[SSandman]

Well it's finally about that time....time to start putting the 96 back together. I know it will be a slow road, not because of the amount of work but because of my lack of time to work on it and the constant waiting for the next paycheck to put $$$ towards the project. Anyway, I am really excited that I think this year will be the year it runs... Being that it looks to be within my budget this year, I began pushing forwards with the work...

The much needed body work (can't see from pics but car was side swiped, a previous bondo repair on the 1/4 cracked bad and the door is dented pretty good)/paint is way out of the budget now, this is pretty much just another front yard fame off resto to clean up the underside/engine bay ect... only I have a few tricks up my sleeve for this car... here is the run down of the treatment I am giving her.

boxing frame
minitub
at least a 4 pt bar, most likely a 6 point cage
396cid LT1 with AI 200cc heads, D1SC procharger, TH400 with Gearvendors OD

I am basically looking to build the ultimate impala supercar (or at least get as close to that goal as my budget allows). Not that these cars could ever compare to a new C6 Z06 as an all around performance machine...but it couldn't hurt to try. I want acceleration, handling and streetability....and did I mention acceleration?

Anyway, just the other weekend I began work on the underbody. She was a little rusty/peely from sitting for about 5 years but not too bad for a 96 overall. No rot to speak of.

Frame out

before

Going to town with angle grinder and knotted wire wheel, then touch up with a regular wire wheel and then scuffed up any remaining paint by hand. It would take way too long to get everything down to bare metal plus most of the factory paint sticks better than you could ever hope to get anything else to stick...the goal is to simply take off whatever comes off easy as well as get the rusty spots exposed for POR15ing

After the following process
POR 15 marine clean
POR 15 metal ready
two coats of POR 15

I am going to follow up with a third coat of POR 15 and then either two coats of POR 15 blackcote or a ceramic bedliner. Haven't decided yet (I know both will hold up, but I am kind of liking the shiny look, but this will be a driver so I don't know if gloss black is a good idea).

Taking the frame to my shop on sat to box it and notch the rear for wider wheels/tires. I will have pics of that as soon as it happens.

an old pic of just some of the parts going into this project

thanks for reading!

 

[fuzzcar]

Nice, did you get much "bubbling" of the POR15?

 

[96dreamss]

coming along good/ starting off good keep up the good work

 

[youngdeezy510]

damn nice work so far and that stash of goodies is lookin nice too. i did my frame with por-15 too its the **** man i love that stuff.

 

[SSandman]

Nice, did you get much "bubbling" of the POR15?

Not at all. my shop is an official vendor of the stuff so I have used it on many cars, one thing I found is that without proper prep even stuff as good as POR15 will peel off in time. Every time I have used proper prep though (hit with wire wheel on angle grinder, marine clean, metal ready) I have gotten a completely smooth, extremely glossy finish with no bubbling and you can hit it with a hammer and not cause it to chip way in chunks or peel. Only imperfections I got were the bristles from my cheap paintbrushes getting pulled out and stuck in the paint. Only an underbody though lol.

I can't stress the metal ready enough though. The stuff works great, leaves a zinc phosphate coating on the metal and you could tell right away the POR15 takes to it better.

thanks everyone!

 

[NO DUBS]

Looking great man keep us updated. -Josh

 

[Big Kahuna]

Kris looking good!

Can't wait to see it some day.

PS - your neighbors must love you!

 

[SSandman]

Thanks! BK, oh yea...they even build a fence around their kitchen window to block out the sound from the Impala when I used to fire it up and take it to cruise nights with the 396 lol. Nah, they are cool though. I know them and if they have a problem with something, they say it...and they haven't said anything yet! lol

Here is the boxed frame and notched wheel arch section (not done yet, going to weld in a few more pieces with my ****ty 110v at my house and grind down some of the welds). My partner in crime/mentor at my shop welded it up for me while I had the displeasure of working on a supercharged lincoln mk8.

widened ROH's 11.25"

ten is all I have left lol Going to do what I can to make them look new, if I don't get the desired result i'll have em professionally done. Just glad to have these for the rear...going to be a real cool look having the 335's with a deep back lip like that in contrast to the factory impala wheels up front. Going away with the GF this weekend but man...next weekend i am looking forward to getting work done and getting this thing to a rolling chassis asap so I can drop the body down and test fit these wheels!

