1966 Chevelle...Code name "Danger Zone"

[wyattroa]

Well I went out and bought a 1966 Chevelle. The car is a rolling shell as of right now, but Ill update the pictures of what has been done so far.

My goals for this car are pro-touring, street, and cruising. I plan to yank a LS motor from a junk yard and throw it in there. I am not sure yet on a transmission. Really leaning towards a t-56, but I know the wife would probably want to drive the car too since she will be helping me wrench on it. So it might end up with a 4L80e in it. I am going to be buying parts a little at a time and building this car. I know I won't be finishing this car in a year, or even 2 for that matter, but it will be mine and something I hope my kids, wife, and myself will enjoy.

My plan for suspension is to do coil overs all the way around, upgrade the steering box to a jeep grand cherokee, and to fit 295's on the ass end of it. I was thinking of doing the mini tub, but 335 tires are more expensive and I have a feeling I would be going through them fast. I know 335's look amazing from the back. Maybe that will change, who knows.. It has currently a 10 bolt in it, but unfortunately it the weak 8.2". So I will be on the hunt for a used 12bolt or ford 9".

I had planned on buying a car to do a ton of work on, but everything in my area, Chicago, is just horrible. The cars around here are literally falling apart from rust and their prices are too high. I went to see a 66 chevelle that had the suspension collapsed on it, no trunk floor, no floors inside, rust everywhere and they wanted $4,500 for it. No thanks.

I also plan on doing the body work and paint. It will be a big job as I have never done this before, but my buddy used to shoot paint on so maybe he can help. Either way, I plan on doing everything I can.

I found this on the west coast, all original body panels on it. The frame had been taken to a shop and it was confirmed a straight and true frame. Hardly any bond on it. I had it shipped back to me.

There are so many nice 66 chevelles on here. I have read through there threads and am blown away. They are the reason I have started this. I feel there is a wealth of knowledge on this site and from what I have seen the other chevelle build threads do, I think I will be in good hands for help.


Here are some pictures to get started. The first car is a mustang I built when I was 18, I am now 32. That car is long gone, but damn it was fun. It had a 347 stroker with a BDS 8-71 blower on it. It turned a few heads..lol

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/05/4418020043_large-1.jpg

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Here is how it sits currently.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/05/20160513_155425-1.jpg

[wyattroa]

I am going on Wednesday to pick up a 1966 chevelle 4 door from down state. I will pull a bunch of parts off of this car. If I were to have to buy all the parts I am pulling off the 4 door, it would have added up to over $3,000 in items. I am getting the car for $500, it comes with a 283 that turns over, 3 speed trans, and 10bolt on the rear. I should be able to sell those parts and cover the cost of what I got the car for. Either way, I feel its a win win.

My wife on the other hand is non too pleased I will not only have 1, but 2 chevelles at the house..lol...I showed her the savings by getting the donor car and she was more excepting of it.

[Zoomin]

Looks like you're already well on your way, smart move holding out for a rust free foundation.

Great pit crew too!

[ICrombie]

Very cool, where around Chicago are you located?

[MOREHORSEPOWER]

Looks like your off to a good start !!!

[wyattroa]

Very cool, where around Chicago are you located?

Thanks, I will update that. I am located in Lombard, just west of Chicago.

Very excited about this build. I know its going to take time and there might be times I can't work on it due to health reasons for extended periods. I have some autonomic nervous system disorder that just sucks having. Have been to Mayo Clinic( which is amazing by the way) in rochester, MN for and they couldn't figure it out. There are times my entire body just feels its lit on fire as every single nerve just fires off at the same time. This will give me something to distract me for a while.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Very cool! I'm looking forward to seeing more.



I feel like that BDS on the fox weighed more than the whole bottom end, lol.

[wyattroa]

Very cool! I'm looking forward to seeing more.



I feel like that BDS on the fox weighed more than the whole bottom end, lol.


Thanks very much. Yes the blower was close in weight to the bottom end. I got to say though, driving the fox body around like that was amazing. I got the car when I was 16 and by 17 I had a vortech supercharger on it with gt-40 intake. The car was crazy to drive but I was able to control it. The first thing my mom did with me was bring me to a parking lot and tell me to just get on it. We did that a bunch of times going when it was dry and when it was rainy. I learned a ton from doing that instead of losing it and wrapping it around a tree. The first set of tires didn't last very long, but it was worth it for the learning curve.

I have been going through ridetechs site almost every day looking at everything. I am pretty much set on your suspension. I won't be able to buy the entire kit, but I do plan on buying a piece here and there and running the coil overs. Like it said, I won't be able to do big purchases, just little things here and there.

