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A special thanks goes out to Conni and Kevin. If it had not been for their patients, intestinal fortitude, and their belief in me and what I was trying to achieve, there were many times I would have given up.
Conni and Kevin, thanks for all your help!
Photo of my Modified 1965 Chevy Impala Show Car · The Project Concept · Design and Implementation · Results · Lessons Learned · Glossary of Terms
Original Specification Sheet (PDF format) · Modified Specification Sheet (PDF format)
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Since I was three, I drew in two dimensions the “things” I saw in my mind. Using my tinker toys and blocks, I would bring those two dimensional machinations into a three dimensional world. Initially, I was being groomed to follow in my parent’s footsteps as an artist. At about age 12, my father took me to the International Automobile Show held every Easter in the old New York Coliseum. It was here that my love affair with the automobile blossomed like tulips in spring.
It was the concept cars that inspired my imagination to dream on the bleeding edge. I was enthralled and moved by creations relieved and massaged from the imaginations of the two top showmen of the time: "Big Daddy" Ed Roth and George Barris. Sculptures on wheels: the "Beatnik Bandit", the "Mysterion", the "Orbitron" (Ed Roth), among others sparked my imagination. Here I could satisfy my interests in engineering, creativity and apply my artistic abilities. I swore to myself, (it really wasn’t swearing by adult or today’s standards, I mean, “Gee Wiz” was as close a 12 year old in the sixties was going to get to swearing), that I too would build such fine piece of art and engineering.
In high school, I took two years of auto mechanics while also earning my regents degree in math and science. In the summer of 73', I purchased my first car for a whopping $150: a 1965 Chevy Impala. And so the concept began.
For those of you who were old enough to remember, this was the time of the first oil embargo and after school, as a gas station attendant, I was stranded on a pump island with a nozzle welded to my hand with only one potty break per shift. This crisis snapped the American public from its sleepy doldrums and forced us all realize that we could no longer afford to dump eight to 10 miles to the gallon on the asphalt into the horizon beyond. We demanded more fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
My initial concept was to build a vehicle as unique and as beautiful as my hero showmen, but as time went on, maturation changed my priorities changed with maturation; economies of scale also controlled the design. The Impala could no longer guzzle gas as though it was Schlitz with a hole punched in the bottom of the can but had to gently sip as though enjoying a fine glass of Cognac. I had to combine beauty and style with performance and fuel efficiency. Obviously, this became a highly tall task, but I was up to the challenge. When I started a project I swore that I would see it through to completion no matter what the hardships. The process was painful and dragged on like a wounded animal with no sense of relief.
I enrolled in the Automotive Engineering Technology program in the fall of 75', but dropped out in the spring of 76' because I was more obsessed with the creation of this vehicle. When the vehicle was three-quarters completed, I decided to return to Farmingdale determined to complete my degree at Farmingdale and push on further with my education.
I used the vehicle as my senior seminar project in the Spring of 82' to prove by scientific analysis that I indeed meet my objectives in the re-design of the Impala. At Farmingdale, we had a chassis dynamometer available for student use where I was able to record before and after test runs on the vehicle. In addition, the technology and products were now available on the aftermarket that allowed me to design a vehicle that was not only more fuel efficient, but would also produce more horsepower and torque at the rear wheels. Not only was the Impala unique in body design, more fuel efficient, more powerful, and uniquely altered, but also braking, cornering, chassis roll, and weight transfer were significantly altered for creating a better handling vehicle from its original 1965 design.
When the vehicle was finally finished, went touring on the highways of Long Island on weekends. Drivers would speed up to cruise parallel with me to better see the car while giving me a thumbs up as they passed. In 1983, the Impala was finished and I had met all of my design criteria.
Design
The word “design” is being used in its correct context: this vehicle was literally designed through a series of sketches. I had a vision in my mind but was not sure if it would work so I sat down in the front, in the back, on the side, and from a ¾ view and sketched the original vehicle. Once the sketches were created I sat at a full size drawing board and played with the lines of the vehicle I could change to see how they would work with existing lines that were not easily changed. In my mind, what I could see were the same lines that were repeated in creating the first of the Camaro line: the 1967 Camaro. All the lines were similar so I played with the existing lines of the vehicle molding a Camaro like design out of a 1967 Chevy Impala.
Body Modifications
Rear
The spoiler in the rear was made four inches taller that the original body placing it exactly parallel with the ending of the bottom of the rear window. I had thought of making a more aggressive spoiler of six inches in height, which would have removed two inches of the drivers rear view vision. Although I think it would have looked better, I decided on 4 inches because six may have violated a New York State Motor Vehicle Law. Not only did I have to consult regulations for show competitions, I had to research modifications in a book of New York State Motor Vehicle to ensure that modifications were within state regulations. Ground clearance was another of those motor vehicle regulations that had to be followed among others.
