'64 Plymouth Fury [Archive]

carnalsupply

02-09-2009, 05:28 PM

It's taken a couple years but I found a '64 Fury 2-door, which I've always dreamed of dropping and giving a NASCAR kind of vibe. Problem is, what I bought and what I was told I was buying were two entirely different things! I don't want to get into the whole sordid tale of my stupidity, rather I'd prefer to focus on the task at hand an the progress I'm making, so here goes.

Before I start though I want to commend all the contributors on this site: I've been lurking around for a while looking for ideas and it's AMAZING how much you guys all support each other. I hope to become active and help others when possible.

These are shots of the car I received prior to purchase. Looks can be VERY deceiving! Beneath the metallic Gray paint was more rot and plastic filler than metal, so I stripped the car of every nut and bold and had it acid stripped.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/Left_Front_Quarter-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/Right_Rear_Quarter-1.jpg

Neither of the quarter panels are actual Mopar sheet metal! Both appeared to be scrap sheet metal riveted in place then slathered over with filler, which in places was over 1" thick!

Below is just a little of what we found: I've got more shots I'll post later, including the floor, which will be replaced in its entirety after we install full frame rails (2" x 4" rectangular tubing). The opposite quarter was just as bad!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/QuarterRight01-1.jpg

One of the biggest problems is the fact nobody makes a complete quarter panel for the Fury so you end up having to use a couple different stampings, making alignment and attachment that much more difficult.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/FirewallRight01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/CowlInnerLeft01-1.jpg

After the acid stripping the real extent of the damage was apparent, so here's what we're doing to remedy the problems:

New trunk extensions (both sides):

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/TrunkExtensionRight01-1.jpg

Cut away the rot and move the remaining inner wheelhouse inwards 2.5".

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/MiniTubRight01-1.jpg

Then install the new quarter panels (in pieces):

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/QuarterRight02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/QuarterLeft02-1.jpg

After that we filled in the gap between the new quarter panels and the inner wheel house. I did the right side first and did it in two pieces but decided to fill the left side in a single sheet. Damn that's a lot of work!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/MiniTubRight03-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/MiniTubLeft03-1.jpg

It's funny because I was worried about fitting a large enough tire under this thing, but when I put one of my friends 335/35/17 (on a Compomotive HB) under the car I ended up with 2" - 2.5" worth of clearance!

Once we knew the 335's would fit I went ahead and ordered rims. My friend had good luck with the guys at Intro so I checked 'em out and found their "Pentia", which I think has an excellent retro theme while incorporating a modern edge. The spokes and center will be powder-coated Titanium while the lip will be polished. I think this contrast will look bitchin' on a black car.
Sizes are:
Front: 17" x 9.5"
Rear: 17" x 12"

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/PentiabyIntro-1.jpg

Now that we've got most of the rear rot issues taken care of it's time to begin moving on, and here are the plans:

51" truck arms with coilovers
9" floater with 3.90's (approximate)
Complete C5 Vette front suspension with coilovers: we may or may not use the Chevy K-member I have, it just depends on the engine fitment. If there's any oil pan or pulley issues we'll make our own.
Remove all front sub-frame and fenderwell material and replace with the full length frame mentioned above.
Move firewall back 1" - 2"
Install Art Morrison 12 point cage
Install fiberglass hood, trunk, fenders, bumpers, and doors
Install 500+ inch RB with D1 Pro Charger

Motown 454

02-09-2009, 07:26 PM

Nice Car keep the pictures coming.

terryr

02-09-2009, 09:11 PM

I like that body style for some reason. Years ago I saw a black one with a basically stock 440 and a dash button auto.

1971CHEVELLE

02-10-2009, 02:21 AM

Nice project Keep us posted

carnalsupply

02-10-2009, 09:01 AM

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement!
I grew up with a guy who had a '64 Fury during our high school days and ever since then it's been the car I dream about, regardless of what else I've owned, including my current '70 Corvette (see below).

I went back through the shots I took of the car and found this one, which gives a much better idea of how much room the mini-tubbing has given us. The rims are 2 - 3 weeks out and I can't wait to see what they look like up inside the wheel well!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/Trunk01-1.jpg

Here are some shots of my '70 LT-1 Vette. As much as I love the look of them I'll be pulling of the Hilborns some time in the next month or so and putting on an Edelbrock Victor Jr. and FAST 4150 Throttle Body. As it currently sits the engine is like a light switch and just no fun to drive so I'm hoping the switchover will help with driveability.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/1970_LT1_LeftFrontQuarterAbove-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/1970_LT1_RightFrontQuarter2-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/1970_LT1_HeadOnLow-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/1970_LT1_Hilborns_Left-1.jpg

Motown 454

02-10-2009, 04:10 PM

Nice Vette Too!

dusterbd13

02-10-2009, 04:47 PM

welome from another mopar guy.

and props for doing a sport fury. i still kick myself for turning down a free ig block powered one in high school. all i had to do was come and get it. it was absolutely beat, but really cool. had a console and everything. id still like to find one, but probably wont.

if you need more mopar inspiration, check out some of the a-body builds on this site.

keep the good work going.

michael

joe440

02-10-2009, 05:38 PM

thats going to be nice, i love the "nascar inspired" builds

carnalsupply

02-11-2009, 09:14 AM

Hey Joe,

Just took a look at your Dart and that's one sick looking Mopar! It's funny because I thought my original inline dual quad intake was a rarity on an RB but I can't remember the last time I saw a long tube intake on a hotrod.
Nice ride!

joe440

02-11-2009, 02:08 PM

thanks, its a little different haha

dodge

02-12-2009, 04:29 PM

I look forward to seeing more of this build..Good Luck :)

carnalsupply

02-17-2009, 12:35 PM

Well the rear rims just showed up, and they look awesome! Nothing but "props" for Dave down at Intro: great service and a terrific looking piece. Once the tires arrive next we'll get 'em mounted and mock up the ride height. I'll get some shots of it then.

carnalsupply

03-09-2009, 10:18 AM

Due to a pressing work schedule it's taken a few weeks to get back to work on the Fury, and considering the scope of the rot damage I think I needed the break! Here are some pictures of what I found and the repairs I made this weekend.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlDamageUpperLeft01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlRepairUpperLeft01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlDamageUpperLeft02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlRepairUpperLeft02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlRepairUpperLeft03-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlRepairUpperRight01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlRepairUpperRight03-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/CowlRepairUpperRight02-1.jpg

The extent of the damage was actually far worse than I had expected and forced me to alter my plan. Once I removed the cowl I found the inner cowl was horribly damaged, which in and of itself is bad enough but now the unibody integrity is in question. I had hoped to remove the entire firewall this weekend but the damaged floorboards proved so week the entire car would have "folded up" on the rotisserie so I added a bit of 2" round tubing for support and only cut the actual damaged areas.

All this from a car that was supposed to be "in great shape"! What an idiot I was!

At this point I've done just about all I can with the car on the rotisserie so now it's time to put it on a surface plate. The plan from this point is to:
*Mount the body shell on the surface plate and take LOTS of measurements.
*Remove the front subframe and all inner fender-wells
*Remove the entire firewall.
*Remove all floorboards.
*Fabricate new framerails that tie into the rear sub-frame and extend all the way forward.
*Install the Art Morrison 10 point cage.
*Install the entire Corvette (C5) front suspension, including K-Member, rack, and sway bar.
*Design new engine mounts and locate the engine.
*Modify and install new floor pans.
*Fabricate a new trans tunnel.
*Design and install a new firewall.
*Purchase and install an aftermarket A/C-Heater unit or retrofit the factory stock unit, depending on fitment issues.
*Locate and tack in the Truck-Arm crossmember
That should be enough to keep me busy for a while!

Thanks for all the kind words and support!

Boyd

03-09-2009, 01:47 PM

Wow, that stinks. Sounds like you're determined though, which is good. Love your plans for the car. Can't wait to see the progress.

454bug

03-09-2009, 02:15 PM

Before I start though I want to commend all the contributors on this site: I've been lurking around for a while looking for ideas and it's AMAZING how much you guys all support each other. I hope to become active and help others when possible.

Hey Bob,

Welcome to the site!!! WELCOME ABOARD!! You have a REALLY cool project and I look forward to you slaying your demons and conquering the project! My next door neighbor has a 1964 Belvedere with a 528 cubic inch Hemi in it. I have ALWAYS loved the Belvederes and Furys.

Keep up the great work!!!

badbu68

03-09-2009, 03:22 PM

That's going to be a wicked ride. Too bad about the PO "repairs". Love the look of a fury, makes me wish I kept my 67 coronet.

carnalsupply

03-10-2009, 09:42 AM

I was hoping to have some shots of the Intro rims with the Kumho 335's mounted, but for some crazy reason the shop literally could not get the tire bead to slide over the seam where the two rim halves join! Just another crazy bump in the road for my Fury :bsjerk:

Ordered up the steel for the surface plate so now we just have to build it. Just another day in the life...

Thanks for the advice on the first name basis: I'd read about that previously and simply forgot to go in and do it. My name's Bob and it's a pleasure to be here.

HarleyR

03-10-2009, 01:40 PM

I know where there is 20 or so Dodge R5 engines complete pan to manifold for under 7 grand... Team I used to work for ran them in their Craftsman trucks...its basically the same engine the cup cars are running now.... 730 bhp with a 390 carb put an 830 on it and pick up 100 hp...

BLWN1

03-11-2009, 08:57 PM

Details on engines?

I almost had a fury, got a Dart instead... good luck with it!

shortrack

03-12-2009, 05:04 AM

Richard would be proud.........!

carnalsupply

03-12-2009, 08:26 AM

I got the contact info from Harley then spoke to Kevin at Kroyer Engines in Las Vegas. Though we never discussed price Kevin told me about their shop and what's available, and it's impressive! They've got complete (PS, Alt, Dry Sump, Pan, Intake, EVERYTHING) engines sitting on the rack and ready to go, all of which are pretty much the same dimensions (358 cu. in.) as per NASCAR rules. My only issue with using one is the 12.0:1 cr, which is just too high for CA's crappy fuel. After discussing this with Kevin he said the only really practical way of dropping the cr would be to put in shorter rods (they're currently 6"), which considering what Cup pistons look like nowadays makes sense.
Kroyer Racing has a web page but here's the number if you want to skip that part: (702) 651-2071. Kevin was EXTREMELY helpful, knowledgeable, and kind enough to invite me to their shop at any time to discuss the possibilities, so I'll be visiting him next month.

As for "Richard being proud": It makes me proud someone noticed! Watching old footage of the King's Belvedere annhiliate the competition in '64 has always put a smile on my face and is the continuing inspiration for this project. Gotta admit it though, Petty Blue just isn't going to cut it for coloration (sorry Richard).
For anyone unfamiliar:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/1964nascar4-1.jpg

ProTouring442

03-12-2009, 09:12 AM

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/QuarterRight02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/MiniTubLeft03-1.jpg

I am in no way trying to criticize, but it appears to me that you have welded the inner wheel house to the 1/4, and not at the wheel well. It is my understanding that this can cause waves in the sheet metal when sunlight and warm temperatures cause the 1/4 and inner metal to expand at different rates.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

carnalsupply

03-12-2009, 09:32 AM

No worries about criticizing, I'm all good and appreciate feedback of any kind.

You are correct, the wheel house is spot welded around its perimeter to the quarter panel, and while there might be some concern over the sun heating and misshaping the quarter that was not a consideration when I installed them, nor will it be a concern of mine when the car is finished. Why? When you look at the vast area of the welded perimeter it covers approximately 36" front to rear and 18" top to bottom, making a very large and, I believe, stable platform for the quarter panel to attach to. If the quarter panel does begin to heat soak I don't believe there will be enough "power" (don't know what to call it) in the quarter panel to move, twist, or budge the new tubs more than a tiny little bit.

What I had in mind was when fabbing and installing them was:
*I had absolutely no outer wheel tub to work with so attaching the new wheel tub to the wheel opening was FAR too elaborate a process to undertake.
*I wanted to increase the available area available for tire/rim combos and "curling" the new outer wheel tub down towards the wheel opening would reduce the available area.
*I wanted to strengthen the entire rear of the car by tying everything together as tightly as possible.
* Whatever distortion of the quarter panels that occurred, and there is some minor distortion, is easy enough to deal with.
*I've seen a number of mini-tub jobs where the wheel tub and quarter panel were simply slathered with various sealants and I never felt that was an appropriate way to do the job.

ProTouring442

03-12-2009, 12:20 PM

carnalsupply

03-12-2009, 12:42 PM

Hey Bill,

Your comments and ideas are most welcome, believe me! And thanks for the encouragement, I need it :hammer::hammer: This entire project has become FAR MORE intensive than I'd ever planned. Hell, this wasn't supposed to be a project at all (as my loving wife constantly reminds me)!

While I agree there's a possibility of the quarter expanding and contracting due to heat sink I believe the amount of area between the welds is pretty minimal, thus giving the un-welded, free-floating quarter material far less opportunity to squirm in the heat. The thought behind it was if we only put a couple of welds around the perimeter of the tub (versus the many we used) this would leave a great deal more non-welded material and allow for the greater amounts of non-welded area to squirm, move, and/or distort around the welds.

This is only MY THEORY and once the heat pours down on it I could be proven totally wrong, LOL, but what the hell, it's only a car.

HarleyR

03-12-2009, 12:46 PM

carnalsupply

03-12-2009, 01:51 PM

Hey Harley,

Kevin spoke highly of your years together, but was admittedly a little confused as to where in the world I got his name and number. Once I filled him in though he was totally open to help with whatever silly questions I may have had.

Thanks for the lead.

HarleyR

03-12-2009, 03:24 PM

I can understand that he seems to be going in 500 different directions at once

carnalsupply

03-13-2009, 02:30 PM

I got to the shop today and had planned on fabbing up the chassis plate and get the car mounted this weekend, but luckily the tires had finally gotten mounted on the rims, and they look AWESOME (IMHO)!
We stabbed the tire/rims under the car, shimmed them to their correct location at ride height (5 1/2" at the bottom of the rear frame rail) and took the measurement for the rear-end (56 1/2"), so now I'll get the housing ordered and once it shows up we can mock up the truck arms.
Here are some shots of the Intro's mocked up under the car. The hoops are beautifully polished and the centers are powder coated "titanium", which should contrast with the black body color really well.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1330-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1331-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1332-1.jpg

Hopefully I'll get the chassis plate completed and the car mounted on it this weekend, and if so I'll toss up a couple pictures.

G_T

03-13-2009, 04:58 PM

Did you take into consideration the thickness of your drums/discs when ordering the width of the rear? If not, you may want to estimate it (probably 1/2" narrower).

Looking good! Those wheels are awesome :bananna2:

carnalsupply

03-16-2009, 09:01 AM

Hey GT - Yep, we took the rotors into account when measuring; luckily we've got lots of room to play with so even if we were off somewhat we'd still have plenty of "fudge factor". Was there something in particular that brought that thought to mind or was that simply a "word to the wise"?

Well, we got the chassis plate all fabbed up on Friday and it came out perfectly square, level, and plum. We built it like a trestle to keep the weight down somewhat while still maintaining absolute stability and strength. Here are a couple shots:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1334-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1333-1.jpg

Once we got the chassis plate completed we rolled it under the car (while still on the rotisserie), centered the plate perfectly under the chassis, then placed our blocking in the correct locations. We decided on 5 1/2" ground to frame rail clearance in the rear and 4 3/4" ground to frame rail clearance in the front, giving the car a natural rake with the suspension "zero'd out". This should allow us a great deal of flexibility when it comes time to adjust both ends of the car using the coil-overs. Here's the chassis solidly mounted on the plate:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1340-1.jpg

I've had a couple people contact me regarding my work-shop/garage, and while I wish my shop was this large and equipped (as did the people who contacted me), it's not. The shop is the home of Hornet Sprint Cars in Manteca, CA. This is where we manufacture, assemble, and maintain our USAC non-wing 360 Sprint Car (1450lbs & 750 - 775 hp) as well as the home for Riddell Metal Fabrication. I'm extremely lucky to have access to virtually anything I need to make this project happen, especially the guideance of my life-long friend Jim, owner/operator of Riddell Metal Fabrication. If there's ANYTHING you want or need fabbed out of metal, whether it's for a race-car, hot rod, motorcycle, or even planter boxes, it doesn't matter, this is somebody you should talk to! Give Jim a call @ (209)380-7521 and tell him Bob told you to call.

Here's some shots of this years car, which we took to Madera (CA) for an open practice this weekend. This car, as well as the trailer we haul to the races, was built ENTIRELY in-house at Riddell. That's right, everything!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1338-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1336-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1337-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_1335-1.jpg

I've been waiting to get the chassis mounted on the plate before ordering the front rims, and now that it is mounted I'll get them ordered today. We're going to shoot for 9" width but will settle for 10" if need be. Once the rims are in-house we'll begin the mock-up and location specs for the front hubs/spindles and progress from there.

shortrack

03-16-2009, 09:47 AM

that sprint Rocks!!!

USAC.....so they run dirt too??

whose the driver??

carnalsupply

03-16-2009, 09:55 AM

Thanks for the feedback on the sprint car, we take great pride in showing up with top quality, excellent appearing equipment.
USAC does run dirt but this is a pavement car (note the slicks). We ran dirt for many years but changed to pavement a couple years ago.

What my pictures don't show is the fact all the "black" coloration on the body panels is raw carbon-fibre, so when you get close you can clearly see the carbon weave in the "flames". It's a killer look as compared to fully painting the panels.

We considered using all my steel body panels as molds and doing them in CF but decided the cost of molds, etc. just wouldn't be worth it so I'll be using fiberglass pieces (hood, trunk, doors, fenders) from Sled City.

carnalsupply

03-16-2009, 09:56 AM

Sorry Shortrack, I forgot to answer: Jim Riddell is the driver.

HarleyR

03-16-2009, 01:10 PM

Madera my old home track.... Used to work for Rick and Robert at Hoosier tire west.... Do you you the Strmiskas? Or Mike Roos?

carnalsupply

03-16-2009, 01:15 PM

Hey Harley,

Nope, can't say I know any of those guys personally. My contact with the guys at Hoosier is usually limited to visiting them at the trailer, getting our stuff mounted and giving them lots of $$ :)

What did you used to run?

Medera's a great little track and it looks like we'll be running there a number of times this season, as well as Stockton, and Roseville. We'll only be going to Salt Lake City once, which is a shame because the track and promoter are great!

HarleyR

03-16-2009, 01:27 PM

I Started working For Bill Mcanally in 96... while still in school and worked on his Winston West cars.... lived in Sacramento for awhile then off to vegas to work at Orleans Racing for almost 8 years.... I would love to be able to move back to the Valley and auctually make a living racing.... I think in the right situation I could... I get a call every November from Mcanally wanting to know if I want to "come home" I figure I'll ride it out here in NC I have a pretty sweet deal...

carnalsupply

03-16-2009, 01:31 PM

If you're into racing then I'd have to agree, NC is the place to be. We don't make our living racing, just throw money at it because we're ill.
Jim and I have always been into cars so the racing was a natural progression I guess.
If you get back out here to visit come look us up, we'd love to have you at the track.

shortrack

03-16-2009, 01:41 PM

HarleyR - so you have experience working on Winston Cup cars...??

novanutcase

03-16-2009, 01:56 PM

I know exactly how you feel about buying a car that the owner claims is cherry only to find out that it's got rot all over it. Mine wasn't as bad as yours but it's still infuriating that people have to lie to you to sell you a car!

John

carnalsupply

03-16-2009, 02:16 PM

Damn John,

That Nova is bitchin'!
I tell ya, this board absolutely rocks! So many guys in the same situation as me (car is junk) yet they just keep plowing through it and come out with cars like yours. Great inspiration, that's for sure.

I honestly can't say the guy I bought my car from lied to me: I try to give him the benefit of the doubt and tell people he was just THAT stupid.

Needless to say getting the car on the plate and the rims/tires in place was a great boost to my morale since now I know what the finished piece will look like (and it's better than I imagined!).

Thanks again for the support.

HarleyR

03-16-2009, 04:17 PM

HarleyR - so you have experience working on Winston Cup cars...??
Yes.... Not to much with the COT But everything else.... pretty much a daily thing for the last 10 years....

shortrack

03-16-2009, 07:26 PM

Yes.... Not to much with the COT But everything else.... pretty much a daily thing for the last 10 years....

Would you mind if I threw a few questions your way about my car.....???

HarleyR

03-17-2009, 11:53 AM

Would you mind if I threw a few questions your way about my car.....???
Sure I'll help you out if I can if I cant im sure I can find someone...send me a pm so we dont clutter Bobs thread...

CruizinKev

03-17-2009, 02:53 PM

yeah x2 keep up the good work :twothumbs

carnalsupply

03-18-2009, 11:50 AM

I was looking through some other threads and saw where another member, allkar, had done some Photoshop renderings of cars, and he was nice enough to do one of my Fury.
It turned out AWESOME and I'm extremely grateful for his time and effort. If the real thing looks like this when I'm finished then all the time, effort, and work will have been worth it.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/SatansFuryinBlack-1.jpg

carnalsupply

05-28-2009, 11:54 AM

Sorry I don't have any pix of the metal work for this update (I forgot the camera) but I'll make sure to take them next time.

I spent the entire day removing the firewall and front floor pans, then fitting in the new pans. My next step will be to make a template and fabricate a new firewall, which if all goes well will be moved rearwards approximately 2", allowing for at least a bit of engine set back, and since we'll be using a set of floor mounted pedals and Flaming River steering column I'll be able to move the front seats back to accommodate whatever setback we achieve.

The new firewall will be as smooth as possible, with a few beads rolled into it for strength and appearance. If at all possible I'm going to run the heater hoses from the Vintage Air Heater/Defroster out through the lower part of the firewall, along the frame-rail, then up to the water pump and intake, making them as unobtrusive as possible.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/05/VintageAir506101-1.jpg

That's it for now but I'll have more pix soon.

hechtrod

05-29-2009, 06:25 AM

This car is going to be sick! 17x12 and 335's ftw! I love the roofline design on these Dodges! Unique for pro-touring. Keep the pics coming!

carnalsupply

05-29-2009, 07:55 AM

The "pinched" "C" pillar is one of the most unique features of the body style and IMHO one of the most attractive shapes ever used. When you compare it to '64 Dodge's boxy "C" pillar the Plymouth looks far more lean and taught.
I also think the grill and taillight panel on the '64 Fury's was well executed; far more aggressive than most competitors in the market.
It's a shame I forgot my camera last weekend because prior to blowing the front end apart we had the front and rear tires mounted and it looked righteous! (IMHO).
It'll be a couple weeks before I can get back out to the shop but I'll make sure to get some shots.
Thanks for looking.

WS6

05-29-2009, 06:06 PM

The car looks great. Very different and very cool.

carnalsupply

06-15-2009, 09:11 AM

It's taken a while but I've finally had a chance to get some more work done on the Fury, and along with the work being done some new parts have shown up:

These are the spherical bearings for the leading end of the truck arms we'll be installing:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://www.pro-touring.com/forum/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r84/carnalsupply/64%20Fury/TruckArmBearings01.jpg%5B/IMG%5Dhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/TruckArmBearings01-1.jpg

The narrowed 9" housing, axles, floaters, and center section, and rotors all showed up:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/Ford9Housing01-1.jpg

These floating hubs are absolutely gorgeous in person; the pictures just don't do these gems justice (we had them drilled for both GM and Ford patterns):

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/FloatingHubs01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/FloatingHubs02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/FloatingHubs03-1.jpg

This is part of the 1999 C5 Corvette front suspension we'll be using (partially disassembled), though we'll be designing and building our own cradle (the Vette's is just too bulky) that will incorporate the steering rack and anti-roll bar:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/VetteCradle01-1.jpg

I was stunned at just how light these upper arms are: if you're accustomed to old-school technology like my '70 Vette or the stock Fury pieces then pieces like this are a WELCOME surprise:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/VetteUpperAArms01-1.jpg

carnalsupply

06-15-2009, 09:45 AM

Damn, I doubt if we're going to have more than 10 or 15 percent of the original sheet metal left on this hunk of crap by the time we're done! Seriously! I mean, virtually every piece of metal in this picture, save for the door jams and what's left of the cowl will be gone and replaced with new material, and all in a car I was assured was in great condition!
Here's you can see I've removed the entire firewall and front floorpans, and Cleco'd in the new pans. We'll do the mid and rear pans after we get the front suspension and framerail fixtures all dialed in:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/FirewallFloor02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/FirewallFloor01-1.jpg

Here we've got the front framerail locations tied into the fixture. In a later shot you'll see we've also got the radiator support location fixed, giving us all we'll need to rebuild the front 1/3 of the car back to stock locations while designing all new framerails and suspension around these locations:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/Fixture03-1.jpg

We had the front suspension fixtures laser cut for accuracy and they worked great! Here we've simply got it clamped so we can begin locating it:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/Fixture02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/Fixture01-1.jpg

Once we'd taken all our measurements from the left framerail I came back in and simply cut it out of the car; we won't be using any of it:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/FramerailRemoved01-1.jpg

Once I got the original framerail cut out we began placing the spindle, upright, and control arms. What makes the C5 (and maybe C6) uprights so bitchin' is the fact they have the caster already built into them!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/LFMockup01-1.jpg

If you look closely you'll see we've got the radiator support connected to the fixture now, though admittedly we'll be replacing this as well; we just needed to fix the location:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/LFMockup03-1.jpg

Here we've got the lower control arm clamped in place, perfectly level at ride height. Now we just have to find the factory measurement from the centerline of the lower control arm pivot to the centerline of the upper control arm pivot, so if anyone happens to know what it is or where we can find it I'd really appreciate the help.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/LFMockup04-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/06/LFMockup05-1.jpg

That's it for now, but we've already got the framerail material at the shop so we're progressing pretty well.

carnalsupply

05-21-2010, 11:10 AM

Wow, it has been FAR too long since I've had a chance to work on the Fury: between finishing my Vette (and selling it) and the commute from the coast out to our race shop in central CA was just kickin' my butt, so I've brought the Fury to my warehouse (5 minutes from home!) where I'm going to set up a mini fab area and get back to work.

Since I last worked on the Fury I've made a number of decisions as to the direction I'll be taking:

A little over a year ago ProTouring442 (Bill) posted a comment regarding the welding of the inner wheel tubs directly to the quarter panels. At the time I'd been talking to a couple of people who led me down that path, but since then I've been asking LOTS of different people with far more experience than I and they all agreed with Bill, so the wheel tubs will be separated from the quarters.
I've decided that instead of fabricating my own front suspension from C5 parts and raw stock I'm going to utilize an Art Morrison C6 front sub-frame.
The front and rear of the car will be tied together with 2 x 4 rectangular tubing, both tying the car rigidly together as well as giving me plenty of places to tie in cross-members, the roll bar, etc.
Since the firewall was such a mess and had to be completely removed I'm going to push the replacement back a couple inches and hope this will help with engine setback as well.

That's it for now, I just have to get my work area put together and get back to it!

carnalsupply

06-09-2010, 08:36 AM

Well the Fury project is finally back underway in earnest! I finalized the order with Art Morrison for the C6 front suspension and hopefully it will be ready to ship in 3 - 4 weeks. Below is a picture of the layout AM is putting together for me. I have to tell you, AM's sales person, Dave, and their engineering staff were GREAT to work with! I made various requests and revisions and they worked with me quickly and easily on each and every change, including profiling of the rails to meet up with my existing hard-points.

A couple of things not called out on the plan are the custom power steering rack, Strange double-adjustable coil-overs with 650lb springs, and 1 1/16" anti-roll bar (new to AM).

I've still got tons of work to do getting my new workspace ready: I just couldn't take the 80 mile (each way) trip to our race shop to work so I've now taken over a corner of my warehouse and I'm in the process of converting it. The 110 and 220 are in and most of my tools are here so now it's a matter of getting everything arranged and buying a new compressor.

Oh yeah, I needed/wanted a Plasma-Cutter so I was looking around and found an inexpensive one ($400 Chinese made Totos C50) on eBay, and to my delight and surprise this cheap little thing REALLY cuts! I tested it on some 3/8" steel stock and it went through it as quickly and cleanly as our shop cutter that's 4 times as expensive. No, I don't expect it to last like our Lincoln but for the limited amount I'm going to use it I'm really happy.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/06/ArtMorrisonC6FuryClip-1.jpg

That's it for now but I'm sure things will progress pretty well from this point, so long as the money holds out!

wellis77

06-09-2010, 09:23 AM

Subscribing to this. I love what you are doing with your Fury. I have a similar project going with my 69 Dart. I got hosed in my young stupidity when I bought but now I'm building something out of it. Looking forward to seeing more of this build.

carnalsupply

06-09-2010, 09:44 AM

Thanks for following along, and remember, misery loves company! Every time I walk out to my warehouse and see my car all chopped up it helps to remember I wasn't the first dunce to get ripped off (due to my own stupidity) nor sadly will I be the last.

Shoot a link to your Dart, I'd like to see the progress.

wellis77

06-09-2010, 10:14 AM

Link is in my signature. Not much progress to speak since I'm a few countries, an ocean, and a handful of states away from it 10 1/2 to 11 months out of the year. But that month to month and a half is all work my crap off.

I'm also looking forward to hearing more reviews on the plasma cutter. I'll be picking one up for myself in a few months. Will mainly be using it to cut out my floor, firewall, as well as suspension mounts.

Keep us posted on your solution to the rear wheel wells. I'll be there next year and was originally thinking about doing the same thing you already did, but now I'm thinking otherwise.

Are you channeling the body over the frame? Looks like you are putting the floor pan in the stock location.

carnalsupply

06-09-2010, 10:29 AM

Having not touched the Fury in over a year I can totally feel your pain when it comes to progress, but now I've got NO EXCUSES!

Yeah, that little plasma cutter really surprised me. Now would I use it in a production environment? No way, I don't think it'd hold up but for the kinds of brackets, frame rails, etc. we're talking about in a one-off build it should work just fine. Like I said, the pieces I tested it on were cut as well and as easily as our big Lincoln unit at the shop. Well worth the $400 I spent on eBay. Oh yeah, and the seller paid the freight!

The wheel wells will be a bit of work to change but after all the input I received I think it's the only way to go. One thing I'm not is a body man so getting better advice early on could have saved me some time and effort, but oh well, I'd rather fix it now rather than later.

I've got a couple choices for the frame rails: channel the floor around them or shave the tops of the rails themselves. Since the floor hasn't been repaired whatsoever (pans are just sitting on top of the rusted originals) I have lots of options so i think I'll wait until the clip arrives and see just how deep a channel I'd have to cut into the floors before making the decision, though I am leaning towards the channeling.

Best of luck!

guzziper

06-10-2010, 07:43 AM

Hello

I have a Plymouth Satellite Belvedere year 1965 in which I started making metal sheet. Like you, I have found out that, unfortunately, can not buy a quarter panel and I would therefore like to know which model you used to create the new fender edge and you've found a shop where you can buy new inner shield that fits roughly

Sincerely, Per

carnalsupply

06-28-2010, 01:55 PM

I just got the call from Art Morrison - the front clip is completed and ready for shipping!!! I better get my ass in gear and finish up my new work area because now there's no excuses! The new 80 gallon compressor is in, the 220 is run, the lights are in, now I just have to put all the little odds and ends together.

Hey Per, I apologize for not answering your question sooner, I deleted the notation from my Blackberry and haven't been on the page since. Regardless, the replacement quarter panels were actually multiple pieces blended together from different vendors.
I believe I ordered the lower rear part of the quarter panel from Dante's (http://www.dantesparts.com/bsheetmetal.html) and the center part (top of the wheel well) came from another vendor, who I just cannot remember at this point. I will see what I come up with and if I remember I'll make sure to PM you as well as post the name.
Sorry I can't be of more assistance,

BW

carnalsupply

07-02-2010, 03:49 PM

Well I know it's only July 4th weekend but it feels like Christmas to me :santa3::santa3::santa3::santa3::santa3: because my Art Morrison C6 sub-frame just arrived, and I can't begin to tell you the beautiful craftsmanship; absolutely stunning. I am SO glad I decided to invest in this piece rather than try and build one up from scratch!

