K20 project off to a good start, volume 2

Really beautiful work. Driving video when you get a chance :)

I see you're in the PNW, do you still have the original running gear? In particular the transmission? I'm in the process of accumulating spares.
The transmission had a shredded 5th gear. I sold it to another PNW Xer a few years ago. Sorry.
 
Rodger, do you have any pics or measurements with the header installed? If you have for example, a measurement off the driveshaft to the underside of the header, or relative to the block webbing at a specific point, that would help me make a start on the header layout. I understand if you don't either have the time or inclination to gather that kind of info :D

This pic came from someone's post, I think from an MWB install. Is yours similarily centered in the opening?

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I know I'm replying to an old comment, but this looks like Whitstone's car when I was building it at MWB.
 
Well, I've been driving the car for the past few months on sunny days and so far, no issues, other than the fender hitting incident. With the fenders rolled and the suspension dialed in better, no more problems there. But, I still find the exhaust noise too intrusive for comfortable driving. It's tolerable when cruising with no real droning, but any acceleration and it's not enjoyable. I'm sure there many here who would love it, but for me it detracts from the driving experience. So, on to exhaust #3.

When I was really unhappy with exhaust #1 (Magnaflow muffler and straight pipe from there), I got some advice from Doug Martin (@rx1900), to look at a chambered muffler and adding a resonator. At the time, I decided to go with the Stainless Works turbo chambered muffler and a Vibrant resonator. Hussein (@lookforjoe) used the same muffler with, what else, a Volvo resonator ;). He seems pretty happy with his and mine was much better than the Magnaflow, for sure. Another muffler that Doug had suggested was from Solo Performance. So when I decided to bite the bullet and try again, I decided to look at what they had. They have several different stainless muffler lines. I talked with one of their reps about what I currently had and what they recommended. I ended up choosing their Stealth muffler, which is their quietest. Their Stealth series are chambered but the center chamber has packing in it to reduce noise level. Yes, I will be giving up some performance, but this car is so much faster than I could have imagined that I am fine giving up a little. To me, it doesn't make any sense to have put so much effort into this build to end up with a fast car that I don't enjoy driving.

They had one that is about the same size as the SW muffler so I ordered that one. It is 14 x 9 x 4" with a 2 1/2" offset inlet/outlet. The SW muffler measures 14 x 8 x 4 so that makes the offsets a little different, so it will not be just a "plug and play" swap. The construction seems to be very high quality. They look to be mostly handmade as they are beautifully TIG welded and highly polished. The SW muffler is made from more stamped out pieces and seemed to be more mass produced. Still good quality, just different. Pricing is about the same for both. Here is a comparison of them side by side before I started chopping up the exhaust.
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Here they are after I cut out the muffler.
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One thing I discovered after looking more closely at the insides, is the size of the internal pipes. When I was talking with the Solo rep, he said that the internal pipes on the Stealth are 2 1/4" but they can put 2 1/2" inlet/outlets on it. He didn't think it would make much of a difference. When I looked down the inside of the SW muffler, turns out it has only 2" internal pipes. I have no idea what difference that would make. I don't think it has any packing in it as it sounds like an empty paint can when you tap on it. The Stealth has a definite dull sound with tapping.

Here are the pieces ready to start assembling. I am just waiting on some new 45 degree bends and a couple of V band clamps to show up tomorrow, then I will get started. Doug encouraged me to keep the resonator on it, so that is my plan. Rather than weld it in, I am going to connect it with V bands, so I could play with swapping it out for a straight pipe or a different resonator if I want.
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If anyone is interested in a slightly used SW muffler, PM me.
 
Nice - be interested in your review. I can't remember what mine sounds like - its been so many months since I drove it. I think my wife still feels it's on the loud side under acceleration - I'll have to try record it once it's back on the road. I may be in the market for a quieter one depending - I want her to be happy going for long drives in it (without strangling it's performance).
 
Due to work and travel, it took me a while to get the exhaust system back together. Plus, I had to spend some time practicing my TIG skills again as it had been some time since I last welded. I am still an amateur, but was pretty satisfied with how this one came out. Much better than #2.
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Next was to fire it up and see how it sounded. 🤞........... NICE!!!! I was thrilled with the sound, at least just with revving it in the garage. It is raining again here, so will need to wait a few days to take it out for a drive. Plus, I had foot surgery a couple of days ago, so I have to let that heal a bit before I can even put on a normal shoe and drive, but overall, I am happy. I will try and record a test drive in the future.
 

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Haha, weldporn indeed. :) My system was 2.5" diameter. This final muffler was a Stealth STL25 from Solo Performance. The resonator was a straight bottle style #1792 from Vibrant Performance. It started off at 12" long, but I cut quite a bit of the extensions off the ends to make it shorter to fit in the space. The cat was from Magnaflow. All of the tubing and mandrel bends as well as the flex coupler were from Vibrant. The exhaust tip was the same one that Hussein (@lookforjoe) used on his. #RTP-039 from Red Tail Performance.

