Project WidowMaker - The Chevelle Build Thread

[The WidowMaker]

so i now have both doors on and i have started working the drivers side fender. it lined up decent to start with, but no where close to where i wanted it. so far i have about 5 slices above the body line and about 5 more within the 3 inches below the body line. it still needs some adjusting, but the top half is getting closer. its a total pain in the ass since each small move can make a big change and since every slice requires the fender off, it takes time to get it back where it was.

i also wasted some time adjusting my slices based on how i sighted it. since the gap varies about .050 now, making it sight right and making it follow a straight edge across the gap were two different things. since the gap will eventually get fixed, i had to go back and redo it. still not done, but much closer than when i started.

[jake8092]

I'm at the same point with my chevelle, I had some aftermarket fenders that I decided to ditch. The were terrible! I ended up putting the oem fenders back on the car.

Lookin good!

[Flash68]

Tim -- nice meeting ya at El Toro. Looking forward to seein the Velle in action soon!

[The WidowMaker]

I had some aftermarket fenders that I decided to ditch.

these arent perfect. they will take some blocking, but otherwise they are pretty good. i really didnt expect them to line up to the doors. they would have worked OK without all the work im doing, but i wanted them pretty much perfect. the stock ones had some rust issues in front of and behind the wheels so i wanted to get rid of them.

Tim -- nice meeting ya at El Toro. Looking forward to seein the Velle in action soon!

you too bud. i was glad to see it moving and without issues. now you just need to follow dougs path and slap a ls motor in there!!!!

[Flash68]

you too bud. i was glad to see it moving and without issues. now you just need to follow dougs path and slap a ls motor in there!!!!

Thanks man........ and oh HELLLLLL No! I am more in love with that high rpm 377 than before. Doug can go new school without me for now. Til I break down. LOL

[jake8092]

That's good to hear! In my case the driver side was fairly close but the passenger was another story...in order to get the door line even within 1/4" it brought the front of the fender 1.5" above the core support! I wish I could remember the MFG but I bought them 6 years ago.

[RicerwannaB]

Awesome, Inspirational build! Love it.

[absintheisfun]

awesome gaps you have there! Want to come get mine?

[The WidowMaker]

Thanks man........ and oh HELLLLLL No! I am more in love with that high rpm 377 than before. Doug can go new school without me for now. Til I break down. LOL

it sounded awesome. i dont blame you a bit. this would be back up and running if i didnt find this forum and if i hadnt sold the 350.

awesome gaps you have there! Want to come get mine?

i'd be too expensive, even at a buck an hour. its RIDICULOUS how long it takes to get them really close. hopefully they'll need a skim coat and then theyll be done. i should have the hood back on early next week.

Tim

[The WidowMaker]

i finished roughing in the door last week and got the hood on earlier this week. i'll finish working the door gap once everything is squared up for good. every small movement changes it just a little, so it would be a complete waste to try to do any more now.

im still struggling with the hood though. im shooting for about .180-.190 gaps and had to make some more adjustments to the tops of the doors and fenders to spread them out just a little and widen the gaps some (another reason im not touching the door gaps till its done). even though i tried to measure and set them correctly when the hood was off, i knew this would happen.

the biggest issue i had was that the passenger side of the hood and the fenders contour were off. by about 3/8"! the front and rear were flush, but the hood sat too high in the middle. i tried bracing it at the front and rear and applying some pressure, but it was going no where. since i dont have my original fenders, and because i cant remember 8 years back to whether they fit this way or not, i had to come up with a plan. i planned to make slices all the way down the inner structure of the hood, but realized that this would take some work to metal finish.

so, instead of butchering the hood, i drilled out 12 of the 14 spot welds that hold the outer fender skin to the inner. i left the front and rear spot welds alone and raised the middle the 3/8 that was needed. i plug welded the holes back up and just need to grind down the welds. its about .020 off in height at the worst spot, but i plan on skimming the gaps anyways, so i figure this is well within spec. i also noticed that when i was done moving the outer skin, a couple reference points now match the drivers side fender. hard to explain, so i'll post up some pics later to explain.

the next step will be to sand off the old paint and the ecoat and start working the width of the gaps. i was surprised at how consitent they are now though. +/- .010 is about what im starting with. i'll see if they get any worse when the old paint is gone.

here are a few pics.

this is the first of the hood after i corrected the high spot. the camera makes the hood look high, but its the angle. it sat about .375" high at the grey spot on the hood.

[Bryce]

nice body work

[The WidowMaker]

a real short update. i got all the paint off the edges of the hood and fenders today. the hood still had the original green underneath with two red paint jobs on top. so, i ended up moving the fenders in another .030 per side once all the paint was gone. the gap looks really straight though, and i plan to work it a little tomorrow.

i also spent some friggin cash last week. i got my switches from watson street works, picked up all my sound deadening from second skin and purchased the tremec magnum. everything should start trickling in this week. ill post up some pics when i get them.

[liquidh8]

Nice work! You are spending a ton of time on gaps, but it'll be well worth in the finish, it's all in the prep! Keep the pics coming.

[Crestronwizard]

I need someone this good to do my body work. 100% zero chance I have this much patience.

[Blown73]

Tim -

As all have said before, great work on your car. It really is an inspiration for my projects. Thanks!

[The WidowMaker]

its here!!! i pulled the motor, bolted it up and stabbed it all back in as a unit tonight. i have lots or room still left, so im pretty happy. i knew i would have to change up the mount from the tko, but the ideas that i had hoped would work, wont work. im going to try and borrow a tubing bender and see about making another crossmember. if that doesnt work, i'll cut 4 sides out of some 1/8" flat plate and make something else. i really wish i had a friggin waterjet!!!!

the shifter also threw me for a loop. its acutally clocked/tilted about 5-10* towards the driver. i thought the tranny was sitting a little sideways somehow, but the mount and motor are flat.

[Chevelle LT1]

"the shifter also threw me for a loop. its acutally clocked/tilted about 5-10* towards the driver. i thought the tranny was sitting a little sideways somehow, but the mount and motor are flat." - That's funny, I had the exact same question on my car, too!!

~ Jason

[The WidowMaker]

i finally got the new trans crossmember finished. i literally spent 10 hours making the damn thing and i have another 5 pieces that didnt quite work. when i made the first, i made the cross, mounted the tabs to it, positioned it, and then tacked it in place. since the front tab was still there, i had to make these pieces fit that tab. much more difficult!

my original idea was to use 100% of the existing tab and not have to weld to the painted frame. but, the magnum positions the mount about 4" back from where the tko was. i wasnt really comfortable building that much angle into the mount. so i had a decision to make. i could either cut off the old tab and weld in a new one, or i leave the original and weld on a much smaller tab to the rear. the first option would have messed up 4" of paint where the old tab was once it was ground off, and it would mess up 4" of paint where i would weld the new one on. the second option only messed up 1 1/4" of paint and won for that reason.

unfortunately i knew going in that the exhaust would have to be reworked slightly. the front section is 3" tubing, but the flex joint is over 4" and is in the way. i was actually surprised that it clears when mounted back up, but i literally have 1/8th. i have to cut the flex out and reweld it back in about 3" forward.

here are some pics.

[supernatural]

I love this build ! I just went through the entire thread. I wish I had your skills.

Congrats!

Alex

[The WidowMaker]

I love this build ! I just went through the entire thread. I wish I had your skills.

thanks. i just enjoy learning. there are tons of builds on here that i envy, and the skills of the builders even more.

i went to opg and picked up the other door today that had been backordered. got it installed and im pretty happy with the fit. not perfect, but good. im going to finish working the hood and then come back and worry about the gaps.