VR Senator with LSx454

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

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Beautiful long cruise yesterday up through the Barossa to Tanunda then back down Gomersal road to Galwer, over an hour all up.  Seems to be running sweet as, gave it a couple of squirts, i reckon it would go very close to spinning it up at 100 km’h, but not game yet to really hit it.  Still getting use to all the little bumps and noises etc it makes.  Its quite firm suspension wise but not uncomfortable.  Can definitely feel how much more feel there is in the rear end, I reckon maybe a combination of the stiffened rear sub frame and all the bushes etc.

Went around and saw the boys at Norwoods at lunch time, they were actually doing final assembly on the glide when I arrived, looks very cool and strong.  So booked it in next Monday, will drop it in, get that changed over, then a final tune on the dyno at Bell’s and then she is a full time cruiser

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

Good to see this is still progressing (never doubted it wouldn’t) but haven’t followed the thread since you left that other forum.

Looks like I have a little catching up to do.

Great to see/hear you’re out cruising in her 

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by  Immortality.

[WraithParticipant View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 50]

Woo hoo. Power is one of things where if your not daily driving the car you tend to think you need more then you drive it and your like whoa ok don’t need anymore.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Immortality wrote:

Good to see this is still progressing (never doubted it wouldn’t) but haven’t followed the thread since you left that other forum. Looks like I have a little catching up to do. Great to see/hear you out cruising in her

 

Great to have you on board mate, yep seems to have taken so long to get to this point.  Really was about where i am approx a year ago, but the full engineering and RTA approval process took a lot of work :)  Peaking now though, a 100% road registered and legal 454 powered VR, yee haa!!!

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Wraith wrote:

Woo hoo. Power is one of things where if your not daily driving the car you tend to think you need more then you drive it and your like whoa ok don’t need anymore.

Yea agreed 100%, with it, its relatively docile, then you squeeze the loud pedal and it gets busy pretty bloody quickly 

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

One of things I have really enjoyed about the build is the people I have met and friends I have made through the forum along the way. Last night got to meet Sam, a guy who has done a 2nd gen LS conversion in the past, and has some very cool cars who happened to be in S.A. so came up and had a look at the car. Still a little nervous showing people the car, so many things I would do better, and actually it was pretty dirty after Sundays cruise, but was great fun showing he and his mate over it. Not sure the neighbors would have been feeling the LSx love when I fired her up though 

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[KroozerParticipant Forbes, NSW91 VN SS View build HERE Member since: February 19, 2015 Posts: 336]

VRSenator065 wrote:

100% road registered and legal 454 powered VR

This!!! 

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

Finally had a change to go back and read over all the happenings since you left the other forum.

I see those cones I recommended for the exhaust made a decent difference although as it turns out still  not enough to get down to what was required :(

Isn’t it interesting to see what car manufacturers have to deal with when tuning cars to pass ADR and EPA standards.  One of my work mates family members works for Holden and what he does is on road testing of new vehicles to make sure they comply with standards and the vehicle performs to design specifications.  Basically put, he drives around in vehicles fitted with multitudes of testing equipment.

In the end you really are setting standard because there aren’t many car built to this level (of modification) that not only pass engineering but also pass EPA testing 

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Cheers mate, great to have you part of the forum.  I have certainly learnt a hell of a lot during this build.  Apparently its not uncommon to take a basically new car and it fails a full emissions test, its a very strict.  To get an ITB fed 454 NA through I am really happy about, it took a lot of effort, it almost became an obsession for me to totally pass engineering, tbh I think a lot of people would have chucked in the towel (or run out of money lol ).  But its something now nobody can take away.  I can drive into any car event knowing its legal, whereas I would have always been worried it would get pinged.

