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Vacation (1972 home build)

11K views 60 replies 15 participants last post by  Retnuh22 
#1 ·
Hello folks.

Figured I’d start a build thread for my project. You ask why I named it “Vacation”? Well, back about 2008 my wife and I had saved up some money for vacations... the money ended up in a 1972 Chevelle chassis and body. So the name of the car was made haha.

I have worked on and off since 2008 on the car and have made a little progress. My dad has an LS5 triple black 1970 as I was growing up, so I decided to make my 72 a 70 as I like the look better.

I have lots of pictures and would like to know how to post them in the post as I go instead of at the bottom as attachments. For now I’ll have to do the attachments. I’ll have to start from present day on my posts but will also throw in some pics and info from what I’ve dome to catch you all up. I’m hoping to have it done in two years.

I just finished a complete restoration on a... I’m sorry... Dodge that has some sentimental value and had priority over this one. Now that it is done, I’ve been hitting Vacation pretty hard.

I’ll attach a couple pics. Let me know if you’d like to see more of the build. Again it’s a garage build by me and a few friends if they are up to the punishment. Haha.

I included a couple pre and aft pictures of the car I just finished. Again, all garage build except for blue paint application. I did do the color sand and buff though here.
Cheers!!
 

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#3 ·
Couple more pics. I had separated the frame from the body back in 2014 and was ready to powder coat the frame and suspension when I got the Dodge. So it waited a few years till I could get it all done.

I had already worked on the body a little. It’s been stripped to metal and epoxy coated. Initial body work was done and then two good coats of filler primer. The body was in decent shape but still needs lots of work. No metal needed to be replaced. I shaved the firewall with two pieces of steel welded to the original.

I am in SoCal and have a day job, so the build is worked on in my free time and around the honey do’s. I’ve tinkered with cars since I was young. Ive been a head painter for a shop and a panel beater apprentice. I’m not in the automotive trade for work now so the garage is really my room to go to relax.
 

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#5 ·
I don't feel bad admitting I had a Dodge Dart. It was a 73 I bought for 500.00. I got it because I was pissed at the lease I had on a Cavalier. I wasn't aware leases had mileage limitations. I had 72,000 miles on it in about 30 months. Sold it to pay off the lease. Rebuilt a 318 and drove that car 150,000 miles, with out the threat of excess miles of a lease.
I like what you are doing with your Chevelle, too! Keep the updates coming.
 
#6 ·
Few more pics of past work I’ve done to Vacation. My initial plan for the car was grey with black stripes. I painted the firewall and didn’t like the grey look after all. New plan is black with white stripes. I did the painting of the wall this last winter in the garage. It was snowing out side but got the temps inside to about 70... good enough to paint... I then color sanded it before putting the engine and accessories in. Before I installed the engine, I mocked up the brake master and made my own lines.

I had the rear bias valve as part of my kit master cylinder kit. I made a bracket for the line lock under the master so it would all be together and not installed on the firewall. I like how it came out.

Cheers
 

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#7 ·
Have a few more pics to put up just to pass the time. I’m using a Mikes Transmission Ultimate 400 with a Coan converter for the bangers. Using a Derale cooler under the car. I had never made AN lines and think they turned out ok. I’m having a Strange Engineering S60 rear made and hoping it comes in a week or so. Will have large ford ends, disc brakes and 4.10’s. I used a stainless factory repop gas tank with a RobbMc sending unit. Seems to be working pretty well. Just cruising along with my wiring and dash install for now. I’ll semd some more pics when I have some free time.

Cheers!
 

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#8 ·
I have finalized my S60 purchase and it will be shipped out this next week. (So excited). So I spent the morning taking out the 10 bolt out of under the car. I now have a rear end for really cheap if someone wants it here at the house. SoCal. I also got my Currie adjustable upper arms yesterday. Can’t wait to get this part of my project on so I can measure for my driveshaft. The last picture is the S60 right after being built at Strange.

Cheers!
 