18 inches of the trunk and quarter panels was removed with a 9” cutter and the upper portion of the quarter panel on both sides was cut at 45 degrees to being the formation of the spoiler. The rear of the body was constructed from 3 pieces of 16 gauge sheet steel. A steel frame was welded into the trunk structural supports in order to create a support cage to weld together the sheet metal. The sides were hand-formed in a make-shift sheet metal brake and large cylindrical containers to obtain a duplicate curvature on the lowest portion of the rear. The 16 gauge sheet steel was tack brazed using brass rod and an oxy-acetylene welding torch. The frame was re-welded using an arch welder. The rear bumper came from a 1975 Chevy Impala Station Wagon. It was unnecessary to french (recess) the license plate as it was already frenched into the bumper and the original 1975 Chevy Impala Station Wagon license plate lights were used. In order to cover the separation between the body, bumper and the frame, sheet aluminum was used to hide the frame.
The original six 1965 Chevy Impala taillights (three on the left, three on the right) were re-used, turned upside down, and recessed into the body. The openings for the taillights were cut with a hole-cutter. I had thought of stringing a set of 12, 1965 Chevy Impala taillights, across the back (six on the right and six on the left) and using a sequencing directional flasher from a 1967 Ford Thunderbird. This sequencer would have turned on and off one light at a time in sequence when making a left or right turn similar to 2006 and up Ford Mustangs.
I spoke with two mechanics about this option and they said that the sequence light flasher was a mechanical flasher with mechanical contacts for making and breaking an electrical circuit. They said that this was a manufacturing weakness because this mechanical circuit breaker was installed in the trunk. When the trunk seal or window seal began to leak on the 1967 Ford Thunderbird's, the mechanical turning signal sequencer eventually became water soaked causing them to rot. These mechanics suggested that the chances of getting a mechanical turn signal sequencing circuit that was in working order or would stand the test of time was slim.
Based on this information, I opted out of the idea of 12 taillights (6 + 6) and used a set of three and three. The center taillight of the set of three and three had a clear center to serve as the reverse lights. I did not use these lights and instead had three solid red on each side. Reverse lights I used mounted directly to the rear and had blue dots customary of “Lead Sleds.”
The new top of the trunk forming the tail was hand formed from 15 layers of fiberglass sheeting. The fiberglass was dried with six heating lamps in order to speed up drying time between laying the next layer. A non-flexible 3 inch hose was used as a sanding tool in order to develop the curvature in the upper portion of the rear spoiler. Lightweight moldable body plastic was sculptured into the entire body to remove any rippling that was created from the tack brazing.
A polished aluminum quick flip fuel cap typically sold for custom Corvettes was used and 3 inch exhaust plumbing was brazed onto the gas tank opening ad extended up to the top of the new trunk lid. A fitting was fabricated and brazed to a piece of 3 inch exhaust pipe, a gasoline resistant hose was inserted connecting the gas filler flange to the gas tank filler tube. The polished aluminum quick flip cap was fastened to the flange on the inside of the trunk lid with stainless steel countersunk Phillips head screws. Approaching from the rear, the only hint that this was a 1965 Chevy Impala was the original taillights that were now turned upside down.
Front
Changes on the front were minor as many of the modifications would have required years of craft skills beyond my own. The original Chevy bow tie emblem was removed from the front. The only original emblem that was retained was the word “Chevrolet” in script that was attached to the front grill.
Grillwork is another difficult modification as the metal is extremely thin and soft. The grill was removed and shipped out and was anodized in satin black. A front spoiler was hand formed from sheet aluminum and seams removed by using sheet fiberglass and painted in metallic silver. Hand painted in red were the words “The Road Goes Even On” scripted in a foreign language borrowed from the Mountain Live album cover of the same name pictured below.
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I apologize for the poor quality of the image but I am grateful that I could find it as this is a visual thing that is difficult to describe in words. I am not sure what language the scripting was created in but I loved the saying and the design of the scripting.
The hood scoop was functional. A circular hole was cut into the hood and the scoop picked up the wind draft created at the base of the windshield. The fiberglass hood scoop was secured with rivets and seams filled with sheet fiberglass. In addition to the hood scoop, an air box was constructed from sheet aluminum to force all air entering through the hood scoop into the carburetor. The air box was sealed against the hood using home weather-stripping.
The entire wiper arm system and arms were removed and sheet steel was brazed in to cover the openings to create consistent lines on the vehicle. The hood was secured with functional hood lanyards in order to prevent the huge hood from ever coming up while driving.
The original 1965 Impala bumper was removed and through strategic fabrication the bumper system from a 1970 ½ Chevy Camaro.
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Note that the front bumper system leaves the entire front grill exposed promoting air flow but offers no protection in a front end crash. Obviously, this is why this bumper system was only offered for ½ a year. As quickly as it was adopted to the Chevy Camaro, it as quickly disappeared.
Nothing was done with the original headlamps as this was way too complex to attempt altering. The original headlamps were replaced with halogen headlamps providing better night vision.
Sides
Little was changed on the sides of the vehicle. Originally, there was a race flag emblem with 283 incorporated into the emblem indicating which engine was installed and there was another emblem behind the front wheels and all of these were removed. Fiberglass Chrome Sport Side Mirrors were used as they were the available style at the time. Chrome window tint was applied to all the windows except the windshield. The windshield had a strip of mirror tint the exact length of the sun visors in order to block sun glare and avoid motor vehicle code violations. The door handles and door locks were never removed as is customary of the “Lead Sled” competition class because I was afraid of removing the handles in case of a vehicle fire.
