Damn! Be proud of that.
70 Chevelle Restoration
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363 Replies |
Last: 4 yr ago by stbabs
We may have to re-think the cousin jokes for the newbie with the Jeep after this frame off.
Perfection ain't cheap.... or easy.
Checking out the car after everything was painted I found a slight low spot on the right quarter panel.
Have to look close to see it inside the shop but I know it will be more obvious in the sunlight.
Do I just live with it or try to wet sand it out and take a chance of sanding through the clear coat.
Couldn't live with it so sanded with 1500 grit and a piece of very straight aluminum bar.
The low spot didn't block out and I sanded through clear and base cost trying to get it straight.
I knew there was a good chance that would happen.
Can't spot paint the bad area and make it look right.
The entire body gets block sanded again and completely repainted manana.
Oh well.
Checking out the car after everything was painted I found a slight low spot on the right quarter panel.
Have to look close to see it inside the shop but I know it will be more obvious in the sunlight.
Do I just live with it or try to wet sand it out and take a chance of sanding through the clear coat.
Couldn't live with it so sanded with 1500 grit and a piece of very straight aluminum bar.
The low spot didn't block out and I sanded through clear and base cost trying to get it straight.
I knew there was a good chance that would happen.
Can't spot paint the bad area and make it look right.
The entire body gets block sanded again and completely repainted manana.
Oh well.
Only way to make it right. Dry guide coat, block, repeat.
It is his car. He is the artist and the critic. NO ONE is as harsh of a critic as the artist.
I know I look at my car and all i see are the places I ****ed up. But outside of the professionals everyone else sees a cool car that I built under my carport.
I know I look at my car and all i see are the places I ****ed up. But outside of the professionals everyone else sees a cool car that I built under my carport.
I have no plans to make it a show car.
It'll be a Sunday afternoon cruiser, clear days only.
Sure, there'll be a rock chip or two in its future; maybe worse. But, when it rolls out of this restoration I want it as close to pristine as I and my bank account can make it.
The imperfection I just fixed would have been visible in bright sun with the right angle.
How much pride can there be in "Well, I almost got it right" ?
And, like the "3/64 th outta square" comment above; that's just the way some of us roll.
Appreciate the continued interest in my project!!
Oh, by the way, I'm also restoring a 110 year old cotton gin. Gin one day; Chevelle the next. Today is Chevelle day!!
In response to "Do you sleep?" Sure.... on weekends!
It'll be a Sunday afternoon cruiser, clear days only.
Sure, there'll be a rock chip or two in its future; maybe worse. But, when it rolls out of this restoration I want it as close to pristine as I and my bank account can make it.
The imperfection I just fixed would have been visible in bright sun with the right angle.
How much pride can there be in "Well, I almost got it right" ?
And, like the "3/64 th outta square" comment above; that's just the way some of us roll.
Appreciate the continued interest in my project!!
Oh, by the way, I'm also restoring a 110 year old cotton gin. Gin one day; Chevelle the next. Today is Chevelle day!!
In response to "Do you sleep?" Sure.... on weekends!
I've spent my entire life around cotton, either as a producer or as a company man for Continental/Murray traveling and calling in gins in the mid-south, Delta, & Alabama Redlands. I don't want to derail here but I'd love to hear more about this restoration - look for me to bump the farm equipment thread later today; it's a great place for that discussion.
Centerpole: A little teaser from the gin project:
Three Continental gin stands as they looked on site after the collapsed building was removed:
Door from back side of the feeder unit after sandblast, prime and paint. Oh, and yes, I blocked and wet sanded the panels before painting. I know, it didn't look THAT good coming outta the factory.
Ok, so I highjacked my own thread.
Three Continental gin stands as they looked on site after the collapsed building was removed:
Door from back side of the feeder unit after sandblast, prime and paint. Oh, and yes, I blocked and wet sanded the panels before painting. I know, it didn't look THAT good coming outta the factory.
Ok, so I highjacked my own thread.
Finally satisfied with the clear coat. Took a while and several more bucks but was worth it.
