View Full Version : Slowest 1970 Chevelle build!
This is going to be one of the slowest builds on this page. I'll start off with me, then the car. My name is Kevin and I've wanted a Chevelle ever since I was a little kid. I was almost born in a 1972 El Camino or a 1973 Suburban. I love Old Chevy trucks and cars. As far as my hobbies go, I'm really into the 73-87 GM trucks but I love them all from 1947-99. I graduated Highschool in 2001 and always thought I'd have my old Chevy pickup or a Chevelle as my car. I didn't get the Chevelle until graduation (no, it wasn't a gift... I had to buy it myself) so I used my 1984 K5 Blazer as my first truck I ever had on the road. I volunteer at my local Fire Department and i'm a 1st Leiutenant of Engine Co. #2. I work for a neighboring Fire District also. I have a 25' Chris Craft Catalina 251 with a straight inboard Chevrolet engine. I love the beach and I live on an Island so you better love the beach if you are surrounded by water. Ok enough about me...
The Chevelle was purchased kind of local from behind a former strip club where it sat neglected since 1987. The car was originally code 45 green with a black vinyl roof and dark green bench seat interior. The cowl panel has rot, it had half 1/4's put on by the second owner as well as a 400CI out of a 71 Monte Carlo with a 2bbl carb. The A/C was left tied up underhood and the engine was half out of the car. The only performance mods were headers, and the exhaust being hacked beyond recognition. The car looked like it was painted as a class project for a school somewhere. The jambs were left the original green and overspray was everywhere. The rocker panel on the passenger side was molded into the front fender. The bodywork was very crude but it did happen to come with a real GM SS hood that still had the sticker on it. The guy told me it needed an engine and that is why it has sat. He had it listed for $3500 but after pointing out all the rot and problems and telling him a regular Malibu not running would never be worth more than $1,500 I left paying $1,800 and he towed it back to my house for that cost. The next day I took a better look at it, hooked up everything under the hood and hit the key. I could feel the ignition switch sticking. I jumped out the switch at the base of the column and it cranked over and eventually fired after filing the points and a little fresh fuel in the float bowl. I found out the fuse panel and ignition switch had issues from the windshield leaking and rotting out the cowl panel. I had the glass resealed as a temporary fix so I could drive it for a while.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/70Chevelle2.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/70Chevelle1.jpg
Welcome... and I'll race you! Not on the street but as to who can make the claim of the slowest build!
It turns out the car was built in Flint, Michigan if I remember correctly and has power brakes and power steering. It even has the boxed lower arms and F41 frame stiffeners. It had the bigger radiator (i'm guessing due to having air conditioning) and also has a single 3/8 fuel line with no return. The history on this car is sketchy but it turns out it was from the town next to mine. It took me countless trips to different DMV's to register this car. In NY state, there weren't titles issued before 1973 but I did have the transferrable registration from the original owner, which I guess technically makes me the second owner. The original owner is now in his late 60's and did not return any of my phone calls or answer any of my written letters. I found his current address and he refused to talk to me about anything. Not a very nice guy and didn't seem too into cars. The DMV said I needed the original owner to reapply for a regi and have the car inspected because it was so long since it was on the road. After all else failed, I went back to DMV with my girlfriend. She wore a skimpy little shirt with a cute skirt to match and pushed em up real nice... Apparently that's what I was doing wrong the whole time because we walked out with a set of license plates that day! Shortly after, I enjoyed the car for a very short time before the master cylinder went. Boy that was a wild ride! Luckily it didn't go until I backed it into the garage... literally! Without warning the pedal went to the floor and I put it into the garage door. Good thing those are real bumpers because it made a mess out of the door but the car had a little white scuff on the chrome that wiped right off with my shirt. The next time I had it out, I blew a brake line and decided to replace the front lines and hoses. After that, I lost oil pressure and decided that was going to be it for a while so it sat for a few years. I got sick of seeing it sit like that so I cleaned it up and gave it a better black paint job- more to preserve it than anything.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/chevelleafterpaint2.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/Chevelleafterpaint1.jpg
Rank, you are on!!!! I am the king of unfinished projects so I must warn you that this may take a while!
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/1968L88.jpg
Here is the 1968 427 L88 that was turned into a .060 over with 454 5140 Nitrided Forged Crankshaft making it a 468. It has short skirt pistons and low friction file-fit rings with 7/16 GM Connecting rods. It is running a big solid flat tappet camshaft with double roller timing chain and roller rockers under the old Cal-Custom valve covers. It has a deep sump pan HEI and a few other goodies like 7/16 hardened pushrods. It is a 3963512 Block with a set of 3919840 heads. This is a pretty wild engine with a 14:1 compression ratio. It is bolted to a built TH400 with a high stall converter (I think around 5,000rpm) and full manual valve body and a deep sump aluminum pan. After I dropped this in the car I finally admitted to myself that it was way too radical and yanked it back out. This engine makes NO vacuum at all so the brakes would have either been converted to hydra-boost or I would have needed a big can and a vacuum pump. I decided I'd like to drive my car on the street but I don't want to take apart this engine so i'm going to drop in a bone-stock 454 out of a Suburban. I know it has small heads, and flat top pistons, a cast crank and 3/8 rods but it will be nice for cruising for now. Besides, I bet i'll be getting around 18-20 mpg if I tune it right and step down to a rear gear in the neighborhood of 3.42's or so.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/BTruck.jpg
It is a small pic because it is off my old phone but this is the truck my 468 came out of.. It is a 49 Ford F-6 dually fire truck that was cut down and shortened to the wheelbase of a regular cab longbed pickup and made into a truck for a special kind of Fire Department racing. There are a handful of trucks like this around NY State and any of you guys local enough to come out to some tournaments, I say do it! There are some videos on youtube of these trucks running. This truck currently sits in the museum at the Fireman's Museum at Hudson, NY.
I will be converting this car to a 4 speed Muncie. I picked up what I believe to be an M20 from 1966 or 1967. I got a GTO 4 speed console and original round handle shifter along with this, both would be incorrect for my Chevelle. I'm planning on putting on a Hurst Competition Plus shifter and hooking up the reverse lockout. I have a floor shift steering column I will be swapping in but I'll save everything original to the car and throw it on a shelf somewhere in the garage. Back to the transmission:
Case casting# 3885010
Tailhousing # 3857584
Side Cover # 3884685
I believe the gear ratios of this transmission to be the following:
2.52, 1.88, 1.46, 1.00 with a 3.11 reverse. It has 2 rings cut into the input shaft, 10 spline input/27 spline output with passenger side speedometer hook-up.
it has the 1" countershaft with stud style shift shafts. I'll get pics sometime this week to show you guys... I'm still waiting on a Bellhousing. I would like to throw in a 621 even though i'll be using the smaller clutch and flywheel but i'll probably end up with a 403 casting. I plan on running the bench seat with no console, it would be different plus I already have all the materials to rebuild my bench seat. I'll hang onto my buckets for a while just in case I get the urge but they need to be rebuilt.
Ms Grumpy
11-01-2010, 02:17 PM
Berg sounds like you got a pretty good deal on the Malibu. And even with the problems you described, it sounds like you know exactly what you want. Slow and steady wins the race.
But speed is nice too....
Rank, you are on!!!! I am the king of unfinished projects so I must warn you that this may take a while!
... dang, if I was just a betting man! LOL
smokenjoep01
11-02-2010, 05:30 AM
Great story so far. Keep it up.
Ms Grumpy - I'm making a lot of compromises with this one as it will never be the factory Black on Black bench seat LS6/M22 car with no stripes I'd like it to be. One day after everything is paid for and I have no debt... or I find someone to give me a classic car loan :oP
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/M204speed.jpg
Here is the 4 speed with the early style shifter that isn't correct for this car. I'm in the process of looking for a Hurst Competition Plus shifter with a bench seat handle. I don't plan on running a console in this car.
This pic also shows how bad the chrome on my bumpers are too.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/HurstShifteronMuncie.jpg
Here is a shot of the shifter location mocked up on the trans, I'm missing the shifter mounting plate so the placement is off. I might just pick up a plate and see how this lines up in the car for the time being unless I find someone to trade. I need to make some time to go to the swap meets.
shadowgray396
11-08-2010, 10:57 PM
Looks like its going to be a good project. Keep the pictures coming as you go along.
Ray
Just a little update- got a Bellhousing out of a 1970 Nova for a big clutch, not the 621 but has more clearance than the 403 or 383 housing. I got the 454 flywheel with a GM Valeo clutch kit. It looks like the next chance I get to spend a little money it'll be on the 4 speed pedal conversion. I got a floor shift steering column that has the top end gutted on it, I'll have to either swap ober my ignition and turn signal stuff or start fresh out of the catalog. After that it will be a matter of hooking up the neutral safety switch and reverse lights. This is where I wish I had a lift in my garage.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/4speedmuncie.jpg
Here is a shot after some light cleaning and getting the bellhousing on. I got the other stuff still in the boxes and I'll have to remember to snap some pics while i'm working. I usually forget to stop and take pictures when i'm working on something. I don't like to stop once i'm moving along. I had to do a water pump in one of my Suburbans last night so it kept me from my night job. I played around with some stuff afterwards on the Chevelle.
The shadow came out pretty cool looking IMO. At this point i'm just waiting on getting my shifter mounting plate to correctly install everything. I'm debating on just getting everything together in the car for now and then later on in time pulling everything apart to detail it when it comes time for bodywork. I'm trying to keep from doing a frame-off resto on this one.
No pictures at the moment but I pulled the engine and trans, got the new clutch kit and flywheel all ready to install. Next month I'll be getting the clutch pedal kit when/if my budget allows. The engine is strong so I'm just going to do the rear main seal, Oil pan gasket, and front timing cover seal and gasket. I'll paint the block and accessories and then drop on a decent set of valve covers once I get it bolted in. I'm sticking with my old Hooker Super Comp headers for now because with the exception of a little surface rust they are very solid and the flanges are in great condition. I got a 5 gallon bucket of heavy duty degreaser from a supplier that deals with my job. This stuff is great! It'll even take off some of the paint if it sits on long enough. After using the cleaner, I'm going over everything with regular dawn dish soapy water so I don't have any paint adhesion issues. Over the years I stocked up a good supply of factory GM OEM hardware to replace some of the crap that has been changed over the years even though the car is fairly original. I'm doing a Delco 12SI alternator conversion in the process. I'm also playing with the idea of piecing together a factory serpentine belt setup similar to the style used in the mid-late 80's GM trucks. I already got the crankshaft water pump and alternator pulleys, and I'll retain the V-belts for the power steering pump and AC compressor but I'm still undecided with this. Whatever I do, I just want it to look as factory as possible. I'm going to be converting over to the GM large cap HEI ignition also.
I've been slow on progress due to being poor but took 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I got an original clutch linkage and pedal setup which is what i really wanted over a new aftermarket one. I got a Hurst Competition Plus shifter and got the driveshaft taken care of. While cleaning parts I noticed the bellhousing had a big crack in it that ran from the clutch fork hole to the mounting surface by the engine side. I also noticed a few smaller cracks and some big pitting inside after scraping out all the grease and cleaning off the remaining film. It looks like someone had a clutch explode at one time. I decided not to use this bellhousing and went on with a 403 unit I found for sale locally with the rest of the stuff I picked up. I got the smaller 10.5" clutch anyway so it won't be a big deal unless I decide to upgrade in the future. Then I'll spring for a 621 Bellhousing. I got everything all mocked up and ran into a problem with hooking up a reverse lockout and the TCS. I'd like to keep it as stock looking as possible. I am currently trying to figure out how to hook up the backdrive rod with this shifter. I'm looking up PDF files for the shifter installation and it is showing a different Hurst-supplied rod. Looks like I'll have to give them a call when I get some more cash saved up. All-in-all it seems pretty straightforward and one of the easiest conversions so far. I think before I go any further into this project I need to unload some crap I have packed into the garage to give me some working room. I'll have to remember to bring in my camera to work to download the pictures I have so far.
smokenjoep01
03-31-2011, 06:30 AM
Thats how ya sneak up on it.
I got another update: This is a major update that is totally changing the direction of this car at the moment. I picked up a 1970 Chevelle SS396 original Shadow Gray with black vinyl bucket interior U14 gauges and a few other goodies like 4.10 12bolt. My hopes of finding a build sheet in the car are going to be slim seeing as the drivers side door and back seat have both been changed on the car. The rear seat looks to be out of a GTO by the style of it and the drivers side door has maroon paint inside the door jamb. The gas tank is also MIA. The car came without a motor/trans in it although it did come with a bunch of goodies in the trunk and inside floor as well as a bunch of other stuff that I had to load into my Suburban. It is set up as a poor man's drag car with a fuel cell in the trunk, aluminum fuel line ran next to the original lines on the frame and a trunk mounted battery kit. It must have had a decent engine in it judging from the leftovers like Moroso solid motor mounts and the electric fuel pump, dual feed lines off the regulator, and the remnants of an MSD ignition system mounted to the firewall/wheel well. Another thing I found was the extended studs on the axles (had a hard time changing out the wheels with the 4-way bar so I took a chance and pulled it home on old rubber).
Overall, it is a fairly solid, original roller. The roof skin and pass side quarter are the worst parts of the whole car. I found a small amount of rot from the windshield leaking on the top of the dash and it will need a drivers side floorpan patch. The hood and decklid have rot and will be replaced along with both front fenders either getting patched or replaced. I'm leaning towards patching them since they are only rotted through on the bottoms. Someone welded a set of tow bar mounts to the bottom of the front bumper so it will be getting a replacement and the plastic inner fenders have some cracks and holes that shouldn't be there. It needs some interior work-mostly carpet, headliner, and seat covers with drivers side bottom foam. I'll work on getting some pics up but I somehow killed my camera and my phone lens at the same time.
This is the only picture I have for now... Now I'm just trying to figure out how to break the news to the woman... I'm thinking more than likely the Malibu will have to go up for sale but not before I swap a smallblock back into it so I can keep my stuff thats in it. I can't wait...
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/70chevelle396.jpg
flash
05-04-2011, 07:42 PM
Have you hooked up with the Long Island Chevelle Club ? They are a great bunch of guys , at least one is a N.Y. City cop and I believe one also a fireman .Dont get to see them much except online as they have not been to the last couple of Chevellabrations .Maybe some of them will be at the Northern Ohio Show this year. Good luck with the build on the second car and the sale of the first one. Id just keep them both if possible.
shadowgray396
05-05-2011, 01:00 AM
Good luck on your new project. Great color choice.
Ray
Ray- I knew you'd be partial to this car.
Flash-I thought I was a member from some years ago but none of my usual names or passwords worked so i might have to email the administrator. The smallblock and automatic is back in the original 70 Malibu and I got some other things buttoned up on it. I got the engine in and then thought how much easier it would have been to install the new brake lines on the distribution block without the headers being right up against it. Hindsight is always 20/20 I guess. The new car is a beauty... sort of. The dash is the best part of it. Uncut with the factory defroster.
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check out the factory washer jar/overflow container remounted with the battery isolation stud for the starter. Trunk mounted battery and fuel cell will be removed in favor of a factory correct tank and tray. The solid motor mounts will most likely disappear too. My buddies were diggin the aluminum cooling fan. I gotta get my pictures to download of the interior but we had to use my friends girlfriends camera since i somehow broke the adjuster on the lens of mine. It is so hard not to strip out the other car for this one. I'm probably better off selling it whole and using the funds towards this one.
Its been a busy week. Tomorrow I'm going with my girlfriend to pick up her new 2011 Camaro 2LT with the RS package. She was going to get the cyber gray but instead decided on the Blue since someone else in town ended up with the gray one. For a V6 they still have 312hp and it really gets up and goes, not to mention stops and turns too! The car really sticks to the road and is a great addition to the family. Since my old Malibu is kind of rough i'm thinking about keeping it and doing some work to preserve it. I'm going to look for a 700R4 or a TH2004R to drop in it behind a freshened up engine and rebuild the brakes (been on the list for some time now) and I'll have a car I can drive no matter what the weather. I need a bigger driveway for sure. As it is one of the Suburbans and the Malibu have to leave the yard for a while since we got the 2 new ones. I wish i had an old barn to fit everything in.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/70ss396dsquarter1.jpg
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Just some more shots of the car. The drivers side floor is the worst spot in the whole car. There is some more rot here and there but not nearly as much as the other car had when I had gotten it.
Ms Grumpy
05-11-2011, 04:26 PM
Looks like you are going to have fun.
I got my girlfriend's grandmother's 1985 Caprice yesterday to dispose of... It was in very rough shape with a bad engine and slipping transmission. I was thinking about using the TH200 4R as a core trans to build up for the malibu but ended up junking the car whole. I ended up dragging it across the scales at 3320 lbs and got $501 for it as a complete auto hulk with cat. Hell, that was more than we were trying to get for the car when it was for sale! I did pull the radiator out of it since it was only a few months old and I put it in my Malibu for some increased cooling as well as saved the side post battery cables to put in the car. I'm still debating the 90 amp 12SI alternator conversion for the new car. At this point I figure i'm going to get a new engine harness since mine is hacked beyond recognition. I saved the engine section from the Caprice to splice in but have since decided against it considering the cost of a new reproduction engine harness that plugs into the factory bulkhead connector. I'm going to order a harness with Electronic Ignition and an Electric Choke lead built in. I'm going to leave it set for the external regulator alternator and just use the harness adapters in case I'd like a more original appearance. I also am still caught up over running a large cap GM HEI distributor or using an original style GM points distributor with the Electronic conversion kit. I'm thinking that would look more period correct. Any modifications I plan on making to this car would be able to be easily converted back to original.
Well I got a lot of aftermarket wiring and some gauges that were added onto it over the years. It had a trunk-mounted battery and fuel line with dual Holley blue fuel pumps plumbed up with AN fittings and what looks like 7/16" aluminum fuel line going to a fuel cell in the trunk. I ended up removing all traces of the aftermarket fuel system with wiring and relays and cleaned up more loose ends under the hood. I got rid of a piece of wire strapping someone used as a coil bracket and pulled the wiring out of the holes in the firewall from the remains of an under-dash mounted MSD box. Now that I got everything not original gutted out i'll be able to figure out what is missing. So far I noticed a burnt off fusable link on the passenger side by the headlight wiring, I re-hooked up the factory positive junction block on the radiator support and I found the blue and white leads for the alternator have been cut off about 4" out of the harness wrap. The coil + wire has been cut, the ring terminal is missing off the tach wire, and I found the oil pressure wire under the booster and the coolant temp wire was tucked up into the drivers side fender. I moved the coolant recovery tank back to the stock mounting location for now until I get a new replacement. The original one was used as an isolation block for the + cable coming from the trunk to the battery. I can only imagine what would have happened if the cable terminals got hot and it melted out the stud and hit the frame or engine. Thats all for now, we had a good time playing with the 2011 Camaro this weekend to get anything else done. I'll try to have pics to follow up later on this week when I get a new camera.
well I got myself another birthday present to go along with the big one. I ordered some stuff from Ground Up and my order has already arrived. Only took 2 days for the shipping! I'm just glad to have the stuff by the weekend. So far I got new heater and radiator hoses with tower clamps, new battery tray, new alternator brackets with hardware and a set of GM power steering pump brackets with hardware along with a new pressure hose. I got some more little odds-n-ends like the firewall wire gutter and some ground straps, and bought some stuff locally like poly motor and trans mounts. I'm still waiting on my 12SI wiring conversion kit to bypass the external voltage regulator and plug converter. I know I could have just cut the wires and put the ends on them but i wanted to keep the car looking as factory as possible... well maybe with the exception of the MSD 6AL box and the HEI. I really need to get a new camera but the money is better spent on the car.
Bdubya
05-20-2011, 04:49 PM
So far I got new heater and radiator hoses with tower clamps, new battery tray, new alternator brackets with hardware and a set of GM power steering pump brackets with hardware along with a new pressure hose. I got some more little odds-n-ends like the firewall wire gutter and some ground straps, and bought some stuff locally like poly motor and trans mounts.
No offense, but it seems you're putting the cart before the horse a little bit. Radiator hoses?, alternator brackets? The car needs almost every panel patched or replaced and you're gonna have money tied up in parts that are gonna sit for a long time. What did you get the SS for? I hope it was less than the Malibu. Would have been better off selling the Malibu, saving all your money up and buying one in alot better shape. Part the SS for the Malibu.
No offense, but it seems you're putting the cart before the horse a little bit. Radiator hoses?, alternator brackets? The car needs almost every panel patched or replaced and you're gonna have money tied up in parts that are gonna sit for a long time. What did you get the SS for? I hope it was less than the Malibu. Would have been better off selling the Malibu, saving all your money up and buying one in alot better shape. Part the SS for the Malibu.
I'm selling the Malibu. The SS is what I wanted, an actual SS that has colors that are more desirable to me. The sheet metal isn't that big of a deal. I already have the floor pan patch and trunk pan with drop downs. I also have a drivers side lower fender patch and a pass side fender and a set of GM extensions. I also got an SS hood and a trunk lid and rear filler panel already. Most of the stuff I have is GM parts so its no big deal. The Malibu really needs a complete dash swap and harness with the forward light harness and engine harness. I'm sick of piecing wires together and don't have the money to do everything at once. The only real big expenses with the SS car are going to be the roof skin and pass side quarter panel. I'll hold off on the bumpers until I can afford them. I already have a lot of the black interior stuff because I was planning on changing over the Malibu to a black gut.
Besides, why would I part out a genuine SS for a Malibu? that wouldn't make very much sense to cut up a fairly original car. I plan on selling the Malibu and putting the money into this car. I got it for a trade for a rebuildable 454 out of a 1975 Chevy C30 so considering those engines are a dime a dozen I can scrap the car and come out ahead.
Update: The Black car got a master cylinder, a few brake lines and wheel cylinders for safety and to pass inspection. It seems when the car sits for a long time the pedal gets very spongy. I noticed it was wet around the master cylinder piston by the booster. I also noticed a few of the lines looked pretty crusty. I planned on replacing all lines and hoses but I'm on a budget and plan on selling the car so I just used some parts store brake lines and wheel cylinders and a Fenco rebuild for the master. It is nice having a brake pedal again. I swapped the trunklid back out for the one with the repaint and bondo so I can keep the mint one for the SS. I cleaned up the hood hinges and painted them with cast blast and lubed up the contact points with white lithium grease and they have never worked better. I gave a whack on the rivets and it seemed to take the slop out of them too. I cleaned up everything under the hood and am debating on swapping on an Edelbrock Performer with a Holley carb and HEI distributor I have. I'll throw the stock stuff in the trunk for whoever buys it.