 

[GreenHornet]

Looking good

 

[strokedimpala]

valve covers

Hi SSandman looks awesome those wheels are sick i have being looking for valve covers like yours for awhile,if you don,t mind me asking where didi u get them.
Thanks Paul.

 

[Big Kahuna]

go Kris!

 

[leak1210]

I like your vestabule!, Seriously tho- nice work and stay motivated!

 

[Toms9C1]

Awesome! Question? Notching the frame didn't seem to leave much "meat" left, is that a structural concern?

 

[KW Baraka]

OK......are you married ?

Because judging from the parts stored in the house, on the hardwood floor, no less.....the car sitting in the driveway for 5 years......and the 'work' you have scattered around......that women has to be a perfect saint!

Best of luck with the build!!!!!!!

KW

 

[SSandman]

Stroked Impala, the valve covers are Canton. The shop I work for is a vendor for Canton so I ordered them through work but I have seen them on ebay. You could buy them directly through Canton (I bought them a while ago, but I would think they are still available).

Tom9c1, we have done a few cars at my shop where we left no boxed section, simply cut the frame to a plate, welded another plate right over it for strength and then welded in a cross bar for stability. This was on strictly drag race cars though, but just pointing out that not having the width of the factory frame isn't the end of the world. Is it probably weaker? Yes, but not by an amount that either our head fabricator or shop owner (who have both been building race car chassis's for a long time) feel would be a problem in any situation. The frame was cut right along the seam then welded back with beefy 1/8th plate. Not that I feel it is needed at all, as I really don't think the frame is too much weaker as a result, but the back of the car will be tied together with a cage... As for the more frame notch info, there are a few more that were done on the boards here. Mike H has done a few I believe, Tad has the frame notched on his car (a car which I am sure sees some pretty intense lateral G's) and the azsupersport.com website outlines a frame notch as well. All of them seem to have been done a little different from eachother, but same basic idea and as far as I know, nobody has had any issues afterwards. I mean, I have speculated and researched about it but the one perk of my job is I get to bring questions like this up to guys with far more chassis building/race car/street rod experience than myself. If they say it isn't a problem, I have no grounds to disbelieve em! ;-)

KW, it's not real wood ;-) No wife but I have had a gf for the past year....which slowed the project down a little (don't tell her that though! lol) but luckily she doesn't have expensive taste! lol She works hard at two jobs while getting her masters in speech pathology...she knows im just a lowly mechanic who dumps a lot of money into his car and she's cool with that lol

 

[strokedimpala]

Thanks chris for the valve cover info,keep up the awesome work on the car.
Thanks Paul.

 

[RuffrydnSS]

VERY COOL! wish i had a OD for my Th400...smh

 

[pmgm]

Any updates?

 

[ProTools4]

Kris,

I am basically looking to build the ultimate impala supercar. Not that these cars could ever compare to a new C6 Z06 as an all around performance machine...but it couldn't hurt to try. I want acceleration, handling and streetability....and did I mention acceleration?

I know for .fact. even a baby small yet nice NA 358 built Impala can run with and beat LS7 Z06's at the drags, the autocross and the street.

Your on track to break some egos!

on another note
if you own any fire arms or sharp steak knives your going to want to throw the canton valve covers in the trash b4 it's too late.

 

[ScottLC]

on another note
if you own any fire arms or sharp steak knives your going to want to throw the canton valve covers in the trash b4 it's too late.

So...when mine arrive I am not going to be a happy camper either? Crap.