Robert

[wyattroa]

I have a quick question. As I am trying to keep this "budget", the car has a 10 bolt rear on it. However its not the 8.5" its the 8.2". If I upgrade to the moser 28 splines and then dura grip post traction differential, would it hold up? Are these new parts stronger then the old ones in the 8.2" that seem to be very weak? 12 bolt rears ends seem to fetch a very high price currently and I don't see them to be dropping anytime soon. I would love to work with what I currently have.

Robert

[Shortacus]

Great start. Ill be following I am going to be posting my 1967 Chevelle build and am also on a budget. Keep up the good work!

[Rick2964]

My favorite year Chevelle... Gaps already look good ! :)

[wyattroa]

Just looking through some stuff. Does anyone make repo vertical grill support brackets? Or am I going to have to start searching for some used ones. I know a bunch of stuff is reproduced, but I have a feeling a bunch isn't also.

I drove 5 hours to pick up the 4 door car to be a donor. I ended up driving home without it. The guy had let someone come the day before and basically ransack the entire thing. The only thing I would have been bring home was rust. I tried taking a few bolts off the car to get some pieces and rust was literally raining down on me. I was a little miffed to say the least.

Now I am trying to figure out what I will need or what I should start searching for that is not reproduced.

My plan was to get the suspension done first, then the rear end, then brakes. This way I have a solid rolling chassis and nothing to worry about anymore along those lines as the car is currently sitting without and springs on it, its just sitting on blocks and rolling.

Side note, I never knew that just over the border of IL into MO they had armadillos. So many were dead along the highway.

[wyattroa]

Just looking through some stuff. Does anyone make repo vertical grill support brackets or the upper grille filler? I see the upper grille filler is available for the 67, but can't find one for the 66. Or am I going to have to start searching for some used ones. I know a bunch of stuff is reproduced, but I have a feeling a bunch isn't also.


Anyone know about this. I also found this front part for $100. Not sure if its worth it or not. I do not have any of the piece in the picture. I feel it should clean up decent, but then again, maybe not.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/08/00505_65MpZYzofH5_1200x900-1.jpg
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[68400BIRD]

Looks pretty rusty. If the parts are hard to find you could have it sand blasted and spray a lot of high build primer to fill the small pits.

[wyattroa]

Alright been doing electrolysis, evaporust, and vinegar baths on all of these parts. They have cleaned up nice so far. I was planning on replacing the bottom bumper to grille filler, but have decided against that since I bought a welder. I plan on just patching the areas that are needed on it. I used a hammer and dollie for the first time to clean up the edges and take out the dents and bring the natural curve back on the sides. Top grille filler got some high build primer, sanded, and then some new black paint on it. The headlight bezels will be cleaned up more once I get the mig welder going. Need to replace a couple spots on the left side.

Some before and after pictures.

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[wyattroa]

Alright, finally got a welder and used it for the first time tonight. Its an eastwood mig 250. Purchased it from the store, its about 25 minutes from me. It was an open box that had never been used. Bought it for $615, retail for $899. Very happy with it. Tried it out for the first time tonight as I am getting ready to smooth the firewall and fill the trim holes.

Never used a welder before. Still so much to learn to be good. My helmet was broke when I was running the bead, so I was holding the helmet with my left hand, while holding the mig in the right. I had nothing to rest my right hand on, so I kept it as steady as I could. As I said, much to learn, but it sure is fun.


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[tommycomfort]

I like it! We have a few parts cars if you run into something that you can't find.

[wyattroa]

I like it! We have a few parts cars if you run into something that you can't find.

Thank you very much for the offer! I have been going through your threads over and over and just dreaming. Beautiful cars you have there.

[wyattroa]

I ordered the ABC Smoothie kits yesterday around noon. I had it in hand in under 24 hours..That is awesome. Worked on the firewall today. Want to smooth it out. For those of you who have done this, what do you do about the marking brake bolts that come through the firewall?

I need to pick up some weld thru primer and then I will be on my way.

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[Pt109]

Great project. very smart to get a non rusty car. I however was not that smart. but at least i will get some good experience. You are way ahead of my pace, however i am going way past my original plan on the build as it so often happens. So it will be worth it when done. have fun and enjoy the build.

[wyattroa]

Getting there. I have to say the smell from mig welding is horrible. Maybe its just me. I do have a respirator, but I am not sure how good its doing since I have a beard.

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[AU Doc]

Sorry if I missed this, but what is the gray coating on the floor pans?

[wyattroa]

Sorry if I missed this, but what is the gray coating on the floor pans?
I believe its an epoxy primer. It was on there when I got the car.

