Eli... the Transformed Sedan

the reverend muddy grimes said:

1) the flat black improved this about 1000%
2) turning it into a 2 door solved the only problem I had with it.
3) what are you going to use for power?[cl

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Thanks!

I"m planning on using a TPI Motor, unless I come across something else, I've got one from a caprice ECU and all, backed with a 700R4 or 2004R

Update... a little more done

Here are the pics of the frame horns chopped off.

I will say the $20 Harbor Frieght Sawz-all does a good job...lol

Mock up begins...

So I started mocking up the front fenders to see what I'm going to be up against.... and because I haven't separated the car from the frame yet. I ended up removing the lower portion of the radiator grill, which is just there to keep my fenders evenly spaced for the time being. Didn't get as far as I would have hoped due to my DD going down on me on my way home, so I had to get it back up and rolling, but I'm happy to be wrenching again!

It is looking like I will have to modify the inner fenders in order to get the fenders to sit properly over the frame, my plan is to have the step/running boards about 1/4" to 1/2" Above the bottom of the frame so I don't destroy anything when it's laid out.

progress

looks good so far.


l always laugh at our harbor freight here, buy a ten or fifteen dollar power tool and they want to add a warranty for ten bucks if it breaks[S, why do that when you can replace it for almost the same amount of $$$ and keep the $$$ in your'e pocket

SBC & 7OOR4 sounds like a winning combo[cl


Later

Looking good. Couple questions, Is that a coffee cup lid in the right frame rail? Are you receiving divine intervention on the build? (great light rays in some of the shots, very cool look)

Todd said:

Looking good. Couple questions, Is that a coffee cup lid in the right frame rail? Are you receiving divine intervention on the build? (great light rays in some of the shots, very cool look)

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The round thing in the frame rail...lol... I totally forgot to mention that in my post, that's a body mount that somehow worked itself into the frame during me picking it up in Georgia and hauling it back to Tennessee.

As far as divine intervention... definitely YES, hence the username and the licence plate for this car will be Romans 12:2... ''''be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.... in this case the renewing of this old Chevy. Last year I built a 64 C-10 from no floors to a wedding get away vehicle for my wife and I all in about 4 months time, (crazy I know). I guess I should do a build thread on that since I'm still tinkering on it.

I thought the photo turned out really well for my camera phone, I"ll have to take some with my SLR from time to time and link them from my photo bucket account.

question time......

I chopped off two body mounts on the 40.... which brings me to a question.... should I unbolt the steering column and keep it for my rat truck project, I'm thinking suicide front end? or just trash the column? That are you guys running?

Always save until you know its not needed.

Good Call

I think I'll do that, keep the steering column and see how things work out!

So, the next steps....

1. I'm thinking I'm going to brace the car body
2. Cut out the floor
3. hook it up to my engine hoist
4. test fit it on the S-10 frame
5. Weld in some temporary steel to set the channel depth... approx 2 "

Why not use the column and wheel in this one? Late model columns always look so bulky in the early cars. It's not that hard to cut the shaft to fit a knuckle.

I think your asking for a lot of heartache trying to make it into a 2dr fastback. You'll basically have to build the whole back end from scratch. Why not a 2dr business coupe? Stretch the trunk more instead of the roof. Maybe lean the trunk forward some and then stretch it.

Hi Cc13. I like your planning ideas. Photo-shop is the first shop that a project should go through. I like your two door pictures and the paint jobs. Sam fear has a good point, if you make a full coupe you'll have the coolest looking car around. You will be working on this project for quite a while.
Keep on tinkering.
Here's my dream 'couped' sedan.

Sam_Fear said:

Why not use the column and wheel in this one? Late model columns always look so bulky in the early cars. It's not that hard to cut the shaft to fit a knuckle.

I think your asking for a lot of heartache trying to make it into a 2dr fastback. You'll basically have to build the whole back end from scratch. Why not a 2dr business coupe? Stretch the trunk more instead of the roof. Maybe lean the trunk forward some and then stretch it.