Remember the low spot on the right quarter panel? Fixed that, sanded the entire car with 600 then applied 3 coats of clear.
THEN; one of those "I knew better than that" moments while wet sanding the clear. Even though we were rinsing the surface as we sanded, I must have gotten a grain of sand under the 2000 grit I was wet sanding with. OH FuDGE!! Through the clear and into the color.
Tried a spot repair, didn't like it. Took it down to color, spotted in new color, sanded off much of the clear on the entire body then sprayed 3 more coats of clear. Equivalent of 4 clear coats.
Looks good, I'm happy.
And the top, bad glare but the reflection of the overhead lights says it's pretty darn slick.
Remember the low spot on the right quarter panel? Fixed that, sanded the entire car with 600 then applied 3 coats of clear.
THEN; one of those "I knew better than that" moments while wet sanding the clear. Even though we were rinsing the surface as we sanded, I must have gotten a grain of sand under the 2000 grit I was wet sanding with. OH FuDGE!! Through the clear and into the color.
Tried a spot repair, didn't like it. Took it down to color, spotted in new color, sanded off much of the clear on the entire body then sprayed 3 more coats of clear. Equivalent of 4 clear coats.
Looks good, I'm happy.
And the top, bad glare but the reflection of the overhead lights says it's pretty darn slick.
Starting to hang some panels on the body:
Trunk lid:
And building the new SS dash:
Also running fuel lines and mounting fuel pump and filters for the fuel injection
Trunk lid:
And building the new SS dash:
Also running fuel lines and mounting fuel pump and filters for the fuel injection
stbabs said:
Also running fuel lines and mounting fuel pump and filters for the fuel injection
I probably missed/forgot where you said this earlier, but how are you accomplishing the fuel injection?
Fuel injection system is FAST EZ EFI.
Bolt on throttle body system.
Here's a link:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fst-30404-kit/all
I hadn't really considered FI until the owner of the performance machine shop that built my 396 asked me how much I'd drive the car. When I said "occasional sunny Sunday afternoon cruising" he recommended FI over carb. Easy start, more dependable.
Bolt on throttle body system.
Here's a link:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fst-30404-kit/all
I hadn't really considered FI until the owner of the performance machine shop that built my 396 asked me how much I'd drive the car. When I said "occasional sunny Sunday afternoon cruising" he recommended FI over carb. Easy start, more dependable.
Sticking with original gauges.
The entire dash is new.
This is a Malibu to SS clone and the SS dash and gauge cluster are different from the old Malibu.
The old dash and gauges were pretty much toast after 49 years anyway.
The SS underdash wiring harness is also different.
I was able to use the old AC and heater vents, ducts and controls.
New heater core and blower motor though. You DO NOT want to have to replace a burned out, squealing Chevelle blower motor after the car is reassembled.
I did that to this car in the early 80s and it was a royal pain.
This is a Malibu to SS clone and the SS dash and gauge cluster are different from the old Malibu.
The old dash and gauges were pretty much toast after 49 years anyway.
The SS underdash wiring harness is also different.
I was able to use the old AC and heater vents, ducts and controls.
New heater core and blower motor though. You DO NOT want to have to replace a burned out, squealing Chevelle blower motor after the car is reassembled.
I did that to this car in the early 80s and it was a royal pain.
Kinda what I figured you'd say. If I may,stbabs said:
Fuel injection system is FAST EZ EFI.
Bolt on throttle body system.
Here's a link:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fst-30404-kit/all
I hadn't really considered FI until the owner of the performance machine shop that built my 396 asked me how much I'd drive the car. When I said "occasional sunny Sunday afternoon cruising" he recommended FI over carb. Easy start, more dependable.
1- You linked to a multi-port injection kit, so if you're actually wanting the throttle body version, please make sure you confirm your part number.