Those exhaust cones work very well, as you say it wasn’t enough in the final wash up for what I needed, but if anyone was just needing to drop a few dB they are a great option.  With my car I definitely think there is a harmonic (or two) in the exhaust note that gives it such a high reading.  At some stage now its been tuned properly I will recheck it, I am pretty confident it would be under.  I just got to the stage where swapping the exhaust just got it done.  Probably if I had more time (and inclination) I reckon a hemholtz pipe would have been a good option, particularly now I have widened the area where the rear muffler sits.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Kroozer wrote:

VRSenator065 wrote:

100% road registered and legal 454 powered VR

This!!!

Gotta say it ranks right up there

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Project powerglide has begun

[benkParticipant Sydney View build HERE Member since: August 23, 2015 Posts: 85]

VRSenator065 wrote:

Cheers mate, great to have you part of the forum. I have certainly learnt a hell of a lot during this build. Apparently its not uncommon to take a basically new car and it fails a full emissions test, its a very strict. To get an ITB fed 454 NA through I am really happy about, it took a lot of effort, it almost became an obsession for me to totally pass engineering, tbh I think a lot of people would have chucked in the towel (or run out of money lol ). But its something now nobody can take away. I can drive into any car event knowing its legal, whereas I would have always been worried it would get pinged. Those exhaust cones work very well, as you say it wasn’t enough in the final wash up for what I needed, but if anyone was just needing to drop a few dB they are a great option. With my car I definitely think there is a harmonic (or two) in the exhaust note that gives it such a high reading. At some stage now its been tuned properly I will recheck it, I am pretty confident it would be under. I just got to the stage where swapping the exhaust just got it done. Probably if I had more time (and inclination) I reckon a hemholtz pipe would have been a good option, particularly now I have widened the area where the rear muffler sits.

Are those the perforated cones? Do you have any more details on them?

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

benk wrote:

Are those the perforated cones? Do you have any more details on them?

 

Yea they are mate, they are called Dynatech Vortex Insert Cones, I bought them from Summit.  They apparently are popular in the states with racing teams if they have to get under track dB limits.  the idea is the forward facing come reflects the sound but the holes allow the exhaust to flow.  I have no idea what power loss you get using them though.

They are supplied with three straight sections at the base, and the intention is you drill through the exhaust pipe and screw them in.  I wanted mine to be easily removable, so I bought some blanking plates, i then cut a 3″ hole in the plates, cut off the extended sections and tig welded them as an assembly.  That way I was able to just undo the exhaust and sandwich them upstream of the cats.  I got approx 4dB drop using them which was pretty good.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by  VRSenator065.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

As I probably have banged on about ad nauseum legality is a big deal with this build.  So one of the issues with swapping to the powerglide is what gear the car is in has to be displayed day and night.  I also need to have the reverse lights work properly.  So Dakota Digital make a neat electronic module that connects to the gear linkage and then you have either have a seven segment display or illuminated panel of led’s.  I have decided to go for the panel, but my cunning plan (if it works out) is to take the leds out of the panel and mount them under the gear surround alongside each of the the gear numbers, where the factory white stripe is.  I want to also have a look and see if its possible to black out the 2&3  numbers.  In two minds about also grafting on the standard gear knob too so it looks reasonably factory, but I am not after a car that looks exactly factory, I just want everything to look like its been done properly.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

One built powerglide

[benkParticipant Sydney View build HERE Member since: August 23, 2015 Posts: 85]

thanks for that. Interesting info on those cones.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Anytime, glad its of interest

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well the gear selector indicator box of tricks has arrived, the small LED display is on its way over as well.  Hoping to pop over at lunch today and have a look at progress with the glide.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Whats the run down with the glide? What goodies are in it.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Should be very stout.  Genuine Reid case, Sonnax 1.8 straight cut gear set, TSI 300M 30 spline input shaft, trans brake, 3,000 stall.  We are mounting the reluctor ring at the back of the tail shaft yoke for speedo pickup.  My tail-shafts been shortened to suit, its already chrome moly with Strange yokes front and back.  Not sure if it will be a custom cross member, or we may be able to make something OE work.

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