The 70 going through some changes
 

Here is a build thread of sorts as I am putting the 70 under the knife for some mechanical & cosmetic changes.

I put a Yearone crate 350 in the car around this same time last year and while it is plenty potent for an iron headed small block, somehow it just wasn't what this car needed. Did some prodding around online and came close to buying a motor from a builder in Colorado when I started talking to Bill (Billscamino) who is pulling his freshly built 496 out to put a 396 in its place. Knowing what when into his motor, who assembled it and the fact that it was local sealed the deal.

Part list;
454 - 4 bolt main, bored +.060" over.
Probe Forged rotating assembly

Mike Lewis built AFR 290 heads
Mike Lewis custom ground hydraulic roller cam
RPM Air Gap intake (port matched $$)
Morel Lifters
Comp Ultra Pro Magnum 1.7 Rockers
Pro-Systems 1000HP Carb
Stewart Aluminum High Flow water pump
3" Magnaflow X-Pipe exhaust
Doug's 1 7/8" - 3.5" Ceramic Coated Headers
& all the miscellaneous stuff that goes along with a SBC to BBC swap

Car currently sits on 225/70-14 SS wheels which barely get traction with 311 rwhp so those will have to go.

I placed a call to Specialty Wheel to have some 15x10 SS replicas made (also ordered 15x7 fronts) to hopefully get some rubber & traction behind the new power plant. I came very close to changing the wheels over to Billet Specialties Street Lites, running skinny fronts & drag radials in the back but decided I wanted to try to keep the factory appearance as much as possible. Unfortunately, I'll probably put BFG Radial T/As on the car as I really want the raised white letter look so traction will still suffer but hopefully not nearly as bad as with the 14" wheels/tires.

While I was at it I ordered an HRParts Anti-roll bar which will replace the UMI Front & Rear sway bars currently on the car. Everyone seems to be very pleased with the performance from the HR ARB so I look forward to putting it to good use with all this new found torque!

That's about it for now....

Finally some proper muscle behind the Green Beast! Should easily make over 600 crank horsepower with this combo while maintaining 9.5:1 compression and working A/C.

Forgot this one.

Ordered the fittings & rag joint from Lee Manufacturing to convert the steering box over to a Jeep Grand Cherokee box as well. Just need to go by the part store and pick up a reman'd steering box. Between the ARB & steering box this thing should drive like an entirely different vehicle!

:cool:
The 496 should be out of my '67 on Sunday afternoon. Then I get to begin the installation of the Vintage Air system before the new motor goes in. :banana:
The AC kit has been sitting in it's box for over a year...

I am struggling right now trying to decide what type of A/C to do with this motor. I really wanted to put a serpentine set up on it but didn't want to loose my brand new A6 (behemoth) compressor in place of a Sanden. Looks like I am just going to use factory BB brackets and keep the stock set up. Definitely one of those things I wanted sorted out before Summer rolls back around here in Georgia!

Wow ,sounds like youre both going to be busy . Eric ,what do you have planned for the sway bars you are taking off ?

I've got them up on Craigslist right now to see if there is any interest.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/pts/2748912330.html

I was not 100% sure on not running a front sway bar but it seems many people do it with the HRparts ARB so it seems I will no longer need it. I am not trying to carve corners in this car anyway.

It is definitely getting ready to get busy in the garage for the next few weeks!

Sounds like there is a lot of work to do. But it is so nice to get parts from someone when you know where they came from and for you Eric, you know who built the motor. So cool guys.

Eric,
I installed a HRParts ARB on my '70 Malibu years ago...was probably one of the first to do so on a Chevelle.
I did not use a front sway bar although that car was more setup for straight line performance than running an obstacle course. Handling on the street/highway was fine.
However, that ARB does make for a rougher/stiffer ride on the street...

MAKE SURE you get a Grand Cherokee steering box...NOT one that a "fits all" replacement. Big difference.

Yeah, I did quite a bit of looking around on TC and found quite a few of your posts from 06 & 07 talking about it. I don't mind the stiffer ride really because it is pretty floaty as it is.

Well, she is in pieces..

Great time to take everything off the firewall and clean it all up a bit as it is looking pretty bad.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0153.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0154.jpg

Going to a new home Monday
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0152.jpg

I hope that pretty paint dont get hurt and I think someone got a heck of a deal in that new motor. I wish I had been in a position to buy it but just could not swing it .

So far so good on the paint! If I had more room or thought I would have another project in the next few years I would have just kept that motor but unfortunately I am maxed out in my little garage. It was a pretty potent little engine for not really having anything special.

Tonight I am going to start taking everything off the firewall and get it all gussied up. I have a whole array of parts from Ground-up on the way to the house right now

Cool Eric...looks like I'm right behind you...
I'm just waiting for my engine hoist to be returned on Saturday. A buddy borrowed it last June. :(
I've put so many engines in this '67 I've got it worked out where I don't even need to remove the hood.

Bill .Im surprised that 67 isnt trained to change its own engines by now.

Looks like you will be busy with your project. Not sure how I have missed this post.

Ray

Did a little bit of work on the firewall yesterday. Don't think I am going any more detailed than this. Probably hit it with a wire brush and some semi-gloss chassis coat the put it all back together. I did have to drill out the steering box as some jack-hole broke the head off a bolt many years ago. That was a PITA!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0165.jpg

Tires also came in. Not drag radials or anything crazy like that but they should definitely be an improvement.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0157.jpg

Looking good ,keep it up.

I love threads like this, it's cool to see the build come along.

I agree. Sometimes you even get a little jealous. :) In a good way.

Im definitely jealous as Im not doing anything with our cars due to lack of funds .Joans daily driver has got to have front brake rotors and pads as well as new tires very soon but Im not sure how Im going to do it unless I use the funds currently being hald for my truck restoration.

