Joined: Thu Nov 24 2005, 07:29PM
Location: So Cal.
Posts: 1111
The GVOD is mounted and secure except for the top two bolts. The cross member and tail shaft will have to come down so I can reach them but there's more room around the OD unit that I had anticipated. It sits in there snugly. Oh, I MIGHT have to go with a 90 degree adapter for the speedometer cable but that's ok. It's raining now so I probably won't do anything else for the time being.
Paint I am using is Rustoleum spray cans, the "professional" enamel. So far it's held up well on my Bonneville. That paint has been used on wheels and a couple of whole cars before and held up fine. Granted, the climate isn't too rough on cars here in So Cal but If I had POR-15 ready to go, I'd use that instead. Next time...
The T-bars I went with are the 1.18" ones. I may trade them in for the 1.25" ones but we'll see how they feel. My FF sway bar was just ordered and should be here in a week or two.
Just spoke with a shop about driveshaft chopping and it shouldn't be too expensive. Measure twice (or more!) cut once, I hope! !nervous
Joined: Mon Jul 23 2007, 06:03PM
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Posts: 471
Hey, your tires are flat ! ....just kidding. A little too low slung for my taste, but I applaud ANY C Body resto....far too few of these beauties are being preserved I've have very good luck with black rustoleum on chassis parts and undercarriage.
Joined: Thu Nov 24 2005, 07:29PM
Location: So Cal.
Posts: 1111
drchallenger1 wrote ... hope u have better luck with TCI than i did, i now avoid them.
Yeah, me too! Unfortunately I saw your post about TCI on another thread right after I ordered mine so I didn't inquire. Let's just hope it works this time! !nervous
Update: I pushed the car out of the way so I could get my '65 Bonneville out of the garage and suck down sub $2.00 premium gas all weekend. !thumb
Joined: Fri Dec 22 2006, 08:41PM
Location: Warrenton, Virginia
Posts: 1366
TNT, where did you get your lower control arms?? Firm Feel?? I've got the JS tubular uppers like you have, JS 1.16" torsion bars and FF 1 1/8" front sway.
Will you be getting a rear anti roll bar for that nice barge?? I'm considering it for my 67 300!! I'm pretty happy with the handling and the ride is still quite nice and not at all harsh. I'm planning on "absorbing" the cost of my Steer & Gear X-tra firm steering box. It has a firm feel for sure, BUT there is still too much on center play. I discussed this with Dick Ross at Firm Feel. He says there should be VERY little if any on center play. This is the second S&G box I've had in the car and BOTH have the same 1 1/2" play on center. VERY disconcerting now that the car has "decent" handling.
Joined: Thu Nov 24 2005, 07:29PM
Location: So Cal.
Posts: 1111
Yes the lowers were done at FF. They ask that you send yours in and they modify them. I was lucky that they had an extra one lying around for my trashed one so unfortunately it couldn't be used as a core.
I was not planning on a rear bar at the moment and it looks like my card was just charged for the front, so that will be arriving shortly, I'm sure. !thumb
Today I finally got under the car and measured the drive shaft length for the GVOD. Looks like 43 and 7/8 inches center to center. It's a huge PITA working on the ground!
If the rain holds off, I'll probably put the engine bay wiring harness back in, or start installing the GVOD electricals. I kind of wanted to totally redo the engine harness but I also want to get the car back on the road!!!
Joined: Fri Dec 22 2006, 08:41PM
Location: Warrenton, Virginia
Posts: 1366
Thanks TNT!! I've got FF's front sway and I'm quite happy with it. At least in Cali you should have at least some nice days during the winter to work on the car. Others of us aren't so lucky as far as that goes. We've been doing pretty well for the weather here in VA. At least we haven't gotten any snow or ice yet!!
Joined: Thu Nov 24 2005, 07:29PM
Location: So Cal.
Posts: 1111
I dropped off the drive shaft to be shortened on Wednesday and got it back today but the shop messed up. Thankfully this time it was in my favor! Instead of just chopping mine and welding on a new cap, they totally built me a new one but I was only charged for the modifications of mine. Basically I got a brand new drive shaft built and balanced for 1/2 price because they mixed up some notes. Hopefully the other guy's drive shaft was done properly before they shipped it back to him!
The scary moment came when it was time to bolt it in. The measuring was done with the greatest precision of a retractable metal measuring tape with me lying on my back trying to squeeze under the Chrysler with the rear suspension compressed on jack stands. This process almost made me wish the car wasn't so low. Almost. Thankfully, it appears to fit just right.
With the drive shaft in, the overdrive was filled with Mopar manual transmission fluid (spec'd out because it has no additives) and the car was set back on the ground. Now I got to test the parking pawl which was removed from the original tail shaft and put into the adaptor. Woohoo, it stays in park and shifts into neutral for rolling around! So far things are looking good. Except for wiring the OD up and topping off the transmission with fluid, everything behind the engine is done! The car can still be driven without wiring up the OD, it just won't go into OD without the solenoid.
Next on the list is mounting calipers and swapping master cylinder and brake booster as well as waiting for my new (used from a junk car) engine wiring harness with working headlight motor attached for the hidden headlights. I've also got an "ND" alternator to do that whole charging upgrade which I'm not 100% certain how to do yet!
This is going to be one sweet cruiser. Hopefully it gets finished before gas prices hit $4.00 again! !tape
Lookit that thing. It's like it was made to fit in a C-body. !thumb
(edit - the driveshaft measures 43 7/8" from center to center of U-joints, for future reference) <span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Sat Dec 20 2008, 12:13AM ]</span>