Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Finally got a vid of the engine running to load on photobucket. The hum at the beginning is the shop exhaust fan.

https://vid1357.photobucket.com/albums/q752/Stillwaterchevs/1966%20Chevelle/DSCF0478_zpsijynfjog.mp4

Thanks, guys. It's exciting and profound at the same time to hear this engine alive again after 40 YEARS.

Yes, this is the original LS5 from the '70 I bought in '73. I sold it to my, then, b-i-l around '76-77 to install an LS6 I bought. I re-connected with him about 10 years ago and eventually got the engine back, but it had been rebuilt to smog specs to reduce hp. I had intended to rebuild it for the black '70 SS I had, but that car was so rough, I never did much with it.

Purrrty!!!!

Karl

A couple weeks ago, I took all the front sheet metal, dash panel and trunk lid to Blast Masters to clean them off for paint.

I brought them back last Friday and talked with the blaster about doing the body and he really preferred I remove it from the finished chassis to avoid any "issues", soooo I borrowed this cart from Karl yesterday and proceeded to put the body on it today.

There's no way the steering shaft was coming out with the column without removing the header and there's NO WAY I'm fighting that battle again, so, I removed the column from inside and left the shaft on the chassis.

Problem with that plan was, as I lifted the body, the shaft bound up, so I had to lift the front of the chassis along with the body until it was high enough for the rear wheels to roll under. I also needed 300#'s of ballast on the front to keep the body level on the forks.

After enough back-and-forth between the lift and jack, it came apart.

Almost ready to get blasted. There are several small issues on the firewall that I was going to ignore, since I couldn't get at them with the body on the frame. Now I have no excuse and will do the repairs before it goes out.

jim larson wrote:

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Looks good, have you found a painter yet?

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 YES !!! I just talked with him and it's a GO sometime in the next 2 weeks. I am waiting for the blaster to give a date to bring the body down...

Looks pretty "sporty" maybe we should ordor out some 22" wheel with rubber band tires for the dolly.

Putting it back on the chassis should be fun threading the needle. May need a tech session. 

Does your car not have the correct steering shaft that bolts at the rag joint of the steering box? I thought they did that just for that reason of getting the shaft past the exhaust.

Lost in the 60s wrote:

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OscarZ wrote:

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Putting it back on the chassis should be fun threading the needle. May need a tech session. 

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 I have a ps box I got at Lares last year to replace the manual box. I'm going to attempt to remove the manual box and shaft to see if it can go back in with the body/column on the chassis. If not, I'll reverse the removal procedure and yes, more people to help guide might be a help.

Right after we get together at the presidents house and help him build a car...

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 When I rebuilt my PS gear I was able to remove and install it from the bottom of the car.  thinking you rag joint might be a little different as your gear might have a 3/4 input shaft instead of the 13/16 used in 66.

It's actually starting. I was beginning to think this would never happen, but I dropped off all the loose sheet metal at the painters this morning and will be retrieving the body from Blast Master on Monday...

Yep, since I took the body off again, I had him blast the firewall too. We are starting from scratch with proper prep and materials this time..

Front clip is at the painters for prep and epoxy.

Thomas liked the cart. He took pics and measurements and would like to build one for bodies that come in for blasting. He said it was really easy to roll around. Took 3 times of repairing the right rear tire to get it to hold air.

Larry Lucast wrote:

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Just when you think it is finally ready for paint, and now more rust repair. Those look pretty easy for you.
I like you new avatar.

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 Looks like a flag, thinking I should have a similar one in my garage.  Is there a link to a vender?

There was a thread a few years back on TC where a guy took a good Malibu hood and the guts of a SS and made a SS hood, not sure which section; but probably the restoration or body.  It looked good when he was done.  it would be worth while if you could find the thread.

Hood, 8" rally's, wasn't there something else?

Beautiful work, by the way.  

Karl

67ss wrote:

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Ok something has to have paint on it by now. Where are some pictures, I want to see my favorite color.

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 I'm waiting to hear from the painter about bringing the body back to mount on chassis ???

I took Andrew's car back yesterday so I would have room to do this. Guess I'll have to call him.

Got the body back a couple weeks ago with the firewall in final color. Much of the bodywork is done too.

John and I shrink wrapped as much of the frame as practical before dropping the body on. I also shrink wrapped the gas tank before installing. trying to prevent accidental overspray issues.

Installed drain tubes in the rear window corners. I had told him I wanted to do this when it came back from the firewall painting, but he did a LOT of bodywork before sending it back. He also filled in a large gap, I wanted to weld shut, with seam sealer. I dug all the sealer out and did the repair.

Installed enough parts to make it move and stop by itself and took it back to the painter today.

Maybe a photo of it in paint before the new year. 

thats a good idea on the drain holes; did you  do that in the front or  just make the originl ones larger?   With the firewall gray what color are you planning for the inner fenders and. Underside of the hood?

same old email, racjim23@gmail.com

They are original backs out of a 66 impala, I have the backs and the bottoms.  Backs are excellent, bottoms have a couple of small rust throughs on two of the four skirts.