Project WidowMaker - The Chevelle Build Thread

[The WidowMaker]

About 3 years ago I decided to embark on this journey; build the baddest garage built p-t car that my skills and wallet would allow without farming out any work. “Skills” is a relative term for me since I’m a self taught 26 year old, married, father of two boys (2 years and 2 months). I’ve never had any official training, and while most who do everything on their own have an automotive background, I work for the Orange County Fire Authority as a professional firefighter. My job does require a vast mechanical knowledge, but that still doesn’t help me fabricate or paint. This has been a great learning experience so far and I can guarantee this; if its not done right the first time, I won’t stop until its perfect.

A little history; I originally bought the car when I was 16 and used it as my daily driver for both high school and college. I street raced the crap out of it, got a few tickets including an exhibition of speed for doing a massive burnout in front of a bus of cheerleaders, was yelled at a few times, then decided to grow up. Seeing the carnage that I see now makes me feel lucky to be alive and I feel like an old man every time I want to yell at some idiot kid doing the same things that I used to do.

Over the years, I built a new motor, rebuilt the trans and rear end, and took on numerous other projects. But, the car never felt complete and every time I attempted to change something about it, it ruined something I had done before. There were plans along the way for a new paint job, interior and a big block, but time passed and the money wasn’t there. It wasn’t until I had a stable career, the funds and had bought a house, that I finally decided to do it once and to do it right.

Below you will find the specs, pics and progress from my chevelle build. The car has come along way in the last 3 years and it still has a long way to go. The whole story isn’t in complete order and some pics may show things that haven’t been talked about, but you should be all caught up by the end.

Have fun reading, and I welcome any and all critiques and criticisms. It’s the only way I know how to learn.

-Build Specs-


-Motor-

- Wegner or Mast Motorsports 416
- Autokraft Oil Pan & Motor Mounts
- Wegner Pulley System
- Edelbrock Stepped Headers
- Custom 304 Stainless Steel Full Length Exhaust with X Pipe
- PRC Radiator with Dual Fans and Oil Cooler


-Suspension & Steering-



- ATS Billet Aluminum Spindles and Steering Arms (I got these a while ago)
- SC&C Front Upper Control Arms
- Global West Front LCA’s
- Varishock Coilover Rear Shocks
- Custom Parallel 4 Link Rear Suspension
- Custom Upper & Lower Rear Control Arms with Johnny Joints
- Custom Watts Link Axle Locator
- Currie Enterprises Performance Axles
- Custom ½ Height Body Bushings
- Tom Lee 670 Steering Box
- Ididit’s New Collapsible Steering Column (not just a collapsible shaft)


- Drivetrain -

- Tremec T56 Magnum 6 Speed Transmission
- McLeod Bellhousing
- McLeod Billet Steel Flywheel
- McLeod RXT Twin Clutch
- Somebody’s Hydraulic T/O Bearing
- Denny’s Drive Shaft
- 1350 U- Joints


- Wheels & Brakes -

- 19x9.5” / 20x11“ 3 Piece Rushforth Wildside Wheels
- 275/35/19 and 305/35/20 Nitto Tires
- 14” 6 Piston Kore 3 Front Brakes
- 13.5” 4 Piston Kore 3 Rear Brakes
- DBA Slotted Rotors
- Wilwood Pedals and Triple Master Cylinders


- The Extra’s -
- ISIS Mutiplex Wiring System
- Vintage Air A/C
- Ring Bros Hood Hinges
- Ring Bros Hood Adjusters
- Ring Bros Door Strikers

Special thanks to the following:

Jason Rushforth – Wheels And Rendering
Jon Henderson @ Driverzinc - Numerous Parts And The Rushforth Wheels and Nitto tires. This guy knows his stuff and has been EXTREMELY patient with me.
Tobin @ Kore3.com – C6 Z06 Brake Kit Including the Parking Brake and the ability to pick his brain.
Mark @ SC&C – I’ve had many LONG conversations with him, but he supplied the ATS stuff along with the LEE box and SPC arms

[The WidowMaker]

These are a couple of before pictures. Although I took tons of pics to remember where parts went, I made the mistake of not taking enough overall pics. Here are a few that I have.

[The WidowMaker]

The first thing I did was start to repair and replace the ugly sheet metal. Having a vinyl top killed the metal on this car. I started by cutting out all of the bad parts, and welding in a bunch of patch panels. When I was good and satisfied with a job well done, and a lot of time invested, I cut off the panels and put on two new quarters (you’ll start to see a theme forming). Here are some pics of the original repairs, and then of the new quarters.

[The WidowMaker]

These are some pics from when I thought I was done with the frame. I built a temporary booth in my back yard with 3 positive pressure fans and filters on the intake and exhaust sides. I used all of SPI products, other than the PPG gray paint. The red is called “SPI Red”. I shot all my primers, including the feather fill with an Astro gun with 1.5 and 2.0 tips. I used a SATA 3000 RP digital for all the base and clear. This was my first time shooting automotive paint, and my first time shooting anything this large. Other than small wood lacquer projects, I had no experience with a gun.

