped a set of Moroso valve covers and air cleaner on it so I don't destroy my MT finned aluminum covers while working on it. The upgrades look clean and don't take away from the originality too much. I also got ahead of myself and put the SS wheels on the car too. I just had to do it. I put the 14" Rally Sport wheels back on the black car and I still have my 15" RS rims in the event I feel like running some nice rubber on them. The roll-arounds are now going on my friends 55 Chevy so he can get it in the garage. I have a busy weekend coming up but I'm hoping I have the time to put on the new wheel cylinders and rebuilt calipers and rebuilt master I have for it. I'll stick the original stuff in the boxes as it all looks to be factory GM original. I'm up to figuring out the transmission stuff now since the car came with a TH400. I'm debating on finding another crossmember for the 4 speed because the TH400 one doesn't seem to line up too well. I also have to change out the yoke to a 27 spline since I have an early Muncie but the driveshaft length itself will be fine. I'm holding off on ordering the parking brake cable kit until the trans is bolted in its final location. In the other car I was planning on running a bench seat with a floor shifter so now I have to buy a new floor hump with boot and retainer to go along with the console shifter. I'm running low on money and time and I'd like to use my boat this summer so I will probably be slowing down again. I'd just like to get it running and driving. It will keep me playing with it and doing all the stupid little things. At this point it is looking like next March or April before it goes in for Quarter panel and roof skin work. I'd also like to strip down the surface rust and shoot it in primer to preserve it.