putting real meats under the b-body

next up was the test fit

I was sweating bullets hoping the numbers came out good
this is the EV modded rim in test fit

the pan hard rod keeps the axle in check within .020" side to side movement
even with a big boy rocking the back of the car side to side
just two buisness cards from the frame w/o spacers!!!

still feeling like a gambler....I may have a chance that this will work


well, the day came...

time to cut the frame and purchase the tires
cross my fingers and hope this ish fits!

new rubber is dead sexy
335/35/17 sitting next to a 285/40/17


Somehow I already want a bigger tire


usually I do my own fab work,
but since this is a pretty indepth mod with big penalties for mistakes
I enlisted local hot rod hero and wildman Unique of Sire Fabrication in Ingelwood Ca 310.671.3430

Unique builds cars form scratch and has done this mod many times before.
His new twin SBC engine road race hot rod street car is beyond INSANE!

So we got to it and chopped the frame rail.
Miller plasma torch slices thru like butter.
Unique is smooth straight and steady.
I'm nervous and trying not to get in the way.


Insert burnout pic here..LOL


large amount of rubber dust was hiding in the rail from 10 years of burn outs and racing.
My car was still alive...
a new chapter called traction is just a turn of the page away

weeks before the rims even showed up
I made a guesstimation of a template for the inner frame rail piece to be inserted.
The idea was to save some time during fabrication, since the old frame rail would not be re-used.


being a fan of over kill, i used THICK plate.
my degreed mechanical engineer friend and fellow racer insisted that
if the cross-sectional area was to be greatly reduced the gauge had to go up
in the event that the car was hit hard from behind it would be a shame if the car folded in half at the rear deck


also my car is showing signs of massive frame twisting on track
aka
cracked the pan hard drop down brace twice
the windshield that cracked on course is heading for all four corners!!cwm5
extra strength is needed to resit the twist the panhard puts to the driver side rear frame rail
I really need a cage of some sort to tie the car together...
maybe later...

this picture is from the middle of the first day of the first event of last year
the crack has since grown
repeat after me: "the windshield is NOT a suspension component"


Unique fired up the Plasma and proceded to use up a couple of tips.
If you have ever used one of these things its hard to draw a realy nice arc,
Unique is just insanley good with this cutter


the thick plate fit right up inside the frame
no grinding was needed!!!
Unique then hammered and bent the frame to fit perfectly around / pinch the plate in place
*after this pic was taken


The plate was still warm from the plasma cutter when Unique fired up Mr Miller 212


Bitchen Phat welds ensued
Temp gun said 650F on the thick plate as Unique took a breather


no grinding needed
Just add paint and tire


Yummy!

test drive was bitchen.
I could not get too crazy on Friday afternoon in downtown LA...

It all fits!
I could not be more happy.


YES!!!
We have landed! @ 335/35/17


special shout out and thanks to Mike Harris and DSSTRBD of the Impala Forum
for posting there pics in an earlier thread.
That inspiration and innovation drove me forward with this project!
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...ch+mike+harris

http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...ch+mike+harris

http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...ighlight=frame

if you have any questions about the pan hard rod for centering the axle
be sure to check out the link in my signature

thanks for tuning in
hope this help out the next guy

Sire Custom Performance

423 E Florence Ave
Inglewood, CA 90301
(310) 671-3430

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0909_custom_speed_buggy/index.html

I enjoyed reading your write up and photos.

These are the type of informative fun posts,
I have always enjoyed on the ISSF the last 9 years.

Thanks for sharing with everyone.
I like what you have done. Keep up the good work.

Nothing like old school Big Meats on a 208,500 mile daily driver 9c1,
that I have owned the last 11 years.

http://www.inegma.net/4images/details.php?image_id=653

Goodyear 295-50-15" tires on the rear axle.
Junkyard 84 Chevy Suburban Rims for $40.00.

Wutz

I could not afford forgelines....
Yes, The rims are very heavy.
It's almost dumb.

Bottom line....They are 100% effective.
and I cant tell how heavy they are with a 3500+stall converter and 400+RWHP.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The spring clamps work great!!!
I hate picking springs.
HATE hate HATE changing springs that dont work.

Spring clamps allow for a change on the quick and cheap
and the results are predictable

if the car was lighter I would do this.

cause this is the right way to do it.

tsk...i'm really startin' to hate you.

I have had some 335 35 17 Michelin Pilot sports on some 11" TTQ II's for a couple years. The only thing I did was to jack over the adjustable A arms to get equal clearence on both sides. I do run about 5-8 lbs in coil airbags if I carry 3 people with me. Not set up to to race like you did, just a street cruiser!