64 Pontiac Tempest build

[damannhw]

Some of the parts I ordered have started to arrive.



Brand new Quick Performance 9" Ford housing for A-Body's w/ new Moser axles. I'm having a pumpkin built by a local guy w/ a 3.50 TruTrac posi for it.

[damannhw]

Last night I started on the frame. It was nice to find the factory VIN stamping after cleaning the frame. It was on the top rail behind the drivers side rear tire. Was also interesting to note that they mistakenly stamped the last digit as a 7, and the correctly overstamped it with an 8 !! Must have been a Monday
I need to straighten the bottom of the frame rails from all those years of being jacked up incorrectly. Then I'll get the ABC Performance boxing plates aligned and ready to burn in. I had to cut away the side of the middle body support for the plates to fit flush. Will continue to work on this later.

My time is pretty limited right now because I coach my boys Flag Football team, which starts this week. We just finished up basketball a couple of weeks ago, so we stay on the go alot around here.

[damannhw]

I took good measurements of my transmission crossmember location so I can place it back where I want it at the corect height when the boxing plates are installed. I think I'll cut the ends off my factory crossmember and weld on an end that will allow me to install/remove easily. I had these spring perches I pulled out of a GMC truck I lowered, and if I cut them in half, I think it would work perfect. It would give me a bracket side to weld to the frame, and a bushing/tube end to weld to my crossmember. I never throw stuff away, so this will save me some fab time.

[damannhw]

Here's where I'm headed with the tranny mounts.

Cut them in half, weld the large side to the frame, weld the small side w/ bushing to each end of the tranny mount, bolt in, walla !

[damannhw]

I decided on the Autokraft oil pan and ordered it yesterday. Also got my new fuel tank in so I'll begin mods on it soon to install the tanks inc Pump. I have already made the top plate that the pump mounts in, will just have to finalize location, cut tank , and install.

Still undecided about headers. I can't believe the prices on the swap headers ! I may look at some gen 4 Camaro choices. I have heard the Pacesetters will work, but I'm trying to nab a pair to test fit. I am also considering Hawks 3rd gen LS swap headers. I may be able to get my hands on a set of those for test fit.

[rohrt]

subscribed.

[Zanie]

Here's where I'm headed with the tranny mounts.

Cut them in half, weld the large side to the frame, weld the small side w/ bushing to each end of the tranny mount, bolt in, walla !

Cool! Thats Smart!

[drylegmcrae]

That is an excellent idea with the spring hangers.

[damannhw]

Worked on the frame a few hours today after doing some much needed yard work. My frame was bent up pretty bad from years of being jacked up on the unboxed rails. I needed a way to straighten the bent areas, as well as to get it lined up for the boxing plates. Nothing I had in my toolbox had a deep enough throat to bend the whole rail without putting a kink in it, so I decided to make my own tool. Took a piece of aluminum stock that was lying around and cut a 3/16 slot in it so it would slide over the frame and reach all the way to the side rail. Worked like a charm !



After aligning the boxing plates and tacking them in place, I burned them in.



I'll finish up the rear plates early next week and add some bracing and weld in the tranny mount brackets and hopefully get this off to the powdercoaters asap.

[damannhw]

For anyone who is considering doing this, DO IT. I'm amazed how much difference it made with just the center plates in. Before the boxing plates, when I lifted up the rear of the frame with the front on the floor, I could twist it by hand about 6-8 inches. I was surprised how flexible the unboxed frame was.
NOW, when I lift it up, no twist at all ! I know it's not an instrumented torsional test with data to prove my results, but WOW what a diffference !

[Bobby326]

I did the same thing with my 67. I boxed the frame then had to make tranny mounts. I just welded Angle iron to the frame then drilled holes in them for the crossmember. I had to shorten the crossmember about 2" on each side then weld it back together to fit inside the frame

[Bobby326]

I also added gussets in front of the rear shock towers and behind them just for added support

[damannhw]

^ Looks good, I'm looking my frame over today trying to decide how much more bracing to add and where.

[acegto]

Looking good.

[damannhw]

Finished up the rear boxing plates yesterday to complete all the frame boxing. The rear boxing plates only had 1 hole for accessing bumper bolts. I added the rear most holes for the back bumper bolts, and I also cut-away some of the plate to allow easier access for frame bolts/washers. I still plan on some more bracing in a few locations as I move along.



