Pro Mo's adventure in rust and ruin. (A build thread)

Projectile Motion · Post by **Projectile Motion** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:55 pm

Okay, I will get off of my lazy butt and keep anyone who cares up to date on my build. Starting with a bone stock, 100,383 mi but well running 1968 sedan. The car was originally bought by a guy in the navy so it must of sat in many seaside towns for months at a time while he was out. As such the motor was great but there is some pretty ugly rust and I scored it for cheap.

I started buying parts the next week and stockpiled them in the closet of my apartment. Two years later and I have moved into a house and started tearing the thing apart. First order of business (After striping the car down to the pan) was to convert the torsion housing to IRS.

After getting everything lined up I realized I might get more travel and better CV angles by moving the tranny back to better fit with the 4x5 arms. Plus I did not like how the IRS pivots fit into the frame horns. I started by hacking off the horns then welding in a piece of tube to the bottom of the housing much like an axle truss on a truck.

Then off of that I ran two tubes back and made a spacer for the front tranny mount that was bolted to the stock location and the tranny. This put the tranny perfectly inline just back in the chassis. Then I took one of those solid mounts for the front of the tranny and drilled 1.5" holes in it for the tubes to fit in. Once welded in I then removed the spacer from the front and put an X between the two new "frame horn" tubes Where they cross I welded in the new front mount. Here is the mock up of the rear. Notice the axle on the ground, I used that to get a perfect measurement before I buy the real thing. (came out that a standard sway a way size of 21 3/8" fits perfect)

Then it was on to the floor and front beam I welded two tubes into the housing that run along the heater channels out the front and into the beam. The beam is 6" wider and set out about 8.5" further than stock giving a wheelbase of about 104.5". Caster is at 7* which is pretty heavy but it will help with stability on the short wheelbase car and I have power steering to help my arms and shoulders.
After the beam was on I put the body back on the car. I added some supports for the tubes on the floor and started the four main pillars of the interior cage. Yes I could have replaced that Pass. side pan but this is a desert car for the mild and dry So Cal deserts so I just didn't care

This is where work has stalled for the moment. I am just about to wrap up a few jobs next week so some money will come in and work will resume. Next on the agenda is finishing the interior cage and rear shock mounts then on to the front shock mounts and get the thing rolling again. Hope to update soon.

nukeworker · Post by **nukeworker** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:09 pm

Very Nice.

mike@crosbys · Post by **mike@crosbys** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:26 pm

whereabouts in san diego are you?

findog78 · Post by **findog78** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:28 pm

Wow...you werent messing around...nice job, I like the IRS jig too.

Post by **Leatherneck** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:25 pm

Glad to finally see what Projectile Motion has been hiding, reading his posts new it was going to be good.

Projectile Motion · Post by **Projectile Motion** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:31 pm

Thanks guys. I was also thinking I will try to do a few write ups along the way of how I went about things that I see others asking about too (Shock placement, rebuilding/changing shim stacks and such)

I am in Linda Vista/Clairemont area. About a half block from Mesa college.

mike@crosbys · Post by **mike@crosbys** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:32 pm

right on. You go out to ocotillo or glamis?

Post by **Leatherneck** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:37 pm

Projectile Motion wrote:Thanks guys. I was also thinking I will try to do a few write ups along the way of how I went about things that I see others asking about too (Shock placement, rebuilding/changing shim stacks and such)

Please do, that and change that scary skank you have as a avatar.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:39 pm

Do you need some donor clips for this

Yours for the postage.

Super "B" · Post by **Super "B"** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:20 am

Looks great so far. Thanks for starting a thread on it and please keep the info and pictures coming. right now with mine I'm trying to figure out how to replace my rusted heater channels with something that I can tie into my pan and tube chassis. so any more details you have on how you did yours I would like to see...

Projectile Motion · Post by **Projectile Motion** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:01 pm

Actually the heater channels on mine were in good shape. Most of the rust is a result of the car sitting for long periods in salty sea air, not driving in rain and snow. Even the pan was pretty clean with just the typical rust under the battery.

Hey MN, what you got? As you can see the area around the rear window is toast as is the area in front of the corners of the windshield. You can see there was some sort of half-*** attempt to fix it years ago but the rust has since eaten through that. Let me know, I would really appreciate any help.

Mike, Almost always Ocotillo. I used to hit up Glamis and Gordons a lot but in the last five years or so it is just becoming to much for me. Fees, L.E.O.s, all the idiots that make the L.E.O.s necessary, and even the attitude is too "my (you know what) is bigger than your's". I guess in the next few years with all these people who refi-ed like crazy to pay for all the bling having to foreclose that it might quiet down out there.

Stock93 · Post by **Stock93** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:12 pm

Where did you get that one piece front end? I've been looking for one like that, but the only places I've been able to find them wont ship it.

John

rickosuave1987 · Post by **rickosuave1987** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:16 pm

Stock93 wrote:Where did you get that one piece front end? I've been looking for one like that, but the only places I've been able to find them wont ship it.

John

PM has the same hood I do. Made by these guys baja fab. They make the stuff in Mexico and ship it over. Pretty good quality, but it seems their prices went down. Now it is 220 shipped, mine was $220 picked up!

Projectile Motion · Post by **Projectile Motion** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:26 pm

Yes, same front clip as ricko. I got mine at Offroad Warehouse here in San Diego but going directly to the manufacture is your best bet. Since they ship these things all the time it wouldn't be difficult for them to put an AL address on it.

Stock93 · Post by **Stock93** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:35 pm

Its $220 picked up according to their site. Its $80 shipping flat rate. Theres a $150 option for shipping as well. Thanks for the info. Even with the $80 shipping thats still much cheaper than I have seen elsewhere. I have issues spending over $500 on a one piece front end for an off road car.

John