Project WidowMaker - The Build Thread

[Cris@JCG]

Tim- Car is looking good!!

[vinz68]

Very cool build!!

[The WidowMaker]

just a brief update. i finished welding up the quarters today and i also finished up mounting the lower valance to the bumper. i just need to finish grinding the welds and work on the corners a little tomorrow and it should be done.

also, the tko is sold and i plan to purchase the magnum tomorrow. i need a bellhousing as well and since i have a credit with mcleod, i drove down there today to use it towards one of their 8710-00's. while there, i was told that they are redesigning the part and should have the new bell out in a couple months. it will only have the starter pocket on one side and therefore be a little easier to package.

so instead of buying a bell, i ended up swapping out my rst clutch for an rxt. my rst was the first version, and they were actually going to rebuild mine with all the new updated parts for free since its still brand new. after discussing the intentions for the car, they recommended the rxt hands down. with the clutch material of the rst, it has to be rebuilt if you glaze it. the rxt will actually fix itself after a little driving and is meant to take the extra abuse. they are actually in the process of adding a sprung hub to the rxt's, so i was told to bring it back before i installed it and they would update this one as well. i really couldnt believe the customer service and their desire to only have their best product on the road. things would have been slightly different if i was bringing them a used clutch though.

but, i still need a bell. the quicktimes are a little more expensive, but they are lighter and possibly a little smaller as well. im not sure which way im going to go yet.

Tim

[The WidowMaker]

well i wanted to be done with the bumper months ago, and i really thought i would finish it today, but nope. i got the corners finished up and that was about it. now the quarters are done (except a couple tacks underneath the lip that can be seen in the pics), but i need to finish grinding the welds on the bumper and i still need to fill the jack holes. then i have a few more welds to grind on the valance and it should be done. i will make sure a fit the bumper a couple times when blocking the car and make sure the fitment doesnt change very much. there are a couple areas that can be touched up a little. i will also decide how to make the exhaust exit at a later time.

i also took a couple pictures of the newest and final arm on the wipers and another of how it mounts under the fender. i made this arm almost twice as thick where the bearings mount, but the rest is the same. the extra thickness allowed me to retain one bearing with the snap ring, but the second is retained when it is all bolted together. this extra width improved stability at least another 50%. its friggin rock solid now. i still never figured out why the dse cam moves as much as it does, but i came up with my own geometry to work around it.

i also called up summit and ordered the quicktime bellhousing part #rm-8020. i had summit price match the best price which i found using the google shopping site. i friggin love them. it even beat summits pro shop price by 20 bucks.

here are a couple pics.

[NvrDun71]

Inspiring Build, keep up the great work! Also congrats on the TKO sale, The Magnum will be nice

[waynieZ]

Very nice work on the bumper. That looks like stout set up on the wipers.

[tones2SS]

Originally Posted by waynieZ

Very nice work on the bumper. That looks like stout set up on the wipers.

^^What Wayne said here. Looks great.
Keep up the great work Tim.

[The WidowMaker]

thanks guys!

[The WidowMaker]

i finally got the bumper finished! this has been the most difficult project to date, and it will still need a lot of work when i get the car painted. i really wish i could have sucked the "wings" in a little more or extended the quarters as that would have helped with the illusion created by the depth difference. although the gap measures the same all the way across (+/- .010), the gap at the edges appear larger. its friggin killing me! but i think with color the issue will disappear. i debated actually making the sides smaller but the illusion changes depending on shadows. with the sun to the rear of the car everything actually looks as it measures.

i also got the quicktime bellhousing today. i was really suprised to see the block plate, or lack there of. the mcleod is a solid plate with about a 6" dia hole in the center. the quicktime is about a 1" perimeter strip and some more plate that covers the oil pan and thats it. i have a feeling they use the flywheel to keep material from going into the engine, but that doesnt really make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside :noway:. i'll call them tomorrow and see what they say. i saved 14lbs though. 27 vs 41. i have a feeling i'll more than make up for that with the larger magnum.

the radiator also shipped last week. mike at musclerodz is the man. i'll take some pics when it gets here.

im going to spend the next couple days cleaning up the trunk lid a little. the gaps need a little more work and the weather stripping channels need some work as well. then i have to pick up some doors and get the sheet metal all fit.

the new quicktime housing......

[waynieZ]

They make a nice looking bell housing.