I hope everyone has as good a weekend as I'm going to!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/07/ArtMorrisonC6FuryClip01-1.jpg

joe440

07-02-2010, 05:17 PM

awsome project, looks great

rrunner68

07-02-2010, 06:25 PM

You are going to need to open up your drive shaft tunnel.

carnalsupply

07-19-2010, 09:46 AM

Well the time has come for work to begin in earnest; the shop is set up, my steel has been delivered, so no more excuses! That being said this weekend was a real busy one for me and the Fury.

I began by fabbing up some leveling legs (you can just see them in each of the shots below) for the chassis plate because unlike our race shop my warehouse floor is anything but level. I found a really nice online hardware supplier and had the necessary materials delivered, then fabbed up the six threaded legs and leveled out the plate using a digital level. BTW - if you don't have one a digital level you definitely should invest, they're amazing and can get you square/level to down to 1/10 of a degree!

Once the plate was level I re-checked the car against the plate, making sure we were still square (we are), added some more bracing and support, then proceeded to take out the rest of the floor and remaining frame rail. If I NEVER see another spot-weld in my life it will be too soon!

No More Floors

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/07/NoMoreFloor-1.jpg

No More Frame Rails

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/07/NotMuchAnything-1.jpg

No More Anything

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/07/NoMoreFrameRails-1.jpg

In an earlier post Dan W. (rrunner68) mentioned I'd have to be opening up the drive shaft tunnel, and by the look of things that shouldn't be too much of a problem! I've decided not to use the replacement floor pans I purchased (and already fitted) because working them around the new frame rails just wasn't an attractive option to my eye, so once the chassis is secured to the body I'll fabricate new steel floor pans along the lines of a Cup car, which means fabbing/using an all new tunnel as well.

The next step will be removing the remaining excess material around the radiator support and inner rocker panels. After that I have to pay particular attention to the rocker panels themselves, patching and welding them up because they've suffered quite a bit while removing the floor-pans and I need to work them back into shape before sliding the frame underneath.

Oh yeah, one final note for this update: I used my new $400 Plasma cutter for the first time to cut through the inner fender well and frame rail (near the radiator support) and it worked flawlessly! No, it won't ever replace the amazing Lincoln we have at the race shop but for a garage job the thing is amazing.

I'll be back in a couple weeks with more updates: thanks for all the support!

wellis77

07-20-2010, 12:37 PM

I like those leveling legs a lot Bob. What did you use and who was the online hardware supplier?

Nice to see progress being made. So you are now channeling the body? What is your expected ride height? I don't recall if it was mentioned before. Looking good and I can't wait to see more.

Boatmark

07-24-2010, 03:44 PM

Very impressive. Realizing that you started with a car that arrived, and made you want to jump out of the nearest window, makes it all that much more impressive.

I have always loved the sixties stock car look, and being a Petty fan I have always loved this model Plymouth. I think black will be perfect. A very sinister look.

Keep diggiing, we are starved for updates.

BrianE

07-24-2010, 05:08 PM

Absolutely Rockin' Build!!!

carnalsupply

07-26-2010, 04:15 PM

Hey guys,

Sorry about my tardy reply but for some reason my subscription to the thread isn't alerting me when people post a comment or question. I've now unsubscribed and will re-subscribe later and see if that clears things up.

Wellis77 - I was afraid of putting a link in for the supplier but I'll take a shot and hopefully not get in trouble, but I HIGHLY recommend this vendor for your hardware needs; their prices were terrific and their service even better; Pointe Products http://www.pointe-products.com/Default.aspx

For the adjuster feet/legs I welded a nut on one end of the 3/4" threaded rod, welded a heavy duty 1" washer onto that, ground the bottom nice and smooth, then threaded the rod (with nuts in place) into the threaded couplers to give me the adjust-ability I wanted. When I want to adjust the plate I put a digital level (GREAT tool, accurate to within 1/10 of 1 degree) across the front and rear plate cross-member then use a hydraulic jack to bring the plate to level. The feet are then unscrewed to hold the plate in place and locked in by compressing one of the nuts against the threaded coupler. It isn't elegant but it works terrific and is very compact.

The ride height, at the bottom of the frame rail, will be 4 3/4". I have absolutely no idea what the height of the floor will be but the bottom of the rockers are 7 3/4". I'll simply make the floor and tunnel to suit once the chassis is in place. It's not much but the AM frame rails and front suspension were built to have 4 3/4" of ground clearance (along the rear legs of the frame) which is about 3/4" LESS than the factory rear sub-frames, so I'm hoping that little bit will also help with floor fitment and head room because I really don't want to channel the floor so much the rails protrude in an unsightly manner.

Boatmark & Brian - thanks for the encouragement, I definitely need it!

I came into the shop yesterday (Sunday) and finished removing the radiator support and cleaning up the inside of the rocker panels.
The rad support came off the frame stubs pretty easily, just drilled out more damn spot welds, and appears to be in pretty good shape.
The rocker panels had lots of drill marks from removing the spot welds so I welded all those up then came back, ground and dressed them, then shot 'em with self-etching primer. I still need to go back and make a couple small patches where I got a little over-zealous removing cross-members and the like, but that process came to an abrupt halt :banghead: when my Lincoln MIG welder suddenly decided not to feed the welding wire? Oh yeah, so just when I'm finally in a position to actually put something back on the damn car my welder farts and holds things up again. What would this car be without another setback? :banghead:

Next on the agenda was going to be fashioning some 4 3/4" risers for the new frame rails to sit on: I am going to weld in 2 parallel 2" x 2" square tubes longitudinally between the existing cross-members of the plate, then weld 2 "U" shaped brackets to the underside of the frame, which will then rest on the 2 parallel tubes. This will allow me to slide the new frame in virtually every direction (horizontally, of course) while holding it at the exact height I need. Once it's positioned I'll simply tack it in place and get to welding in the body and radiator supports.

Thanks again everybody, your support has been AWESOME :cheers:

carnalsupply

07-28-2010, 11:58 AM

Just a quick update: In my previous post I was bemoaning my crappy luck with my MIG welder packing up on me, but with a little internet help I found that wasn't really the case! I found a website with all kinds of nice information on welding (http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/) and in their forum there were others who'd experienced the same problem I was facing, and it turns out it's actually not that uncommon (at least with my model Lincoln welder: SP-170): I had changed the voltage to weld heavier stock and when I rotated the knob I didn't allow the knob to seat all the way into its detente', and when you do this the welder will not function. All I had to do was turn the selection knob to another setting and the welder instantly worked. Turn the knob back to my desired setting and it was perfect!

Just thought I'd toss that little bit of knowledge out there for anyone else that might experience something like that on their project.

Off to AZ this weekend but I'll be back on the Fury next week: it's time to get that frame installed!

carnalsupply

08-09-2010, 03:33 PM

I can't believe it but I FINALLY got a chance to actually assemble and weld something to my car rather than cutting, drilling, and stripping things off, so here's the progress I made over the past week or so:

After carefully measuring the frame rails, axle center-lines, etc. I fired up my trusty new $400 Plasma Cutter and cut about 1.5" off the front of the frame rails. While this was not unexpected I have to say it was somewhat nerve-racking making that first cut on my new frame rails!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1516-1.jpg

Once I'd cut the rails to length I used the Plasma to cut out "V" shaped section from both sides of each rail, cutting back to 8" from the front of the rail. Once the "V" was removed I carefully (read: 10lb hammer) persuaded the top of the rail (.120 thick) into place between the sides, then used the MIG (.035 wire) to fuse the newly profiled frame rails.
This was my first experience using .035 wire (as opposed to .023) and really high voltage, but it really works wonderfully, and since my welding is nowhere near that of the guys at Art Morrison I decided to grind my welds smooth (they recommend NOT grinding theirs).

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1515-1.jpg

This is just a view looking through the drives door forward.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1519-1.jpg

In order to get the rear of the AM frame rails into place I had to remove two of the vertical supports under the existing sub-frame rails, so to support the rails I fabbed up this 2 x 2 "bridge" that runs from rocker to rocker with short stanchions down to the tops of the existing rail. Since the rockers are heavily supported this method cleared the way for me to work on the bottom of the rails while fully supporting them from the top.

One thing to note: I plan on cutting numerous round holes in both the inner and outer frame rail (existing) walls, that way when I weld the AM rails in place I can plug weld the sides of the rails as well as around the perimeter.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1518-1.jpg

Here you can see where the AM rail protrudes from the rear of the existing rail, at least now that the bottom of the existing rail has been removed. I used a combination of Plasma Cutter and Pneumatic saw to remove the bottom of the rail, with exemplary results.

The next step will be to profile the rear of the AM rails so they match the contour of the existing rails, making (I hope) a seamless transition from one to another.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1517-1.jpg

After I got the frame in place, located, and secured I couldn't resist the temptation to mock up the suspension, so below are the results.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1528-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1529-1.jpg

After mocking up the suspension I mounted my front tire/rim combos to determine the actual axle height, then installed my fixtures on both sides. The fixtures are located front to rear using small welded tabs (welded to the chassis plate) so I can remove and replace the fixtures with ease. In a previous picture from our race shop the fixture was tack-welded to the chassis plate but this proved to be a pain in the butt when climbing around, on, and over the plate and car.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1526-1.jpg

The Art Morrison frame is a thing of absolute beauty and precision. I had each side of the suspension mocked up in no time with absolutely no fitment issues whatsoever.
Get the feeling I'm a fan of AM? You're right. They're service and products are, in my opinion, second to none.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1525-1.jpg

This was a hell of a moment for me: seeing a tire/rim/suspension combination actually in place and mounted, not just cobbled together. It gives me hope there may just be a finish line out there somewhere!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1522-1.jpg

One of the really frightening parts was just how little clearance there is between the inside of my rim and the upper ball joint knuckle area, but luckily there's 1/8" - 3/16" between them so it's all good to go. I turned the tire/rim from lock to lock with no issues and there's not a steering rack on the planet that will use as much turning radius as AM built into the suspension.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1521-1.jpg

Here's a shot of my Intro Pentia rim with a polished lip and Titanium powder coated center. I can't wait to see these in combination with the black paint.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/IMG_1520-1.jpg

I want to thank everyone who has written in my blog, offering support, encouragement, and ideas. While I don't think I'll be doing this as a profession any time soon I've proven to myself there's nothing about this build so far I can't figure out and tackle.

wellis77

08-09-2010, 09:44 PM

Looks great Bob. Glad to see progress being made on your build.

PhillipM

08-23-2010, 01:31 PM

That is going to be a big undertaking replacing all that sheet metal! I cut about 1/3 of that out and don't look forward to it! Haha. Any who as for the front radiator support I think you on the right track with the square tube. You could also do it with 1.5" round tube and tie it into you roll cage if you plan to do one. This build is coming along nicely, keep up the good work!

BTW,

I see we also have the same great taste in daily driver vehicles :)

carnalsupply

08-23-2010, 02:16 PM

Hey Phillip,

Yeah, don't I know it! I was CRUSHED when my car came out of the acid tank and there was literally 2/3's of the car "missing", but at that point what was I gonna do? And don't you think we both could have chosen cars with a bit more parts availability?

The fender mounts along the inside/top edge of the fender will be made from round tubing, bent in a "U" shape (more or less) welded onto the roll-bar front tubes, so those will be pretty easy.

It's the rad support, which incorporates the vertical front fender mounting points that's making me scratch my head at this point; each fender has three mounting points that used to bolt to the rad support, so finding something suitable and attractive for these mounts, while incorporating the actual rad mount, is the difficult part. One idea I had was:

Use 1/8" x 1" flat stock, contoured to match the vertical alignment of the front fender mounts (the fender mounts angle outwards from vertical), and simply run the flat stock downwards to meet the outside of the frame-rail and weld it in place. From there I'd fab up a removable round tubing cross-member to run side to side making engine install/removal pretty easy. From there I would use either the 3/4" square or round stock to devise the actual rad mount. While functional I can't say the aesthetics of the vertical flat stock is very pleasing, though once the fenders are in place nobody will ever see the mounts.

And yes, we both enjoy our rides to and from the office :cheers:

Take care, and I can't wait to see more updates on your Stude!

PhillipM

08-23-2010, 02:34 PM

I know what you mean about the vertical front fender mounting. Mine mounts the same way... 3 bolts vertically right next to the radiator. Hmm. I have also been "blind staring" that myself and if I come up with anythign I will surely let you in on it. Parts for yours are hard to come by as well huh? That sucks! I don't wish that on anybody... Haha My buddies 74 Malibu is the same way.

carnalsupply

08-23-2010, 02:43 PM

A '74 Malibu? Who'da thought?

Another thought I had was this:

Using round tubing, fab the vertical portion so it matches the fender mount contours and weld tabs at the fender mounting points. For horizontal stability I'd stick to the bolt-in tubular piece I mentioned before and run the rad hold-downs off of it.

While being more attractive than the flat stock idea I still can't say my minds eye likes the look of how the round tubing meets the frame rails; it just screams UGLY :screwy:.

coolwelder62

08-23-2010, 05:50 PM

I like what you are doing.The fury's are really nice car's.Can't wait too see more.

bonecrrusher

08-23-2010, 06:24 PM

You ever think about powder coating the control arms like on Bad Penny?

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/2nsw9hx-1.jpg

PhillipM

08-24-2010, 07:43 AM

Powdercoated arms huh... Thats pretty snazzy.

carnalsupply

08-24-2010, 08:34 AM

Yep, actually we have. On the Cutting Edge Replica "Cobra's" we used to build we employed a prep and powder-coating method that imparted a VERY cool look to our billet arms and uprights, so I'll probably do the same here. Wish I had some pix of the finished pieces but the only thing left available are the ones on the old web-page showing the polished "blingy" show car (still worth a look): http://www.cuttingedgereplicas.com/html/photo_gallery.html

carnalsupply

08-24-2010, 01:36 PM

Duh, I just noticed I neglected to say exactly what we used to do:
First we completely de-bur the control arms, removing all the parting seams and imperfections, then have them sand-blasted lightly. Once the surface is prepped we have them clear powder-coated for protection. The finished look is a really subtle "satin" look, which for my project works perfectly. Any billet pieces will be "touched" and coated in some way, no bling on this ride anywhere.

wellis77

08-25-2010, 02:32 AM

First we completely de-bur the control arms, removing all the parting seams and imperfections, then have them sand-blasted lightly. Once the surface is prepped we have them clear powder-coated for protection. The finished look is a really subtle "satin" look...

Sounds like a real cool look. I'm going have to work on that.

Bryce

08-25-2010, 05:40 AM

awesome thread!

carnalsupply

08-25-2010, 09:46 AM

Thanks Bryce!
Your Falcon thread brings back AWESOME memories of my late teens (late '70s/early '80s) when I built a fearsome little '65 Mustang Fastback. At the time all my friends were GM guys and did nothing but dog me about my "F'd Over Road Debris", at least 'til I kicked their butts!
There weren't a lot of go-fast goodies for Mustangs at that point but I installed everything I could from Maier Racing as well as stuffed a potent 351 Windsor, Top-Loader, and 9" under it.

Thanks again and I can't wait to see more of your thread as well.

