67 SS Build- from the barn...

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

Hey Guys,

I'm just getting underway on my 67 SS Build. This is my 5th nova, and my 1st second gen build. (4 first gens). This car has been sitting for over 25 years, in a garage in Northern California. After tearing it down, I discovered it had a front clip replaced many many years ago.(probably from the original owner wadding the front suspension. I'm guessing this is why it was parked so long ago. It was last registered in 1973. There is very little rust, and it came complete, minus, the drivetrain. In the end it was a great opportunity to get an SS car cheap. Since I was planning on an LS conversion from the beginning, I wouldn't have had the heart to tear apart a numbers car. The goal for this car is a pro touring car that can be daily driven. So far, I have acquired, TCI PT front end with 13"/6 piston Wilwoods, TCI torque arm rear 12"/4 piston Wilwoods. Currie 9" with 3.89 tru trac setup with 31 spline axles. The drive train will hopefully be an LSA, or maybe even the new LT4. I'm just waiting to see how the aftermarket comes along on the new LT motors. Planning on a super magnum T56 behind it. Overall theme for the car will be fairly stock appearance in and out, but with all the technical and mechanical upgrades. My taste is pretty subtle, so it will likely be a played down appearance overall, except for maybe the stance and 18 or 19" wheel package.

Nova 404 · Jul 27, 2016

You find that n CL? I think I remember seeing it for sale cheap well relatively cheap.

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

Yeah, CL if I remember correctly, I bought it about 2 years ago, maybe a little less. No way you could forget the way it looked before!! haha. I paid about 10k , but it included 6 fenders, 2 rear ends, tons and tons of doubles and triples of parts. I've probably sold close to 3k of extras so far. So I think I did decent after offing the extras. I just needed a relatively straight body with all the trim and seats etc, since everything else will be new.

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

car stripped down...

couple of small rust spots, pretty straight forward.

John65ss · Jul 27, 2016

You west coast guys don't know how good you have it. It's impossible to find a 66-67 that clean in Pennsylvania.

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

I definitely do take that for granted. although I did buy my 65 from Salt Lake City, so I have been through that before.

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

into epoxy, and with front and rear suspension mocked up. Everything is square to a 1/16th. so whatever this guy did to the front end in the 70's didn't hurt anything. Going to start on the sheet metal work this month. Have a few small patches and DSE tubs going in. then maybe get to paint before the end of the year. Here's the best part. Look at that trunk panel. that's what only 6,300 original miles looks like!

My youngest daughter doing the ball joints. Double adjustables in the front with 13"/6 piston set up.

batman09 · Jul 27, 2016

Gonna be badazz when your done!!what exterior/interior colors you going with?

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

I'm still pulling my hair out, about the exterior color, I can't decide. I have a few blues that I like as well as grays and silvers. I pretty much set on black for interior. What do you think about this color? Jetstream Blue, vette color? May just use this car as my overall inspiration. I know color is the most subjective decision.

Highroller54 · Jul 27, 2016

Do you still have the original shifter from that car? Assuming the 4 speed hump is stock. I need one.

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

Yes, original 4 speed car . But on the shifter, No I don't. I did end up with a box of misc shift linkage and other trans related items. But have sold them all off.

Highroller54 · Jul 27, 2016

shoot lol.
Love the car btw, looking awesome so far!
Garage cabinets look good to!

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

Thanks. Yeah, had to make sure I could lock every drawer/cabinet. 10% worry about theft and 90% worry about my two young daughters destroying my neatly organized tools. And them getting hurt of course!

David67ss · Jul 27, 2016

I like your build :yes: Do you have the SS trim for your ride?

FirstGenArmy · Jul 27, 2016

Yes, I got all of the trim with the car. Minus quarter emblems, which I sourced a NOS pair for cheap. I sold the aluminum rocker trim to NovaJoe last year.

FirstGenArmy · Aug 24, 2016

DSE Mini Tub installation

Well,

I have been making a little progress lately. I get about 4 to 8 hours on the car per week, but always so broken up, it's hard to get big sections of work done. Im sure just like everyone. I've gotten about a third of the way into the DSE installation. Quite a bit of massaging to make the tubs fit right, but just been taking my time.

After rough cutting the opening, just came back and inched along until I was happy with it. Next will be to close out the frame rail. DSE recommends adding some additional material to strengthen in that area. So I have to 1/8 in plate that I will install on the inside of the rail before closing it out. Then I can get to plug welding the tub in. After that its the seat back, seat frame and trunk supports that get done.....then get to do it all again on the driver side!

I have some 2010 camaro wheels for roller laying around, and they actually fit in there with 6" of backspacing on a 28.1" tire. Obviously couldn't run that, but good to know a 5.5" BS 26.5" tire will have plenty of room on all sides as DSE states.

batman09 · Aug 24, 2016

FirstGenArmy said:
Well,

I have been making a little progress lately. I get about 4 to 8 hours on the car per week, but always so broken up, it's hard to get big sections of work done. Im sure just like everyone. I've gotten about a third of the way into the DSE installation. Quite a bit of massaging to make the tubs fit right, but just been taking my time.

After rough cutting the opening, just came back and inched along until I was happy with it. Next will be to close out the frame rail. DSE recommends adding some additional material to strengthen in that area. So I have to 1/8 in plate that I will install on the inside of the rail before closing it out. Then I can get to plug welding the tub in. After that its the seat back, seat frame and trunk supports that get done.....then get to do it all again on the driver side!

I have some 2010 camaro wheels for roller laying around, and they actually fit in there with 6" of backspacing on a 28.1" tire. Obviously couldn't run that, but good to know a 5.5" BS 26.5" tire will have plenty of room on all sides as DSE states.

Pictures don't show up

FirstGenArmy · Aug 25, 2016

got the front end sheet metal hung

Got my front end back from basting and started doing some mock up. I will have some repairs in the cowl area on the passenger side. I have a set of NOS fenders, but if I can get these originals to fit ok, I will try to use them, and save myself $1500 or so. Both fenders have a couple of small spots to be worked out. So it may be better to use the NOS one if they fit perfectly. I'll just have to mock them up after the cowl repairs are completed.

batman09 · Aug 25, 2016

Looks good!!! I wish I had that much space to work on my car!!

FirstGenArmy · Aug 26, 2016

Thanks, just trying to keep trucking along with the sheet metal work to get it to paint.

Have to compete with the wife for space lately, with her furniture painting projects.

nova6speed · Aug 26, 2016

Looking real good! Can't wait to see how it turns out! :thumbsup:

Nova Scotia Nova · Nov 22, 2016

How's the build coming?

Just looking over your second gen. Really like it!
That trunk emblem is a very nice piece. They are hard to find in that kind of shape!!!!
Good Luck!

FirstGenArmy · Dec 1, 2016

Nova Scotia Nova said:
Just looking over your second gen. Really like it!
That trunk emblem is a very nice piece. They are hard to find in that kind of shape!!!!
Good Luck!

Thanks, sometimes you get lucky with certain parts! I certainly factored that in when I handed over cash on a car that was in pieces.

FirstGenArmy · Dec 30, 2016

Mocked up my old DE3P on the Chevy II today, In case anyone was wondering what a 305/30/19 on a 10.5" wheel with 6.5" BS looks like, on a TCI PT clip. It is a bit tall at 26.3 and at full lock you will rub the sway bar and inner fender. But with some DSE inners (or no inners at all for the track) and a sway bar modification, its good to know, there is a ton of potential for a road course set of wheels. The perfect setup would probably, be a 285 or 295/30/18 with 6.25" BS on a 10" wheel. But for the street/strip set up, TCI recommends a 265 or 275/35/18 on 18X9 with 5.75" BS.

The rears look a bit funny since they are a 6.5" BS as well. I will be running a 5.25" on the new set up.

2Doorwagon · Jan 17, 2017

Did you get to take the core support by Stockers? What happened if so?

FirstGenArmy · Mar 10, 2017

I went by their shop and they swapped it for me. The splash guard support areas were "flattened". All good now.

Nova66Nic · Jan 21, 2017

subscribed

FirstGenArmy · Mar 10, 2017

Car is off the the frame shop

Making sure alignment will be within spec prior to welding in the sub frame connectors, rear frame closeouts and inner tubs.

FirstGenArmy · Mar 11, 2017

Some goodies starting to arrive

T56 Magnum and quick time bell housing came today. As well as a trans tunnel patch. All from Hurst Driveline Conversion here in Nor Cal. These guys were great to work with. Using a bare LS1 for mock up is great. I can lift this rig in and out of the car myself with just one buddy to help.

LS1 Bare Block for mock up

67nova73 · Mar 11, 2017

looking good and some good progress as well ...

FirstGenArmy · Jun 15, 2017

Slow and steady progress

Just been getting to the metal work little by little. Took it to frame shop a few months back , and everything was pretty good. The passenger frame stub had been repaired back in the 70's. It was 6mm towards the rear of car, which is barely out of factory tolerances given these front ends got shims much of the time. But I didn't like the way they repaired it, so it got cut out. Car has been leveled and just waiting for a few parts to get the front frame, firewall, and cowl buttoned up. Thinking about welding some 12 gauge panels to both toe kick/floor boards, just to stiffen up the front frame mounts as much as possible, in conjunction with the sub frame connectors. Being OCD sucks when it comes to moving projects along. :turn:

no go nova · Jun 15, 2017

Car is looking great so far, if you do add bracing please show us how you do it.:yes:

FirstGenArmy · Jul 2, 2017

Well got the car back to a roller. replaced the passenger frame stub, and cowl shoulder. Everything should be dead on now. And my OCD can be happy that the stuff underneath is perfect. Started on filling some of the unused firewall holes to clean it up. Will be shaving the upper cowl vents and then reinstalling the cowl soon. The fenders and hood are back from blasting, so I can epoxy and re-align sheet metal again. Will have a few more pieces of metal work to attend to, including rear window channels, and trans tunnel clearance for the T56 Magnum.

FirstGenArmy · Jul 7, 2017

Started on rear window channel rust repair and lead work

Here is the before....

Fabbed up a patch, for the channel, then did some lead on the edge and lower corner. Some minor filler should get the final adjustments done.

JMotulski · Jul 8, 2017

looking Good. Great work!

FirstGenArmy · Aug 9, 2017

Thank you! Metal work is not the most fun part of this project so far.

FirstGenArmy · Aug 9, 2017

making some more progress on the metal work. I can see the light at the end!

Heres some areas that needed attention on the passenger side.

Door jamb rust, where the factory foam sits. Metal was pretty thin around the pin holes.

working on getting the fit up right

weld and smooth

Door had a chip out of it from the fender being pushed into it.

batman09 · Aug 24, 2017

Is that a repopped piece you welded in there?

67 SS Build- from the barn...

Attachments

Our Vendors

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities