BUILD THREAD The Mullet Maurader, The Epic of the LS swapped Buick

[Northernregal]

Next was the body mount. It was surprisingly easier than I expected. Made a template and after some marking and extensive measuring and re-fitting I made the replacement price.

Then blasted out the old bits and tacked in the replacement.

Lastly I cut out the hole with the plasma and hand fit the body bushing in with a carbide burr. Fits nice and snug, and it’s totall not rusted right out.

I’ll have to post a finished pic tomorrow. It’s not quite a work of art but it’s fixed. Tomorrow will hopefully bring some primer and frame coating so I can get it back it. Gotta buff out under the body and get it coated so I can slap it back together. Tomorrow’s project. 😃

 

[lilbowtie]

I'm sure you already checked and re-welded the rear control arm mounting brackets - they do sell weld in braces to strengthen them. Food for thought - I welded in some framing for extra strength that I also mounted the trans mount to.

 

[Northernregal]

I'm sure you already checked and re-welded the rear control arm mounting brackets - they do sell weld in braces to strengthen them. Food for thought - I welded in some framing for extra strength that I also mounted the trans mount to.

View attachment 95254
View attachment 95255

I was thinking of doing something like that. The guys at UMI told me they haven’t done any suspension mount mods on the green machine, so I wasn’t sure what I was gonna do there yet..... I think I might tie the shock towers together and link it to the pick ups for the upper control arm mounts and do a simple tie in for the lowers, just some light stuff, nothing heavier than 14ga. I would like to do some hard launching but this won’t be a purpose build 1/4 mile car, so we will see what happens...... I did read your thread and I was impressed with what you did. That’s a pretty well built chassis you have.

 

[Northernregal]

So far somewhat productive today. I decided not to notch the wheels in the frame but I did get a brace into the shock towers and blast holes for the #3 body bushings.

Here is the final product of the #6 bushing mount repair. Came out just about the best I could ask for.

And the holes blasted for the bushings.

Then I shot a cleaned and shot a coat of primer on the top of the frame. It’s gonna get a quick blast of paint and then go back in. I didn’t go deep on the paint or do the engine crossmember because if I have to do any mods to it for the engine mount I would have to redo it. Either way it’s almost ready to go in. Now to the underbody.

Looking forward to getting back under the body so it can start going back together.

 

[Northernregal]

Anxiety officially has been dealt with. 2 coats of epoxy primer and 2 of endura gloss black.

Sexy.

Now the underbody will be dealt with.

 

[Northernregal]

Got the crank all in and bedded down in the block. Mains all plastigauged in spec, ARP studs are in an torqued down, crank spins real nice with the assembly lube so whenever my wrist pin retainers get here from summit itll be off the the races.

Don't mind the 5.3 in the background, its just jealous that it isn't on the stand anymore...

This was last weeks final progress. The frames channels in the body are ground out and have 2 good thick coats of Endura. I didnt do the whole underbody due to time constraints as we got snow up here this week..... Once the frame is in I can get the rest of the underbody buffed out, primed, painted and undercoated. then its mock up time!!!

 

[Northernregal]

Small but important and well earned progress report....

They are one, once again. After what seemed like a battle over the last 2 nights after working night shift I have finally got them back together. Its not totally finished, there are two mounts I have to access from the top to get bolted back up and #3 on both sides is still fighting me, but 5 of 8 are at least started. What a pile of suck this was....

I hope to have more fun updates from here on out.

 

[Northernregal]

Small update today. More frustrated at my own stupidity. So I get up early, get out in the garage at get my frame loosely bolted to the body after some finesse with a chain block (Thank you Donovan for posting about your frame tweak from boxing), both mid body bolts went in easy. Still have to push the Passenger side rear frame rail out about a 1/4 inch and cut open the top of the captured nuts to fix them, but it’s closer. Didn’t feel like getting out the jack-all from the shed so I started cleaning up the Pistons and rods to get them in The freshened up 6.0. Still waiting on 2 stupid wrist pin retainers but I thought I could gap the rings and get the other 7 pistons in.

Got the pistons all cleaned up and back together with the wrist pins. Took a bit more elbow grease than I expected with just a wire brush but they look near perfect. Admired my work for about 5 minutes and then I tried the Piston rings. As it turns out the 2005 year had 2 different ring sizes, and wouldn’t you know it but I got the wrong ones. 😡

Gen 3 motors are 1.5/1.5/3.0mm. My Gen 4 pistons are 1.2/1.5/2.5mm rings. So that sucked.

Ok... well then I’ll clean the pushrods and get the cam in. Get them all clean in varsol and discover that I have 15..... 😡😡😡.

This is how an engine build spirals out of hand on cost. Because I am a poor hoarder. I do have a spare parts motor, but this is still a pain in the butt that I could have avoided.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Yep, them’s the trials and tribulations of hot rodding! Been there, done that.

Interesting note on the different thicknesses of the piston rings, I had no idea. File that one away back in the ‘ol memory banks, next to the rest of near useless information I’ve accumulated over the years.
Lol

All that aside, the Regal is coming along nicely Duke. Your parts pile alone is enough to make almost anyone jealous! Glad the info on tweaking the frame rails was of some use to ya. Keep up the great work!

D.

 

[Northernregal]

Yep, them’s the trials and tribulations of hot rodding! Been there, done that.

Interesting note on the different thicknesses of the piston rings, I had no idea. File that one away back in the ‘ol memory banks, next to the rest of near useless information I’ve accumulated over the years.
Lol

All that aside, the Regal is coming along nicely Duke. Your parts pile alone is enough to make almost anyone jealous! Glad the info on tweaking the frame rails was of some use to ya. Keep up the great work!

D.

Thanks man. As usual you have been a huge help.

Soon that pile of parts will start taking shape and turn into something I’ll definitely be proud to say I built with my own two hands.