For the SS I decided to clean up the 454 and paint it up Chevy Orange. I set up the power steering stuff and the alternator and bent up a new hard line with 2 short rubber pieces and an inline filter for the Quadrajet. I cleaned out the carb and replaced the accelerator pump and gaskets. I gave away my non-EGR intake with my other engine (not thinking) and gave away a used MSD box I had out of a truck that I could have put into the other Chevelle. Oh well. I put the flex fan on and made sure my pulley setup from a 1986 Chevy K30 was good to go. I have a 100 or 105amp 12SI alternator with serpentine pulley and since the wires were cut near the radiator support going to the alternator I used a piece of a harness for the 12SI up to that point. I spliced them and put a piece of plastic wire loom on them for now until I wrap up the harness with tape. I used the regulator bypass so I wouldn't have to cut the factory plug off in case I ever want to go back to the external regulator. The Oil pan I have is a deep sump and the sump is longer than the Chevelle pan so it hit the crossmember. I found a new pan and dipstick with tube and checked the height of the pickup for the oil pump. Installed sending units and dropped in HEI distributor. I slapped a set of Moroso valve covers and air cleaner on it so I don't destroy my MT finned aluminum covers while working on it. The upgrades look clean and don't take away from the originality too much. I also got ahead of myself and put the SS wheels on the car too. I just had to do it. I put the 14" Rally Sport wheels back on the black car and I still have my 15" RS rims in the event I feel like running some nice rubber on them. The roll-arounds are now going on my friends 55 Chevy so he can get it in the garage. I have a busy weekend coming up but I'm hoping I have the time to put on the new wheel cylinders and rebuilt calipers and rebuilt master I have for it. I'll stick the original stuff in the boxes as it all looks to be factory GM original. I'm up to figuring out the transmission stuff now since the car came with a TH400. I'm debating on finding another crossmember for the 4 speed because the TH400 one doesn't seem to line up too well. I also have to change out the yoke to a 27 spline since I have an early Muncie but the driveshaft length itself will be fine. I'm holding off on ordering the parking brake cable kit until the trans is bolted in its final location. In the other car I was planning on running a bench seat with a floor shifter so now I have to buy a new floor hump with boot and retainer to go along with the console shifter. I'm running low on money and time and I'd like to use my boat this summer so I will probably be slowing down again. I'd just like to get it running and driving. It will keep me playing with it and doing all the stupid little things. At this point it is looking like next March or April before it goes in for Quarter panel and roof skin work. I'd also like to strip down the surface rust and shoot it in primer to preserve it.
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http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0154.jpg
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http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0172.jpg
Here's some pictures of the 454 before it went in. The intake might be changed in the future but it'll work for now. I think it may stay like that until I put a better engine in it. I have been looking for a 396/402 that is period correct and will eventually swap it in. I wish I had more time to work on stuff and take pictures. It takes forever for me to get them posted on line. Sorry for the delay on the project, but it did come with a disclaimer that it would be the slowest build! While I was at it I decided to clean up the dash a little. The dash pad itself has seen better days but the carrier is very clean. I'm thinking about polishing the original lens to see if I can take the yellowing/scratches out but I may just end up buying a new one. I also changed the decklid with one from a 69 Chevelle. I just hit the edges quick with some sandpaper and primer, hit again quick and shot it with a shadow gray spray can to see how it came out. It had some bare metal spots that I didn't want to get any worse so it is more Preservation than anything. I did notice the emblems are different from 69 to the 70-72 Chevelles. I'm leaving the earlier emblem for now. I cleaned out the trunk area a little more and I'm going to hit it with the wire wheels on the drill to get all the heavy spots clean. Anything left over will get sand blasted and the rot cut out.
The aftermarket tach is out too.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0210.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0209.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0202.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0211.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0212.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0213.jpg
The trunk floor is really rough right in the rear center and someone cut in a big hole for the fuel cell but it looks like it shouldn't be too bad to patch up. I think the trunklid itself eliminated about 10% of the rot on the car. It really needs a pass side quarter though. Check out the alligator clip on the tach lead for the coil. Thats custom right there!
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0221.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0216.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0189.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0171.jpg
That is the factory original FM stereo I'd love to get refurbished one day.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0169.jpg
Here's the B&M Quick-Stick that the car came with. I guess it'll go in the garage along with the battery box, fuel cell, gauges, and E-fan that came out. I was checking the driveshaft length and it looks like I can use the original TH400 shaft with an aftermarket 4 speed Muncie yoke. I'm holding off on ordering the parking brake cables until the shaft is in the car.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/108_0141.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/108_0142.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/108_0144.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/108_0145.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20Chevelle/108_0152.jpg
These are the pics of the Malibu trunk and the 15" rally sport wheels. The trunk was full of old dried out tar and it was difficult to rip out of it. I have since cleaned up the floor and shot a coat of rustoleum on it to preserve it somewhat.
OK it's been a month since my last post and it has been way too hot in the garage/ driveway to get anything done on the cars. I swapped distributors in the 1970 Malibu so it now has HEI and used a relay off the factory resistor wire with a fused link that runs from the horn relay for easy starting and reliability. I have been having a problem with the points getting crapped up every time the car sits. I'm just sick of it. It now appears I have a ground problem as my parking lights are staying on when the battery is hooked up. I feel the only way to fix this car the right way is with a whole dash swap and new wire harness. I put the 14x7 RS wheels back on it and put the SS wheels on the gray.. er, primer spotted gray car. I need to figure out what the Malibu is worth so it can be sold and allow me some funding and room to work on the other car.
smokenjoep01
08-12-2011, 11:14 AM
I feel ya. Looks like it may be a cooler weekend. Goodluck
Well, I got the 400 back in and running with an HEI distributor and got new collectors, two and a half inch tube, and a set of Thrush welded mufflers to get some sort of exhaust system on the car. I was going to get a set of tailpipes bent up but I think I'm just going to throw turn-downs on it for now. I bought another set of Bendix wheel cylinders for the rear and I'm going to bleed the brakes again since the pedal seems like it has gotten spongy again. I dug out a Torker II intake manifold and Carter carburetor along with a 650 cfm Holley. I also have a Performer RPM intake manifold with a Quadrajet rebuilt by Edelbrock with electric choke I'm thinking about throwing on. I wish I upgraded this car to HEI a long time ago. It completely got rid of the hard starting problem and it doesn't feel like it is hesitating when it is cold like it did. All this time I have had this car with the 400 and wanted to put in a 454. I pulled the 400, had the 454 sitting in the car and then decided to sell the car so went back to the SBC 400. Funny thing is I just wanted to sell the car and make room to get the SS in the garage but once I got everything bolted up and running again I feel like I want to keep them both. I don't know what to do anymore. I should just sell it while it is on the road but people seem to want everything for nothing. I listed the car locally for $3,500 as a roller, $4,000 complete as-is or for $5,000 for the complete running and driving car along with all the extras like new interior kit, some sheet metal and the 12 bolt rearend I was going to save for a spare. I got the 10 bolt open 3.08 rear in it now and planned on setting up the 12 bolt with a 3.55 ratio to swap into the SS if I felt like making some long trips and for cruising but not having to take apart the 4.10's that are in the car now. I even threw in a set of factory front disc brakes complete with original hold-off valve and an L98 350 that needs a hone and fresh bearings and rings. I can't believe the ridiculously low prices people are throwing at me. I know it isn't a show car and I know it has rot but I had a guy offer me $2,000 for everything and it sounded like he wanted me to deliver it too! I had guys offer to trade all sorts of stuff but worst of all is when I take the time to make a detailed ad with everything listed and explained and they ask the same questions that has everything in the ad! I'm so disgusted trying to sell this car I think I just need to park it in a friends garage for a few years. I think Grumpy and Mrs. Grumpy give me some hope that I'll be able to pull off having his-n-hers- Chevelles! She isn't one for originality of the car and the car she would like wasn't available in 1970. To tell the truth, I think her 2011 Camaro has spoiled her. I guess I'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I got the welder set up again and cleaned up enough room in the garage to open the doors on the car while it is totally inside. Its been a while since that was possible.
