Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

[alex553]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

The same happened to me when the original engine of my birds heads blew paid a guy and a month later I went to his shop and it was empty. Just my car sitting there all dirty. With the some guy out there that worked for the bank.I asked him where did they go. He told ne I. Spanish "the buisness went down hill a week ago. Is that your car the one that's red. I said "yea" he told me here , some guy told me to give you this. It was my keys. The car ran untill it broke down again a mile away from home . I was going like 70. Then the car didn wana go. I saw the rpms drop to 1000 and the oil psi to 0. I pull to the side and tbe car wont start. I let it cool down and it ran again but with a nasty tick.tick.tick.tick going on and it wouldent even go after that.That engine was gone along with my money.That I had worked for *(I was only 16 at the time). Never heard any thing from him ever again. It really ticked me off. The summer came and I worked for 3 months and just got an engine swap. For 1200. 1 day of senor year came and I had my car. Only person with a bird at my school.

I say you go with your gut man. I myself was learning about cars and my parents didn't trust me working on my car. But now I do my own work and learn. Next thing on my list is keeping the v6 going untill I can do a ls1 swap.
If he don't want to pay up then take em to court. He made you wait a year and still has done almost nothing.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

That's exactly why I don't let anyone else work on my car. Heck I'm only 20 but me and my bird have gone a long way in the past 4-5 years

[FIREBIRDV6RAGE]

That's exactly why I don't let anyone else work on my car. Heck I'm only 20 but me and my bird have gone a long way in the past 4-5 years

Same bere man I've had mine for about 3 uears now .

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[FirebirdGT]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

14 years :D

.

[ssms5411]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

17 years and counting.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

Well. I would definately like the experience but I dont really have the time as I work alot.

In either case, I decided to post an update. After the Holiday Weekend of July 4th he reappears and recieves my email regarding my decision to take it to an exhaust shop and tells me "Just a word of advice (and should have already been a learned lesson). Good deals aren't always good deals - I'll let him know about the exhaust." (He thinks I found a better deal, I just wanted to get my car out the shop asap.) Well I hadn't been emailed for a whole week while inquiring about the exhaust and wasnt informed his friend was waiting for me for the entire week aswell so I tell him I'll pay him for the exhaust since his friend was waiting. He appoligises for not responding and I ask him if he could finish by end of July. He tells me it will be very hard as the window he had my car on the rack was his only available time for a long time but he'll try to.

I had to help the family out with my exhaust money over the weekend which was another reason I postponed it till I got my car back so my family writes me an out of state check to reimburse me...only it takes 2 weeks for it to clear, so I had to wait 2 weeks to pay him.

After I pay his friend for the Magnaflo and purchase it, I go to his shop to see where Im standing. He showed me the exhaust which was brand new. He was working on a black SS when I got there. Talked a bit and I eventually asked him when he thinks he can begin, he told me he still isnt sure as he has two cars ahead of me, both of which were there before I arrived. Originally he said he'd try for end of July but Im doubting thats going to happen.

Meanwhile - contemplating on the amount of time I've waited on this last night I became so fustrated I couldnt even sleep. I called another shop who will have availability on August 9th. Im thinking of jumping ship and swapping shops.

At this point should I continue waiting or change shops since I do have someone whos ready to quote me and begin on the car?

The main concern is this, if I change shops does he have the right to charge me for storage? (especially since most of the delay was waiting on him to begin?)

How should I go about getting my parts back? (my Heads, O2 Sensors, and other stuff I gave to him.)

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

Okay. Update. My mechanic still hasnt beenable to touch the car so I just went ahead and towed it to another shop because I can't wait any longer.

There's been a few more goodies added

TSP Full 3" Y-Pipe and 3" Hi Flo Cats
3" Magnaflow full Catback
Taylor 10.4MM Ignition Wires

The current shop will begin on Tuesday (after labor day). As it stands the car mostly just needs to be put back together and wiring fixxed.

Headgaskets (Heads already machined)
Steering rack
Wiring Harness
AC Repair
10.4MM Wires installed
Silver Face Gauges Install

There is ONE thing I am very very worried about. When I had it towed I forgot to look under the hood to ensure that the Intake Manifold was NOT sitting in there on top of the motor (unbolted) - What are the chances it would be damaged or destroyed if it was?