My original plan was to add in a couple of V clamps on either side of the resonator so I could play with that later if I wanted, but there was really not a lot of extra room to squeeze those in, so I decided to forget that idea. Plus it saved about $150. Those things are expensive.
 
After the last few days of working on the doors, I have come to the conclusion that you are right, you could not afford what I would charge to refurbish and put your doors together again. ;) These have been a lot of work! :eek: Lots of futzing for sure.

Got the new fuzzy strips on both the '81 and '79 inner trims.
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Installed the rear window channels and the vent window/channels. After studying the shop manual, I was finally able to puzzle out the correct path for the window winder cables as my disassembly photos did not capture that detail.
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Installed the window and connected it to the cables. This was where a lot of the futzing came in. First I had to adjust the rear channel, then adjust the position of the window on the cable for it to track completely up and down, then adjust the vent window channel to keep the window in it at full up. After I thought I had it right, then I put the top on and found that I had the vent window channel too high in the door, so it wouldn't shut. :( More adjusting and futzing to get it right. But finally!
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Took it for a drive to make sure everything felt ok with the roof on. Did some more fiddling with the weatherstripping on the roof to get a better seal to the top of the window. Tightened all the adjustments, added the rear view side mirrors, then made some new inner moisture barriers (not sure what they are really called) as the old ones were pretty sad. I had one good set to use as a template to make new ones out of some large heavy duty construction garbage bags.
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Of course, I forgot to put in the inside door lock rod, so I had to make a small hole in my new barrier to slip that in, then repaired it with a small piece of plastic. Installed the door cards and the window crank handle, door release trim and the arm rest. Added the inner trim strip with the fuzzy and the hidden little screw near the rear that holds it on and done! Only thing left to do it finish the outside trim piece with new rubber.
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question for your moisture sealing work, which looks really good btw. What did you use, material-wise, for the moisture barrier? And how did you secure it to the door, double-sided tape, or adhesive of some kind. thanks
 
Nice work, Rodger. I feel your pain with the business of playing with all the window/fixed glass adjustments, and then finding that the targa doesn't fit. etc., and having to do it all again. The door cards & seat combo look really good!

I'm not sure about the attachment of your drip protection. On my '87, the original drip guard was inserted inside the inner door skin, folded over the top edge, with the inner glass seal / door card retainer on top of it. From there, it was draped to the bottom inside the inner skin, with bolt holes for the window regulator attachment.

My experience is that when I redid it the first time (years ago) and just taped the drip guard to the outside of the inner skin, rain water came out the bottom of the drip guard, behind the door card, and onto the inner sill. It looks like you taped yours completely along the bottom edge, however I think that will mean moisture/water will accumulate between the barrier & the inner skin.

What I did this time around, was to match the original layout, but use two overlapping pieces so I could bring the door lighting through without cutting holes. You can see where the drip guard comes over the top of the inner door skin & then is taped on the inside

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This is the original drip guard, which had several tears, but you can see how it's tucked behind.

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Old thread revival time: I took apart the ‘74, and there was nothing quite so intricate regarding inner tucking, etc. Essentially, the old stuff was just stuck to to the inside of the inner door, right where you see in my photos. Granted, I beat it up a little knowing it would be replaced shortly. However, it was as simple as seen here. Any chance you think someone before me had a go at it and replaced it this way, foregoing the complex inner layering?
Where do you buy the new barrier material?

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Old thread revival time: I took apart the ‘74, and there was nothing quite so intricate regarding inner tucking, etc. Essentially, the old stuff was just stuck to to the inside of the inner door, right where you see in my photos. Granted, I beat it up a little knowing it would be replaced shortly. However, it was as simple as seen here. Any chance you think someone before me had a go at it and replaced it this way, foregoing the complex inner layering?
Where do you buy the new barrier material?

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Yeah, the duct tape is a dead giveaway. No effort to install as per factory there.

You can use any drop cloth plastic tarp -just get the heavier mil thickness
 
question for your moisture sealing work, which looks really good btw. What did you use, material-wise, for the moisture barrier? And how did you secure it to the door, double-sided tape, or adhesive of some kind. thanks
Just as @lookforjoe said. I used sections of heavy duty large construction waste bags that I already had. Not as thick as the factory barrier, but works fine. I just did not want to invest in a large roll of moisture barrier that I would never use. I used the same Weldwood Landau Top Contact Adhesive that I used for my interior vinyl and carpet projects. Only thing is, the adhesive solvent wants to curl the edge of the barrier, so you have to handle it carefully when you start to apply it to the door. Start along the top edge below the window and then work around the edges.
 
