Project "Rolling Thunder"

Twin_Turbo said:
I like the adapter you have there for the flip up lid, any details on that?
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Installing a LeMans Gas Filler is not difficult. The hard part is in determining the relationship of your tank filler neck mounting surface to the rear deck and gas door on your car. My goal was to make the cap functional, integral to the tank (independent of the body) and yet cosmetically aligned to the body.

The adapter is machined from a solid piece of brass, although I prefer one I made for another member out of aluminum due to the lighter weight. These adapters could also be easily produced as welded fabrications.

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Well I guess the final step has begun. I went to east Tennessee Wednesday and picked up a wrecked Vette. It has the complete VBP performance plus suspension setup, new offset trailing arms, new Eaton 3.70 read end and a beautiful frame. The car was truely awesome and will be rebuilt after my Rolling Thunder project is completed. For now, it will be the donor car for a complete rolling chassis swap to my car.
 
Nice work!That's gonna be a nice lookin vette!!!Good to see another custom 71!(One of these days I'll have to finnish mine!)Hang in there and finnish that badboy!!:thumbs:
 
Rolling Thunder said:
Well I guess the final step has begun. I went to east Tennessee Wednesday and picked up a wrecked Vette. It has the complete VBP performance plus suspension setup, new offset trailing arms, new Eaton 3.70 read end and a beautiful frame. The car was truely awesome and will be rebuilt after my Rolling Thunder project is completed. For now, it will be the donor car for a complete rolling chassis swap to my car.
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Hey Dave. You take care of that car and post us some pics of it. Would love to see what you have done with it so far. It has a lot of good stuff with it. All new harnesses front to back. As you know, VBP suspension, C6 seats, newly rebuilt tilt tele column, etc etc.

Do enjoy the car. I enjoyed working on it.
 
Showme - Thanks for the encouragement. It's been a long road but it is finally back on track. Who knows, I might have it done in time for some of the Missouri events next year. :thumbs:

Eddie - Glad to see you made it to VetteMod! Every time I look at Mike's car I am even more impressed. No work has started on it yet, but I removed the body from my RT car yesterday. If all goes well, I should have the body off of the 70 next week. The frame horns will be straightened, the crossmember will be cut out and replaced with a BTO bolt-in (for my 700R4). Can't wait to get the 502 transplanted as well. My goal is to have my Rolling Thunder project complete including paint by September.

I have a young man named Sam helping me that has become a Corvette enthusiast. I have seen him wrenching on old cars since he was in high school and he is now working in a body shop. I believe he has the potential to build a business around Corvette repair and restoration given the right opportunities. I am giving Mike's Vette to him as a starter project. He will be restoring the chassis removed from my car, rebuilding the original 454 to go back in Mike's car and of course repair/repaint the body. We have agreed on a one year time limit to complete it, at which point I will hand him the title. Worst case, he doesn't complete it and I keep the car. Best case, He gets a nice car and launches a career.... and I get the fun of watching.

Dave
 
Rolling Thunder said:
Showme - Thanks for the encouragement. It's been a long road but it is finally back on track. Who knows, I might have it done in time for some of the Missouri events next year. :thumbs:

Dave
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That's AWESOME! I'll look for ya!(I guess I need to kick it in gear on mine!)
 
Sounds like a win-win for you. I would love to see some progress on your projects as you guys make your way through. It sounds like you have a great helper and just enough motivation to keep him into it. For his sake, I hope he gets it done in time. Sounds like both vettes are going to be going on at the same time.
 
CrossedFlags77 said:
Where did you buy the headlight filler panels?
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A neighbor friend had those, or damn similar in his chrome shark, and he cautioned me that they were ILLEGAL in Faryland as they are not high enough for NHSTA standards....think that is 18" off the deck to H/L center.....

may want to check your inspections/state requirements about that.....

hate to see someone putting tons of work in there only to have some damn idiot bust your nutz over it.....

:drink::drink::crylol: I was wanting that change for my shark once, but that turned me off....

:beer::shocking:
 
Crossed Flags 77 - I bought them as NOS from an individual who had stored them for many years. They are Ecklers buckets and filler panels but I believe they have been out of production for 15 years at least. Not sure.

Gene - Thanks for the heads up, several others have mentioned the same thing. Living in western Kentucky, our vehicles are not subject to routine inspections for emissions, safety or other criteria. This car has been continuously registered, insured and licensed since the day I bought it and has never been inspected. Even a car purchased out of state only requires inspection to make sure the vin matches the title. Nanny does not live here thank goodness.
 
Thanks Z-man and SMH. By the way SMH, if you are serious then you can! Glass work is messy and tedious but it is not difficult.

Quick update. Sam and i lifted the body off the donor car today. Most of the frame is very nice and just needs a little work to preserve it. I love the new suspension from VBP. Next is to cut out the crossmember on the donor frame and install the BTO bolt-in crossmember.
 
Rolling Thunder said:
Thanks Z-man and SMH. By the way SMH, if you are serious then you can! Glass work is messy and tedious but it is not difficult.

Quick update. Sam and i lifted the body off the donor car today. Most of the frame is very nice and just needs a little work to preserve it. I love the new suspension from VBP. Next is to cut out the crossmember on the donor frame and install the BTO bolt-in crossmember.
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You guys sound like you are wasting no time on it. Have you got the crossmember mounted yet?
 
Yes Eddie, the crossmembers have been switched. The ZZ502 and 700R4 have also been moved to the new frame. Right now the BTO crossmember is just clamped in place as weldnuts will have to be inserted into the bottom of the frame. I also got the frame horns straightened and the bumper brackets all mocked up to see how much tweeking will be needed. I'm trying to get all the fitting done so i can weld it up this weekend. Got all of the frame that had not been exposed before wire brushed and painted. The only surprises were good ones.

My (soon to be 9 years old) grandson Mason and I built a body dolly yesterday (Sam is off this week) and today I transferred the RT body to it. Sure is nice to be able to spin the body around in the garage.
 
Couple of pics just to keep it alive. The body work and paint prep continues but the heat keeps the work sessions short.

rt042.jpg


rt048.jpg
 
RT, wish I could get you to do mine.....free beer and 3 hots and a cot is about all I can offer.....


:stirpot::lol::lol::cool:
 
I must be tired I double posted.Sorry.
 
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