redfastback
Don't ask me... my garage is empty
makes me almost want to cry. what a way to end a week. awesome dave. did you sleep in it? when i got mine back from paint, i sat in it and outside of it for hours just admiring it.
1966 Valiant Signet Convertible Resto
- Thread starter daves66valiant
- Start date
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Dodgenut64
Well-Known Member
I gotta say, ill probably sit in and around mine for days when its painted too. Heck, i kinda do that now with it in primer, dirt and grease.
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
Yeah I had a big grin ear to ear. There is still some work to be done on the paint. I found a couple of runs on the lower rockers and few other spots that should clean up pretty easy. Lots of color/wet sanding to be done to make it perfect. It will get there soon enough. I am really going to get after it so I can make to the Fall Fling. We shall see. I may show up with a car in progress. I'm excited to get to work this morning. I should have the front
suspension and tranny perfectly fitted by the end of the weekend.
Hey Dodgenut64. I think the top and all the trim will be my last thing to do. I promise to send you plenty of detailed pictures of the convertible top/mechanism when I get to that point.
Off to get some work done.
Dave
suspension and tranny perfectly fitted by the end of the weekend.
Hey Dodgenut64. I think the top and all the trim will be my last thing to do. I promise to send you plenty of detailed pictures of the convertible top/mechanism when I get to that point.
Off to get some work done.
Dave
Congratulations Dave.:cheers:
Looking good.=P~
I can see you had some good help getting it over the motor.
It is nice to have a friend you can count on
with a set of guns like his.:naka:
Thanks for the great build thread .
Hope your day go's smooth and have a good one.
Wish I could be there to cook a nice tender Pork Tender loin for ya.
Looking good.=P~
I can see you had some good help getting it over the motor.
It is nice to have a friend you can count on
with a set of guns like his.:naka:
Thanks for the great build thread .
Hope your day go's smooth and have a good one.
Wish I could be there to cook a nice tender Pork Tender loin for ya.
flyboy01
Its almost done!
:cheers:=P~
SlotCarWon
Well-Known Member
WOW!
It already looks fantasitc.
You've have a really great car soon.
It already looks fantasitc.
You've have a really great car soon.
Longgone
John/68 Barracuda & Dart
Dave , that looks good! Lowering the car over the engine is the way to go. Did you have any clearance problems at the rear crossmember?
DusterBoy15
THE WISE(guy) MEMBER
ya your lucky uou can do that. since the car is bare
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
yeah I had to go back and cut the lip of the crossmember and massage it a little to clear the Keisler modified tremec. The engine and tranny bolted up just fine afterwards. My problem now is the TTI headers will not clear my center link on the passenger side. I need about a 1/4 inch more. I don't think shims are going to do it. The engine might not be in the perfect spot on the engine mounts. I gotta put some thought into this one :read2: These little a-bodies are a bitchh for headers. The 5-speed makes things even more complicated too.
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
Thanks for all the kind words. The hard part has really started now
You`re doing a great job with your convert 
rayer: :cheers: ,
she looks soooooo sweet.
And with your patience, I`m sure of that you`ll solve all of the problems with the rest of the build.
Cause, the probs are there to be solved :thumblef:
rayer: :cheers: , she looks soooooo sweet.
And with your patience, I`m sure of that you`ll solve all of the problems with the rest of the build.
Cause, the probs are there to be solved :thumblef:
'64 Cuda
Well-Known Member
Dave, I just looked at the beginning of this thread. I'm amazed at what you've managed to get done on this car in just a little over a year!
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
HAHA feels like forever. I feel like I'm just getting started on a whole new adventure getting it put back together.
I have serious issues with Keisler though:cussing: I'll be posting iall the details on my early a-body 5-speed thread. :cussing:
Main thing is I got it to fit.
Memike I could use a pork chop.
OneOfMany
Well-Known Member
Oooh yeah!! That is really looking sweet now. Glad you got her home again. As far as the rain, my bro and I can bring on rain anytime, just start working on the cars lol.
Grant
Grant
Dodgenut64
Well-Known Member
Man i hope your 5 speed issues arent too bad.
OldVart
Well-Known Member
Congratulations Dave!! You've had a long and tiring trip to get to where you are now, but it looks great. Good luck with the rest of the little assembly problems, and keep up the great work.
Longgone
John/68 Barracuda & Dart
I had some issues at the rear crossmember as well but a BMFH seemed to make everything fit just fine.:thumbup: I had some problems with their cheap top cover plate leaking.:cussing: That is something that Keisler needs to address. As far as header clearance, I feel your pain with the 440 and 2" pipes, a small engine miss and they`re clanking against the torsion bars. Thank goodness for the hydraulic clutch!! Your build has really hit it`s stride now, I can`t wait to see how things progress.:headbang:
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
Well Keisler is officially a bunch of hackers out to screw us over with their shitty work. The tremec is an awesome tranny but their kit sucks ***. So is their claim of "no hack job" This is a direct quote from their website: "BOLT IN REPLACEMENT Engineered for NO CUTTING or ALTERATION of the car body or frame; attaches directly to GM bellhousing and works with mechanical clutch linkage." :cussing: Total BS. Check out what I had to do to make mine fit. I'm still having trouble getting the motor to sit in the stock position so the tti headers will fit properly.