The chrome exhaust pipes were 80 inches in length with a 2 ½ inch entrance point and a 3 inch exit point. These pipes were typically used on passenger vans at the time and rarely used on passenger cars. The car was equipped with headers and custom plumbing was created in order to connect to the 80-inch side pipes. Because of where the exhaust exits on the car, it was still possible to carry on a conversation when motoring down the highway and enjoy music. The only time the vehicle was loud was when I got on it: Wide Open Throttle (WOT) as this is when one wanted to be loud. I had the best of both worlds. In the photograph, the anodized rear wheel well trim is missing and was later replaced.
Chassis Modifications
Suspension System
Suspension modifications consisted of replacing every old piece of rubber with polyurethane replacements. I replaced the upper and lower control arm bushings with polyurethane bushings.
The old rubber front sway bar bushings and sway bar links were replaced with polyurethane. The 1965 Chevy Impala was never equipped with a rear sway bar link. Going through the curve on Wantagh Parkway heading north crossing over the Southern State Parkway bridge there was a peculiarity in the asphalt that would cause the rear wheels to hop and try to catch up to the front wheels when proceeding through the curve at 65 mph. About 5 years into the project a rear sway bar link became available through the aftermarket. This sway bar eliminated the problem that always occurred on the Wantagh Parkway illustrating its effectiveness.In order to lower that chassis to lower the center of gravity, I purchased brand new 1965 Chevy Impala Station Wagon front and rear coil springs and cut 1 coil off each of the springs. This dropped the entire suspension by 1.5 inches.
In order to lower that chassis to lower the center of gravity, I purchased brand new 1965 Chevy Impala Station Wagon front and rear coil springs and cut 1 coil off each of the springs. This dropped the entire suspension by 1.5 inches.
Aftermarket shocks were used in the front and rear. Front shocks were Gabriel 3 setting adjustable shock absorbers. Rear shocks were Monroe Towing Package Shocks with Coil-over springs.
Steering System
There was little that could be re-engineered in the Ackernan steering system. The 1965 Chevy Impala was already equipped with power steering. There was a leak around one of the fittings of the power steering pump and this was easily fixed by heating up the fitting with the oxy-acetylene torch and melting some brass around it. The inner and outer tie rods an adjustment sleeves were all replaced and also the idler arm. Only other thing done on the steering was to adjust the steering gear in order to take up some of the slack in the steering wheel after 250k plus miles.
Brake System
The 1965 Chevy Impala was originally equipped with manual brakes and drum brakes all around. The entire brake system was in need of an overhaul. Starting with the rear, as it is simpler to explain, all the components were replaced: mounting hardware, springs, self adjusting wheel, wheel cylinders rebuilt, new riveted semi-metallic shoes and brake drums installed. The entire brake line was also replaced. The reason for replacing the brake line was age. Brake fluid is predominately alcohol and draws water. Having been in NY ice, snow, and road salt for so many years it was likely that the brake line was rotting form the inside and outside; hence this is why all the brake line in the vehicle was replaced.
The front brakes posed a different problem. Here I opted for the most of the brake components from a 1968 Impala. If I am not mistaken, the 1967 Impala used a two-piston caliper while the 68’ Impala used a single piston caliper. The front spindles were removed and 1968 Impala spindles with its dust shields were inserted in order to make the conversion easier. New 68’ rotors were installed along with new inner and outer wheel bearings and seals. Remanufactured 68’ calipers were installed with new 68 front brake hoses. New semi-metallic brake pads were also installed.
As said previously, the 65’ Impala had manual brakes, so the vacuum assist unit from the 68’ Impala was used. The 65’ Impala had only a single piston, single reservoir brake master cylinder and could result in a total brake failure if a brake line broke or if any brake component spring a leak. 1967 was the first year a dual brake master cylinder was used with a dual piston. This was an inherently safer design because the dual system operated the front and rear brakes as two separate hydraulic systems. In the event of a line leak on the rear, the front brakes would remain functional and vice verse. The dual master cylinder was purchased new as was the metering/proportioning valve.
Powertain Modifications
I entirely rebuilt the engine while I was attending high school in Auto shop and became the master engine rebuilder, spending two years rebuilding engines. I had the block boiled and camshaft bearings replaced. I replaced the crankshaft bearings, connecting rod bearings rings, honed cylinders, resurfaced the heads, inserted new valve guides, ground valves and valve seats, replaced valves and valve seals, and everything that was necessary in an engine rebuild. A picture of me working on the engine while still in the car was taken of me and inserted into our High School Yearbook with a local service station advertisement inserted underneath.