After talking with several blasters/powder coaters in my area, I've decided I'm not going to spend $600-$800 for that. (I'll spend the dough on go fast goodies !) I can clean the frame up and paint it myself. I didn't really look forward to it, but it's just work, right ? My car was factory undercoated, and alot of it made it onto the frame rails. Especially bad are the side rails that are exposed when the car sits on the frame. It took me a couple of hours, but I heated the undercoating with a small propane torch and scraped the bulk of it away. Afterwards, I made a quick pass with a wire wheel. This is cleaning the frame up surprisingly well. I am also smoothing out all the factory welds (and mine too) for a cleaner look. I'll make a final pass with a sander and shoot some primer on, then chassis black.



Just a small pile of what I removed last night !

[rohrt]

Yeah 6-800 is a lot. I painted my frame with an etching primer followed by a PPG DP90. Its about 7 years old and still looks good.

Looks like you need a more couse bristle on the angle grinder. It would strip the fram much faster.

[Nicks67GTO]

Yeah 6-800 is a lot. I painted my frame with an etching primer followed by a PPG DP90. Its about 7 years old and still looks good.

Looks like you need a more couse bristle on the angle grinder. It would strip the fram much faster.

Have you ever looked into having Rainbow Powdercoating do anything for you down there in CR? They quoted me $350ish dollars to strip and powdercoat a 67' GTO frame. Ive seen there work....its really good.

[damannhw]

Yeah 6-800 is a lot. I painted my frame with an etching primer followed by a PPG DP90. Its about 7 years old and still looks good.

Looks like you need a more couse bristle on the angle grinder. It would strip the fram much faster.

That's good to hear, I'm sure a quality paint will hold up fine. Heck, alot of the factory 64 paint is still on the frame !

Have you ever looked into having Rainbow Powdercoating do anything for you down there in CR? They quoted me $350ish dollars to strip and powdercoat a 67' GTO frame. Ive seen there work....its really good.

I googled them, they're in Ney York. Is that who you're referring to ? I'm in SC.

[rohrt]

Have you ever looked into having Rainbow Powdercoating do anything for you down there in CR? They quoted me $350ish dollars to strip and powdercoat a 67' GTO frame. Ive seen there work....its really good.

He is refering to the rainbow paint in Cedar Rapids, IA where I live. I have seen there work on serveral cars and they look to do good work. I'm still a fan of paint on the frame. I used a two part sherwin williams etching primer on my frame after sand blasting it. Used on my shell, rear end and a few other places on my car. That stuff worked remarkably well. Some of my parts were stored in damp areas, and if they had the etching primer on them there would be little to no rust. Its my personal preference that the etching primer with a epoxy paint and a top coat is better. If the paint gets chiped I'm not concerned with rust starting in.

I would use the powder coating on brackets and other pieces in the engine compartment. It seems to make more sense here to me, because the powder coat stuff is tough and doesn't easily scratch or flack off and looks nicer over a long period of time. Others like to powder coat their frames for the same reasons. Again just my personal preference.

[damannhw]

Breaking away from the frame work for a little bit, and focusing on my fuel tank. I purchased a new stock fuel tank, and I have a new Tanks Inc kit w/ a sumped submersible fuel pump I'm going to install. It will take some fab work, but I've read alot of good results with this set-up, and it's only gonna cost me around $400 or so.

I started with a piece of new sheetmetal that I marked for for the pump. I had to purchase a 4" hole saw for the center hole, and then drilled all the perimeter holes. Then I cut it to size and marked it for bending.

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Bending up the sides to fit the tank. I plan on recessing it about an inch below the top of the tank for fitting clearance.

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Next I had to mark my tank for the location I want to use, and get out the cutting wheels.

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Fits really well, next I'll trim to fit and TIG it in.

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Before I weld it in, has anyone ever tried installing baffle plates inside the tank ? I have only a small area for internal access to the tank and work from, but I think I it might be possible. The TANKS Inc kit has a small sump/baffle around the base of the pump, but I'm just wondering if there may be other improvements I could make before I close it up ?