Project WidowMaker - The Build Thread

[The WidowMaker]

slow/small progress is still progress nonetheless!

true. still not feeling perfect yet, so i'll take what i can get.

i mocked up the new hellas last night to check clearance for the peterson tank. the h4's fit perfect with no cutting needed, but the h1's need a hole in the core support and stick further out the back. in addition, my hellas fit different in the trim ring with one sitting about 1/4" out further than the other. since the h4 fit without cutting and they look different, im thinking about running all h4's and having the inner h4 hooked just to the brights.

and for those that are interested, check out lehigh valley (<-- short version)...... ive always used my 4.5" variable speed grinder to do all the work (grinding, cutting, blending, etc) and switch back and forth tons of times a day. finally, last year i picked up a second cheaper one speed grinder that i only used with the harbor freight cut off wheels. after running through about 100 dics, i finally decided to give the dewalt wheels a chance at twice the price. ive found that i get more than twice the use and i havent had one gernade yet. i wont use the hf again. they worked, but a slight bind on a deep straight cut an they were toast.

so back to the first sentence and lehigh valley..... home depot used to stock norton abrasives and had flap wheels for ~6 bucks a pop. expensive, but cheaper than dewalt and they didnt compare to the HF stuff. they recently switched suppliers and jacked up the price again. i went looking and found lehigh valley. ended up with 50 bucks worth of stuff at my door and gave them a shot yesterday. VERY VERY impressed. it seems like they last a little longer although the rumor is they use norton abrasives. they have a thin and thick version, but the thick is only $2.50 ea and is thicker than the old nortons. check them out.

[The WidowMaker]

now that the bumpers done, ive turned my attention to the interior. going to start work on the trunk, build a sub box for through the rear deck and build a panel for the rear deck as well. once thats all done i'll start on the door panels and the dash.

ive also been working on the ring bros door handles. im a tall guy with huge hands and ive never liked how my hand fit the handles. i would literally have to use just two fingers behind the pull which isnt an option. i also didnt like how they didnt fully cover the recessed hole in the door. so, ive added 3/8 to the back of the handles for a full 4 finger fit and ive massaged the door to remove the recess. the only thing left is to cut my 3/8 spacer at an angle. right now the handles stick up at too far of an angle. the stock handles are backcut at an angle, but the ring bros are not. they werent really designed for our car and i knew that, so its not an issue with their product.

i also picked up the block from steve and plan on shipping it out in a few weeks. i want to wait on valve covers from wegner and some more little parts before it ships.

more to come.

[The WidowMaker]

made some progress on the trunk. i decided to use mdf since i have all the tools and somewhat know what im doing. so far the pieces around the latch are 1/2 and the uprights are all 5/8". both are ultralight mdf with the 1/2" at 42lbs per sheet and the 5/8" at 52lbs (3/4 regular is ~96lbs). the side pieces you see now have the inlaid portion cut out, but there is still more to cut. they currently weigh ~1.2lbs. im using 1/8" mdf for the inlay and should have these panels under 2 lbs. i know i could have saved some more weight with foam, but it would have been a lot more time and money and im not sure i would have gained that much. i will end up routing a portion of the bottom piece out to save weight as well.

i talked to the local shop and they want $75 an hour and $450 a hide to cover. ive looked around online and found hides around $150 shipped. ive already recieved some samples and they look really good (although not sure what im looking for). i plan on getting one and covering the trunk myself. i might do the rear shelf as well, but i have a feeling the door panels, dash and center console will be left to the pros.

i'll post more pics later.

[Swain]

Coming along. Have you found out who your going with on Paint and Body?

[WSSix]

I like the lay out. What all do you have planned system wise?

[The WidowMaker]

Coming along. Have you found out who your going with on Paint and Body?

thanks. still looking at taking it to cris at jcg if he still has room. if i can keep on track, im about 6 months out. ive said that many times before, but im starting to run out of stuff to kill my deadline.

I like the lay out. What all do you have planned system wise?

so far its going to be focal 165vr components up front, focal 165a1 components in the rear (other set of vr's are in my truck), jl hd900/5 (in the truck but will be moved back) and a focal 27v2 sealed sub (also in the truck but buying another). the focals are bright but clear and the sub kicks ass. i was thinking about putting an image dynamics 10 in my truck and moving the focal, but i dont want to build another box. id like to keep the chevelle all focal or there are some other good sq options for subs.

i still dont know on the head unit. it will probably be one of my last purchases to get the newest greatest bs they have out at the time.....

[The WidowMaker]

still working on the interior, but a few updates. first, the block is done and in the garage. i put a deposit down on the motor and erik at hke will be building it. plan is still the same; 454ci, afr 245 heads, greg good ported super victor, ls7 dry sump. should be a beast.

the dry sump tank showed up from peterson. i originally wanted them to build a semi custom tank. i needed the catch can rotated compared to the inlets, catch can shortened 1" and a sight tube put on. they wanted about $400 extra for this work. instead, i had them build me a stock tank and had them leave the bottom of the catch can off. it will be easy enough to cut an inch off and weld. i still need to figure out a filling solution and something to check the level.

i got a free 12 hour day from the family and got the seat belts welded up. i used 1/8" plate and created a lower mounting point for the retractor and used the same plate that mounts the harness bar and the upper point of the 3 point. it has a huge surface area and isnt going anywhere. i struggled with getting the 3rd point as high as possible, but ended up with a ~25* angle off my shoulder. i had to make sure that the rear door panel will still cover it while using up every 1/8" possible. im 6'3", so it only gets better with shorter passengers. its been a couple weeks and its pretty wet here with the marine layer so it already has a nice layer of flash rust.

and heres the latest on the trunk panels. theyre mounted and ready for more router work. im going to get all the inside edges cut and cut out the inlays as well. then its on to the rear shelf, dash, door panels and center console....

[dug]

that motor is going to be nuts!

[crazycarguy22]

Oooo I love the trunk so far, how about making me one right away to save me some time.

[Matt@BOS]

That block looks familiar; I just got mine back from Steve at R.E.D. last week. You're going to love that motor! It is going to make all kinds of torque from cruising RPM on up.

Matt