[wyattroa]

Alright everyone, I have a feeling these welds are not good. Here is a picture of them, I feel like something is wrong here and I am sure its user error. Here is picture of some tac welds.
Still learning and I can see in some of the spots I am not actually connecting the body to the panel being welded on. Are there any other glaring mistakes I should try to fix. I know I have to go back to those welds and add to them. Does it look like its running too hot, too cold, not enough wire, or too much wire? Again just learning as I go along. I am using shielding gas, as 75%/25 mixture. I forgot to mention, I am using weld thru primer on the back of the panel and also the fire wall.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/09/20160928_192650-1.jpg

[wyattroa]

Alright, I brought the welder into the shop and it was doing the same thing for them. They think the inverter went bad on it. They replaced it will a sealed brand new unit.

[wyattroa]

Not too much to update here. We took the body off the frame last night, a bigger job then I had anticipated. One jack could go high enough, no engine hoist, pretty sure my rafters wouldn't support the body either. Took some time but we got there. Still working on the firewall..Slow but sure, been sick a bunch.

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[wyattroa]

Well, picked up the hellwig frame FX kit. I started taking down all suspension components. We were able to get them all off yesterday. This way when I finish putting the kit on I can send it off to be powder coated. My welder is 110/220v welder, I don't have 220 in my garage so I will be borrowing my neighbors portable generator to do the welding with 220v. My youngest son who is 3 asks me to work on the chevelle with him all the time. Here are some pictures from yesterday, he even has his own tool box. I have to check it every time we leave the garage since I know he will put my tools in his tool box.

Not sure I will get much done as its currently feels like -8 outside. I need to live where its warmer.

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[wyattroa]

Was able to work on the car just a bit this weekend. The flu hit our house and hit it hard. I was able to mostly get the firewall tacked on. Any suggestions for grinding or what disc to use with a grinder. I also started prepping for the ABC frame boxing. I am going to borrow my neighbors generator and connect my welder up to it to give me the right setting to weld them in on the frame.

Side note, this thing must have been blasted through a field or something. The amount of crap I found inside the front crossmember is insane. I had to use a hammer and chisel to knock it all out, also used my drill with a foot long bit on it. Here is a picture of the crap that fell out, not even all of it.

Beer can for reference.

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[Zoomin]

Gee, that's unreal!

You're going to have to go roto-rooter on that.

[Centerforce]

Is subscribing to the danger zone the same as being in it? We hope so. In all seriousness, though, it looks like you have a great start going, and a helpful little minion. We're excited to see the cars future!

[wyattroa]

Gee, that's unreal!

You're going to have to go roto-rooter on that.

I couldn't believe the amount of crap packed into that crossmember. Maybe this car lived it's life as a rally cross racer at some point.


Is subscribing to the danger zone the same as being in it? We hope so. In all seriousness, though, it looks like you have a great start going, and a helpful little minion. We're excited to see the cars future!

Thanks for the comments. I'll be contacting you in the future for a clutch as I plan to run a t56 with this setup, well, thats the plan as of now.

[Centerforce]

Thanks for the comments. I'll be contacting you in the future for a clutch as I plan to run a t56 with this setup, well, thats the plan as of now.

Feel free to shoot us a PM whenever you are ready. We are always happy to help!

[wyattroa]

Got some more done today, not much since I am watching 3 little boys at the same time. Its around 70 degrees here in Chicago, which is absolutely crazy for February. Figured I would give the garage a little clean too. I made an adapter for my welder, this way I can plug my 3 prong into the 4 prong generator I am running for the 220V.

The driver side ABC frame boxing kit was too long towards the front. I cut a bit off the front and welded it onto the rear of the piece. I then was able to get some tack welds down to hold the piece in place. Mind you, I just started welding this past fall, so they are not the greatest looking welds.

Also got some new parts in the mail. My wife ended up getting me Ridetech upper and lower control arms for my birthday and Christmas.

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[67goatman455]

hey, before you have what happened to mine when welding in the frame boxing kit, weld in some steel bar from one side to the other, I had to winch my frame rails back together after i did mine, it stunk! Also you should try the flapper disks in 36 grit to cut down your welds if you haven't tried already, they work much faster and end up looking nicer too! i'm digging it, keep going!

[wyattroa]

hey, before you have what happened to mine when welding in the frame boxing kit, weld in some steel bar from one side to the other, I had to winch my frame rails back together after i did mine, it stunk! Also you should try the flapper disks in 36 grit to cut down your welds if you haven't tried already, they work much faster and end up looking nicer too! i'm digging it, keep going!
It's not shown in the picture, but I have some iron welded in to hold the form. Took the measurement and everything was dead on. I'll pick up some flap disks and give them a go.
Robert

[chevhell]

What happened to the hellwig fx kit? I see that you went with a abc performance boxing kit insted why?

[wyattroa]

What happened to the hellwig fx kit? I see that you went with a abc performance boxing kit insted why?


I did have the hellwig kit. The kit I got ended up having the wrong items in the box so I sent it back. I went with the abc kit instead due to ease of installation. I didn't want to have to deal with adding in another body mount. I don't have an easy way to put the body on and off the frame in order to line up the mounts how they should be. Might be a mistake to go with the ABC kit, but many people have used it and it works out very well for them.

[Motown 454]

I just went back and re read it from the beginning, nice job Robert I'm enjoying you build thread.

[chevhell]

Thats funny for saying the wrong kit was in the box, i order the 64-67 a body kit. The kit i got didn't fit at all, the first piece you put on was not even close. The extra body mount didn't fit. My car is a late 67 chevelle. I made a call the hellwig and talked with them about the kit i have, how the parts fits, i emailed them pictures. The guy at hellwig was stumped so he went to the engineer and talked to him and two days later thay were both stumped. The only thing thay could come up with is that my middle frame rails are from 68-72 abody, or something like that. So thay sent me some parts from a 68-72 kit and i was able to make my kit work. I would like to know if your car/ hellwig kit was like mine, or was it just totally worng. Thank you

[wyattroa]

I have some quick questions for the masses out there. I am wondering if I should be concerned or if I have a problem, might just be my floor. As some saw in the previous posts, I am putting in an ABC frame boxing kit. Before doing any welding I made sure to check the frame was level and it was. I have not been running any long beads when welding in the frame boxing kit, just doing tack welds as to not build up heat and warp anything. I even checked my measurements using the picture from this link and they are dead on.
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/45-chevelle-tech/219673-frame-dimensions-1966-malibu.html

But I noticed some stuff that has me worried.

In the first set of pictures, you can see how un even my floor is, it has a slope to the passenger side.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/02/20170223_103240-1.jpg
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Here in the next two pictures, I show the measurements right by where the lower control arm connects to the chassis. There is a half inch difference in height. I want to assume this is due to the floor being lower on the other side, but I am not convinced.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/02/20170223_103440-1.jpg
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The series of next pictures show the chassis is level from drive side to passenger side. The driver side measures to the top of the angle iron at 22.5", the passenger side measure to 22". I would think this should throw my level readings off, but as you can see in the rest of my pictures the frame is sitting level.


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[wyattroa]

Question, I am still working on boxing in the frame rails. A little at a time, doing this by running my welder of a neighbors generator. I have the tops pretty much tacked in with no gaps and I have the bottom tacked every 5 inches right now. Can I get a couple of buddies to just help me flip this frame over so I can finished the bottom of the rails. Its not that fun trying to weld laying on your back or on your side with a big ass helmet on.

[wyattroa]

Well, this is a big update for me. When I got my chevelle, it was just a shell with no interior, pretty much nothing. Back on October 19th a member on here contacted me regarding parts he no longer needed. This member was on the chevelle forum. For the past 5 months we have been in contact and often talked about our build and anything else on our minds. He informed me he had a great deal of parts he no longer had use for and was willing to let me have them. My first thought was, whats the catch, this has to be too good to be true, does the guy want to kill me or something? Turns out there was no catch and he didn't want to kill me..lol...

This past weekend my wife and I made the drive down to his town, which is about a 6.5 hour drive from our house. Turns out he is every bit as great as I had anticipated from talking with him online. He showed me courtesy while I was there and gave me a personal tour of his Chevelle, which I must say is amazing.

I am still in shock that I was able to come across such a good guy, not to mention a guy who was willing to let me just have his old parts. These parts range from, front bucket seats, rear seat, center console, front grille, glass, window assemblies, UMI suspension parts new in the box, new g-force crossmember, and much more. I haven't had a chance to inventory all the parts yet. Either way, it puts me in a much better position for my chevelle. Here are some pictures from when I arrived back home. We were too tired from driving so we parked the car in our backyard and went to bed. Also, forgot to mention, he is letting me use his rotisserie which will make things much easier for me.

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[HotRod47]

That is incredible!! There still are some very giving people out there. Good for you.

[1965_SS]

Very cool! Was it Tom who gave you the parts?

[wyattroa]

Very cool! Was it Tom who gave you the parts?

No, another member on the site, Bu 66.

[1965_SS]

Very cool!

[wyattroa]

Alright a small update and I mean small..lol..I have been bogged down with school work so it gets difficult to find time to work on the car. My neighbor came over and helped me flip the frame over so that I have an easier time welding the boxing plates on. Welding on your back is not fun, I don't believe anyone who says otherwise. I also decided I would replace two of the body mounts on the frame, the front two. They are not in horrible shape, but since I have easy access, I figured I would do. Just need to go to the hardware store to find some washers that match the size. I also need to pick up more welding gas as my tank is about dry.

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[Fahrenschnell]

Car People are usually the best kind of people.

[rohrt]

subscribing.

