🔧 BUILD Shawns 1971 Impala Donk

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Interior/Top
LS Swap
Wheels
Sounds/Music
Suspension/Brakes
Paint
BOOST TIME!!!!

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***Check out the tabs to save you the headache of reading this whole thread, also post 3 has a current mod list***

Well boys and girls my new project is finally home. Ive always had a hard on for the Donks (71-76 Caprice or Impala) and always told myself since 1994 that I was eventually going to build one. My buddy mike at the time had a 74 Caprice Vert with 30's and Vouges (google them if you dont know what they are) basically 30 spoke cragars and vouge tires. Its a classic old school gangster look. Over the years he built a few more and sold them and always offered them to me first and I declined because of my love of G Body's as well. When I bought the Regal a couple years ago, I really looked hard at the Donks and believe it or not they were going for half of what they are going for now. Even last summer they coulda been had for about a 1/3rd less maybe a little less for what they are going for now. I was set on a 71 or a 75 for 2 reasons. 71 is the most sought after and fetches the most money as its known as the ACE. 75 because it was the year I was born, and thought that would be pretty cool. Didnt care if it was a HT or Vert, kinda preferred that HT as I dont think Chgo weather is weather for Verts. Pay a extra $10k for a Vert, no thanks.

So when my buddy and I made a deal for the Regal months ago and I knew he was serious. I got serious in my search for a donk. As most of you know I went to Miami for 4 days last month. Had a shit load of them lined up to look at and found either garbage or guys that wouldnt move off what I thought was too high of a price. Few that I thought were too high, have actually sold since then, so I'm thinking price wasnt too high. While in Miami I met this dude Josh and him and I clicked and became friends. Super cool white boy who is in to donks as well, not generally something you see white boys building. He told me he would keep his eyes and ears open and if close enough would do the leg work for me. But told me if he found something I would have to hi-tail my ass down there asap as when they are priced right they sell in hours. Just so happened we decided to go down to Orlando this weekend because we found $61 RT airfare and the biggest donk/g body show just was going on. Figured I might be able to buy something there. Called Josh to tell him we were coming down and if he planned on taking his car to Orlando. He said he might know of a 71 going up for sale with a motivated buyer. I said well fuck let me know asap.

Touched down in Orlando Friday night and had to be up early Saturday to cruise to Ft Lauderdale to see this 71. Pull up to this gated community with $1m+ townhomes and get buzzed in by security. Pull up to the house and she was sitting in driveway and looked as clean as the pics I was sent. Took it for a ride, BSing with Josh, my buddy Ralphy and the owner of the car. Talking about everything from sports to woman to cars. Come to find out this rich fuck is a collector and has 2 other 71's besides the one I bought, and just purchased another on top of 6-7 other cars he has. I guess the Wife has a rule, every time he gets a new one something has to go lol. While BSing I kinda feel him out and get the idea he doesnt want this car going to a black guy who is going to ruin it with big wheels and a LS swap lol. So I played my white privilege card with him. He was asking $25k and very easily had him down to $20k. My final offer was $17.5k and he said he would sleep on it. Told him if he agreed in the morning then it was his job to get it to Orlando before Sunday night. He woke me up about 8am saying the car was mine and was on the way to Orlando. He showed up, we exchanged cash and paperwork, took it off the trailer and parked it at my Airbnb. We were going out for the day/night, so I pulled the coil so the fucker wouldnt start in case someone wanted to steal it lol. Also backed it in so a tow truck would have a hard time stealing it as well.

Talked to a few of the Chgo guys down there for the show and got lucky as one of the haulers had room for me to get her home. Car was dropped off in Midlothian today at $how and Go Customz and turns out Playboy a friend of mine just opened that shop up. Does nothing but suspension and motor work. Talked pricing about shortening my rear end, coilovers all the way around, new axels and adjustable control arms to squat this car. Basically a "California Lean". Front end will sit at stock height with a 26" rim and the rear end will squat 3-4" lower. I have some 26" Billets but probably going to put new barrels on the rear rims. Right now they are a 5.5" lip and I want that 7" lip on the rear, hence the reason for shortening the rear end. Most of you think of Donk and think of those 71-76 sitting on fucking 4x4 suspensions with 30" wheels. Yes those are donks as well, but not the look I'm shooting for.

