I have been holding off posting a build thread until I got closer to completion because I am VERY slow to have updates and I didn’t want anyone getting bored. :lol:
Car is a 1969 Chevelle with 72,000 original miles I bought when I lived out in Tucson, AZ. Brought it back with me when I moved here in 2010. It was an all original car with a 307 with 3 on the tree. Car had sat since 1976 in the almost original owners driveway until I bought it in 2006. I will leave out all the boring details of past builds since the car has been together driven and back apart 3 times since I owned it. This will be the 4th and final build.
BODY: All original steel body panels except for the new 2" Goodmark cowl steel hood. Re-chromed original bumpers. Not cut up or modified except for smoothed firewall and the 12 point cage with dual swing outs, front bars through the dash and rear bars bent over the back seat and through the speaker tray. Going to have fresh white interior with a original bench seat and column shifter.
CHASSIS: Global West suspension front and rear with adjustable rear uppers. QA1 double adjustable coil overs in the front with QA1 springs, 2" drop spindles, 4 wheel disc brakes, FAB9 rear, stock frame except for smoothed front frame horns.
TRANS: Jake’s transmissions 4L80E with D3 transbrake and PTC single disc billet converter.
ENGINE: Stock 5.3 with a LJMS stage 2 cam, BTR springs, stock heads, Holley Hi-Ram intake, ATI balancer, ARP head studs, LS9 head gaskets. (Have most of the parts for a forged 6.0, but going to throw the 5.3 in for now)
POWER ADDER: Forced Inductions 84mm billet S484 with race cover and a 1.32 .96 exhaust on a T6. Still have to order my Treadstone FMIC. Hoping I can fit their TVR259 but need to do a little more research. Hotside is truck manifolds with 2.5 pipes feeding a twin scroll inlet and a 5" exhaust back to the rear axle with a single bullit then splitting to dual 3" tailpipes exiting in the stock location. I plan on twin 44mm wastegates and a 60mm blow off valve from JGS. Will be manual boost controller for now, but plans are for either an AMS1000 or Boostleash in the future.
FUEL SYSTEM: FI conversion tank mounted in the stock location with a Racetronics dual in tank fuel pumps feeding a -8 teflon line with a -6 return.
Made some frame stands to set the engine low and back in the chassis. Good clearance now with the Moroso pan. Had to convert to rack and pinion because the center link was hitting the pan stopping it from turning all the way. Bought a Flaming River manual rack and will make my own tubular mount off the frame rails keeping it high and tight for max clearance.
Pics are having trouble uploading for some reason, so I will try to get more posted later.
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Updated - - -
Thank you. Now that I am posting a build thread I wish I had taken more pictures. :lol:
Thanks guys. I am having a problem uploading pictures now. Not sure if there is a size limit or something? Would it be better if I just uploaded from a photobucket account instead of from my pc?
Just a small pop up saying “upload of file failed”
It was working when I started the thread, but then I started getting those messages and now none that I try will upload.
Just use photobucket, makes it nicer to read too. Good looking build. What fuel are you running with an -8 feed be enough when you start pushing that turbo?
Thank you. I have always loved the Chevelles. Always had Big blocks before, but wanted something different this time.
I was going to do E85, but decided against it because stations are dropping it all around here. I am going pump with meth injection. I thought I would need bigger lines too, but Racetronix said -8 teflon lined will support the max the pumps are rated at and that is 1400hp on gas. Trying to do some more research before I pull that trigger.
Ok guys, sorry I cannot figure out why I can’t upload anymore photos. Let’s try this again through Photo bucket… Here is the link.
There are photos of before and after I made frame mounts. You can see how high in the chassis the engine was sitting and how the steering linkage was still going to hit the pan. Pictures without any linkage is after the new mounts were made.
Early turbo photos were using my buddies BW cast wheel S475. Newer photos have my S484 with race cover.
You can see how the steering shaft will just clear the drivers side manifold. I will cut this back further once the rack is installed and use D bar and a single steering universal to the rack.
I used my old Rad for thickness clearance measurements, but I will be buying a new dual pass rad with both inlet and outlet on the pass side.
Tried posting new pictures and still can’t. I will try later to figure something out and get some up here.
Finished the 2.5" twin scroll merge, just waiting on my 2.5" V-bands and a couple of 45 degree bends to finish the hot side to the turbo. Just got the 5" V-band and flange for the downpipe today. Looks like I am going to be able to fit a 5" down under the car, then build a merge to two 3" pipes out the back.
Made the plates to box the frame where the new tubular trans crossmember will mount and welded one side in. Have to get my buddies angle finder to make sure the engine and trans is at the correct angle so I know where to weld the tabs for the crossmember to bolt up. Probably going to box the rest of the frame between where the main hoop and front halo down bars hook to it to stiffen things up when the side swing outs are not in. Should act like a rocker bar that way.
Sorry for not having pics up guys. Maybe I have to make them smaller to upload?