'66 PT Chevelle

[Yelcamino]

thanks, BTW wheels look awesome

Thanks!

[Yelcamino]

It's hard to believe the last real update I posted was way back in July 2013!!! Now that the C10 and El Camino are pretty much good to go for now, I've turned my attention back to the Chevelle.

The plan calls for a new chassis (modified stocker), finally getting the aluminum 509 done, updating the exterior, and updating the interior.

This is the donor '66 chassis I started with:



Once I got it home, the first thing I did was disassemble it and get it sandblasted.



Then I sprayed some primer on it because I knew it would be a while before I actually got to it.



The other thing I did a few years ago was to purchase a front C5 based clip from Scott Mock. I've seen all the negative threads going around, but I bought this before any of that stuff happened. Based on my measurements, everything on my clip appears to be pretty square, so I'm good with it.



Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and I actually started! The first step was to install the SPC and ATS components on the chassis so I could locate the spindle location on the table. I wanted to be sure the front wheels ended up in the same spot once I was done. I made these stands that put the hub and rotor at the same height as if the wheels and tires were in place. Once I was satisfied with that, I stripped it down to the frame.



Then I stripped the clip bare and set it on the frame to get an idea of where and how much to cut off.



Next, I rolled it outside the shop and cut out the front crossmember and frame rails fore and aft of the engine location.



With the stock crossmember gone, I was able to place the new one so I could start getting it squared up and in the proper location.



Once I got the clip where I wanted it, I checked tire clearance and there appears to be enough room for a 315! Also, with the upper control arms bolted to the chassis without any alignment shims, caster came in at 5.5* and camber is -1.5*, which gives me room to dial it in with shims.



So this is where I am now...





I still have to tie in the front frame horns and bend arms for the front anti-roll bar. Once that's done, I can move on to the rear frame section.

[Blacksheep66]

Looks awesome Herb, can't wait to see what you do with the rear section.

[MOREHORSEPOWER]

Nice ride !! Glade you you started working on it again .
Look like it going to be a fun build .

[tommycomfort]

Awesome Herb! That is exactly how I have been thinking about doing our DSE front clip onto the Chevelle chassis. Glad you got to it before me so I can pick your brain!

[Yelcamino]

Looks awesome Herb, can't wait to see what you do with the rear section.

Thanks! Hopefully I'll have the front end buttoned up by time the rear section components get here.

Nice ride !! Glade you you started working on it again .
Look like it going to be a fun build .

Thanks! I'm glad I got back to it as well!

Awesome Herb! That is exactly how I have been thinking about doing our DSE front clip onto the Chevelle chassis. Glad you got to it before me so I can pick your brain!

Thanks Tom! Call me when/if you have questions.

[1965_SS]

Wow! Looks great.

[Bowtie racing]

Very intresting project.

[Yelcamino]

Wow! Looks great.

Very intresting project.

Thanks!

[jmking9]

Amazing car! I'm in the process of building a '67, and Im shooting for a similar wheel/tire setup as your car. I really like the way both of your setups looked. My question is, was there a reason you went with 18s on the back with the newer wheels? I liked the way the 19s looked on the rear, but I was wondering which setup you preferred and why. I wish photobucket hadn't destroyed everyones build threads, I would really like to see pictures of it with the newer wheel/tire setup. I was able to find 1 picture of it on Forgelines website, but that's all I can find to compare to the 19"/18" pics I have saved. Thanks

[Yelcamino]

Amazing car! I'm in the process of building a '67, and Im shooting for a similar wheel/tire setup as your car. I really like the way both of your setups looked. My question is, was there a reason you went with 18s on the back with the newer wheels? I liked the way the 19s looked on the rear, but I was wondering which setup you preferred and why. I wish photobucket hadn't destroyed everyones build threads, I would really like to see pictures of it with the newer wheel/tire setup. I was able to find 1 picture of it on Forgelines website, but that's all I can find to compare to the 19"/18" pics I have saved. Thanks

Thanks for the compliments and yeah, photobucket screwed everyone! When it was time for wheels on the Chevelle I went with the 18's on the rear due to better tire choices with the 200 tread wear rating. I'm considering selling the set of Forgelines that are on the Chevelle if you have any interest.

On the El Camino, I recently went with Bridgestone RE11 because they're a 200 tread wear tire in a 19" size. They seem to work pretty good on a road course, but there's not enough time on an autocross to heat them up enough to get sticky.