My 1967 Belvedere Convertible Plans and Restoration (aka - Mad Scientist Build)
- Thread starter conv67bdere
- Start date
Wow! Looks fantastic. Not only that, it looks like the kind of work and parts that will hold up to almost anything. Stuff done right!!! I like it!
Now all it needs is that HEMI!
Now all it needs is that HEMI!
Plates and isolators attached . . . now it's time to "just add Hemi"
Got out in the shop tonight and got the engine plates ( yes - the driver side is now a 4 bolt plate ) and the isolatorsl installed for the Hemi to go in tomorrow . . .
As long ans my "red-neck engineering" and my plan to attempt to get this thing installed by myself works . . .
it'll be installed tomorrow . . .
- - - Updated - - -
Agreed 747Mopar . . . should be in there tomorrow ! ! !
- - - Updated - - -
Thanks hawk - the fabricator build things like a brick-sh*thouse . . . they won't go anywhere ! ! !
Hemi should be in there tomorrow ! ! !
Got out in the shop tonight and got the engine plates ( yes - the driver side is now a 4 bolt plate ) and the isolatorsl installed for the Hemi to go in tomorrow . . .
As long ans my "red-neck engineering" and my plan to attempt to get this thing installed by myself works . . .
it'll be installed tomorrow . . .
- - - Updated - - -
Agreed 747Mopar . . . should be in there tomorrow ! ! !
- - - Updated - - -
Thanks hawk - the fabricator build things like a brick-sh*thouse . . . they won't go anywhere ! ! !
Hemi should be in there tomorrow ! ! !
The Hemi is in the Belvedere . . . YAY
First, I had to spend some time running around Charlotte to look at vehicles for my youngest daughter . . . her car has been acting up . . . long story, but I think we've got something for her at a reasonable price instead of the cost to fix her old car . . . Argh . . .
Then I got started with the install, dragged the engine out to the shop again, and my neighbor needed some help picking up his daughter's car that broke down - do you see a trend here ? ( sigh )
Then . . . finally . . . I could get started on the install . . . and try to figure out how to do this all by myself . . . First . . . I needed the nose of the car sticking out of the shop, and there is only a very short piece of concrete that I "needed" to keep the car on so it can go back in the shop . . . that was easy . . .
Next, was pretty easy to figure out - get the engine out to the shop and get the engine cradle removed - then it's ready to go in . . . simple enough . . .
Now it's time to get a little better look at my "red-neck" engineering, and the setup to help me get this in my car by myself . . . hummm . . . did I really do that ? ? ?
LMAO
Lift the engine up, make sure that it will clear the radiator support, and not hit the gutter on the shop . . . looking good ( this is where my neighbor needed my help ) - so I lowered the engine and helped him retrieve his daughter's car . . .
That done, it's back to the install . . . and the first time my car will have an engine in it since I've owned it . . .
Back the truck up, make sure I don't hit anything . . . ( notice how close it is in the bottom left corner - it's touching ) - but the engine is "not really" back far enough . . . oh great . . . as I lower it, it moves further back, so I've still got hope . . .
So I get it lowered into place, and . . . ( take a look at the front of the oil pan 4-5" over the K-member ) - this is where things got really interesting . . .
guess who got to wrestle with a HEMI for 2 hours . . .
And the final results of the wrestling match . . . I WON . . . the engine is completely bolted into place - every bolt ! ! !
( sorry for the straps - that's how I lifted it - getting it set up and balanced is a pain, so I'm leaving it in place )
WOW . . . so that's what an engine looks like in this car . . . SWEET ! ! ! Is all I can say . . .
Next - try to determine "how much" tunnel hump need to be cut away on the car . . . then on the 2013 Challenger Tunnel hump . . . and tack them in place . . .
Then GUESS WHAT - I get to pull it all out again ! ! !
Today . . . Progress ! ! ! Feels GOOD ! ! !
First, I had to spend some time running around Charlotte to look at vehicles for my youngest daughter . . . her car has been acting up . . . long story, but I think we've got something for her at a reasonable price instead of the cost to fix her old car . . . Argh . . .
Then I got started with the install, dragged the engine out to the shop again, and my neighbor needed some help picking up his daughter's car that broke down - do you see a trend here ? ( sigh )
Then . . . finally . . . I could get started on the install . . . and try to figure out how to do this all by myself . . . First . . . I needed the nose of the car sticking out of the shop, and there is only a very short piece of concrete that I "needed" to keep the car on so it can go back in the shop . . . that was easy . . .
