hmn, problems with the board code. I thought I'd have the pics inline with my text.
So, as a I said, something just didnt look right... a bunch of numbers crunched told us what our eyeballs were saying was true... it was a truck suspension, it would handle like a truck.
Enter phase two... this is after some paint. Oh and we didn't center the rear axle in the wheel well, as GM didn't either. The lowered right height didn't help much either.
I talked with Nathan Porter, of Porterbuilt. I had been watching his tech happen on a board (that banned me for linking 4x4 tech) and he impressed me with the math of his suspension. So, yep, pull the entire front clip off, cut out the boxing plates and re-work a bunch of stuff.
Oh and since the motor's out, a measly forged 408 isn't enough, as I lost the turbo/EFI guru I had, so might as well do a GMPP 427 LSX (True LSX) with a whipple blower oh and a 2" cog belt drive... but the cog belt drive didn't work that well.
From a specs perspective, this is where the truck is. 427 blown LSX, TCI 6 speed in a 4080E case, 12B rear with parallel 4 link and watts. It did get new shoes and new rubber... oh and 14" Baer brakes.
By now, I was sick of the craigslist wheels. The 90's called, they wanted their American Racing rims back. I bought them as rollers. Enter in some big billets... which due to my idiot supplier took 14 months to get. I bought Billet Specialties Vintecs and put nice rubber on em.
I also spent about 111 hours with miles of wire, shrink wrap, flex loom, soldier and a lot of cigars and wine.
Yes, I am a Patriots fan. Danny Woodhead was still with us back then.
So, since this has turned into my pseudo build thread, where we are now.
Fixing a previous body shop's issues. Ever think to yourself: "Self, we should this our self, because something's just not right"?
Yeah, I sent my father's truck out for paint.
What I found when I tried to adjust a gap and the rocker fell off, was the typical rob Peter to pay Paul paint tactics. Promise the moon, wait a year, deliver Uranus in 3 weeks after while trying to bill as if you worked on it longer.
Yes, they installed the 68 trim using the braile method... yes, I have multiple holes in my NOS bed sides, that I pulled out of the boxes they lived in for 40 years. Yes, they welded the bed together 3/4" higher on the passenger side. Yes, they used panel adhesive with it mixed wrong. I also had more fish eyes than a pool of carp.
Since it was at my shop, I decided it was worth finishing right. Took it right down to bare metal, as the other shop let their primer get wet and the bed rusted underneath the porous, non sealed surface.
I also decided to build my center console that houses more Auto Meter gauges.... and I wanted them to look like the belonged.
We also re-routed and tied down a bunch of temporary plumbing.
It also looks like I may be able to fit more rubber in back now
In between paint prisons, both self inflicted, I did get to drive it. We raced. We found out that the cog belt drive could rip the alternator right off the truck when the blower kicked in. We found out that Whipple wouldn't support the 18psi of boost we were making with the cog drive at all and we really found out why.
So I talked with Mike at Whipple and Randy at Concept One, and I became a dealer for both. They are awesome.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Hybrid Mode