[tommycomfort]

Man, I have searched high and low for the right size washers from different hardware suppliers and found it is just a lot easier to order this from UMI Performance.

http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_352&products_id=756

[wyattroa]

A small, very small update, but an update none the less. I have been crazy busy with school and kids. I only get out to the garage every blue moon right now. I finish school this coming WED so I hope to have some more time. I just need to find a powder coater near me that won't bend me over on price. I have finished boxing in the frame rails front and back. I also replaced the body mounts on the front of the frame as you could tell they were thin. Figured I have access to it, I might as well do it. Here are some pictures of how its going.


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[Zoomin]

Are you really sure you want to powder coat?

Nice work, it's getting there.

[wyattroa]

Are you really sure you want to powder coat?

Nice work, it's getting there.

That's the plan as of now. I really don't see a negative with powder coating the frame..anyone else?

[raustinss]

Problem with powder is
A it can't get inside the frame rails and front cross member easily
B because of A the frame can rust inside out and or leave rust
marks after it rains
C hard to touch up after it chips

Some guys I've seen have galvanized their frames and then used special paint which is meant to go on over top. Two things ...first you may need to brace the frame and possibly drill some small 3/16" holes in any tubes some air and galv. Can flow in and out ...second is if you go this route do not allow them to coat the frame in any oil or such after its been galvanized

[Zoomin]

To me, the positives aren't justified by the cost. A lot of high end builds have their frames smoothed and painted just as the body would be, it doesn't help resale, and it's impossible to match on touch up if you get a scratch.

[wyattroa]

Alright, well I finished all the welding on the frame for now, will just have to weld the new trans crossmember in next spring. Frame is off being blasted and then it will be put in epoxy primer.

This gave me sometime to start prepping to get other stuff in order for the suspension to start going on when it comes back. I had three great helpers today. Felt good working with new parts.

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[wyattroa]

Well, not an update, but thought I would share. We had to put our 10.5 year old, old english sheepdog down this past Thursday. She was in perfect health up to this point, no arthritis, nothing. Sunday morning she stopped eating and was lethargic and did not want to do anything. We took her to the vet and all X-rays came back clear. They think her red blood cells started attacking one another as her red blood cell count was so low. they wanted to do blood transfusions, but even then they said it probably would not work.

She has been a fantastic dog. I bought her for my wife as a wedding present. My wife was going to be moving into our home prior to me and I wanted her to have company with her. I also knew with my job I would be gone for 24-72 hours at a time. She was been there when we brought home each of our kids and would always protect them if needed. She never caused us a single problem. Just wanted to share, my wife has been an absolute wreck about this.

My son went to feed our other dog yesterday morning and told us our other dog would not eat. Turns out, that he put the bowl in the sheepdogs bowl. She wouldn't touch that bowl as thats how she was trained.

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[Motown 454]

So sorry for your families loss, our pets become such a big part of our lives. It's tough. The frame looks good your doing a nice job.

[wyattroa]

Alright another actual update. The frame was blasted and epoxy coated. Brought it back to the house and put another layer of epoxy on it and have it top coated. The frame didn't fit all the way in the bed of my truck, but I managed to make it 40 minutes home..lol

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[keepat]

Sorry for your loss, two weeks ago we put down our 12-year-old lab I feel your pain.
You have a beautiful family, and you look like you're doing a great job on your Chevelle.
Keep the updates coming.
Pat

[Later-A-body]

Great job on the project. Nice to see you including your family in the build.

[Motown 454]

It came out nice and it looks like the crew is ready for action!

[wyattroa]

Great job on the project. Nice to see you including your family in the build.

My wife, then girlfriend helped me build the mustang that is pictured earlier in this thread. The kids just love working on it. for a while they couldn't do anything due to welding, but now they are ready. The wife loves going to car shows, she just knows the cost associated with classic cars..lol


It came out nice and it looks like the crew is ready for action!
Thanks very much. My youngest who is 3 loves working on this car. He rolls his own toolbox out to the garage almost everyday. He always asks what we are doing to the chevelle today..

- - - Updated - - -

Alright, so I have heard the ridetech spindles have a tendency to rust after some time. The last thing I want to see when having new parts on a car is rust, even after driving it. So I painted them last night before I went to bed. I think they turned out pretty decent. I ended up getting the wrong spring rates for the front coilovers, but Josh at Ridetech is taking care of me. Should have the new springs in a week or two, and then the assembly of the front suspension will start. Should be fun starting to put things together.

