Aspen500
Well-Known Member
As the title says, just a few random pics, in no particular order of my car as I was building it. Most are from around 2005 and up. The older ones are on film and I don't have a scanner. Maybe someday.............
Random pics of my Aspen from "the build"
- Thread starter Aspen500
- Start date
Was your car originally red (or orange)?
BudW
BudW
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
No, it was silver with red stripes and 2-tone (Sunrise). The bright red in the pic of the engine compartment is from the car the firewall and inner fenders came from. I replaced them to undo the semi pro-street mods I made years earlier (still can't figure out what the bleep I was thinking with that one!). The burgandy color is what it was at the time I started the total "frame-off" rebuild. It was burgandy with dark gray/silver stripes and 2 tone, same pattern as the original Sunrise paint.
When I bought the car in '87 it was silver and panther pink, of all things. Aside from that and the Keystone's, the car was 100% bone stock original with 72,000 miles.
This is the car, with a young long haired guy standing next to it (was I ever that young?), a couple months after buying it. The window louvers were off because they were coming loose and I hadn't put them back on yet.
When I bought the car in '87 it was silver and panther pink, of all things. Aside from that and the Keystone's, the car was 100% bone stock original with 72,000 miles.
This is the car, with a young long haired guy standing next to it (was I ever that young?), a couple months after buying it. The window louvers were off because they were coming loose and I hadn't put them back on yet.
Oldiron440
Well-Known Member
You have got to have more.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
I do have quite a few more actually. One downside is, the early part of the build is on film. I didn't go digital until spring of 2006 and,,,,,,,,,,I lost some of them when my old computer crashed and there was no coming back. The back up disc I made (thought I made) shortly before that, turned out to be blank when i checked later on. I need to get the film pics scanned to digital, or just break down and get a scanner and do it myself.
Here's a couple more, in no particular order or year. The build was started in 2002 and continued through 2012 and then some, after the car sat from 1996-2002 with a fried trans before I finally was in a position to work on it. Was going to do the trans, a little body and paint and that was about it. I got a huge case of the "might as well", "while I'm in there" snowball and next thing I knew, the car was down to a bare shell and the snowball just kept growing, and growing, and growing............
Here's a couple more, in no particular order or year. The build was started in 2002 and continued through 2012 and then some, after the car sat from 1996-2002 with a fried trans before I finally was in a position to work on it. Was going to do the trans, a little body and paint and that was about it. I got a huge case of the "might as well", "while I'm in there" snowball and next thing I knew, the car was down to a bare shell and the snowball just kept growing, and growing, and growing............
Oldiron440
Well-Known Member
I'd bet you don't mind àll the time and money now.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
SixBanger
Well-Known Member
Great build you did! When did you buy this car before you start building on?
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
SixBanger, I bought the car in the spring of 1987 as a 6cyl/4-speed O/D Sunrise. The original big block swap was in 1989 with a VERY tight budget. OK, basically no budget. A lot of the parts (like the engine) were gotten from a local yard on the barter system.
Fast forward to 1996 and the Car Craft Summer Cruise in St. Paul. On the way home, drive started slipping and then was non existent. Drove the last 20 miles home in 2nd gear.
In 1997, before I had done much of anything, I bought a house and that took all my time. Never buy an old house that needs "some TLC" by the way.........At long last in the winter of 2002 I finally started on the project. It started as an overhaul the trans and do a little body work and paint touch up but that led to the next thing, and the next thing and well,,,,,,,,you know how that goes! A winter project turned into over 10 years and WAY more money than I ever intended on spending but it was all worth it. To be honest, I have no idea what the total is, don;t want to know and it doesn't really matter anyways. I now have the type of car I've wanted since I was 16 and it only took until I was almost 50 to get it.
This isn't meant to be bragging or boasting but except machine work on the block and heads, replating the bumpers, and upholstering the front seats, everything was done single handed out in the garage. Give credit where it's more than due, my "wife" did some detailing work and a few small parts (the upper control arms are all her) also. She was also the one who kept me motivated and made sure I never called something done unless it was perfect. Great woman and I still don't know how I got so lucky.
Fast forward to 1996 and the Car Craft Summer Cruise in St. Paul. On the way home, drive started slipping and then was non existent. Drove the last 20 miles home in 2nd gear.
In 1997, before I had done much of anything, I bought a house and that took all my time. Never buy an old house that needs "some TLC" by the way.........At long last in the winter of 2002 I finally started on the project. It started as an overhaul the trans and do a little body work and paint touch up but that led to the next thing, and the next thing and well,,,,,,,,you know how that goes! A winter project turned into over 10 years and WAY more money than I ever intended on spending but it was all worth it. To be honest, I have no idea what the total is, don;t want to know and it doesn't really matter anyways. I now have the type of car I've wanted since I was 16 and it only took until I was almost 50 to get it.
This isn't meant to be bragging or boasting but except machine work on the block and heads, replating the bumpers, and upholstering the front seats, everything was done single handed out in the garage. Give credit where it's more than due, my "wife" did some detailing work and a few small parts (the upper control arms are all her) also. She was also the one who kept me motivated and made sure I never called something done unless it was perfect. Great woman and I still don't know how I got so lucky.