2- My dad has this (TBI version) on his 68 Camaro with a 350, and I have it on my Mustang with the 289. We've both experienced quite a few gremlins with it. One of the big problems is the fuel pump they ship with the system is a colossal pile of crap. I'm currently on my second one, while dad went through two then moved to an Aeromotive inline pump (and even that has been somewhat problematic, he's probably going in-tank in the near future). Also, the memory on the system doesn't seem to be the greatest. It forgets what it "learns" sometimes, and both cars really struggle to run for quite a bit afterwards. He's had to re-program the one on the Camaro quite a bit. Also, if you have electrical system problems that drain the battery (which I do), you'll want to put a battery tender on when the car is sitting for a bit, because the computer does pull from the battery and if the battery goes dead...you pretty much get to start over.
Not trying to dissuade you from it, I know of one or two guys that have had good luck with the system, but wanted to give you some anecdotal info so that you're not surprised when it turns out the system is nowhere near "EZ". Dad's actually considering going to a quadrajet like he has on his Chevelle (with a 454)...it's easily been the most reliable of the three, and that's just weird.
My mistake on the FI link. It's a throttle body.
Thanks for the heads up. Guess we'll soon see how the system works out.
I mounted the pump yesterday. Instructions call for it to be mounted below the bottom of the fuel tank and as close as possible to the tank.
How da heck do you mount the pump below the bottom of the tank when the tank is the lowest thing on the car except the axle? Anywhere below the tank and it gets knocked off.
I called the FAST tech who said, "Mount it as low as you can."
So I cut a steel flat bar, drilled holes and hung it on the two all thread bolts that hold the gas tank retainer straps. Then mounted the pump to the flat bar.
Like this:
The bottom of the pump is even with the bottom of the tank.
Your pumps that failed; where were they mounted relative to the tank bottom? If above, failure might have been due to lack of gravity feed.
Hope I avoid the gremlins you mentioned. Had enough gremlins already.
Thanks for the heads up. Guess we'll soon see how the system works out.
I mounted the pump yesterday. Instructions call for it to be mounted below the bottom of the fuel tank and as close as possible to the tank.
How da heck do you mount the pump below the bottom of the tank when the tank is the lowest thing on the car except the axle? Anywhere below the tank and it gets knocked off.
I called the FAST tech who said, "Mount it as low as you can."
So I cut a steel flat bar, drilled holes and hung it on the two all thread bolts that hold the gas tank retainer straps. Then mounted the pump to the flat bar.
Like this:
The bottom of the pump is even with the bottom of the tank.
Your pumps that failed; where were they mounted relative to the tank bottom? If above, failure might have been due to lack of gravity feed.
Hope I avoid the gremlins you mentioned. Had enough gremlins already.
Here's the absolute last paint work on the Chevelle:
Barring a scratch or chip while we're hanging the fenders, doors and hood, of course. God forbid! Had too much "reshoot" already.
Shot is of the narrow strip between the bottom of the rear window and the top of the trunk lid.
Had to put on the stripes then clear coat.
Barring a scratch or chip while we're hanging the fenders, doors and hood, of course. God forbid! Had too much "reshoot" already.
Shot is of the narrow strip between the bottom of the rear window and the top of the trunk lid.
Had to put on the stripes then clear coat.
Looks fantastic.
I have had my eye on a Holley Sniper EFI setup for my Firebird, but have since promised not to take the car offline since it is finally running well with the Q-jet as is. The timing control option is a neat feature.
I have had my eye on a Holley Sniper EFI setup for my Firebird, but have since promised not to take the car offline since it is finally running well with the Q-jet as is. The timing control option is a neat feature.
Ah, still looks great. I should've said, great job using gauges that match the rest of the car. Newer ones with LCD displays and modern fonts for letters and numbers just look out of place to me.stbabs said:
The entire dash is new.
This is a Malibu to SS clone and the SS dash and gauge cluster are different from the old Malibu.
The old dash and gauges were pretty much toast after 49 years anyway.
The SS underdash wiring harness is also different.
I was able to use the old AC and heater vents, ducts and controls.
New heater core and blower motor though. You DO NOT want to have to replace a burned out, squealing Chevelle blower motor after the car is reassembled.
I did that to this car in the early 80s and it was a royal pain.
