The Chevelle Challenge

[derekf]

Dan - I've got the old 15x8 wheels from the El Camino but the 275/50-15 tires on them won't even begin to fit in those tiny stock wheelwells in the back of the Chevelle; I suspect the 265s are the same way... so while I appreciate the offer, I'm going to have to pass.

I have made progress, sorta.

I tore the engine partially apart and scrubbed it and used degreaser and all that sort of stuff. I don't want to go much further down, mainly because I'm lazy and all the gaskets are special order at my local auto parts store.





I have the paint and the gaskets to put it back together. The valve covers and intake will be the same orange as the block; I still need to clean the valve covers up a bit more before I shoot it.

I've replaced the parking brake cables. It seems like such a simple thing to do... except when it's seized up, and then maybe not so much. Best tool I used for this? 30" bolt cutters. Second best? Air chisel to get the bit out of the frame. Cable came out in eight pieces:

(the frame thing)


(cable in eight pieces)


Heater box is assembled, but I won't be putting it in until the dash is painted.

I've started in on the remaining rust repair - I've still got some rust in the trunk floor, and I need to finish the work on the wheelwells.

Here's what the trunk floor looked like 7 years ago before I moved:


Strangely, it hadn't improved any over the years.

Cut the rust out, cut a replacement bit out of sheet steel, prime the frame:


Get my weld on:

Yeah, it's not that great of a weld... but it's the first sheetmetal work I've done since about '03. Just a lot of bead to grind down; didn't burn through or anything.

Next up, pull the axle out to finish the rust repair in the wheelwells.