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#9 ·
This showed up yesterday.... pretty darn exciting. I ordered flex brake lines and I am making a couple brackets where the flex
and hard will join. It’s 60 ish inches wide. Can’t wait to get it installed.

Cheers!!
 

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#10 ·
Have made a little progress with the brake lines. The brackets I made allowed for a nice plug weld to hold them on to the tubes. I’ll be moving onto the upper flex hose bracket at the top of the housing, then some stainless hard lines.

Cheers
 

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#12 ·
Today was a long day. Mocked up the upper brake hose bracket and then made the hard lines. They aren’t perfect but I’m happy with them. Them I spend the afternoon putting the rear end in. Fit like a glove. Now onto measuring for the driveshaft and getting it built.

I do have a question for you all. I had the rear end made to be 60” from disc brake faces (where wheels mount). My old 10 bolts was just about 62”. I know 5.5 is the common 10” wheel backspace and 4.5 is the common 8”. I believe I had Strange make the early Chevelle length and mount all my 70-72 attachments

What backspace have you all used with an early rear in a 70-72?

Cheers.
 

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#13 ·
Been working a bit on the car. Made some power steering lines finally. I received my driveshaft from Strange the week. I decided to prep and clear coat it instead of painting it black. Also got my new shifter. Gonna see what it will take to install it today and tomorrow. Hopefully with these additions, the car will be able to move on its own soon.
 

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#14 ·
Worked on the car through the weekend. Finally got the car on the ground and was able to get it moving on it’s own and turned around in the garage. I have no clue how to add video to the posts so I can show you the garage view. Hahah. Been an 11 year project so far.

Cheers!
 

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#18 ·
Worked on the car through the weekend. Finally got the car on the ground and was able to get it moving on it’s own and turned around in the garage. I have no clue how to add video to the posts so I can show you the garage view. Hahah. Been an 11 year project so far.

Cheers!
It's pretty easy - upload the video to youtube, copy the youtube link and paste it in the body of your post.

I wanna hear this thing. :thumbsup:
 
#15 ·
Making some progress. Been really busy at work so haven’t done much. Finally got my wheels and tires though. Also put two inch lowering springs in the rear. Pretty happy with how it turned out.

Cheers!!
 

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#17 ·
Took the car down to exhaust shop today. Will pick her up on Friday morning. Will get 3.0 inch x-pipe exhaust and will dump before the rear end.

They also made me some 3.5 race extensions. I’ll take the extensions to Embee Coating as I did the Lemons headers. Ceramic on the outside and copper inside.

The exhaust and extensions both will have the wide band input.

Pretty excited to see and hear the system.

Cheers!!
 

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#23 ·
Thanks for all the compliments !! I really like the sound, and the craftsmanship is an art piece. My next step is to get the extensions ceramic coated like the headers and install an Air/fuel gauge. I’ll have two sensors. One in the street set up and one for the track extensions.
Cheers!
 

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#24 ·
Been quite sometime from my last post. Life has been busy. I’ve done quite a bit of work to the car. I’ve installed the driveshaft and set the pinion angle for the final time. Added a BMR anti-roll bar. Worked on mocking up the front and rear ends. I’ve started to wire lights which include wiring the Digi-tail LED boards and Fesler bezals and dash instrumentation. I’ve began mock up on some inner fenders I’ll do out of aluminum. I’ve never used a bead roller so I’ve practiced a bit. I’ve wired my line lock to the shifter and over all progress is continuing. I’ll work on the trans brake next and will continue working on the inner fenders. Next would be front end wiring and then glass. Should be good for road testing soon. We are in winter here and have snow so road tests will come during dry times. Hope you enjoy the up date.

Cheers!!
 

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#25 ·
So... been some more time away working on the car. New windows are in and wiring is pretty much wrapped up. Car is registered and on the road as of last week. Now it time to work the bugs out and tune it on the street. Hope tjhis links works to a short clip of some fun.


youtu.be/G_CB-Uqsr4M

You’ll have to copy and paste into a URL I think.

Cheers!
 

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