'73 Chevelle SS Wagon (local find)

[Turbo4whl]

Well, I set out to fix the exhaust this evening. Things snowballed.....

I'm not sure how it even ran. The left bank was deprived of 90% exhaust flow, lol.

The intake manifold heat cross over was very busy...

 

[bucket]

The intake manifold heat cross over was very busy...

Now that you mention it, that probably explains what I considered to be excessive engine compartment heat after a drive.

 

[bucket]

Well, hindsight is 20/20.

It's been a long time since I installed headers on a car, while the engine was in place. I'm over it. Playing mostly with trucks the last 10 years has evidently spoiled me. Cars suck, lol. Right now I am SO wishing that I had just decided to cobble up a dual exhaust system to work with the factory manifolds. But there ain't no turning back now.

I got the right side manifold out. I made a new brake line. The header refused to go into place without removing the big honkin' original starter. While trying to jockey that thing around, I yanked too hard on a couple wires. Had to fix said wires. Removed the starter. Installed right side header. Realized I no longer had a late model, small-body starter to use. Chose to install a reman starter in place of the ancient and oil soaked starter. Now that I've done that, Lord knows the reman starter will soon fail.

But both headers are now installed and so is the newer starter and my new brake line.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I never got a confirmation email that my parts were shipped today. I probably won't have them tomorrow. I'll probably just wash the 454 SS tomorrow so I can drive it to the cruise-in on Thursday.

But on the plus side, I'm still amazed with the fasteners on this car. Everything comes unscrewed like it should. All those bumper bolts a while back, they zipped right out. The frame strut rods, those bolts came right out. Exhaust manifold bolts... zipped right off. LF brake bleeder... opened right up. Everything comes undone with minimal fuss and it's a nice change of pace.

Also surprising to see, the brake bleeders still have the factory dust caps on them. The driveshaft has the original nylon-retained u-joints in it too. It must be mostly highway miles on the car.

 

[Goldie Driver]

Well, hindsight is 20/20.

It's been a long time since I installed headers on a car, while the engine was in place. I'm over it. Playing mostly with trucks the last 10 years has evidently spoiled me. Cars suck, lol. Right now I am SO wishing that I had just decided to cobble up a dual exhaust system to work with the factory manifolds. But there ain't no turning back now.

I got the right side manifold out. I made a new brake line. The header refused to go into place without removing the big honkin' original starter. While trying to jockey that thing around, I yanked too hard on a couple wires. Had to fix said wires. Removed the starter. Installed right side header. Realized I no longer had a late model, small-body starter to use. Chose to install a reman starter in place of the ancient and oil soaked starter. Now that I've done that, Lord knows the reman starter will soon fail.

But both headers are now installed and so is the newer starter and my new brake line.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I never got a confirmation email that my parts were shipped today. I probably won't have them tomorrow. I'll probably just wash the 454 SS tomorrow so I can drive it to the cruise-in on Thursday.

But on the plus side, I'm still amazed with the fasteners on this car. Everything comes unscrewed like it should. All those bumper bolts a while back, they zipped right out. The frame strut rods, those bolts came right out. Exhaust manifold bolts... zipped right off. LF brake bleeder... opened right up. Everything comes undone with minimal fuss and it's a nice change of pace.

Also surprising to see, the brake bleeders still have the factory dust caps on them. The driveshaft has the original nylon-retained u-joints in it too. It must be mostly highway miles on the car.

LOL on the headers - we have had 1 truck that had them on when we bought it, a '75 GMC 2wd 1/2 ton.

Flanges hung down kind of low, seems like I was always tightening the bolts, and plug changes were more difficult. It was a 350 2bbl so why the headers were installed = who knows.

But ...

made removing the engine easier as I was able to tie the exhaust off on either side of the engine bay.

 

[bucket]

I've got no gripes with headers in general. I've not had many issues with them. Good gaskets, hardware, etc get rid of a lot of issues. Since I've started running Chevelle and Nova type headers on the trucks, there's no more low hanging collectors.

But anyway, the parts came from Summit this evening. The headers and exhaust are on the car now. It sounds really good too. I should have ordered another length of pipe, but I had just enough on hand already to make it work.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

It's still not done yet though. If I want to make it to the cruise-in tomorrow, I'm gonna have to skip a few hours at work tomorrow. The RF wheel still needs bled. The exhaust still needs hangers at the rear and I'd like to put some temporary turndowns on it too. Also, upon startup, transmission fluid went EVERYWHERE because the transmission cooler lines must not have liked being disturbed during the starter install. So I at least need to run some hoses to the cooler in the radiator because I don't want to drive the car with the lines simply looped together.

Oh yeah, and the newer starter turns the engine noticeably slower than the old crudy one, lol.

 

[bucket]

Well today I decided I'd just skip work so I could spend time with the kids (and car, lol).

It's all buttoned up and roadworthy again, and it got a bath. I really regret putting on the newer starter though, it's a complete POS compared to the one I removed. If I can get a couple weeks out of it, I'll just replace it with a '95+ truck starter.

Here's the exhaust under the car, before the hangers were put on:

You must be registered for see images attach

Side view, with hangers. There's a pretty significant ridge in my driveway and there's still a lot of header clearance:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

All cleaned up again:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

It's been a while since I washed something this often.

