Wallace18's GTM build Thread

[wallace18]

Well it is official, I now own a GTM kit and 2002 Corvette donor parts and G96 transaxle. I bought this all from Wrobert who originally ordered the kit in Jan. 2016 but has had a change in plans. The donor stuff is at his home and storage shed in Roanoke, VA. The kit is still at FFR. My plan is to pickup the donor stuff on Feb. 4th and the kit on Feb. 6th. This will allow me to finish up a customer MK4 and get close to finish up a 818E for another customer. I will not start work on the GTM till all my customer cars are done. I am super excited about this build. I dreamed of building one of these for 3 years now. I have been fortunate to build 3-818S's, 2- MK4's, a Type 65 and a 33 Hot Rod so far. This will complete my portfolio so to speak on FFR kits, LOL. I relize this is going to be more complex, but I feel up to the task. My plans are to do a completely new drivetrain and a E-Rod engine so the car will be 50 state legal as far as emissions. I will use some of the stuff off of the LS1 but will sell what I don't use later down the road. Once I get the copy of the build sheet I will post what comes with the kit from FFR. I still have to send a check to FFR to pay off what is still owed on the kit and then all will be ready for me on Feb. 6th. Somehow I always end up at FFR in Jan. or Feb. I am sure I will miss my warm Florida weather. Wish me luck! LOL. :cool:

[Courtnie Provencher]

Excited to see you again though! :)

[Vette1972]

Well it is official, I now own a GTM kit and 2002 Corvette donor parts and G96 transaxle. I bought this all from Wrobert who originally ordered the kit in Jan. 2016 but has had a change in plans. The donor stuff is at his home and storage shed in Roanoke, VA. The kit is still at FFR. My plan is to pickup the donor stuff on Feb. 4th and the kit on Feb. 6th. This will allow me to finish up a customer MK4 and get close to finish up a 818E for another customer. I will not start work on the GTM till all my customer cars are done. I am super excited about this build. I dreamed of building one of these for 3 years now. I have been fortunate to build 3-818S's, 2- MK4's, a Type 65 and a 33 Hot Rod so far. This will complete my portfolio so to speak on FFR kits, LOL. I relize this is going to be more complex, but I feel up to the task. My plans are to do a completely new drivetrain and a E-Rod engine so the car will be 50 state legal as far as emissions. I will use some of the stuff off of the LS1 but will sell what I don't use later down the road. Once I get the copy of the build sheet I will post what comes with the kit from FFR. I still have to send a check to FFR to pay off what is still owed on the kit and then all will be ready for me on Feb. 6th. Somehow I always end up at FFR in Jan. or Feb. I am sure I will miss my warm Florida weather. Wish me luck! LOL. :cool:

Wow! It will be interesting to see a GTM built from the start. I'm sure you will do a great job as I have seen your other build threads. Good Luck! :D Len

[BN]

Cant wait to see it in person I bought the Manuel 6 year ago but no car yet congrat tom

[wallace18]

Got a copy of the build sheet from Dan at FFR yesterday.

GTM-GEN II
F14 Titanium 18" wheels
Heat/AC-GTM
GTM Cold air intake
GTM roof scoop
GTM Telescoping column kit
GTM Adjustable rod end kit
GTM seat delete. - Lucky for me I have a set of GTM seats we did not use in the 818E build I am doing. God was looking out for me here. Too much of a coincidence!:cool:

[wallace18]

After doing a bunch of research over the last few days I have changed my mind about going with the E-Rod LS3 motor. I have no experience with the LS engines. I have a ton with GEN 1 SBC and SBF. After a bunch of reading and talking with guys who have a lot of experience with these LS engines I am going to use the LS1 from the 2002 donor Vette and do a cam, spring swap and buy a PSI wiring harness for the LS1. I can get an easy 400HP this way and use most of what I have and keep my cost way down vs the LS3. I feel 400HP is plenty and since the donor only had 77K on it it has plenty of life left in it. I will be buying some stuff from the FFR Vendor VRaptor SpeedWorks. Thanks to all that helped me out with the E-rod LS3 info. Maybe go that route down the road with a customer build in the future.

Had a great time talking to Rollin's Automotive in Gainesville, FL. today 1/3/17. They are a local speed shop I buy speed parts from time to time. They do a ton of drag race engines and have a lot of LS experience. For a very reasonable fee they will totally go through my LS1 and make it better than new and produce well over 400HP. By the time i buy the special tools and parts I thought I may need they can do my motor work while I stay busy on the kit. They have a great reputation in the area so I feel comfortable doing this deal. I will still save a ton of money vs the E-Rod LS3. They are excited about being part of a GTM build as it has been on their radar for a few years. Who knows maybe they will buy a GTM kit down the road?

[RDRP]

Congratulations on the new GTM. I am looking forward, as always, to your build thread. Your work is fantastic!

[Aso544]

Monitoring!!!

[wallace18]

Well I am all packed and fueled up for my GTM outing. Customer cars are all done. I plan on leaving around 12AM 2/4/17. Should be in Roanoke VA around noon to get the Corvette donor parts from Robert. I will spend the night somewhere North of there. Then I am off to my brother Curt in State College PA. Watch the Super bowl and spend his Birthday with him for the first time in 35 years. Monday i hope to be at FFR around 2PM and pick up my kit and have the ECM reflashed. Then head back home Tuesday morning. Weather outlook is kind of up in the air but I hope it will be OK. I am really excited to get going on this build. This has been a dream of mine to build a GTM for the last 3 years.

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[WIS89]

Tom-

Safe travels, and good luck getting everything you need! I am excited to watch this build come together.

Regards,

Steve

[wallace18]

As in all my builds I try to buy some stuff from the FFR forum Vendors. I bought the following from Vraptorsspeedworks. http://vraptorspeedworks.com
Shane is wonderful to deal with.

Louvered belly pan center narrow panel
NACA belly pan small trapezoid assembled
Gen II front grill
GTM aluminum front splitter
LS Serpentine belt tensioner complete kit
Cable shifter mounting bracket
Fuel tank cross over kit for 2002 Vette donor tanks
Center console trim plate
A/C blower relocate plenum
Cam Bolt washers
Weld in tie down brackets
Aluminum GTM engine cover.

Unfortunately Raceline could not get any parts I ordered to me for personal reasons of the owner.

I am going to go with a G50/20 993 C2 transaxle and all the needed parts from Vertex Automotive in Miami.


From PSI I bought a stand alone LS1 harness modified for reverse intake with A/C and cruise control additions.
https://www.psiconversion.com/products/

I think I have a good start on parts. I like to have as much in hand when I start a build. I really am stoked on building this car!

[wallace18]

Made it to Roanoke Ok and picked up Corvette donor parts from Robert. Very nice young man. Made it to Staunton VA and staying overnight. Should make it to Penn State by noon. Very tired. :p

[neswes]

Good luck Tom I'll be watching

[wallace18]

Made it to Penn State yesterday about noon. Took my brother Curt out for his 67th birthday. Left 4:00 AM this morning and got to FFR about 2:30 PM. Loaded up kit and met with Sally,Nate,Dave, Tony and lots of the guys at FFR. Always a great visit feels like family. Saw snow on way up. Everything but engine, transaxle and fuel tanks fit in trailer. The prior in my pickup bed. Leaving at 4:00AM back to PSU for B-Ball game with Curt. Then to home on Wednesday morning early. I averaged 16.8 MPG. Not bad for a 3.0L diesel 1500 P/U, lol.:p

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[Shawn818c]

congrats! Excited to watch this build as the GTM is how I originally found FFR.

[wallace18]

Made it to Penn State safe. I had to leave at 1:30 AM on Tuesday to beat the ice storm out of Wareham, MA. Watched Penn State beat Maryland in a great B-Ball game with my brother Curt. Left this morning at 4:00AM and made it home safe by 9:15 PM. 2970 miles later, LOL. Will unload and start inventory tomorrow. Also will load up my customers 818E for when I get my inspection date to title it. I somehow stay very busy, LOL.

[wallace18]

Today I unloaded my truck and trailer. Yes, I can do it all by myself, LOL. I jack up the chassis and install a dolly under it and roll it out onto my lift. Plastic bins are donor parts and cardboard boxes are FFR parts. I started on making my GTM body buck instead of inventory. Here is some pics.

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[wallace18]

Finished up the body buck and had my Hot Rod friends come over to put body on buck. I had to rearrange the whole barn some but now everything is in its place and I can start inventory soon.

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[wallace18]

Finished up inventory of all the FFR parts boxes this morning. 32 parts missing and 1 damaged. About par for the course. I know they will make good on all of it. I now have to inventory the donor parts. I did not have time to do a thorough check when loading them up. Hopefully I will be OK.

[WIS89]

Tom-

Everything looks great! I am really looking forward to following along.

I hope all the donor parts exceed your expectations, and things go smoothly.

I like the body buck you made. That should serve you well. The GTM body is seriously sexy, and I know it will look awesome!

Good luck getting things started!

Regards,

Steve

[wallace18]

Did a basic donor inventory. 98% of the stuff is here. A few missing bolts and nuts but the main stuff is all here. Thanks Robert for doing a good job on the donor stuff. I took off all the aluminum after taking a bunch of pictures. I wish FFR did and exploded view of all the aluminum panels like they do in other manuals. I coated and installed the splash shields that need to go on before suspension install. Unfortunately the new poly bushings in the control arms have the wrong metal sleeves in them. My cam bolts are 13.8 mm did. the holes are 16.8mm. I ordered the correct stuff today, should be here Friday afternoon. I will stay busy on other stuff. Plenty to do for sure, LOL.

