Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Tell everyone about the progress of your project! Please respect people's threads.

Moderator: Moderators

Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:54 pm

If your wondering (Dink is my nickname :P ) I finally decided to do a journal of my own. I bought my wagon 9 years ago for $120.00. It was in horabble condition. The roof was hail dented bad, the windshield was broken as well as the turn signal lenses. The hood was rotted away as well as the windshield channel. I found a good hood and lenses as well as some side panels to replace the glass on the quarters. The whole car was stripped to bare metal and the old repairs were cut out, new metal welded in and smoothed the right way. the doors, hood, hatch, upper front vanance and panels were dip stripped and smoothed back into shape. Im still working on filling in the license plate recess and smoothing the hatch. I streched the rear quarters 3.5" for the meats and smoothed in the gas cap on the quarter. The dents on the roof were poped out with a rivet zap gun and pulled with a slide hammer. The whole roof was skim coated and smoothed back into shape. I have fiberglass front fenders for the 71-73 style, and installed a radiator panel from a 71 hatchback. I have a rear bumper from a 71 hatch back and fabed some brackets to work with my 74 body style. I have a set of split bumpers waiting from a 71 hatch back also as well as the grill, and upper and lower valances from a 71. I cut out the back inside of the car as it was rotted beyond repair anyway and installed frame rails that i fabbed myself and a set of steel tubs. I installed the ford 9" rear that i narrowed myself and brackets i made. I fabbed my own fourlink setup as well. I sent my axles off to Moser engineering for a respline and lug pattern redrill. They are now 31 spline and have a 5 on 4 1/2" lug pattern and 3"screw in studs and new bearings installed. I installed them today minus the drums im yet to get until i install an explorer disc setup.
Image

Image

The new meats fit nice and snug now. Its finally off the jack stands and rolling :D
Image

The rear is looking sweet now
Image



cleaned up the third member and painted today but still have to get proper gears
Image


I will still lower a tad more in the rear but cant complete until the motor is installed for proper ride height
Image

Image
power plant ====357 small block chevy
Image
Image

home fabed four link set up
Image
Last edited by vegon71 on Mon Nov 22, 2010 12:52 pm, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback


Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:01 pm

:roll: UUUHHHHH !!! The right half of my pics are cut off somehow :bang:
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby HotfootGT » Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:03 pm

Looking good. Looks like you have a nice big shop to work in!
Keep us posted.
Howdy from Hotlanta
73 Kammback "Little Buddy"
62 Skylark 215 CI Aluminum V8
71 Dodge D-100 Sweptline
User avatar
HotfootGT
 
Posts: 1146
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:48 pm
Location: Hotlanta

1973 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:09 pm

Will do. The shop is a 30'x48' with a steel beam and swing arm protruding out of the ground for heisting engines :P I built it in 2005. I had a tiny 24x24 that i started the project in. I like this one much better :)
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby cdnvega » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:49 pm

nice job on the car and the shop.
1972 gt wagon
1972 vega h/b project
1977 astre h/b
1973 vega parts car
1975 astre wgn parts car
User avatar
cdnvega
 
Posts: 297
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:04 pm
Location: Penticton, British Columbia

1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:27 pm

Did some work on the dash today. I hate the fake wood grain look :roll: so i decided to fab a new insert out of aluminum and gave it that brushed look with fine steel wool. I think it looks way better. The epoxy was still drying in the pic. Dont hate me wood grain lovers :lol:
Image
Last edited by vegon71 on Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby spyder_xlch » Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:37 pm

vegon71 wrote: I hate the fake wood grain look

I'm with you on that. Well, wood grain does look ok sometimes but it has no business in your car. The brushed alum will look much more at home.
User avatar
spyder_xlch
 
Posts: 4693
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:14 pm
Location: Northeast PA

1979 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby greg72 » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:11 am

Too funny! I did the same thing on my 72 GT back in the mid 80's , now I am going to convert the interior back to stock....well as stock as I can make a tubbed car. hopefully I will live long enough to change it all over again from stock 20 years from now!

How about woodgrain on the outside? My 92 Buick Roadmaster wagon has MILES of wood grain on the outside. :lol:
Greg
User avatar
greg72
 
Posts: 1882
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:39 am
Location: Clearwater, FL

1972 Chevrolet Vega GT

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:54 pm

How bought some pics for me of that tubbed car (please) I love em. Now as far as woodgrain on the the outside. :bang: say it aint so. NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! :mrgreen:
greg72 wrote:Too funny! I did the same thing on my 72 GT back in the mid 80's , now I am going to convert the interior back to stock....well as stock as I can make a tubbed car. hopefully I will live long enough to change it all over again from stock 20 years from now!