FESTER665

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Sounds are done. Not sure if I mentioned it but we wound up porting the box thru the rear deck. Yes I wanted to fire the subs towards the back and try and knock the fucking trunk off. But talking with my guy we decided to port thru the rear deck for 2 reasons. More bass in the cabin and dont feel like spending $400 on new LED tails every few weeks lol. Not knowing the history of the subs, we played it safe and as of now have the gains down. Still hits hard as shit and the highs/mids are screaming. Once I have a month or so of driving the subs, we will go in and turn the amps up on the subs. Or I might just leave it as it sounds good. My biggest issue right now is the 71's have those vents on the exterior of the trunk lid. Well there is 50yrs of dirt, sand and grime built up inside the trunk lid. So every time the bass hits, the shit goes all over the trunk and thru the port to the inside of the box. Going to be a major PITA cleaning that shit every time I drive, especially getting inside the sub box. Another local guy with a 71 had the same exact issue, took months for all the shit to fall out lol. Might take the trunk lid off and hit it with air from my compressor for a few hours.

Overall I'm happy, is it a world class install, is it an award winning install, nope. Its just simple and clean imo. I need to buy some wire loom and cover a few things in the upper right corner, as he had none left. Impala logos on front console could be better and they will be. He literally just got that machine and is still learning. I'll also be adding some more white LED strips around the 2 amps we are showing and in the front and rear consoles.
I'm also glad he talked me in to ditching the DB drive mids and highs and going with Hertz. My buddy with the champagne pink Chevy has like 8-6.5's and 6 or 8 tweeters (DB drive), I have 4-8" and 4 tweeters and mine is louder and more clear than his. (his bass is insane, but mids/highs mine blows him away).

What diameter wire loom? I might have a bunch at work you can have.
 
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Shawn1112

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isnt the valve behind the liscesnse plate? i thought it was...... and it was under pressure. i didnt disconnect anything, but had to leak it down and then refill it. when it was at out shop.
And the lines are still there and connected. Gained exactly 1” lift. Will take it for a ride tomorrow to see how much it helped.
Hell yeah good call - that kind of 1 year only feature makes it that much cooler.
How far down will the skirts hang? Can't wait to see them installed.
See below pic from last fall.
Fucking sick. My Malibu and how much cash on top?
Thanks but no thanks. Going to enjoy this one first.
What diameter wire loom? I might have a bunch at work you can have.
0 gauge and 4 gauge wire.
 

Shawn1112

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And why would it go right, nothing has went right on this car yet SMFH.

So yesterday I planned on putting in LED headlights and my Tiara grill. 10 of 12 screws holding the headlight beauty rings in were stripped. 30 minute job turned in to 3hrs. Tiara grill that I waited 10-11 weeks for and sent back twice doesn’t fit. It took me 2 fucking hours to get the bumper off. Used an 11/16 open end wrench and would get like a 1/2 turn on each bolt (8 of them). I DO NOT want to put factory grill and bumper back on just to have to remove again in a few weeks.

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Shawn1112

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You don’t have a guy for that?
For what, to put a grill on the car?
That grille looks way off! Surprised they didn’t want a factory grille ( not the oe off the car but a replacement one ) and modify and chrome.