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[wallace18]

Due to some missing parts I am having to jump around a bit. Today I focused on powder coating some bare metal parts as well as mocking up under car panels. I always try to make any panels that are mirror images alike as far as the holes. I lay them out on a scrap plywood and drill through both at the same time. This way the are symmetric to each other. Coated some panels as well.

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[wallace18]

Over the last couple days I was able to mock up and coat some more aluminum panels as well as install some driver and passenger foot box panels. The correct suspension bushings came in and I was able to mount most of the front and rear suspension, rotors, pads and calipers. Waiting on springs from FFR. Still making some good progress. I just ordered some rear tie rods. I must have lost the donor ones somehow. E-Bay to the rescue, LOL.

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[wallace18]

Last few days I went and did all the prep work on the donor parts. I got some good used rear tie rods and fixed them up and installed. I made my own rack bushings, tired of waiting on FFR. I also installed my electric P/S. It is a Saturn Vue unit I got for 35 bucks. The adapter electric kit from E-Bay was 60 bucks. I fabbed up the mounts and shafts. Works really well and so much less expensive, IMO. Thanks to Andy for the help.

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[Wrobert]

My pleasure meeting you and giving the kit a good home

[wallace18]

Today I finished up the steering column. Very cool! I also installed the pedals and master cylinders. I engine turned the 2 engine covers that go in before installing the motor. I hope to have the engine and transaxle all done by the end of March.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfRT9qLLTNY&feature=youtu.be



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[wallace18]

Last couple days I ran all the brake lines and installed stainless flex lines. Today I mocked up the A/C evaparator install and I am using the VRaptor recirc. modification. I like to use the interior air and not hot outside air to cool the cockpit off. Also installed the battery and radiator. I used rubber studs on top. I do not like riveting the aluminum radiator to the steel frame. Seen too many crack that way, IMO. FFR is sending some parts, should get here Tuesday, Yea! Moving along best I can.

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[wallace18]

Coated a few panels yesterday and I installed the rest of the passenger foot box stuff. I really like the blower fan inside the car vs outside. Here is a few pics.

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[wallace18]

Got a Fed Ex box from FFR yesterday. All my missing parts came in. Thank you FFR for being so quick to make it right. Special thanks to Dan and Jay.:cool:

[wallace18]

After checking in all my parts I had to install all the springs and I also installed most of the A/C lines up front. I had to make the accumulator clamp, I could not locate the one from the vette. I am really enjoying this build so far.

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[H R Lucky]

Wow, you are moving along at a pretty fast clip Tom, the way I figure it, you should be driving it before Easter!
Keep up the good work.

Nevin

[wallace18]

I have been busy the last 2 days but looking at the car it does not look like it, LOL. I did finish up all the cooling lines, heater hoses, heater valve and A/C lines up front. I hooked up the wiring temporalily to the A/C system and checked for function. All works just as it should. I sealed up any air leaks from the A/C system, used a lot of caulk. I hooked up the Painless fuse panel and made my own ECM mount. I am not using the donor wiring. I am using a PSI stand alone engine harness and the painless wiring. I think this will make a much neater system, IMO. I also installed the brake switch and made a bracket for the extra column bearing. Should stay busy with the wiring for a few days. Engine and Transaxle should be here by end of the month. So far so good, LOL.

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[SteveE]

looks great, I am enjoying watching your progress. I wish I had your time as well, I am not nearly as far along in my build. keep the progress and pics coming.

Steve

[wallace18]

Took the day off yesterday and took Marsha to dinner and a movie. The Shack is really worth seeing IMO. Today my tires came in so I had them mounted and balanced. Michelin Pilot Sport 2's. Look good on the car, IMO. Started wiring some. Installed new Brake light switch. Donor one was bad. Pulled my hair out for awhile trying to stop the rear calipers from leaking. Turns out they were on the wrong side and the bleeder screws were accidentally installed in the wrong holes. Finally got all that straight and my lovely wife, Marsha helped bleed the brakes. All is good now. I have a big car show this weekend here in Gainesville so I will take a few days off the GTM.

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[Vette1972]

Those are some big shoes! Looking good. Thanks for the updates.

[wallace18]

Been doing mostly wiring as of late. I have all the lights, turn-signals, wipers, hazards, washer motor, ignition switch and fog lights wired up and working. I varied from the manual on the wiring some. The manual had the fog and hazard switches LED lighted all the time even with the key off. Also it had the wipers powered up all the time. I think the Painless harness supplied now is different than the one in the manual. I also wired up a relay for the fog lights vs straight from the switch. I installed the e-brake handles and cables. Not sure where you mount the cables where all 3 are together? Here is some pics but wiring is roughed on right now. So do not freak out about the spaghetti, LOL.