 

[82sbshortbed]

Well today I decided I'd just skip work so I could spend time with the kids (and car, lol).

It's all buttoned up and roadworthy again, and it got a bath. I really regret putting on the newer starter though, it's a complete POS compared to the one I removed. If I can get a couple weeks out of it, I'll just replace it with a '95+ truck starter.

Here's the exhaust under the car, before the hangers were put on:

You must be registered for see images attach

Side view, with hangers. There's a pretty significant ridge in my driveway and there's still a lot of header clearance:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

All cleaned up again:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

It's been a while since I washed something this often.

That rust looks like my square doors. Lol

 

[Rusty Nail]

I'm wondering to myself "why does this damned Chevelle thread keep topping? Wtf is goin on in there anyways?"

Holy **** he bought it.
That's way coooooool dude.

 

[idahovette]

@bucket ,used to wash my Chevelle every day. Noon on my lunch break, into the dealership detail/wash bay. Wash, dry and vacuum the interior. Helped that my future Bride worked in the bank drive-in window right next door!!.......like I said before that wagon of yours grows on ya.......amazing looking thing after sitting for years!!!!

 

[bucket]

I went to the cruise-in, the car got a lot more attention this time. There was at least 10 people I talked to that said they recognized the car and where I got it from. There were 4 or 5 that said they had stopped in that little car lot and asked about buying the car. I guess there was a lot more people interested in it than I thought. The guy that runs said car lot was there at the show too.

Also, I was pleased to hear from several people that liked the fact that I'm just driving the car and showing it as it is, with no immediate plans to restore it. But I need some kind of sign or brochure picture or something... I overheard a few people talking about the SS emblems and how "They didn't make those, someone just stuck them on there". But all in all, it was a great evening for the car and I put about 70 miles on it.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I'm wondering to myself "why does this damned Chevelle thread keep topping? Wtf is goin on in there anyways?"

Holy **** he bought it.
That's way coooooool dude.

Welcome to the party @Rusty Nail Better late than never

 

[DoubleDingo]

I went to the cruise-in, the car got a lot more attention this time. There was at least 10 people I talked to that said they recognized the car and where I got it from. There were 4 or 5 that said they had stopped in that little car lot and asked about buying the car. I guess there was a lot more people interested in it than I thought. The guy that runs said car lot was there at the show too.

Also, I was pleased to hear from several people that liked the fact that I'm just driving the car and showing it as it is, with no immediate plans to restore it. But I need some kind of sign or brochure picture or something... I overheard a few people talking about the SS emblems and how "They didn't make those, someone just stuck them on there". But all in all, it was a great evening for the car and I put about 70 miles on it.

Come on, tell us how much better it ran, how much better it sounds. Post a video, something...lol... I'm not a fan of headers myself, but I do like how they look hanging down just under the frame and the pipes running out like that. Reminds me of my '56 Chevy in high school, it had headers that the stepdad put on it before mom ditched his ass for being an a-hole-e-o. It had stock suspension so it rode a little higher, and those headers hanging down, when viewed from the front just looked damn cool, like fangs.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Ida bought the **** outta that car too!

 

[Rusty Nail]

I overheard a few people talking about the SS emblems and how "They didn't make those, someone just stuck them on there".

Lol more for you! But how am I supposed to get one now?
There sure as hell ain't one for sale here - I already looked. They made a 454SS wagon! Parts are available for yours, it don't take much lookin.
Production was VERY LOW , I think ya done good Cubo.

Haters are gonna hate.

 

[bucket]

Come on, tell us how much better it ran, how much better it sounds. Post a video, something...lol... I'm not a fan of headers myself, but I do like how they look hanging down just under the frame and the pipes running out like that. Reminds me of my '56 Chevy in high school, it had headers that the stepdad put on it before mom ditched his ass for being an a-hole-e-o. It had stock suspension so it rode a little higher, and those headers hanging down, when viewed from the front just looked damn cool, like fangs.

Honestly, it doesn't seem like it runs any better now or even gained any power. Other than a tip-in stumble that it still has, it ran well before. I guess a single 2" pipe and the heat crossover is enough to support the lowly 350 with a two barrel, lol. It definitely sounds much better than before though! It has a little bit of popping when idling in park or neutral and I believe that is due to two things. 1, the exhaust is a bit oversized (I got what Summit had in stock and ready to ship) and there's no tailpipes. 2, I still haven't went through and done any tuning at all. Haven't even set the timing or idle mixture. The plugs look great, but the wires are old garbage. The currently installed distributor is an old Accel unit with no vacuum advance which probably works well, but I'd like to have a vac advance distributor w/electronic ignition that looks like the original points distributor. But anyway, when I get the tuning all where I want it, that should clean up the idle quality a good bit.

Lol more for you! But how am I supposed to get one now?
There sure as hell ain't one for sale here - I already looked. They made a 454SS wagon! Parts are available for yours, it don't take much lookin.
Production was VERY LOW , I think ya done good Cubo.

Haters are gonna hate.

Besides this one, the last SS wagon I saw was a dark red one in Columbus back around '00. I talked to one guy at the show that had last seen one in Columbus in the mid 90's, a white one. Then I talked to another guy that apparently is a judge for various Chevy shows, and he said the last one he saw was somewhere in PA back in the late 80's.