My 1967 Belvedere Convertible Plans and Restoration (aka - Mad Scientist Build)

[Ron 73]

Yes, Great job bud! solid is always good and looks like you have it good, strong and looking great! That gas can be a pain, seems it will run out just at the time everything's going smooth and your all pumped up, and i quote "Arghhhhh ! !" ;)

 

[kb67mopar]

That came out darn nice. Glad it came together well. And another Congrats on the Gold Member status.

I don't know if you ever mentioned or maybe it slipped my mind but I have images of you shoe-horning that engine in there. Did you decide what you were doing for a k-frame/suspension/engine mounts etc?

 

[conv67bdere]

Nice job 67, its starting to all come together

Thanks USARoadRunner . . . it sure is, one small step at a time . . . and I'm learning every step of the way ! ! !

Love it ! ! ( smile )

Yes, Great job bud! solid is always good and looks like you have it good, strong and looking great! That gas can be a pain, seems it will run out just at the time everything's going smooth and your all pumped up, and i quote "Arghhhhh ! !" ;)

So true Ron . . . Just "Murphy" getting even with us . . . not much you can do about it . . . ( sigh )

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That came out darn nice. Glad it came together well. And another Congrats on the Gold Member status.

I don't know if you ever mentioned or maybe it slipped my mind but I have images of you shoe-horning that engine in there. Did you decide what you were doing for a k-frame/suspension/engine mounts etc?

Thanks KB ! ! Yeah, I'm out on CL looking for the extra-large "shoehorn" to make it fit ! ! ( smile )

Right now - I'm still leaning toward the AlterKtion, with TTI headers . . . got a couple threads I'm following that are installing the AlterKtion . . . BOY, does it look GOOD ! !

( SMILE ) . . . going to have to get up with RMS here in a bit and put in an order ! ! !

 

[hunt2elk]

Nice job on the rad. support. After seeing how well yours turned out, I wish I would have put one in my Charger. Oh well, I guess I will save that for the next project....

 

[tallhair]

That looks really good brother. I like the holes

 

[747mopar]

That turned out pretty nice 67 "looks allot cooler with the holes in it". That's a pretty good idea to stiffen that up seeing how they are usually tweaked on most cars and pretty flimsy. I think I might do it as well.

 

[conv67bdere]

Thanks Tallhair, Hunt2Elk and 747Mopar - I agree, wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but it really did strengthen it up and it looks great ! !

Hunt2Elk and 747Mopar - I know you're both too far into your car to retro-fit it in - bummer - like you said, on your "next" project ! ! !


Now I've got some Questions:

The car has a bunch of holes in the floor pan with plastic "plugs" installed.
Are they "necessary" ?
What's their purpose ?
Can they be welded up solid? On the parts I replaced, do I need to re-drill them out and replace them ?

Seems it would be better to just seal them up and be done with it ? ? Any help would be greatly appreciated ! ! ! !

Work continues . . . ( smile ) . . .

 

[kb67mopar]

I didn't replace them. The big ones are drain plugs if you flooded the car and the small ones are usually for holes the factory may have used for a different seat or whatever. So just redrill the ones you need and leave the rest or weld up as you see fit.

 

[747mopar]

I didn't re-drill any but then again I only replaced the trunk floor and was able to save the floors with some patching. With the plug kits being as cheap as they are it just seams like allot of extra work for something you won't see but hey "it's your car and if you don't like them then weld them shut".

 

[conv67bdere]

Raining, hot, and humid . . . is it December ? . . . work on the Belvedere . . .

While it's raining down here, what a better time to go to the shop and work on the car - get more welding practice ! ! !

Did a little bit of re-work - had plug welded in the floors, but after seeing the other posts, didn't have nearly enough welds.

So I've gone back and added additional welds to better secure the flooring ( and car )

Driver side:



Passenger side:

'

And patched up some Swiss cheese flooring under the back seat ( got more to replace here too )



Just trying to keep things moving forward ! ! ! !

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I didn't replace them. The big ones are drain plugs if you flooded the car and the small ones are usually for holes the factory may have used for a different seat or whatever. So just redrill the ones you need and leave the rest or weld up as you see fit.

That's what I thought ( drain hole ) . . . Thanks KB

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I didn't re-drill any but then again I only replaced the trunk floor and was able to save the floors with some patching. With the plug kits being as cheap as they are it just seams like allot of extra work for something you won't see but hey "it's your car and if you don't like them then weld them shut".

Thanks 747Mopar . . . you sure won't be seeing it . . .

Thinking of welding them all shut as you both suggested . . . thanks for the information ! ! !

 

[tallhair]

It's a convert. You may, albeit unlikely, unexpectedly need those holes for drainage some day

 

[747mopar]

It's a convert. You may, albeit unlikely, unexpectedly need those holes for drainage some day

Haha, good point, in that case don't even put plugs back in the holes.

 

[conv67bdere]

It's a convert. You may, albeit unlikely, unexpectedly need those holes for drainage some day

Good point Tallhair . . . So . . . maybe I need to think about installing a bilge pump ? ? ? ( GRIN )

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Haha, good point, in that case don't even put plugs back in the holes.

That works too 747Mopar ! ! ! a straight drian ! ! ! LMAO . . .

 

[tallhair]

Good point Tallhair . . . So . . . maybe I need to think about installing a bilge pump ? ? ? ( GRIN )

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That works too 747Mopar ! ! ! a straight drian ! ! ! LMAO . . .

Are you guys making fun of me ?

 

[conv67bdere]

Are you guys making fun of me ?

Not at all tallhair . . . When I mess up, I usually do it BIG . . . so a bilge pump might be "just right" ! !

I think the Belvedere will be very spoiled ! ! ( smile ) . . . time will tell . . .

But if I install Dynamat - the drain plugs will be useless anyways - might as well weld them up ? ? ?

And "hope" that I don't do something stupid . . . ( sigh )

 

[tallhair]

damn total fail on my part there bdere

 

[conv67bdere]

damn total fail on my part there bdere

Not at all Tallhair - VERY GOOD point being a convertible ! ! ! Others may need to consider leaving the drain plugs in place if they're reading this.

Thanks for pointing it out - it could very well help someone else out ! ! !

( glad you're watching my back too ! ! Thanks ! ! ) ( smile )

 

[tallhair]

I'm always thinking brother but sometimes not thinking clearly enough

 

[conv67bdere]

Headers for the shoe box - they got it right this time ! ! !

So Christmas came a little early . . . got my Sanderson Headers direct from the manufacturer . . . so I got the right ones this time !

Interestingly . . . the other (2) headers they sent to me were no where like these, so they stuffed (2) in a box and sent them out ? ?

Well . . . here's the new shineys . .



The left one is the driver side . . . the right one is the passenger side. Guess what I'll be working on tonight ? ! ? ! ?

Oh, and tomorrow . . . and who knows how long . . .

 

[conv67bdere]

Headers in . . . VHT cearamic painted . . .

Spent most of the day working on the Shoe Box - baked the headers in the oven before painting them ( cool process ). Then cleaning things up.

Boy were these headers made "just" for this car . . . used my shoehorn to get them in ( 1/4" clearance is all I've got )

Here they are . . .



Now to work on hooking up the exhausts . . . oh boy ! ! !