Next, was pretty easy to figure out - get the engine out to the shop and get the engine cradle removed - then it's ready to go in . . . simple enough . . .
Now it's time to get a little better look at my "red-neck" engineering, and the setup to help me get this in my car by myself . . . hummm . . . did I really do that ? ? ?
LMAO
Lift the engine up, make sure that it will clear the radiator support, and not hit the gutter on the shop . . . looking good ( this is where my neighbor needed my help ) - so I lowered the engine and helped him retrieve his daughter's car . . .
That done, it's back to the install . . . and the first time my car will have an engine in it since I've owned it . . .
Back the truck up, make sure I don't hit anything . . . ( notice how close it is in the bottom left corner - it's touching ) - but the engine is "not really" back far enough . . . oh great . . . as I lower it, it moves further back, so I've still got hope . . .
So I get it lowered into place, and . . . ( take a look at the front of the oil pan 4-5" over the K-member ) - this is where things got really interesting . . .
guess who got to wrestle with a HEMI for 2 hours . . .
And the final results of the wrestling match . . . I WON . . . the engine is completely bolted into place - every bolt ! ! !
( sorry for the straps - that's how I lifted it - getting it set up and balanced is a pain, so I'm leaving it in place )
WOW . . . so that's what an engine looks like in this car . . . SWEET ! ! ! Is all I can say . . .
Next - try to determine "how much" tunnel hump need to be cut away on the car . . . then on the 2013 Challenger Tunnel hump . . . and tack them in place . . .
Then GUESS WHAT - I get to pull it all out again ! ! !
Today . . . Progress ! ! ! Feels GOOD ! ! !
Last edited:
SNKEBIT
Well-Known Member
NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Always a feeling of accomplishment when a major part/process is done!!!!
747mopar
Well-Known Member
That's awesome Kahn!!! You sure don't ever get to do anything the easy way do you haha? This will setup a whole lot more work having that done..... out with the tunnel and in goes the 6 speed!!! THE BALL IS ROLLING NOW!
Nice to be seeing an engine in the car . . . I'm not use to that . . .
So I dragged the transmission out to the shop today ( dang is that thing heavy ) . . . and I tucked it up underneath the chassis ( once I figured out HOW to get it under there on the dolly ) . . .
and was looking around at what I've got myself into . . .
I've got to get ALL of that into that little tunnel hump ? ? LMAO . . .
Needless to say, I've got my work cut out for me . . . and a LOT of cutting is what I'll be up to in order to make that happen ! ! !
Add to that . . .
I think I've found a way to lower my driver side floor, and my driver seat, to give me some more head clearance in the car . . .
I may have to move my drive shaft loop aft a little more to make it useful ( argh . . . )
Looks like I'll be re-doing some of the work that I've already completed to make it work better . . . Such is the nature of the beast . . .
And it appears that the rear most shifter location might work out perfect for me in my car setup . . . Nice to see where it's going to be . . .
- - - Updated - - -
Easy . . . what's that ? ? ? I work with what tools I have to get the jobs done . . . sometimes I have to be a little "creative" . . . LMAO
I just keep moving forward and getting these things done one at a time ! ! ! ( smile )
Got a lot to keep me busy now . . . that's for sure !
So I dragged the transmission out to the shop today ( dang is that thing heavy ) . . . and I tucked it up underneath the chassis ( once I figured out HOW to get it under there on the dolly ) . . .
and was looking around at what I've got myself into . . .
I've got to get ALL of that into that little tunnel hump ? ? LMAO . . .
Needless to say, I've got my work cut out for me . . . and a LOT of cutting is what I'll be up to in order to make that happen ! ! !
Add to that . . .
I think I've found a way to lower my driver side floor, and my driver seat, to give me some more head clearance in the car . . .
I may have to move my drive shaft loop aft a little more to make it useful ( argh . . . )
Looks like I'll be re-doing some of the work that I've already completed to make it work better . . . Such is the nature of the beast . . .
And it appears that the rear most shifter location might work out perfect for me in my car setup . . . Nice to see where it's going to be . . .
- - - Updated - - -
Easy . . . what's that ? ? ? I work with what tools I have to get the jobs done . . . sometimes I have to be a little "creative" . . . LMAO
I just keep moving forward and getting these things done one at a time ! ! ! ( smile )
Got a lot to keep me busy now . . . that's for sure !
Well . . . head clearance when the top is UP . . . I know I'm not lucky enough to NEVER get caught in the rain . . .
( wanna look at all the hurdles in my build again ! ! ! - LMAO )
SNKEBIT
Well-Known Member
Check here: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...d.php?t=293725
My build with a T-56 from a Viper. Might help with figuring out where to cut. I know it's an A-body but the trans cutout will be close.
My build with a T-56 from a Viper. Might help with figuring out where to cut. I know it's an A-body but the trans cutout will be close.
HYRDGOON
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 8:56 PM
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2013
- Messages
- 3,374
- Reaction score
- 2,745
- Location
- Breslau, Ontario, Canada
Everybody left out the most important part of finally getting the motor in.... Now you can officially drop a milk crate in the drivers seat and pretend to hold a steering wheel while making engine noises!!! VROOOOOOOOOOM VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Yearly Golf League meeting in Tennessee - still filling in for my dad . . .
Had my yearly fall trip to Tennessee to attend the Golf League board meeting to plan and discuss any needed changes for next year. This is a 4 hour trip, which had me on the road at 4:30 AM - driving in the rain - to be able to make a 9:00 AM meeting ( glad I only have to do this once a year ). I'm still the secretary of the league, filling the shoes of my late pop, who had held the position for 3-4 years prior to his passing. We were responsible for bringing the league into the 21st century and putting the league on the Web !
In the morning drive, as I crossed into Tennessee ( where my pop lived ) I was welcomed with the following greeting ( must have been pop saying hi )
If you look at this one, you can actually see a double rainbow . . .
Same here - another double rainbow ( but the colors were so bright - I've never seen the colors this bright )
Here's a little better one showing how bright the colors were . . . amazing . . .
My drive through the mountains in the dark of the morning, prevented me from seeing this sight . . . the color changing of the leaves . . .
So my whole trip back I had to look at these great views, and colorful backdrops, as I weaved through the mountains . . .
It made the trip so much more enjoyable to see these great vistas . . .
NC Smoky Mountains . . .
Fall colors . . .
Had my yearly fall trip to Tennessee to attend the Golf League board meeting to plan and discuss any needed changes for next year. This is a 4 hour trip, which had me on the road at 4:30 AM - driving in the rain - to be able to make a 9:00 AM meeting ( glad I only have to do this once a year ). I'm still the secretary of the league, filling the shoes of my late pop, who had held the position for 3-4 years prior to his passing. We were responsible for bringing the league into the 21st century and putting the league on the Web !
In the morning drive, as I crossed into Tennessee ( where my pop lived ) I was welcomed with the following greeting ( must have been pop saying hi )
If you look at this one, you can actually see a double rainbow . . .
Same here - another double rainbow ( but the colors were so bright - I've never seen the colors this bright )
Here's a little better one showing how bright the colors were . . . amazing . . .
My drive through the mountains in the dark of the morning, prevented me from seeing this sight . . . the color changing of the leaves . . .
So my whole trip back I had to look at these great views, and colorful backdrops, as I weaved through the mountains . . .
It made the trip so much more enjoyable to see these great vistas . . .
NC Smoky Mountains . . .
Fall colors . . .
SNKEBIT
Well-Known Member
I really like NC. Wish my wife would move there...........
with me! LOL
with me! LOL
Great progress with the engine and now trans! Yeah, it'll be some work to cut out the transmission tunnel, but I think you are up for it!
So just a dumb question, but I gotta ask it: You DO know that the seats have plastic grommets on the studs that you can remove to lower the seats, right? It just seems like it would be easier to lower a seat (also possibly with aftermarket seats that are more "squat") than it would be to lower the floor!!!
So just a dumb question, but I gotta ask it: You DO know that the seats have plastic grommets on the studs that you can remove to lower the seats, right? It just seems like it would be easier to lower a seat (also possibly with aftermarket seats that are more "squat") than it would be to lower the floor!!!
Customer Service the way customer service should be . . . Magnum Force Racing
Finally got a chance to give Clint at Magnum Force Racing a call about the fabrication changes to the Transformer . . . and once again the people at MFR ( Clint, Jeff, and Jen ) have stood out above all the rest -
They have reimbursed me the ENTIRE amount of the fabrication fees !
This really is a WIN-WIN resolution . . . They didn't have to pay to ship a new transformer to me, and have me ship mine back ( waste of time and money in my mind ) and I have got the mods done, and the engine installed in my car ! ! The fabricator developed a very slick solution, that greatly reduced the fabrication time ( and costs ) . . . and made the the updates both reasonable to both parties.
