Project WidowMaker - The Chevelle Build Thread

[Zanie]

Glad to hear you are on the mend, Tim. Your audience will patiently wait.....well, maybe not patiently.



I'm looking forward to your return.

[craigs73]

Glad to hear you are on the mend, Tim. Your audience will patiently wait.....well, maybe not patiently.

I'm looking forward to your return.

x2 get well soon

[SShep71]

I was starting to wonder what was up, but Im glad to hear your gettin better. If you ever need any help with the car just let me know Im close enough.

[jc70chevy]

seriously glad your doin better man. i know youve been alot of help. to alot of us keep up gud work but also keep your health up.

[The WidowMaker]

finally got some progress done on the closeout panel. i ended up flush trimming it to the grille and started making the rest of the panel. i debated including the radiator under the panel, but left it out. i think it looks great and dont really want to hide it. i'll post some pics up tomorrow when i get a little further.

also, i need to come up with another material for the grille. the hex mesh just isnt doing it for me. even when painted black it almost doesnt exist. ive seen some honeycomb sheets that i may use if i can find one thats ~3/16 thick. this would give the appearance of being more closed off which i think it really needs.

still hoping to get the car in paint by the end of summer if jcg has room. its going to take some work to get it there, but it needs to get done. my plan was to build it completely with a running motor and all before tearing it back apart. since being sick set me back about 6 months i dont think thats going to happen. hopefully i dont ruin too much by doing the work after paint. im also hoping that working on the car doesnt set my health back at all.

[SShep71]

Glad to hear your up and moving! Instead of replacing the mesh try to double it up. Set your first mesh and space a second piece of mesh about a half inch behind it a different color or a different shade of your current color.

[The WidowMaker]

Set your first mesh and space a second piece of mesh about a half inch behind it a different color or a different shade of your current color.

good idea and something i will try.

[The WidowMaker]

here are a few of the pics. still not finished, but close. the main piece still needs to get extended all the way to the fenders and where the top piece flares out isnt quite done. the whole back side of the top piece rolls down 3/4" to make a nice lip in the rear, but there isnt one yet where the piece slopes down. when this piece is welded in the transition between the center and the little edge flares will get radiused.

im not totally sold on the edges flaring out by the fenders. its small enough that they dont really distract you, but not large enough to appear to do anything. the real reason was so that i didnt have to cut the support on the drivers side fender. if i end up hating them the piece will just run straight across and ill modify the fender.

[csouth]

I'm glad to see you're healthy and back on this. My brother became a member here just so he sould get email notices of your updates. Stay healthy and keep pushing.

[41565 chevelle]

Tim,
I have been out of the fight too for a bit, not sick but busy as usual. I have been by a few times and you weren't out so I didn't bother to stop. I did fly over the other day and saw the nose poking out of the garage though. Bummed to hear you were sick and it explains no Tim sightings.

Let me know if you need anything, I too am back on my ride and hitting it pretty hard. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.
RJ

[The WidowMaker]

My brother became a member here just so he sould get email notices of your updates.

thanks. im glad my build helps others out. without seeing builds and getting advice from guys on the forums i wouldnt be where im at. just glad to pass a little of what ive learned along.

I have been out of the fight too for a bit, not sick but busy as usual. I have been by a few times and you weren't out so I didn't bother to stop. I did fly over the other day and saw the nose poking out of the garage though. Bummed to hear you were sick and it explains no Tim sightings.

Let me know if you need anything, I too am back on my ride and hitting it pretty hard. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.

i think taking this long off the car has made the family realize how bad i really feel. its one thing to try and put on a happy face, but i had to give up the rest for a while. im glad to hear your back on yours as well. ive seen the chopper over head, just wasnt sure if you were still flying.

[Protour_Pinto]

I hope you feel better soon, Personally I find a lot of therapy in fiddling with cars and bikes. I loved living in HB a block off the beach, I hated getting harassed about the way my bike looked even though it was completely legal. The cops there are something else.

[The WidowMaker]

I hope you feel better soon, Personally I find a lot of therapy in fiddling with cars and bikes. I loved living in HB a block off the beach, I hated getting harassed about the way my bike looked even though it was completely legal. The cops there are something else.

i agree. sitting around and dwelling on how i feel only makes it worse. working on the car is good rehab.

btw, i had a run in with a HB motor cop when i was 16. got my first speeding ticket for running it through first gear showing off for some high school cheerleaders on the corner doing a car wash. the guy wrote me up for doing 75 even thought the car wouldnt go that fast in 1st gear. but ive learned though my job that just like anything there are way more cool ones than bad ones. i was pulled over about 6 times after that in the chevelle and never got another ticket in HB, just told to calm it down a little.

[Protour_Pinto]

i was pulled over about 6 times after that in the chevelle and never got another ticket in HB, just told to calm it down a little.

When I moved into the park the neighbor saw my bike and came over to tell me to be careful because the cops were always looking out for sportbikes. I have a naked Hayabusa with a lot of stuff changed but everything was legal right down to the factory reflectors, for the first 4 months I lived there I was pulled over a minimum of once a week, never was sited for anything and most of the time once I talked to the officer we were ok. My neighbor had a Harley with open pipes, no mirrors, minimum lighting and a fold away plate. He never had any problems, hell they wold give him a thumbs up when he wend down PCH or Beach Blvd.

I got tired of the constant harassment I moved. I later met one of the cops that was a problem for me and he didnt recognize me. He was on his West Coast Chopper built bike that was a rolling infraction, I questioned him about it and he was bragging they target "Rice Bikes and Cars".

I figured I wouldn't even try driving my car there even though it was a Pinto.

[The WidowMaker]

just a little update for today. i ended up getting the ends of the bottom piece welded on and smoothed out. now i just need to finish the back lip, weld the two pieces together and figure out how im going to mount the latch. its going to use the stock piece with some mods. more pics to come.

[settintrendz]

Looks perfect buddy! Love the stance. Front end is gonna look sweet!

[shovellac]

Nice work, keep at it.

[The WidowMaker]

here are the latest pics. its now one piece and the back lip is complete. i will work on the latch later this week and still need to add 2 more bolts into the grille and the bolts on the end of the closeout to the fender. the radiator is still just sitting on the metal, so it will come up ~1/4" to make it the same level as the closeout.

i also plan to call steve at RED about sleeving a block. still hunting for a gen IV aluminum 5.3 block that i can use. ive been convinced that theres no reason to pay for an ls2 or 3 only to sleeve it. im also going to start calling around again for some builders. im actually hoping i can find someone local instead of trying to play phone tag with texas just trying to get a quote.

[srh3trinity]

Here is a 5.3 L aluminum block. This guy has several. I have bought parts from him before and have had good luck. You could probably get it drop shipped to your builder. http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-3-FWD-Gen-...item337541dd8a

[The WidowMaker]

awesome! i missed that one somehow and had only found one other short block on ebay that would work.