Project "Leon "

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by texasld

Called the number, seems to still be around. The VM is great! I love business like this! Thanks for the contact.

If you've been in this area for a while, he built a street legal sprint car back in the late 80's that was in Hot Rod magazines 'dare to be different' type story. A different guy owns it now but it stops in @ Kellers several times during the 'cruise' season. Pretty cool ride....

[texasld]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

If you've been in this area for a while, he built a street legal sprint car back in the late 80's that was in Hot Rod magazines 'dare to be different' type story. A different guy owns it now but it stops in @ Kellers several times during the 'cruise' season. Pretty cool ride....

Hey Scoti, Is this the car?
http://www.empireexoticsales.com/0_C..._225066159.veh

[texasld]

Well, another weekend has passed and still not much progress on the 69. I did however get the Suburban off of my trailer and pulled the entire front clip off. I think I'll be tearing into the motor tonight. Time to get this junker out of my garage. So many parts to get though! I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

[mcbassin]

Very nice progress!

[aggie91]

I think that is the car. I saw that thing back in the late 80's at the Waco Streetmachine Mini Nats. When I saw it, there was no wing on it then.

That was a cool car then and now!

[texasld]

Looks pretty cool, and sounds like it should be pretty quick.



Well, more parts pictures. I really need to do more work on the truck, and stop spending so much cash. But I guess I look at it this way. I spend the money on the parts now, and when the following equation becomes true. (Lots of time=No Money), I'll have something to keep me busy.



Some parts are one back order. Full under the bed gas tank kit and all 4 shocks.

[mcbassin]

Awesome work on the frame!

[texasld]

Thanks man, It's slow going sometimes.

[texasld]

Finally got back to work. POR-ed the frame, trailing arms, and cross members. Color looks good, but I'm not real excited about the bubbles. (I hate painting!!!) Doesn't look like I have done much, but it feels like I did. I'm going with mostly new hardware all through the frame. Grade 8 for obvious reasons in the places that matter, and because the "gold" looks cool against the black frame in others. Got the cross members and the trailing arms mounted up too.






Also found some critter skin in my box of sockets. My garage has been a wreck for a while... (I'm not proud of that), and this is what I found...


I picked up a new 80 gallon 5hp compressor for $350 bucks from CL!

I also bought the HF powder coat system, and got an old oven from a friend doing a remodel. I'll post some pictures soon!

[boynton]

Nice work. It looks like it is coming along nicely!

[texasld]

Originally Posted by boynton

Nice work. It looks like it is coming along nicely!

Thank you, sir!

[texasld]

I bought a HF Powder Coat system a few weeks back, and got an old oven from a friend that moved into a new house and replaced the oven. Harvest gold oven? I'll take it! I have been playing with it for a few days now and this is what I'm getting. I wish I snapped a picture of the A-Arm before I blasted them. Although these are 2 different arms, the effect is the same.

Before


After


Pictures aren't the best...

Also coated the track arm. I really like the red Prothane bushings. After doing some reading, I'll be using an adjustable one. I have some ideas about making my own. we will see how that goes. Gotten some inspiration from the board.




Is it the best system around, Absolutely not, Is it worth the money, and fun? HECK YEA!

My evenings have consisted of clean, coat, bake, repeat..... It gets tiring after a while, but I'm happy with the way everything is turning out. I didn't feel like masking all the surfaces of my spindles so I just painted them.



I took my axles to Mike Minette as Scoti suggested. He had them done the same day I dropped them off. $175. Not bad I guess. Now I can start rebuilding my rear end.

I read Scoti's "How-to" on cutting your rear shock mounts to change up the angle. I didn't take a picture of the lowers because they were in the oven, but here are the uppers. If you haven't seen it, the article is great.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=437582 Thank you for the great info Scoti! Not a great picture, but you get the point.

I'm so glad I decided to support the board. Greatest investment in my truck thus far!

[texasld]

More clean, prep, paint/coat..repeat. But it's looking better.

Got the front-end minus the sway bar and gear box done. I need to take the sway bar to the blaster. Whats the best method of cleaning the gear box before I do a rebuild on it?

Here are some more pictures. I really am liking how the red and black is turning out. My HF powder coat system is working out alright.





Please excuse my fat finger in that last shot.

[swamp rat]

Your making nice progress, keep at it!

[texasld]

More work this weekend. Man was it hot, 108 at 2:00p... not fun. Still got something done though.

Cleaned, assembled, installed new seals, and painted my rear end and finally made something happen with it.

Also installed springs, shocks, bump stops, and my home made track bar (It's a bit dirty from my grimy hands.)

My back it sore this morning...

[texasld]

The brown truck showed up and dropped off my new valve covers!



These things look SUPER AWESOME!!!!


Spent some time grinding and painting my calipers. Took forever! I also painting and sanding my rotors. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out!

[texasld]

Doing some sketching in inventor. Looking at maybe custom billet door handles.

[Xeen]

Great job on the frame it looks like you are doing some really good work.
I have some insight and hard won experience for you from not only my own build but from friends builds as well that will help you out.

Shortening the bed is the subject of much debate but anyone who has ever done it will tell you "it's an ok mod" meaning the bedsides turn out to be a nightmare and each of them will tell you if they had to do it all over again they would buy reproduction bedsides.

The reasons are numerous but the biggest factor is the time involved to make it right and if you aren't an expert metal worker you are in for a rough ride there are serious issues with the body lines because they don't line up once the bed is shortened and there are compound curves involved which combined with the mismatched body lines are a nightmare.

Every one of them will tell you that if you have a steel floor bed the best way to go about it is to section the floor properly and then bolt on reproduction bedsides, it is critical that you are precise when you shorten the floor or it wont bolt up.

I know you have already started the shortening process but I suggest you stop and buy the reproduction bedsides then once you have them you can take precise measurements and finish sectioning the floor because it's a $1,000 mistake if you do it wrong.

Pay close attention to the weight of the bedsides you buy because there are two different quality parts available "collision quality" and "OEM quality" the difference is the OEM quality bedsides use the original thickness metal and the collision ones don't and they are flimsy and dent easily.
For example the bedsides from Classic Industries the 1967 only bedsides weigh roughly 20 pounds apiece more than the 1968-72 bedsides.

I purchased the 1967 bedsides for my truck and I am very, very happy I did.
I know it's $1000 you didn't want to spend but trust me when I tell you it is worth every dime and then some.

Keep up the good work brother.

[texasld]

Brian, That is some GREAT incite. Thank you for the info. I have been thinking about just buying Repos, and you have sealed the deal for me. Thanks again for the info.

-Mike

[Xeen]

Originally Posted by texasld

Brian, That is some GREAT incite. Thank you for the info. I have been thinking about just buying Repos, and you have sealed the deal for me. Thanks again for the info.

-Mike

Anytime and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask because there are guys on here that have tons of experience and like me are more than happy to help you out.

[texasld]

Here is the Track Bar before I installed it.

[Molberg]

Real nice work so far.... I'm signed up.

[texasld]

More work from this last weekend.

Got my front rotors back from POL. They drilled and slotted them for $75.00. I got the rotors free from a friend at work. Then I painted them to match the rear rotors. Next, sand, pack bearings, and install. What do you think about my awesome paint rack?



Finished up the brake lines on the rear. First time using a bender and a flaring tool. We will see if I did them right when it comes time to bleed. I used a hose from an 88 4runner that I found at NAPA (an hour of digging through boxes) that had a 1/4" in and (2) 3/16" out with a bolt hole. Made a simple bracket out of some steel I had laying around for it to mount to on the reared, and cut a 3" tab in the cross member for the input side. Simply threads in with a 5/8 18 nut... I like how it turned out.




Here is the part number if you are looking for something similar.

Also got my tank painted and installed. It's a brothers 17gal (I think). Mounted up pretty easily. Looks cool to me. I welded in a 3/16 return line for my LS. It was kind of a rigged event. Couple of parts from the local ace, but It works. You can Kind of see it in the lower left corner of the tank. It uses a 3/16 hose barb to 1/8" NPT into a 1/8" street elbow, and then an 1/8" steel reducer that I cut in half and then welded to the tank.

[texasld]

Also some pictures of the LS tear down.




Took it to the car wash to clean it up a bit.

[texasld]

Here is a couple of more. Sorry, I can only upload 5 at a time.





Surprisingly under all this filth, the motor seem to be in AMAZING shape. There is 0 Lip in the cylinder walls and the hone marks are still highly visible.