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee484/EastEndChevy/109_0569.jpg
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee484/EastEndChevy/109_0568.jpg
I installed a Bosch relay and used the screw from the firewall gutter to hold it to the firewall. I used the blower motor ground screw and a piece of 12ga. wire to ground the relay, and used the original resistor wire that went to the coil + terminal to power the relay. I did it this way so it could easily be returned back to points and I wouldn't have modified anything that couldn't be easily undone. I also ran a 12ga. positive wire from the relay back to the horn relay so I had power at the point the alternator charges/senses voltage at. (note- in picture throttle cable is broken and return spring is removed. I am aware of this. This has since been repaired and was in the installation process)
Also note wrong size radiator in second picture due to original being stolen while car was behind my old shop.
Ms Grumpy
09-07-2011, 07:20 PM
Also note wrong size radiator in second picture due to original being stolen while car was behind my old shop.
That is so sad ! But on a brighter note, it looks like you are moving forward. I look at those pics and think back to what I started with. I can't wait to see more as you progress.
shadowgray396
09-07-2011, 10:39 PM
I agree you are moving ahead. Just take it one step at a time.
Well, my moving ahead just turned into moving on. I cleaned up everything the best I could on Friday after work. I spent most of the afternoon detailing the dash and working out small electrical bugs like a stuck flasher and a corroded fuse. I got a new ignition switch since mine has been kind of funky since highschool. I cleaned the interior the best I ever have since I have owned the car. I hate armor-all but I wiped everything but the pedals and steering wheel down with it after I cleaned everything. I got all the dust/dirt out of the grain pattern and cleaned the pleats on the seats. I re-stuffed and taped the seams on the front drivers side seat rips and it came out pretty good. I went back over everything with some old clean sweatpants material to take the excess gloss off the interior. I couldn't believe how good the old crappy interior looked. I decided to armor-all the weatherstrip too. In essence I was polishing the proverbial turd but it came out pretty good. I welded up some 2.5" tubes with collectors and welded on a set of Thrush welded mufflers. They look and sound like knock-offs of the Flowmaster 40 series. It gave the 400 a nice rumble. I adjusted the carburetor and took it for a good ride to clear it out. The more I drove it, the better it seemed to get. I went a few blocks down to a street that was just paved not too long ago and spun them up. It left some nice marks in the road. I stopped and jumped on it quick, spun the tires through 2nd gear pretty good. It made me wonder what ever clicked in my head that the car needed to have a big block in the first place. I forgot how fun the car was it has been sitting so long. It felt good to take it out again for a good ride after all these years. Little did I know it would be my last ride. I sold the black Chevelle over the weekend. It has been kind of depressing but I needed to let it go so I could move on to the "new" car. I got pretty close to full asking price and still have a lot of extra parts left over to sell off and recoup some money. I had left my camera in my other truck so I couldn't even get any good pictures of it before it left. All I have is a few shots to remember it by. I am gonna miss that car.
It just dawned on me that I sold my only remaining 8 track player with the black Chevelle...
Ms Grumpy
09-13-2011, 07:33 PM
Oh man Berg. I feel your pain, I am just glad that you took her out for a ride before you said good-bye. Isn't it amazing how we get attached, how many memories are tied up in, and how we miss them when they are gone. And some people think they are just cars.
You know the funny thing is I can never find the camera when I need it and when I do find it the only thing on it is a million pictures of the dog. I like the dog but I like the cars and trucks and boats too! I need a good phone with a camera that I can upload pictures with that way I will always have them. I wish I had a video of the car running or me driving it or something. I become jealous when I see people with them. I guess in the end I still have A Chevelle... just not the car the memories were with but this one will have some of the stuff from the other car so I can pretend it is a partial reincarnation of it. Yeah that's it, I'll just tell myself that!
On a lighter note, I had gotten a set of black door panels from an SS that were replaced with aftermarket ones a few years back. I just dug them out of the garage and finally cleaned them up. They don't look half bad for garbage as far as I'm concerned and they are a lot better than the ones in the car at the moment. I know they'll fit too because they are GM originals too! I'm thinking about buying an aftermarket cowl induction hood with the flapper since I sold my NOS GM SS hood with the car. I wish the guy didn't see it. I figure if I have to buy one anyway I'm thinking of buying the whole functional cowl induction kit. I see some companies out there with the kit mostly complete for around $600. What do you guys think?
smokenjoep01
09-16-2011, 07:58 AM
Sounds like your taking it well. Everything happens for the best! Youll be making new memories soon.
I got some more stuff coming on the way. It took me a while with other things going on to finally get some stuff taken care of. I got rid of a few more projects and made some more room in the garage. I'm able to fit 2 cars in the 3 car garage! It is an improvement. I'm not even able to fit a car in the middle bay even if everything was out of it because there is only 16' from the back wall to the door opening. It seems like my Chevelle always takes a back seat to projects like baseboard moldings and door trim in the house. I also had a roof leak and a window that was so out of square it was binding up and not able to latch shut. I still have a door to take care of on the back of the garage too and new steps and a patio where the deck used to be. I broke down and got a 3899621 bellhousing for the 11" clutch. I was going to use a 10.5" clutch behind the 454 I'm putting in because of the low power output but had a change of heart. I had gotten a 3858403 housing but I'm going to stack it into the spare parts bin along with the extra 12 bolt rear and spare disc brake spindles. I might end up selling this stuff once the car is together to get some more funding and space in the garage. I ordered a partial trunk pan to take care of the hole and rust around where the cutout was for the fuel cell sump. I ordered a new cross shaft rebuild kit to help tighten up the Z bar. I'm going to weld up and re-drill the holes for the linkage to take some slop out of it. I opted to get as many used GM and NOS parts as I could so I could ensure they'd fit as original. Its going to be a rainy week so I don't see the car getting pulled out for a little while.
Ms Grumpy
09-20-2011, 06:17 PM
Berg, it sounds like you are making progress. But this weather really sucks. I thought it was fall, not spring. I can deal with the cooler weather but the rain needs to go away. It makes it hard to get things done. I can't even pull mine out to wash it cause one minute the sun is shining and the next it is pouring. Hope the weather clears up soon so you can pull your car out and get some things done before it snows.
The weather has been a drag. I ordered another oil pan today because I didn't like the first one. I got a 5qt gold zinc coated one from Summit. Lets see how this one fits. I ordered the thick gasket set with it like it said also. I also ordered a pit pack bushing kit in nylon for the shifter to take any slop out of the linkage. While I was at it I ordered the correct serpentine pulley for the 12SI alternator to match the crank and water pump pulley set. I'm probably getting ahead of myself but I have been doing so many other projects that I sprung for a cheap fitted car cover to keep the crap off the car if its in the garage or if I have to put it out in the driveway and it rains. I plan to register it and have it on the road before the snow hits just so I'll be more easily motivated to work on it in the spring. I don't see much happening over the winter unless I save up some money for seat foams and new seat covers and headliner and package tray. I need to move a little faster on this car than I did with the other one.
flash
09-21-2011, 08:59 PM
At least you are making progress ,I stopped by the bodyshop to see my truck still in piles and pieces but it will be nice one day before long .
