1970 Coronet Super Bee a.k.a Project Plan Bee

[SuperB70]

Getting low. -er.

as the plan is to get this car low, put still driveable low.
pre-measures shows it could be around 126cm/ 46" of total height.
Wheels and tires will effect it of course, but we'll see.

I got an idea to rise the rear frame rails above the rear axle.
To be able to rise the axle with out loosing suspension travel.
when mounted the body on the frame table,
I fab'ed adjustable stands, like jack stands.
Cut'ed the frame rails from rockers and from trunk edge.
Loose the original wheel tubs at this point also.

Leaving the trunk floor to stock location for now.
Then jacked it up 3".
Made pieces to fit the caps,
bead roller the edge to give same curve as stock rails..

After they where welded on, supported the rear panel from table.
I cut'ed the rear frame rails off, and floor under rear seat.
they where is good shape but they where too narrow for my plans.
Made new wider ones with magnetic brake. Again, with same kind of radius as stock ones. Now I can fit a tube in. Tube frame. That's coming, as are the bigger tubs.

[ScotI]

Very nicely done on the raised frame rail kick-up & transition pieces.

[jarhead]

Looking good Juhani!

I was wondering about your build a couple of months ago

[SuperB70]

Thx guys,

Hey Joe,
Project is moving ahead.

[Bakaruda]

As a Mopar Or Nocar guy "Love It".....

[SuperB70]

Wheel tubs time.

Making card board temples, tryed some patterns, settle for this. Make one piece, with three step beads, 1/2" radius at edge, easier to weld together. Making tubs in three pieces, again easier to bead roll them, then tig weld them together. Not too big and grazy, want to run with back seat. This is Grand Tourer..

Good friend loaned his '06 Ford GT rear wheel to mock up. I just imported set of one off Asanti's for him. Really like how low its coming. Put also shows, need to turn on my plasma again. Open up opening more.

Was thinking should I also widen those quarters now? Would be easy...

[camcojb]

That looks killer!

[SuperB70]

Thanks Jody!

updates...

So I scored big time. Wasn't cheap but bought it anyway. Brand new gen 3 8.3l "crate" engine fell in my lap.
Let just say its left over from some motorsport-program. (Cant tell more)
Oh boy do I have some plans for this...

Its time to start building the tube frame. Building it from 1 1/4 DOM tubing. Was calculation for a long time should I build it from that new high strength tubing, Swedish Docol R8. Actually all are made by SSAB here in Finland but shipped to Sweden and sold from there. SSAB is Swedish company. But I decided to go with familar DOM. I may have to compesate weight with more power..
Raising the floors 3" so first tube goes to upper inner part of rockers. Then small pieces between ans second tube under those. Should be stiff piece. Next cross tube and bended tubes to inside rear frame rail. All to way to back panel. From there forward one pair as "subframe connectors". Frame rails and all inside is painted with industrial grade gray 2-k epoxy before hand.

Another score, cheap roller C4 Vette, I bought it just for front suspension. One of my friends needed the rest. So kind of free be for me. Luckily I've a dually and large enclosed trailer also my company is one of few GM Performance centers around here so I have access to GM files. Body dimensions. Front axle mounting dimensions and angle.. Do you guess by now where this is going...

Then after some measurements, turned on my plasma and cutted off the whole front windshield forward off. Where we are going, we don't need torsion bars..

Then another score, came across craigslist-add. Light rear end crashed Maybach 57 parting out in Florida. Got my good friend to go and check that the trans was good and right number one. (722.649) Not so popular in US but widelly used in Europe, many kind of motorsport. Holds a lot of tq. Even in stock form. Of course it can be beefed up and this will be.
This has two reverse gears (Aftermarket controller can run both).
Modern Mopars NAG-1 is same family Mercedes trans.
NAG-1 =W5A580 (580Nm) mine W5A900 (900Nm)
Have no idea how to connect this to V10 but I'm sure I'll sort it out some how..(spoiler alert, I will)

[SuperB70]

Engine is disassembled and mated to trans. Still no glue what thickness need to be at this point, so made plywood adapter extra thick. To make sure I'll have exrta space from trans to frame.
Made a installing frame/jig for drive train. Easy to move on top of the table. Get it centered. Front suspension pick up point jig started but that will change. More from that later update..

Roll cage fab.
I wanted to hide tubes inside roof frame. That means that I need to support and cut roof frame to many pieces. Trick is to get everything line up later. Use original roof skin and drilled spot welds as guide. Main hood will be removable
(I know its not inside NHRA or FIA rules but I don't care. Doing an roadcar.)
and l come under those front to back roof tubes. Locking bolted with machined shoulder tabs. Roof frame tubes are bended one piece from floor frame near door lower hinge to back to truck frame rail tube right after wheel tub.
They will be tie up with removable (with roll cage clamps) horizontal tube.
Floor center lower tubes will come under rear end and connect to same point at trunk rails. Also with boltable locking clamps.
Front upper cross tube fitted to fit roof skin and windshield channel, witch will revolve to flush glass channel.

Last pic shows center section of the frame. Kind of drag car douple frame but more smoother shape. Wheel tub has been trimmed for quarter to be cleco'd for test fit.