New Project - 69 Vette for my wife

[DKz Garage]

Keep the updates coming on this build!

[FLYNAVY53]

Very cool build! Ive been a fan of your builds for a looooong while. Finally picked up my own '69 last summer and plan on going the Ride Tech direction along with a built SBC and 5 speed....unfortunately I too have some rust to address in the windshield frame and around the #2 body mounts. I just started digging into it and Im hoping its light enough that it can be sanded down and just coated for now, the rest of the car is really too nice to want to take the body off the frame at this point.....

[69MyWay]

Well...its all over but the color sanding and buffing. Took me four days of paint time starting with the jambs - then the main body (sans doors etc) then the doors, hood, deck..then finally the bumpers. I sprayed it using Valspar and their 4400 clear. I'm very pleased with it - all of this over valspar epoxy sealer.

There are a lot of things going on here - I fitted 2012 Camaro side markers and selected a smoked out version. The bumpers are fiberglass from Custom Image Corvette that I fitted to a 1/8" gap all the way around. It also has the CIC 4" rear and 2" front flares...

Anyway, she is happy with it. This color black is absolute total black. Not another tint added.

[69MyWay]

Originally Posted by FLYNAVY53

Very cool build! Ive been a fan of your builds for a looooong while. Finally picked up my own '69 last summer and plan on going the Ride Tech direction along with a built SBC and 5 speed....unfortunately I too have some rust to address in the windshield frame and around the #2 body mounts. I just started digging into it and Im hoping its light enough that it can be sanded down and just coated for now, the rest of the car is really too nice to want to take the body off the frame at this point.....

That's awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a 1975 firewall back parts shell that has a decent birdcage in it - I'm going to hack that out and dispose of the rest of it. If you want to go for the gusto and change the whole cage it is THE way to know that you know that you know it is nailed and clean.

I modified a 1978 birdcage for this 69. The spot welds drill out and the roof t top bar comes right off. Then it is a snap to weld in the convertible top hinge mounts.

[WSSix]

That looks good. So you'll have it running by the end of summer, right?

[69MyWay]

Originally Posted by WSSix

That looks good. So you'll have it running by the end of summer, right?

Doubt it...at least as of how things look at the moment. The plan is mostly set. I have a T56 from an LT1 car that will be mated to a 454 spinning the gasses out a set of 2 1/8" primary tube Hooker side pipes. How we feed the animal though is up for debate. This is HER car - she wants to have a rush of power when she presses the pedal but does not want a stinky nasty pig that shakes and rattles things apart. So - the motor will be mild. The upside is that saves a lot of money and time. The bad news is - products for this way of going mean other compromises. The motor I have is seized up tight and I'm not sure yet if it will work - will haul it to the machine shop soon.

Getting the body off the frame with my lift without damaging it will be my next challenge after sanding and buffing.

While I'm sold out on the Ridetech stuff...and I've also worked close with VB&P in the past on their stuff...and Vansteel AND more have great stuff - at the end of the day I believe we will do this suspension mostly stock. The issue is she doesn't want to be bothered with a harsh or noisy ride in anyway - while I think Ridetech has this covered better than anybody - I can't make the $$$ work. But the GOOD...or I mean GREAT news is the suspension can be swapped out virtually anytime in the future. So, any compromise there can always be upgraded. The stuff I'm focused on now is the hardcare inner built stuff that is what it is once it is done and you don't get the chance to easily revisit.

I think the frame will go fairly quick - just as soon as I figure out the best way to pop the body off. A little sandblast...paint - and parts.

I am getting a conversion kit for the flywheel and clutch - and I've already fitted the trans to the tunnel and X member along with the hydraulic clutch mount. AND we bought the car with a fully overhauled rear with a six link dragvette and a fiberglass spring.

I'm thinking of retrofitting the 454 with LS1 (8.1 vortec) sensors and getting an aftermarket fuel injection intake and running it all on LS1 computer.

[Jay Hilliard]

Nice job. Hard to beat a nice black corvette.

[69MyWay]

Thanks to you guys hooking me up with some sweet big block stuff...I'm humming along on the motor. Waiting on my American Powertrain conversion T56 clutch/flywheel kit, comp hydraulic roller cam...and a host of goodies to wrap up the bottom end. Will take the valve springs to the machine shop this week and see how that is going. He will be moving the big valves from the 3904390 casting heads to the 781 castings.

We are hoping to go with the EZ2 EFI and a Front Runner to wrap up the motor. ONce that is all tied up, I will drop the body back on...and get on with the wire harness - trim...and interior. The last big money will the the wheels.

[69MyWay]

A video is worth 2,000 words:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hCd93Evjk

[Neil B]

Nice work! This is motivating as I am about to start digging into my '69 Corvette.