Project
Tin Soldier
Resurrection (low cost, low torque performance)
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since our last posting, thanks for the interest.
So you might say "What can I do to save money in this economy"? While it's true that everything we do has economic consequences, man was not made to simply stay under the mattress. We have to do thing, we have to get out there and experience things and thats what a motorhome is all about. So if we say we want to have our own "rover" to take us places and see things, what can we do to minimize the impact of having such a luzury vehicle. True while I may not NEED a motorhome we may want one so what can we do to be able to afford it.
The cost of the motorhome is one thing but another really expensive part of having a motorhome is the maintenance and fuel expense. It's a "motor" "Home" and as such it is designed to run up and down the highways, that causes wear on the vehicle and is burns fuel. That magic liquid gasoline (or diesel) and the amount you use is directly relating to how much or lack of money you have in your wallet to do things once you get to where you are going. Over the long run, fuel cost is a mjor expense of owning a motorhome so what can we do to minimize this variable expense. I say variable because the farther we drive the higher the fuel cost also the more we drive the more maintenance will be to replace worn out parts.
So having a motorhome is one thing, affording to use it is another and this is where our investigation and this project starts. How can we maximize our dollar and still have a reliable, comfortable, inpressive motorhome to do our bidding?
This "Tin Soldier" project will start of with a 23' 1973 GMC, the lightest GMC produced with a stated GVW rating of 10500 pounds. The coach came from the Denver area and was not fitted originally with a dash AC system, it was fitted with the standard 455 Olds power plant. Our goal is to renovate this coach making it good looking, comfortable and reliable with an accent on fuel economy by installing a 350 C.I.D. motor and 411 gears in the diff to increase fuel economy. We will build up this coach using the lightest materials possible, reducing aerodynamic drag and energy requirements as much as is feasibly possible.
This will be a joint venture with several specialized parts suppliers helping with the final outcome. After the coach is completed, a series of tests and economy evaluations will be made to see how viable this concept is. Follow this project and lets see what happens!
First things forst and
being an economy performance project the entire project will center around the
drive train and while Jim K. is building up our 4.11 diff, we are building up
the 350 motor. We are building this motor in our shop taking care to
include all ogf the things and documenting the build to set up our production
350 crate motor program after we get this one on the road and tested
The block was boiled out locally, crank polished and tolerances checked.
The pistons are stock 10.5:1 compression
,
this will be a flat tappet motor in that it will be a low cost economy build we
will take all of the ZDDP precautions. Fiture motors will be available
without tested roller cam design or a flat tappet lifter style-- take your
choice. These motors are built for a bit different duty not having the low
end torque a 455 block offers, we will do the job more with RPM, compression,
and gearing. A departure on the conventional, this is the prime test of
this project. As soon as the motor build is done, we will break down the
coach and put in the drive train.
Come back again to follow this interesting project.
