66 Chevelle - New Beginnings

[tommycomfort]

Tom...what do you use to cover the car while painting?...i'm about do some touch up on my front subframe while my motor is out..didn't know if they make a specific plastic wrap for cars or homemade some stuff?

Nothing fancy Matt, just thin visqueen we bought at the local hardware store. We just make sure that everything is sealed off top and bottom because overspray has a way of finding its way to nice paint.

[musclecarmatt]

Nothing fancy Matt, just thin visqueen we bought at the local hardware store. We just make sure that everything is sealed off top and bottom because overspray has a way of finding its way to nice paint.

very nice tom.....my buddy builds boat motors at a plant near my house...he gets these huge thin clear plastic bags that can cover a whole fender...probably make a cover out of those....while got the motor out of my car...going respray the front subframe and firewall....

[tommycomfort]

Getting the "new" chassis under the body for the first time to see how much trans tunnel needed to be modified.


Tunnel cut and body sat in place.


Rear view.


Clean/painted parts just look great together.


The chassis will come in and out a couple more times as we modify the tunnel and will get a good washing before the last install. Should be ordering a offset shifter, steering column and radiator this week.

[SparkyRnD]

Should be ordering a.....radiator this week.

;-)

[tommycomfort]

Well, this has been a long time coming, but after multiple setbacks on our Chevelles, selling our old shop and building another, we finally finished up and returned the Chevelle to Andy. I'll post some pictures to try to get it up to date.

Finishing up the trans tunnel.


Moved into the new shop and onto the lift.


Welding in the bucket seat mounts.


Had to modify the console mounts due to the height of the trans tunnel.


New replacement fuel tank installed. It was so pretty we just clear coated it.

[tommycomfort]

Stock 66 Chevelle bucket seat frames. Wired brushed the big stuff and media blasted everything else followed by sealing it up.



Had to build a mount to use the stock shifter on the TKO600.



Deb was showing off her handy work installing the fender. It had been a long time that it had been off.


Just an inner fender shot.


Replaced the 1310 pinion yoke with a 1330 and installed a 1330 yoke in the TKO.


We had a local guy build a nice new 3" steel driveshaft.

[tommycomfort]

Seats and console installed. The seat foam and covers came from TMI and feature the high bolsters. Deb insisted that she could put them together but when the time came she folded and we ended up taking them to a local custom interior guy. Great decision, they came out really nice. The stock console worked out great with the offset TKO shifter and the bracket we made to use the stock shifter.


Loaded up and headed to Ohio for the delivery.


Back in Andy's beautiful shop.

[rixtrix1]

Nice changeover. Awesome work, as always.

[jwatts]

I am glad to see some updates on this car. This is one build thread I bookmarked when I started building my 66. The car, and all of the work in general looks great.

[wyattroa]

Did you go with TKO 600 or t56?

[tommycomfort]

did you go with tko 600 or t56?

tko600

[USAZR1]

Nice to see it all come back together, Tom.

[wyattroa]

Did you go with TKO 600 or t56?

I am debating between thesis two. I can't make up my mind. I Really don't think I will need two over drive gears, but I have heard things about the high RPM shifting with the TKO. What was your reason for going with the TKO over the t56.

[tommycomfort]

I am debating between thesis two. I can't make up my mind. I Really don't think I will need two over drive gears, but I have heard things about the high RPM shifting with the TKO. What was your reason for going with the TKO over the t56.

I actually put this car together for a customer/good friend and as we did it I had an opportunity to buy a used and recently refreshed TKO 600. My buddy Andy will street drive it 99% of time and I've known a huge number of pro-touring folks that have autocrossed and road raced TKOs without issue. My wife and I both have T56 transmissions in our Chevelles though. Her's is a 93 F-body LT1 behind a small block and mine is a 2004 Viper T56 with a swapped midplate run behind an LS. If you're looking at new I think for the difference in money I would go Magnum T56 for sure.