Lamps look killer!
I'm waiting on a call from them, but I went out in the garage again today and tried troubleshooting it. Its a good 1/2" wider than it should be. They have been making grills for years and have templates. I'm betting they mixed up the years and I got a 72, 73, 74, or 75 grill as they are all different. I've personally installed a dozen of their grills and they have always been a 100% perfect fit. I actually just installed one on a Box Chevy a hour ago, and no issues lol.
Trunk is nuts :bigthumb:
Thanks Gav
 

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Got "My Bitch" out on Saturday. Went to Carls open house/car show but had to drive very carefully due to only being on air shocks in the rear.
Turns were taken at like 5mph to prevent body roll and having the body catch the rear rims lol. But felt good to finally put a few miles on her.
But if it werent for bad luck with this car I'd have no luck. On the way there got the music on and not even super loud as we are trying to make sure the subs are broken in properly as the last guy that had them was severely underpowering the subs. Well I lost sound in my front center console and lost what sounded like half the bass from the subs. Front center console has 2-8"s and 2-tweeters both running off different amps and the subs also run of different amps. Being the rear console still has sound and I have some bass coming from the subs. I'm almost leaning towards a head unit problem, and the head unit is brand new. Not running an EQ as the head unit has one built in. Didnt fuck with it yesterday, might tear in to it this week sometime.
 

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Forgot to update the grill issue. Spoke directly with the owner of Tiarra Grills in Vegas last Thursday. He was very surprised at the issue and asked if the box it was shipped in showed any damage. Told him it did not and the grill didnt show any signs of damage as well. He said it was put on his jig and verified it was perfect before leaving. I asked him in a nice way if he personally put it on the jig. He said no, one of his employees did and has no reason to doubt him. Told him over the years, I have personally installed a handful of his grills and they have always fit like OEM and never once had a fitment issue. He asked what my opinion was on the issue. I mentioned the passenger side of the grill was the side that was damaged when they shipped in 2 months ago. I said I dont think it was bent back correctly because it looks like if I could bend that side in a hair that it would slide right in like its supposed to. He said that makes sense but stopped short of saying that he 100% agreed because then thats like saying he has no confidence that his guy double checked it on the jig lol. So he agreed to make me a brand new grill and I wont have to wait the 10-12 week lead time. Should have it to me in 2 weeks.
 

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1st kill with the 71. With the Wifey coming home from softball. Turning on to Barrington Rd from Schaumburg rd, its a double turn lane. Had the music bumping (half the music lol). Some young kid and his GF next to us in a 15ish Mustang Vert 5.0 in the turn lane next to us checking out my car, giggling and shit. I have to take turns super slow to prevent body roll and I think he thought that meant its race time. Once I was straight he looked at me and I knew what time it was. Hammered down and we were dead nuts even, I pulled on him on the top end with the sounds bumping. I slowed down by Sonic so he could catch up to me so I could LOL at him. He kept slowing down so he didnt have to get next to me. My Wife looked at me and said you just ruined that kids night in front of his GF lmmfao.
 

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1st kill with the 71. With the Wifey coming home from softball. Turning on to Barrington Rd from Schaumburg rd, its a double turn lane. Had the music bumping (half the music lol). Some young kid and his GF next to us in a 15ish Mustang Vert 5.0 in the turn lane next to us checking out my car, giggling and shit. I have to take turns super slow to prevent body roll and I think he thought that meant its race time. Once I was straight he looked at me and I knew what time it was. Hammered down and we were dead nuts even, I pulled on him on the top end with the sounds bumping. I slowed down by Sonic so he could catch up to me so I could LOL at him. He kept slowing down so he didnt have to get next to me. My Wife looked at me and said you just ruined that kids night in front of his GF lmmfao.

How's ol girl shift under power? when it was here everything was just a tad too fresh for me to feel comfortable giving it all the beans.
 
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Shawn1112

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Should be interesting during the next week. Being NOTHING has went right with this car so far. I'm expecting the worst but hoping for the best.
If all goes well, I'll enjoy her the next 8-10 weeks before we put her to rest for the season and get started on the interior and turbo build.

She is off to Satera_Tuning Satera_Tuning tomorrow to get tuned. I have zero expectations number wise, just want her to be reliable with a little pep in her step.
When Jeremy does the single turbo build over the winter is when we will shoot for #'s.

Then Friday off to finally get the suspension installed. If the suspension goes on without a hiccup, I'm going to go play the lottery lol.

Next week my grill should be here and my headlight bezels I sent out for re-chrome like 10 weeks ago should be done.
 

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