Bob

carnalsupply

08-25-2010, 11:02 AM

Well the past couple of weeks have been pretty slow as far progress goes, but I have gotten some work done, so here goes:

I contoured the trailing end of the Art Morrison frame rails so they'd meld into the existing Mopar sub-frame. I did this by cutting triangular wedges (using the plasma cutter) from both the inner and outer surfaces of the AM rails, then persuaded the upper surface downwards to meet the sides. Welding the two surfaces was actually pretty easy using .035 wire and playing with the feed speed, so I was pleased with the results.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/FrameRailCountoured-1.jpg

Once I got the ends of the rails cleaned up I put the AM frame back in place, and believe it or not everything fit perfectly (see below)! The anxiety over cutting up my new AM frame had me pretty edgy but now that I've done it a couple times I feel like I'm ready to tackle whatever comes my way.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/CountouredRailInPlace-1.jpg

Here's a shot of where the AM frame protrudes as it runs forward. Besides welding around the perimeter of the existing Mopar sub-frame I'm going to cut 2" holes in the sub-frame and weld around the circumference of those holes as well. It may be a bit of over-kill but I'll feel more comfortable.
Sorry about the fuzziness, this wasn't one of my best shots.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/RailandSubFrame-1.jpg

After contouring the frame rails and securing them in place I decided to begin the mock-up stages, so here I've put the complete front suspension (save for calipers) back on both sides. What a feeling of accomplishment this was, finally getting to see something go back together rather than tearing it apart!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/RightSuspMockedUp-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/LeftSuspMockedUp-1.jpg

Once the suspension was back in place I went ahead and put the doors and fenders back on (more grief about this in a minute).
One thing to note in the two pictures below is the lack of a radiator support: I'm going to make a completely custom one that will hold a 31" wide aluminum cross-flow unit with integral electric fan and shroud. What you see running between the top of the two fenders is the remnants of the original core support I use for measurements and alignment.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/RightFrontMockedUp-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/LeftFrontMockedUp-1.jpg

Well, just when I was getting all giddy with my bad self I came to realize just how f'd up my original fenders are! When I bolted/Vise-Gripped/Cleco'd them to the body they look good, at least until you try to align them equally from side to side! There are 3 bolt holes, running vertically, that allow you to bolt the fenders to the radiator support, but upon closer inspection I notices a BIG difference between the two fenders and how these holes were lining up. It appears one of the fenders was pretty well bent at some point, though there's no apparent wrinkling, etc. to be found.

So what now? Knowing the custom radiator support would need to be fabbed with accurate fender alignment as a key consideration I bit the bullet and ordered up the radiator from Summit as well as all the fiberglass body parts for the entire build. There are a few sources for fiberglass body parts but I've read numerous good things about Sled City so I'm taking my chances with them.

'Glass parts include:

Front Fenders
Front & Rear Bumpers
Hood
'65 Hemi Hood Scoop
Doors
Trunklid

Once the radiator arrives I'll be able to fab in the lower support, but not much else on the front end until the body parts show up (4 - 6 weeks :banghead: ) so I think I'll be concentrating on getting the AM chassis mated up to the Mopar sub-frame, putting in new sheet metal on the rocker panels, and getting the stringers run from the AM rails to the rocker panels.

As always, I can't begin to thank everyone enough for your tremendous support!

Bryce

08-25-2010, 11:24 AM

Motown 454

08-25-2010, 12:00 PM

I love your build.

dusterbd13

08-25-2010, 12:01 PM

welcome to origonal mopar build quality. usually fenders on a mopar are not identical, dont gap well, and are a pita to make right.

the bolt holes being far off of each other is not suprising in the least.

michael

carnalsupply

08-25-2010, 12:01 PM

Thanks Wayne, I'll be checking out yours as well.

carnalsupply

08-25-2010, 12:32 PM

sprintracer

08-25-2010, 04:08 PM

don't cut 2" holes 1/2" will do the job just fine.

dusterbd13

08-25-2010, 05:25 PM

Hey Michael,

Bitchin' Duster, but I'm probably in the minority in that I like the alloy rims instead of the steelies.

Damn shame about the Mopar build quality, maybe my fenders are just different, but with my luck I'd fab the new rad support to match my existing fenders and the new Sled City pieces would be different, causing nothing but headaches, cutting, and repairing. Better off biting the bullet now and building it all to the dimensions of the new body work.

Go with the alloys!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

i hope the sled city stuff works out better for you than some of the other fiberglass companies that make stuff for mopars. i dont see how the mopar guys have put up with it for so long....

thanks for the compliment on the duster. its actually back on the work roster after a few years of neglect. full stuff can be found at
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=111545

looking forwad to watching yours come together. im a fan of fully radical stuff.

michael

wellis77

08-25-2010, 10:50 PM

Looking good Bob. I'm looking forward to hearing about the fit of the fenders. I may be going that route myself.

carnalsupply

08-26-2010, 02:20 PM

Well I finally got my front tires and rims back from the shop after having new low-profile valve stems put in them. Turns out Intro put the valves on the inside of the rim and they interfered with my calipers so I found a set of low-profile ones online. While the valve stems themselves are just fine, the extension for filling them was a serious POS! The first time we tried to use the worthless POS it snapped off in our fingers, so it's taken me the better part of two weeks to get the situation rectified, and now that they're full I couldn't wait to put them on with the rotors and calipers.
Before we're through I'll either have the "Corvette" milled off the caliper or use a set of Wilwoods we've got at the shop, regardless I love the size and look of the completed package.

One thing of interest: when we sized the rims over a year ago we were planning on fabbing our own front suspension, which we could/would have made a bit narrower than what Art Morrison had available, so the backspacing may need to be increased before all is said and done. Luckily the folks at Intro are more than willing/able to accommodate requests like this and will be able to "fix" the problem if necessary.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/TireRimBrake01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/TireRimBrake02-1.jpg

Hey Michael,

There are a few companies producing glass replacement parts for old Mopars, and from the research I did on the web, as well as my conversations with Larry (Sled City owner), I think I made a pretty good choice, but the proof will be here in about 4 - 6 weeks!

carnalsupply

08-31-2010, 02:37 PM

Well little things keep falling in place, but just when I'm feeling good things get strange on me. First the good news:

My new Milodon oil pan arrived today and it fits BEAUTIFULLY! The pan's depth is graduated from front to rear so the first few inches at the front of the pan are really shallow, fitting over the steering rack perfectly while the next few inches are only around 3 1/2" deep and fit over the cross-member like it was designed for the chassis. Damn I love when a plan comes together.

I've got tons of room on both sides of the pan so running the external lines for the oil pump will be no issue whatsoever.

Here's the pan, a Milodon 31511 "Drag" pan. It's fully baffled so sloshing won't be an issue.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/08/Oil_Pan-1.jpg

So just when I'm getting all happy with my bad self and the new oil pan, I get kicked in the nuts trying to re-skin the inside of my rocker panels. I have no idea WTF the problem is but I definitely need to do some experimenting and find out.

What's happening is this:
I'm using 16 gauge sheet metal that's known as AKDQ, which means there's some type of aluminum property about it, making it more malleable and easier to form than standard sheet metal. This AKDQ sheet metal is being welded over my "Weld Through" primered (sp?) inner rocker panels (compromised during dis-assembly) using my Lincoln MIG welder, shielded with 75/25 Argon/Carbon Dioxide, but when I start welding I'm instantly met with the most terribly dirty, F'd up welds you've ever seen.

I thought I'd forgotten to turn on the shielding gas, but no, that wasn't it.
I thought I was overheating the primered surface and causing some kind of goofy-ass reaction so I turned down the amperage. No, that wasn't it, in fact the situation got worse.
I pulled the gun tip back from the surface, but no, that wasn't it.

I'm friggin' baffled! Either this AKDQ metal, the "weld through" primer, or my shielding gas is causing me fits, and now because I'm stubborn and kept on welding (the welds penetrated and are strong) I now have to go back and dress each and every weld, which I am NOT looking forward to.

OK, enough of my ranting (pissing and moaning?): I'll post whatever I figure out as being the issue later on.

carnalsupply

08-31-2010, 07:01 PM

Well I just finished my experiment and all I can say is "Weld Through" primer is Bull*#(%.
In order to get the weld to penetrate the primer you have to increase the power to a point beyond reason, and with it increase the wire speed, which leads to LOTS of excess material in the weld area.

From this point forward I'll always grind the primer away, even if it is "weld through".

Later!

Bryce

08-31-2010, 07:54 PM

Thats good to know about weld through primer. I will need to experiment with that.

wellis77

08-31-2010, 09:28 PM

Which stuff did you use. I've had good success with the SEM stuff. I think it was gold in color, picked it up from Eastwood. Other stuff I've heard is junk.

carnalsupply

09-01-2010, 08:49 AM

I used "Smart", which is the house brand for FinishMaster. I'm not sure if FinishMaster is a local or national distributor of painting products but they do have SEM as well, which I will switch to in the future (if I use it at all).

PhillipM

09-01-2010, 09:40 AM

I've tried a few but been happiest with the 3M weldthrough primer. Seems to be the most consistent.

carnalsupply

09-01-2010, 09:50 AM

I've used the SEM before (with good luck) but never the 3M, but I'll definitely keep both in mind.

Thanks for the recommendations.

PhillipM

09-01-2010, 11:51 AM

Is it just me or does it look like the front wheels are too far forward in the wheel wells? Just an observation...

carnalsupply

09-01-2010, 12:11 PM

You know, we thought the same thing until we went online and found this cool comparison of 1964 body styles (see below), which shows the Fury (as well as the others) had a BUNCH of space between the rear of the wheel opening and the tire, caused by the rearward arch of the opening at it's lower, trailing edge.

We considered moving the chassis back a touch but noticed the inner lip of the wheel opening had been flattened a bit on each fender (by a previous owner) and on both sides of the car the flattened spot corresponded with the top of the tire. Granted, maybe the previous owner was a little off on his measurements or something but to have both flat spots line up over the center of the tires tells me our measurements are pretty darn close to stock.

Are we going to move the front wheels back an inch? I doubt it because with the engine setback we're using (#1 cylinder is within an inch or so of the front axle center-line) it will force the engine even farther back into the passenger compartment, which I'm keen to avoid.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/1964-1.jpg

PhillipM

09-01-2010, 01:09 PM

Sounds good Bob, looks like you guys have it under control... Not that I thought you didn't :)

carnalsupply

09-02-2010, 07:47 AM

LOL! :lol: :lol: You're kidding, right Phillip? I'm winging this project from the very first turn of the wrench!

sprintracer

09-02-2010, 07:55 AM

I think they need to move back 1"to 1.5" dude you have mad skills!!

carnalsupply

09-02-2010, 08:13 AM

There's still time to adjust, I'm just waiting on the 'glass doors and fenders to arrive before I do anything. Once those pieces are in place all will become clear (I hope!).

PhillipM

09-02-2010, 08:22 AM

Yeah we pretty much run on the "what ever looks good" bus... Sounds like you guys do to :) Hahaha

carnalsupply

09-03-2010, 01:44 PM

Yes, a long weekend and nothing but working on my car in the future, and to help me get more done I ordered (and just received) my new 48" Sheet Metal Finger-Brake! Damn I love new toys, and this one cost under $500!
Granted, it's not an industrial grade unit, but for the Fury project, and whatever follows, this should work out just fine.

Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have the inner rocker panels re-covered and the chassis mounted to the body.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/SheetMetalBrake-1.jpg

sprintracer

09-03-2010, 02:27 PM

nice that will work perfect.Do i get it ehen your done LOL.

bonecrrusher

09-03-2010, 07:15 PM

Love this build!

carnalsupply

09-04-2010, 10:10 AM

Yo Sprintracer - before my new brake ends up in your shop I'd like to see my Tremec and my center-section, you loafer!

Thanks Crusher, I appreciate the support!

carnalsupply

09-07-2010, 09:20 AM

Well I got my wish and spent 10 hours a day for 3 days straight in the shop working: no phone calls, nobody bothering me, nothing. It was amazing :twothumbs :twothumbs

I began the weekend by re-skinning the inner rocker panels, something I mentioned in an earlier post. What surprised me about this was the actual twisting and undulations of the factory surface, which upon first glance appear pretty flat an benign, but are in fact nothing of the sort. After putting the left side skin on as a single piece I decided to cut the right side into three shorter section, which in the end turned out to be much easier. If I can offer a word of advice for anyone unfamiliar with them, learn about and buy some Cleco's. I've been using them for years at the shop and they are absolutely amazing at pulling metal close together and holding it tight for welding.

Here are a couple shots of the inner rockers once I finished:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Rocker_Right-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Rocker_Left-1.jpg

Once I got the rockers re-skinned I knew it was time to finally get down to mounting the chassis, something I've been almost afraid of for some time. I don't know why, maybe because it's such a huge step in the process, but regardless I got over my anxiety and dropped the frame back into place.

Once the frame was in place I went back and looked at the various pictures I'd taken of the car, as well as re-read some of the messages/comments others have made in this blog, and decided to move the entire chassis rearward 1". While it doesn't sound like much I believe the other members are correct and it will give the wheel/tire combo a much more balanced look in the wheel-well.

Accomplishing the adjustment was really easy: the frame rails are held firmly in place (from side to side) with tabs welded to the chassis plate, so I simply sprayed machinists dye onto the frame and the tabs then moved the chassis rearwards until the edge of the dye and the rear of the tab measured exactly 1" apart (using a digital micrometer). I checked the distance on both sides of the frame as well as from the frame horns to the bumper mounts and all equaled exactly an inch. Here's a shot of the tab and dye:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Frame_Adjusted-1.jpg

Once the frame was lined up correctly it was time to weld the old rear sub-frame to the new Art Morrison frame rails, and as usual I ran into a couple of difficulties:
1) Trying to get in/around the chassis plate and under the rocker panels with the MIG gun is a bitch. Makes me long for the time when the Fury was on the rotisserie!
2) More importantly, trying to weld 46 year old sheet metal to brand new .120 wall steel tubing. I finally settled on a very high power setting with a pretty mellow feed speed and rotated the gun tip to penetrate the .120 wall tubing really nicely and allow the sheet metal to then puddle into the weld.

As evidenced by the pictures below (this blog is all about full disclosure, right?) I am not a professional welder, but the welds penetrated the .120 wall material very well and I'm confident in the strength, especially when you consider the inside of the frame rails have the same amount of weld and there will be LOTS of additional bracing between the Morrison chassis and the rest of the car.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Frame_Welded_Right-1.jpg

Sorry about the crappy focus, I'm not much of a photographer either I guess
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Frame_Welded_Front_Right-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Frame_Welded_Left-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Frame_Front_Welded_Left-1.jpg

Next in the process will be locating the engine in the chassis. As noted in a previous post I'm going to be using a Milodon "drag" pan so the engine will be very low in the chassis and set back pretty far: #1 cylinder will be just about even with the front axle center-line, meaning the engine is set back a good 4" - 5" from stock, which had the axle center-line right around cylinders 3 and 5.

Along with the engine location I'm going to need a set of headers and a pulley setup. I'll be ordering up a set of un-coated TTI's, that way in case I have to cut/adjust them I won't be wasting my money on the coating. Besides, when I get the headers coated I'm going to have them done in black rather than silver. I'm also going to look into a serpentine belt system, but like the headers I'll have the entire package coated in 60% - 70% black.

After the engine and headers are mocked up I can begin adding the stringers that run perpendicular between the frame-rails and the rocker panels, taking into consideration the placement of the seats and the roll-bar.

That's it for now.

Bob

wellis77

09-08-2010, 02:54 AM

Looking good Bob. That's a big step you took this weekend. Keep up the great work. Helps me stay excited for the next 3 months before I can get back to work on mine.

carnalsupply

09-08-2010, 08:27 AM

Thanks Will,

The welds are friggin' ugly but I'm totally confident in their penetration and holding power, so now I have to work on dialing in my feed speed and the angle of attack at the tip of the gun.

I was talking to Jimmy over at our race shop and he gave me some great ideas to try so I'm confident they'll improve.

bonecrrusher

09-08-2010, 09:52 AM

You going to grind down those chassis welds at all?

carnalsupply

09-08-2010, 11:32 AM

Oh hell yes B'crusher! My welds may look like turds but I'm certainly not one!

bonecrrusher

09-08-2010, 11:43 AM

Just asking.... lol. Looking back didnt see a clear answer... what kind of engine is going in?

rjsjea

09-08-2010, 12:19 PM

Cool project.....

carnalsupply

09-09-2010, 10:11 AM

So I think my welding woes are behind me now: with the advice from Jimmy as well as changing over to .030 wire I ran some beautiful test beads yesterday.

Thanks RJ!

