So I received a package from GM vintage services the other day. Turns out my Invader was sold new out of Edmonton ,came as a 6 cylinder (not surprising) but what really grabbed my attention is that it is specified that these cars were equipped the same as the same year Nova (again not too surprised) This little tidbit and all the accompanying documents to support this hopefully will allow me to campaign this car as an Invader as a Stock Eliminator car. I just have to decide 283 or 327 in the 250 or 300 horse...hmmm
__________________
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)
Progress may be slow....My wonderful wife gave birth to our triplets on Wednesday june 5th. I have some parts to button some things up, time to get the car wired so it starts....Im getting tired of pushing this car around.
These damn spools make the car feel like it weighs 30000 pounds not 3000....
__________________
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 resp plans are in the works....I am also going to be pushing for scholarships :) ....got to set the bar high afterall. Thanx for the well wishes, all involved are healthy and doing well, after a while I will teach all 5 sets of hands to turn wrenches (we all ready have 2 daughters also)
__________________
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)
finally figured out the brake lines.....( after ordering an assembly manual...ordered ,not received) Luckily I didn't have to remove the engine....just the headers
-got the gas pedal figured out and mounted
-Progress on the roll bar
-ordered more parts and supplies....fun only if someone else covers the tab:)
__________________
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 drag car only, I gave up on street vehicles quite some time ago. long story short grew tired of law enforcement run ins, vehicle theft and insurance company antics. The triplets are great ,they are all home and have been for a few weeks, sleep is a rarity, but that will eventually change. Everyone is healthy, everyone is getting along, we have had some family outings and adventures all ready ( our friends think we are crazy for venturing out with all 5 kids) :)
__________________
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)
Update - Have been working on the car , little bits here and there
-Doing the engine bay wiring and some temporary ignition wiring inside the car so we can "Make Some Noise".
-mounting and connecting the brake lines which sounds easy enough right? lets just say that some adapters have been quite a challenge to locate.
I am going to be using stainless braided AN flex lines so that is what is helping with the difficulties, I also don't want the installation to look Frankenstein
- Once I get the car running and stopping I can get the roll bar installation wrapped up and finish the fuel cell and weight box mount and shoot some color on the roll bar.
I have been calling this a "Ghetto Restoration" as the interior has the well worn patina look of the original paint... and I am leaving that alone. I am going to try something
a little different with the paint on the roll bar as I am going to "fauxtina" the roll bar and related bracketry, I will try and document this with photos when the time comes
__________________
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)
Well the Invader is noisy tonight. I fired her up and it was glorious!...........it took a little bit of fiddling ,forgot the msd box ground wire, had the timing off a little bit, you know normal stuff hehe
__________________
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)
Well the Invader is noisy tonight. I fired her up and it was glorious!...........it took a little bit of fiddling ,forgot the msd box ground wire, had the timing off a little bit, you know normal stuff hehe
That's always an exciting time. Do we have video evidence???!!!
__________________
1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
you know I was going to video the event (I may still) but with all the little mouths in my house it is a pretty hectic undertaking to even get out to the garage before it is socially irresponsible to fire up an open headered race car....I had been patiently waiting since Saturday evening :)
- I have spoken with my welder friend and hopefully in the next few weeks we get the roll bar done and then I can finish all the little bs fab work and contemplate all the other work that needs to be in place before I get ready to refinish the exterior.
__________________
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)
One thing to note is the Acadian...in my opinion does not sound as nice as my Chevelle does. The Acadian has a 640 lift roller in it compared to the 390/400 lift hydraulic camshaft of the Chevelle.......Mind you the Acadian was timed by ear just so it starts and runs, the Chevelle is highly tuned for max power.
__________________
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)
Update - The rollbar is starting to take shape, I have all the bars bent and tacked into place. This has been drawn out as Plan A was to have a friend of mine bend and weld up the roll bar...sounds simple. When the time came to do this , his shops bender was broken with no immediate plans to repair it....so Plan B! I had another friend that fabricates motorcycles bend my tubes up , with some careful measurement ( aka a wing and a prayer as the car was offsite) we were rolling again! So at this point all plates are bent , sleeved were need be, bolted, bars are bent and tacked ready to be burned together!
- Radiator and fans are mounted ,plumbed and wired. I used a 250 horse 2 core rad from cool craft with no transmission cooler provision, the fan is a 12 inch ebay unit with a painless relay kit, and has been wired with a weatherpack connection
-All wiring in the engine bay is soldered, heatshrinked, and restrained
- We have a running car ,just not a stopping car so we get that fixed before long
__________________
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)
Update -- Work has been progressing ,although I haven't done much that is photo worthy
-Fabbing up the fuel cell/weight box/fuel pump rack
-Building the rear roll bar extensions
-Wired up the ignition box rack
-Picked up a parts car (1965 Acadian invader twin)
-sorting out a replacement headliner as my car had nothing at all
-Generally gathering of parts
I guess I should take photos as it has been awhile...
__________________
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)
The roll bar is in, just needs to be final welded...we are on to plan c or d at this point as things are constantly changing, I will do all the welding as my go to guy can no longer be gone to :(.
- the top view is the main hoop and the rear bars trailing off to the rear
-this is the forward driver side bar
-the third view is the front support in the driver footwell area
-the final shot is behind the driver seat support
I went with the support bars running off the frame connectors as it would be more serious of a connection rather than butting the hoop and related bars to sandwiched plates on the floor pan it self. I felt that in a serious event this would withstand more torment than the plates on the floor, but also stiffening up the car more effectively.
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)