Ignition System
I swapped out the old points and condenser distributor rotor for a more modern remanufactured 4 Pin Delco-Remy H.E.I (High Energy Ignition) electronic ignition system. A MSD Ignition Amplifier was also installed. I used an Accel Super coil, H.E.I. Distributor Cap plus Accel 8mm solid copper wire 90-degree spark plug boot cables. I stayed with the original AC 45 copper spark plugs recommended for the GM 283, but opened the spark plug gap from 0.035 to 0.075 to put the high energy ignition system to work. The original GM spark plug cable wire looms became useless after installing the headers and I think it too three tries to find some kind of a wire loom system that would prevent the spark plug wires from being burned.Fuel System
The fuel/intake system was the next system that was heavily modified. An Edelbrock “Torker II” Aluminum Intake Manifold replaced the original GM 283 intake manifold. I was going to use Holly, but Russel my advisor at the Farmingdale Speed shop recommended using a Carter 4 barrel, 450 cfm with mechanical secondaries and electric choke. He claimed 9 out of 10 Chevy small block engines saw better overall performance improvements versus using Holly. I custom made an aluminum air box that fit on the opening of the Carter carburetor such that I could use a 12 inch chrome top paper air filter. The Custom air box ensured that all cold air coming in through the air scoop was rammed down the throat of the carburetor and not lost into the engine compartment. An electric gas pedal operated water injection system was also installed with a nozzle pointing down the opening of each carburetor venturi. The electrical switch was strategically placed on the gas pedal and only came into play when the engine was opened to WOT. Whether the water injection system provided any benefit was inconclusive. The Water injection system if nothing else, kept the engine from pinging on acceleration.
Starting back at the fuel tank, a 3/8-inch fitting was attached to the fuel tank exit point. A 3/8-inch braided steel flex line then ran into a Holly fuel filtration system. Attached to the fuel filter exit point was a Stewart Warner electric fuel pump to ensure fuel starvation did not occur upon acceleration. From that point on, running the length of the chassis, I used 3/8-inch stainless steel fuel line up to the chrome Holly mechanical fuel pump. Exiting from the Holly mechanical fuel pump, 3/8-inch braided steel fuel line ran into polished aluminum fuel cooling tank. 3/8 braided steel fuel line was also used exiting from the fuel cooling tank into a 3/8-inch glass fuel filter just before entering the Carter 4 barrel carburetor.
Lubrication System
A Borg-Warner high Volume Oil Pump was installed and the original oil pan was replaced with a polished aluminum oil pan with magnetic drain plug. The engine heads and block oil galleys painted with Rust-Oleum to promote faster oil flow and return. The Old GM cartridge oil filter system was replaced with a screw on type Fram PH8A Oil Filter. 10W-40 Mobile 1 synthetic oil was substituted after the initial engine break-in period.
I started to use Slick 50 Teflon oil treatment after one of my associates in Farmingdale Auto Engineering school performed a demonstration of his semester long experimental study of the chemical. As part of his demonstration he used a 3 hp Briggs and Stratton horizontal shaft engine treated with Slick 50 treatment. He removed the crankcase cover in front of us demonstrating that the engine had no oil in it. He then started the engine and ran it for 45 minutes at WOT, allowed it to idle, then shut it down. The then re-started the engine illustrating that the Slick 50 treatment protected the engine from seizure despite that there was no oil in the crankcase. I was sold on the product after this demonstration.
Valvetrain
An Edelbrock Torker plus camshaft and lifter kit was installed substantially changing the torque curve of the engine and dialing in more horsepower in a lower RPM range shifting the vehicle horsepower into a more useful range. At the time, the newest fad was nylon gear timing chain kits. The purpose was to quiet down the inherently noisy cast iron timing chain system. Word quickly got around the industry that they sucked because these gear sets would quickly break down, as quickly as 25 to 30,000 miles and could potentially block the oil pump. I could have simply opted for another cast iron timing chain drive system although they were difficult to locate. Instead I opted for the race proven double link chain system despite its noise. I solved road noise through a different method to be outlined in the Coach Work section.
A chrome timing chain cover replaced the original painted timing cover and the original GM valve covers were replaced with Mickey Thompson (M/T) polished aluminum valve covers fastened with wing tip valve cover screws and long valve cover pressure clamps to spread the pressure across the valve covers to promote an oil seal. Later on, got fed up with the I eventually got fed up with the M/T valve covers as they never seemed to seal properly. I sand blasted the old stamped steel valve covers, had them chromed and continued using the wing tip valve cover screws with the long valve cover pressure clamps that kept a seal that lasted.
Cooling System
In order to promote engine and transmission cooling a brand new copper and brass1965 Chevy Impala Station Wagon towing package radiator was used. A new heater core was also installed at the time although I know the car was never going to be driven during the winter again. A 6-blade fiberglass flex fan replaced the old four-blade fan system. Interestingly, the flex fan was another of those noisy engine part additions. A high volume chrome water pump was also installed. The engine block and heads water galleys painted with Rust-Oleum to promote faster coolant flow and return. Prestone anti-freeze mixed in a 50-50 mix was always used to promote cooling and good cooling system health.
Exhaust System
Edelbrock Headers with 2 ½ inch collectors replaced the original cast iron exhaust manifolds. The headers promote exhaust airflow but the loss is an increase in exhaust noise and the inherent exhaust ping that is deadened by using cast iron. At the end of the headers, 2 ½ inch collectors were used and custom 2 ½ inch exhaust plumbing was sculpted to connect to the 80x3 inch chrome side pipes. The old school lake pipes of the fifties and sixties would have been better but I was never able to locate a set.
Charging System
Little was changed on the charging system as I added very little extra as far as electrics so a higher output alternator would have been overkill and an alternator with an internal regulator was possible but not necessary. I opted for a chrome alternator and chrome alternator brackets including special alternator bracket for use with headers The new addition was a polished aluminum battery box cover in order to cover up the ugliness of an exposed battery and to clean up the appearance of the engine compartment.
Drivetrain Modifications
The Powerglide transmission, whether cast iron casing or aluminum casing was always an inherent weakness in the GM drivetrain line. A Saginaw 4-speed manual gearbox was always a better bet as was the Turbo Hydromatic 350 (TM 350). The Turbo Hydromatic 400 (TM 400) would have been overkill for use with a 283 cubic inch engine and just more weight without much benefit.
The rubber motor mounts and transmission mount were another headache in these vehicles. The motor mount problem was so bad GM had to issue a recall and the recall consisted of installing engine turnbuckle cables on both sides of the engine so that in the event of a motor mount failure, the engine would not lift out of the chassis. The solution was cheap and effective.
Transmission
Removing the original exhaust manifolds and installing headers created a problem. The engine turnbuckles were engineered to bolt directly to the original exhaust manifold. The headers being more flush to the engine were too far away for the turn buckles to loop around the top of the control arms and bolt to the exhaust manifold as the engineers had intended.
I was left with two options: either use the less reliable rubber motor mounts and take the risk that I would catch a deteriorating motor mount before catastrophic failure or opt for solid metal motor mounts.
The problem with using solid motor mounts was frame twist. Because the engine was mounted directly to the frame, upon hard accelerations there is an inherent twist by the engine in the chassis. Rubber mounts absorb this twist and reduce the strain placed on the frame rails. With solid motor mounts, the engine twisting energy is not absorbed and transferred directly to the chassis. With time, the frame becomes twisted and this twist cannot be fixed. The frame or the automobile needs to be replaced. With Quarter Mile Ponies, the powertrain and the drive train were always more important than the car body and frame and it was easy to go get another car out of the bone yard when one twisted a frame. I installed solid motor mounts and transmission mount because it was the safer of the two evils.
I kept the aluminum-bodied automatic Powerglide transmission because of its sling shot effect that couldn’t be beat except in a really long run way above 60 mph. 1st gear was so low it threw the vehicle out way ahead and then slammed into second. Two shits and it was all over. With a four speed there would be a seconds lost in ratcheting through the gears. I removed the transmission and had it race prepared by Fairbanks Racing Transmissions. Hardened springs, friction clutches and disks, and higher pressure valves were inserted. Also a shift kit was installed permitting me to manually shift the transmission to remain in first gear as long as possible and as long as possible was redline of maximum torque.
Another GM specific problem was the automatic transmission fluid. The fluid was designed with specific friction properties that would promote smooth shifts. The racing and endurance problem here was that promoting smooth shifts meant that clutch plates were being designed to slip. This slippage also reduced transmission life. Ford Motor Company on the other hand weighed in on the other side of the argument and said the hell with smooth shifting. We need to build automatic transmissions that will last as long as the natural life of the car. Ford Type F automatic transmission fluid had different friction properties that did not promote slippage but resulted in more jarring gear changes. One could have used B & M racing transmission fluid but the guys learned through experience at the drag strips that Ford Type F had the same friction properties at fraction of the cost so I used Ford Type F.
I replaced the column shifter with a floor-based B & M lock out ratchet cable shifter that was not only cooler because it was on the floor like a stick shift but also incredibly fast because the shifter had a special lock out plate that would prevent the driver from shifting into neutral when doing fast shifts. The original 5/16-inch steel cooling lines were replaced with 3/8-inch braided steel transmission cooling lines with aircraft fittings. To further promote transmission cooling a polished cast aluminum pan was installed with a magnetic drain plug to make transmission fluid changes easier.
A remanufactured torque converter with a torque converter factor of 2.1 (original equipment) was installed to prevent from having to rescue it later if the original failed. A fad at the time was to install torque converters with higher stall speeds. The error was in order to increase the stall speed a smaller toque converter was being installed and the smaller torque converter had a shorter torque arm. If one was replacing a 12-inch torque converter with a 9-inch torque converter, one was reducing the effective torque arm by three inches and producing less torque. The name of the game was to produce more torque and more horsepower, not less.
Driveshaft
I had substantially increased the horsepower and beefed up the transmission so not to beef up the driveshaft with the rest of the system could have been catastrophic. I installed drive shaft loop safety cages, front and rear in order to contain the driveshaft if a universal joint broke or failed. Breaking a universal joint in the rear would simply mean all power would be lost and the driveshaft would drag behind until the vehicle stopped. If a universal joint broke in the front, the driveshaft potentially could dig into the road and cause the entire vehicle to go end over end at whatever velocity it was moving at till it came to rest.
I removed the old universal joints and replaced them with Lakewood race hardened universal joints which had the added benefit of having grease fittings making them serviceable. Lakewood race hardened universal u-joint clamps were also installed because the added protection was in expensive.
Differential
The original 10-bolt rear was retained because the 10-bolt rear was strong enough for the all the small block engines until one began installing 350 cubic inch engines. The rear was shipped out through the speed shop and an optional 3.55 ring gear was installed to dial the power down into a more useful range. There were few places on Long Island where I was going to go faster than 90 mph. A chrome differential cover was bolted on because a great deal of the differential now showed because of the rear body modifications.
Coach Work Modifications
This will be a discussion in the various interior modifications I made, plus anything else that was not covered in the body, chassis, powertrain, drivetrain mods.
Road Noise Reduction
Earlier in this discussion I mentioned that there were various systems that added to overall road noise: open air filter, fiberglass cooling flex fan, double row timing chain, headers, exhaust pipes, wider tires among other modifications. By attending car shows and talking with the old timers I learned some inside secrets I had not thought of.
Fiberglass Insulation
I learned from the old timers that they used pink fiberglass insulation, the same material for sale in Home Depot for insulating homes would also deaden road noise. I packed Owens Corning Pink Fiberglass into the trunk space, behind and underneath the rear seat, inside the rear panels under the rear windows, inside the doors, and under the dashboard against the firewall and as much as I could fit in without reducing functionality of window regulators and other functional components.
Tar and Tar Paper
I had to replace the rugs so the entire interior was stripped. All rust was cleaned up and treated with a chemical called Extend Rust Treatment. The floor was tarred, tarpaper laid in and this was done in several layers. The entire underside of the vehicle, chassis, and wheel wells received a good cleaning and the same Extend Rust Treatment. Several coats of black polyurethane paint were applied for continuing protection.
Interior Modifications
The entire interior was taken apart in order to dispose of the old rugs, to make some body repairs, grease window regulators, cut a hole for the cable shifter, inserting fiberglass, among other modifications. I ordered and laid in new front and rear shag carpeting that was custom made to replace the original.
The 65’ Impala was never equipped with a rear defogger and this was necessary for in the wintertime, the rear glass would fog quickly and was impossible to defog. I installed a rear defogger although it was never going to be used. A new sound system was laid in as this was a good time to insert speakers and wiring. At the time the best automotive speakers available were Jensens. Four 6x9 co-axial speakers were used: two in the rear window shelf and two were inserted into the front kick panels that were originally intended for fresh air venting as there cars were not equipped with air conditioning.
The vehicle had a rear window leak that I had repaired but the cardboard was water damaged and buckled. A fuzzy cloth material was used to replace the cardboard/insulation that was originally installed.
I could never decide whether I wanted to retain the original rear seats of remove them entirely. First, Kevin build a storage cabinet replacing the rear seat, but when it came to show time, the original rear seats were inserted.
The front bench seat was replaced with a pair of adjustable reclining bucket seats from a 1968 Peugeot. The radio with cassette player and 60 watt Jensen sound amplifier was inserted between the seats.
The door side panels received new insulation in the form of tar paper and taped to the door panels the same way GM had done. I cut genuine wood walnut inlay panels for the door kick panels and these were fastened with interior screws.
The original steering wheel was huge, maybe 18 to 21 ½ inches in diameter and was replaced with a 15” chrome three spoke foam coated one. After replacing the steering wheel it became apparent why such large steering wheels were used. It was easy to turn the vehicle provided the power steering was working. In the event of an engine stall or the loss of the power steering belt, it would take a strong man to turn the steering wheel without power assistance. A woman could have never turned the 15-inch steering wheel in such an event. The benefit to the smaller steering wheel is that it opened up the front windshield space providing better road visibility.
The dashboard was modified in order to insert engine gauges. I cut a genuine wood walnut panel overlaying the dashboard and inserted 2 ¼ chrome bezel engine gauges: mechanical water temperature, mechanical oil pressure, and an ammeter to monitor the alternator and the charging system. Using a voltmeter would have been bullshit. By watching the ammeter I could tell if the system was charging, how much amperage was being drawn by turning on various systems such as lights, heater, radio, horn among other electrics. I could also catch a current draw early when the vehicle was turned off.
A tachometer: Where would a hot rod be without a tachometer? But where to put it? I ran out of space on the dashboard so I opted for the tried and true race car method: I installed a Sun II tachometer on the top of the front windshield behind the sun visor. This rendered the sun visor useless but as I said earlier, a strip of window tint was installed on the front windshield to protect the driver’s eyes from sun glare. This arrangement also evaded arguments on routine motor vehicle inspections and stops as I would pull down the visor illustrating that the driver’s view of the highway was not obstructed. The tachometer was useful for shift points, monitoring road speed as I could connect a particular rpm with a particular road speed and also monitor idling rpm for any problems.
Overall the project was a success. With my engineering knowledge and craftsman expertise, Edelbrock’s proven engineering, and Russel (also a Farmingdale Automotive Engineering graduate) as my advisor at the Farmingdale Speed Shop, I had achieved my objectives. Gas mileage increased from 18 mpg to 23 mpg. I gained or relieved 40 more horsepower out of the engine, and had 40ft/lbs of torque in a more useful rpm range. Shifting was faster, improved acceleration, and overall top speed was higher. I have no idea what top speed was because I was now 28, no longer 18 and did not want to risk loosing my license for a frivolous speeding ticket. All I know is at 90 mph at WOT, the car’s speed continued to climb quickly with no end in sight and this was a very different experience from when I was 18 and I took the stock vehicle up to its top speed of 105 mph which took a good 50 seconds to get there. The 65’ Impala steered better, cornered better, went through curves at higher speeds, increased acceleration, and better braking, faster stops were all achieved.
As I said in several places of this website, in 2002 my storage unit was broken into and everything was stolen. With this incident I lost all the dynomometer test results, horsepower curves and torque curves.
First, I would have liked a flame paint job. The color was inspiring, but a flame job on the front I think would have made the car really stand out. Unfortunately I had already spent enough on the car and wanted to move on to other things in my life.
Second, the interior was completely discontinuous and too many varying materials used. I would have loved to obtain some 69’ GTO High back bucket seats and had the whole interior redone by a coachworks in order to have one continuous material throughout the interior. I was loosing major points because of the interior discontinuities and this is an area that would have brought up the car’s rankings in the shows.
Third, at the beginning, I should have scrapped the 283 block and got a 65’ 327 block out of the bone yard, swapped the 283 crankshaft into the 327 and used the 283 heads creating a 302 that would have produced even more torque.
The last edition I would have made would have been either a direct injection NOS system. A supercharger would have been nice but a supercharger would be running all the time when NOS would only come into play at WOT thereby saving wear and tear on the engine.
All projects are constrained by three parameters: Scope, Time, and Cost. The five top reasons 37% of projects fail are as follows:
My points of failure on this undertaking were the following:
This technology project was no different. I had a concrete objective and plan of execution. My weaknesses were a lack of resources, limited time due to weather and workspace, and the number one technology project killer: scope creep.
As a young man, I did not have the capital to being such a grandiose project. I had not thought out that capital had to be broken into segments. In this case a tool allowance, materials allowance, a technology allowance, and outside labor accounts were necessary. Depending on the particular modification I was making, I had to either buy or rent tools in order to accomplish the work: engine tools, gauges, testing equipment, brake tools, suspension tools, body work tools, welding outfits (yes more than one: arc and gas), machining tools, and on.
A materials allowance was necessary for chemicals, paints, plastics, steel, brass, fasteners, hardware, sheet metal, fiberglass, leathers, cloths, and so on. Every modification and fabrication required a different group of materials and a different collection of tools.
A technology account was required for purchasing components I could not possibly construct: fuel system components, exhaust components, suspension components, brake components, engine components, interior components, exterior components. An automobile a system composed of a collection of many various systems and the more modifications made the greater number of components required. A particular design needs to be established and executed quickly because as with any technology field, the technology is constantly changing and one change usually results in many changes. Scrapping old components in favor of better, faster, more attractive features and benefits becomes expensive resulting in scope creep. In addressing time, capital should have been in place at the time of execution, tools purchased ahead of time, and a time limit set of 18 months for completion. This may sound ambitious, but my design mentor “Big Daddy” Ed Roth typically completed his projects within a similar time frame although he did have some of the advantages I discuss in the next paragraph.
Attempting to compete in the “Lead Sled” class at competitions was overly ambitious. I was competing essentially men who owned their own shops and had been in the business for 30 years with 30 years of experience as master mechanics and body men. Not only does this speak to craftsman capabilities but also addresses capital. Being well-established in life usually presents one the affordances of having more disposable income. I also found that it was helpful to have at least a heated 2 car garage with a shop built off the back as this permits for the ability to work all year long and to walk around the vehicle versus pushing it out the door ever time more space was required. A great deal of production time was lost due to “pending on weather conditions.” Ed Roth was a body man and painter by trade. The detail painting was done by friends who were willing to work on a volunteer basis in order to get their name out there for more work.
Where I differed from “Big Daddy” is that I was formally trained in Automotive Engineering. I had the technological tools of the mind to overcome different engineering problems in order to increase horsepower and fuel consumption. I worked in the university side by side with my professors and assisted and conducted my own experiments in alternative engine design, alternative powerplants or “prime movers” and other experimental systems and fuels. The university was receiving funding to perform legitimate research in these areas to work toward breakthroughs in reducing America’s independence on foreign oil. My education clearly surpassed “Big Daddy.” I was an engineer while Ed Roth was a “craftsman.” Today, most projects of this sort begin at 100k to start and this is just for system components, paints, and dressings. This project was done on a modest budget of 6k. Very few components came from a “bone yard” or junk yard and were purchased as new replacements. The vehicle was essentially a brand new car except for one thing I overlooked and realized when studying Stress of Materials: The entire automobile through its natural life undergoes, stresses, strains, compression, tension, twisting, and fatigue. Over the course of time, the automobile body and frame are subjected to these forces and the metal, no matter what one does will always have these stressors within that cannot be removed without entire replacement. Therefore no matter how many parts one changes in a car, an old car will always be an old car.
As I said earlier, had it not been for my wife and my friend Kevin’s belief in me, my capabilities, and the project itself, this undertaking may have failed. I an eternally grateful for their support.
In the automotive field, originally the lexicon “Lead Sled” referred to heavily modified 49’, 50’, 51 Mercury and Ford hot rods.