Hey B'Crusher - No worries, I deserve all the crap you guys can throw after that welding fiasco! As for the engine, here's the plan:

* 500"+ RB
* All forged internals from 440Source and/or Scat
* Edelbrock's new Victor Max Wedge Heads (ordered today: http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/cylheads/chrysler/bb_victor1.shtml)
* AA Transmission's reproduction Max Wedge Cross-Ram intake
* Twin Retro-Tek 750cfm throttle bodies (http://www.retrotekspeed.com/products/powerjection-i/powerjection-i-systems/)
* 2" primary/3 1/2" collector TTI headers
* Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine system (http://www.billetspecialties.com/itemdetail.asp?cid=23&scid=239&pid=898&rdir=1)
* Tremec TKO-600 (somewhere at the race shop but I have to locate it!)
* 31 spline 9" floater rear held in place by truck arms (rear suspension is already in stock)

So last night after I got my welding mojo straightened out I decided to get the engine location mocked up, and below are the shots:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Engine_Front-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Engine_Front_High-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Engine_Left1-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Engine_Steering-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/Engine_Right_Rear-1.jpg

Once my new heads and headers arrive I can begin working out alot of the other details, such as the placement and shape of the stringers that run between the frame-rails and the rocker panels, which will also involve the placement of the seats and the roll-bar. By the look of things the engine setback is around 4" behind the stock location so I'll definitely be moving the firewall back, which means moving the seats back, which means moving the main roll-hoop back....
I've learned very quickly that nothing I touch on the car is done in a vacuum, every piece I touch has some kind of effect on some other part or area, so thinking ahead and being methodical makes a big difference.

joe440

09-09-2010, 05:14 PM

looks sweet, love that your staying with an RB

dusterbd13

09-09-2010, 05:48 PM

and crossram efi to boot!!

i like it.

and that motor looks so little with no firewall or inner fenders.

god bless a blank slate. and curse it at the same time. because you make everything more difficult when you create it from scratch. but so much more cool in the long run.

keep up the good work. youre inspiring me to get in my garage more.

michael

bonecrrusher

09-10-2010, 05:30 AM

Damn.... looks good - I'm with Michael - I should get in the garage more - damn me ordering new couches... but I guess I'll have progress next year! LOL.

I like how you pointed out the snowball effect - never get away from that!

carnalsupply

09-10-2010, 08:19 AM

You know what fellas? I NEVER for one moment thought my Fury blog would be anything more than just me rambling on about my f'd up project, it was kind of cathartic to be able to bitch and bemoan my bad luck, but I cannot begin to tell you how much your kind words, enthusiasm, and advice have meant and inspired me.

Thank you all for watching and becoming part of my build :cheers:

bonecrrusher

09-10-2010, 08:45 AM

Your last post just reminded me of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLMMx3MRi0s

Damn working from home today and surfing the forums... LOL!

carnalsupply

09-10-2010, 09:45 AM

LOL! I gotta try and work that into a license plate somehow since CA DMV rejected 666FURY (Satan's Fury).

carnalsupply

09-13-2010, 01:24 PM

Well I spent another weekend in the shop test fitting and aligning things, but when I did actually "work" on the car I decided to weld the inside facings of the Art Morrison chassis legs to the existing Mopar rear sub-frames, and just to prove:

You can teach a monkey to weld
I am trainable, which must mean I must be a monkey

Here's a shot of the 2" beads (I moved around a lot to avoid overheating) I ran. The secret to the improved welds? Thinner wire (.030), better angularity between my gun tip and the material being welded, and lots of playing around with the wire-speed.

No, I'm not saying I'm gonna be a welder for a living but these are a VAST improvement over the welds on the outside of the frame rails:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/InnerFrameWeld-1.jpg

One real benefit of finishing off the frame/frame welding is the fact I could eliminate all the additional cross-bracing we'd added to hold everything securely in place. The elimination of the extra bracing allowed me to test fit a floor (plywood) as well as the seats (Cadillac CTS-V fronts) to verify I'd have enough head and leg room, which I do.

My TTI headers showed up today, and they look terrific, but they'll definitely need to be "adjusted" once my new heads arrive because the Edelbrock Victor Max Wedge heads have a raised exhaust port. I figure I'll cut each tube and add an inch or so to each and they'll fit nicely between the floor and the bottom of the frame rails.

Tonight I'll be trying to mock-up the 9" rear housing and truck arms so I can locate the cross-member. By doing so it will allow me to see just how much room I'll have for exhaust tubing, which I plan on running between the frame rails as far as possible, then routing them through oval cutouts (transitioning from 3" round to equivalent oval tubing) in the frame and having them dump in front of the rear wheels.

dusterbd13

09-13-2010, 06:13 PM

ive had plywood floors before in my winter beaters when i lived in tenn. actually worked pretty good. and i bet yours were prettir.

looking forward to seeing how you do the floors and truckarms.

any particular reason youre going truck arms over a link style?

also, you going through the bodywork with the side exit, or lwtting it hang out under the rocker?

carnalsupply

09-13-2010, 06:53 PM

Well tonight's work totally SUCKED! I ended up pulling the engine and trans so I can relocate them: I just wasn't satisfied with the height of the engine and realized any advantages I'd gained by moving the engine rearwards were probably negated by the additional height I'd built into it. Bummed? You betcha, but I'll get it within the week!

Hey Michael,

I can only wish the steel floor pans would be as easy as the plywood I tossed in there, but somehow I doubt it.

I'm going with the truck arms for a couple reasons:
1) though I've never ridden in a performance car with a set, truck arms are supposed to give an amazing ride.
2) Truck arms are renowned as performing exceptionally well due to their ability to withstand torsional loads while also being an exceptionally long lever, which slows down the action of the suspension (hope I'm relating this correctly)
3) I'm after an old NASCAR vibe/theme with the Fury; I've always been a big fan of the Plymouth Belvedere Richard Petty drove back in '64.

Their one drawback being the amount of space they occupy, which is substantial, which means routing the exhaust around them.

I'm going to run the exhaust through the frame rails and scallop the bottoms of the rocker panels, so the exhaust will exit somewhat through the rocker as well as below it, if that makes sense. Think of it this way, I'm going to notch the bottom of the rocker in the shape of a "C" and the oval exhaust tubing will fit within the "C".

shortrack

09-13-2010, 09:18 PM

wellis77

09-13-2010, 10:25 PM

I'm going to run the exhaust through the frame rails and scallop the bottoms of the rocker panels, so the exhaust will exit somewhat through the rocker as well as below it, if that makes sense. Think of it this way, I'm going to notch the bottom of the rocker in the shape of a "C" and the oval exhaust tubing will fit within the "C".

This will be very cool to see. I'm planning to run mine as an oval through the rocker but the idea of a "C" would be a bit easier; I think. I look forward to seeing how you pull that off. Can't wait to see more. I love this build. You are doing great work, even if you are a monkey... Sure gives hope to gorilla's like me...

carnalsupply

09-14-2010, 07:58 AM

It's the opposable thumbs, they make everything possible, even welding!

carnalsupply

09-14-2010, 01:10 PM

Ahhh damn, now I went and did it: I just agreed to buy a '66 Fairlane my wife found a few weeks ago. The car needs new quarters but from the "b" pillar forward appears to be in terrific condition, and besides, it couldn't be ANY worse than the Fury!

The Fairlane is an original 289/3-speed (on the column) car with black interior, so I'll probably stick with a small-block, try to find an old-school Top-Loader for it, and lower it with 17's, but not much more.

As soon as I pick the car up I'll post some pix, but I doubt I'll touch the car until I'm done with this project.

Bryce

09-14-2010, 01:19 PM

406 Q-ship

09-14-2010, 02:13 PM

congrats, Im sure it will stop at the wheels and stance!!

Sure it will.........:idea:

dusterbd13

09-14-2010, 04:47 PM

and the snowball effect will strike again.....

i forsee tubr frame, efi, 5 speed, 4 wheel disc, and ower everythimg.

carnalsupply

09-14-2010, 07:22 PM

No, no, no, I just can't go the full blown route! I foresee a stout little Windsor based SBF, a little bit of aftermarket suspension to drop it in the weeds and get some handling, a nice set of rims, and the addition of a Top Loader, which I've already lined up from a guy here in NorCal.
That's it, I'm tellin' ya, that's it!!

Bryce

09-15-2010, 05:33 AM

Good luck with that!

carnalsupply

09-15-2010, 01:01 PM

Damn, looks like the deal fell through! This is beginning to sound like a soap-opera, but maybe the guy will reconsider and call me back. Bummer too, I already had a Top Loader lined up and everything :doh:

Bryce

09-15-2010, 01:13 PM

dude that sucks!

carnalsupply

09-15-2010, 01:31 PM

I'm working through an intermediary, I've never met or spoken to the actual owner of the car, so things may still work out.

When I went to buy the car today I finally got a chance to open it up, start it, etc., and although I knew the car would need quarter panels I could now see the doors would need to be replaced and the interior has some issues, so I asked the intermediary to approach the owner with a lower price.

We'll see.

carnalsupply

09-20-2010, 12:07 PM

Now I'm in "hurry up and wait mode" because there's really nothing I can work on for a while, and here's why:

Until I get the Milodon oil pump system installed I can't properly place the engine: the clearance between the pump and the output shaft on the steering rack is EXTREMELY tight so having the actual pump and cover to mock things up is about the only real choice: I just can't risk having it off by even an 1/16".

The missing oil pump also precludes me from fabbing up the engine mounts I purchased from Paul Horton's "Welder Series" up in Canada. They don't have BB Mopar mounts but I'm going to update their Chevy mounts to do the job.

Without the engine in place I can't work on the exhaust, and without the exhaust I can't work on the stringers that run between the outside frame surface and the inner rocker panel surface, which all means I can't begin working on the floor or the firewall.

OK, so enough of that frustration, I decided I'd come in over the weekend and hang the rear end, a 9" floater I purchased from Stock Car Products.

I got the rear end mounted on my fixtures, centered it under the car, got the wheelbase set at 116", and everything looked great!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/9inchFloaterRear-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/9inchFloaterHub-1.jpg

Until I unwrapped all my truck-arms and U-bolts. The housing has 3" tubes, the U-bolts are 3" ID, but for some reason my truck-arms have holes that are 4.25" apart :confused:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/3inchUBolt-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/3inchUBoltonHousing-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/3inchUBoltwArm-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/3inchUBoltwArm_Side-1.jpg

Now I'm working with the guys at STP to figure out what happened and how we can remedy it, unless of course I'm just a whole bunch dummer than I think and there's really some way of getting 3" ID U-bolts into 4.25" holes.

The good news is I've got a trade-show to attend next week so it gives plenty of time for things to arrive and get straightened out, such as:
1: The refurbished hinges showed up today from SMS Restorations and they look AWESOME! I thought about doing the hinges myself but there's no way they'd have come out this nice.
2: As noted above, the engine mounts are now here
3: All the 'glass bodywork should be shipping within a week or so
4: The Milodon pump should be ready in a week or so
5: The E'brock Victor Max Wedge heads are being cast and should be here some time next week

That's the update for now, boring as it seems.

PhillipM

09-20-2010, 01:48 PM

Dang that sucks! I know the feeling...

carnalsupply

09-20-2010, 02:20 PM

Damn, I have to stop whining! I just got two phone calls that totally made my day:

Carl, the new owner of the Stock Car Products website called me and got me all the info I needed for my truck-arms: turns out they take a special U-Bolt so everything is "all good". I'll just modify my old U-Bolts to mock everything up then buy the correct ones once I know what length I need.
Just got a call from my local speed shop, Gotelli's, and they've got my heads, oil pump, and all the accessories!

Looks like I'll have some things to play with over the weekend! :jump:

ededh11

09-21-2010, 12:30 PM

Cool project! I have a 65 Coronet so I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.:twothumbs

PhillipM

09-21-2010, 06:28 PM

Awesome!

Bryce

09-22-2010, 05:39 AM

nice progress!

ramlinman

09-23-2010, 04:25 PM

hi nice ride can't wait to see the progress. do you have a materials list and the dimensions for your frame table i like that design

carnalsupply

09-24-2010, 09:01 AM

Good morning Ramlin',

The chassis plate consists of

Two identical rectangles, measuring 182" x 60", corners mitered for a tight, square fit. Material is 2" x 2" x .120" square tubing.
16 2" x 2" x 4" x .120" square tubing stanchions/stand-offs placed around the perimeter and between the two rectangles to hold them apart.
3 - 4 (depending on want/need) 2" x 2" x 56" x .120" cross-members.
6 6" x 2" x 16" x .120" legs
6 10" swiveling casters

The adjusters are made from:

6 3/4" x 10 x 2" threaded couplers
6 3/4" x 10 x 16" threaded rod
24 3/4" x 10 nuts
6 2"o.d. heavy washers

A couple things to note when building/using this chassis plate:

DO NOT finish weld any of the components listed above: I highly recommend placing two(2) good, penetrating tack welds on both the inside and outside of the joints.
If you can at all help it DO NOT put any welds on the upper or lower surfaces. If you do it WILL come back to haunt you.
We are lucky, our fab-shop floor, as opposed to my current work-space floor, is perfectly smooth and flat, allowing us to fabricate the plate without difficulty. Check your fabricating area before welding anything or you're going to have nothing but problems after mounting the car. Also, if your floor is perfectly smooth and flat you may be able to avoid fabbing/using the adjusters.
Measure your car from front bumper mount to the rear, your plate may end up being significantly shorter (and saving you $$$) than what I had to make for my land-yacht.
Keep at least 2 "extra" 2" x 2" x .120" x 56" cross-members around: you'll want/need them for supporting various components as you go.

Good luck, and if there's anything else I can do to help please don't hesitate to ask.

ramlinman

09-24-2010, 02:21 PM

thanks bob!!!!!!!!!!! this is very helpful i really appreciate it

carnalsupply

09-24-2010, 03:02 PM

Absolutely my pleasure! I've had SO MUCH help from various members it's unreal, so anything I can do to give back is all good.

carnalsupply

10-11-2010, 03:36 PM

So progress has ground to a crawl, and all because I'm sitting around waiting for pieces to finally arrive. When my wife asked me why I haven't been working on the car the last few weeks the best way I could explain it was to use a jigsaw puzzle analogy, but with one caveat: the pieces to the puzzle MUST be put together in a specific order, and if one of the pieces is missing you simply can't move ahead. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Finally, though, some pieces did arrive and allowed me to get a little work done, so here it is:

My truck arms and cross-member arrived quite a while ago but I wanted to get the correct saddles for the diff, so I picked up a really nice set from Carl's Performance, as well as a pair of coil-over mounts. Since I'm still waiting on my oil pump cover (MUCH more on that later) I couldn't place the cross-member exactly where I wanted it vertically, but I did get it in place, squared, and tacked for alignment, etc.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/TruckArmCrossmember01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/TruckArmCrossmember02-1.jpg

The front mounts allow for a great deal of both horizontal and vertical adjustment to both square the rear housing to the chassis as well as gain or lose angularity in the arms themselves.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/TruckArmMounting01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/TruckArmMountingLeft-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/TruckArmMountingRight-1.jpg

For the time being I modified factory Mopar U-bolts to hold the rear housing in place; I don't see any reason to order new bolts until I have the entire driveline in place and know whether I'll have to use lowering blocks or not.
I know it's not a flashy piece you'd normally notice but the saddles I ordered from Carl's are REALLY nice and although more expensive than the stamped pieces you can find I highly recommend them.

While I was ordering the saddles I also picked up a set of coil-over mounts, which are fabbed in the same high quality manner as the saddles. At this point I don't know if I'll mount the shocks in front of or behind the diff, it'll all depend on packaging issues and space. My preference would be to mount them behind so as to avoid any clearance issues with the truck arms but that'll all have to wait until I get a Panhard or Watt's Link mounted.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/CoilOverMounts-1.jpg

One, not two, but one of my Victor Max Wedge heads arrived on Friday, and hopefully the other will be here tomorrow (Tuesday). These appear to be some really nice castings, and hopefully they don't suffer with any core-shift like my RHS SBC heads did.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/VictorMaxWedge01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/VictorMaxWedge02-1.jpg

I know, it probably seems a bit premature to buy the heads but without them I can't tell exactly where the exhaust tubes and collectors will fall, and without those measurements I can't accurately place the frame runners that run perpendicular to the frame rails between the frame rails and the rocker panels, so there's another $1600 that'll be sitting on my shelf for a while.