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Good Point Sam.... I thought about re-using the column, but I'm planning on making this one a cruiser, and I have long legs, so tilt gives me a lower wheel when driving and out of the way when I get in and out... Plus I'm thinking that the straight column will come in handy for my next rat project, hopefully a truck or early 30's coupe/sedan, channeled , chopped etc.


I agree on the heart-ache part .... To be honest this is probably going to end up a two door meets business coupe meets fast back meets uh oh meets okay that's better meets wow that was close.

I'm going with a frame that has a wheel base that is already shorter than the original car wheel base is, so I know I will be shortening the car somewhere, just haven't determined where, probably the middle somewhere. I figured laying the back window flatter won't be an issue since I'm copping the top I have to remove the back window anyway (I plan on keeping it the same size) I have learned with my last build, the 64 C-10 that it is better to take your time then rush into something that could have been avoided, so I decided I wouldn't rush this project along.

BTW Sam.... you have some serious fabricating skills, it take a real man to chop a car up and weld it back together again.... or a crazy one <-(me)...

Thanks for helping me re-think my approach!

MercuryMac said:

Hi Cc13. I like your planning ideas. Photo-shop is the first shop that a project should go through. I like your two door pictures and the paint jobs. Sam fear has a good point, if you make a full coupe you'll have the coolest looking car around. You will be working on this project for quite a while.
Keep on tinkering.
Here's my dream 'couped' sedan.

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I'm all about some photo-shop, too bad you can wave your mouse over the metal to shape it that easy..lol. I'm not a huge fan of the big trunk on the coupe, so I was looking to make a hybrid here, not to redefine what Chevy did, but to create something that is well balanced and inviting to the eye. I like the photo-shop of your dream coupe, I love the more boxy fenders on those models.

So... I snuck a little time in yesterday....

I finished up with my honey do sooner than I thought yesterday so I snuck in a little work time. I decided to cut out what was left of the floor of the car, so I started on that. Also added some cross bracing, still need to ad some from back to front. Ran short on re-bar, so I threw in an old mail-box post.

I also notice that I'm going to have to fix the back of the S-10 frame:

1. The frame is too long.
2. The sguare tube that was added in the back by the PO is croked
3. there are what I"m guessing old bed supports (round tubes) that need to be gone

I like the look of the orange coupe - there were some similar 'fastback' style Chevys built in Australia in the late 30's, they were called 'slopers'.
Looking at the rear suspension of the S10 frame, I have a hard time understanding how the rear bars that the bags are mounted to would not conflict with the forward facing 4 link. Do they use a floating mount of some sort so they don't bind?

zzrodder said:

I like the look of the orange coupe - there were some similar 'fastback' style Chevys built in Australia in the late 30's, they were called 'slopers'.
Looking at the rear suspension of the S10 frame, I have a hard time understanding how the rear bars that the bags are mounted to would not conflict with the forward facing 4 link. Do they use a floating mount of some sort so they don't bind?

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Thanks for the info on the 'sloper'... pretty cool, I'm all about learning new stuff.

As far as the rear end goes, I haven't done a ton of air ride stuff, definitely not 4 link.... With that said I will tell you what I think I have here. I think it's a canti-lever rear end set up. I'm not sure where you are talking about binding at? I currently have 18's mounted, I will probably do go with 20's in the future, the notch and current set up allow you to lay frame with 20's or 22's. It looks like the y ordered a partial kit and then made a homemade C-notch, which I need to do some additional fish plating on, what they have done isn't really satisfying to me, it's functional, but I'm looking for long haul.

Are you thinking i should re-position my bags? [S

I have attached a stock photo of the set up.

More shots of the rear set-up

I have added some more shots of how the rear currently sits.

Early Start

I got an early start removing more rusted body mounts and crudy parts... turns out the PO cut up some car fenders and fiberglassed them into the floor, which explains why the floor appeared so solid. Non-the-less I'm making progress, going to pick up Torch saw-zaw blades by Milwaukee, because the HF ones that i got are ok, but the TORCH blades are superior! I'll post pics tomorrow....

OK, I see how it works - that short link at the front of the rear lift bars allows the rear end to move back and forth slightly as it cycles up and down since the 4 link bars move in an arc - otherwise something would snap ....
Never too late to learn somethin' new....
Carry on[P