my 66' impala hardtop :)

[ari666]

well, here is the suckie thing. i was saying to my house mate "im not going to do anything to the engine, im not going to do anything to the engine im not going to...."

even still on a mild dress up like this, including the procomp roller rockers (yes, yes, i know about procomp blah blha blah blha) it has still cost me just short of a grand.

VHT engine enamel/header paint x3 cans 20 bucks =$60
dress up kit = $330
rollers+bots+guide plates= $260
sump= $170

total = $820

for something that looks like this ?!?!?!?!





i swear, i had two mates around this arvo just after i put it together and they were here for an hour... we must have said three words to each other... we were all just staring at the enigne. there was the occasional KEWLLLL, etc. but we were all kinda dumb struck. lol. i frikken love this engine now, there is no chance in HELL im gonna sell it.

edit* photo doesnt do it complete justice, come round to my house for a beer and have a look for yourself

[ari666]

with my new procomp cheap and very nasty rollers.

[Bax]

Haven't been reading this thread, just went back over the last few pages, you're motoring along. Good proogress

Keen to keep watching it that's for sure.

[Morton]

oooooooooooohhh so shiney ^_^ That's going to look fantastic in the engine bay

I'm so jealous!! Never popping the bonnet on my VQ again

[ari666]

i found this article which made me fall in LOVE with a new engine

Small Block Chevy Should Have Built

its perfect for a heavy everyday car like the impala. delivers 400 ft/lps torque at 3000rpm and 400HP at 5500rpm.

so it may well be a case of castlemaine rod shops SBC to VB-VK kit and a nice 300HP 327 in a VK

[Jesterarts]

That looks awesome mate!! Nice work!!!

[ari666]

not really getting that much done yesterday and the day before. just assembling bits onto the engine which is futile cos' most parts are just gonna have to come back off when i lift it.


bit of areosol can black to freshen up the chassis. basically i am stalling... lol, i stuffed up the drip rail on the roof patch i did a while ago and only just realised last week when i dummied up the chrome strip. it didnt fit so i had to cut the whole patch back off. now i really need to get me head into it cos' as i mentioned i am no panel beater by any stretch of the imagination and stuffing up that patch has killed any confidence i had.

lol, ill get over it tho. will hit the panels again this weekend. it sucks cos all i wanna do is start the engine and REV IT!!! lol, but must be patient. im a long way from finishing the firewall and there is no point putting the engine in if i am just going to take it back out again.

i need a distraction.... or someone to do it for me anyone here good with sheetmetal and willing to work for beer/feed?

[ari666]

I'm so jealous!! Never popping the bonnet on my VQ again

pffft! your VQ would eat this engine and ask for my 308 for seconds :P

[Pub247]

Where about in melbourne are you?? i could help you out later but not till after chrissy atm im too busy with mobing n building a house

The motor looks the goods by the way i think the manifold is the only thing letting it down a nice high rise or something would be the icing on the cake

[ari666]

cheers Pub im in nunawadding, but am hoping to have most of this finished by xmas (lol, yeah HOPING) ah, twas one of those days today. all i wanted to do was have a nice easy day off, maybe rub down the firewall and relax and have a few brews. this is what happened:
firewall rubber back then sprayed in etch primer

then sprayed in red ocher (it was the way factory sprayed this colour and really brings out the green)

so yeah, wet on wet green, cleared, ready to rumble

get ready.....


done

[VP CALIBER]

ive been checking this thread ..and its comeing along good work m8..soon it will be over...well 4 some reason i think ya might just keep going on spending ...great work m8

[ari666]

my girlfriend said the photos looked like crap cos' it looked like we had bashed the firewall together and spat on it, so i thought i would post this pic to kinda explain stuff. the red areas are spots that still need welding, and the yellow line is where we are going to mask once all the welding is done. so of the whole firewall, only the bit around the engine was painted.

i had to put the engine back in cos' it was getting in the way all the time. our shed is full of crap so the less clutter the better, and now that its on i can move on to refitting components that are sitting around the house/back yard, like the mater cylinder, heater, steering column etc.

not to mention that all i need to do now is fill her up with fluids, connect up fuel lines etc and START HER UP i might do that tonight. adjusting the cheap and nasty roller rockers may be a bitch and watch this space/ebay for a cheap slightly used set of roller rockers to suit SBC. lol. they really are cheap crap.

also i ordered the rubber kit yesterday since the aussie dollar is good. 900 bucks US turned into just over 1000 AUD so thats pretty good considering the cheapest rubber kit i could find in oz was 1600. still have 400 bucks to front for a new windscreen, 600 for the chrome strips down the side of the car and god knows how much to hire a booth/pro spray painter and get the outside done.

meh, itll be worth it.

[Morton]

If you keep going at this rate, it'll be finished before you know it I love the way that green has come up. Brilliant colour. Looking at this is giving me motivation to head out into the garage. Ahoy!

[TVR-190]

needs a 572

like this: YouTube - Naturally Aspirated 572 CI Impala By Nelson Racing Engines

[ari666]

lol, every car needs a 572. ESPECIALLY this one.

anyway, decided that i would get her started last night cos the idea of it sittin with no oil in it didnt really sit well with me. i think from now on i will make a rule; if the job isnt complete after 4 beers, then i need to just sit down and concentrate on finishing the rest of the six pack...

first, i decided to use the holden firing order for the spark plug leads?!?. now, although that doesnt stand a chance in hell of working, i then decided to use the holden number 1 plug instead of the chevy plug which is actually on the passenger side. the results was a car that kinda started, then flames, sparks, smoke, poping etc.

THEN the car rolled forward with revs cos it was in gear (no selectors attached at the mo)

THEN my friend says "whats that gurgling noise?" which turned out that i had totally forgotten to plug up the oil pressure guage hole.

THEN 3 litres of oil went all over the floor/beautiful clean engine/freshly painted firewall

THEN there was another gurgling noise which was 2 litres of trans fluid mixing with the 3 litres of oil on the floor/firewall/engine

THEN i realised it was in gear in had to lay on the 5 litres of trans fluid/oil to put the box in 'P'

THEN i realised i had FRIGGED up the firing order and got it right

THEN the flames popping sparks got WORSE cos i hadnt blocked the brake booster/trans/ported vac ports and had a massive vac leak

then it ran beautifully. *sigh* and i work on cars everyday.... dunno why i was so retarded last night. i blame a lunar something planetary alignment of some kind of horroscope thing.

[ari666]

If you keep going at this rate, it'll be finished before you know it I love the way that green has come up. Brilliant colour. Looking at this is giving me motivation to head out into the garage. Ahoy!

mate, your HQ is kinda greenish. i would HIGHLY recommend this colour for your ol' girl seamist jade chevy colour 8692. you could prolly get away with just clearing the door jams. the pics dont do the colour justice at all. if you get the sun right, it has a gold fleck on one half of the firewall and a silver fleck on the other. its such a beautiful colour. and cos its not a perle it is easy to spray, (although i will be getting a pro to do the outsides)

[-scyth-]

lol you poor bastard!! oh well, must have been drinking a good brew or two

[ari666]

before an after

[Jo3_Blo]

Haha, what a catastrophe!

But all that aside, its comming along really well man.......you don't mess about.

[stocky]

youre in nunnawading? probably 10 minutes away from me so ill have to come check this out sometime, and show you mine as well now that its all running well. looking good so far

[Morton]

I think this calls for a group visit. Let us know ari, I'm up for it too

[ari666]

FOR SURE!!!

piss up and a barbie? i am closing work from friday the 11th and opening january the 11th so will be working on her just about everyday. i really want to have her back driving by the start of jan. so i can maybe get her reg'd for the last week of hols (vic roads shut over xmas)

but anyway yeah, your all more than welcome to drop by shall we set a date? i am not giving out my address over the net, understandably. lol.

[ari666]

and show you mine as well now that its all running well. looking good so far

i cant believe itwas something as simple as that wire.... *smack head* cars hey?

[ari666]

finally! the day i first drove this car i found a distinct lack of guages. since then i have been looking high and low for a set that will match each other and the car. today my search is at an end, tell me what ya's think, yay or nay?


although the vac needle goes in the opposite direction to the others i think they match up ok. chasing prices now, $160 for all three so far. hopefully my buddies at burson will sort me out edit* 140 from the burson boys.

[Morton]

140 isn't a bad price at all for three nice gauges like that I think I may have to buy a similar style/brand when I gauge-up my kinger.

Whereabouts do you plan to stick 'em? Integrated to the dashboard, or lobbed on the side?