Speaking of headers, here's the 2" TTI's I ordered. They're not step headers; I don't believe I'll be making the kind of power (mid 600 is the goal) where the step versions would make a big enough difference as compared to the header dimensions within the chassis.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/TTIHeaders-1.jpg

I don't know about any of you but customer service is FAR more important to me than most anything else, and for that reason I can't say I'm a fan of TTI. I know, I'm just another clown trying to build a car completely from scratch, so what if I need a few questions answered or could use a little help with company policy? Nah, TTI has their corporate policy and they don't have time to mess with guys like me.
What do I mean? As noted to the guy I spoke with, this is a 100% custom build and I don't want to cut up a pair of coated headers, so is there any way I can return the headers (bare metal) if they don't appear they'll work?
No, we can never take back uncoated headers, it's company policy.
I offered to give them a non-refundable deposit.
NO, it's company policy.
WTF? I was told the headers will rust and be unsellable, to which I offered to return them within 2 days, long before any rust could EVER set in.
NO, it's company policy.
Thanks TTI, love you too.
Sad too because from what I'd heard about their products I was really looking forward to trying the headers, which by the way, are "all right". That's not a "sour grapes" assessment, the headers are fine, just not the outstanding pieces of work I'd read about.

It's not much of an update, but until that damn oil-pump cover shows up I'm stuck!

dusterbd13

10-11-2010, 04:53 PM

as a fellow TTI victim, i agree with you.

according to them, the headers fir a stock chassis with no trouble, and no mods necessary to anything.

after cutting my bellhousing, modifying my clutch linkage, shimming the motor a lot, etc, i called them.

they said that it was the car, not their headers. so then why does the one primary slip fit leak, the headers hit the frame and t-bar, and they still hang lower than my LCA's?

unfortunately, i think we all got screwed by a great maketing department behind a mediocre product.
and they charge you extra for this crap!

sorry, ive been fighting with these again....

good luck with the whiole deal. the truck arms look cool, especially with the full floater rear. also digging the new heads. beautiful castings.

and let me guess, moroso oil pump?

Bryce

10-12-2010, 06:06 AM

Looking good. Nice progress. Dont you love waiting on parts and not being able to do anything else? I was in the same boat as you until last friday. At least my car is still driveable if i threw wheels and rear shocks on it.

carnalsupply

10-12-2010, 09:08 AM

Hey Michael,

By outward appearances the heads look really nice. There is a bit of casting flash/parting lines I might clean up but overall this is some beautiful work Edelbrock is turning out.

I guess misery loves company because knowing I'm not the only one that had a problem/issue with TTI sure makes me feel better, though I doubt my problems are anywhere NEAR what you've gone through. I couldn't agree with you more though, TTI has a helluva good PR machine pumping out "how to" and "install" articles and every one of them bleeds TTI silver. They make me long for the days of my Hooker Super Comps in my Vette: now THAT was a great fitting, looking, set of headers!

No, the oil pump assembly is a high volume Melling pump with the Milodon single external line and swiveling pickup. I might be wrong but I don't believe Moroso makes an external line setup for big Mopars.

My issues with the Milodon unit are:

Even though Milodon, contrary to popular web legend, casts their pieces in house (SoCal), they have to use an outside source for their hard anodizing, and since this hard anodizer does work for the aerospace industry Milodon's pieces get shoved to the back of the line, meaning I've been sitting here with no pump cover for friggin' weeks!
This is the part that bothers me even more than the waiting: when I opened my original Milodon kit, got all excited because I could now locate the engine between the rails, I took a close look at the actual pump cover, and inside the oil galleys I was SHOCKED at the amount of casting slag; it was appalling!
On the plus side, and this HAS TO BE SAID: Milodon's tech team are some of the nicest, most helpful people I've had the pleasure of dealing with. Tom, in particular, has shown me more patience than I deserved, what with all my questions and lack of Mopar knowledge.

With the two "negative" things going on with Milodon I decided to change direction and ordered a billet cover/pump combo from 440Source.com, and guess what? While I was typing the bullet points above in walked the FedEx delivery guy with my parts! 2 days from ordering and I'm good to go! Here's what just arrived:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/PumpCover01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/PumpCover02-1.jpg

Hey Bryce, you know the worst part about waiting for parts? The total loss of momentum. There I was making pretty damn good progress, on what's really a pretty daunting task, and an f'in part made in SoCal (I'm in NorCal) stops me dead in my tracks. Now I've got to rebuild that enthusiasm that had me working all day at my desk and working all night on the Fury :hammer: No bitching and moaning though, I'm just gonna put my head down and push!

Bryce

10-12-2010, 09:22 AM

Totally agree with you on that one. I lost alot of momentum on my project with all the hassles from centerline. Valvestems that never came, then they were wrong. Then the lugnuts are wrong too. Sorry just venting a little. Plus the wheel weights are way off the advertized weight.

carnalsupply

10-12-2010, 09:28 AM

And we do this for the fun and relaxation, right?
No need to apologize, BS'ing with you has been a great way for me to vent as well as keep me inspired: I LOVE your Falcon!

MichaelUser

10-12-2010, 09:46 AM

Hey Bob,

I have yet to buy any product from TTi, but from meetings and talking at various car shows with the employees at TTi, I see your point. I understand your dilemma. I am a sales manager for an aftermarket company and deal with the public and direct accounts all the time. I get requests for oddball stuff all the time, from intakes for bizarre applications as well as product to costly to mfg. It is difficult to vary product after it has been release to the masses. That is not an excuse by any means. However, I always find a solution for my customer even if I might not have the product or might never plan on building it, I will try to offer a solution, even if it is a competitors product. Policy is a difficult thing when you are an mfg and sticking to it even more.
Not sure if that helps...

MichaelUser

10-12-2010, 09:59 AM

Bob,

Maybe try http://www.burnsstainless.com
for a solution...

carnalsupply

10-12-2010, 10:04 AM

Hey Michael,

I understand and relate to your perspective perfectly: I am a manufacturer/importer and run into these situations somewhat regularly, but I've made it a point to:

Handle "issues" personally so the consumer knows the owner of the company took a vested interest in their specific situation
Bend over backwards to accommodate their needs in hopes they'll become a loyal brand customer, remembering the fact our company did them right.

Did I expect the owner(s) of TTI to talk to me? No, because when I expect I'm usually disappointed, but what I'd have liked was for a sales person to grow a semblance of gonad and try and work with a customer who's project isn't just a straight-forward bolt-in, and as such was willing to go the extra mile to ensure they, the manufacturer, would NOT have lost a bit of time or money on the deal.

Bottom line is I will NOT buy another set of TTI's, regardless of the project, nor will I promote their company/brand. When you read through my thread you'll note I am a FIRM believer in promoting those companies/people that help us, the hobbyist, in completing our projects, but when I find someone that's an impediment I'll make note of that as well.

Damn, now that I've given my sermon for the day does anyone have a cold Budweiser?

carnalsupply

10-12-2010, 10:08 AM

Thanks Michael, I'm familiar with Burns; nice stuff, but I wanted to avoid making a set of headers due to the time factor. The guy that would fab and TIG them (Jimmy Riddell) does GREAT work but when we talked about him making headers he said we'd need to bring the entire project out to our race shop in Modesto, which is 80 miles away. The last time my Fury was at the shop it literally sat untouched for a year and I didn't want to tempt fate again so I bit the bullet and bought the TTI's.

BTW - The TTI's do fit, as we predicted they would, there's no problem with that at all. My rant is about a "what if" scenario had they not.

sprintracer

10-12-2010, 11:16 AM

budweiser or was that bu**weiser! oh never mind. here are some pictures if Bob's crossram that UPS dropped OUCH!https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/0013-2.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/0023-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/0051-1.jpg
after the repair is complete
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/0043-1.jpg

Bryce

10-12-2010, 11:39 AM

And we do this for the fun and relaxation, right?
No need to apologize, BS'ing with you has been a great way for me to vent as well as keep me inspired: I LOVE your Falcon!

Word, this site has been so helpful bringing out my creativity with suspension. Thanks for the kind words!

MrQuick

10-23-2010, 07:44 PM

ahhh that first picture made me cry a bit. glad you were able to get it back together.

Fury looks awesome. Where about in the Bay are you?

vince

shortrack

10-24-2010, 07:49 AM

how come you went with coil overs instead of the conventional spring and shock set up the Nascars use?

Bjkadron

10-24-2010, 01:21 PM

Awesome! I thought I had subscribed to this thread! But apparently not. Keep up the great work!

carnalsupply

10-25-2010, 09:24 AM

Well it's been a few weeks since I've posted: long story short, as soon as my parts arrived my father lost his battle with cancer so the project was back on hold for a couple weeks, but now it's time to get back to it!

Hey Vince (Mr Quick), Jimmy did an amazing job on the intake, it came out terrific. The whole thing was a friggin' shame but since the buyer didn't pay for insurance UPS wouldn't cover the cost of the fix so Jimmy did it for me and the buyer out of the goodness of his heart (hell of a friend, huh?). My shop is in South San Francisco; are you anywhere nearby?

Shorttrack: on the rear the coil-overs are far easier to package; their compact nature makes them so much easier to work on than a separate coil/shock setup. On the front, the Art Morrison C6 suspension is designed around a coil-over setup, so even had I wanted a conventional setup it wouldn't have been possible. BTW - INSANE buildup you're doing!

Thanks Benjamin.

I did actually get a bit of work done over the weekend, and the first thing was FINALLY getting the engine/trans located and correctly angled. This had been delayed by the oil pump/cover assembly, which I had to have Jimmy modify to aid in clearance (pix below). Overall it appears I'm going to have lots of room to play with, save for the aforementioned pump and steering rack clearance.

Here's the engine mocked up with the TTI's and the Edelbrock Victors:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/Engine_Mockup001-1.jpg

This shot illustrates just how little clearance I have between the oil pump cover (from 440Source.com) and the steering rack. In order to gain as much clearance as possible Jimmy welded closed the outlet on the face of the the pump cover then milled it smooth:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/PumpClearanceLeftMount-1.jpg

The engine mounts themselves are from "Welder Series" up in Canada. I found them on YouTube while researching some welding issues a few months back. The mount kits are for a Chevy but I liked the design and thought I could adapt them to my car. I've only tacked them together but Jimmy is going to come over and TIG them:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/Left_Mount-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/RightMount01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/RightMount02-1.jpg

In anticipation of getting the engine located and mounted I went on a search for replacement cowl pieces (mine are TOTALLY shot) and was lucky enough to find a complete cowl from CTC Auto Ranch in Texas. The guys at CTC worked with me really well to define exactly what area of the cowl I wanted/needed and as you can see by the picture they did a terrific job of crating and shipping. So now when we begin building the floors and firewall we'll have all the necessary cowl pieces as well:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/Cowl-1.jpg

One thing I neglected to get a picture of was how/where the header collectors fall in relationship to the frame rails. With the bottom of the frame rails set at 4 1/2" I was really concerned about my collectors falling below them, but luckily everything worked out and the collectors fall within the height of the rails. I'm going to cut off the collector flanges and use V-Band clamps instead, transitioning from round to oval tubing and plumb the exhaust out the sides.

If anyone is unfamiliar with V-Band clamps they are terrific because they don't use any gaskets, bolts, etc. You simply weld a flange onto the two mating ends and the clamp captures them, pulling them together as you tighten the clamp. Here's a picture:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/10/VBand-1.jpg

Next on the agenda is a bit of surface rust cleanup: it's a bitch living near the ocean, but after that Jimmy and I are going to do a bunch of welding on the engine mounts and rear suspension, then it's time for the frame/rocker stringers, then the floor, firewall, and cowl. Oh yeah, and somewhere in there my TKO-600 may actually show up and I'll make a cross-member for it as well.

Thanks again for all the kind words and encouragement!

19 usac

10-25-2010, 11:57 AM

Now i see the clearance issue with the pump! I like the mounts! it looks like the steering shaft will clear the headers no prob. Maybe i can work on my car this week? but with SEMA next week then we have to get ready for turkey night.

carnalsupply

10-25-2010, 12:02 PM

The steering shaft will hit the header tube if I don't use a U-joint, but there's TONS of room so the placing of a couple U-joints will work out perfect.

David Sloan

10-25-2010, 01:30 PM

Very cool build Bob
I just went thur all 9 pages, I will be keeping an eye on this one. You just dont see many of these fury's any more.

carnalsupply

10-25-2010, 01:43 PM

Thanks David, I appreciate that.
No, you don't see many of them but just today I read an article on Rich Nedbal's AWESOME '64 Dodge, which save for some particular body lines is eerily similar to my Fury. Rich is a friggin' genius at EFI, and from what I understand quite the Mopar engine guy as well.

Thanks again

chunger

10-25-2010, 06:59 PM

Bob, first off, this build is going great. If you ever need a hand, I'm sure there are several of us locals who could stop by and drool, I mean help.

Bryce

10-25-2010, 07:53 PM

Yeah, let me know if you need some help. My wife wants to go to SF, so maybe I can make a few stops and do something fun.

carnalsupply

11-10-2010, 02:26 PM

What with my father's passing and now my traveling for a couple weeks it seems like forever since I've got to work on my Fury, but I was really hoping the lapse in time would give Sled City time to finish and ship my fiberglass body parts, but to date I've heard nothing. Has anyone following this thread ever dealt with Sled City before, and if so, what were your thoughts?

Thanks

Bryce

11-11-2010, 06:51 AM

David Sloan

11-11-2010, 10:21 AM

Sorry for you loss

ramlinman

11-14-2010, 07:43 AM

how are we doing bob?

csx4766

11-14-2010, 02:31 PM

Sorry about the loss of your father. Lost my Mom to Cancer, having a project help take your mind off of it for a little while.

Scarelane

11-14-2010, 02:58 PM

Sorry to hear about your father. Very cool project though!

MichaelUser

11-15-2010, 09:05 AM

Bob,

That is always tough. Keep you chin up and get it done for Dad.

carnalsupply

11-16-2010, 10:20 AM

Thank you all for your kind thoughts, and as anyone who has lost someone to cancer can tell you, the end could not have come quickly enough. Seeing my father dwindle away over the past couple years gave us plenty of time to settle any and all differences we may have had, so when my father past he did so with a clean slate on both our parts.

It's ironic, no sooner did I post a question asking about Sled City than I got a call from Larry (the owner), and they're still forging ahead with all my body parts. Larry is a small operation, dependent upon some very skilled part time assistance, so when his assistants falter or fall behind so does his entire production schedule. Am I happy? No, I paid for my parts months ago, but as long as they arrive and are of high quality I guess I can't complain too much.

Thank you again for all your kind words and thoughts, it's greatly appreciated, and now that I'm back after 18 days on the road it's time to get back to work!

See ya soon,

Bob

SRT-68

11-19-2010, 08:52 AM

I am sorry for your loss. As others have said, finish the project for your father. He is watching from a better place.

carnalsupply

11-22-2010, 01:44 PM

Finally, after what seems like months away from the Fury I got back to work this week and the progress, while visually minimal, has taken a great step forward, and hopefully I'll get some momentum going and the car will progress somewhat quickly from here (where's the "fingers crossed smiley face?).

Unsure whether some of my sketchy welding results were my lack of experience, poor technique, or a combination of these, I twisted Jimmy's arm and convinced him to make the trek over to my shop for the day to give me a hand and the results were outstanding. Along with getting a number of vital pieces finish welded into the chassis Jimmy was kind enough to give me some pointers and instruction in welding that should really help me in the future.

The engine mounts, noted in an earlier post, were sent off to Jimmy's shop to be finish welded (TIG), so he brought those back with him and once mounted on the engine we dropped the engine back in place, tightened everything up, ensured we had between 2.5 and 3.0 degrees of tail down angle, and Jimmy proceeded to finish weld in the frame tabs for the mounts.

Here's the drivers side and the picture below that is the passenger side:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1626-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1627-1.jpg

Once we got the engine mounts completed we moved on to the Truck Arm Cross-member, which I had previously tacked in place. Jimmy and I discussed the various options in terms of the vertical placement (the fore-aft had already been decided by the wheelbase) and in the end we decided to place the cross-member as far towards the top of the frame rails as could be managed without interfering with the floor, which is going to sit directly on top of the rails as opposed to channeling the floor over/around the rails.