Oldiron440
Well-Known Member
So guys just get lucky that way.
Me I don't notice the great ones until 35 years later.
I've been meaning to ask what blue that is?
Me I don't notice the great ones until 35 years later.
I've been meaning to ask what blue that is?
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Aspen500
Well-Known Member
It is B5 Blue, the 1969 formula. Always liked that color and chose it after seeing a '69 Satellite wagon (beautiful car btw) a couple times around here that is B5 blue with white interior.
LOL, I found out later that B5 blue is one of the hardest colors to spray and match, mainly because of the heavy metallic content. Any variation in distance, air pressure, weather, etc can make it look different and I can verify that. Let's just say, I used more paint than a pro would have. Painted the doors twice and the fenders 3 times.
LOL, I found out later that B5 blue is one of the hardest colors to spray and match, mainly because of the heavy metallic content. Any variation in distance, air pressure, weather, etc can make it look different and I can verify that. Let's just say, I used more paint than a pro would have. Painted the doors twice and the fenders 3 times.
SixBanger
Well-Known Member
Cool that the car has been in your possession for so long! I think it is now more of a family member than just a car?
The blue metallic color looks the car well.
Here in Europe, most modern cars are mainly black, gray and white. Actually a shame, it just gives a bit more variety on the streets.
But, was there a big adjustment needed to hang the big bad boy in the engine compartment? And adaptation of the power train / stiffness chassis?
The blue metallic color looks the car well.
Here in Europe, most modern cars are mainly black, gray and white. Actually a shame, it just gives a bit more variety on the streets.
But, was there a big adjustment needed to hang the big bad boy in the engine compartment? And adaptation of the power train / stiffness chassis?
Raff
Well-Known Member
Great story. Love the 68 marker lights. IMO those round side markers improve the look of any car they're on.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
When I swapped the big block in, also swapped to an auto trans (big block 727) and an 8.75" rear axle from a '71 Roadrunner. It's actually a little too wide, the '69-'70 B-body would have been better but I used what was available for cheap. It's a 3.23 Sure Grip. Originally I did nothing to the chassis and that was a bad idea. Too much throttle and a gap would open up between the door glass and weatherstrip. Subframe connectors helped that a lot. They're homemade from 2x2 tubing, channeled into the rear floor so they're straight shots. Being welded into the rear floor adds stiffness as well. The front end (where the fenders are attached) has 1x2 tubing along the top edges and the radiator top yoke is beefed up too. There's still 1/8" steel plates hidden in the firewall where the inner fenders attach, remains from the semi pro street days of the car. No twist to the car at all.
It isn't all that different around here for car colors. It seems 80% of vehicles are either silver, black or white. Have to admit, I own one of those dull colors, a black '96 Dakota but my '08 Mustang is burgandy metallic so 2 out of 3 isn't bad, lol.
It isn't all that different around here for car colors. It seems 80% of vehicles are either silver, black or white. Have to admit, I own one of those dull colors, a black '96 Dakota but my '08 Mustang is burgandy metallic so 2 out of 3 isn't bad, lol.
Oldiron440
Well-Known Member
I've got the 2" square tube from the front frame rails to the rear and its tied to the cage, but the frame connectors are nice you have a jack point from front to rear.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
My sort of "gauge" for how stiff a chassis is, is when you jack up (for example) the left front under the subframe rail and the lr tire also comes off the ground, if you raised the car high enough, then it's good to go. Also, if one corner is raised and you can still open and close the doors normally, there is no body twist.
Oldiron440
Well-Known Member
I didn't have mine in at first and my rockers at the end of the quarter started to develop a wave from body flex, I ran the car in the fall of 88 in primer. That winter it was caged and painted.
SixBanger
Well-Known Member
After a time of ownership, my previous car does not meet these criteria. It was time to let it go. I do not have the ability to weld the car so thoroughly.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
I should add also that I've got the front inner fender panels welded solid to the subframe rails. Originally they were attached by a whole 3 spot welds each, so they were basically doing nothing for subframe rail flex. Since the ones in the car (along with the lower firewall) are from a different car, their welded together better than original too. As I recall, they were spot welded randomly and sloppily and some welds missed the flange and were doing nothing. Gotta love the late '70's build quality, on the lower priced cars anyway. Had a '78 Cordoba and the build quality on it was very good.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
A few more random pics:
This was turning my shifter into a Slap-Stik style.
Take the F-body shifter and an old E-body Slap-Stik shifter apart.
Swap and modify the parts needed to turn a regular shifter into a ratchet shifter and walla,,,,,,,,a Slap-Stik that fits and F-boy.
This was turning my shifter into a Slap-Stik style.
Take the F-body shifter and an old E-body Slap-Stik shifter apart.
Swap and modify the parts needed to turn a regular shifter into a ratchet shifter and walla,,,,,,,,a Slap-Stik that fits and F-boy.
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