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[wyattroa]

I have to say, those steering bolts were the hardest bolts I have ever had to take out in my entire life. Heat, impact gun, and PB blaster did not touch it. I had to use a sledge hammer to knock the bolts out. Lots of swearing, but they came out. Here are some pictures of before and after paint. Will get them on the new spindles tomorrow. Also, here are some pictures of the ridetech setup in front. The coilovers are not installed yet as I am waiting on different springs. I have to also find a new bolt for one of the lower control arms as the bolt came with some crushed threads. I am also missing all the hardware for the rear coilover setup. I have all the brackets, just no bolts, nuts, or washers. I am happy with how the color of the spindles turned out.

Also, I have small block motor mounts, the ones that attached to the frame. I have read mixed opinions on if these can be used with a big block or not. Any opinions? I would like to get these installed soon as I feel they will be a pain to do later on.

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[wyattroa]

Holy **** my wife loves me. As a fathers day gift and graduation gift my wife bought me these! I just recently finished getting my bachelors degree and my wife wanted to celebrate it. I was a paramedic/fireman who had a career ending back injury and it always was on the back of my mind that I should have finished college. Well I decided to do so and have been doing classes, which turns out to be pretty difficult when you are a stay at home dad with three boys who are 6, 5, and 4. I had initially planned to gift myself a new rear end, but this is perfect. I love the color!

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[Josh@Ridetech]

Congratulations on graduating, Robert! Keep us updated on the build!

[wyattroa]

Congratulations on graduating, Robert! Keep us updated on the build!

Thanks for the help again this past week. Will keep you updated.

[tommycomfort]

Also, I have small block motor mounts, the ones that attached to the frame. I have read mixed opinions on if these can be used with a big block or not. Any opinions? I would like to get these installed soon as I feel they will be a pain to do later on.


Nice score on the brakes! I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can use the small block motor mount towers with a big block. I also heard it both ways and people speaking like experts so finally compared the two styles. Slightly different, but mounting dimensions are the same.

[wyattroa]

Nice score on the brakes! I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can use the small block motor mount towers with a big block. I also heard it both ways and people speaking like experts so finally compared the two styles. Slightly different, but mounting dimensions are the same.

Thanks for the information. Will be using them now, cleaned them off and gave them a fresh coat of paint today. Just have to get some new bolts and nuts for it.

[wyattroa]

Alright, motor mounts are mounted back on the frame after a good clean and paint. Next up was the front suspension. I got the new springs in from ridetech to handle the big block. Man was putting that front sway bar in a pain in the ass. Here are some pictures, nothing special. Tomorrow I will put the front brakes on, I have to run to the store for some new bolts. The ones provided are way too long for the bracket mounting to the spindle.

Also, does anyone know how to tighten the top lock nut on the coilovers, when I go to tighten it, it just spins the shaft in the coilover.

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[wyattroa]

Made some progress today. I got the front suspension buttoned up, brakes done, and steering linkage on. Was a fun day to work on the car. Won't have many updates coming as I want to pay off some of these bills. My hope is to have it has a rolling chassis come winter. Its fun putting stuff back on the car, especially new shiny stuff.

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[1965_SS]

Looks great!

[Motown 454]

SWEET! I love it!

[wyattroa]

Looks great!


SWEET! I love it!

Thanks to both of you. I really am loving this build. I know it will take a while to complete, but I hope to enjoy every minute of it. My wife just found me just sitting in the garage spinning the rotors..lol...

[wyattroa]

Not much to update here. It was a cool moment for me, I put all the seats in the car just to see what it would be like. I sat in the drivers seat which was a great feeling, nowhere even close to that point, but it was great to do. Also let my wife and kids sit in the car. My kids didn't understand where they would sit. Pretty fun stuff.

Can't thank you enough Rodney for those seats.

I was also able to get the body on the rotisserie yesterday. It just amazes me that 4 bolts hold that entire body up. On a side note, my wifes Honda Pilot had a close call yesterday. I was pretty windy here in town and her car was parked on the street. The neighbors tree across the street decided to come down and came within a foot of her car, it could not have come any closer without it hitting it.

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[Motown 454]

That tree could really ruin your day

[wyattroa]

Been a while since I last posted an update. I have done some work and ran into some problems and fixed those problems. I ordered a ford 9" rear that was shortened by an inch on both sides. First time it came in, the housing was missing the fill and drain plug. Second time they sent the replacement the ears were bent on the top of the housing causing all kinds of issues. Fourth time they sent it the brackets were wrong. Finally I was able to get the housing back without issues and installed, they did powder coat the rear for me for free though. All these issues took from November to May to get taken care of, so incredibly frustrating. I also picked up a center section with an trutrack posi with 3.89 rear gears.

I got the matching rear brakes from Baer which came with their own issues. First, they sent me the rear brake kit for a 10/12 bolt even though the paperwork said for a ford 9" after waiting for them for close to 2 months. Then it took another month for them to send out the new stuff only to find out the left out the caliper brackets. Took another 2 weeks to get those. The rear brakes are 4 piston 13" rotors. I ran into some real-estate issues. Since the rear was narrowed by an inch on each side some bolts were fighting each other for room. I ended up making a T-bolt to bolt the ridetech rear bracket to the rear end.

For Christmas I got each of my kids something for the chevelle. This way they could each have their own time working on it with me. They loved this. I also got the riverside floor pan for Christmas. The floor wasn't bad, but I figured I have easy access while its on the rotisserie and might as well replace it. The kids helped install the rear sway bar, the rear shock tower brace from UMI, and spherical bushings on the rear end.

I have decided to go the LS route for the car. I was going to do a BBC, but its just not in the cards. I picked up a gen V 454, but it would need a ton of work. The guy previous to me left coolant sitting in the cylinders. It would need to be bored out a bit with new pistons. It would be dumb to re-use the rods then and would get new rods. Have to be balanced, new intake, water pump, distributer, oil pan, headers, serpentine drive, carb or EFI, cam, roller rockers/ lifters, and heads. After calculating everything it comes out cheaper to go the LS route for me. As I have to buy all the cooling and Fuel system anyways since the car came with none. With this I purchased the hooker 1" forward motor mounts and replaced the bushings in the clamshell mounts I picked up used.

I also bought all the brake line fittings and decided to try my hand at running brake lines. I used nicopp 3/16 brake lines and think they turned out damn good for my first time bending and flaring. This stuff is great to work with. This is pretty much where I am at now. Wheels are on order and should arrive at the end of August.

[wyattroa]

Here are some more pictures. Also got this Chevelle sign for my birthday.. Have to find a place to hang it.

[wyattroa]

The boys and I. Also cleaned the garage a bit..

[1965_SS]

That sucks you had all those problems!!!!
Progress looks good though :)
Oh yeah, if you need an ABC performance rear frame kit let me know. I have one brand new in the box I'm not going to use.
Also new DSE box.

[wyattroa]

Someone on another forum said this to me. "Disc brake prop valves have seperate front lines. They was only tied together in a 4 wheel drum setup". Is this correct? I plan to use the baer remaster with prop valve and everything I have seen and looked at on it has one line going to the front and one brake line going to the rear. Ill be running manual brakes on the car.

[ProTouring442]

Back in high school (mid 80s), I drove a '66 Chevelle convertible (SS clone-ish). LS6 454 crate engine, roller hydraulic cam, M20 4-speed, 3.31 posi 12-bolt. Anyway, during class one day I sketched up a redesign with hood scoops from an '70-'72 Olds, and a stripe that ran over the wheel arches and down the car's waist (like the stripe the ran down the rockers of a Mustang). I kid you not, I called the thing "Danger Zone."

Great build!

[bello]

Someone on another forum said this to me. "Disc brake prop valves have seperate front lines. They was only tied together in a 4 wheel drum setup". Is this correct? I plan to use the baer remaster with prop valve and everything I have seen and looked at on it has one line going to the front and one brake line going to the rear. Ill be running manual brakes on the car.


Very nice build !

so one line for the front will do the job !

Just wondering which rear coilover brackets you are using to fit the QP axle ?

I’m looking forward to following :twothumbs

[wyattroa]

Very nice build !

so one line for the front will do the job !

Just wondering which rear coilover brackets you are using to fit the QP axle ?

I’m looking forward to following :twothumbs




I am using the ridetech rear coilover brackets from the chevelle kit. When I ordered from quick performance I told them these were the brackets I needed to use. They have a set of the brackets in house and welded them up for me so that the ridetech brackets could bolt right up.

[wyattroa]

Alright, got the floor on the drivers side all patched in and good. I am now going to knock out the trans tunnel. I am still unsure if I will go with a tko600 or t56. So I am going to cut the tunnel big enough for the t56 just incase. I really don't think I have a need for the 2 overdrive gears where I live. Here is how it looks as of now. I made a template and will transfer this over to metal. Hope to have this finished up this weekend. This way I can shoot some bed liner on the bottom of the car.

[wyattroa]

Alright, cut out a template to replace the trans tunnel. Still not sure what I am going to put in here, either the t56 or the tko600. Picked up a piece of 20G steel and Cut the template I made out. Tomorrow I plan on cutting the tunnel.

[jetmech442]

I'd like to caution you against spraying bedliner on the underside just yet. I'd wait until you have the trans and everything else bolted in, beacuase if you need to go back and cut/weld/adjust the tunnel or the floor it is a nightmare to remove it cleanly enough to get a decent weld bead laid down. At least that was my experience, I wish I'd waited. Just my .02.

[Motown 454]

I'd like to caution you against spraying bedliner on the underside just yet. Just my .02.

This is good advise. When my car was done I tried to get as much done and had the floor and firewall done then. Now there are thing I'm doing that are I'm doing that they will need to be touched up which would have worked out better if not in finish yet. Nice work!

[wyattroa]

I'd like to caution you against spraying bedliner on the underside just yet. I'd wait until you have the trans and everything else bolted in, beacuase if you need to go back and cut/weld/adjust the tunnel or the floor it is a nightmare to remove it cleanly enough to get a decent weld bead laid down. At least that was my experience, I wish I'd waited. Just my .02.

The only reason I was going to lay down the bed liner now, is that I won't have an opportunity to take the body off the frame again in the future. Once its on the frame its not coming off. I know thats bad, but thats how the cards are playing right now. It would be easy to shoot it on now as the body is on the rotisserie.

Robert

[wyattroa]

Got some more work done. Finished up the firewall and the trans tunnel. Was a bit more work then I thought, but its done. I brought the trans tunnel up and back. Brought it all the way back to the floor brace. Should look nice once I make a center console for it, but thats a ways off. Got some epoxy primer on it for the time being.

[wyattroa]

Front wheels came in Wednesday. Just got the tracking for the rear and they should be here Monday. I'll make an appointment for them to get mounted on Tuesday. Fronts are 18x9 and will have a 255/35r18 on it. The rear wheel is a 18x10 with a 295/40r18 on it. This will be a big step for me as the frame will be able to roll on its own and not be stuck on jack stands.

[wyattroa]

Big milestone for me today, I rolled the frame out of the garage. I know its not a big deal for some, but for me this is a big step forward. Here are some pictures.

[USAZR1]

Very nice work!

[jmking9]

Great looking project! I bet you can't wait to see the body sitting on that beautiful chassis. We have very similar builds with alot of the same parts. You may have already mentioned, but what are you planning engine wise?

[wyattroa]

Great looking project! I bet you can't wait to see the body sitting on that beautiful chassis. We have very similar builds with alot of the same parts. You may have already mentioned, but what are you planning engine wise?

An LS will be going into this. I was all set on a BBC and even have a 454 sitting in the garage. Problem is the 454 needs a ton of work. Right now the plan is either to go 6.0L with and LSA supercharger or a turbo. Just can't decide at this point. Im sure it will change many times along the way until I actually commit to something.

[knine00]

What size tubing did you run from the distro block to the rear brakes? Also, where did you pick up the coil guard stuff?

[skylark guy]

Great work! I am doing very similar things on my 65 Skylark in the future!

[wyattroa]

What size tubing did you run from the distro block to the rear brakes? Also, where did you pick up the coil guard stuff?

I ran 3/16" copper nickel brake line and purchased and 3/16 spring wrap to protect the brake lines. Purchased both on amazon.

[wyattroa]

Great work! I am doing very similar things on my 65 Skylark in the future!


Thanks. Thing are going to slow down a bit now until the spring here. All three of my boys play hockey and its a damn expensive sport. Gonna cost me $4,500 just to sign them up...I thank my wife for getting them into one of the most expensive sports...I have to say though, I do enjoy watching them play.

[wyattroa]

For the past 3 months, my boys ages 7, 6, and 5 have all been telling my wife she is getting an engine for her birthday. So to make the joke complete, I picked up a 6.0LS with 119k miles on it. Mind you, I will be getting her more for her birthday, but this is going to be great giving it to her..lol I took the valve covers off and I got to say, this thing looks pretty damn clean!

[pgrg68]

I've been searching for the max stock with I can put in the rear of my 1966 Chevelle. I have a Quick Performance 9" rear end, which I believe you have in your 66. How wide tire/wheel combo were you able to fit in your Danger Zone 66? Any help would be appreciated.

thanks, Phil

[wyattroa]

I've been searching for the max stock with I can put in the rear of my 1966 Chevelle. I have a Quick Performance 9" rear end, which I believe you have in your 66. How wide tire/wheel combo were you able to fit in your Danger Zone 66? Any help would be appreciated.

thanks, Phil

The body is not yet on the frame, but The rear tire is a 295/40r18 with a 18x10 wheel. I have about an inch between the frame and the tire.

[wyattroa]

Just a little update, nothing major. I have been incredibly busy and have not had much time. I was able to clean up the LS engine that I got. I opened up the ring gaps, put in a BTR stage 3 positive displacement cam, LS7 lifters, new oil pump, new water pump, Bought an LSA blower and put a 2.5 griptech pulley on it.

Also about two weeks ago the tremec t56 magnum arrived. I wrapped it up and gave it to my wife as a present for her birthday. Last birthday she got a LS engine, for mothers day, she got a LSA super charger( a super mom deserves a super charger), and this birthday she got the trans..lol.. I hope in the spring to have the body dropped back on.

[Motown 454]

SWEET!It looks Nice!