This is the Truck Arm Cross-Member finish welded in place and the picture below details the welds:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1625-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1624-1.jpg

With the engine and suspension placement now finalized Jimmy and I sat back and began to plan out our next move, which will be the firewall and floor placement, but this brought about another set of issues (what else?), such as exhaust placement and interference between the firewall and engine. Knowing these two areas had to be addressed here's what we decided:

Exhaust - as noted in an earlier post we will be using V-band clamps on the exhaust, both eliminating the need for gaskets as well as allowing for 360 degree rotation of tubing, but we've now decided to use the V-bands even more extensively as well as something a bit more out of the norm: instead of cutting oblong holes in the frame rails and lining the inside of this passage with sheet (forming a tunnel) and passing the exhaust tubing through the newly created tunnels we are going to weld the 3" stainless tubing directly into the frame rails, then run stainless tubing from the headers to the newly created frame/tube junction, joining them with V-bands, then running more 3" stainless on the outboard side of the rails, into 12" - 14" round mufflers, then blending into oval tubing that will exit out the sides of the car through openings in the rocker panel. I wish I had my desktop PC to work (killed it with a virus on Thursday) with because I'd draw up a quick picture in Photoshop to illustrate exactly what I mean. As soon as my PC is back up and running I'll throw something together.

What this solution offers us is tighter packaging as well as avoiding the chance of exhaust tubing touching the frame rails and rattling. We do realize the exhaust passing through the frame will cause a sensation all its own but I'm willing to take the trade-off. Besides, this method, combined with the use of the V-bands, will make maintenance of the exhaust system a breeze.

Next we moved on to the problem of interference between the engine, cowl, and firewall. With the engine set back we have (some 3" - 4" more than stock) we knew the firewall would need to come back, but how far we weren't sure, so we decided that rather than try and use the tattered and patched cowl we had in the car we would simply cut that entire piece out and patch in the one purchased from Texas Acres a month or so ago. This would also give us the advantage of having a couple of stock fender mount locations back on the car since the originals were lost to rust.

Jimmy and I carefully cut the excess material off the Texas Acres replacement cowl then outlined exactly what needed to be cut off the Fury. The replacement cowl went with Jimmy to be soda blasted and below is how the Fury looks with the cowl removed:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1628-1.jpg

Luckily the window frame and the adjacent inner panels are all in good shape so melding the replacement cowl onto the body should be pretty straight forward as well as give us lots of strong material to work with. The one thing that's still up in the air is just how much we're going to have to pull the firewall back to clear the engine, and part of that question will be answered soon with the arrival of the A&A Transmissions Max Wedge Cross Ram.

This intake is a direct replica of the cross ram intake used on '64 Max Wedge cars and should work really well with the new Edelbrock Victor Max Wedge heads I've got. The one thing of concern is just how much of an overhang is there with the intake in place, hence the questions about firewall set back and clearance.

Here's a shot of the A&A Transmissions Max Wedge Cross Ram:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/RMWACRIM-1.jpg

At this point I'm not sure what throttle body injectors I'm going to run, there are so many choices out there, but I am leaning towards dual Retrotek's since they have the appearance of carbs and they make a complete system that is set up for dual quads as well as being "self learning".

Here's the Retrotek throttle body:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/RetrotekP40201531-1.jpg

That's it for now but it sure is nice to be back at it!

Bryce

11-22-2010, 01:48 PM

nice progress Bob.

carnalsupply

11-22-2010, 03:05 PM

Thanks Bryce, how goes the Falcon? It sucks; while I was traveling I was bored as hell but the only time I turned on the laptop I was working my butt off so I never had time to keep up on your progress.

Bryce

11-22-2010, 03:18 PM

Its going really good. Rear wheels and tires are on the car. and the three links are attached.

wellis77

11-22-2010, 10:38 PM

Good progress Bob. I'm really looking forward to seeing the exhaust come to life. When you get there, I want all the details possible (if you don't mind) of how you handle the rockers. I have an idea of how I'm doing mine but the more info the better. Keep up the good work!

carnalsupply

11-23-2010, 02:08 PM

Hey Will,

Remember Ron's $5K Budget '65 Mustang? If you check out his exhaust and how it exits that's very similar to what I'm looking at, though I don't know/think I'm going to add the rocker extensions as he did. If I add any extensions at all they'll probably be more in line with what you see on a current Cup car, which is a simple vertical panel between the rocker and the ground. It's a much more primal look which for a NASCAR inspired car is more fitting (IMHO) as compared to an IMSA styled car like Ron's (which is stunning!).

Here's a shot of Jeff Gordon's Dupont Chevrolet in semi-profile, with the side skirts clearly evident:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/GordonSide-1.jpg

Ron S

11-23-2010, 02:46 PM

I don't know about the stunning part. With the 2"x2" truckarm crossmember you are running, you have a little more real estate then I did, I'd search Ebay for some nascar boom pipes.

Dude, I really love the build, and the body style. So ugly, its gorgeous(if that makes any sense). Ron

wellis77

11-23-2010, 10:37 PM

Are you going to notch the rocker then or go through it? I'm planning to "tunnel" through mine with 4" oval tube and then use 3" oval for the exhaust tip which may protrude from the tunnel 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

I remember looking at Ron's build pics some time ago and studying real hard his exhaust pics, I'll have to do that again...

I borrowed this pic from Aussiebj's build but conceptually it is what I'm looking to do (hope you don't mind aussiebj)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/exhaustexits-1.jpg

carnalsupply

11-24-2010, 10:03 AM

I finally got access to my PC again so I threw together this quick sketch in Photoshop to show illustrate the look I'm after.

I have considered the NASCAR style boom pipes but don't find the aesthetic as pleasing as I once did; it seems almost too modern for an old car like the Fury, so I think I'll stick to the simple oval pipe.

Here's my mockup illustration:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/ExhaustOutletProposal-1.jpg

David Sloan

11-24-2010, 10:50 AM

Very cool!
I love the look of side exhaust but the noise is unbearable for me any more. Old age i guess! LOL!!

Thanks for sharing

wellis77

11-24-2010, 11:00 AM

So your basically notching the rocker and finishing the oval with a side skirt, cool.

I don't have experience with side exhaust cars but I'm prepared to make it as quiet as I must to enjoy driving it. Sacrifices are made all over these projects I guess.

carnalsupply

11-24-2010, 12:32 PM

Don't get me wrong, the noise is definitely still a factor, but my Vette was a friggin' monster and by far the loudest car I've ever owned, and I LOVED it. Hell, I'm already partially deaf, maybe that answers it?

The side skirts will be something I play with, they're not a sure thing, it'll just depend on how it looks both with and without them.

ramlinman

11-24-2010, 05:02 PM

Thats what i like "off the hook"

carnalsupply

11-29-2010, 10:52 AM

So this weekend turned out to be pretty productive: I wanted to get the remaining body to chassis mounts fabbed and installed, which I did, as well as add some reinforcement to the truck arm cross member, which I did.

The truck arm cross member is fabbed from 2" x 2" square tubing, which is probably just fine in terms of strength, but with the mid point of the piece scalloped for the driveshaft I just wasn't as comfortable as I'd like so I decided to add some additional 2" x 2" bracing to aid in preventing any fore/aft deflection. I'm not at all concerned about any vertical deflection because the truck arms are so long and the suspension travel so limited the arms can't gain enough angle to exert any pressure in the y-axis.

Here's an overall picture of the cross member and the braces I added. One thing to note in the lower left of this picture are the layout lines for the 3" stainless exhaust tubing discussed in an earlier post:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1633-1.jpg

I mentioned in a previous post my friend Jimmy had come by and given me some really good pointers on welding, and I hope/think/believe the results have improved drastically. I'm not saying I'm some kind of professional but the results are markedly improved over my initial attempts and I have every confidence they'll both hold up under extreme duress as well as continue to improve.

Below are some close-ups of the welds for the right and left braces:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1635-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1634-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1639-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1636-1.jpg

Once the additional bracing was completed I went ahead and fabbed up the 2 mid-rocker "stringers" that run from the outside of the frame rail to the inside surface of the rocker panel. While not complicated or difficult, these were actually pretty time consuming because of the various angles and contouring involved.
In order to get the bottom surface of the stringers to conform nicely to the shape of the car I had to use my plasma cutter and pie-cut the sides, then reshape and weld the pieces together. Like I said, nothing difficult but certainly time consuming.

Below are a couple shots of the right stringer and below them are a couple pictures of the left:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1638-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1640-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1637-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG_1641-1.jpg

What's really exciting for me is the fact the chassis and body are now "1" and I can remove (if I want to) the car from the chassis plate and put it back on the rotisserie, a set of jacks, or a lift to make working on it easier.

Next is the exhaust, cowl, and floor fabbing, and if all goes well Jimmy and I will be getting a bunch of that done in the next week or so.

David Sloan

11-29-2010, 11:13 AM

Looking good Bob! keep up the good work.

wellis77

11-29-2010, 11:27 AM

Looks great Bob! I'm already looking forward to next week's update...

19 usac

11-29-2010, 12:00 PM

sloooow down be one with the weld . jimmy

hornet chassis works
11659 east palm
manteca ca.
209-380-7521

carnalsupply

11-29-2010, 02:24 PM

Thanks David, I appreciate the kind thoughts.

Hey Will,
Was the Isis Electric, in your opinion, worth the money? We looked at the system at SEMA and thought it was pretty bitchin', but damn it's expensive as compared to a "standard" wiring harness.

And you, Obi Wan Hornet (Jimmy), I've heard your mumbling and will take heed, as well as slow down the feed speed :-)

ramlinman

11-29-2010, 06:55 PM

looking good bob glad to see your back at it

wellis77

11-30-2010, 03:31 AM

Hey Bob,
I haven't installed it yet but I think it's amazing, IF you want the ability to build an electrical system on par with features of cars built today. If you are simply building the basics into your car and adding a couple power accessories it probably isn't worth it. I will be doing a lot of custom programming for my system with lighting and some other things I'm dreaming up. I also appreciate the security feature with inLink, car won't start without the remote, as well as the fact there are no 12v power wires that run to the dash switches. I won't be using any switches, another cool thing about ISIS, so that's not a huge deal but it is a cool standard built-in feature. Another great feature for me is not having to run a ton of wires all throughout the car. I'll have some wiring under the hood, some in the trunk, and some in the cab, but the only short runs. My estimation is I won't have a wire over 6' long. All in all, though I haven't installed it yet, I think it's definitely worth the money. There is almost nothing related to 12v power that the system can't do. That is one of the most exciting aspects of my build and I can't wait to get to the wiring. There are a ton of other features that I'm forgetting (and I'm sure you heard about at SEMA), but if you want something more than the norm (on-off), I think it's the way to go.

carnalsupply

11-30-2010, 01:09 PM

Hey Will,

I was totally impressed at SEMA but just hesitant to pull the trigger. Based on your endorsement I'll definitely give it more consideration.
The single control wire running to the front, one to the rear, etc. was a big bonus in my eyes, but so many of the added features left my head spinning I wasn't sure if I could get my money's worth (although I've wired cars, electrical is not my strong suit).

Thanks much for the input and make sure to keep me posted when you start playing with your Isis.

wellis77

11-30-2010, 11:08 PM

I hear you on the head spinning. When I first started looking at it and talking with Jay, mine was too. Eventually my imagination took over and started asking Jay, can I do this, that, there??? Despite the cost, I think the security and safety features of fewer wires and no 12v wires to switches on your dash is worth it in itself. Just my .02, but I don't think you'd be disappointed.

carnalsupply

12-01-2010, 05:39 PM

Christmas came a little early to my house today: both my A&A Transmissions Max Wedge Cross Ram as well as my stainless Borla mufflers arrived!

The intake was a bit rougher than I'd expected; it appears the intake comes out of the casting a bit rough and they touch them up with a grinder to remove slag, but all in all a nice piece and I LOVE the way it looks on the engine. This piece alone has me totally amp'd up to get moving.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/AAMaxWedgeCrossRam-1.jpg

Here are some shots of the intake on the engine. Please ignore the beautiful blue marine Holley's, they're just there as placeholders.

It's amazing how wide the intake looks mounted on top of a wedge versus on top of a Hemi:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/CrossRamwCarbs01-1.jpg

These next two shots give you a good idea of just how low we've placed the body over the chassis (note how close the top of the carbs are to the level of the cowl):

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/CrossRamwCarbs02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/CrossRamwCarbsSide-1.jpg

Knowing we had such a tight area for mufflers I was thinking I'd have to fab up something similar to what Ron did for his '65 Mustang, but luckily I found these little 14" x 8" stainless Borla's.

This first shot shows where the mufflers will sit between the frame rail and the rocker panel. We should have just enough room to get some 3" 45 degree bends in through the frame then the same going out through the rockers:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/BorlaInPlace-1.jpg

Sorry about the box in the picture but if you look carefully you'll see how the muffler will just barely protrude below the bottom of the frame rail, keeping things clean and tidy:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/BorlafromBelow-1.jpg

Once Jimmy gets healthy (caught some NASTY virus) we'll get the cowl back in place, the exhaust tubing routed up to and through the frame rails/rockers, build a firewall, and drop a floor in place. Damn, sounds easy from here!

wellis77

12-01-2010, 10:49 PM

That's some great stuff you got Bob. Must be feeling good.

Only 2 weeks before I get to have some fun...

Bryce

12-02-2010, 08:06 AM

I like the muffler placement

19 usac

12-02-2010, 10:29 AM

That intake looks bad azzz!

ramlinman

12-02-2010, 05:25 PM

the whoole car looks bad

carnalsupply

12-03-2010, 09:47 AM

Hey Ram,

How come I can't find any pictures of your Chevelle? I went to your profile and didn't see any links to your build and I'd love to see some shots of what you're up to. Shoot me a link when you get a chance.

ramlinman

12-03-2010, 06:30 PM

will do bob

carnalsupply

12-07-2010, 06:04 PM

Well fella's, I've been searching for just the right pieces for my Fury, and now I believe I've found it!

You know how the '69 Daytona's and '70 Superbirds command all the big money and attention? Well, I'm going to join the "aero-wars" too, and to be competitive at speed I'll be mounting this bad-boy on the roof, just forward of the rear window!

What'ya think of this?

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/Junk-1.jpg

Don't be hater's, I'm happy to share my source :santa3:

Bryce

12-07-2010, 06:48 PM

Is that a sirius radio antenna?

dusterbd13

12-07-2010, 07:04 PM

there is a guy in town. drives a smart car that is sitting on 18's, has a large, chrome, 4 inch tip muffler, and neon. ill have to print that out and put it on his windshield. he needs that.

seriously, how big is that?

wellis77

12-07-2010, 10:49 PM

I'll take one without the wing... I've been looking for a shark fin antenna for a long time and keep coming up short. There was a company that was building them but they've been on back-order for ridiculously long.

carnalsupply

12-08-2010, 09:23 AM

You guys are too funny; I especially like the idea of putting the picture on the SMART!
This is what happens in the down time between part shipments, etc.

carnalsupply

12-16-2010, 04:49 PM

Damn, does life get in the way of fun or what? What with work and holidays I've been delayed for weeks again :banghead: but I'm not giving up yet, especially because my fiberglass body parts arrived today (save for the Hemi hood scoop) from Sled City.

The parts may have taken a LONG time to get here (better than 5 months) but I have to say their product quality and packing is terrific. All the various holes and mounting locations appear in their correct locations (as much as I can tell at this point) so hopefully a great deal of the guess work will be taken out of the reassembly.

One thing I have to make note of here, and it is NOT a surprise to me: the body parts I purchased are EXTREMELY light, especially in view of their physical size, so if you decide to buy parts from Sled City don't think you're buying heavy duty, high-wear pieces: they're not. When I unpacked everything today the sun literally shone right through, and while I don't mind I wanted to make others aware of the fact.

On to the body parts!!!!!

