THE "Firechicken"

[bottledbird68]

Ok, here it is. My official project log for my 68 firebird. I've owned this car for 18 years this coming august and it's my baby.
It's been sitting now for about 2.5 years since I put 2 rods through the oil pan on the built Pontiac 455 that was in it.
Time for a serious update to bring the car into this century and make it more fun/useful. Follow along if you care :)

Here's some shots as it sat this morning, finally back in the garage after 2.5 years. Ignore the dirt, sitting outside on dirt ground for that long will do that to you. Paint really is shiny underneath.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/ff78970b.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/cd921765.jpg
Here's a good shot of the whole car sitting outside right after I scattered the motor:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/22aad490.jpg

Engine bay shots. Still got half the motor there. Already sold off the ported aluminum head, intake, carb, and big solid roller cam to fund other projects:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/6eb12b01.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/be6cacf3.jpg

And here's a couple of the interior. Kind of a mess from sitting but a lot of it's getting changed anyhow so whatever:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/5a0a9b0d.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/c43db543.jpg

[bottledbird68]

And here's how far I got today. Got most of the interior torn out. Seats are going bye bye for something more comfy and rear downtubes of the roll cage are getting reworked so I can put a rear seat back in it.
I have kids now and they need to have somewhere to sit when we go out cruising :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/276ccb74.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/19edf9b1.jpg

And that's about it so far. Just spent some time clearing junk out the interior and then pulling all the stuff I don't plan on keeping.
I'll update this as I go. Should be fun.

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

SAWEEEETT!!!!! Cant Wait to see this fucking thing breathing fire down the track again!!!!

[bottledbird68]

SAWEEEETT!!!!! Cant Wait to see this fucking thing breathing fire down the track again!!!!

You and me both :D

I like my other toys, but this car is just a part of me.

[Formula413]

You're going to break it!!!

[irockidz28]

^^^^ hahaha soo true

i know ill be following

[DemonWithin99]

I'd tell ya to take pizza's motor, but....


lol


GO BIG OR NO GO!!!

[bottledbird68]

You're going to break it!!!

Yes, yes I will :D

Not counting what's going into it this time in the years I've owned it I've been through 5 rear ends, 4 transmissions, and 6 motors, so yes, I'm quite sure I will break it again lol.

Enjoy the story to follow :)

[bottledbird68]

I'd tell ya to take pizza's motor, but....


lol


GO BIG OR NO GO!!!

It's getting an lq4 and a turbo this time around. I want efi and boost :)

[c4boom]

I say do a piston swap on the lq4 and upgrade the rod bolts that way you can throw more at it and not trash your motor. I think with that you will be able to get almost all you may NEED out of the motor before failure. plus it gives you the chance to do rings and bearings while your at it

[ls6monte]

Looking good so far Matt!

[bottledbird68]

I say do a piston swap on the lq4 and upgrade the rod bolts that way you can throw more at it and not trash your motor. I think with that you will be able to get almost all you may NEED out of the motor before failure. plus it gives you the chance to do rings and bearings while your at it

I thought about it but for now I'm just planning on tossing the motor in. Only thing I'm planning on doing is a cam.
After scattering a motor I had 10g's into I'm a little gun shy to spend money on a bottom end for now. If I tear up a couple quick then maybe I'll upgrade but at $6-700 a pop I'll treat them like fuses for now lol.

A few years down the road after the body is done I may build a real motor and shoot four four digit power numbers but for now this will do :)

[c4boom]

I was just thinking get a used set of pistons and just doing rings no rods no crank just so it will take a bit more beating but ya the stocker is good if its tuned right

[My84Z]

If u unbolt the pan and put rod bolts in you will probably be able to get like 750 hp reliable

[bottledbird68]

If u unbolt the pan and put rod bolts in you will probably be able to get like 750 hp reliable

I've been considering changing the rod bolts too but don't want to get any deeper but them and a cam.
I am going to have the pan off anyhow since the truck pan isn't going to work for me. They would be cheap insurance. Hmmm...

[bottledbird68]

And more progress today :)

Got it off the ground on stands:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/62ddb3ce.jpg

We pulled the wheels, fenders, front bumper assbly, and radiator support.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/26ea3915.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/2a18d200.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/bfc1ae7d.jpg

And brought the fenders upstairs to keep them safe lol. Yay lightweight race parts :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/3d2a1080.jpg

And that's all for now. More to come soon :)

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

KICK ASS!!!! Great Progress! not bad for a couple of Juckets! hahaha JUST Kidding Jami. Matt yeah your a jucket!

Anyway LQ4 rod bolts are a DEFFINATE! everything else your good. Sam has done some amazing shit with his car Stock LQ4!! there a tough fucking engine!

[KLAB]

wow sam has stock pistons what about heads?

[c4boom]

he did the porting on his heads

[bottledbird68]

KICK ASS!!!! Great Progress! not bad for a couple of Juckets! hahaha JUST Kidding Jami. Matt yeah your a jucket!

Anyway LQ4 rod bolts are a DEFFINATE! everything else your good. Sam has done some amazing shit with his car Stock LQ4!! there a tough fucking engine!

Yeah, I probably should at least do rod bolts too since I'll be right there anyhow. Cheap insurance

[bottledbird68]

Did some more tear down today. Cars starting to look empty:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/3ab27dde.jpg
No more wilwoods. Zo6 binders coming soon...
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/28485f71.jpg

Pulled the rear, springs and all. Hopefully it'll sell soon and it's hello 9"/truck arms :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/340cf74a.jpg

Anybody want a 3.5" mandrel bent header back exhaust? I love it but I don't think it's gonna clear the new suspension:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/6142db7f.jpg

And that's all for now. Hopefully finish gutting everything this week. Waiting on some other stuff to arrive and it's on to the rebirth :)

[bottledbird68]

And just to add them to this thread here's a pic of the new wheels:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/92afc6b8.jpg

And the hot rods to hell truck arm kit sitting in the crate :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/f852a838.jpg

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

SAWEEETTTT!!!!

[bottledbird68]

Finally opened the trunk for the first time in 2 and a half years the other day.
A bit of a mess, but it's all going bye bye:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/7eb83f48.jpg

Got the old fuel system torn out and ready to move onto it's new home. Traded all this and some cash for my pickup :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/03a23af0.jpg

And the empty hole. Going back to a stock trunk floor and stock style tank so I can have some storage space back. I plan on going on a lot more road trips once it's done.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/b3a6fdc2.jpg

And just cause I had too. This is inside my wheelwell. I don't burn out, ever lol.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/b69d0727.jpg

[DavidS]

Looking good!!!! Those wheels look terrific!

[ls6monte]

Nice Matt! It's getting there! That last pic kinda looks like my wheelwells in the monte! lol

[frankzlt1]

thats awesome its getting done, i like the last pic, how many years of rubber build up is in those wheel wells. hahaha thats freakin great.

[bottledbird68]

thats awesome its getting done, i like the last pic, how many years of rubber build up is in those wheel wells. hahaha thats freakin great.

Well, I've owned the car for almost 18 years, it's been sitting for the last couple but there's 15 straight years of summernationals burnouts and other random playing around here and there. I've purposefully never cleaned them out lol.
Gonna have to now though. It's mini tub time to clear the 295's I'm planning on running in back. Guess I'll just have to start over :)

[bottledbird68]

So, after waiting a few weeks I finally got my shipment from S&W race cars.
Steel tube formed rear frame rails, new front subframe tie in bars, new rear down bars so I can run a back seat, and some extra tube for a diagonal on the main hoop and whatever else I may need.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/736b179d.jpg

Also, finally picked up the vette :) Ignore the trailer strapped to the roof, my landlord wanted me to grab it lol
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/8b86dc1c.jpg

And started tearing it down today. Looks pretty simple with all the plastic and fiberglass parts torn off:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/1f9bf478.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/3bce7a8e.jpg

Did a bunch of measuring today too. Think I figured out a game plan. Believe it or not the frame rails before and after the control arms on a c5 and a first gen are actually within a half inch of eachother.
Tomorrow I'll most likely get the front clip cut off and finish stripping the vette chassis. Once I get them side by side I'll be able to finalize some things.
This should be a huge improvement over the 40 year old technology that was there:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/d860a64d.jpg

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

gay

[Formula413]

Awesome!!!

[irockidz28]

nice!!

[black heartbeat]

gay

YOU'RE GAY!

[TBerry95z28]

sweet I can't wait to see this thing

[bottledbird68]

sweet I can't wait to see this thing

Me too lol.