MFR is one class act, and they continue to prove that I'm glad that I made the decision to go with the transformer as the K-member in my build.
Thanks Magnum Force Racing - you're a great company to work with !
- - - Updated - - -
Have to agree SNKBIT . . . I like it here too ! ! ! ( smile )
- - - Updated - - -
Good question Hawk . . . after looking at it again, I don't think I'll have to be cutting the floor much at all . . . I threw the seat in the car ( so I could fallow through with Goon's Vroom Vroom suggestion ) and the seat should sit plenty low enough to not require me to cut out the floor . . . WHEW ! ! ! That should make my life a little easier too ! ! !
Finally got a chance to give Clint at Magnum Force Racing a call about the fabrication changes to the Transformer . . . and once again the people at MFR ( Clint, Jeff, and Jen ) have stood out above all the rest -
They have reimbursed me the ENTIRE amount of the fabrication fees !
This really is a WIN-WIN resolution . . . They didn't have to pay to ship a new transformer to me, and have me ship mine back ( waste of time and money in my mind ) and I have got the mods done, and the engine installed in my car ! ! The fabricator developed a very slick solution, that greatly reduced the fabrication time ( and costs ) . . . and made the the updates both reasonable to both parties.
MFR is one class act, and they continue to prove that I'm glad that I made the decision to go with the transformer as the K-member in my build.
Thanks Magnum Force Racing - you're a great company to work with !
- - - Updated - - -
Have to agree SNKBIT . . . I like it here too ! ! ! ( smile )
- - - Updated - - -
Good question Hawk . . . after looking at it again, I don't think I'll have to be cutting the floor much at all . . . I threw the seat in the car ( so I could fallow through with Goon's Vroom Vroom suggestion ) and the seat should sit plenty low enough to not require me to cut out the floor . . . WHEW ! ! ! That should make my life a little easier too ! ! !
NCC1968
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 5:56 PM
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2015
- Messages
- 168
- Reaction score
- 113
- Location
- Sunny SoCal aka The Valley
So far Clint and Jen have been great to me too.......but I've still got a lot of work to do before we see what is what.
So the next question . . . when does the transmission fitment begin . . . NOW ! ! !
Finally got the Hemi in the car, so I know that the next question to arise is "When" does the transmission fitment begin . . . and the answer is that is begins NOW ! ! !
No sense in waiting . . . that's for sure . . .
Out in the shop tonight and thinking that tunnel hump needs to come out . . . so . . . my first question was, how "good" are we on the alignment of the engine to the tunnel hump, and I think this pictures tells it all . . .
So the next thing was to cut the top off the tunnel hump and get it out of my way . . . that's easy enough to do . . . cut away . . .
And then I rolled the transmission back under the car to see what I had . . . ( still got some work ahead of me on this task ) . . .
And GOON . . . what in earth are you talking about sitting in the car going VROOM VROOM . . . Who would do such a thing . . .
( SMILE ) . . . Busted ! ! !
Finally got the Hemi in the car, so I know that the next question to arise is "When" does the transmission fitment begin . . . and the answer is that is begins NOW ! ! !
No sense in waiting . . . that's for sure . . .
Out in the shop tonight and thinking that tunnel hump needs to come out . . . so . . . my first question was, how "good" are we on the alignment of the engine to the tunnel hump, and I think this pictures tells it all . . .
So the next thing was to cut the top off the tunnel hump and get it out of my way . . . that's easy enough to do . . . cut away . . .
And then I rolled the transmission back under the car to see what I had . . . ( still got some work ahead of me on this task ) . . .
And GOON . . . what in earth are you talking about sitting in the car going VROOM VROOM . . . Who would do such a thing . . .
( SMILE ) . . . Busted ! ! !
daytona kid
Well-Known Member
WOW! Just caught up on your thread. You are doing some really good stuff dude.. You remind me of me with some of your tricks,, cherry picker in the back of the truck,,lol.. You're gonna have a sweet ride!
Last edited:
747mopar
Well-Known Member
Sometimes you just have to improvise haha! I think the most impressive part of the build is what Kahn actually has to work with and how he just makes it work. Next summer I have to make the drive down to visit for a weekend, Good Guys show???
- Local time
- 7:56 PM
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2013
- Messages
- 8,050
- Reaction score
- 3,453
- Location
- Mascoutah, Illinois
Kahn ... you have an engine in your car !!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
Also that idea on the cherry picker in the back of your truck was Sooooper
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
Also that idea on the cherry picker in the back of your truck was Sooooper
Similar threads
- Locked