[CFreed11]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

assuming the heads are installed, the intake is probably fine. It may have bounced a little bit or slid back and forth, but chances are that it's perfectly fine. Glad you finally got it out of that other shops possession, you put up with them for far too long. Hopefully this place gets it put together and running right for you..

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

assuming the heads are installed, the intake is probably fine. It may have bounced a little bit or slid back and forth, but chances are that it's perfectly fine. Glad you finally got it out of that other shops possession, you put up with them for far too long. Hopefully this place gets it put together and running right for you..

Yeah, thats the minor problem, the heads arent installed they're just inside the cabin - I'll be finding out on tuesday whats to come of my intake. I hope nothing happened to it - if it did I'll upgrade to a Typhoon but it will once again delay me

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

Okay, they have my car now and will begin working on it. The Intake Manifold WAS under the hood but luckily even during the tow was not damaged nor did it fall anywhere so now this is it, the final mile is ahead.

First they will reassemble the heads and install the new steering rack along with the rest of the motor and ignition system. This includes my Long Tubes.

Second they will diagnose my A/C and repair as necessary.

Third they will repair my wiring harness, or replace if necessary.

Fourth, it's getting a trip to the exhaust shop to have my cats wielded onto my Texas Speed Y-Pipe and my Magnaflow Exhaust installed

Fifth - it gets delivered back to me and Im never ever doing another LS1 swap in my life, but Im keeping this car for the rest of my life.

Sixth - Repainting front ground effects and driver side ground effect as well as rear spoiler and installing leather seats

Seventh - America gets nuked by Russia making all of this pointless :)



It's messed up, I havent even gotten the thing running and Im already thinking of future mods, like adding a whipple charger to it or procharger or just doing a rear mount turbo for around $3k sometime next year... after I buy a secondary car....

I also want to leather my seats black / silver,

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

To add to my never ending trilogy my new shop diagnosed the deck and all of my cylendar bores to be filled with water and enough rust to require the entire motor to be machined and likely water inside the motor aswell because my previous shop who never got around to the car left the car outside with the heads off for 3 months and rain. will have photos later. should I Sue?

[1997Canadian3.8]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

To add to my never ending trilogy my new shop diagnosed the deck and all of my cylendar bores to be filled with water and enough rust to require the entire motor to be machined and likely water inside the motor aswell because my previous shop who never got around to the car left the car outside with the heads off for 3 months and rain. will have photos later. should I Sue?

Sue. That's a no brainer. No way you should have to deal with all this BS.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

Here's the photos

P.S. - previous shop doesnt want to pay - they want me to bring the car back (at my expense of $400 towing..yeah right) They're also a vendor on LS1 tech, should I raise a complaint?

[Gutless]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

Wow, they obviously didnt care enough to at least seal it off. Block is junk considering its just an iron LS block. Obviosuly dont care enough about their customers to leave it like that.

Horror stories like this make me glad I do all my own stuff.

Good luck getting it fixed. Theres two types of shops, those that volunteer to pay, and those that wont. Its worth raising some type of fuss, somebody screwed up.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

Wow, they obviously didnt care enough to at least seal it off. Block is junk considering its just an iron LS block. Obviosuly dont care enough about their customers to leave it like that.

Horror stories like this make me glad I do all my own stuff.

Good luck getting it fixed. Theres two types of shops, those that volunteer to pay, and those that wont. Its worth raising some type of fuss, somebody screwed up.

Is it to the decree that even machining it will not fix it?

[Gutless]

Re: Firebird W68 - My LSX Swap thread.

It can be saved, sleves will fix everything, but its not worth it. At the very least it will need a hone and new rings and for sure decking the block. Could very well need an overbore. Judging by the water in the cylinders, some water got in the pan so the crank could very well be shot or at least need to be ground/polished.

Can pick up a 5.3 longblock from a salvage yard for $400 no problem. It solves your motor problems, its already together. Slap your F body intake and accessories on and your running.