The Little Things:
Ok, 13 days since the last post. You guys prolly thought I'd given up or run outta $$$. Closer to the latter than the former.
Actually getting to the point where I'm running into things I should have thought about earlier. Like, for instance, where do I put the temp sensors needed to drive 1) the dash temp gauge 2) the Fuel Injection temp sensor and 3) the electric fan motors.
The Edelbrock intake has one sensor hole. None in the block.
Found a probe type sensor for the fans that slips between the radiator vanes; no need to get it into a water jacket.
Still need a bung for the fuel system temp sensor.
Here it is:
Easy fix from Summit Racing. Sensor bung in the thermostat housing.
Now, gotta find some seat hardware; plastic channels for the seat belts and headrest trim. It's out there, just gotta find it.
Ok, 13 days since the last post. You guys prolly thought I'd given up or run outta $$$. Closer to the latter than the former.
Actually getting to the point where I'm running into things I should have thought about earlier. Like, for instance, where do I put the temp sensors needed to drive 1) the dash temp gauge 2) the Fuel Injection temp sensor and 3) the electric fan motors.
The Edelbrock intake has one sensor hole. None in the block.
Found a probe type sensor for the fans that slips between the radiator vanes; no need to get it into a water jacket.
Still need a bung for the fuel system temp sensor.
Here it is:
Easy fix from Summit Racing. Sensor bung in the thermostat housing.
Now, gotta find some seat hardware; plastic channels for the seat belts and headrest trim. It's out there, just gotta find it.
stbabs said:
The Little Things:
Ok, 13 days since the last post. You guys prolly thought I'd given up or run outta $$$. Closer to the latter than the former.
Actually getting to the point where I'm running into things I should have thought about earlier. Like, for instance, where do I put the temp sensors needed to drive 1) the dash temp gauge 2) the Fuel Injection temp sensor and 3) the electric fan motors.
The Edelbrock intake has one sensor hole. None in the block.
Found a probe type sensor for the fans that slips between the radiator vanes; no need to get it into a water jacket.
Still need a bung for the fuel system temp sensor.
Easy fix from Summit Racing. Sensor bung in the thermostat housing.
Now, gotta find some seat hardware; plastic channels for the seat belts and headrest trim. It's out there, just gotta find it.
I'll be in the same spot if I go EFI, though I found the version that has a bung in a pipe that you section into the radiator hose.
Don't forget these blocks have drain plugs on either side by the pan rail. Doesn't take much to adapt them for some of the smaller temp sensors. There's also usually a plugged off port on top of the water pump. These places won't always work, but they will get you into the water.
TxSquarebody said:
Don't forget these blocks have drain plugs on either side by the pan rail. Doesn't take much to adapt them for some of the smaller temp sensors. There's also usually a plugged off port on top of the water pump. These places won't always work, but they will get you into the water.
I installed the EFI temp sensor in the thermostat housing and it'll be ok there. Not crazy about the look; kinda clutters up an otherwise clean manifold.
It's more convenient for the EFI wiring harness there than it would be in the radiator hose.
I checked the water pump; no unused bung.
Running into a similar issue with an FiTech six pack unit on a 440. There aren't any ports on the heads, all ports occupied on the water pump, FiTech recommends NOT installing in the t-stat housing. Gonna fire up the Bridgeport and machine a block to install under the housing.
Rules. We haz rules bro.TxSquarebody said:
the Bridgeport and machine
False alarm...simply removed the sender that signaled the fans and installed there. ECM has a fan signal wire.
Bridgeport... lol get some real equipment like an Van Norman
Duncan Idaho said:
Bridgeport... lol get some real equipment like an Van Norman
But it's retrofitted with a VFD, DRO, and power feeds!
'Nother TA hookup.. ??SusieQ said:
I'm a California Maggie whose heart is still in TX. I want to take a spin in the Chevelle. Does one need an appointment ?
This baby is RUNNING!!!
Tried to upload the sound but the recording didn't do it justice.
Have to trust me; it's SWEET
That pretty.
Bet it sounds as good as it looks
Bet it sounds as good as it looks
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