30lbs that freaking awesome !!

I got my sense of smell back (chemo side effect) about two weeks after Sema and kinda went on an eating binge and put on 11lbs fairly quickly and I decided it was time to get rid of that weight before it becomes permanent.

ps It was the chocolate covered almonds that did me in.

Oh I did decide on wheels, of course it's not either of the two choices I was looking at when I started the thread!
Forgeline GA3R
11x18 front
12x18 rear
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/C0D926.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/mx9tmW.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/5EtNpj.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/8ajDbZ.jpg

It's looking good Steve. Looking forward to seeing more. Nice work.

Steve those wheels look perfect and that carbon fender looks even better.

Great work on the car, Steve. Congrats on the weight loss, too. That's a heck of an accomplishment.

Thanks Wayne, I appreciate it!

Thanks a lot on both comments. Got a ways to go on both but I'll get there!
Congrats on the nice work you've gotten done on your bird, glad you've been out driving and enjoying it. I can't wait for winter to get over and get the cars out again.

Cool project, loving the carbon, and there is something about dimple dies along the windshield that just screams racy.

Steve, is your son still doing the water jet stuff?

Hi Ron, Thanks!! Good to hear from you buddy. Yes Taylor is still doing the waterjet. Been real busy cutting a big variety of stuff. Here's a couple of things he's done for me.

Had him make two of these a couple of years ago, gave 1 to Jody at SEMA.
Gonna have him cut me a large one out of steel, rust it and hang it on the shop wall
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/ROU3gq.jpg

These are going to be welded to the subframe for tie downs.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/R6pvto.jpg

Fuel pump access
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/Ah2DiL.jpg

Looking good man.

FYI - Since your doing carbon fenders. I assume that you may be looking for more carbon stuff. I stumbled upon these guys the other day and thought I would share the link.

http://www.ultra-carbon.com/products...amarofirebird/

very interesting. Thanks :)

Thanks John great to see you're working on your 2nd gen too!!

Something else I've been working on. I wasn't figuring on a back seat anyway so I figured I'd "borrow" an idea a few others had done. I cut out the back of the seat area to make a full "firewall" and am building a compartment to replace the seat. My plan is to have the battery and maybe the fuse panel, etc. in here.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/7o6EEn.jpg

Think I'm going to put some stainless mesh behind the dimples.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/64LlUF.jpg
Have the pattern made and plan to cut the top out of 1/8 aluminum on the waterjet. Will cut two doors out at the same time and already have an aluminum continuous hinge to mount them.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/TPeK4M.jpg

Looks like a very comfy back seat *could* go there.

Yeah, you're right, maybe go get a couple of chaise lounge cushions :lmao:
Thanks John!

Glad you chose the Forgeline's for wheel choice. :headspin: :headspin:

Me too thanks :lol: the headspins were appropriate considering how I was trying to decide which wheels I wanted :bang:

Looking good Steve! get that thing done and on the track!

Very impressive work. I'm enjoying the progress and the fabrication your doing. Can't wait to see it progress.

Thanks Paul, man I'm trying :bang: The cabinet shop
is damn busy and don't seem to get enough hours on the car, but you know how that was trying to work on your own project.

Thanks a lot, by my sig line you can see my next project is a 64 Malibu. I've got it all stripped down and have been trying to get the shop that painted my 69 to get started on it. No luck so far :shakehead:

Never did care for the stock dash in the second gens. I also wanted to use one of the Dakota Digital VHX-1100 instrument clusters so I decided to build the dash from scratch. Did a cad drawing first, the dark areas are going to be carbon fiber with the trim around it 1/8 aluminum painted black. The 4 dimples will have the same stainless mesh behind them as the "rear seat" compartment. The vents on either end and in the middle are the Restomodair Synister style like the AC bulkhead in an earlier pic
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/qwSR6D.jpg
Bent up the lower piece and temporarily supported it in place to try and decide if it was feasible (or if I was in over my head lol)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/lasECf.jpg

Then I fabbed these brackets to support the whole works.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/4cJrGB.jpg

The outer two are welded to the cage and the center bracket attaches to the factory center dash support
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/LU3DbP.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/ASaplM.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/rimpL3.jpg

Cut the front edge of the dash top out of 3/4 mdf on one of the cnc's at the cabinet shop. Pretty handy lol
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/9lzIwQ.jpg
Mocked up the "can" for the gauges using poster board
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/87oU5z.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/1nRp7H.jpg
Taylor cut the can out on the waterjet
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/fxRllD.jpg

Well done Steve! Really nice!