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[wallace18]

I took a few days off. Did some more wiring. Today I mocked up the front grille, rear diffuser louvers, welded in front and rear hold down plates for when I tie it down in the trailer and some interior aluminum.

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[wallace18]

Over the last 2 days I finished up mocking up some interior aluminum, coated the inside of all of them with Lizard skin sound deadener and ceramic heat shield. I also removed the electric P/S ECU from the motor and mounted it inside out of the elements.

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[wallace18]

Today was refinish the exhaust manifolds day. I stripped them down and tapped the AIR hole and installed threaded plugs. Then I used my blast cabinet and finished up with high temp silver paint. I was able to get studs from McMaster-Carr about 1/6th the price of GM studs for the donut end of the manifolds.

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[Vette1972]

anything with Corvette name tied to it raises the price by many fold. If you know what you need, GM uses the same piece for much lower price. Needed a master cylinder for my 1972 Corvette, $75. Same for 1972 truck $20. Enjoy following your build, Thanks! Keep the good work and posts.

[wallace18]

Got a few things done today. I made a cover for the coolant lines and hoses in the tunnel area. With this and my vented lower panel from VRaptor Works I will hopefully avoid excess heat in this area, I also made a close out panel in the passenger area and engine turned the motor side of the rear cockpit panels.

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[wallace18]

Started on the doors. I have most of the frames done and the window tracks. I still have to figure out the latch area. I also installed the Vette CV's and boots.

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[wallace18]

After hearing from FFR and Shane at VRaptor I am going to put off doing any more on the doors till I have the body on the car. I did get to pick up my 4 parts from Cutting Edge Hydrographics today. Very pleased with the outcome. Here is some pics.

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[wallace18]

Not to much to report. I did figure out how to wire up my Vette power mirrors to a Saturn Vue switch I got out of the bone yard. I also had my front splitter, grille, rear grille and diffuser vents powder coated gloss black. I then sanded of the leading edge of the front grille and then clear coated it. I really like how it came out.

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[wallace18]

I just had to set the grille in the front opening. Wow! I really like it vs the mesh. Thanks Shane at VRaptor.

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[wallace18]

Today I rough cut out the openings for the front louvers.

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[wallace18]

Anyone who really knows me knows I love to look for bargains at U-Pull-It boneyards,LOL. I found this spoiler from a Chevy Impala for $18.17. I really like how it looks on the car. I think once I drill the 4 holes for the mounting studs it will lay almost completely flat on the car. Really changes the look of the rear IMO.

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[flynntuna]

Good eye. Now did you go there knowing the length needed ,or did you just eyeball it.

[wallace18]

Good eye. Now did you go there knowing the length needed ,or did you just eyeball it.

I knew it had to be between 50-60 inches in width. I took a tape measure.

[Vette1972]

Anyone who really knows me knows I love to look for bargains at U-Pull-It boneyards,LOL. I found this spoiler from a Chevy Impala for $18.17. I really like how it looks on the car. I think once I drill the 4 holes for the mounting studs it will lay almost completely flat on the car. Really changes the look of the rear IMO.

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Nice!

[wallace18]

Had a few hours this morning to work on the GTM. I did a rough cutout of the rear screens. I set the screen inside just for an idea of what it will look like. I will do the final detail sanding later in the project. I am going crazy waiting on my drive train. Should all be here in 2-3 weeks I hope, LOL. I also drilled the 4 mounting holes for the rear spoiler. Looks like it should have cost me more than $18.17. LOL.

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[WIS89]

Tom-

She's coming along nicely! I like the rear screen, although there is some ugly rectangular thing in the middle of it. I can't make out what it says, other than it looks like it is an advertisement for an animal zoo or something about a alligator farm or something. It is really ugly!! HA

I really like the rear spoiler! What a great find! Good for you for bringing that home with you. The vent screens really look sharp, and add a nice touch.

Keep up the great work Sir!

Regards,

Steve

[wallace18]

Sorta running out of stuff to do while waiting on the drivetrain. I did wire up the tail lights for weather-pac connectors and tested the lights. Also mocked up the fuel filler install.

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[wallace18]

I have not worked much on the GTM as of late. I had some work to do on a customer MK4 and get my MK4 ready for some car shows. I did pick up my long block from being rebuilt by Rollins Speed shop last Friday. Besides going thru the whole thing I had upgraded the entire valve train and heads were ported. I hope to start assembling it Monday. I also ordered more louvers from VRaptor Speed-works. They look like they will be a lot better than the kit ones IMO. Here is some pics.

