redss86 Truck Arm Build LOTS of pics!!!!

[grendel]

Very cool... in for the ride. I have a Monte SS to play with, at some point.

[gofastwclass]

Cool project, I love the fabrication. You're putting the custom in custom car for sure!

[redss86]

Here are some pictures of the rear end in the frame, and building spring perches on top of the axles.



And the truck arm mounts



I will have to get some pictures of the finished spring perches. They supported a lot more than what is in these pictures.

Here is a picture of it when I got it out of my Dad's shed. From here, it went into a storage unit for 2 years I think. These were taken on April, '07.



I know it leans in the last pic. I think I bent my ride height simulator on that side.

Now this puts us up to May '14. I took a weeks vacation to work on it. Unfortunately it took a good part of the week just to figure out where I was at on it. So that's a 7 year gap from working on it.



And of course, when you have toddlers and some sidewalk chalk around, they tend to draw on "everything". I guess they were just trying to help me out with getting color on it.



You can also see part of my new shed I built to be able to work on it.

[redss86]

After I mocked up the ride height, I put it up on stands to take a look underneath. I got to looking at the potential driveshaft clearance, and was a little concerned. So I found a piece of 3" conduit that I had laying around from building the shed. It just so happened to be the correct length to fit between the trans, and rear end to mimic a driveshaft. What I found was that at ride height I only had about 3/8" or less of clearance. So in turn I decided to raise the tunnel 1". So here is that process.



In turn, I also had to raise the floor bracing.



Welded up the firewall- floorpan seam, and cut off the pinch welds on the outside. Hopefully to serve to clean up the firewall, provide more bell housing clearance, and possibly some strength.

[redss86]

Trimmed the rear wheel opening flanges, and rolled them over.

`

[redss86]

Part of the reason I had to raise the floor, was because I decided to change my transmission cross-member. This raised the trans up, therefore I felt better raising the floor.



Since I am setting this up so low, and with the truck-arms, I am forced to have the exhaust exit in front of the rear wheels. I plan on using something like the borla xr1 or similar mufflers, and I have some "Nascar boom tubes" that I am using for "tips". So with all the extra bracing running through the center of the frame, I decided to put some exhaust pass throughs in the bracing. I intend to add some bracing on the tops and bottoms of the pass-throughs. I also have to put them in the front "diagonal" braces, but I have the body on the frame currently so that will wait. I will be using some oval exhaust tubing. The pass-throughs are made from some 4.25x0.250 dom tube that I heated and smashed into an oval.



I had started doing the body work on the doors a looonnnggggg time ago. Needless to say they had some surface rust on them. So for Valantine's day this year, the wife's present to me, was working on my car!!!!. So I put her to work stripping the doors back to bare metal so I could get them back in epoxy. I did the same with the fenders.



While the body is still on the frame, I decided to go ahead and see if I can get all the panels "fit". Needless to say, that is going to take some WORK!!! Gaps are not horrible, but where they are off, it's pretty bad (to me anyways).

[redss86]

This now gets up to date!!!

The only place I have changed direction from my "original" plan is the engine. Originally planned on a ~600hp sbc, but have change to a late model LS6 block and the intent on a pair of "hair driers". I don't actually have them yet, but I am still collecting parts as I find deals. The hope now is for ~650-700 whp. This will also retain a/c.



Update's will slow now, as I have to actually work on it to have an update.

[grendel]

My friend Giff is selling a set of stainless up and forward headers by Stainless works. Also, a pair of truck manifolds with the bolt flange cut off and a set of v-bands work well, too.

[66tintop]

I just went thur your build blog, I'm really impressed what you have accomplished so far ( and very surprised that your better half is helping out lots ) it's a donting task to build a chassis with limited shop fixtures ,but with a lot of creativity and knowledge it can be done. I have my project at my home garage ,trying to finish it, it's a 66 Chevelle NASCAR style chassis ( copy of the real thing ) give your better half and yourself a pat on the back for tackling such a big project as a do it yourself project in your home garage , best of luck the rest of the way, subscribed Ed