Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Another item: the coolant overflow
My radiator is an aftermarket unit from a small custom shop in San Dimas, California, and they welded on the neck and clocked on the overflow fitting to point at the passenger side. Well, my passenger side engine compartment is already cluttered with the battery and all of the A/C components, so I had to think of a way to route the line to the driver's side. I decided to use a factory windshield washer bottle as the overflow bottle because I really didn't like the look of the aftermarket tanks and also for the fact that I already had a new bottle and a bracket. I got a 48" piece of 5/16 steel line and bent it to where it runs inside the core support over to the tank. I wound up lowering the tank from it's factory mounts. I shifted it to where the lower bolt hole in the core support is now the upper bolt in the bracket. I wanted a nice, gradual gravity feed from the radiator to the tank.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psvei0xybu.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps7idfmwdc.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psv12p2sxz.jpg

The bottle bracket will be painted black when I'm done

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Another item: Upper radiator hose
I like the look of rubber hoses, and as cool as I think they look, I didn't want the hard pipe that came from the factory on the V8 models. I wanted to find an off-the-shelf hose that I could source from any parts store. After a bunch of research, I found one. It's a Gates hose, part# 20676, and it's for a 1970-1972 Monte Carlo. I'm using a swivel water neck, but if you cut 15.25" from the long end and .25" from the radiator end, this hose fits perfectly if you're using a factory serpentine belt set-up.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pstgjk4zqx.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psndx4ci0x.jpg

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Here's a post if what Not To Do:
After I bent my brake lines at the master cylinder, a Scotchbrited them to give a brushed aluminum look, and I then I sprayed them with a satin clear to preserve the look. WRONG! It turned them a nasty dove gray, and they looked awful. So, I tore everything back apart, got the clear coat off with an aerosal paint stripper and re- Scotchbrited them. While I was at it, I resprayed the booster with some SEM satin black. I love SEM products. Now, I can look at the booster and not get spun out about the look of the brake lines. Muuuch better!
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps5duncqmh.jpg

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Last one for the day: Shift linkage
Because I'm running a 700r4 and a factory automatic column, I had to make a new rod. I tried a bunch of factory shift rods but nothing worked right. The angles were wrong and the action was not smooth. So, Brad gave me a section of 3/8 dowel rod, and after a couple of minutes with the torch, it was done. Because I wanted a straight shot down the the trans linkage, the offset at the column was pretty big, so I added a custom gusset. After a little primer and paint, it was done. It works great!
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psjjadkvxl.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psubna6h2x.jpg

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Dayum, this is some clean work.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice, clean work as usual!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice job on all your items...Jim

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

AND it's still just low budget coolness! Just a little extra time on the details and being a little (or lot!) OCD. Looks awesome dude!!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Thanks, Gregg!

Yeah, I had a pretty good weekend. I was in the zone, so to speak.

Thank You, Sir!

I look at the low-budget theme as a challenge. Sure, I love the high-end stuff, but I make it a goal to have something that looks nice, is easy to work on, and has readily available parts from any local parts store. I only crack open a catalog when I feel that I have no other viable option. I have a tendency to be a bit OCD because of my many years in aerospace. I am around incredible stuff everyday, and I couldn't slap something together without doing it the "aerospace way". It's fun when it turns out the way you envisioned it.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

It all looks great. And your attention to detail is wonderful. Keep on keeping.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Super clean work

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice and clean!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Spent the day making plug wires, and I àlso have been itching to try these really cool wire looms that Doug Jerger (Squeeg's Hot Rods) makes. The only problem is, they are not designed for centerbolt heads (Vortec). So that meant that I had to figure out how to make them work. It wound up being very simple. The factory Vortec heads have two 1/4-20 threaded holes that I can only assume are for the factory wire looms. I was able to use a 1.75" long 1/4-20 bolt and a 1" spacer and I orientated the loom in a vertical position. It worked great.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pstexolvf2.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psxq2yzc7s.jpg
Disregard the nasty mockup spark plugs. The wires are MSD, 8mm.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Those look badass! I had no idea what the plan was, but your idea worked out great! Of course you're screwed now 'cuz I'll badger you to put "matching" 12 point bolts on! Lol I have some extra 1/4" stainless AN washers you need for those...

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Yep, I'm screwed. Pretty soon, I'll be swapping all of my 6 points for 12 points because of my header bolts. Hahahaha.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Damn, that looks sweet, Alex!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Good lookin' stuff, Alex! Can't wait to hear it makin' noise!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

I didn't post this earlier, but when I was making my spark plug wires, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't use my Sanderson blockhugger eaders because the #5 and #6 sparkplug boots touched the header tubes. I discovered that GM moved the sparkplugs closer to the exhaust valves on the Vortec heads, and some headers will not work because of that. I called all of my buddies and looked through all of the headers that I had, and I test-fit four different sets and each one of them required modification of some kind. I finally decided that an old pair of Thorley Tri-Ys I had in my parts pile seemed to fit the best. I had to cut and shorten the #1 primary tube and reclock the #1/#5 cylinder collector to clear the driver's side motor mount. http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pscsguxfi3.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psscypcdoc.jpg
The headers were going to be used on another project a long time ago, and the collectors had been cut and removed.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pszvtvf5pq.jpg
Because of the 2" primary diameter and the small 2.5" outlet, I had a tough time finding a merge collector, but I found a company called Vibrant Technologies that made a very nice stainless collector for a great price ($79 each).
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps1ijh4j6s.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pszym5huo5.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps74d6cwvh.jpg
Now that I had the parts, I took them over a buddy's shop (Rob Lindsay at RJ Fabrication in Hesperia, California) to have them make new 2" primary tubes, weld on the merge collectors, and weld on V-band flanges at the end. They did an amazing job. The TIG welds are beautiful and the tubing fit is perfect. After they finished, they dropped them off at Young Gun Performance Coatings in Rancho Cucamonga for ceramic coating. They turned out amazing.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps1u7oundb.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps7f3ko106.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psazybmez9.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psuiuzavj6.jpg
I can't wait to bolt these up!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

The work you do is just radical!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice! Those look great.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Headers look outstanding!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

I finally saw them a few days ago and the pictures don't do them justice! Alex did a great job of making those happen!!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice headers! :metal:

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Man, those look good on the big screen. Nice stuff. Brum, brum, brum,.......

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice job! Those tri-y's look great.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

I had a couple of days off during the holidays, so I stayed busy cleaning and prepping body parts. I want to start getting all of the body parts ready to install for the final time, and with my OCD, that's easier said than done.
Driver's fender, scraped out mud and grease and after an hour, it looked like this
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps2vcs731o.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psahdimoag.jpg
I painted the white areas back to white, shot bedliner on the inside of the fender, and touched up the remaining areas with chassis black
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pswfwi3jcw.jpg
Cleaned and prepped the bracketry and installed a new splash shield.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psedulwy1d.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psj0gyztzm.jpg

Next step, hang the fender and cowl extension, then move to the grille surround.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Looks good. Nice to see some more progress.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Oooo purdy. Yaay progress! Gonna be tearin' up the desert in 2016!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Yep it's getting closer! 2023 is going to be a great year when he FINALLY wraps it up! Sheesh dude, hope you color sanded and rubbed out the bed liner stuff...

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Of course I rubbed it out.....After I color sanded it with 1000, 1200, 1600, 1800, and 2000 grit paper. Once the bedliner spray is fully cured, I'll spray it with 6 coats of Glasurit 22 Line clear and re-perform the color sanding process.

Haha, you funny......

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Nice detail work. Glad to see Im not the only one with OCD.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

That looks killer dude.

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Just read through your thread and all of the work that you have done. Thanks for posting, it is a great example of what attention to detail can do.

Dwight

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

The wife had to work on New Years Day, so I stayed out in the garage all day and worked on the grille surround. I had a full day in just cleaning and prepping the backside, and yesterday, I shot some Rust Reformer on the back, and acid washed the front to get rid of the surface rust.. After that was done, I shot the backside in chassis black. The black paint on the frontside was looking shabby as well, so I gave it a light coat of SEM black. I had to paint this area because the core support shows through the grille, and the black paint will now match up. I plan to install this piece permanently today.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...pse13fkrmn.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps2zptdvzs.jpg

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Very nice!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

oh, oh... using big words like "permanently." This reeks of progress. ;)

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

It's funny, I keep going out to the garage and walking up to the truck and shaking the front clip. It was always loose and floppy from the first day I got it. Now, it's tighter and gapped better than it was from the factory, and I get all geeked every time I give it a shake. Progress feels GOOD.......

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

You know what they say though if you shake it more than twice...

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Wait a minute- did he say that Whitey's in the GARAGE? The Kid is serious!!

Gotta say- that "This F-er is FIXED" feeling is always pretty good. Go fix something else, we're dyin' over here! I wanna see this thing shovin' a Fueler!

Re: Project '64 Cheapskate
 

Yep, it's in the garage. It needed to happen, and things are getting done at a much more rapid pace because of it.