View Full Version : 1969 Chevelle "SS496"
oestek
09-20-2007, 10:11 AM
The countdown is on for the 1969 Chevelle SS496 project we're building for SEMA! The car is not quite in paint yet, but here's the link to follow along - we're posting clips just about every night from now until SEMA, and then from the show as well. If we're still standing!
http://v8tvshow.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=56&Itemid=90
- Kevin Oeste
oestek
09-21-2007, 08:57 AM
Here's today's update - prepping inside the fenders...
http://v8tvshow.com/content/view/375/90/
oestek
09-22-2007, 09:32 AM
Today's update / rant...
The chassis is nearly complete save for fuel and brake lines... and a rant on the super cheap paint stories popular in enthusiast magazines...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.0
- KO
oestek
09-23-2007, 07:14 PM
Here's the latest:
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.0
oestek
09-24-2007, 07:59 PM
Sealin' the seams... gettin' ready for some COLOR! I can't wait. Getting a litte tired, but it's all good.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg109#msg109
More tomorrow!
- KO
oestek
09-26-2007, 10:19 AM
It's finally changing color! Today's update - spraying the jambs!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.....msg122#msg122 (http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg122#msg122)
Gettin' closer!
- KO
oestek
09-28-2007, 09:22 AM
Last night: Firewall and dash turned black with PPG DP90. We're going to try to mate the body back to the frame tonight!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg138#msg138
oestek
09-28-2007, 09:50 AM
Here's another update - fixing / polishing anodized aluminum trim...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg139#msg139
oestek
10-01-2007, 02:32 PM
The body's off the jig, and the Schutz is flying! I think we're all getting a little weird off the fumes..
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg142#msg142
- KO
oestek
10-01-2007, 03:54 PM
Here's another update - the body's back on the frame, and we're off to the body panel alignment races!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg143#msg143
- KO
oestek
10-02-2007, 11:22 AM
Sunday's update (a little late) -
Front sheetmetal install and aligning the panels. Here's a tip - when assembling a car on a jig or fixture, be prepared to realign the sheetmetal on the car because the original frame flexes more than the jig.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg144#msg144
oestek
10-02-2007, 11:24 AM
Monday's update:
Remounting the hood and the pre-cut Dynamat... and there's a giveaway contest and a SEMA "gathering" invitiation buried in this update. As a 'thank you' those who watch these clips, we're giving away some cool swag and inviting everyone who'll be in Las Vegas to come hang out with us on Thursday, 11/1/2007. Details in the video!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg145#msg145
oestek
10-03-2007, 09:14 AM
Today's update - more panel alignment.. Kelle lays Dynamat, the top frame goes in (way to easily... expect more on this!) - and the final wetsanding starts! More to come...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg159#msg159
- KO
oestek
10-04-2007, 10:06 AM
Tonight's update - 23 days to go, and Kelle is having rough time wetsanding...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg175#msg175
oestek
10-05-2007, 09:08 AM
Latest update - windshield is in, more trim work, and spraying the white bottom 1/3d of the body!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg190#new
Project69
10-05-2007, 09:57 AM
Nice!!!!!!!!
oestek
10-08-2007, 09:24 AM
The final masking before the trip to the paint booth...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg237#msg237
oestek
10-08-2007, 01:12 PM
After many months of sanding, taping, sanding, masking, priming... the SS496 is finally in color! John shot the car over the weekend, and thanks to a local shop for letting us into thier killer Blow Therm downdraft booth, we have a car that came out of the booth with nearly zero dust particles and a new-style "factory" orange peel level. Of course, we're going to cut and buff this one to flatness, (is that a word?), but it looks good already. What a relief. Here's the clip from spray-day...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg239#msg239
oestek
10-10-2007, 05:13 AM
The car is back from the paint booth, and now the wetsanding process begins again. The finish was really nice right out of the booth - probably fine for a production car or repaired car after a wreck. Clean paint, slight "orange peel" texture, pretty nice. We're started wetsanding the car with 1500 grit and will cut it again with 2000 before running the buffer over the car. The more you sand it, the easier the buff, and more reflective the finish. It also makes for a lack of fingerprints. Take that, CSI!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg266#msg266
oestek
10-12-2007, 02:15 PM
SS496 Motor Build part 1 - some assembly, flowbench testing, a look at the heads, and then we had the wrong head bolts...
http://v8tvshow.com/content/view/415/43/
Mr.VENGEANCE
10-12-2007, 02:31 PM
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/10/jerkbowdown-1.gif
oestek
10-13-2007, 12:14 PM
Friday's update - measuring the right pushrod length, milling the intake to fit... the details take time. It's coming together nicely, however.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg294#msg294
oestek
10-14-2007, 02:13 PM
The moment we've all been waiting for... (one of them, anyway...) the SS496 engine is ALIVE! The dyno sessions at Fast Times went well. We ended up with a smooth idling (750 RPM) street 496 Stroker making 550 HP at 5500 RPM and 572 ft. lbs. @ 4400. The torque is above 500 from 4000 to 5700 in the pulls. This was on 93 Octane Shell gas. Here's the video from the dyno session:
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg304#new
Looks like a really nice engine. Violent power with a certain level of class.
Just thought I'd add my appreciation for the media you're putting out about your builds. It's great to see the reality of builds without the commercial pressure to turn it into a soap-opera.
MarcelloRupelli
10-14-2007, 07:25 PM
I second what Evan said. I've been watching all your videos for a couple weeks now. Plus, Nick's been a hero of mine ever since he was racing the big black Impala in the mid 90s. Is he going to be at SEMA?
oestek
10-16-2007, 10:32 AM
Hey thanks guys! These cars can be a soap-opera in themselves, but we feel people deal with enough BS in their own lives, they don't need to sit through any more watching videos. So we just show you the cool stuff.
Meanwhile, back at the shop...
Kelle's going full throttle on reassembling the Chevelle. There are lots of little pieces to go together... tonight, we popped in the fuel tank, the convertible top mechanism, rear bumper, hydroboost unit on firewall... there's still a long way to go. We should be dropping the motor in tomorrow, and wiring on Thursday!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg320#new
oestek
10-17-2007, 10:34 AM
Last night we started the engine detail, and while we were working on that, John was touching-up the panel that goes behind the bumper when he got dive-bombed by a moth... he was not a very happy camper.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg327#msg327
oestek
10-18-2007, 07:25 AM
Tonight we sprayed the motor in a PPG "Poppy Red", which is the same color GM used on Chevy engines back in the day. You can obviously tell it has aluminum heads and a big intake, but it still retains the original vibe. We also modified our rear wiring harness for the Digi-Tails LED taillights. More to come!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg339#msg339
oestek
10-19-2007, 08:25 AM
Big progress yesterday night... the engine is in, trans in, and the wheels arrived... these V40 straight spoke rollers from Vintage Wheel Works are going to look killer on this car!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg349#msg349
oestek
10-22-2007, 09:07 AM
OK, down to the wire... er, wiring! (That was bad...) The AAW harness went in smoothly, but Kelle didn't dig being stuck under the dash again!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg364#new
oestek
10-22-2007, 09:44 AM
It's starting to look more like a finished car... the front trim items are in and all fit well, and we installed the 9007 headlights from MuscleRodz... very cool stuff.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg365#msg365
oestek
10-23-2007, 08:24 AM
Here's the wiring for the headlight relays and how they all work. There isn't that much wiring to do on this car, and it's almost finished!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg369#msg369
oestek
10-23-2007, 09:39 AM
In this installment, Kelle make progress on the interior, John mounted the side trim on the car, Kevin added more details to the engine, and we honor Gene Kranz, a great American and inspiration to us all.
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg372#msg372
oestek
10-24-2007, 09:13 AM
Time to hang the pipes... the SS496 will be running a Magnaflow stainless setup, and here we see the beginnings of the install. Kelle also has some interesting ideas involving child labor and sharp objects... We're going to try to finish this car tonight, and load it and hit the road Thursday AM for Vegas. We're 1 day behind on the videos, I'll try to get caught up tomorrow, but it's going to be a stretch...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg378#msg378
oestek
10-25-2007, 06:12 AM
Down to the last 36 hours before we load the car for the SEMA show, and we have yet to fire it... it's going to be a long 36 hours! (Actually, we're supposed to load the car today at noon, but the video is a day behind... )
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg379#msg379
West Texas Z
10-25-2007, 08:28 AM
wow, you guys are putting in some work huh!!!