I have had to pull the engine and tranny 3 times. In the process I managed to scratch the headers and the paint in the engine bay. :cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing:
At least my system for installing the engine and tranny together is working out really well and saves the old back. Plus I can do it by myself.
Here is what I had to do to get things to finally fit. Although the headers hit the center link and idler arm on the passenger side even in the stock position. At least TTI lets you know ahead of time that you may need shims. Which I did and now it clears. The first picture was the first install. Keisler modified tranny does not clear rear crossmember. I cut the lip showing in the first set of pics and massaged a bit.
The second set of pictures is the 3rd time I pulled everything. I had to hack out half of the rear crossmember hoop. I was able to dog ear and weld the bottom portion to maintain structural integrity and strength. This was about an inch thick and allowed plenty of clearance afterwards. I also found that the firewall pinch weld needs to be flatted a bit to clear a spot. You need a BAMFH to massage the bellhousing tunnel for the Lakewood.
Afterwards I tried everything again and I still have some issues.
BTW it is best to have the power steering hose attached and the hydraulic slave installed loosely beforehand as well. You'll never get it in with the headers already installed.
In the meantime I need to touch up the engine bay. While I'm at it I will add that I'll be doing to some extra wetsanding/color sanding in the engine bay because I can see a fair amount of orange peel in the clear. This burns me a little but at least I can get to it with the engine out and I can get the finish I want if I just do it myself. It's funny that it is better when you just do it yourself anyways sometimes.
That's enough for me right now. I'll be sanding for the next couple days and then out of town for a week
I'll keep you posted of course :happy1:
I have had to pull the engine and tranny 3 times. In the process I managed to scratch the headers and the paint in the engine bay. :cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing::cussing:
At least my system for installing the engine and tranny together is working out really well and saves the old back. Plus I can do it by myself.
Here is what I had to do to get things to finally fit. Although the headers hit the center link and idler arm on the passenger side even in the stock position. At least TTI lets you know ahead of time that you may need shims. Which I did and now it clears. The first picture was the first install. Keisler modified tranny does not clear rear crossmember. I cut the lip showing in the first set of pics and massaged a bit.
The second set of pictures is the 3rd time I pulled everything. I had to hack out half of the rear crossmember hoop. I was able to dog ear and weld the bottom portion to maintain structural integrity and strength. This was about an inch thick and allowed plenty of clearance afterwards. I also found that the firewall pinch weld needs to be flatted a bit to clear a spot. You need a BAMFH to massage the bellhousing tunnel for the Lakewood.
Afterwards I tried everything again and I still have some issues.
BTW it is best to have the power steering hose attached and the hydraulic slave installed loosely beforehand as well. You'll never get it in with the headers already installed.
In the meantime I need to touch up the engine bay. While I'm at it I will add that I'll be doing to some extra wetsanding/color sanding in the engine bay because I can see a fair amount of orange peel in the clear. This burns me a little but at least I can get to it with the engine out and I can get the finish I want if I just do it myself. It's funny that it is better when you just do it yourself anyways sometimes.
That's enough for me right now. I'll be sanding for the next couple days and then out of town for a week
I'll keep you posted of course :happy1:
fstfish66
Well-Known Member
dave,,looking go so far,,did you have clearance isues in the test car with the cross member hoop ??,,,take your time,,,youve come t ofar to get frustrated,,,,it will be well worth it in the end,,,,
HillbillyRock
Wing Man
I have looked at all your progress and man I am blowed away, that is going to be one sick ride bro. The engine and tranny are bad to the bone, the paint is beautiful, and your attention to detail is excellent, no doubt this is going to be one bad little thumper!
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
Thanks, I sure hope you can hang onto your ride. If I lived closer I'd try to help you out.
HillbillyRock
Wing Man
Preciate it, but you just stay focused on your ride bro, it is going to be bad to the bone, I like my car, just don't have the time for it anymore, I am just 29, I will get back into it when the kids are grown. I will be watching this post, count me subscribed!
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
Well guys I've been busy at work and have been out of town some the last couple weeks. Last time I posted I was having a fit getting the "perfect fit" with the Keisler tranny and the compounding problem with tti's.
:thumbup: I finally got everything to fit...motor, tranny, headers, torsion bars, suspension and x-pipe exhaust. The most frustrating part was having to continue to modify the rear crossmember. I did weld an addition piece of steel into the gap you see in the previous pictures. It came from the original piece I cut out which was very cool. It turned out pretty good and is very solid now. Excuse the inverted welds...I'm getting better though.
