Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

While I was under the front. I noticed the sway bar bushings were a little cracked and worn out. So I Put in Energy Suspension 3.5178R 1 1/4 greasable sway bar set

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

You're really gettin after it with this truck! You're putting on some nice components. If I lived closer to Gresham, I'd come help just to get a shot at using the stuff you're taking off, ha!

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Because I did an air ride with a brake upgrade. When the suspension is all the way up the flexible factory brake lines weren’t long enough. I had Some steel braided ones made the went from 25” to 30”. After a quick brake bleed.i finally got everything installed. Here’s how it looks with the front air deflector a inch off the ground.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Next thing on my list to do is a removable wind splitter. But mine will be black or carbon fiber. With yellow fog lights. Also in the process of making a rear fiberglass air diffuser.If I get enough interest in these roll pans. I going to make a mold and reproduce them and actually make them affordable.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Rolled the rear bed wheel openings so the the tires won’t rub. Here its fully dropped. Can barely slide a 4” tall creeper underneath. Drove it down the driveway about 50 feet and the brakes where grabbing way nicer. Couldnt go on the maiden voyage because the front air line has a hole in it.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

More pics. Went for a drive. Handles like a Porsche and stops like you wouldn’t believe. Tinted my fog lights with yellow film. Major problem now is the stock alternator isn’t cutting it. Bought a tuff stuff 250 amp alternator. I’m going to attemp a cs144 conversion.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Installed my wind splitter today. Took a total of 3 hours to do. It’s made of aluminum and I wrapped the top with carbon fiber.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

I installed a 320amp/180amp at idle billet alumnium alternator from quality power. It’s a 1 wire self exciting. Which means All you need is one wire going from the alternator to the battery and as soon as the alternator starts spinning it charges the battery. I asked them while they were assembling it, if they could paint it black. It’s the highest amp alternator that anyone makes that fits cs130 profile and under $500. Because of the amperage output I had to use a 1 gauge wire. I cover the wire in black loom so you wouldn’t see a bright red 5/8s wire running around in the engine bay. It was little cheaper alternative then buying another optima yellow top, second battery tray,wire and an isolator, also takes up less space and weight.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

So I gotta ask a couple things here.

1- no offense, but why bother with a roll cage? like I said before I owned one of these trucks and they are way underpowered. you haven't mentioned any performance mods yet, so just curious why you would go through all the expense when its not necessary?


2- you said in your very first post you would be keeping everything to turn this truck back to stock since its "collectable" but you've cut the frame and now rolled the wheel arches? seems like you've gone past the point of being able to turn back to stock?

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Since I just just dumped a bunch of money into making it ride and stop better.Thats always my start point in every build for me. Doesn’t make sense to me to have 600 horse and no way for the truck to stop ( because we all know how much these brakes suck) or have 600 horse on stock suspension and no way for the truck to handle it. The plan as far as performance is first to put a high flow fuel pump ( which I just did), rebuild and bore the tbi, bolt on procharger, install a better cam and buy some performance heads. Then have a custom chip made so the computer can handle it. As far as mods and being able to put everything back to stock. It sucks as far as having to notch the frame because you really can’t reverse that. But as far as rolling the fenders. It’s really just simply hammering in the inside lip of the fender from the poor stamping,when the fenders were made at the factory.so the tires don’t rub. Does change anything from my standpoint. I could alway bend the fender lips back, but I think that would be retarded. Then lastly the cage,thats more for rigity and some looks. Im not planning on getting t boned or have a roll over from a simple signal car road corse. If I do plan on drag racing or running a big road corse.I will have the entire cage kit. So to start out with 4 point and add the rest of the kit in to be able to pass tech as needed.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

looking good. love the 454ss trucks. looks to me like you know the rules of p (proper planning prevents piss poor performance).

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

wow a procharger? nice way to drop some serious coin there.

what are you doing for a trans? gonna stick with the 400?

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Planning on keeping the turbo 400 and add a shift kit. Then I’m going to add a bolt on gear venders overdrive. I would just have to get a shorter driveshaft. Then I have to descide to keep the 3.73 rear end ratio or go with a 4.11. It just depends on what the overdrive rpm final shift point number are. The nice part is these overdrive units can handle 1200 horse power and you can have an overdrive bolted in. In about 2 hours

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

You have one awesome 454SS truck fred! Really enjoy seeing your work.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Installed the removable rear wing today

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Put in a new dash bezel from lmc truck. Bought a new headlight switch and dash light dimmer switch off amazon. My high/low beam switch broke in my column and while I was in there I replace the turn signal lever. I had to take the entire top part of the column apart just to get to the high/low beam switch. It took almost 4 hours and fought every step of the way. No wonder the previous owner never replaced it. Why did GM make something so complicated.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

All the updates are awesome. Really like your truck. Thanks for posting.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Installed a new gas door, carbon fiber door and tailgate handle. Next will be a custom grille

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Custom grille

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Sold the cowl induction hood and went with a ram air. The only difference Is I am going to make the air inlet fuctional. Like Trikey Air and Billets Redx

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Trial fit the ram air cowl hood today. Now it’s time to cut a hole in the front scoop and make the ram air functional

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Ram air hood is now functional

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

I used a moroso 97070 air pan foam,k&n 03351 base plate,air 801-452 air filter,k&n 14”x4 air filter(filters stacked on top of each other),and a k&n 66-1100 x-stream 11” top filter

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Also used a 16” deep dish pizza pan, had to extend the center carb stud with spectre 42133 air cleaner stud kit, aluminum gutter screen,a piece of 1/8 3’x3’ sheet of aluminum and then anchored it down with #10 self tappers. Its solid and doesn’t flex at all

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Finally got a decent day to take some picture with all the recent upgrades

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Next is the rear roll pan with wind diffuser (I will see how close I can get to my rendering)and interior,but I’m changing the carpet and center console to black. I got the carpet from classic industries but I think I will lay some dynomat down first.Then using some bucket seats from a 2015 dodge caravan that are black with a red stitch off craiglist for $200 ( I just have to figure out what wires goes to the side air bags and not hook them up). For all the purist. I am still saving everthing. So no 454ss’s were harmed in these mods.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Mocked up the fiberglass roll pan I got off amazon today. Fits pretty good for fiberglass.Now I have to take it off to install the diffuser fins and paint it.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Painted the rear roll pan. I though I would give a preval sprayer a tray again.I sprayed a single stage urethane. Works really well. Not bad for $12 including a rustoleum hand sprayer from Home Depot (I went through 1 sprayer with a jar and 1 refill) I used this same sprayer when I painted a hood a few years ago. Just make sure you use a high end primer no rustoleum or dulicolor.You don’t need any special filters and you throw the air sprayer cartridge away after your done. Great alternative to someone who doesn’t have a compressor.Gives you a little bit of orange peel over a real spray gun. But I was planning on cutting and buffing it anyway. Next I will double stick the air fins.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Final results on the the roll pan sprayer with the preval sprayer. This week is the hood. I going to spray the hood with a $27 harbor freight gun with 20% off coupon.I did a firewall a few years ago with this same gun and it turn out awesome.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Taught my 17 year old neighbor how to paint a hood today. Turn out perfect. Had a little freight damage that I had to take care of first. Next week I’m going to tint the windows. Then start on the interior. Going to install the black carpet, dynomat the floor, finish wiring the sound system, replace the seats and dye the door panels black that I got off ebay. There goes another tote to fill with the factory stock parts. Should take about a week on the interior. Then comes the engine performance mods.

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

What paint are you using?

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

That's nice!

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

The paint is a limco single stage urethane

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Coming along nicely Fred!

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

I've been looking @ this style of hood to replace my damaged one. Steel hood? Manufacturer?

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

I bought the hood off summit racing. It was $319 with an extra $99 for freight. Best priced hood anywhere and they fit really well. It’s all steel. Does not come with a spring or release. Make sure you save those before you hall your damaged hood off. What they don’t show or tell your is this hood comes with a plastic ram air intake insert. But if you want to cut the intake out, the best tool I found is an air reciprocating saw. I added a pic of the back of hood

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Here’s another pic that they don’t show you. The back of the ram air cowl hood

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Pics of the finished ram air hood

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Finished roll pan air diffuser

Re: Fastfreddys 454ss
 

Beautiful work. Your truck looks great.