Hood, minus the Hemi Scoop - 19 lbs

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1667-1.jpg

Trunk Lid - 11 lbs

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1666-1.jpg

Fenders, WITH light buckets completely molded in - 14.5 lbs

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1661-1.jpg

Detail of light bucket

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1663-1.jpg

Doors (outer) - 16 lbs

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1664-1.jpg

Doors (inner)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1665-1.jpg

Bumpers (front and rear)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1660-1.jpg

I haven't weighed all the stock parts yet, they're stored around the shop, but I will during the next couple of weeks and post the weight savings.

Hopefully next week I'll get back to work; the cowl is now completely stripped, we have all our exhaust paraphernalia, and the U-Bolts and lowering blocks arrived, meaning we can get started on the floors, the firewall, set and lock in the pinion angle, as well as work on the radiator support area again.

Bryce

12-17-2010, 06:27 AM

Wow, you went all out on the fiberglass parts. Thats about the same weights as my "race weight" parts for my falcon. This build is getting good!! haha.

carnalsupply

12-17-2010, 07:43 AM

You aren't kidding! I can't even imagine how much the hood (which is absolutely paper thin) is going to be buffeting at 65 let alone, well 75 LOL!
On a serious note: I wasn't planning on going the full cage route, but with all this paper thin f'glass around me, call me a *****, but I'm reconsidering!

Bryce

12-17-2010, 07:55 AM

The CF hood I have on the 65 mustang drag car is paper thin as well and you can see light through it. But with the tear drop style has good strength due to the shape. The vents in the back prevent any pressure buildup.

carnalsupply

12-17-2010, 08:08 AM

I'll have just the opposite problem: I'm going with a '65 Hemi style scoop which will act like a parachute!

Bjkadron

12-17-2010, 07:59 PM

Light! AWESOME! If you are going with fiberglass anyway you shouldn't really be expecting to be playing bumper cars with them. That is some Nice piece's! The headlight bucket is nice! but is it strong enough?

That is one of the reasons I decided against a HEMI Dart scoop. I plan on knocking on the door of 200mph with mine. So they will be a little heavier and I'm working on the shapes for strength. As well as the Aero.

carnalsupply

12-18-2010, 12:46 PM

carnalsupply

12-18-2010, 12:47 PM

BTW Ben,
Your build thread link isn't working and I'd love to see what you're up to, so please send a link.

Bjkadron

12-18-2010, 04:31 PM

Hey Benjamin,

Yeah, the headlight buckets are actually VERY cool and appear to be well supported and strong. I am very impressed with Larry at Sled City's quality, just not a fan of his EXTREMELY slow turn-around time.

200mph? You know, when I was a kid a banzai run on public streets was no big deal, now in my late 40's, a family, business (responsibilities and liabilities) I'd hold off on that kind of fun until I was out at Bonneville or something, which does sound fun, and if I was headed that direction the Hemi scoop would be the last thing I'd have hanging out there!

Have a great weekend

BTW Ben,
Your build thread link isn't working and I'd love to see what you're up to, so please send a link.

Oh don't worry, I won't be attempting those speeds on Public roads. I had considered taking it open road racing, But since I decided to make it nice instead of just fast, I could stand it if I wrecked it. But I do plan on taking it to track events and standing mile events. I heard about a standing 2mile event but I don't remember where.

I fixed the link. Little bugger was a pain.. took me about 12 tries before I got it, but it works now! I haven't made much progress lately (have no money) but If you haven't seen it before you might find something interesting.

carnalsupply

12-23-2010, 11:01 AM

Hey Ben,

I wasn't trying to preach, far from it; just noting one of the hazards of getting old and acquiring responsibilities, etc.

On the Mopar B-Body forum I belong to someone asked for pictures of the underside of the hood and trunk lid, to see how they were built and reinforced, so just in case anyone here is interested I figured I'd post the same shots.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1673-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/IMG_1672-1.jpg

Bjkadron

12-24-2010, 06:58 AM

Wow.. Not much to support it in the middle is their.

Ratty 46

01-07-2011, 11:59 PM

Nicce build .... I've always liked that body even though I'm not that big into the pentastar brands.

I've been watching your welding work & it is progressing very well. Practice, practice, practice ...

I'm watching.

Ratty 46

FRENCHBLUE72

01-09-2011, 05:48 PM

wow

wellis77

02-03-2011, 05:38 AM

Hey Bob, any recent progress? By the way, did you use 16 ga. or 18 ga. for the inner rockers? Thanks.

W

carnalsupply

02-06-2011, 11:11 AM

Wow, I didn't realize it's been a couple months since my last post, but with holidays and work I've had only a limited amount of time to work on the Fury, but I have been keeping busy on a bunch of mundane, behind the scenes kind of tasks that must be accomplished before we can move on to the more visible or tangible steps, so here's a brief look at what I've been up to.

A couple of weeks ago Jimmy came over and we finalized the rear housing position (side to side, pinion angle, etc.) and tacked on the billet perches. We then started looking at the coil-over mounts, which from the start Jimmy didn't like; he felt they were far bulkier and space wasting than necessary so he came up with an alternative that will mount the lower end of the shock directly to the aft end of the truck-arms. This solution is actually pretty eloquent and will save a GREAT deal of space for the Watts linkage while also adding about 1 1/2" of shock travel by moving the lower mounting point that much farther below where my original mounts would have. Sorry, there are no pictures of the mounts at this point but once everything comes back from powder-coating I'll get some shots.

Once we got the rear housing done we moved on to the exhaust routing. If anyone ever tells you truck arm suspensions are difficult to package, TRUST THEM! As noted in an earlier post I decided to run the exhaust out the sides, which I would have done whether I ran truck arms or not, but still, packaging is TIGHT! While I worked on the doors (more on that below) Jimmy set about lining working on the headers, tubing, v-band clamps, and cutting the holes in the frame.

The first step was cutting off the flanges of the TTI headers so the ends would be perpendicular to the frame then tacking on a v-band ring and lining up the first piece of exhaust tubing. From there we figured out where we wanted to cut the holes in the frame, which Jimmy did using my handy little plasma cutter. It was the first time Jimmy (a VERY accomplished fabricator) had ever used my cutter and he was stunned at how well it cut, comparing it to his FAR more expensive shop unit. Below are a couple shots of what we ended up with:

View from above through the drivers door:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1741-1.jpg

View from below at about the same location:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1742-1.jpg

Once we get the headers back from coating (we're using this trick looking Titanium colored coating) we'll go ahead and solidly mount the stainless exhaust tubing in the frame, then mate up the mufflers (as shown in an earlier post) and other stainless tubing.

Like everything else I've encountered with this build I end up having to do things in what would seem to be a very strange order, but like any puzzle there's really no alternative other than to work through the steps logically and in order. What I'm talking about are the doors, without which I can't move on to the fender and cowl placement, both of which are upon me, so I've been working diligently to build out both doors, and while on the surface that may sound like a quick transfer of parts from the originals to the glass replacements, it's anything but.

The glass doors are remarkably detailed, and if this was a track only car I could simply bolt on the pieces I need, but since it's a street car I felt the glass was far too weak to simply bolt on the striker, window cranks, door pulls, etc., so I've been dissecting the original doors and sourcing the metal to use in the glass doors. While I wish I could simply use the donor metal as backing material that isn't always possible, so in places like the striker I have to carefully line up the donor metal, remove the fiberglass, then meld the metal into the glass door. It's actually been pretty enjoyable, but just another unforeseen layer in the build.

One thing I found that's really aided in the process is a 2-part structural adhesive from 3M, part number 051135. This stuff has a pretty short pot-life but it seems to be EXTREMELY strong while remaining less than brittle.

Here are some shots of the doors and the work that's had to be done.

Striker area:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1745-1.jpg

Outer Door Handles:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1743-1.jpg

Inner Door Handles:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1744-1.jpg

With all the rust damage I decided to get a replacement cowl (detailed in an earlier post), so we had the replacement cowl blasted and luckily found only minor rust issues which we can easily repair. I began prepping the replacement cowl by removing the inner-most layer of steel (there are 3 layers that make up the entire cowl) because this inner-most layer is the only remaining part of the original left on the car; you can see it in various pictures throughout my post. What I'm hoping is to simply marry the replacement cowls 2 remaining layers right on top of the single layer remaining on the car, finally leaving me with a usable structural mounting point.

One thing I was uncertain about was how far our engine set-back REALLY was, what with the fact there was no cowl, no front sub-frame, no nothing to really gauge things from. Well, I guess pictures are worth a word or two because the pictures below pretty much tell the story: 50/50 weight distribution shouldn't be an issue, especially when you combine the set-back with the fiberglass hood, fenders, and bumper!

Yes, that's the original firewall sitting on top of the intake port for #8 cylinder:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1738-1.jpg

Here's the view from the right side of the car:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1740-1.jpg

And one from head on:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/IMG_1739-1.jpg

At this point I'm going to massage the replacement cowl and get it to line up nice and sweet, replace the rusted area with a patch panel (already have it), and begin to figure out WTF I'm going to do for a firewall. One idea, believe it or not, came from the Ring Brothers; they suggested using a wheel-barrow! Think about it, what a great contoured shape, it's heavy gauge steel, and if I can find the correct size it might just work, so I'm off to Lowe's to see what they have.

Thanks for all the support and I appreciate your keeping tabs on my progress.

carnalsupply

02-08-2011, 08:36 AM

I was just reading through my post and saw where I attributed the "wheel barrow" idea to the Ring Brothers when in fact the idea was from Prodigy Customs. Sorry about the brain fart!

chunger

02-08-2011, 09:40 PM

I was just reading through my post and saw where I attributed the "wheel barrow" idea to the Ring Brothers when in fact the idea was from Prodigy Customs. Sorry about the brain fart!

Hey, inspiration comes from anywhere .... sometimes it's hard to keep track of!

Bryce

02-09-2011, 10:12 AM

Looking good. Stay motivated!

OldMechanik

02-09-2011, 08:07 PM

Wow...I have to say I would have unloaded that car straight off. Props to you Bob for the effort you have put in it thus far. As a Mopar addict it's nice to see one saved.
As a kid I always hung around with the Mopar guys in town...one guy redid a 440 +6 Road Runner vert, another saved a 65 Plymouth from a field where a tree had grown out of the engine bay, and yet another guy did resto jobs on Plymouths from the 30s 40s...hell his daily driver for a while was an old Airflow he dug up somewhere! My dad even had a '59 Fury Golden Comando.
My cousin has quite a nack for building cars like this and several times I've stopped by his shop to see what he's up to. He has explained to me some of the techniques to the job and I gotta say it's like a trig test in highschool!
I remember a bit about the old NASCAR days, the old FX cars, the Ramchargers and the CandyMatic. It was awesome when the latemodel Hemi hit the scene...no one could touch it, then the world cried when Richard in the Hemi Daytona slayed the NASCAR competition!

Here's a linky to the father of horsepower... http://www.allpar.com/corporate/bios/weertman-chron.html

Keep up the good work, keep posting updates and pics, I love it!

monteboy84

02-10-2011, 06:07 AM

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/1970_LT1_LeftFrontQuarterAbove-1.jpg

Are those V60 Wheels from Vintage Wheel Works? Whatever they are, they fit your car perfectly.

-matt

carnalsupply

02-10-2011, 08:47 AM

Hey Will, I'm using 18g for virtually everything, including the inner rocker sheathing.

Thanks for the link and kind words Mechanik, and in hindsight I probably should have walked away, but something inside just wouldn't let me do it and now it's too late! Maybe it's that inspiration Chunger was talking about?

Hey Matt, the rims on my Vette (which I've now sold) are actually 17" 3-piece Compomotives, which are absolutely STUNNING rims in terms of their manufacture, quality, and appearance. You can only order them from a guy back east, and they might take a little wait, but in my opinion they are WELL worth it.

BTW - Started working on the cowl last night, getting measurements on where I'll have to cut, etc., and damn, there's going to be virtually nothing left of it! The engine setback combined with the humongous size of the cross-ram (both height and length) means my next real issue will be figuring out how to fit some type of air filtration over the injector bodies. Oh well, that's for another day because right now I'm fabbing in the patch panel to replace the rusted area on my replacement cowl. Rust, the always present, always painful reality of old Mopars!

carnalsupply

02-13-2011, 04:22 PM

You know how in every job there's always some really necessary part that's boring, tedious, and downright crappy? Well that's been my life over the past week while I repaired the rotted end of the cowl. I knew I couldn't go any farther without the cowl and repairing it after installation would have been WAY more difficult, so I've spent the past week drilling, grinding, cutting, filing, and welding, all to end up with a mere shell of the cowl I started with.

Regardless of my whining the cowl repair really did come out pretty well and I'm happy with the results, so now I can begin working on getting it permanently installed then move on to the fire wall, doors, fenders, etc.

One thing this part of the project taught me was to lower the power setting of my welder as well as the wire speed: the spot welds came out fantastic by doing so. A lesson I won't forget going forward.

Well here are the shots of what I've been up to.

When I look back at my early posts I notice this part of the cowl looks exactly like the original, which is to say "F*#&#d Up"!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/RottedCowl-1.jpg

Not that I had any real expectations of the replacement sheet metal actually fitting well, and I wasn't disappointed: the replacement corner had to be cut apart like a pie then welded back to get it to fit:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/NewCowlPieces02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/NewCowlPieces01-1.jpg

Once I got done with all the cutting and splicing I ground down all the welds and cleaned up the repairs:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/NewCowlReady02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/NewCowlReady01-1.jpg

Then got busy with the Cleco's (got to be one of the best inventions EVER!) and welded it all together:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/NewCowlPreWelding-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/NewCowlInPlace01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/RepairedCowlInPlaceFront-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/ReparedCowlInPlaceSide-1.jpg

That's it for now.

ramlinman

02-13-2011, 06:16 PM

looks good bob

Motown 454

02-13-2011, 06:30 PM

Nice work its coming along great.

chunger

02-13-2011, 11:05 PM

Nice work - great fab skills!

wellis77

02-14-2011, 02:11 AM

Looks real good Bob. What did you use to grind down all the spot welds?

Bryce

02-14-2011, 07:08 AM

Great Fab work!

carnalsupply

02-14-2011, 12:18 PM

Hey guys, thanks for all the support! I feel like once the cowl is in place I'm FINALLY at a point where I can stop repairing and actually begin building the car. What a relief!

Hey Will, I use a combination of things depending on where the welds are located, but the vast majority of the rough work is done using an electric 5" angle grinder with varying coarseness flapper wheels. I'll also use a small air powered angle grinder with 2" or 3" discs as well as an air powered die grinder with carbide bits for getting into those tight corners.

carnalsupply

02-26-2011, 03:54 PM

Progress! I'm so glad to finally be building rather than repairing, and here's the last weeks worth of work.

I got the replacement cowl all cleaned up and in place then mocked up the wheel barrows I'm using for the firewall set-back. Although they're a little thinner than I'd like they have a great look, offering a much smoother and finished appearance as compared to using flat sheet and angles.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/RepairedCowl02-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/WheelBarrows-1.jpg

Once the wheel barrows were lined up and firmly in place I made some oversize templates I could use for lining up the outer panels:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/FirewallTemplates-1.jpg

Once I got the panels laid out I used my Plasma Cutter (AWESOME little tool) to quickly remove the parts from the sheet and began working the passenger side panel into shape, a process made all the more difficult because I don't own any metal shaping tools other than a 60" sheet-metal break. I decided to go old-school and broke out various size round and steel tubing, a rubber mallet, lots of clamps, some body hammers, and dollies, all of which worked great. The most difficult part of the passenger side was a compound curve in the lower section: the panel is about 10" wide at that point but has a convex curve on one edge and a concave curve on the other, which was a bitch to make by hand, but I'm really proud of the finished product.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/FirewallPass01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/FirewallPass02-1.jpg

Once I got the passenger side completed I moved on to the driver side, which by comparison was really pretty easy since it didn't involve any curves, just simple angles.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/FirewallDriver01-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/FirewallDriver02-1.jpg

And here's a shot of the finished firewall:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/FirewallComplete-1.jpg

An added bonus is the fact I'll be able to use the replacement floor panels I purchased, making for a much stronger and better looking finished product.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/02/ReplacementFloorpan-1.jpg

That's it for week or so because of a business trip, but I'll be back at it soon.