Project: Kiwi, super budget build

[Mach Par]

Been putting off posting up my new build for a while since I haven't gotten to mess with it. That changed today when I got off work fairly early. I bought this gem off eBay and made the 30 hour round trip to get the car in two days. Long long boring drive up through Ohio, across Pennsylvania, and to the shores of New Jersey. It's a 1971 Pontiac T-37. Came factory with p/b, p/s, a/c and a Pontiac 2bbl 350 back by a powerglide.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/2qusl7p-1.jpg

Here she is after I got home. The car is in great shape for being in the Northeast. The inner fenders were patched at one point that will need some attention. The core support needs to be replaced due to some idiot welding the drivers side inner fender to it. LOL. The floors and frame are just about spotless with just a few pinholes. The worst part of the car is where the last owner patched the passenger quarter himself. Definitely will need to be replaced.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/333aez8-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/k9c9wn-1.jpg

Somebody got too happy with some paint. Eww.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/09/4pz9y9-1.jpg

After a couple hours of work I got this fair. I figure that I can live with an ugly body but not a poor suspension. Planning on a Lee steering box to help with the feel of the car, Spohn tubular front suspension, and some Hotchkis springs to give a nice ride.

Since this is a super budget build, if anybody has some advice for quick/cheap mods and or free parts, that would be awesome. :D

[CruizinKev]

cool project! good luck with it :twothumbs

[Mach Par]

Well since it's been almost two years since I've started this thread I figured I would give a bit of an update. Car had been sitting in the warehouse that's in the pictures till last September when I finally found a house that has a garage. It's in the basement which is kinda cool but it limits my space. I did strip the entire body down with chemical stripper and DA pads. I found some awesome body work done by one of the previous owners. LOL This car was originally bought for my then 4 year old step son as a kind of bonding agent between us but he hadn't been interested in it till this past summer. I think that is partially due to the fact there is a fridge stocked full of root beet and two tvs in there now to watch all of his shows. Some pics of my sad progress:

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It's hard to tell but that panel that was welded in is about a half in deeper than the original panel. I ended up using a torch to get all of the bondo out.

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Yes, that patch was put in there with rivets and an old tin sign. On one of the fenders it actually had a Folger's can flattened out and bondoed in as a replacement panel. I'm simply amazed this car isn't completely destroyed.

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The entire hole was filled in with bondo.

[Mach Par]

I have a bunch more photos from where somebody cut the crossmember to weld in some bolts to put a SBC engine in it. It's really scary. For some reason though it wont let me attach the pictures so we will have to do without for right now. I've been attempting to take the front suspension out so I can have it prepped and painted sometime soon. I'll try to give some more updates as this moves along.

[Mach Par]

My Ridetech UCAs came in today. They look amazing and since they're so close to me it only takes a day to get it shipped to my door! I am kind of worried about the ball joints though. It looks like I have two different styles. I don't know if one might be an upper and the other a lower. :/

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/08/122B2B1-1.jpg

[Mach Par]

Just a bit of an update. Ridetech sent me another ball joint. Danny said that I had two upper ball joints but just by different manufacturer. So I open my package today and its the wrong one again. Lol. This time it's a press in type. https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/09/20120905_192607_468-1.jpg