How about woodgrain on the outside? My 92 Buick Roadmaster wagon has MILES of wood grain on the outside. :lol:
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby NixVegaGT » Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:11 am

Dude, I love all the garage fabrication you've done. It looks like it's really coming along. This past year I also worked on a "Grassroots Motorsports Challenge" car and it was a total goner when we started so I really feel ya on the resurrection job. It's pretty tough. The car is really looking cool and probably would have been scrap otherwise. Reallly cool. I like the early conversion you're doing too.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
- Nic '73 Vega GT "DogBoxx" Batwing LS1
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2357894
User avatar
NixVegaGT
 
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:24 am
Location: Minnesota

1973 Chevrolet Vega GT

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby greg72 » Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:27 pm

vegon71 wrote:How bought some pics for me of that tubbed car (please) I love em. Now as far as woodgrain on the the outside. :bang: say it aint so. NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! :mrgreen:
greg72 wrote:Too funny! I did the same thing on my 72 GT back in the mid 80's , now I am going to convert the interior back to stock....well as stock as I can make a tubbed car. hopefully I will live long enough to change it all over again from stock 20 years from now!

How about woodgrain on the outside? My 92 Buick Roadmaster wagon has MILES of wood grain on the outside. :lol:



Here's a link to my Vega's cardomain page:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2171469

As far as the Buick wagon, to me the woodgrain just says "classic". Plus it looks good when the surfboards are strapped on top. But then again I am probably a little bit "off'. Ok maybe more than a little bit.... :lol:
Greg
User avatar
greg72
 
Posts: 1882
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:39 am
Location: Clearwater, FL

1972 Chevrolet Vega GT

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:46 pm

Greg, i just checked out your car...I have looked at that numerous times on there and just love it :wink: awesome car dude!!!
greg72 wrote:
vegon71 wrote:How bought some pics for me of that tubbed car (please) I love em. Now as far as woodgrain on the the outside. :bang: say it aint so. NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! :mrgreen:
greg72 wrote:Too funny! I did the same thing on my 72 GT back in the mid 80's , now I am going to convert the interior back to stock....well as stock as I can make a tubbed car. hopefully I will live long enough to change it all over again from stock 20 years from now!

How about woodgrain on the outside? My 92 Buick Roadmaster wagon has MILES of wood grain on the outside. :lol:



Here's a link to my Vega's cardomain page:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2171469

As far as the Buick wagon, to me the woodgrain just says "classic". Plus it looks good when the surfboards are strapped on top. But then again I am probably a little bit "off'. Ok maybe more than a little bit.... :lol:
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby greg72 » Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:30 am

Thanks for the compliments.

I have owned it for a looooong time. I just wish i was making progress on it like you are with yours.
I need to finish the rear floor section, finish welding up the suspesion, set the ride height etc. Then when that is all done I need to go through the engine and trans.....they have both been sitting for 20 years! ....i got married , had kids , etc etc. :lol:

I love your wagon!! It is shaping up real nice.
Greg
User avatar
greg72
 
Posts: 1882
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:39 am
Location: Clearwater, FL

1972 Chevrolet Vega GT

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby vegon71 » Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:06 pm

Well not much to update on. Bow season is holding me up :roll: I did clean up and paint the tranny i will be using. I aquired this off my little brother. In the late 80's or early 90's a tornado hit my Old home town of Petersburg In. A little ole lady had owned a very low mile car (i cant remember what) but it had flipped by the tornado. My brother bought the tranny off her real cheap. Its a Turbo 400 that i will put a light shift kit in. Like i said very low mile, so it ought to be in good shape.
Image
The converter has some History to. Back in the late 80's me and little brother went to the super chevy in Indianapolis Ind. My bro had/has a pro street 57 Chevy and was in the market for a converter. Back then it had a small block 350 with a tunnle ram. It now has a big block 396. He had bought the converter new there if they gave us a free T shirt (bartering :lol: ) We cant remember the name of it, its a Whole Hog, or Hot Hog or something like that. It is either a 2,600 or 2,800 stall. It has been sitting for a long time ,and had some rust. I sand blasted it today and re painted it. Again this one has very low miles.
Image
Last edited by vegon71 on Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
vegon71
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:33 pm
Location: Southern, Indiana

1974 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Re: Dinks 74 Kammback wagon into a 71-73 style prostreet

Postby Sirshredalot » Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:03 pm

This might just be my imagination, but that doesnt look like a th350....maybe a th375, but the ribs on the tail-shaft are for sure th400 material. I was wrong one other time though....

Just my .02

Great looking project though.

God bless
-Shred
User avatar
Sirshredalot
 
Posts: 1384
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:12 pm
Location: Muncie, Indiana

1980 Chevrolet Monza Spyder

Next

Return to Project Journals

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests