I am starting this thread here as I feel it fits in better here than in the "major builds & projects" section.

I have owned this car since the age of 17 (currently 36). It was cloned as an H/O when I bought it. At first I drove it on the street. Soon after I started bracket racing eventually getting the stock mid 70's smogger 455 to run 13's with a cam, intake, headers and carb before throwing a rod through the block. At that time I decided to blow the car apart and start a restoration. Well at 19 money didn't grow on trees and nothing was happening fast. Soon after I met my wife to be and the car got pushed back in the corner of my Dad's pole barn where it sat until this past September.

The end goal of this car is to be a mostly stock appearing street legal race car reminiscent of the early days of NMCA racing's "Real Street" class. I plan to compete with it in a local 9.90 index "street car" themed class here in Ohio. The goal is to make a pass down the track by the end of the 2015 racing season. If that happens or not only time will tell.

Here is the car as I picked it up from my Dad's in September of '13.

 

Here is the body coming off the frame and the frame being stripped and ready to go to the sandblaster.

 

Here the body is being mocked up over a 315/60-15 drag radial on a 15x10 wheel. In this picture the inner wheel well has been cut out and will be moved in about 2" per side to gain tire clearance also refered to as a "mini tub".

 

Here I am boxing in the frame rails for more strength.

 

Here I have cut out the factory engine crossmember and have replaced it with tubing for oil pan clearance.

 

Bracing in place to keep everything from moving when I cut the frame in half.

 

Frame cut up. No turning back now!

 

Mocking up frame rails.

 

More pics of the frame mod process.

 

New wheels I had made.

 

Very nice wheels and work! Is the body tubbed?

 

The body will have what they call a mini tub. Right now as it sits there are no inner wheel wells but the outers are still there. I plan to either move the original inner well in two inches and weld a two inch filler strip between the inner and outer or just fab up a more squared off tub like inner wheel well and mate it to the stock outer at the original seam. It will depend if I can get it low enough using a stock inner or not.

 

Nice work Chadman.
They make a factory looking tub but I don't know if it gives any more height clearance. Its a steel tub with the factory shape to it, looks good when the trunk is open and you have that factory appearance to the wheel cans. I like how you have the car siting over the tire. I'm a big fan of the moderate rear tire width I know the large tire is practical for putting down the power but just not a fan of the way they look under the car.
Thanks for sharing your build
Bernhard

 

I have seen them for the 64-67 cars but never for the 68-72 cars. Do you have a link?

 

Sorry no link they were in a car magazine, thought the idea was great stock looking wheel tubs.

Detroit speed has factory tubs just not for a 69 you might be right that they have not made them yet for the 68 to 69 A body?
Dynacorn also makes factory style tubs I just don't know if they make them for the 68/69 A body

 

That's sharp. Nice work!

 

Man, you take a lot of pictures. I wish I had done that more when I was building my car. But film and development would have been expensive. Looks great. I think you need to move the target date forward about a year. I think 9.90s will be easy.

 

Looks great. The only recomendation I have for you, would be to look at the NHRA rulebook very carefully, about your rear frame modification. Nothing wrong with how you're doing it, but certain classes require the frame to be altered in a very specific way. Just mentioning this so you don't alter your frame in a way that would disqualify you in those classes. Take a look, you'll be glad you did.

 

I've already checked. What I'm doing is legal for brackets and index racing. If I were heads up racing than yes this would be illegal for classes that require a stock inner frame rail.

 

Chad muscle car restoration has some pis in their car gallery of a 68-69 442 vert ( the red one) getting what looks like mini tubs it is a restored affair very well done I will post a link from a real computer asap this is my Xoom and its a pain.

Love the look of the car and will be following along

 

awesome thread and man you work fast !

 

Man that frame work is making me envious. My car will need some frame work soon before it gets bad. Love the wheels. What are your plans for paint ? Same scheme or different color.

 

Nice work and to keep a stock appearing look unlike back halfing.Nick

 

Thanks but I'm actually not working fast at all right now. All of this was done between Sept-Nov of last fall. It's been so damn cold all winter I haven't touched it in a while. As soon as the weather breaks I will be back on it just about every day though.

 

Most likely will be silver with a black vinyl top. Definitely not the H/O paint scheme.

 

Nice work, I like the color scheme..

 

Nice , Im gona follow this thread.

 

Why not keep the H/O scheme?

 

How else is he going to yell, "Hi ho Silver, away!" As he burns down the track?

 

Just personal preference. Plus I don't feel like having twenty guys ask me "is it real" every time I take it out.

 

Chad this was what I mentioned before, seems they did it like you mentioned with a piece in the middle.

http://www.musclecarrestorations.com...le-442-68-000/

 

Thanks for the link. They sure put a ton of work into that car. Fortunately my body is a lot better than that one was. Will definitely use that for reference.

 

Chad there are several cars they are redoing obviously high end, they have a great technique to do the quarters which I will be following doing mine when I finally get to do it, I remembered looking through this rebuild and wondering why the quarters were more difficult and realized they hung the quarters so it can accomodate the tubs etc. their work is amazing though.... I think they are one of the better restorers way out of my price range I am sure LOL...

 

Chad, is that a real Hurst Olds? LOL . Ya I know, always a smartazz in the bunch.

Did you ever prime the frame? If so what did you use?

 

No it has not been primed. I treated it with a phosphoric acid solution called Ospho. The stuff works great. Still not a spec of rust and it's been in bare metal for five months.

 

Seems like the stock appearing drag racing events are mostly chevy of course and mopars.Be nice to see an Olds running that fast in a stock appearing class. Good luck with it Chad.

 

Got some more work done recently:

 

more:

 

...

 

Stock spindle? Who's control arms. Those look nice and light.

Mighty fancy set up fixture that bolts to the wheels so you can set everything up and not have the rear end in the way while you position and weld. Looking good.