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[wallace18]

Today i started putting stuff back on the engine. I have to go get a tensioner pulley for the A/C yet. I installed the VRaptor tension kit and Alt idler kit. Though it is looking like a LS1, LOL.

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[wallace18]

I won't be posting for about a week. A good friend of mine is having a real tough time in his life and I am going up to visit with him for a few days to help him out. See you all when I get back. TW:cool:

[wallace18]

I am back at it today. I installed the engine, hooked up the A/C hoses, coolant hoses and started on the engine wiring harness. Coming along nicely.

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[wallace18]

Last 2 days I only had mornings to work on the GTM. I notched the frame where the A/C compressor electric connector is. I can see how the motor may rock enough to break this off. I notched the frame and welded in a plate. Plenty of room now. I then mocked up the engine cover brackets. I ended up using 1/4" spacers to get the correct height so nothing hits. Cover looks way better than the intake and coils, IMO. I also ran my engine wiring in the rear area. I mounted the ECU and Tac module down in this area and then the PSI harness fuse panel in the top. I will make a plate to seal off the rest of the open space.

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[Mitch Wright]

Tom thanks for giving us another great build to watch.

[wallace18]

Got a lot done today. First I cut out the front louver area for the oversized units from VRaptor. Then I wired up the final A/C wiring to the trinary switch and compressor clutch. Also wired up the cruise control, engine ECU and PSI stand alone harness. So much neater than using the Vette harness, IMO. I made some covers for the rear fuse box area and where I mounted the ECU and Tac module. I need to engine turn them next. I also had to just temporarily hook up the cold air tubes to see how they fit over the fuse box area. Looks very cool. IMO. :cool:

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[wallace18]

Not much to report on. I have been working on the wiring. I have 95% of the engine harness wired and installed 2 fan relays and wired the 2 radiator fans up. Nothing to really take photos of. Hoping to get a word on my transaxle stuff by 5/31/17.

[adubbelde]

Not much to report on. I have been working on the wiring. I have 95% of the engine harness wired and installed 2 fan relays and wired the 2 radiator fans up. Nothing to really take photos of. Hoping to get a word on my transaxle stuff by 5/31/17.
Thanks for nothing :rolleyes:

[wallace18]

Thanks for nothing :rolleyes:


OK, shame me into posting some pics, LOL.:p

Here is the fan relays and I did mount the fuel tanks. I had to replace the passenger side fuel pump/sender unit. The donor one had a bad wiper on the level sender. I plumbed the fuel lines to the filter and fuel rail. I insulated the tank area for rubbing. Still have to install the line between the tanks on the bottom and make a vent system to a charcoal canister.

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[adubbelde]

This forum really needs a "like " button

[wallace18]

Today I finished up the fuel tanks. I installed the cross-over hose and wired up the level sensor and fuel pump. I ordered a 1200 degree F sleeve for the cross-over line. It is sorta close to the exhaust manifold outlet. Better safe than sorry, IMO. I also made up a small panel for the ignition and other console mounted switches to use during the go-cart stage. I ended up with an extra gauge panel. The first one in the kit was badly scratched. I was able to use the scratched one to play around with gauge locations as well as use it for the go -cart stage as well. While wiring up the gauges I notice all light up blue except for the volt meter. It lights up white. Speed-Hut is going to fix it for me. I just have to ship it out tomorrow. Here is some pics.

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[wallace18]

Got some bad news yesterday. Raceline could not fulfill my parts order and is hopefully sending a full refund. I am ordering a G50/20 transaxle and associated parts from Vertex Automotive in Miami. They have everything and I will finally get my parts to finish the driveline tomorrow. I editted my earlier post about parts i am going to use. While this is a setback It will allow me to use the shifter and adapter from the FFR kit. I will end up saving some money in the long run. I do have a good used G96.01 box for sale in the classified section if anyone is interested. See pic of unit for sale.

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[wallace18]

I left yesterday morning at 3:00 AM to head to Vertex Auto in Miami. I made it there about 10:30 AM lots of rain and traffic down there. While it took the great guys at Vertex 4 hours to fill my order due to a mix up with an employee who was let go. Gilbert and his staff made sure I had everything I needed to finalize my drive train and made sure it fit perfectly. While it was hard to swallow the core charge on the tranny and starter I do have some top flight stuff to finish up the go-car stage of the build. I made it home by 8 PM but had to drive through some heavy rain. I want to personally thank Gilbert, George and all the staff of Vertex for their help and kind help in this matter. I am praying I get a refund from Raceline.