How's the truck coming anyway? We drove past the shop on the way up to Blue Ridge yesterday. I'm sure everything will work out! Good reason to put some miles on that nice looking Elky you have hidden in the garage!

The truck hasnt been touched since before you were there last ,they are taking on as much insurance work as they can get before it dries up. The insurance work is what pays their bills so I just have to be patient. I have been driving the El Camino some lately but it needs a little TLC and I just dont yet have any funds for it since I just wrote 2 counties a big check for property taxes and just recently refurbished our rental property after the previous tennants destroyed it .I had hoped my Christmas present this year would be my truck coming home from the bodyshop but maybe by spring I will have it back in time to bring it to the Peachstate Chevelle show to sell a few parts at the swap meet. It will be worth the wait when they get started on it again.

Did you get anything done on it today ?

Engine hoist was returned to me yesterday.
My engine is out of the '67 this afternoon...and the short block resting on engine legs on the shop floor waiting to be loaded into my truck and delivered. Bowtie smiley

Bill,

Just let me know when you have time to drop the motor off. I am actually taking most of tomorrow off (not sure I'll get the entire day or not) so if you want to get it out of your way let me know. Mike has my heads on order but I am not sure when they will actually be done and ready to put on the block so I am not really in a hurry. I guesstimate it will be after the 1st before we can start putting the motor together anyway.


John,

Didn't do much this weekend unfortunately. We went up to Blue Ridge and stayed for the past few days but I did start putting things back together this afternoon. I wanted to get my anti-roll bar on but my drill battery crapped out on my in the middle of drilling my 4th and final hole in the cross-member. Should be able to finish that in the morning.

Today's progress; had an entire porch full of boxes when we got home today.


Jeep Grand Cherokee Box ready to bolt in once I get some new hardware. Had to cut the one of the old bolts out and the other two were pretty pitted
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0169.jpg

Still have some work to do but it is looking a bit better when compared side-by-side with before photo. The new A/C box is at least clean! I need to get some of the crap off the evaporator lines. Hoping some steel wool will help.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0170.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0153.jpg

Exhaust and boxes of other misc. stuff ready to go on. Quite a few boxes like this starting to stack up around the garage!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0172.jpg

I forgot these shipped already. Haven't opened the box yet but will be glad to get them on the car
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/o...h_IMG_0173.jpg

Well hopefully you'll get that pick-up back together soon! I know you must miss it!

Ordered a new converter from Jake's Performance today. Hopefully a billet street/strip lockup 10.5" 3,200 stall converter will do the trick. Was hoping to get by with the modified D5 but it seems it would have been short lived with the torque of the 496.

Always unplanned expenses with these things....

http://www.jakesperformance.com/imag...illet_m4ys.jpg

Short block delivered today!! Bowtie smiley

This is going to get interesting.

If only AFR wasn't shut down for the holiday(s)....I'd like to start putting this thing together!!!! I stopped by and took a look at the motor and dropped off some brackets to be powder coated. Everything looks good! Can't wait! Spent some time on the phone with Chris Straub and Mike Lewis this afternoon getting a few loose ends tied up. Looks like I'll have to wait until after the 1st before we start putting this thing back together. Still waiting on the new wheels to arrive anyway.

Thanks Bill! Glad I could take the motor off your hands!

It was kind of funny...

The the owner of the performance shop you're using in Dallas told me today he worked for a Ford dealership for like 10 years and obviously by looking around his shop there are quite a few Mustang and Falcon projects in the works.
He and his workers were mildly amused that I was dropping off a healthy big block CHEVY out of the back of my '10 F-150. :D

Took advantage of UMI's discount and ordered up some new tubular Upper & Lower A-arms this morning (w/taller ball joints) along with new inner & outer tie rods, idler arm, new springs and other miscellaneous suspension components so now the entire front suspension will be refreshed when it hits the road again.

This is going to be a completely different car when I get behind the wheel.....

Black powder coat instead of red
http://www.umiperformance.com/catalo...03133a_MED.jpg

That car is going to be so different you will have to re learn how to drive it.

No kidding.... The motor, transmission, front & rear suspension, wheel/tires & steering have all been touched since I pulled it in for the winter. It will be a completely different feel behind the wheel

Well, while the front is all apart I might as well do something with the brakes too....right?

Lindsay got me a Summit Racing gift card for Christmas so I am going to use it to purchase Wilwood D52 2 piston calipers to put in place of the factory single (and still retain the factory style 15" wheels.) This will be more of a cosmetic change than anything else but it should allow for better heat dissipation in repeated heavy braking situations. Might have to take the car to an autocross event just for fun :) Wonder if we'll be doing it at CB this year? I got fried being a cone wrangler in the sun last year so this year I might take the car for a trip around the track.

This is what they'll look like once installed. Probably order them tonight when I get home so I should have them this weekend to install! I think my rims will be here either today or tomorrow too so I can get the car back on the ground and get it ready to be towed back to the shop to have the motor dropped in. Starting to get antsy around here waiting!
http://image.popularhotrodding.com/f...per-in-red.jpg

Just found out my AFRs delivered!!! WOOOHOOO!!

I need to follow behind you and nab your old parts ,your whole car is going to be new.

Didn't one of yours need new brakes? Not sure what was needed but you are welcome to my calipers & pads if you are ever down this way. They are just about brand new anyway. Don't think I am replacing the rotors though (at least not yet...)

Edit: Nevermind, I see above where you said it needed rotors. If I decide to pull mine off I'll let you know but don't expect I will change them.

I could use a caliper on the driver side if they are the same and they should be .Let me know what you want for it ,I forgot one of mine is dragging.Heck ,let me know on both as with my luck change one the other fails. I wish I could find USA made replacement rotors but I've had no luck .