Flash, one of my trucks is the next project. I have to do something with my 84 Blazer. It is my first truck and not worth much to most people but I have major sentimental issues with this vehicle. It has been good to me and taught me a lot along the way. It has been a a test rat and saved a few lives. Its done countless recoveries and got me to work, school, and everywhere else you could think of. It was also my prom limo and saw more action in its history than than I should admit. That truck deserves a medal, let alone some fresh metal. I'm always collecting new parts for it for the big resto I have planned. That'll take even longer than my Chevelle project.
Speaking of project progress, I removed the window moldings around the back window and windshield and cut the windshield out of the car. Someone glued in the window moldings with silicone,caulk, and some form of monkey snot instead of cutting the glass out and fixing it the correct way. I'm up in the air over doing the roof skin or just bending up some window channel patch pieces. I feel like the skin may save me a lot of overhaul. I figure if I'm going to need a passenger side rear quarter maybe I should just do it at the same time as the roof. Anyone have any input/experience?
I found my camera and uploaded some pictures of progress. Still have to get a new oil pump screen. Its the only thing keeping the engine from going in the car at this point. Keep in mind I'm not doing a restoration on this car, I'm just trying to make it a nice period-correct weekend driver. Right now I'm focused on getting the powertrain sorted out with brakes, suspension and then comes the body work. I just cleaned up the stuff inboard of the frame rails and brake booster. I'll finish off the heater box and outer portions of the firewall when I pull the fenders.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1043-Copy.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1037-Copy.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1031-Copy2.jpg
I got a rebuilt master cylinder and sprayed it with cast blast to keep it from rusting. I clear coated the top cover and hold-downs with a high temp clear to help preserve it. I painted the steering shaft with the same paint. It seems pretty durable and it looks like it belongs that way so it is good enough for me. That is the original brake booster I took off and cleaned up. It is in good condition so I didn't feel the need to replace it. The brake lines with the exception of the line from the distribution block to the rear brake hose are in good condition so I cleaned them up where they needed it. I got new wheel cylinders for the rear and will do the calipers when I rebuild the front end. I'll clean up the A arms when I change the springs and bushings. While I had the column out of the car I cleaned up the end and changed the base plate for the 4 speed. I got a reproduction from Inline Tube. It fit OK, some of the holes were slightly off but nothing that couldn't be made to work with ease. The new replacement gasket on the other hand left something to be desired. The holes are punched off by around 1/8" to 1/4" off and the hole for the column to pass through is too small. The hole for the 4 speed knockout could have actually been a little smaller but It'll do for now. It turns out I got the wrong Z-bar when I bought the clutch linkage but that's what happens when you aren't totally familiar with what you are dealing with. At least the piece is a genuine GM, looks to be maybe for a 73-77 Chevelle, El Camino, or Monte Carlo piece. The rest of the hardware was correct. I had to grind down 2 welds on the frame from where a chain was used to hold the engine down. I guess it was cut away when the previous owner went with Moroso solid motor mounts. I'll be running Energy Suspension poly motor mounts with an internal locking design so I don't have to worry about needing any kind of chain or cable. I'd like to clean up the wiper motor a little more in the future but it isn't really a priority at the moment. I know it looks like hell.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1028-Copy2.jpg
I noticed a small crack in the dash carrier right below the column when I removed the tach that was mounted on the column. It isn't anything I'm going to bother replacing the dash over, I just know it is there. I found 2 wires on the ignition system that were tapped into for a toggle switch and a push button. I have since removed all non-factory wiring and fixed wiring. Once the engine is in I will be adding a new oil pressure gauge just to keep an eye on things but I'll cross that bridge later. On a better note, I realized that my FM stereo is also an 8 track player! I thought I didn't have one anymore when i sold my black car. I guess I get to keep all my 8 tracks now!
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1012-Copy2.jpg
Here is a shot of the frame bracket for the Z bar, or Bellcrank, or whatever you'd like to call it.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1007-Copy2.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/108_0040.jpg
Here is a picture of the 454 I've been tripping over in my garage. Right now the car is taking up 2 bays of a 3 bay garage.
I forgot to mention that I took out a whole milk crate full of wiring, switches, relays, and buttons that has been added to the car over the years.
I got the engine in with the correct oil pan so no more hitting the crossmember which is a good thing. I was able to get it together with the new flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing. I chose to go with the Valeo diaphragm clutch and new GM flywheel. This weekend I went to a swap meet and bought an oval port intake manifold to get rid of the low rise cast iron one that is on it. I'm probably going to rebuild one of my Holley 4150's with mechanical secondaries too. My biggest issue was header fitment on the drivers side. I had to pull the steering shaft out of the car and jack up the engine again with the temp sending unit out of it and the oil filter off to get the damn thing in there. The good news about the headers is I know they'd fit in one way or another because I had everything mocked up in the other car before I dropped the 400 back in it. It turns out the Z bar I got for the clutch linkage is incorrect but it shouldn't take much at all to make it fit until I track down the right one. I got the M20 under the car and took out the bolts for the shifter but left the mounting plate on. I'm going to figure out what has to be trimmed from the tunnel for the shifter to clear and then I'll spot weld the shifter hump in place.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1061.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1062.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1074.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1072.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1071.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1088.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1084.jpg
In the second and third picture you can see the 1/8" Tee fitting I put in for the oil pressure sending unit and the tap for the mechanical gauge. There is a small hole in the firewall that I'm going to run copper line through with a grommet. I don't trust the plastic line that comes with gauge kits from chain stores. I figure the factory used copper line for years so I would do the same. Eventually when I get the money I plan on buying an oil pressure gauge with an electronic sending unit so no oil has to be plumbed into the passenger compartment. I originally planned on installing the engine and trans together but ended up instead installing the engine with the bellhousing but the transmission removed. It went right in with little difficulty and I actually had room to leave the radiator if I felt like it. I had plenty of clearance around everything and there is still room behind the HEI distributor against the firewall. Once everything is the way I want it I want to pick up an Accel corrected-cap but I feel I'll probably have to make custom wires to use it. I'll have to see if anyone out there has a wire set with that cap that I like the way the wires are run. After I get the driveshaft and the parking brake squared away I'll be on to doing the wiring with the MSD 6AL box.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1089.jpg
I should have cleaned up the transmission better but it isn't the one I plan on keeping in the car. If I do end up keeping it in there I'll probably do synchros and reseal it. I can't wait to get this thing moving under its own power. The woman enrolled in the nursing program and is taking night classes so it free'd up some time for me here and there after work and I lost my overtime for now so I look like I'm good till December to work on it.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1090.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1091.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1087.jpg
[IMG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1086.jpg[/IMG
The power steering lines still had the little metal spring clip and the steering box had the pressure hose holder still in place and I left them in place as original. I'd like to get a new return hose on there but I misplaced the one I had gotten. To be quite honest, I'm missing a good amount of things from my garage. I know I can misplace things time to time but this is above and beyond that. I'm working on that issue now. Other than that I can get a new power steering belt and move along for now.