Well, skipped yesterday cause of the rain but got back at it today. I got to be that guy who chopped up a perfectly good zo6 frame :D.
10 minutes with the torch got me this:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/db4f2bd4.jpg
And my new front clip :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/54653a02.jpg

And, to further my productive day I finally sold off my 12 bolt rear. And, in a stroke of luck, my landlord happened to have a nice 9" rear core housing I scored from him. Yay!
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/8b8202bf.jpg

Now, just gotta get the front end mocked up, order my tires, and see if I need to have it narrowed or not. It's close either way. That and decide on what gear ratio to run.
Moving along slowly but surely :)

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

SICK!!!!!! 9" Score FTMFW!!!!! hahaha its the heavy housing too!!!

[bottledbird68]

SICK!!!!!! 9" Score FTMFW!!!!! hahaha its the heavy housing too!!!

Yup, 80 something ford truck :)

[c4boom]

pre 86 i think

[irockidz28]

NICE!! lucky catch on the 9"

[black heartbeat]

Nice!

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

pre 86 i think


wich would also mean 80 something? or did i miss something.....:Funny_Smiley:

[Formula413]

BAAAAAA!!!!!!

[bottledbird68]

More progress today.
Finish stripping down the front subframe to get it ready for trimming :)

Here it is all naked:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/918d9d7d.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/02f15a3b.jpg

Good bye 60's technology steering:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/faddf3af.jpg

And here's a shot of the drivers side hole in the oil pan on the old 455. There's a matching hole on the other side too :D
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/a7554c2a.jpg

I was almost sad pulling out what will probably be the last real Pontiac motor the car will ever see :( ah well, time to modernize :D

[bottledbird68]

Then I dragged the vette clip underneath to see how things were lining up:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/86c60510.jpg

Definitely need to lop about a foot off the front but that works for me. I'll most likely keep the front of the factory subframe so my bumper and core support fit with no issues.
Then I centered it underneath the factory rails to see how they lined up:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/d1b6e65c.jpg

And here's a straight down shot from the top with the vette clip directly centered under it:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/f58cd556.jpg
Yeah, notice you can't even see the vette rail cause rail to rail is almost identical as is the thickness of the rails. From the looks of it this is going to be easier than I thought :).
Here's hoping. More to come in a day or two ;)

[Formula413]

The more things change...

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

Looks like a Great line up!!!! gunna custom fab off of the Vette chassis, or join the 2 together?

[c4boom]

I say z cut that shit and join em up

[bottledbird68]

Taking the K.I.S.S. approach. I think I'm just going to notch my factory rails as needed to slide the vette sections in and weld them up solid.
Not looking to do any more re engineering than necessary. Doing it that way I can keep my core support, bumper mounts, and probably even the front subframe rollcage supports intact.

Only hurdle I need to sort out now I'm thinking is ride height. I want it lower but not on the ground. Clearing speed bumps with the front lip would be nice lol.

[c4boom]

well go find out what a vet frame height is at full droop with the tires still on the ground then hang yours at the same hight that should get you close

[c4boom]

or better yet figure out how much is going to be on the front end and the spring rate of the springs you want to use then bring the A arms up to there stock locations and match it all up

[bottledbird68]

My biggest problem right now is figuring out how much higher it sits without a motor in it. I'm planning on keeping the vette cradle along with the factory vette mounts so I can't exactly mock up a motor while it's all in pieces.
After I know about how much an aluminum headed 6.0 will make the nose drop my calibrated eyeball can set ride height from there.

[bottledbird68]

Ok, got sidetracked putting a transmission in my truck but getting back at it now.
More goodies came in :)
My 9" third member, nodular housing, hd pinion support, billet bearing caps, Detroit locker, 3.82 gears. Used NASCAR take out with about 500 miles on it:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/9d2e2db3.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/06cdefa8.jpg

Got my tires in and mounted up too. 275/40/17 sumitomo's up front and 295/45/18 nitto 555's in the rear. Basically wanted to keep the tires about the same height as my old ones just with bigger rims. Side by side it worked out perfectly.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/1ca18510.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/c8ab2380.jpg
Now that I have my tires mounted up I can mock everything up and build the car to fit them ;)
Started cutting my factory subframe yesterday but the plasma cutter decided to give me a hard time so I didn't get very far. Gonna try and make some progress tomorrow.

[KLAB]

Don't you love the wheels!!!? I have the chrome versions. Looks good man! Keep up the progress.
:klab:

[*LS1* Queen]

nice....git r done!!!

