67 chevelle questions?

[black67malibu]

Hello guys, new to the pro-touring world and I have some questions. I just bought a 67 mailbu witch came without breaks. I called Tobin from Kore3 and purchased a nice set of wilwood for the front and rear. The car currently has a crate 350 with a new TH400 and a stock 10 bolt. My question is... what would be the next thing to uprade? I want a better rear end but also need to replace the stock suspension setup. oh, and i forgot to metion that the car has a salvage title and im a little nervous about spending a ton of money on a salvage. Thanks for any help.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Unless you are planning on building this car for resale I would not worry about the salvage. Save your receipts and warranties and get it appraised for insurance values.

I would go suspension and safety next.

[bret]

LOVE CHEVELLES!

In my personal opinion, here is what I would [and have] changed on mine to make it a GREAT driver:

1. Steering wheel - you are in contact with this components every time you get in the car..and the stock one's suck.
2. Shocks - the brains of the suspension.
3. Sway bars - These cars are softly sprung and respond well to limiting body roll.
3. Steering box - the OEM unit is slow, has light feel, and are usually worn out.
4. Front disc brakes - So you don't have to guess which ditch you'll be hitting when you go for the brakes.
5. Seats - Same as #1
6. Taller front spindles - Probably the single most dramatic handling improvement you can make. The taller spindle leans the tire into the turn instead of away from the turn under suspension compression. The RideTech spindle also drops the front by about 2"...never a bad thing.
7. New front control arm bushings - because they're likely worn out anyway. Rubber for a cruiser, Delrin for a more serious corner turner. Rubber for the rear to accommodate the roll articulation.
8. Tires - you need new ones anyhow, right?

Notice I've not yet mentioned wheels, coilovers, gauges, tubular control arms, or anything with the drivetrain. These are all nice and highly effective improvements but are driven at least as much by taste as true performance gains.

These cars are easy to work on and respond nicely to bolt-on components. Its hard NOT to see improvements with these changes.

Have fun! And ignore the salvage title thing. With a car that old it is nearly meaningless...completely meaningless if you plan to keep the car.

[black67malibu]

Thats good news about the salvage title. I neever thought about keeping the receipts. One question I do have is... I bought the wilwood rear disc setup for a stock 10 bolt and was wondering if im gonna pull that rear end apart to put them on if I should spend the time then to replace it with sopmething else. Its just an open diff now. What a good cost effective rear end to put in there?

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Eaton is what I use on most of my builds. I haven't had too many issues and most have been due to installation mistakes.
Axles are fine, weak point on that rear will be your pinion. Do a gear, posi swap with new bearings should carry your build.


Just a bit of insite to explain my comment on value.
Keep receipts on everything. Problem is if you happen to total the car its worth can be determined by the insurance company. With receipts and an appraisal you will have a fighting chance.

I was hit in my 71 Barracuda 10 years ago and they tried to total it cause they did not see the worth of the car. There was no worth that they could research so they estimated the car using a 71 Duster as an equal. Worth $1200 in their eyes. The cost of the grill and fender totalled the car. I was able to fight it listing cars recently sold at auction.

I could have avoided the whole fiasco by having an appraisal on it prior. Im still growing hair on my head from that mess.

[black67malibu]

Thanks, I appriciate the info. Would it be wise to swap the 10 bolt out for a 12 bolt or 9". I was talking with a company that will build me a complete 9" with chevy break mounts so I can utalize the setup I already purchased for the 10 bolt. He was gonna include 3.25 rear end gears and a eaton posi for $1400 Im a drag guy so I kinda questioned the gear ratio he recommended. I dont plan on road racing or auto crossing. I just want a weekend warrior at the drag strip and a fun driving a-body. I live in Humboldt county and we dont have a road corse within 5 hours of us. lol

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Originally Posted by black67malibu

Thanks, I appriciate the info. Would it be wise to swap the 10 bolt out for a 12 bolt or 9". I was talking with a company that will build me a complete 9" with chevy break mounts so I can utalize the setup I already purchased for the 10 bolt. He was gonna include 3.25 rear end gears and a eaton posi for $1400 Im a drag guy so I kinda questioned the gear ratio he recommended. I dont plan on road racing or auto crossing. I just want a weekend warrior at the drag strip and a fun driving a-body. I live in Humboldt county and we dont have a road corse within 5 hours of us. lol

Sit down and make a plan on what and how you would like to build the car.
All depends on what you plan for the car. I know you probably won't hit Thunderhill often but think about your street driving, you want an all around car and not a drag car you have a hard time going down the highway at 70.


3:25 gives you a good range. Match the gears with your power output and RPM range.

Put your money where its going to be effective.