[The WidowMaker]

Here are some of the frame rebuild pics. A few things have led to the almost complete rebuild, but the ride height was the main item. I really couldn’t drop the car to where I wanted without a major overhaul, so after spending all that time painting the frame, it got cut and ground back up.

So a “few” things happened in order to make the ride height happen. The first issue was that the short springs I put in the rear just weren’t short enough. In order to get it to a good ride height, it took 600 lbs in the trunk. At this point, the springs were almost compressed, and the top and bottom perches weren’t lining up (the top and bottom perches were perpendicular to the ground, but they were about 3” off fore and aft from each other). So, I decided that if I had to get rid of the stock spring perches, I would convert to coilovers in the rear.

In addition to the issues with the springs, the geometry of the stock suspension went to crap at the lowered ride height. My antisquat was through the roof, and I had introduced roll steer with the angle of the lca’s in addition to raising my RRCH even further. So I designed some new axle brackets that did a few things; first they allowed multiple height adjustments for the lca to change anti squat and roll steer, plus they also adapted the Chris Alston’s chassis works shock mounts with ride height adjustment for the coilovers. 40 hours of Corel Draw (a lot of different ideas) and $200 in waterjetting later, this solved both the geometry and the shock issues.

The other issue with the stock suspension was the converging upper control arms. To eliminate the binding associated with this suspension, I fabbed up some new uca’s and mounted them parallel with the frame centerline. They also have adjustments in height at the front and rear for antisquat, and they are of course adjustable for pinion angle adjustments. Since the UCA’s no longer controlled side to side axle migration, I built a watts link. I looked into a phb before I considered the watts, but packaging was still a nightmare and there were other inherent issues with it as well. One of those issues became apparent while talking with Mark. He had a customer that kept ripping his phb mounts off the frame. He wasn’t breaking the welds, he was tearing the frame itself. In addition to that, if the frame didn’t have a crossmember, it was likely that the side with the frame mount for the bar would actually get sucked in during hard cornering. So since I needed a crossmember to keep all of that from happening (plus I needed one for the coilovers anyways), the only difference between the two systems was the cradle. After doing a whole bunch of mockup and searching for ideas, I ended up with something that resembles the lat dynamics 3 link setup.





Once all the welding was done on the housing, I shipped it off (well, actually I drove it) to Currie to have it narrowed and have 9” ends welded on. They gave it back to me set up with new axles, straightened and with the gears setup.

[The WidowMaker]

So once all of that got sorted out, the next problem and solution arose; there wasn’t enough clearance between the axle housing and the frame. I started by taking a couple of inches out of the frame and sort of c-notching it, but with a twist. Both sides have 3/16” plate and the job netted me about 2” more clearance. There also wasn’t enough clearance between the pinion and the frame, so when I built the new crossmember, I made sure to add the clearance necessary.

[srh3trinity]

This would be an impressive build regardless of where it was built, but throw in the fact that you are doing this in a garage and learning as you go and it really ups the ante.

[CruizinKev]

wow awesome project so far!

[67speedfreak]

Build looks great. love the tunnel!

Brian

[mc84_zz4]

Badazz project and good progress, I'll be following this one for the duration.
I really appreciate a garage build, it's my way too.
Like the structural work on the frame - Niiiiice.

[bmwwksmarc]

Love the garage floor! Awsome build man, you are showing some serious talent with all that fabrication and some pretty nice welding!!

Marc

[WS6]

I want to build my TA up like this. Very nicely done. I love seeing stuff like this come together.

[HWY Nova]

Great documentation of your project!!!!!!

Please keep the pics coming.



--Eric

[70 Chevelle]

Perfect What size rear tire is that?

[Roadbuster]

Lots of attention to details! Awesome work Tim!

Jon

[transamguy79]

beautiful build man. you have a talent man.

[The WidowMaker]

thanks for all the positive feedback. it seems weird posting my stuff up on this forum next to all the quality builds i've been following. if it looks even half as good, i'll be more than happy.

What size rear tire is that?

its a nitto 305/35/20. the only tires that i have currently mounted are the old 295/50/15's, and theres about 1.5" to the fender lip, and about 3/4 to the inside at very front of the tire which is the tightest point. i should easily be able to sink the nto5 315's when i wear these out. if it wasnt dropped as much, i think i could get a 335, but stance is more important to me than that extra inch of width. i might do a little more work to the frame when i get the 305's mounted if i think it will get me 335's. i'll have to wait and see though.

Tim

[craigs73]

this is a very cool project i like how you show all your progress with the pics great work cant wait to watch this all the way until its done once again great work

[The WidowMaker]

i didnt complete the trans mount yet, although i was hoping to have it done by today. the 3 piece crossmember is all tacked and bolted in, so all thats left is the actual bracket to bolt the mount to the crossmember. hopefully it will be done on tuesday.
Tim

[MZ 500]

Wow Nice welding and fab work the stance of the car looks good to.