[Formula413]

Have it ready for May so you can take 2 F buckets on the cruise!!! :D

[irockidz28]

love those wheels!!!!!

[bottledbird68]

Don't you love the wheels!!!? I have the chrome versions. Looks good man! Keep up the progress.
:klab:

Yeah, the more I look at them the more I'm liking them. Gonna change the whole look of the car. Something I think it's been needing for a while.
Hell, it's had the same wheels on it for the last 15 years lol.

Half ass mocked everything up today and I'm very happy with the choice.

[bottledbird68]

nice....git r done!!!

Have it ready for May so you can take 2 F buckets on the cruise!!! :D

I'm working on it :)
Alex, I'd love to have it ready for the quabbin cruise but financially that may be a stretch. We'll see though. I was contemplating that today :D

Anyhow, passed the point of no return today. Here's the first rough cut:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/a338e63e.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/f1f86a04.jpg

Loosely bolted the fender on to guesstimate where the wheel had to sit in the opening. Loving the look. Can't wait to see it all together where it belongs:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/a278b5f1.jpg
And from the inside. Had a bit more trimming to do. I'd rather cut a few times than cut too much:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/a9e7b289.jpg

And here's where I wound up. Just lopped out the whole center section. If I tried to keep what was there I would have had a thin strip left around the vette upper control arm mounts. Decided it would look better this way.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/65dc6820.jpg
Had to cut out the rear support bar for the front subframe support too. Unfortunately where the vette engine cradle bolts drop through the frame was the same location where that bar was. Oh well, I have more tube. I may end up redoing the whole front of the cage cause the front cradle bolt may have the same issue with what's there. Left it for now though to keep my frame lined up :).
Here's where I left off for today. More to come soon:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/2037bed3.jpg

[ls6monte]

Looking good Matt!

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

i say wen shes done shes fast but drives sideways like them old ford pick em up trucks.......

[TBerry95z28]

looks great so far matt !

[bottledbird68]

i say wen shes done shes fast but drives sideways like them old ford pick em up trucks.......

Doubt my skills with a tape measure do you lol?

[frankzlt1]

lookn good

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

Doubt my skills with a tape measure do you lol?


im gunna go with.... your using a TAPE MEASURE!!!!!

[ZFreie]

im gunna go with.... your using a TAPE MEASURE!!!!!Whats wrong with a tape measure?

[bottledbird68]

Whats wrong with a tape measure?

I think pizza is under the impression that unless you have laser measuring equipment I couldn't possibly be right.
Guess all those custom built cars from the 20's all the way through the 80's must all have dog tracked down the road :)

This isn't my first rodeo. Yeah it looks scary but it isn't exactly rocket science ;)

[ls6monte]

My friends shop builds ALL his race cars/projects with a tape measure.

[ZFreie]

I think pizza is under the impression that unless you have laser measuring equipment I couldn't possibly be right.
Guess all those custom built cars from the 20's all the way through the 80's must all have dog tracked down the road :)

This isn't my first rodeo. Yeah it looks scary but it isn't exactly rocket science ;) Don't forget houses are built with tape measures pizza! Should laser level your house. :gayfight:

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

Jesus guys i cant bust yah balls?!?!?!?

[My84Z]

Not on this site buddy!

[ZFreie]

Jesus guys i cant bust yah balls?!?!?!?Well I was returning the ball busting...That sounds quite wrong...:homo:

[ls6monte]

Well I was returning the ball busting...That sounds quite wrong...:homo:

Actually that sounds quite normal around here! lol

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

Actually that sounds quite normal around here! lol


:qft:

[bottledbird68]

And it's up and tacked in place :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/6ccd737c.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/032a3886.jpg

All of my measurements for the frame and cradle are dead on even. It's also nice and level in the chassis.
Track width looks like it's going to be pretty good as well.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/5287bbfe.jpg
This just looks cool to me pokin out of a first gen wheel well.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/404d3f2f.jpg

So, the rails and cradle are square in the car. All dimensions side to side and cross corners are equal. Double checked factory corvette service manual and both sides are supposed to be equal. Need to do some more figuring though as the drivers wheel is a little further forward. Hoping it's just something alignment related. Ran out of time today. Had to grab the little one from school. Hopefully more tomorrow if I can find some time.
If my wheel issue is simple it won't take much to lock everything down and finish up the front. Chassis wise it's coming together nicely :)

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

Thats Kick Ass!!! Tape Measure..... thats why your shit aint straight!!!!!

