1970 Chevy Impala " L'enfant Sauvage"

[lineberrcasey]

So i figured i would start a build thread ive had this car since i was 4 been working on it sice i was about 15 moneys real hard to come by when one of your parents is disabled its come a long way here recently for me this car might take a long time to even compare to some of whats on here but im happy with it no matter, this is how she started,64676 none of her tires were the same size they were good but none matched and her paint was something to be lacking even with only 41,000 miles64677 she didnt run for an obvious reason so far i built a Q-jet and added a new high volume water pump and a new fuel pump(in a 2.5 year period) the more she ran the better she ran heres a recent shot after some real tuning and primer work and 225/75r15&275/60r1564678 as you can tell shes a lot nicer now ive horded back all my money and bought some goodies to start the long process of turning this car into a sleeper i hope to get Ride-tech air-ride or at least get some goodcoil overs then sway bars and beef up the factory 4- link 64679 64680picked up the dart platinum heads for 600$ mufflers 140$, plug wires 40$ and then the new motor mounts for 74 from jegs plus a oil/water temp gauges i hope to be able to add more to this soon but im as happy as a kid in a candy store because the old L-48 can eat a set of 275/60's lol heres a short idle video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZS-0UiYB50&feature=youtu.be

[NoMoneyZ]

Car has a really nice stance and sounds mean. Looking forward to more updates. Keep on going.

[lineberrcasey]

Car has a really nice stance and sounds mean. Looking forward to more updates. Keep on going. thanks the only thing i did to get the stance was the staggering of the tire size nothing else was touch there's about 4 inches between the front cross-member and the ground:) and the video doesn't do it any justice by no means is the cam huge but it has a nice little lope accompanied buy the deep growl i like it a lot:)

[lineberrcasey]

heres the Q-jet i built 64912 its not finished but i removed the ac compressor now i need to get rid of the condenser and the box on the firewall64911

[Sneke_Eyez]

I've always liked these big GM boats. Car looks good!

[lineberrcasey]

thanks its a great DD but it need a little work being it sat still since the mid 80's

[alowerlevel]

Looks like a fun car, sounds pretty good too. Cant wait to see how it turns out, I love the big old GM boats.


Btw, did you get the idea for the name of the project from the newest Gojira album?

[lineberrcasey]

Looks like a fun car, sounds pretty good too. Cant wait to see how it turns out, I love the big old GM boats.


Btw, did you get the idea for the name of the project from the newest Gojira album? haha you would be correct her real name is "Baby" but that name fit her too so its just a nickname haha

[lineberrcasey]

in the pic the car is sitting in grass so its actually about 1-2 inches higher so im thinking of buying 2 inch drop spindles from CPP do you guys think i should drop the back 2 inches also to get the look in the photo? hey Nick you ever listen to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhL6hx5qaIk

[lineberrcasey]

so as soon as my new debit card gets here im ordering a UMI rear sway bar the next drop spindles and wait for it aha drop springs for the rear :D

[alowerlevel]

hey Nick you ever listen to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhL6hx5qaIk

Chimaira? Yup, listening to them since like 03-04.

Been listening to God Forbid alot lately though (gotta support the Jersey bands) they are a very underrated band IMHO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke8tXIATp1M

[lineberrcasey]

i feel you man my fav from god forbid is " To the fallen hero" lately ive liked the way job for a cowboy is changing their style and alot of meshuggah too haha oh and lets not forget testament!

[shortrack]

cool car, keep the A/C.

[alowerlevel]

I hear ya on that, Im more a fan of In Flames, Opeth, Childen of Bodom, Amon Amarth etc, but I enjoy pretty much any kind of metal.
And Im impatiently waiting for a new Tool album to be released.

[lineberrcasey]

cool car, keep the A/C. ill be switching to a vintage air unit but the compressor was locked up and the hose from it to the condenser was twisted in half at the condenser and Nick i truly enjoy in flames, c.o.b,and amon amarth but i havent listened to opeth a whole lot

[lineberrcasey]

shortrack i love the plans for the chevelle itll be badass for sure

[Rick Dorion]

Following along. I just picked up a 67 Bel Air with perfect floors, rockers and trunk. I too have air and am keeping it although, like you, I may replace with a vintage air unit. The aftermarket is pretty good except for lowering springs but it's catching on in popularity. Best wishes!

[shortrack]

shortrack i love the plans for the chevelle itll be badass for sure

It came straight out of Moorseville North Carolina!

[lineberrcasey]

nice i live about an hour away i was gonna go to school up at the nascar institute but lacked the money to do it are you going to use aero wheels and eagle slicks or what?