Talk about piece of mine in doing it right the first time before learning the hard way in the future.The other hard part was getting the motor perfectly centered into the stock position so the headers would clear the suspension and steering. I made a big dumbass move that took me a couple times to figure it out......... I was trying to adjust the motor on the K-frame with a leveler but forgot to unbolt the tranny mount. No wonder the engine wouldn't move. :banghead: In order to clear all the suspension I did have to use 1/4" shims and that did the trick. The clearances are incredibly close. We are talking 1/16" in some places. These headers are going to rub somewhere during driving. I don't think there is any way around it. Maybe TTI will come out with a 2nd generation for the early a-bodies that is an improved design. I think the torsion bars are tighter as well because I have 383 bars compared to the plain V8 bars. Thousands of an inch seem to make a big difference.
Managed to prep the engine bay for respray since I put a few scratches in the paint and headers too. :eye: Bound to happen I guess with as many tries as it took. Oh and I plumbed the stainless steel brake lines front to back and mocked up the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder. Damn those SS brake lines are a PITA to double flare but they sure look nice.
BTW I was not completely happy with the paint finish in the engine bay so I wetsanded the hell out of it since it had to be touched up anyways. Way too much orange peel for my liking. Now there is practically zero OP. Butter smooth now without going into the paint. I did the same on the firewall, cowl and drivers quarter. I'll be doing the same on the passenger side as well. My painter came by yesterday and we had fun working on the car and he could tell how meticulous I was on the paint. Oh and critical of it. He now understands that this car is going to a whole new level and will have to match my work quality. I'm a little irritated that I have to do so much more work to get it that way, but at least I know it will be right and I can blame somebody else besides my painter. Plus I get a hand in it and learn more. Bless his heart though. I'm glad he is a good sport about it all and enjoys coming to my house to make it right. He'll be one of the first to get his head snapped back. :burnout:
I'll post some updated pictures soon. The completed rear-end and goes in this weekend hopefully. :hello2:
:thumbup: I finally got everything to fit...motor, tranny, headers, torsion bars, suspension and x-pipe exhaust. The most frustrating part was having to continue to modify the rear crossmember. I did weld an addition piece of steel into the gap you see in the previous pictures. It came from the original piece I cut out which was very cool. It turned out pretty good and is very solid now. Excuse the inverted welds...I'm getting better though.
Talk about piece of mine in doing it right the first time before learning the hard way in the future.The other hard part was getting the motor perfectly centered into the stock position so the headers would clear the suspension and steering. I made a big dumbass move that took me a couple times to figure it out......... I was trying to adjust the motor on the K-frame with a leveler but forgot to unbolt the tranny mount. No wonder the engine wouldn't move. :banghead: In order to clear all the suspension I did have to use 1/4" shims and that did the trick. The clearances are incredibly close. We are talking 1/16" in some places. These headers are going to rub somewhere during driving. I don't think there is any way around it. Maybe TTI will come out with a 2nd generation for the early a-bodies that is an improved design. I think the torsion bars are tighter as well because I have 383 bars compared to the plain V8 bars. Thousands of an inch seem to make a big difference.
Managed to prep the engine bay for respray since I put a few scratches in the paint and headers too. :eye: Bound to happen I guess with as many tries as it took. Oh and I plumbed the stainless steel brake lines front to back and mocked up the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder. Damn those SS brake lines are a PITA to double flare but they sure look nice.
BTW I was not completely happy with the paint finish in the engine bay so I wetsanded the hell out of it since it had to be touched up anyways. Way too much orange peel for my liking. Now there is practically zero OP. Butter smooth now without going into the paint. I did the same on the firewall, cowl and drivers quarter. I'll be doing the same on the passenger side as well. My painter came by yesterday and we had fun working on the car and he could tell how meticulous I was on the paint. Oh and critical of it. He now understands that this car is going to a whole new level and will have to match my work quality. I'm a little irritated that I have to do so much more work to get it that way, but at least I know it will be right and I can blame somebody else besides my painter. Plus I get a hand in it and learn more. Bless his heart though. I'm glad he is a good sport about it all and enjoys coming to my house to make it right. He'll be one of the first to get his head snapped back. :burnout:
I'll post some updated pictures soon. The completed rear-end and goes in this weekend hopefully. :hello2:
redfastback
Don't ask me... my garage is empty
fyi dave, you don't need to double flare ss line. the only reason you double flare regular steel line is that it has a seam, where ss line does not. looks good dave. i am not making it to fall fling but should be there in the spring.
daves66valiant
68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
brake lines plumbed and re prepped engine bay
hydraulic clutch slave master cylinder
Out with the old 7 1/4
8 3/4 rear end with offset shackles
The rear tires sit a little too far forward right now. I'll have to move the perches back one hole and drill an extra pilot hole in the shock mount. Should be much better once I get that done. The rear is much high with new 5 leaf springs. Still needs full tank of gas, spare tire and all the other trim to bring it down some. Luckily I can run 255/60/15 tires now which are taller than stock.
:headbang:
hydraulic clutch slave master cylinder
Out with the old 7 1/4
8 3/4 rear end with offset shackles
The rear tires sit a little too far forward right now. I'll have to move the perches back one hole and drill an extra pilot hole in the shock mount. Should be much better once I get that done. The rear is much high with new 5 leaf springs. Still needs full tank of gas, spare tire and all the other trim to bring it down some. Luckily I can run 255/60/15 tires now which are taller than stock.
:headbang:
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