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https://www.vertexauto.com

[wallace18]

Got a lot of stuff done today. I first found that some of the bolts that hold the starter ring to the flywheel protruded too far. I ground them down so they would not interfere with the pressure plate. I drilled out the adapter plate as per the manual instructions for the shift linkage. I then mounted the plate, flywheel and clutch assembly. I modified the transaxle for inversion. Basically Plugged up the vent hole and installed a vent in the drain plug. I then used some tape to hold the throw out bearing arm to the T/O bearing. Installed the transaxle and then the clutch arm shaft. Easy as pie. LOL. Installed the starter and clutch slave cylinder as well. Installed the inner Cv's, speed sensor ring and boots Still a few loose ends to finish up but good progress. Hope to have it go-cart by 6/9/17.

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[wallace18]

Here is pics of CV's.

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[mjazzka]

Just traversing the forum and see "Wallace18s GTM Build" pop up. What can't this man do? Can't wait to see this, and the build log is stellar as always.

Awesome spoiler too. I remember the Tiburon (right?) spoiler you found for your orange 818 and here you've done it again! Resourceful.

[wallace18]

Today I installed the starter wires, altenator wires, E-Brake cables, transaxle vent, Slave cylinder hose, Heat sleeves around wires and cross over hose. Also install some clamps to keep wires and such out of the way and away from heat sources as best as possible. I also mounted RS cat and wrapped it in DEI Titanium heat tape. I had to modify altenetor some so shift linkage mount would fit. Lots of little stuff that takes time to get right.

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[wallace18]

Another busy day. I took out the ECU and I am having Rollin's Automotive put a base tune in it so the FI does not run super rich using the factory tune. The Vacuum is so different the engine could wash out the rings with gas. Definitely do not want that to happen. I finished up the starter wiring and the engine cranks over fine. I installed the ground strap to the engine as well. Put in the speed sensor and shift linkage. I had to do a lot a work to get the linkage to work correctly. Here is some pics.

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[wallace18]

Finished up exhaust and bled clutch slave. Wired up gauges for go-cart stage. Was able to go thru all gears in transaxle. Put 12 gallons of gas in tanks and fuel gauge reads accurate. Also filled up cooling system. No leaks so far. So far so good, LOL.

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[wallace18]

Normally I do not work on weekends, not the case this one. But there is a 99% chance I will have to put the GTM on the back burner for 6 months. I have a customer 33 build to do and customers always come first. I did get to do a 4 wheel alignment, tidy up some wiring for go-cart stage. I also mounted some rear panels around the engine and fuel tanks. All I need is to get ECU back from getting a base program in it and I can try to start it. I am going out of town till the 18th then most likely start on 33 kit. If I get a little time here and there to work on the GTM I will, LOL.

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[myjones]

I am going out of town till the 18th then most likely start on 33 kit.

Tom
You coming to BG KY again ?
Dale

[wallace18]

Yes I am coming. I sent you a PM.

[Shoeless]

As I am new to the GTM side of FF offerings, I am blown away by this and many other builds. I originally wanted a 33 for a couple years, but stumbled across the GTM a couple months ago and am totally hooked.

Thank you for posting such detailed progress and photos. I am sure I will have some questions once I kick off my build.

-Sean

[wallace18]

Got back from the Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY on Sunday afternoon. Met 2 good FFR guys. Spent yesterday and today getting GTM ready for 1st start. I had a air pocket problem in the cooling system and a idler pulley go bad. My friend Art who has done a few LS builds helped me to fill from the top hose at the engine. Cooling problem solved! ran for 1/2 hour never went over 190 degrees. I replaced previous owners idler pulley with GM unit. Bearing came loose in one that came with donor for some reason. Car runs great and sounds fantastic. I still have a few things to iron out and will hopefully go-cart tomorrow. Here is a few pics and a video.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kts_hYFeNL8&feature=youtu.be

[WIS89]

Tom-

Congratulations on the first start. You really are making good progress, and it looks great, like all your other builds!

Sorry to hear that you will be sidetracked, but it will be nice to follow along on a hot rod build.

I like the rumble on that engine, she sounds mean!

Regards,

Steve

[wallace18]

Had a successful go-cart ride in the neighborhood. Boys this thing fast!!!!! Really sounds awesome up in the rev range. Charged the A/C, blows 42 degrees. I had to jack up rear of car and rebleed clutch slave. All good now. I called for an appointment for chassis dyne tune. Sometime in next few weeks. May go get 33 kit from customer soon. He has everything except wheels and tires. Hate to put GTM on back burner but customers come first.

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[adubbelde]

Tom, you have mad skills and boundless energy. I love following your builds.

[wallace18]

Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately I am having to put the GTM build to sleep for awhile. I am picking up a 33 kit from a customer at 8:30 AM tomorrow to build for him. I had to rearrange the shop some. I will be taking the GTM to be dyne-tuned on a chassis dyne soon though. Maybe work on it a little on Saturdays that I take off from customer work.

