Love is Blue

Mr.Blue

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
93
Location
Daytona Beach, Florida area
Been busy too!

Here's the beginning of "Love Is Blue's" construction...the deconstruction!
I promise I'll work on it some more later tonight and more will be up some time tomorrow, OK? :banghead: Glenn
Here's the last photo taken Sept. 11, 1988 of my Vette before I cut it up:
22018-Sept111988-LASTphototakenbefo.jpg
Here's the original drawings I did of my idea what it would look like:
23031-June181989-Originalconceptske.jpg
23033-June181989-Originalconceptske.jpg
23034-June181989-Originalconceptske.jpg
Removed the front end clip off the body. Notice my '78 Greenwood Sportwagon I built, parked behind my '66.
23026-June1989-Removedfrontendglass.jpg
23028-June1989-Removedfrontendglass.jpg
Here's the rear body panel removed & beginning to install those 1989 Ford Tempo tail lights!
23045-June1989-Buildingofnewtailigh.jpg
23047-June1989-Taillightsfittedonto.jpg
Tomorrow, the beginning of the chassis construction.
P.S. Don't bother asking me if I have any of the old parts off the original 66. The answer is NO! They have all long since been sold to help finance the building of this beast. Sorry. Glenn
 
Part 2- Chassis construction

Mike Loescher of Finish Line Racing built the chassis, without any kit or plans for a 66 Vette. We simply laid out the stock 66 Vette wheelbase, set the rear end and motor on the floor and began laying pipe all around it. These days, there are all kinds of pre fab chassis options avaliable to us, but not back then for what I wanted to do.
Originally I had plan on running the beefed up IRS, but as power increased, so did the need for a stronger rear end, thus I went to a Ford 9" later.
23107-Aug281989-IRSsetup.jpg
23108-1989-Rearframeconstructionbei.jpg
A Funny car style duel roll bar was one of my requirements for this build.
23110-1989-DuelRollbarframeconstruc.jpg
Bought this '88 parts car for the suspension components, then resold it to another Vette owner for his parts needs. The neighbors were NOT happy while it sat in my front yard.
23143-1989-88VetteIboughtforfrontsu.jpg
23150-1989-Settingupfrontend.jpg
23152-1989-Framedrivetrainmockup.jpg
23153-1989-Motorseatplacementlayedo.jpg
23156-1989-MidplateNOTused.jpg
23150-1989-Settingupfrontend.jpg
23152-1989-Framedrivetrainmockup.jpg
23158-1989-ShermanSettingupfrontend.jpg
23164-1989-Frameassembly.jpg
23127-1989-ARearIRShookup.jpg
That's enough for today. I'll post more chassis and body placement photos tomorrow if anyone is still interested. Glenn
 
These are awesome :) keep them coming. Awesome how you guys managed to build that without the use of a frame table/jig.
 
Oh yeh Glen. I would like to know the whole story. I never did.
 
These are awesome :) keep them coming. Awesome how you guys managed to build that without the use of a frame table/jig.
Measure three times, then cut & bend.
He has a frame table these days, but back then, it was just the flat floor! He got it right though. The Vette tracks straight as an arrow under runs. Glenn

Hey, Big Bird!
Haven't you ever gone to my Cardomain site and looked at the complete history of LOVE? There are over 800 photos now on it including the construction stuff... or you can just check here often and see it develop over time.
www.cardomain.com/ride/page/591305 or just Google "Love Is Blue"
 
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Love is blue?

Awesome beastie is blue! Wild ride Glenn and the next time I visit the USA, I would really like you to take me out and scare shit out of me in the beastie.

How's you go with that Ruski magazine? Is it in print yet?
 
Russian magazine

Awesome beastie is blue! Wild ride Glenn and the next time I visit the USA, I would really like you to take me out and scare shit out of me in the beastie.

How's you go with that Ruski magazine? Is it in print yet?

Hey Wayne, Not yet. Print publications have a horrible 'lead' time before hitting the public.
You KNOW I'll be sure to let EVERYONE know when that magazine article and cover hit the mailbox here. She said she would mail me copies when it came out. I'm waiting with baited breath! :sweat:

Here's another group of construction photos for today. I'm off to the Daytona Speedway for a hugh car show this weekend with beast, so it's a bit rushed this morning.
23180-1989-Framefrontwithoutmotor.jpg
23181-1989-Alstonfrontmotorplatepur.jpg
23192-1989-Baremotorplate.jpg
23223-1989-Brakepedalinstallation.jpg
23225-1989-Dashinstallation.jpg
23227-1989-Dashinstallation.jpg
23228-1989-88FieroSteeringcolumn.jpg
23231-1989-88FieroSteeringcolumnbei.jpg
23232-1989-88FieroSteeringcolumnrea.jpg
Next...Body modifications begin. Glenn
 
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Great Weekend

Had a wonderful time @ the Daytona Speedways' Spring Spectacular this weekend! :cool:
Here are a couple photos of LOVE IS BLUE at the Big 'D'.
I'll post more construction photos Moday. Glenn
Entering the speedway from the back straight, looking towards the tri-oval.
102_3183.jpg
Driving towards turn 3 on the infield road course.
102_3184.jpg
Parked in the infield show area.
102_3188.jpg
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Where's LOVE? Always a crowd around.
102_3210.jpg
 
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Thanks for the pics and info! It's very interesting to read about the construction of this car. I still remember reading about your car from a finnish car magazine about ten years ago, I was amazed at that time. I'm glad to see that Love is still Blue and the car is better than ever!
 
V8 Magazine article

Thanks for the pics and info! It's very interesting to read about the construction of this car. I still remember reading about your car from a finnish car magazine about ten years ago, I was amazed at that time. I'm glad to see that Love is still Blue and the car is better than ever!

Hi Finnshark!
Yes, that magazine was called "V8" and a friend of mine, Pekka, shot the photos here at my home (see snapshot of the photo shoot attached). Glad you remembered it. Here are a couple of pages from it.:beer:
30009-Jan291996-PhotoShootforFinnis.jpg
30015-1996-V-8MagazineCover-April19.jpg
30017-1996-CopyfromfeatureinFinnish.jpg
30018-1996-PhotoShoot-PekkaLeino01-.jpg
30019-1996-PhotoShoot-AnyonereadFin.jpg
 
Body Construction Photos

Today starts the photos of the rear body construction. While other minor frame work was done within this time period also, (brackets, crossmembers etc), you get the idea by now of what it took to build the frame.
23236-1989-Rearbodycliptestfit.jpg
23241-1989-Rearlighthousingsbeinggl.jpg
23251-1989-Glassinginnerfenderwelli.jpg
23253-1989-Passengercompartmentbird.jpg
23255-1989-PassengerCompartmentcons.jpg
23256-1989-PassengerCompartmentcons.jpg
23259-1989-Reardeckheadrestareacons.jpg
23263-1989-Reardecklidconstruction.jpg
23275-1989-Buildingofrightsidewheel.jpg
23277-1989-Leftsideairduct.jpg
23280-1989-Buildingofrightsidewheel.jpg
23279-1989-Buildingofwheelwellairdu.jpg
23284-1989-Glassinglowerfendertoget.jpg
23286-1989-Buildingglassshelltocove.jpg
23288-1989-Buildingofrightsidewheel.jpg
23265-1989-Buildingofrearheadrestar.jpg
Yep, That's the ORIGINAL 1966 rear body panel from the facotry still left there!!
23266-1989-Reardeckwithradiatorspla.jpg
23245-1989-Fittingofrepo66vetteside.jpg
 
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Hi Finnshark!
Yes, that magazine was called "V8" and a friend of mine, Pekka, shot the photos here at my home (see snapshot of the photo shoot attached). Glad you remembered it.

Hey, you remember the name of the Magazine! Good that you have a copy of it! Pekka is a well known Corvette enthusiast in Finland. His "Street Shuttle" from early eighties is still one of the most remembered custom car in Finland! I have always enjoyd reading his stories.
 
Pekka

Hey, you remember the name of the Magazine! Good that you have a copy of it! Pekka is a well known Corvette enthusiast in Finland. His "Street Shuttle" from early eighties is still one of the most remembered custom car in Finland! I have always enjoyd reading his stories.

Would you still have any contact with Pekka? I'm sure the address information I have from the past decade isn't any good today, but I would love to contact him again to see what he's still up to and to just say HI. Glenn
 
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More body fabrication & frame completion

Built 'A' pillar rollbar up tight against the w/s frame to hide it when completed:
24002-1990-Windshieldframelayout-Ro.jpg
24003-1990-WindshieldRollbarinstall.jpg
After painting birdcage
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Front end attachment points being installed.
24020-1990-Nosebeingattachedtoframe.jpg
24022-1990-Noseattachmentpointtofra.jpg
24026-1990-Trialfitofmotorintobody.jpg
Here the completed frame in zink chromate. That is one stiff frame! Total weight 180 lbs.
24108-1990-Frameremovedandpaintedin.jpg
I painted it in charcoal grey IMRON as viewed from top of frame.
24109-1990-FramePaintedImeronMetall.jpg
Building the lower nose by hand.
24032-1990-Constructionofnewlowerno.jpg
24033-1990-Lowernosesectionglassedt.jpg
Tomorrow, building the hood around the motor and more body construction.
Let me know when you've had enough of these photos. Glenn
 
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