[bottledbird68]

Thats Kick Ass!!! Tape Measure..... thats why your shit aint straight!!!!!

F ewe lol. It is straight. All the points they show to use in the factory manual are dead on square. Just the wheel is back. If I kick the subframe back then my motor will sit noticeably crooked :p
I'm thinking it's in the alignment settings. I just kind of tossed all that together to make the chassis a roller so I'm hoping that's it. Otherwise it's a bent control arm or something?

[Formula413]

Well it's not like those suspension parts came out of wrecked car or anything. Oh, wait... :haha:

[irockidz28]

^took the words right out of my mouth lol

[black heartbeat]

looking good man!

[TBerry95z28]

lookin good so far! keep workin I wanna see it done :) lol

[bottledbird68]

lookin good so far! keep workin I wanna see it done :) lol

Me too lol.
Spent a couple hours yesterday crawling around with a tape measure double, triple, and quadruple checking everything.
I'm completely satisfied that the vette stuff is square in the first gen subframe.
What I'm thinking my issue is that when I start trying to measure off the original sheet metal parts of the car things start to get a little funny. So, I'm thinking my 43 year old rusted, twisted, and fatigued sheet metal may not be the best or most reliable point to measure from lol.
That and my other half pointing out how the drivers side factory frame mount to the body actually sits about a half inch further forward on the car. Guess the car was never really square anyhow. Couldn't imagine why lol.
So, time to chop out the old subframe connectors (they need to go anyhow for the truck arms), shift the subframe back a half inch, and start mocking up the rear to make sure I'm square before I finish weld everything.
More updates next week hopefully. Took the Camaro out for a beat run the other night and now I'm really itching to get my baby back together :D

[DavidS]

now I'm really itching to get my baby back together :D

It's looking GREAT!!!! Some of us are itching to see it at next years Quabbin Cruise!

[bottledbird68]

It's looking GREAT!!!! Some of us are itching to see it at next years Quabbin Cruise!

You'll hopefully get the chance to see it before then.
Once it's back together I fully intend to drive the wheels off it and hit LOTS of shows/meets. Hell, if it's not raining I'll most likely daily it. I miss driving it. It was my daily for the first 8-9 years I owned it :)
Just finally got to the point where it sucked to use as a regular car. Hence all the changes. This should fix that :D

[MouseTrapRacingTyler]

Just read threw all this pretty kick ass man , how you making out at this point?

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

hahha totally forgot about this Nice Dig up Man!!!!!! MATTT WTF MAN GE R DUN!!!!!

[DavidS]

...and include pics as you go!!!!!!! It was looking GREAT!!!!

[c4boom]

I think he has been spending all his time on the import

[bottledbird68]

No, just been spending my time being broke lol.
Haven't actually touched it for about a month.
Got a few bucks back in the bank though so it's time to get back to it this week. I'll update as soon as there's progress :)

[DemonWithin99]

:this_thread_is_usel

[bottledbird68]

Ok, been a while since I updated this one. No real progress, but, moved it from it's hole at home to the corner of our shop lol!
Here's how it sits now. So far I'm loving how it looks like the stance is going to work out. Looks evil in person.
Getting delivered:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/07bb3b75.jpg
Bam!
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/e1e82a31.jpg
Still liking the wheels:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/f2097892.jpg
Hanging out in the corner waiting patiently :(
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/5c1292c1.jpg

[My84Z]

Lol for a mechanic and shop owner do any of your vehicles run right or complete lol

[bottledbird68]

Lol for a mechanic and shop owner do any of your vehicles run right or complete lol

Too busy fixing everybody else's junk lol!
And yes, besides a wheel bearing that should be all set shortly the subie is just fine. :)

[Formula413]

If you pull off that suspension conversion you deserve an article in GMHTP.

You guys should make a reality show at your shop, I could totally see it working.

[bottledbird68]

We've said he same thing abou the reality show alex. Especially if they follow along for both jobs. Something for everyone there lol.