SS Shaun
10-11-2011, 08:51 AM
you missed the closing bracket on your second picture..lol very nice man coming along good
closing bracket? maybe its the 4 hours of sleep I got. I'm still missing it lol. what is it and where does it go and what does it close?
smokenjoep01
10-11-2011, 01:37 PM
Looks good! That motor is sweet. Coming right along. Are you going to use those stock wheels that I seen on the front in one of those photos?
SS Shaun
10-11-2011, 01:41 PM
[IMG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1086.jpg[/IMG
lol see at the end of this img here you should have a ] to make the image look like this :)
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/K5Blazer4speed/1970%20SS396%20Chevelle/109_1086.jpg
your welcome :)
haha ohh why thank you. I'm looking for a clutch return spring bracket or something missing in the picture. Its like trying to find waldo.
Ms Grumpy
10-11-2011, 07:16 PM
haha ohh why thank you. I'm looking for a clutch return spring bracket or something missing in the picture. Its like trying to find waldo.
.....lol.....
No pictures as of right now but I did get some things taken care of on the car. I picked up another hood. I got it because someone sand blasted it and did a good job of cleaning it up but they warped the front of it near the hood pin holes on both sides. Anybody ever re-skin a hood before? I just don't like the fit of aftermarket panels so I'm trying to stay away from them. I'm thinking I might be able to get away with using a shrinking hammer on it until it is close enough to be leveled with high build primer. I gotta find the pics of the new yoke for the driveshaft. I got the trans tunnel in place and shifter in. It is looking like a car again. The rest will probably wait till spring
smokenjoep01
11-29-2011, 09:36 AM
Glad to hear your still making progress. I will hope for a short and warm winter fo you.
carpoor
12-22-2011, 05:01 AM
Try toothpaste on the guage lens before you toss it. Seriously, wash it with soapy water first, then polish it with toothpaste on a terry towel.
I know plastic polishes are available, but toothpaste will work in a pinch.
hey thanks for the tip on the lens. I was going to take it out and use 3M finesse-it on it when I get around to it. I have to upload some more pictures when I get a chance. I've just been going crazy with projects lately. I'll have to try the toothpaste on one of my old truck clusters I have laying around. I got the car together and running but am having electrical gremlins with something back-feeding the parking lights when I step on the brake pedal. I'm having a problem with the turn signals too. I'm debating on buying a new harness with blade fuses and rewiring the car from the headlights to the taillights. I pulled the windshield and started cutting rust out of the A posts and around the windshield frame and have realized I'm going to do a roof skin on the car when the passenger rear quarter is replaced in the future. I will tell you guys that 30 mph feels fast when you have open headers and no windshield!
smokenjoep01
12-26-2011, 08:48 AM
Sounds like a fun ride. Keep on it.
its been a while but I made some forward progress. I have since dialed in the HEI distributor but I'm having some issues with the fuse block. I'm leaning towards a complete replacement harness even though I have put a decent amount of work into the original harness. I'm thinking about the American Autowire:
http://www.americanautowire.com/70-72chevelle.html
I am kind of caught up on it because I was going to keep it as original as possible but this seems like such a nice harness for the money. I'd like to run my original style headlight knob but I wouldn't mind ditching the ammeter for the voltmeter instead. Anyone else out there running this harness? I see it is basically a plug-in replacement for the HEI with tach leads too and moves the horn relay up under the dash. I probably won't get to this for a while since I just got my taxes done last night and it didn't go in my favor. I noticed my drivers side quarter panel has lightly more rot than I first realized due to a previous repair. The undercoat that covered the trunk drop down made the panel look solid but it rotted from the inside out. Looks like more patchwork on my future. I've since decided to do a complete roof skin and A-pillar channels along with full passenger quarter. Any of you guys ever do this before? I'm trying to figure out if it is easier doing the gutters with the roof or leaving them in place.
Hey guys, not a whole lot going on with my car lately. I did clean it out a little and pulled it out of the garage while we had some nice warm weather. I'm regretting selling the black 70 Malibu at this point because it has been beautiful and I would have liked to have been driving it around to the local cruise nights. I'm still looking into replacing the A-posts but right now I have to concentrate on the boat. I think I might also be in the market to replace my 2 Suburbans with a newer 2007 or 2008 2500 Suburban so yet another expense. I told you guys this was gonna be a slow build!
smokenjoep01
04-23-2012, 11:55 AM
Hey any progress is PROGRESS! Hang in there. Im with ya dreaming of driving our classiscs.
I purchased the American classic auto update harness and it is a real nice piece. I have been looking at it for two years and would love to install it! Just cant get anything accomplished either.
OK I give up. Out of money, no time, storing car in someone's garage where I can't work on it. I'm listing it for sale. I'll ask high and if it sells, its gone. Everything with it goes too. I wish one day I'd be able to get this car built but my priorities are geared towards getting a house, and a reliable daily driver with under 400k on the clock. No overtime at work, no more second job. I feel someone might end up with a shadow gray L34 Chevelle
shadowgray396
07-11-2012, 09:45 PM
I feel someone might end up with a shadowgray L34 Chevelle
Sorry to hear you are going to sell. I agree a house and a good daily driver is more important. I had to wait 30 years to build this car.
smokenjoep01
07-12-2012, 07:29 PM
Sorry to hear this. Its sounds like its for the best. If you every get out my way. Your welcome to take out mine, if it is ever finished.
Ms Grumpy
07-12-2012, 11:07 PM
So sorry Berg. I don't want to say "I hope you sell your car", but on the other hand, if it will help you get to a good place with a dependable car and house, then I hope you do sell it.
Cars never get out of our blood. You will always be looking for the right car, whether it is around the corner or thousands of mile away. And you will find it, it might even be sitting in your friends garage right now. Any way that things turn out, you can always come here and find some friends that will always talk to you about what ever you want. Good Luck.
I will surely be kicking myself for years to come if it sells... i might be shooting a little high on the price also. I'm working hard on finding a nice dry indoor home for it at the moment
shadowgray396
07-20-2012, 03:26 PM
Your asking price is not to bad with the options you list on the car. Not sure on how much rust issues you have. That will effect the price. Just remember these cars getting harder to come by, and if you do store it it will be there when you are ready to build it.
I'm trying to hold off. I won't budge on price. I'm doing everything I can to hang onto it. I'm about to buy a house that I can barely afford just to get a garage with it
Well, it is a month later and I didn't sell it. Actually I chased people away from it by telling them everything it needed and everything that was wrong with it-also had a few young punks come look at it and say how they were going to change the "lame ass 14 inch rims" and put some dubs on it and spray paint it some crazy color scheme with racing seats and digital gauges and I decided at that point the car was no longer for sale. I couldn't see this thing get chopped up and made into some ghetto cruiser and then have to look at it from time to time. I know it was also a bad idea but I managed to pick up some more parts for it to help me along. I ended up needing to get an engine for my '99 2500 Suburban (oiling issues) so i now have a Vortec 454 to rebuild for the Chevelle if I ever feel like it. It runs on 87 octane and has provisions for the clutch ball stud already cast into it- just needs to have threads tapped. I already have an adjustable valvetrain and roller rockers along with a Mercruiser cam swap and I have a dual plane aluminum intake manifold with a 750CFM Holley carb that matches up to the Vortec intake ports nicely. I'd say it wouldn't be hard to get 350hp and somewhere around 380 ft-lbs of torque out of it. I did some welding on the drivers side A post to get it stitched up. I think instead of changing them out I'll be patching them. It is going a lot smoother than anticipated and I'll just have to reinstall the molding clips with the screw kit in the catalogs. I doubt i'm going to be able to get away from doing a roof skin but I am going to try to make some patch panels to save it. I've seen people save a lot worse and I feel at this point if I cut the entire skin off the car i will never see it back together while I own it. Patches for now! It is impossible to work on the car where it is and I only had a very small window of making noise to do it. I really need to be able to glue a windshield back into it so I can put the car outside in my own driveway (as much as it sucks to see it outside-it's been out its whole life) and get a fresh coat of primer on it to give it a little protection from the elements.
earthquake68
08-28-2012, 12:01 PM
I know how you feel. My '64 has been outside under a tarp for a while now. I FINALLY got rid of another car so I could move the Chevelle inside. Stick with it. All it takes is money and time. :)
I'm also glad you didn't let some punk ruin a great looking car.
