-so how does a guy mount a fuel cell, weight box, fuel filter and fuel pump? I have wrestling with this for quite some time....and there is surprisingly few people who are"proud enough" to display good photos of how they did something like this. So I studied up on the rules for this stuff under both sanctioning bodies and came to a conclusion which is shown above. the entire frame is held to the same mounting as the rear roll bar supports which use grade 8 1/2 inch bolts....that alone was overkill. the roll bar plates are sleeved where the bolts run through the rear frame rail and plated where it is through the floor. I figure this will be a s secure as anywhere. the framing is 3/4 inch round tubing with a good size wall thickness, I have some gusseting that I want to add for some added strength in certain areas but I feel this is the simplest way to get everything mounted that meets all rule obligations.
-where the bolts go through the tubing for the fuel cell I also have it sleeved so the bolts don't crush the round tubing
-the fuel filter is most likely going to be moved as it seemed like a good place when this was all getting mocked up, in reality the plumbing will have to make some serious 90 degree turns and short runs that I don't think will be a good idea afterall, oh well what does a guy do?
Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Update - I have all the fab work completed.........but now the car is on hold......temporarily.
The reason being two fold, it is time to pull the chevelle out and get it ready for another season of popping wheelies :) that and I have to gather more parts for the Acadian.
I am onto suspension and brakes , and we are doing some updates and trickery on the suspension and doing a front disc conversion.
Once I have the suspension dialed we will be completing the paint and body and interior , not necessarily in that order
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Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
yes we still have snow......it is chinooking so it is melting. :)
I know that after not paying any attention to the chevelle it will take a little time to resurrect it
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Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
Okay, I have the Chevelle running and back on its feet! it is all ready for another race season..........so I will be getting back on the Invader, I have been collecting some parts. I still need to get the suspension pieces but I have a clear map of how it will go down (details as we go :))
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Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
Hmmm, it has been awhile for sure ,been a busy summer! there has been some progress although rreeeaaalllyyyy sssslllllooooowwww and minimal got some parts and did some welding but nothing that says "Wow". Expired not 1 but 2 engines and transmission problems in the chevelle , so I didn't even do much racing this summer. Completed some home renovations in preparation for a move to a larger home , I actually hope to make great strides with the Acadian soon as I would like to race it this upcoming season. Contemplating a killer deal on a super stock 283 engine, but I haven't got the dollars in place at this point. I am at the point of suspension and brakes on the Acadian, I am doing a disc conversion up front. I will be using chevelle spindles and calipers, with a ball joint adapter on the lower control arm, as I have an excess of these components. I have a guy all qued up to do some steering linkage modifications and some various companies for the remaining parts and pieces. Once the suspension and brakes are setup then get a proper wheel alignment ,finish up the roll bar and then do the interior and prep and paint. Normally I wouldn't do the interior before paint but I want to Fully assemble this car before I paint it, in the past I have painted first and then carried on only to regret that choice and have to do a bunch of cutting and hole drilling.
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Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
MAN IT HAS BEEN AWHILE! So life has a way of getting in the way, with the addition of the triplets and my older two getting into school, we decided to move. Actually we had been looking for awhile, we got serious about it this past summer. Of course I had started to work on the front suspension and had it all apart when we bought a new place and subsequently sold our house. So currently the Acadian is sitting in my collision repair shop as I am setting up my new residence, and it is kinda cobbled together. What I have done is get the Eddie Rezac modified steering assembly installed and I have the lower control arms modified for the chevelle ball joints, and all global west bushings installed.........but no time to put it all in. A slight overall change is I decided to check indexs for the long range goal of Super Stock and the class minimum for ss/j is 10.60 ,so roll cage it is, which means I will have to take a step back in regards to the roll bar I have tacked in but "Building Hot Rods is Fun and Easy!"
Dion Hildebrandt 1965 Pontiac Acadian Invader 2door sedan (former race car) 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2 door h/top H/SA nhra race car 1965 GMC Carryall (next and last project)