And that's the goal, magazines. Cars had bit pictures in hot rod twice. I want feature articles dammit! :)

[bottledbird68]

Had a 5.3 sitting around getting in our way so I plopped it in the car to check ride height and track width so I can get measurements to order up a rear axle housing.
Looks right at home:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/a772953b.jpg

Car sits LOW! Really low. Looks wicked. I can just barely fit my fist between the frame rail and the ground. Yes, this is a shot of our 5 year old standing next to the car. They are about the same height.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/e0483077.jpg

And a standing shot to show it's not just camera angles lol.
I was shocked, all the truck accessories clear the frame rails, even the truck manifolds would work. And, the intake actually looks like it'll clear the hood too! Solenoid on top barely touches with it closed and once the vette oil pan goes on the motor will come down another inch or two so yay! That'll help keep the budget down if I stick with all truck stuff. Just gotta make sure the crank pulley clears the steering rack once the motor comes down.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/34c59ff4.jpg

Track width looks real close and the tires fill up the wheel wells nicely. Gonna probably put steel fenders back on it and modify the opening a touch for a bit more clearance just to be safe.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/6714c599.jpg

And, my pit crew for the evening lol. They were happy to help :)
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/02eb2599.jpg
You can almost tell the height difference too between the bird and the stock height Chevelle next to it in the last pic. Car came down a ton. Can't wait to get it all back together. Looks like it's going to be fun

[DavidS]

Great!!! Looks like everything is going back together nicely. What did the motor come out of?

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

yeah man that car is gunna be SICK!!!!!

just make sure you calibrate your tape measure!!!!

[c4boom]

ya that thing is going to be bad ass and I say keep the fiber and mold them

[bottledbird68]

David, that motor is a 5.3 out of an 02 Tahoe. It's not staying in there though. Car is most likely getting a 6 liter lq4 unless I fall into a pile of money and spring for an aluminum block motor.
Boomer, the glass parts fit like ass and have bothered me since day one. For what I'm doing I want the panels to all line up nicely. Most likely sticking with steel. I'll take the 50-75 lb hit to have the car look nice.
Or, one of the regulars at the club owns a business that makes custom carbon fiber panels. I've talked to him about it but no sure I want one off parts I need to wait for in case I crunch the car up after it's back out. I intend to drive it, and drive it hard ;)

No worries pizza, just picked up a freshly calibrated one ;)

Thank you guys for the compliments. It wasn't much but this got me excited about it all over again lol.

[KB93z28]

This thing has a MEAN stance to it!

[ls6monte]

It's going to look awesome when it's done Matt!

[BadBird505]

that's going to be sweet when it's done

[DavidS]

Any updates Matt? You were making some huge progress on it!!!

[bottledbird68]

No real updates. Got too tied up working 100 hours a week. Downsized the shop though a couple months ago so that'll change now.
That and it took about 4 months for all of my new sheetmetal to come in.
However, I now have all new exterior sheetmetal, quarters, doors, nose, tail pan, roof, rockers, etc to go on. Hoping to catch up on shop work I the next couple months then get back to it. Really hoping to get the car out next year. Killing me watching it sit there in the corner under a pile of boxes lol.
Here it is sitting in the new shop looking all sad and lonely...
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/19E7821E-1B10-44BE-A166-F122601686A6-6484-00000716B36830DD.jpg

And us picking up all the sheetmetal. Saved myself almost $1,500 in shipping by ordering local and waiting for it.
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/2B6ACD09-33A6-48E9-BE39-60CD723025A3-6484-00000716BD031496.jpg

And that's about it for now. Damn real life getting in the way lol.

[frankzlt1]

Not a bad looking shop. Is the shelving staying and are putting in a lift.

[bottledbird68]

Shelving stays. That's where all my random parts are getting stored.

Lift maybe eventually. I'm in no particular rush though.

[DavidS]

The shop looks like it will be very nice! Hope you have a good location.

Are you cutting down to 90 hours per week?

[bottledbird68]

The shop looks like it will be very nice! Hope you have a good location.

Are you cutting down to 90 hours per week?

Thank you. Still got a few odds and ends to attend to but I'm up and running. Location is kinda out of the way but honestly I prefer it right now. The majority of my work will follow me wherever I go and the nice thing about here is it cuts our overhead into about a third of what it was so we don't have to stay busy just to break even.
And way less than 90 hours a week lol. More like 50ish lately. I feel much better and am in a far better mood! Much less stress this way too. The night job covers the house bills. The garage is basically to have a place to play with our own stuff ;)

[smokinss]

Good to see it. I know about real life now too. Have a 5 month old son now. I am lucky to drive my SS now. Keep at it man