Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

bwild70ss396 wrote:

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Adding a couple more pics of progress. The motor and transmission in for the last time!!


Does the club still have a discount for driveshafts that Charlie got for us?????

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 I am pretty sure we do. I havent heard anything otherwise. Another member PMed me a few weeks ago about this so I presume he has already been in touch with them as well. So I would have to say yes.

Finished up on all the rear end stuff. Brakes, brake lines, modified sway bar and end links.

Thank you Mitch! I am sure it will get plenty of rock chips, rain and maybe a few rubber fragments under it!

Brad - I'm using the same/similar rear calipers... Not to be the bearer of bad news, but looking at the photo (and not knowing your setup) it appears you've got things bolted on incorrectly.

The calipers and axle tube plates/mounts need to be exchanged side for side, and re-mounted with the calipers rearward - with the hole for the e-brake cable pointed forward.

(This shouldn't impact your hard line install, as the flex line will just go rearward, instead of to the (now) front.)

Rear end stuff is complete take 2!

It was a easy swap to change calipers and brackets around. Only some minor paint scrapage to be fixed later.

Ordered my steel driveshaft and cowl panel for body as thats where all my attenion soon will be focused. Mini tub, cowl repair, lots of weld and seem grinding, and after that some I am guessing heavy transmission tunnel mods.

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Saturday 16th of July 2011 03:32:08 PM

A few pics of my cowl replacement. You cant see the damage very well in the before picture. The drivers corner was smashed down about 3/8" and then mauled up and patched.

New piece did not fit to bad. Will probably work on plugging some holes in firewall next weekend.

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Saturday 30th of July 2011 05:45:11 PM

Just got my Denny's Driveshaft Thursday. Looks nice and fits nice. He was very easy to talk to to and willing to spend the time answering questions and making sure you get exactly what you are looking for. I ended up buying a 700hp shaft and upgrading rear yoke to handle that power. He said the one I had was good for in the 500hp range. $467 front yoke , rear yoke, and shaft shipped to my house.  Would highly recommend his business.

 

Starting to do mini tub before patching holes in firewall. Alot of headscratching going on, but will get it to work. I cut the old tub out then moved it in 3" and will fill the gap then with a filler strip. It lloks like there will be 15 - 16" about of tire room!  I think that might be wide enough!!  I went and bought a sheet of steel for strips at Discount Steel in Mpls and long as I was down there checked out the tornado damage in my old hood. I see it missed my first house by about 3-4 blocks!

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Friday 12th of August 2011 04:53:39 PM

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Friday 12th of August 2011 04:57:32 PM

The fun of welding old, dirty metal. It'll all look great when it's done...

I am kinda partial to this tape measure pic myself!!! helps make all the many hours and bodily injuries worth while!

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Friday 2nd of September 2011 09:02:49 AM

At the front and back of the wheelwell it narrows to about 15" or so. I am planning to purchase 333/35/17" for the back on a 17"x11" rim. In the Pilots that size is about 13.5" wide, so about .75 clearance both sides I am hoping for? Does that sound like a nice amount?  What I did was make the wheelwells what ended up being about 1/2" more narrow then the frame rails in back. I just went off a old article in a magazine called Classic Chevy and thats what it looked like they did. The Tri-Five forum also has a few guys that have done similar.

 

 

Second side tacked in a little. Seeing if I can order a small trunk floor patch panel next. It has a little more rust then I can fix with my simple tools by the fuel tank curve.

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Friday 2nd of September 2011 01:24:27 PM

bwild70ss396 wrote:

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I am kinda partial to this tape measure pic myself!!! helps make all the many hours and bodily injuries worth while!

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Friday 2nd of September 2011 09:02:49 AM

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Yaaaa duuuude, that is cool....

 

With the trunk patch coming a little late I redirected to work on the firewall a bit for some plugging of about 40 or so holes. It still needs alot of work, but it should look good when done.

I included a shot of the one of two found bullet holes! I am guessing while it resided in Texas it was used for rifle practice!

I also put in a before shot of trunk floor area that I will be working on also

I am planning on going with a Vintage Air or Old Air system for heat and air conditioning. I also blocked of air vent tubes, wiper holes as I am going with a inside mount Raingear system, Throttle hole since DBW, Speedo cable hole since I while be running a wire, all holes for firewall pad since I will be using Dynamat or similar product, and clutch rod hole. I may have to drill that one back out for the hydraulic clutch system? I going to try to make most stuff more hidden if possible.

I am moving the battery also from core support to maybe between fender well and firewall area that the tube once ran through. I am checking into those newer small batteries.The picture if of other cars showing the area I am thinking about moving the battery too.

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Sunday 11th of September 2011 02:00:12 PM

Made some tunnel mods for the 6 speed. It should fit no problem now. I may have to put curve mod in seat frame ? I have not check yet. A few pics of my hacking

A few pics of back panel / brace install and the rear seat fitting after back frame mods. Looks like seat will work out good. I am glad for a full rear seat.

Storage ??? How you gonna make Car Craft if you don't work on it all winter ??

 

bwild70ss396 wrote:

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I have many years yet before it make it to Car Craft! I am missing not having a car or Harley for crusing around in or on. Next spring I will finish the body welding and grinding then take body to blasting, prime paint bottom and then undercoat like I did my El Camino. The $ to finish will get harder to come by. Need about 10K yet. Anybody with some free cash?

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Forget the paint for now. In this age of rat rods and flat paint, it will fit right in. I have a torpedo heater you can use for heat over the winter to keep "grinding" away at it. Get that puppy on the road !! Look at my heap...

I was cleaning out the Pete to put it in storage today and found a stash of mad money I forgot about. $60 won't even fill the tank on my pick-up, but it's more than I had an hour ago...

 

Finally getting back to working on my car. The first project was taking motor half out to put new low profile Holley oil pan on. Gained 2.5 inches of clearance. Steering still looks same as with original pan.

Just went through the build (too bad the old pic's are gone) looking great, keep up the good work.

Brad, would an F-body pan help? I've got one you can test fit if you want to try it.

some more pics including adding 16 more trim holes with a dremel tool

-- Edited by bwild70ss396 on Saturday 30th of June 2012 08:35:00 PM

The final body shots before the going to the blaster in a few days

Sand blast in more rigid parts and Media on panels that could warp. Same way I did my El Camino. I primered the whole car and painted and put a hard undercoat on bottom. The painter guy sanded off all primer on topside to metal again two years later when I had it painted. He does not go over other peoples work. I did not mind with the quality paint job he does. I have already talked to the same guy about doing my 57.

Back from Blaster and ready to spray