Project 70 RS

[badazz81z28]

Im actually shocked to see how similar our cars are! Love it!

[aps63]

Finished up the fender this last weekend. I don't think it came out too bad for my first body repair.



I'm hoping to get it off the cradles this weekend and go for a shakedown ride. I need to align the front end so with that thought in mind I was going to but a DIY alignment kit like this one.



I just can't shell out the $400 bucks for it when I can build one myself, but more on that later.

[aps63]

Had the car out over the weekend for it's first shake down run. Everything worked great. Small leak in the new power steering pump line, but a quick tighting of the fittings and problem solved.
Next on the list are the Hotchkis subframe connectors and handle bars.

[aps63]

Beautiful day today so we went out and enjoyed the day and the car.
Don't feel like working on it today just driving it.

[aps63]

I think I got a little carried away with tucking up the exhaust under the car. At idle the exhaust taps the trans crossmember.
I think it's one of the last original piece's left on the car. I don't know why I didn't change it when I did the exhaust. Temporary insanity I guess.
Anyway's I ordered a new crosmember from Summit. Should be here tomorrow.

[aps63]

Beautiful day yesterday, spent it at a car show called Lead East.
Held every year here in NJ.
Here are a few things that caught my attention.

[TBART70]

Been following your build for a while. You have made some really cool stuff, the car looks great. I was thinking about going to the show but had a ton of stuff to do. Monday is all day in the garage working on the car.

[aps63]

Sounds like a great way to spend Labor Day too me.

[aps63]

Well, I figure since I'm driving the car around now I had better get going on the spare.
I had posted the 18" spare that I found for the car that would fit over the brakes.
This one from a cadillac. I still think it's the coolest spare I have ever seen.

[aps63]

Well, I figure since I'm driving the car around now I had better get going on the spare.
I had posted the 18" spare that I found for the car that would fit over the brakes.
This one from a cadillac. I still think it's the coolest spare I have ever seen.



I started with 2 differant spare kits. The top one is from an 04-06 GTO. I liked it because it has the wheel chokes built in.
The bottom is from a cadillac. I got it online from GM. I like it because it fits perfect with the tire and wheel as it should because they come as a kit.



I started today by placing the kit in the car to see how I would attach it. It fits good on an angle pushed up against the front of the trunk.



The kit came with the rod that clips into the trunk floor of the caddy, but not the clip. So I made my own.







I wanted to use the lug wrench that came in the kit but it didn't fit the lugs or the wheels. So I took the 3/4" deep socket I use for the lugs and modified it to fit inside the wrench.









So now I just have to have the center of the wheel enlarged to fit over the hub and mount the tire.
Then I can build in the tire and cover the spare and the rest of the trunk. Hopefully next weekend.

[rickpaw]

Is the Cadillac spare from a CTS?

[aps63]

Yes, it's from a CTS.

[aps63]

Took the tire & wheel over to Cadillac today and they mounted it for free. Now I don't have to wait for the flatbed to come get me for a flat tire.

[bonecrrusher]

Whats the GM Part # you ordered?

Its been a long time - but is that the one that clears the C6 Z06 brakes?

[aps63]

Bonecrusher,
I got it from gmpartsdirect.com
It's part # 19179359 (tire kit). That is the complete kit, jack and all.
I think you can buy the tire & wheel separately.
I have a template for the Z06 brakes from Tobin at Kore-3's website.
I will check it tomorrow.
Here is the original picture I found of the wheel. So, I'm assuming if it fits over the Brembo's it probably will fit the Z06's.

[aps63]

According to the template the Z06 brakes fit with plenty of room to spare.(sorry, I couldn't resist.)

[aps63]

I haven't posted in a while because I've been out enjoying the car. Except for adjusting the suspension a little I've done nothing to the car except drive it.
It's been a blast. Have run into one small problem thought, front tires rubbing on the inner fender when I hit any big dip in the road. I have looked into getting wheels with more of a backspace but I really like the way the car sits and looks right now. So I have decided to modify the fender lip and inner fender to make more room. The design of the fender allows for the inner lip to be modified from a horizontal position to an almost vertical position thus opening up almost an inch of extra room. Tomorrow I'm going to take the fenders off and start cutting and welding. I will take pictures and post them.

[aps63]

Started the fender & inner fender today. Did not get as much done as I had hoped but most of the cutting is done.
Started with the fenders first. There is about an inch wide lip in the wheel well that needed to be bend back.



A few cuts and it folded up pretty easy. Just have to weld up the cut lines and good as new.



I left about a 1/4" on the fender so I have picked up 3/4" already. Then I went onto the inner fender and cut out the piece I want to raise up.
I actually cut out one more inch up into the inner fender after I took this photo. This will be the section that I square off to get 2 additional inches of vertical wheel travel.
Should end up with plenty of wheel room. More to come.

[aps63]

Spent the day cutting cardboard and making templates, then cutting out and shaping the pieces for my inner fender extensions.
Got all the pieces done, now just have to weld everything together. Didn't think it would take me this long. Doing modifications like this always gives me a greater appreciation for guy's who do this for a living. It would also take them a fraction of the time.

[aps63]

Well, I got the passenger inner fender done today. Now I just have to weld up the inner fender lip and that side is done. Then onto the drivers side. Should get done quicker now that I have an idea of what I want to do.