With all of the talk recently by @lookforjoe regarding engine temperatures on his K swap, I have noticed that after a drive in mine, there is a lot of heat radiating off of the header. Hussein had fabricated a bracket and mounted the stock heat shield as I recall. In the process of fitting my engine at the body shop, the original header and heat shield were discarded. I decided to try this Lava Header Armor from Summit Racing. I found it a little challenging to work with as the outer dark fabric layer (Kevlar?) wants to separate from the thin underlying metal sheet that the insulation is bonded to once you cut it. Plus access to the header is a little tight, but I eventually got it on. It comes with some wire to fasten it, but I used these stainless locking ties instead as they seemed a lot classier and sturdier. They are like metal zip ties. After a good full temperature drive, I checked the heat off of the header and it was much less than without it. Yeah, it doesn't look as cool as the bare header, but I think the components near the header will appreciate it in the long run.
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Yeah, the duct tape is a dead giveaway. No effort to install as per factory there.

You can use any drop cloth plastic tarp -just get the heavier mil thickness
lol. The duct tape was my doing, as the original glue (?) was on the way out, and the membrane fell to the ground laughing when I tried to put it back in place. :) However, it was perfectly in place, and more or less appeared to be installed as it was from the factory.
 
Just as @lookforjoe said. I used sections of heavy duty large construction waste bags that I already had. Not as thick as the factory barrier, but works fine. I just did not want to invest in a large roll of moisture barrier that I would never use. I used the same Weldwood Landau Top Contact Adhesive that I used for my interior vinyl and carpet projects. Only thing is, the adhesive solvent wants to curl the edge of the barrier, so you have to handle it carefully when you start to apply it to the door. Start along the top edge below the window and then work around the edges.
Great. I actually have a roll of leftover vapor barrier from some windows we had replaced - thick but workable. I may go with double-sided tape, since, as you say, I can buy it in smaller amounts, use it all and not have a can of adhesive sitting around for five years. And I think you mentioned draping some inside the doors as well as just covering the outer circumference? Something like Hussein did?
 
With all of the talk recently by @lookforjoe regarding engine temperatures on his K swap, I have noticed that after a drive in mine, there is a lot of heat radiating off of the header. Hussein had fabricated a bracket and mounted the stock heat shield as I recall. In the process of fitting my engine at the body shop, the original header and heat shield were discarded. I decided to try this Lava Header Armor from Summit Racing. I found it a little challenging to work with as the outer dark fabric layer (Kevlar) wants to separate from the thin underlying metal sheet that the insulation is bonded to once you cut it. Plus access to the header is a little tight, but I eventually got it on. It comes with some wire to fasten it, but I used these stainless locking ties instead as they seemed a lot classier and sturdier. They are like metal zip ties. After a good full temperature drive, I checked the heat off of the header and it was much less than without it. Yeah, it doesn't look as cool as the bare header, but I think the components near the header will appreciate it in the long run.
@Rodger - you know the drill... photos are required or it didn't happen! :) Good info tho. While bare SS headers look rad when they get all purple, green and red, cooler engine bay temps are so much better. Wrapped SS headers for the win.
 
lol. The duct tape was my doing, as the original glue (?) was on the way out, and the membrane fell to the ground laughing when I tried to put it back in place. :) However, it was perfectly in place, and more or less appeared to be installed as it was from the factory.

It may have been, however that is less than ideal since water coming from above past the seal / scraper molding will run down the tarp & sit between the tarp & the inner door frame, or run into the sill, either way, not ideal. I would imagine that is why it was re-routed on later cars. Unless you are going for some sort or period correct potential water damage look - I would suggest redoing it as per later production

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Ok, so do my additions seem correct? What keeps the membrane from getting messed up in the inner workings - guess I need to have a closer look with my spare, experimentation door :)

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No, the original is glued to the outside of the door frame. It is made up of two parts, the second is a flap glued to the main sheet half way down along part of its length. This flap goes inside the door frame and over the door release rod, wires etc. Difficult to describe. You can just make out the seam/weld line of the flap that goes inside in my picture below…

 
Ok, so do my additions seem correct? What keeps the membrane from getting messed up in the inner workings - guess I need to have a closer look with my spare, experimentation door :)

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The attached has a good explanation and photos of how the vapor barrier is supposed to work. On the early doors (not sure about the later ones), the inner door structure is poorly designed. There is a horizontal protrusion near the bottom of the door that should have been slotted for the bottom of the barrier to terminate inside the door, but it's not. As @NEG noted above, the work-around is to make a two piece shield. The upper goes from the top of the inner door frame and the "tail" gets tucked into the large opening in roughly the middle of the door. The second or lower piece is secured to the first piece with strip caulk, or waterproof tape depending on what material your barrier is made of. The lower should be secured to overlap the bottom of the upper shield by 3-4 inches. That is the down and dirty way to make a "flap" in the middle of the door frame. Before going to all the trouble of sealing it all up, vacuum out the inside of the door bottom to make sure it is clean of debris, and ensure the drain holes are clear.

 
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