[lineberrcasey]

Following along. I just picked up a 67 Bel Air with perfect floors, rockers and trunk. I too have air and am keeping it although, like you, I may replace with a vintage air unit. The aftermarket is pretty good except for lowering springs but it's catching on in popularity. Best wishes!

thanks i would have kept the air but it was dead weight but i am keeping it in hopes it can be fixed one day i might decide to restore it back the way it came so this car is strictly bolt-ons everything is perfect in this one except a dime sized hole on the !/4 in front of the wheel well there's a little bubbling on the bottom of the fenders but its nothing that cant be fixed haha fortunately the after market has come along slightly and i can find all the small sheet metal and im pretty sure hotchkis has springs for yours and mine its the same chassis, mine has the hd suspension with boxed rails and 4 links in the rear

[lineberrcasey]

well i guess i was wrong about the springs haha

[Radlark]

Im digging the build I have a 69 Sport Coupe that I picked up awhile back that I am going to be starting on I love these cars they can't handle like a Camaro but they are DIFFERENT.

[lineberrcasey]

i hear you, any pics of the sport coupe i love them but i think the custom top flows better with the cars curves haha my car is stock for now but before i broke the motor mount it could take curves better than any of my neighbors cars(not bull****ting at all) i cant wait to see the difference when i change the front sway bar and add a rear one then add the drop spindles with boxed trailing arms

[lineberrcasey]

so i have enough clearance for 3 inch exhaust im thinking exit it in front of the wheels or should i do a NASCAR boom-tube on both sides any opinions? i took her out a little today haha 6532465325

[nicke]

Looking awesome! Will be following for sure. There is actually getting to be pretty good aftermarket support for these old girls. I have dropped spindles on mine and lowering springs in the rear on my 65' SS (same chassis for 65-70). Will soon be doing the hotchkis sway bars and rear control arm setup. What tranny are you going with? I replaced my powerglide with a 200-4r and am really happy with it.

-Nick

[lineberrcasey]

for now im sticking with the th350 it drives good it only has 41 000 miles so why replace whats not broken haha maybe i might get an overdrive or a 4 speed sometime though , im going to do the spindles and brakes and rear suspension all at one time so its not tore apart as long

[GarageToys]

Looks like a great project. My first car was a 70 Impala. It's good to see more 65-70's on the boards.

[lineberrcasey]

thanks Kevin it a great car and it has character its been to proms on a honeymoon all the great stories make it even better i have talked to every one who ever owned the car the guy who bought it new just turned 87 last month, right now im driving a 2002 Saturn ls but this is and always will be my first car:D

[NoMoneyZ]

I'd go with the nascar style boom tubes out both sides. That would be awesome.

[lineberrcasey]

thanks that what i was thinking

[lineberrcasey]

well its been awhile life likes to get in the way of things there are a couple developments i have developed a minor leaking valve seal if it sits for a couple days there is a light puff of smoke on cold starts so it should be fine for a while, im fixing to order a new bolt on fiberglass hood from VFN, im selling all my sbc stuff to save up for a blueprint 496 575hp& 600lbs-ft on 9.6:1 seems more logical for a car of my weight

[dug]

Not sure what you did with the exhaust since your last update but just as a word of caution- if you go 3" and dump the exhaust right in front of the back tires it will be pretty damn loud. I have a buddy with the same setup and it is surprisingly loud. Not sure if you're worried about it or not but thought I'd throw my $.02! on another note- I dig the stance and the body lines of the car. Keep at it:smoke:

[lineberrcasey]

haha ill definitely keep at it ive been driving this thing open headers for a few months its pretty damn loud but most said id be sick of with couple trips the noise doesn't bother me at all it keeps adrenaline going all the time :D ps: i have horrible neighbors so driving a little at 1-3 in the mornings is fun

[nicke]

Lets see some more pics!

[UMI Performance]

Love the car! I really like that body style. Keep the pics coming!

[Trans]

keep the wheels,that thing is an elephant for sure

[lineberrcasey]

thanks guys 66285662866628766288

[lineberrcasey]

although i havent made anymore progress on the car in the last 2 months i have been working out lost 15 pounds down a size with shirts and pants and went from benching 215 to 280

[Trans]

arnt you gonna miss playing with those tits if you keep loosing weight?

[lineberrcasey]

arnt you gonna miss playing with those tits if you keep loosing weight? bahaha people used to make a lot of fun out of my chest until i showed i could bench twice what they did lol

[csouth]

well its been awhile life likes to get in the way of things there are a couple developments i have developed a minor leaking valve seal if it sits for a couple days there is a light puff of smoke on cold starts so it should be fine for a while, im fixing to order a new bolt on fiberglass hood from VFN, im selling all my sbc stuff to save up for a blueprint 496 575hp& 600lbs-ft on 9.6:1 seems more logical for a car of my weight

Nice project you have going there. I don't like to talk negatively about any vendors I don't have firsthand experience with, but I will just as you to Google "Blueprint Engines Warranty" before you buy. Good luck with the ride...

[lineberrcasey]

thanks i think a 30 month 50,000 mile should be sufficient its not goingto be constantly abused

[csouth]

thanks i think a 30 month 50,000 mile should be sufficient its not goingto be constantly abused

Obviously you didn't Google search or you would see what I was trying to convey. The search results will show people with low mileage failures and difficulty getting Blue Print to honor the warranty. I'd hate to see someone blow 7k. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[lineberrcasey]

sorry i thought you just meant to check out their warranty ill do some more research like i said sorry for the mis-interpritation

[lineberrcasey]

well there are some pretty gruesome stories i could probably build one a tad bit cheaper too at least then i know exactly what i have thanks for the tip Chris

[Rick Dorion]

If/when I have a big block built, my choice is Mark Jones at vortecproperformance.com. You can read about his engines and satisfied customers on chevelles.com.

[csouth]

well there are some pretty gruesome stories i could probably build one a tad bit cheaper too at least then i know exactly what i have thanks for the tip Chris

NP, we're all here to help each other or at least try. I'm sure there have to be some good speed shops in NC, thats where all the racers live....LOL

[lineberrcasey]

there all over the place in Mooresville which is only an hour away lol and if i go GM crate their shop is only about 45 minutes away until i can get a new motor when i tear down my 350/300 im throwing in the 375 hp cam and have a little head work done im fine with what i have but more power is always a good thing like i said thanks for the tips

[lineberrcasey]

I got my valve seal problem fixed here a video i shot after starting her for the first time in 4 days 40 degree weather too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-YGA8LCakY&feature=plcp still needs a little tuning, number one wasn't firing and i got that issue fixed before i shot this too

[lineberrcasey]

I have done my fair share of speeding but ive never showed my ass in my car but i got it sideways for the first time today and it felt AMAZING!!!!! and it gives me even more motivation to finish it i cant wait....i just had to say it haha

[lineberrcasey]

New halogen lights, pulled grill and headlight bezels off and i actually like the look 67079 next comes the new hood and some better rubber's

[Shellshocked]

I have the 4" cowl bolt on hood from vfn, its a verry well done piece and fits great. i will try to get some pics soon so you can have a better idea of what your getting.

[lineberrcasey]

I have the 4" cowl bolt on hood from vfn, its a verry well done piece and fits great. i will try to get some pics soon so you can have a better idea of what your getting. thanks, i would really appreciate it did you have to do any trimming at all?

[lineberrcasey]

here is some pics671166711767118

[NoMoneyZ]

I think it would look killer if you debadged the grill and painted it black instead of running no grill.

[Shellshocked]

no trimming, just lowered the bumpers changed the springs on the hinges and bolt everything on. After adjustments it fits great.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/SANY0461-1.jpg

don't have any pics of it bolted on sorry, it's only set on in this pic.

[Shellshocked]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/SANY0460-1.jpg

And one more

[Shellshocked]

building mine in a storage unit it leauge city, TX. it barely fits in there.

[lineberrcasey]

I think it would look killer if you debadged the grill and painted it black instead of running no grill. i might try that thanks

[lineberrcasey]

building mine in a storage unit it leauge city, TX. it barely fits in there. did you use the harwood springs or what ? wow dude no room at all, ive been working on mine in the yard, we've got a 4 bay garage but its a dirt floor and full of tools and other junk then theres my Dads 1966 c10 truck and the last bay was for mine but i cant even move around it, can i get some more info on yours its in great shape im going to look at a 1970 kingswood wagon in a couple days

[Shellshocked]

I can't remember the brand of the springs. my 70 impala is a rust free 2 door with a rebuilt 350 and a th400 trans, B & M floor shifter, Summit racing seats, shaved firewall, painted/detailed engine bay. Not much else to it, it needs a drive shaft, Throttle cable, lot's of interior work and paint. It's going to get some new rims/ tires soon, and soom satin black paint. I am also thinking of puting a 144 blower on it, but only time will tell.

[lineberrcasey]

sounds like a solid plan to me, i actually though about making mine a hot rod flat black and lime green smoothie wheels with some pin striping the ideas still not off the table yet lol mine has a very small amount of rust which is located in the lower fender all i can say is for its age it in damn good shape for a North Carolina car

[lineberrcasey]

well i havent got **** done heres a nice shot though 67567

[nekkidhillbilly]

gojira fan i see

[lineberrcasey]

sure am dude

[lineberrcasey]

updat cars getting 600 hp 468 th400 with a 4000 converter keeping the 12 bolt with 4.11 gears still planning on ridetech front suspension should be a high 11 low 12 second car when finished

[nicke]

Ridetech coil overs or air bags?

-Nick

[lineberrcasey]

gonna go coils

[Shellshocked]

Any news on your car? I should be starting a thread on mine when i can find the time.

[lineberrcasey]

Yeh, I put Dart platinum iron eagle heads on it, and new stock brakes, Also hit a tree testing it when the brakes acted up, rears locked and shot the car sliding on a freshly tar& graveled road, before I could correct it I went off the road and hit the tree. Messed up the driver 1/4 pretty good too Hopefully I'll have it pulled this spring. I still drove the car every day until I put it up for winter 90158 90159

[350_dave]

I was searching on Google and found a pic of your car it looks sick. I just purchased a 1970 impala and I also just bought a set of 15x7 cragars for it and was wondering what size tires you are running on your car I like the stance and look of your car and like the bigger wheels in the rear but was wondering if you had to modify anything on the rear to fit bigger tires?