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[wallace18]

It has been a while since I have worked on the GTM. I recently had some heath issues but I am fine now. I am taking the GTM to Rollin's to put it on the chassis dyno to be tuned tomorrow. My friend Art drove the GTM in my trailer for me. Boy that thing is low to the ground!,LOL. Once that is done I can start on installing the body. I may have someone interested in buying the car as well once it is ready for paint. I will make them a deal if I do not have to pay to have it painted for sure. Stay tuned. 33 is out being painted for my customer right now and big car show this Saturday for my MK4.

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[wallace18]

Got my GTM back from Rollin's today. Very happy with the chassis dyno results after the tune. I was wanting a little more power than the stock 2002 LS1 but still a very street able ride. Very happy with the flat torque curve. Should be a really nice car to enjoy on the street. Big HP numbers look great and are always bragging rights, but good street able HP and TQ is what I wanted. Car really sounds awesome as well. RWHP was 377.90 at 6330 RPM and Max RWTQ was 361.33 at 4840 RPM. Based on normal 20% loss that would be close to 453HP, 433TQ at the crank. Decent #'s IMO.

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[wallace18]

Yes, I am back working on the GTM, Yea! I have it close to ready to put the body on. I installed the A/C hoses. I use S/S screws to hold them on the A/C unit.

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[wallace18]

Thanks to Mike Everson of Replicaparts and Shane at VRaptor I was able to correct my mistake and reroute the hoses thru the top of the panel. I used my overhead winch to install the rear body. I only had time today to attach it in the door area. I hope to get more done this week. Car really looks mean so low to the ground.

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[tucker298]

didn't even see you updating over here on the build thread part of the sight. Looks great! keep the pics and the updates coming!

[wallace18]

Installed the rear body mount. I took my time to get everything lined up correctly. I used a aluminum angle to mount instead of the FFR mount. I used 2-5/16" S/S bolts to the trans frame and 3- 5/16" S/S button head screws into the angle that I tapped with a drill tap. More solid IMO. They will be hidden behind the license plate. Also drilled and tapped the sides for 10/32 S/S screws as well.

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[wallace18]

Today I worked on the front panels for the hood. First I mocked them up including the wiper box. Then I used 10/24 rivnuts and screws to attach them to the body. I will rivet them to the chassis after coating them. This will allow for the body to come off easy for paint or whatever the need is. I also used Wayne Presley's flashlight method for locating the door striker holes. Very trick, thanks Wayne.

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[wallace18]

Have not had much time to work on GTM due to sale of MK4 and ordering my 35 P/U. I did wire up all the tail lights and rear view camera. Also reinstalled front hood parts after coating.

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[wallace18]

Ran the B/U camera cord up to the console. Mounted the front end, catches and hood gas struts. Had to move the GTM off the lift to get a once over on my MK4 I have sold before I take it to the new owner. Could not help myself to take a few pictures of both together. Rear wheels are lined up in pics.

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[Shoeless]

Looking good!!!

[WIS89]

Tom-

Great seeing you get some time to work on the GTM! I always enjoy following along on your builds.

Will you finish up the GTM before the pick-up gets to you, you think? I don't know what kind of lead time there will be for the pick-up.

Thanks for the update!

Regards,

Steve

[wallace18]

I hope to have the 33 and GTM done before I get the 35 P/U.

[wallace18]

It has been a crazy last 8 days I sold my MK4, my P/U truck got a huge coolant leak, my 2-post lift blew a cylinder and my wife is out of town and I have no ride, LOL. I did however install the other front hood latch.Instead of the way the manual has you line up the catch I installed 2 screws and used anti seize to mark the holes and used 1/4-20 rivnuts. Also installed rear diffuser and VRaptor diffuser grill and louvers. Also VRaptor front grill and fog lights mounts. This stuff is really nice stuff, Thanks Shane. Everything is removable , I used 10-32 and 10-24 screws, nuts and rivnuts to install everything. Hope to install lights in front tomorrow.

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[wallace18]

Worked on front lights this morning. FFR no longer gives the template in the manual. I installed the screws to the lights and put silver anti-seize on the ends to mark where the 25/64" holes go. Worked out well. I also mocked up the front splash shields. I will coat them later. Busy buying a new truck so I do not get to spend as much time working on the GTM as I would like right now.

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[wallace18]

Very busy last few days. I got my new F-150 on Friday, next day I replaced the leaking cylinder on my 2-post lift. Also wired up all my front lights. Caution!! Look at your Turn signal/parking light socket closely. Mine had the 2 + post touching and this would cause the LED to go up in smoke. Make sure they do not touch. I had to adjust mine with a small screwdriver.

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[wallace18]

Started to mount the doors. I can see there will be a ton of work to make these fit and work right. All part of the build, LOL.