In order to be classified as a “Lead Sled” the vehicle was subjected to most if not all of the following body style modifications as follows:
In the late 40’s and 50’s, plastic body filler and fiberglass did not exist. Instead bar lead was used as a body filler. A true craftsman pulled and pushed out dents with body spoons, hammers, and dollies until the sheet metal was as straight as they could get it. Any sheet metal that was still slightly wavy, the bodyman heated bars of lead and flowed the lead onto the body with an oxygen-acetylene torch similar to work done by a tin smith. The bars of lead were what we call today “solder” but were not a wire material we are familiar with today typically sold for electrical or plumbing repairs. The lead bars or strips ranged anywhere from ¼ inch to 1 inch in width and several inches in length.
Lead craftsman call the process of melting the lead “running lead” and this is a highly specialized ancient trade passed from a master craftsman to an apprentice. An apprentice bodyman typically would remove the body part from the car, place it on a bench so as to have a fairly flat surface to flow the lead horizontally onto the body. The master craftsman could control the heat of the lead without having to remove the body part in a vertical position thereby saving time in performing the repair.
An apprentice bodyman most likely would grind have to grind and hand file the lead to a smooth finish for repainting. The master craftsman on the other hand, did not have to grind and only had to simply hand file if he had to perform any smoothing at all. The true craftsman controlled the flow of lead with his torch and most times could produce a satin finish without filing.
“Lead” referred to the body material used and the extra weight added by the material and "Sled” referred to the lowering of the vehicle to the ground giving these vehicles the appearance that they were “slip sliding” down the highway.
As time progressed, plastics were introduced to the market such as “Bondo.” These plastic body fillers were easier to work with and eventually bodymen did not use their dent pulling tools as effectively because the plastics could compensate for poor craftsmanship. In essence, they got lazy. The old timers considered the use of “plastics” as poor craftsmanship,” hence not only did the old times consider the use of plastic as insulting, but also the indication that the bodyman who made the repairs a novice.
Lead sleds were and are designed for artistic style and expression and not for speed. Among the first customized cars referred to as Lead Sleds were built by Harry Westergard in Sacramento, California. Westergard modified over a dozen cars ranging from a 1931 Model A Ford roadster to two 1947 Chevrolet's. He used lead extensively to fill openings in doors, hoods and trunk lids and adapt front ends to accommodate grills from more expensive cars such as Buick’s, LaSalle's and Packard’s and in the extension of front fenders. Upgraded bumpers and bumper wraparounds were also common with the ribbed DeSoto bumper and 49 Chevy license guard favored on Westergard Lead Sleds from the 30's or 40's (Reference http://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Harry_Westergard)
Some common (later year) Lead Sleds are the 1949 Mercury, 1949 Ford and the 1959 Cadillac.
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth March 4, 1932 - April 4, 2001
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Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was born in Beverly Hills on March 4, 1932. He grew up in a German speaking household with a younger brother, Gordon. In school Ed learned to speak English and he liked to draw. Ed was able to do his homework and keep up with the rest of the class while he drew pictures of airplanes, hot rods, and monsters. His father Henry was very strict with the brothers and kept the two out of trouble by supplying them with tools and a workshop. Ed's dad was a German cabinet maker and it was in the workshop where Ed learned how to build crazy stuff out of wood.
Ed purchased his first car in 1946 shortly after WW II ended. It was a 1933 Ford Coupe. He graduated high school in 1949, and went on to college majoring in engineering so he could advance his knowledge in automotive design. Ed did pretty good in college but got bored with his engineering and physics classes because they just didn't have anything to do with cars. Hmmm, that sounds familiar…
As Ed's family grew, so did the bills. In 1958 Ed went to work full time with "The Baron" and his grandson Kelly. Using junkyard parts and a newly developed product called fiberglass, Ed created automobiles in his garage. Ed's first car was called the "Little Jewel". Shortly after came the "Outlaw", which showed the world that anyone could design and build a car without being a certified automotive engineer. All you really needed was imagination, some motor head know-how, a lot of elbow grease, and gumption.
Presto! His garage became his studio where other creations came into light which include the "Beatnik Bandit" and "Rotar".
Ed became Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, a hot-roddin', gear head, mad scientist, and struggling artist who financed his inventions by selling drawings and t-shirts at drag events, fairs, and car shows. Big Daddy Roth would draw cartoons of monsters that he created and pictures of cars, but when he personally airbrushed t-shirts with the monsters driving the cars, people went crazy and would line up at his booth.
The most popular Ed "Big Daddy" Roth monster was Rat Fink. Rat Fink started as a drawing that Ed had put on his refrigerator. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was a genius at designing cars, but it was Rat Fink that brought him fame. By 1963, teenagers across America were buying Rat Fink model kits and mass-produced Rat Fink T-shirts by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.
When Ed "Big Daddy" Roth got so busy that his garage couldn't handle the work, he moved his operation into a new shop in Maywood, California. Ed had to hire several employees to help him build and produce more custom cars and t-shirts. Revell American produced model car kits that featured the "Beatnik Bandit" and "Road Agent". Other model kits included "Rat Fink" and the gang, a group of hot rodding monsters. Here is a very interesting note: During 1963 Revell paid Ed "Big Daddy" Roth a one cent royalty for each model sold. Ed brought in $32,000 that year in royalties. Now figure out the math. That's how popular Ed "Big Daddy" Roth creations were.
Sourced from http://www.ratfink.com/big-daddy-roth-bio.php April 28, 2014
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