Grizz's Redneck Express 1966 Chevy Short Fleetside RESTO-GO!

[Grizz1963]

Seen in 2015 in Austin, Texas.

That's a hood ornament.



Notice also the flying pig hanging from the rear view mirror.

[Grizz1963]

Still trying to catch back up to real time.

Only 16 hours behind now.





Getting some tidying up done was high on the agenda.

Found some interesting “details” in the design and build.

Can you see it?



I also removed most of the original radio and interior light, rear view mirror mess.

Need to try get these two parallel bars out as well, Bill whacked his head on them twice, I am still due to do it.



Also removed most of the seatbelts and mounts from the rear, and despite the bloody long bar, still could not get the roll bar shifted.

The seat belt cassettes are on the same mounts.

Will try again today when it warms up, and after the bleach job.



Certainly do not want or like this bull bar.

Heavy and unsightly, plus rusted through under plastic coating.

And if it is on a diet, this will help.




Some serious bolts keeping it all together.




Better?



Other side?



The moss stains were really resistant.



Last bit.



Anyone know what these lights are from?

Body and internals on this one rotted away completely, so need replacing.

I prefer to replace like for like.



Lens after cleaning out the rust stains. Certainly can be refitted.



Actually pleased that I could also do the whole engine bay, behind the grille, under the hood etc.











Does my butt look big in this?



From up high.




Not that there is any money, but yesterday’s Money Shot.

Some change so far.





So, now it is Sunday 9.25 and the next job is a coffee, walk around the Rezin Rockit for some silly grinning and dreaming.

Then get on with the bleach.

Followed by one more run with the pressure cleaner.





Anyone see hope?


.

[Palf70Step]

Way big improvement on it. Waiting to see what you are going to do with it. You figured out a drive train yet?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Way big improvement on it. Waiting to see what you are going to do with it. You figured out a drive train yet?

Hi Bill, thank you, I am pleased so far.

There is a full build and info thread here:

https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread...ockit-cleaning

I have been given an 1800cc 140bhp Mazda Miata/MX5 motor and transmission for free, hope it is still free when I go collect it.

So that’s the plan.

Original plan was to buy a complete car that had failed its MOT test and use it as donor, but free appeals more.

[Palf70Step]

Kool. I like the idea of the Mazda over the Ferd stuff. Different, but good!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Kool. I like the idea of the Mazda over the Ferd stuff. Different, but good!

Nice thing is that you can use a Turbo to go from 140bhp to 200bhp without threat to the engine.

That appeals to me.


So......

Bleach city.

Big brush, generous application



Once All done, leave it to stand for a few minutes.

Then pressure cleaner again.

Resulting in this.

Dulled right now, but I am sure that there will be some polish to bring a bit of a chime back.



The only damage on the whole car, not too bad for a driven car from 1992





I also took off the centre bars between the roll bar and front screen.



After all of this, I also added the rear lens that I got from @spacekaddett To the back end.



Front end view.

Happy



After this, I rounded Sally up to come help me with the next job.


She really is a good person to abuse.

[Grizz1963]

Opinions again.


I do not have any of the stuff needed yet, and not given the it a lot of technical consideration.


But.











I a, thinking a simple, hinged pipe bar where the yellow masking tape lies.

Then attached to it, a racing style window net (re-used, recycled) hanging down on a 5mm to 10mm Max rod shaped frame for it to be attached to.

99% visual, racer style. Not really an airbag or soft plush cushion.

I also thought that buying some nylon webbing and stitching it all together by hand was an option, albeit not a clever one.


Opinions?

[Grizz1963]

So my helper hates a photo, no matter why.

Still, fooled her.



The old seatbelt mounts were attached at the same points as the roll bar rear mounts.

They were rotten and needed to come out, so I crawled underneath and let Sally drive the 3 foot breaker bar and about 5 extensions.



Got them, and the rotten carpet and under felt out.

Then cleaned up again, how many times have I cleaned this out.



Other way.




Looking at the base, behind the seats, where the seatbelt mounting nuts are welded in, it became apparent that this was not a safe place, and my newly bent and laid out roll bar would be a good idea.




But first a bit of fun.

I had enough of doing the real job of cleaning and prepping.

There would be more to come.

[Grizz1963]

Lunch time action.

Micky loves this sort of thing.

Today we were back to full social distancing, and it felt so stupid for me to wear a face covering as he is isolating.





Rear end, looks different, coz it is.



Front again



So the next trick will be finding some 60mm to 70mm Outside diameter pipe and a pipe bender to make a new roll bar, differently configured.


More in a bit.

[Grizz1963]

So after all the stuff I did the last few days, yesterday afternoon was also time for relaxing.


So I went to the garage and pulled out some of the stripes I had put on the Blazer


Thought it worth playing about a bit..





AND FOR THE PHOTOSHOP KINGS..........


Knock yourself out


Lowered, coloured, plain, GOLD WHEELS, change the wheels outright, steels, alloys.


Go on.\






One of my colour schemes will be along this line.


Sticking to the white as primary colour.


Star Gasoline Racing ?

















So there you go team.


Show us what you have.

[Grizz1963]

Copied from elsewhere

Originally Posted by sparkplug

A few roughs just as visuals for you

Gold wheels



New gold wheels



Couple of body colours





I'm thinking red black and gold might work with the seats



Dunno. Your toy, your choice

[Palf70Step]

I am partial to the white, with the wheels you already have, regardless of the wheel color.

[bigmoe]

How about some nice chrome hood latches?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

I am partial to the white, with the wheels you already have, regardless of the wheel color.

Dominant white, yes.

Originally Posted by bigmoe

How about some nice chrome hood latches?

If I found some, they would be on.

If it was decent quality chrome.


QUOTE=sparkplug;5817207]again, just a rough illustration to give an idea.

[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by sparkplug

Different wheels, lower



Any particular wheels you'd like to see on it?

Just silly?

[Palf70Step]

The green strip looks out of place. Still like the wheels you have the best. Maybe do the green somewhat like the race car over the nose.

I really suck at photoshop coloring so, I am not much help probably.

For sure bring the body down.

[Grizz1963]

.

OK.........

So let’s get this put to bed first.

Wheels are back on, its on the floor, and I am safe, tools put away.

Ion Monday afternoon I had a Video call with @PaulY to show him the underside and chassis.



Took some pics for you all to comment on, plan around or just stare at, like I did, in order to plan how to lower this thing significantly, while keeping it driveable.

Sally had come over for dinner after work, and took a sneaky pic from the kitchen.





Front









Various views.





You will note bits missing, bits undone or loose.

I guess that will be part of the challenge.









So there you go.

.

[Palf70Step]

Once the 4-link is fixed, Id say easiest way for the rear is cut or shorter coils (and shocks). I'd like to say mount your front cradle assembly closer to the frame, but that looks like a whole bunch of re-figuring, so maybe cut/shorted coils and shocks. Do you know what the front end is from that was used on it?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Once the 4-link is fixed, Id say easiest way for the rear is cut or shorter coils (and shocks). I'd like to say mount your front cradle assembly closer to the frame, but that looks like a whole bunch of re-figuring, so maybe cut/shorted coils and shocks. Do you know what the front end is from that was used on it?

Morning Bill,

As always, thanks for the reply, and thought pu in, I love a bit or a lot of shared, joined up thinking

You are right about relocation, raising etc.

This car’s whole suspension (custom chassis) setup is from an 80’s or earlier Ford Cortina.
Loads of upgrade bits out there, mainly due to clubmans racing and rally car development.

Some cheap, some not.


Saw this, and in love.

[aggie91]

My first thought was "dang, Rian does the sketchy wood block on jack thing too!"

Rear suspension looks easy enough to lower, the challenge does look like the front. Some of the rust looks really bad...I would think about using a Mustang II front suspension from an aftermarket source and just replace the whole front cradle, mount it up higher to get it lower...

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by aggie91

My first thought was "dang, Rian does the sketchy wood block on jack thing too!"

Rear suspension looks easy enough to lower, the challenge does look like the front. Some of the rust looks really bad...I would think about using a Mustang II front suspension from an aftermarket source and just replace the whole front cradle, mount it up higher to get it lower...

Hi mate,


This is England......

No Mustang etc bits readily available.

At best, you will add MX5/Miata front and rear subframes.

But that then adds the cost of buying a car to use as donor.

I get a kick out of returning stuff from the grave (where they belong) to functional use, or even improving to where people do stop you to take a photo.

We will see once I start messing with it, when I have title in my name etc.

https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread...rockit-chassis


In the original build thread, linked above, go to about page 23 where the UK guys started To talk about the suspension and shifting it to lower the car.

It seems do-able

[Grizz1963]

I am amazed that in less than 20 days, this thread on one website, it has already passed 25000 views.

[aggie91]

I was thinking something off of ebay that you could get in the UK or at least shipped to the UK...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1941-1948....c100008.m2219

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by aggie91

I was thinking something off of ebay that you could get in the UK or at least shipped to the UK...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1941-1948....c100008.m2219

Niiiiiice

But a lot to add to a cheap build.



.


Houston, we have a problem.


Meet “ Burger “ she lives in a Vauxhall Viva estate.

When discovered a year ago,the nobody knew how she got inside a closed car in an engineering companies yard.

Turns out, she had found a large enough hole under the rear wheel arch to make her way inside, and create a home.

Since then, she was de-wormed, de-flea’d and has two full meals a day, while keeping an eye on the engineering shop’s owner.

Seems that ideally she needs a real home.

Sweet as a sweet thing and loves a cuddle.





Soooo tempting.

While I was in the yard, I was offered this twin axle galvanised car trailer that only had one axle as someone managed to mangle the front axle.



No space for it, but wish I did.

[Grizz1963]

With slowly returning to normal, and going out again, I got this delivery today.



Guess the honeymoon could not last forever

In another postal related trick, Fil, who went to fetch the Rezin Rockit with his camper van, for the cost of diesel, was not impressed when I rounded up the cost and “overpaid” him.

So he sent me an envelope with the receipts and a £2.00 scratch card.

That made me laugh out loud, realising it was no use trying to challenge the man to a game of one upmanship



Then I made a protesting Sally scratch.....

No win though, which was also fine.

Imagine a win though.





In other news.

I went to see mate Darren and he offered me Burger The sweetest stray cat that lives in a car in his yard, Sally and others said yes, I am still contemplating.

Inside the shop, this is one of his side projects, alongside the real day job tasks happening.

Meet Project Covid.

V8 Beetle.

Planned for a beach race called Race the Waves






Out in the yard, he had this galvanised car transporter trailer, was twin axle, one got damaged, yours for £250.00 collected on Sheppey.

Wish I had space and use for it.



So next stop, inside a container, crawling through a caravan body.......

To this.






Gearbox side.



Comes with a wiring loom, hopefully the ECU is somewhere too.

Should be in there.




And found one 5 point harness.

May not be the right thing for the car and seats I have , but hopefully it works, and once I have a second one, which Bill in Scotland has a Black example of.

Displayed on the Vauxhall Viva’s hood, where Burger lives.



Meet Burger, not a Harley, and not yet adopted, but certainly has put the cat amongst my mental pigeons.




So there you have it, engine and gearbox.

Clearly needs a lot more........

[Grizz1963]

Shop cat?

Well, anywhere they really want to go ehh?




[quote author="@iainr" source="/post/2629522/thread" timestamp="1600502351"]It looks like you have successfully got through the first round of interviews to be Burgers new servant. Good luck with the second round.

Iain[/quote]

LOL...!

I am thankful.

Darren, like me is a sucker for animals..... she already owns his asss.

Sally says her name is Molly, not Burger.

I don’t care what her name is, but rather if she will sit on my lap, cleaning herself.

Seems she is a cleaner.





Looks like a real shop cat.

Seems like another Harley

.