Thread: Everybody that is currently building a car...

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I've got the body blasted and all the grit buffed off and I finished welding the front clip on the frame.

This weekend I plan to finish blasting the rear end so I can paint and hang it. I'll finally have a rolling chasis.

If I start by 7:00 a.m. I should be done by noon....

Here's some pics.

the body

That looks sweet Bigbird 48, I like the way that media blasting leaves a body. I have had to hand sand all of mine myself, but it's coming along. Is that a FatMan subframe?

New to forum. I have a custom 72 Vette with a Mako Shark front. I added a Z28 style rear spoiler to the car myself. The front was added by my brother in law and I purchased the car in 1980 when he finished it.

At that time the car was in approx 90% which I consider pretty good. My bro in law is a wizard when it comes to putting stuff together. I dove the car for a couple yrs then decided to build the engine a little.

I had a total rebuild done to the car in the early 90s. Only thing I didn't use that was good as far a performance goes was a good set of heads but I had the stock one gone thru. IIRC I used a 260 or a 280 Comp Cam. I'm using a 650 double pumper and have a 2500+ TCI stall in a TH400. The pistons are again iirc TRW forged 10.5:1 flattops with pretty much everything in chrome moly.

Well here why I'm here today. In 1994 I parked the car because of kids. I left it in my garage and for the 1st couple yrs I started it every couple months. Then I just let it go and must of tuned it out. Kids would accidental have their bike fall and scratch the back and it didn't really bother me, I knew it was going to have to have a new paint job anyway I guess. It was like the car didn't exist to me. Weird!

A few of my brothers have Corvettes and one just bought a 95 vert. It was like a wake up call to me that I had a pretty good car to work on just setting. My kids are 14 (boy) 17 (girl) and I have the extra money to do the things I have always wanted to do to this car. Those things are make it look as bad-azz as can be and make it run/sound like it looks. Woo! Gets me wood every time I think about it.

I had to replace all calipers total tune up rebuild carb fuel system total cleaned to get it running. I just had new 2 1/2" pipes and Magnaflow stainless installed makes a big differs over 2" rusted pipe and 2 $19 mufflers with a couple rust holes on.

Car seems to run really good its a solid Vette more solid than most I've seen. My winter project is to get the heads. I'm looking at Dart Pro1s I've heard good things. I may have them ported and polished if I can find out if it would be worth the money. I want to add a new cam/lifters also and want a lot of low end but I want the car to lope pretty hard I like that look and feel. Lil help here if anyone knows a good combo.

Well sorry to make such a long and drawn out 1st post but as you might see I'm a Lil excited about what I could have with some money thrown at it.

Let me see if I can post a pic of the car only 1 day after setting idle for 10 yrs. Still looks pretty sharp if ya ask me.

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Welcome all , very nice 'vette shark. Very cool, I like the old plymouth too, looks very straight! Awesome! Hope to see more of both.

I feel very proud of being a member of CHR, were else can you talk to some of america's top car builders, engine builders, and automotive professionals in such a casual environment. Outstanding site, ok back to business.

My car is almost ready for paint, another week or so of greuling sanding, pounding, puttying, spraying........Repeat! Any advice about how to get the deepest looking basecoat/clearcoat paint would be appreciated.

Started clampin' stuff in place for the front suspension on the "Z" today.

Can anybody tell me how much room I need to allow for a blower drive (Front of the block to front of the lower pulley)?. I'm figuring 2 pulleys behind the blower drive just to be safe. If I go with 1 belt at least measuring for 2 I'll know I have room. I have about 4" room in this picture but the block is already set back an 1". I've got the rack about as far forward as I can go. I'm making my own firewall, so my only setback limitation is the blower against the windshield glass.

Box holds the hub @ 0 camber, correct ride height, wheel base location and square to the rails. Clamps to the front pads on the jig. Two adjustment bolts hold the strut @ the right caster (ballpark anyway) until I can get lower control arms & bracket placements located.

Had a better set up designed to dial in the struts, but my CNC decided to NOT work again today so I built this the old fashioned way.

Hello, I'm sort of new here, I been lurking in the background awhile.
I'm married 22yr,s to my 2nd wife, have two boy's from 1st.Have a few cars in different stages of compleation. My 49 chev fastback is the main project at the time. It's been chopped 3 1/4 in,(just had the new one peace olds windshield cut and installed last week. ) Bobs classic glass done an excellent job of cutting an fitting.I had my fingers crossed all week so it didn't break. (whew) Shaved handels,hood.61cad tailfin lights in exstended rear quarters. 350sbs350auto, frenched 52ford headlight rings and a lot more to do.Have a lot of rust to get rid of yet.
I really enjoy reading the posts, they are informitive and very funny
Dan

My Model A sedan is nearing completion. Some exhaust work
and some upolstery....and I'm cruising.

I painted it myself in the garage....single stage, acrylic enamel,
with the clear-cote in the last coat.

Daver.

As promised here is a picture of my frame with tires and the engine. The TH350 is on the floor just behind the engine stand. The engine is waiting for rockers and the Edelbrock Performer is is a box in the corner behind the engine. A dirty Rochester Quadrajet is somewhere up on the workbench waiting for a rebuild/cleanup. I got a great deal on the tires but the 735/75/15 rear tires may be too tall for the Model-A fenders so the rear coil springs are in the highest hole to provide room in the fenders. Yesterday I finally got my power brake kit but found out I have to remove part of the existing non-power master cylinder bracket to make room for the vacuum can of the power unit. I think I can use some of the existing mount to box in the space between the frame and the new bracket to make it look neat as well as stronger. There is still an amazing amount of work to do but I have made progress this summer.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I think the best thing I've done to any of my cars lately is put them up for sale. I have my 40 Chrysler and my '66 Chev rampback car hauler on Ebay right now. I mothballed my '66 Suburban as my daily driver and put an FM modulator in my '60 Fury to make that one my daily. My 25 Chevy roadster looks like a car now, but I still need to do some suspension front and rear. I located a complete 32 Ford front end that I'm trying to get, and I'm considering parallel leaf springs for the rear because they seem easy to set up. Both my Convertibles (72 GTO and '70 Cutlass SX) sit in the garage, unloved, and my first car (chopped 53 Ford) is parked on the lawn at my shop. I need to quit reading threads and work for a while!