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[carbon fiber]

Your hatch insert is post-curing now, if you're starting the doors you won't need it any time soon anyway! :pThere are mods to make the windows go down all the way and mods to upgrade the seals and weatherproofing that others have already done. The weatherstrips that comes with the kit are cheap and scream kit car.

[tucker298]

great updates! you may not feel like it but you're making fast progress! makes me feel like I need to do more lol. I feel like I'm just a few steps away from making big leaps on my build, just need to button up some of the last few electrical so I can button up the interior with all the panels. I can't wait to do that because it also means I can mock up all the lights like yours is now, your kit looks really good with those lights in! Do you know what color scheme you're going to go with when you paint her?

[wallace18]

great updates! you may not feel like it but you're making fast progress! makes me feel like I need to do more lol. I feel like I'm just a few steps away from making big leaps on my build, just need to button up some of the last few electrical so I can button up the interior with all the panels. I can't wait to do that because it also means I can mock up all the lights like yours is now, your kit looks really good with those lights in! Do you know what color scheme you're going to go with when you paint her?

Not sure. I really like the black top with red bottom look. I may have a customer who wants the car to vinyl wrap it to his personal preference.

[wallace18]

Worked on both doors today. In post #42 I mounted the frames in the doors. However the latch side was not lining up at all. I ended up cutting the frame a few inches from the hinge area. I then mounted the doors and made them fit close to where they need to be. Then I mounted the latch and bracket. Now both doors open and close fine. I will then bolt the cut frame to the latch bracket and weld the other side back to the hinge area and all should be good, LOL.

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[tucker298]

thats the first i've seen that technique.........brilliant lol

[wallace18]

Waiting on some stuff for me to finish my doors. I ended up redoing my gauge panel and mocked up my center console.

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[Shoeless]

Waiting on some stuff for me to finish my doors. I ended up redoing my gauge panel and mocked up my center console.

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Hey Tom,

Who did your carbon fiber center console cover? I'm looking to do something a little different and not sure if I want to get all the hardware and try the carbon fiber myself or just pay someone with the experience to do something one off for me. Thanks!!

-Sean

[wallace18]

Hey Tom,

Who did your carbon fiber center console cover? I'm looking to do something a little different and not sure if I want to get all the hardware and try the carbon fiber myself or just pay someone with the experience to do something one off for me. Thanks!!

-Sean

The console came from Shane at VRaptor. I had it and my e-brake cover done with Hydro-dip CF.

[wallace18]

Well I had to put the GTM off to the side while I finish up my 33HR for my customer. Hope to get back at it come Jan. To tell the truth I need a break from it. LOL :p

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[carbon fiber]

Hey Tom,

Who did your carbon fiber center console cover? I'm looking to do something a little different and not sure if I want to get all the hardware and try the carbon fiber myself or just pay someone with the experience to do something one off for me. Thanks!!

-Sean

I make a nicer version of the center console cover in REAL carbon fiber if you're interested, pm me or call (336)847-3521 It is shaped instead of flat stock and looks way more oem. This is the longer version in the pic but I make a short version as well. 76836

[wallace18]

For those interested I ordered a new rear hatch from Carbon fiber. Really nice unit. Looks 10X better than the kits IMO. Should be here by Jan.

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[wallace18]

Well it looks like I have sold my 70% done GTM to a great guy down towards Tampa. I really need the space due to customer car work and my 35 P/U coming. I am a little sad that I did not finish it, but I really think the new owner will do a great job finishing it up. I am in the process of finishing up the radio and various wiring inside the car. I also installed all the under car panels. Most likely deliver it in a week or less. It has been both fun and extremley challenging to build the GTM. IMO this is not for rookies. You really need a good skill set to build one of these. The new owner will have the bodywork as well as interior to finish up. The car runs great! I wish him nothing but the best.

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[turbomacncheese]

My dad and sister live in Tampa. Maybe I'll see it on the road down there when I go to visit.

[Jazzman]

Well congratulations to you on selling it. Selfishly I was looking forward to reading how you put the finishing touches on the car. Thank you for your fine thread. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Shoeless]

I echo the same remarks from Jazzman. I have thoroughly enjoyed your build thread and thank you for taking the time to answer my PMs. Good luck finalizing the sale and starting the 35 Truck!!!

[wallace18]

Well the check came in late yesterday. The GTM is all packed and ready to go to its new owner. Thanks to all for the help and kind words.

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[adubbelde]

Sorry to see it leave. I was looking forward to seeing the final product.

[wallace18]

Here is a pic of the GTM done. Chris who bought it from me just sold it. He did a fantastic job IMO.

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[Davew70]

anything with Corvette name tied to it raises the price by many fold. If you know what you need, GM uses the same piece for much lower price. Needed a master cylinder for my 1972 Corvette, $75. Same for 1972 truck $20. Enjoy following your build, Thanks! Keep the good work and posts.

So true!