He was helping me with the build of my nova. He's a good guy, used to drag race pretty big in the old days, was even good friends with dick harrell.
However, the entire build has went into a direction I didn't want it to. Everything I want to do to my car he has some opinion about, and it's usually about how I and conventional knowledge are completely wrong. Like the arp main bolts, he wanted them torqued to 110ft lbs instead of the 95ft lbs arp recommends, he tried to play with the torque wrench to put it to how he wanted, but I caught it and set it back to the arp specs. Or the heads, he wants to torque my aluminum heads down to 85ft lbs, instead of the 65ft lbs that manley recommends with their bolts. Once again I caught him and changed it. Or such as the 10 bolt is has, I want to weld the axle tubes, put in stronger axles and an eaton posi back there, he says he will only help me if I put a ford 9" back there.
That just plain isn't what I want to do to my car. He also wants to build the TH350 I have to do snap neck shifts, and wants me to buy a trans brake, this isn't going to be a dedicated track car, I just want a street car that I can occasionally take to the strip and have a little fun in.
We've had other issues as well, usually with him going behind my back and what I want to do and doing it his way. And he doesn't really care, so it usually comes out sloppy and not looking too well.
So I am just gonna put the engine in there, put the front end back on, and have it towed back to my house.

To bad he doesn't understand it is your car and be a friend and help you do it your way, or at least in the case of the torque, the right way.
Having a friend help with a project cand be great. Helps keep you motivated, work thru problems and just lend support when things go wrong.
John and Dave are a good example of this. ( of course John doesn't like being referred to as a good example :) )They have been working together on building both Novas and the results are fantastic. I feel you are doing the right thing and maybe your friend will come around to your way of thinking in the future.

I'm sorry to hear that your friendship is being strained over this. However, it is your car, your money, and your ideas of what you want. Maybe breaking it off for awhile is the best thing for both of you. Sometime people forget that what they like is not necessarily what someone else may like or want or can afford.

I basically feel like he thought it was his build, and I was the financial backer. I don't know how to do a ton of things, but I guess I will just figure it out.

Jimmy you have all of us for support. Unless you are in the Tucson area I can't help turn wrenches but can offer advice when you run into problems.

I know guys, Big Dave has been a big help to me as well. Thanks for all the help so far!

Real simple solution. Just take out the pink slip next time and show him who's name is on it!

John

i think it all comes down to a few things really... respect, communications and what's valued in a friendship.

sometimes you can have any combination of the three, sometimes ya get lucky and get all of them. ;)



i wish ya the best ;)