oestek
10-25-2007, 07:55 PM
It's getting late, but the SS496 Chevelle has come alive! After adding all the Royal Purple fluids and double checking the whole works, the big 496 stroker motor rumbled to life! It sounds wicked through the Hooker headers and Magnaflow pipes, and we can't wait to take this thing for a rip down the strip! We've got 1 day left to bleed the brakes, finish some wiring, and install the rest of the interior. The thrash continues!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg382#msg382
oestek
10-25-2007, 07:59 PM
Our goal was to complete the SS496 for the 2007 SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV beginning in the last week of October. Well, we're happy to say that the SS496 is locked and loaded in the trailer ready to make the trip. Today we finished tons of little details, and we finally have a running, driving, stopping, honest-to-goodness car. It's looking fantastic, and we're excited to bring it out! We'd like to extend a huge THANKS to everyone who helped in this project in any way. We couldn't have done it without you. We're not finished with the car yet, though... Stay tuned to V8TVshow.com for more coverage on the SS496 at the track and on the street! Also, we're bringing you all the coolest cars from the SEMA show all week!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg383#msg383
oestek
10-26-2007, 10:03 PM
OK, we're 1/2 way to Vegas and stopped for the night in a hotel outside of Denver... no video update tonight, but we'll post something tomorrow. Very tired. Must sleep.
Larry Callahan
10-27-2007, 05:31 AM
Too cool. I love these on the way updates. Next year we need to put GPS tracking devices on SEMA bound cars so we can all follow along. lol
oestek
10-27-2007, 03:39 PM
Yeah Larry... an interactive map would be cool. We're currently 200 miles outside of Vegas and hope to load the car into the show tonight, park the trailer, and crash. Jeez, Diesel is expensive this week!
oestek
10-29-2007, 11:10 PM
Sorry for being a little behind on the updates... we've been doing this from the road with no time and no sleep. Here's the road trip highlights...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg391#msg391
oestek
10-29-2007, 11:14 PM
It's been a long process, but here's the result... the SS496 at SEMA!
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg392#msg392
Young Gun
10-30-2007, 03:47 AM
looks good! nice spot btw!
Smock67
10-30-2007, 05:02 AM
Very clean lookin 'velle, seems like you got a great spot to me.
MarcelloRupelli
11-04-2007, 01:01 PM
The Chevelle looked great at SEMA! I didn't get all over it, but it looked flawless. Hope the trip back goes alright.
Looking forward to your SEMA coverage. I was at the Detroit Speed booth when you were interviewing Kyle. Shoulda waited to say hi to you but I had some more ground to cover.
oestek
11-04-2007, 07:04 PM
Thanks Marcello! We'll be posting more SEMA stuff all week... we're almost back to the shop, and things are going safely. Stay tuned!
Thanks,
- KO
oestek
11-19-2007, 12:02 PM
We've been trying to return to "normal life" after the SEMA show, but we'll have the Chevelle back in the shop to finish off the details tonight. We have several little things like the electric fan setup, the ragtop, etc., and we're looking forward to getting this project wrapped up. Stay tuned - more video to come!
oestek
11-22-2007, 03:49 PM
Here's the latest - the install of the SPAL dual electric fans, and then a stream-of-consciousness editorial praising the ARP catalog...
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg504#msg504
http://www.v8tvshow.com/forum/index.php?topic=46.msg505#msg505
More to come!
- KO
oestek
01-29-2008, 10:34 AM
We're still working on the 1969 Chevelle SS496 project, and we're at the part of the project where you keep finding little details to take care of. Like a small power steering leak, and a funky dash ground that allowed us to dim the high beams by turning the headlight switch knob! That was a weird one. Anyway, the last major project is the convertible top install and then we should be ready to road test the car.
http://v8tvshow.com/content/view/494/43/
55chevyman
08-10-2008, 07:34 AM
this is a great looking car!!! any updates???
oestek
09-02-2008, 05:50 PM
OK, we're aware it's been several months on the SS496, but we're getting ready to post the wrap-up shortly. The car has been going through final tuning and detail sorting-out... you know, the kinds of things you fix only after driving it around a while. Here's a snapshot of what's to come!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/09/DSCN0757as-1.jpg
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