I think those kids were the deciding factor. It would kill me to see it get hacked up. I guess at this point even if I make very little forward progress on it, as long as it isn't getting worse than when I initially got it I can't see it being a problem. Once the glass is in it I can put new weatherstripping in it and keep the cabin and trunk dry. I'll pick up some moisture eliminating buckets for the interior spaces and keep a close eye on them
smokenjoep01
11-06-2012, 02:00 PM
Any new updates?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The car is sitting on my friends open car trailer with a car cover and a blue tarp tied down over it. I had a few people come to look at it but no bites. It is sitting without a fuel tank and sending unit and it needs fuel lines to run again. The battery had a cell go bad so it cranks super slow and doesn't hold a charge. I also realized I installed the wrong energy suspension engine mounts so the engine is sitting low. I thought the damper was awful close to the sway bar! The harness issue got worse. I noticed last time I played with it the dash wasn't getting power for some odd reason. I wish I had the money. I'd let the car go for $8,000 if it was going to the right home and it would go with the spare 454 and any/all parts minus the 468/TH400 combo which is going back to my dad. I wish I even had something to barter for the metalwork so I could get a windshield in it again. After that it wouldn't take much to put it back on the road. I got new wheel cylinders and rebuilt calipers with new rotors and pads sitting in the boxes. I already put the new master cylinder in it. We have been getting wacky weather with high winds and rain with a lot of local flooding so everything in life is on hold. I'm currently looking for a roomate and a house to rent with a garage... along with another night job to pay for it all
earthquake68
11-07-2012, 05:46 PM
Hang in as best you can. Getting money and a better lifestyle in the next four years is going to be difficult.
Ms Grumpy
11-07-2012, 05:50 PM
Berg, I hope that you find what you are looking for. I especially hope that you are able to hang onto your car until you can do everything you want to it.
I finally got around to getting some more pictures off my camera. This is from about a month ago when i pulled it out of the garage and brought it over to my buddy's house. I was going to drive it but I was having some serious electrical gremlins and didn't feel comfortable taking the chance. I guess its a good thing because the drivers side front caliper hung up on it after backing it off the trailer! It looks like it is sitting crooked in the front and rear pictures but that is just because it is off the blacktop on uneven ground. I still got it up for sale but I haven't had anyone who actually has money interested in it. It is OK with me, I'd like to keep it. That happens every time I fire it up and move it around though.
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/WRFD308/1970%20L34%20Chevelle%20SS396/100_2444.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/WRFD308/1970%20L34%20Chevelle%20SS396/100_2445.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/WRFD308/1970%20L34%20Chevelle%20SS396/100_2441.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/WRFD308/1970%20L34%20Chevelle%20SS396/100_2440.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/WRFD308/1970%20L34%20Chevelle%20SS396/100_2437.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/WRFD308/1970%20L34%20Chevelle%20SS396/109_1068.jpg
I found this shot of the 621 Bellhousing and clutch fork all cleaned up with the new throwout bearing before I put the engine in.
earthquake68
11-16-2012, 01:25 PM
I hope you find a way to keep it.
I still got my car for sale, found a reasonable house to rent with the option to buy (still no garage) but I got someone who wants to come up from West Virginia to take a look at my car for around $6,500. It is sad, but I can probably get up the 20% to put down on this house by June! I talked to the owner today and need to go inspect the home. It is from 1750 and hasn't been lived in for over a year. I'm thinking it would take a lot to get it back into shape but once again doing all the work myself I think I can pull it off... Ohh and it has a huge paved driveway. It sucks because I know if I can hang onto it for a few years I'd be able to get back on it here and there. I almost want to drop it off at a friends body shop and tell him to "take his time" with it. It would also be a lot harder to sell if it were indoors at a shop stuffed in the corner somewhere. I might take it to a swap meet on Saturday with a load of parts but who knows...
smokenjoep01
11-27-2012, 06:50 AM
I hope it all works out for the best. How ever it may work out.
Hey guys, I know its been a long time since I've been on here but I thought I'd give a little update. I still got the car. It is in the driveway of my new driveway on my buddies car trailer. He needed storage for it and I wanted to keep the car off the ground and out of the dirt so this works out pretty well. I got a full driveway with 2 automotive projects to crank out before I get back on the Chevelle. It is wrapped under a few tarps and I have gotten yet another SS domed hood. This one is super-clean and doesn't need any bodywork whatsoever so I'm going to run it. I got a whole A-pillar and roof support clip with the leading edge of the roof from Joe Vega at AZ Chevs. He cut it off into the top of the cowl panel and shipped it to me in one piece. It has all the factory molding studs welded in. I can't believe nobody has these available aftermarket for cutting pieces out of and welding in. It is a lot easier having metal with the correct bends already in it instead of screwing around with the metal brake and trying to hand hammer it to match the original contour. This should speed up my repair since it has sat all winter and now all summer until this point.
carpoor
08-05-2013, 01:36 PM
Back from the dead! Kind of glad you have managed to hang onto it. Hoping you get to do all of the metal work and seal it up with epoxy primer soon. That will be the biggest hurdle to get over with the project.
earthquake68
08-11-2013, 10:26 PM
Hey, welcome back!
Glad you found a way to keep it.
Thanks guys, I had the cover off of it yesterday. It has been really humid and it rained yesterday, with a chance of rain today so the cover went on it quick. I just wanted to check on the desiccant I put in it and a few of the bags were pretty saturated. I removed them, I'll be getting some more for the boat soon anyway when i wrap it up for the winter. I figure I'd just buy 3x as much so I got it for the car when it goes on sale. I think it will be the key to keeping the mold out of the interior since its being stored outdoors under a cover. I'm kicking around the idea of getting another car port. It worked OK for the last car when I couldn't keep it indoors and still let the air move around it. I just get worried in high winds or heavy snow that it might collapse. If I'm away from the house for 10 hours and nobody is there to clear it off it might buckle under the weight. I picked up some small odds-n-ends for it too. I think I just love collecting parts i don't have any room for.
Well guys, We had about 3 nice days within the last week so i took advantage of the time to pull the cover off the car and play around with it. I aired up the tires and decided to try out my new electric dual action sander. The whole roof of the car and tops of the fenders are covered in heavy surface rust so I decided to go to town and take it down to bare metal. I only got about a quarter of the roof done and the top part of the drivers quarter and shot some rattle can primer on it to keep it from flash rusting. I'm thinking about scraping up some cash and doing full quarters and a roof skin. I've read mixed reviews about the aftermarket roof skins so I'm a little weary but the good news is for the most part the trunk floor, inner and outer wheelhouses and the trunk drop offs are in decent shape and will only need some small patchwork here and there. It was good to have it running again. I feel like its been a very long time since I heard it. I even got some tire spin out of it while moving it around the driveway. My front calipers are hanging up again from sitting. Other than that, we will see where this summer takes my car. Maybe the 10 year plan might work!
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