You could use Jeep CJ7 light boxes over those switches for night time driving.

That gauge panel looks great, can't wait to see it installed.

Question about your kick panel vents, are you sealing them up? How are you going about it?

Sick!!

Thanks Scott appreciate it! BTW the Chevelle is looking awesome. Drive the heck out of it!!

Thanks, Pic coming up!! lol We welded a panel over the pass. vent hole from the outside when we had the cowl area open to mount the oil tank there. Going to weld a panel over the driver side also.

Thanks Mike, I have no clue what I'm doing but I'm dumb enough to just keep trying. :)

A few pics of the weekends progress. Didn't get much done, wife decided we needed to go check on our lake place Saturday.
"completed" can in place
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/oEucrR.jpg
with VHX guage installed
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/afvpXe.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/r4L9a3.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/OfPt8D.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/qeNbci.jpg

Wow what a great build!

I agree with you on the stock dash. I guess it's time I post up the plans for my interior and actually get working on the my car again.

ps Your car & posts have re-inspired me.

Thanks Jp i'm watching your build too. Gonna be very nice!

Hey Marty I'm glad you're being inspired!! Thanks lol
Btw I forgot to post the pic of my idea for my rear firewall. It's the same idea as the dash inserts. 1/8" alum. trim piece with carbon fiber inserts. Plan on doing something similar as an insert on the door panels also.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/Qa3H3t.jpg

Thanks for the info. I agree with Marty, this project is getting me motivated to get out in the garage and work on my 73. It's great to see more second gens in here.

Constantly blown away by the skills some on G-Net possess, great fab work!

[QUOTE=slenning;631719]Cut the front edge of the dash top out of 3/4 mdf on one of the cnc's at the cabinet shop. Pretty handy lol

Rule number ONE in auto design......
"No Straight Lines on a Styled Surface"
U might want to redo the dash top slightly.
I suggest u slim down the frame around the instrument cluster by increasing the radius of the topmost line by an inch, then drop the center point till the top is a quarter inch LOWER than original.
Then....the top line that heads over to the right towards glove compartment needs to be lifted 3/8" at the cluster end, and a HUGE radius like 200" to finish 1/4" BELOW original. Mirror that change to the small section on the left of cluster.

From Jim Grant....Australia......ex-Holden division designer.

Love to see cabinet guys building cars. LOL
High tech CNC router table for the win

Thanks!! but I think you're in the wrong thread posting that. :lol:



Ron, are you making fun of me?? :lol: :waveflag:

[QUOTE=Beechy;632279]Hi Jim thanks for the suggestions, I have included a new drawing showing most of the changes you had mentioned. I did slim down the area above the cluster. You had suggested lifting the top line 3/8" at the cluster end but I thought that it looked too thick when I did that. I used a 1200" radius to finish at 1/4" below the original height at the "glove box" end. I pretty much have all of the programming done to cut the whole top of the dash out of wood. I have cut the front section out based on the new design and I think it looks pretty good! Will post pics when I have a little more.
Thanks again!
BTW I do have about a 36" radius on the top from front to back also.


[IMG]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/qVPLHE.jpg[/IMG]

A little more progress. I started off with this for a door bar setup,
[IMG]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/oJ0JxK.jpg[/IMG]
then last weekend I decided to change it to this.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/BCtdxC.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/0QlBWw.jpg

Cut these out on waterjet
[IMG]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/nFeevZ.jpg[/IMG]
to mount Peterson oil tank
[IMG]http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/12hC3G.jpg[/IMG]

Cough...Cough

I think we need an update.

:y0!: :y0!: :y0!: :y0!: :y0!: :y0!: :y0!: