Blaze's 86 SVt Vic (The on-going project)

[Blaze86Vic]

Blaze's 86 SVt Vic (Hand brake complete!)

Well I got around to installing a hand brake for the Vic. Since I did the rear disc conversion, I also used the rear parking brake cables from the 94 Vic that I got the rear disc setup from. Routing the cables was kind of funny, since I was not running them to the front of the car where the parking pedal is. I routed the cables together a little off center, and just in front of the differential. I then made a bracket for the cables to end into, and a balancing 2-1 cable connection. That way both left and right side get the same amount of force when you pull the hand brake. The hand brake it self is from a later 90s Volvo, and I had to break the spot welds to remover it from the car. I also used the cable setup that runs from the hand brake to the rear of the car. I shortened this cable from almost 8 feet to probably about 2 feet. I had to notch a reinforcement inside the car so that the cable would lay flush and strait. I also angle the lever towards the driver seat so that it was more natural to pull. The housing I welded to the floor, and used some extra scrap metal to fill in some extra supports to make it a little more rigid. I also spot welded the hand brake lever, as it was feeling a little too flimsy for heavy drifting use. A center console will be in order soon, but I'm not in a big rush on that, and yes the carpet is going back in, just leaving it off for a few days just in case something comes up and I need to modify anything.

Oh yeah, and the price of the conversion including all cables, the cable clamps, and the hand brake was about $15!!! Grassroots to the MAX!

[1987cp]

What? This POS is still on the road? :smirk:


Seriously, though, I like. Looking impressive as usual! Lots of fab work involved, but probably worth it. I've always liked hand brake levers on principle a lot better than the pedals, which tend to stick and act stupid. The lever itself looks about perfect, too.

What are you planning for a console?

[Blaze86Vic]

Yep, POS is still kickin'.....it sidewayzz!!

Well, the main reason I did this is that I've come to find it very useful in drifting. Using an e-brake allows me to keep the car sideways and not be on the gas, so I can slow down for a slower turn. I know it's the tow vehicle.....but I still love having fun in it! And at this next drift event, it will be towing the Celica there, and also drifting as my Father has mentioned interest in drifting it.

For the console, I'm not sure if I will be using the Volvo console (they do come in the perfect beige, but they are oddly tall. I know for sure that void in the back portion of the hand brake structure will be converted to a cup holder. I had always envisioned something smaller, but after realizing how high the hand brake needed to be, I realized that a short center console would be hard to pull off. So I'm going to have to spend some time pondering this step. Interior work is the hardest, because I don't like things that look out of place. I'm not sure why the shifter doesn't look out of place to me.......I guess because the column shifter was a long chrome stick too.

[johnunit]

seriously cool stuff. Vids!

[Blaze86Vic]

Couple of updates.

1st, due to the ever decreasing quality of fuel these days (ie, the increasing percentage of inefficient ethanol), I now can no longer run regular fuel. Trust me, I've done all the testing and diagnosing to make sure that nothing is wrong with the car. I could re-tune it to run regular again, but that's more money. So running premium now and I bumped the advance on the timing up some and it's much happier above 5000rpm now.

I'm also finally getting around to swapping my rear bumper out. Long time ago I purchased a new one which states that it's made in Taiwan. Well, also a long time ago I kinda took a nap behind the wheel and the rear bumper just caught a fence post. And then I found out how pathetic the steel was in that bumper (I straitened it back out by hand :nonono: ) I have one I pulled off of a car, and I removed the re-enforcement from the center to save weight, a whopping 13lbs!! Oh well, every little bit helps right?... BTW that paint is Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel, and it's awesome stuff. Its all over the underside of my truck, which was flooded by ocean salt water, and you can't even tell. Absolutely no rust anywhere that has been painted with this stuff.

[gadget73]

Cool. Oil paint is good stuff. It even lays out nicely with a brush, though I find Rustoleum in particular lays nicer if you add a bit of thinner to it. I like the True Value XO Rust a smidge better, basically its Rustoleum but slightly thinner so it spreads nicely.

[Blaze86Vic]

Yeah, this stuff really is thick, and it stains very permanently. It's like painting with permanent marker ink with the consistency of warm caramel. I once got some on my hand the first time I ever used the stuff. Despite trying very hard to clean it off, even using carb cleaner, I was forced to endure the stain for more than two whole weeks.

[Pesty351]

Where did you order the new bumper from?

[Blaze86Vic]

I bought it from Ford, about 8 years ago. It was discontinued about 7 years ago. I am selling the one I took off, and it's in almost identical condition. The passenger side has a small gash in it (looks like a flesh wound would, but obviously one steel). I have some pics of the damage, it's really not that bad. But I had been meaning to swap back to the Canadian steel one for some time, and I've got to start cleaning out my crap.

[marquisman]

kanadia steel rocks lol

[packman]

I once got some on my hand the first time I ever used the stuff. Despite trying very hard to clean it off, even using carb cleaner, I was forced to endure the stain for more than two whole weeks.

I had that happen to me with POR15. I had to soak in very warm baths to get it to scrape off of my hand, forearm, and elbows. Very nice work with the handbrake!


Packman

[Blaze86Vic]

The SVT Vic is officially getting parted out, including all my spare parts. I have NOS tail lights, full set of crank window tan interior door panels and trim out of a 50K mile garage kept car, and many more. I'll be posting the items up as I can take pics. Sad to see it come to an end, perhaps a burnout video for the finale?

[knucklehead0202]

What happened? And do you have good sway bars?

[Bobcat]

Yes, very large burnout video would please the masses.

[87gtVIC]

This car I first saw on car domain even before I had my license, way back ten years ago. It was one of the few that really inspired me. Very sad.