🔧 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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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.

Pro Stock John

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For bleeding the system, I used this kit plus I jacked up the front of car to make sure the cap was the highest point:

Sometimes you get air trapped behind the thermostat, and folks will drill some holes around the perimter of the stat to remedy this.

Fans, I'd assume your car will run hotter because of adding the blower. I'd turn the second fan on sooner by 10 degrees and see what happens. You might end up needing both coming on at the same time, gotta see what it wants.
 
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Shawn1112

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For bleeding the system, I used this kit plus I jacked up the front of car to make sure the cap was the highest point:

Sometimes you get air trapped behind the thermostat, and folks will drill some holes around the perimter of the stat to remedy this.

Fans, I'd think your car ran hotter because of adding the blower. I'd turn the second fan on sooner by 10 degrees and see what happens. You might end up needing both coming on at the same time, gotta see what it wants.
I've used something similar, in fact I used to own one. Let someone borrow it and never got it back. The 06-10 Jeep SRT's were notorious for air in the system and that type of funnel was the answer. I dont think I could bleed it though with this funnel could I? I would think I would have to drain the system and start over?
 

Pressure Ratio

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If you want to drain it and start over, use a vacuum coolant fill kit. You hook up air to it and it pulls vacuum on the whole coolant system. Not only do you get all the air out of the system before you fill it, but you also confirm you are all sealed up and don't have leaks. If it holds the same vacuum for a few minutes you are good. Then a hose goes into a coolant bottle, you open the valve, and the vacuum pulls the coolant into the system. It's amazing.

They sell $45 kits to expensive kits with more adapters and better valves. click here for examples I'm not sure if any auto parts stores rent them or not.
 
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Shawn1112

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Some shops have ^^ something like, maybe one of the places you uses does.
I shot the painter a text as they have a mechanical side as well.
If he has the vacuum kit that Pressure Ratio Pressure Ratio posted, then I'll just let him do it. He is going to be working on the AC, might as well get that done at the same time
I think after you do that I'd still lower the fan. Does it keep creeping or hold?
Thats going to be done, if you and LikeABauce302 LikeABauce302 are recommending it, then thats what I'm doing. The 2 of you know more than me with that shit.
Hard to say, it slowly crept up over 15ish minutes. Then traffic opened up that day. So I dont know if it was going to hold at said temp
 

Shawn1112

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My grill is ready for pickup, gonna shoot up to Milwaukee to grab it tomorrow. I’m really excited about how it turned out. I just wanted a touch of ? Gold and I think I achieved that. I think doing the complete surround woulda been too much.

Also one of the issues the painter was working on was some shit that was in my hood affecting the finish. He took it down to bare metal and found flash rust. He could put a band aide on it but it will come back. He suggested I find a new hood as he wouldn’t be able to warranty my hood if he repaired it as it will come back. Got lucky and found one in Island Lake at Chgo Muscle Car Parts. Dude that owns that place came off strange but was actually super cool. He has a ton of parts for older cars.

 

Shawn1112

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Quick update, car is still at the body shop. New hood went out to get blasted and was worse than my original hood with the flash rust SMFH
So he is cutting out good sections from the newly bought hood, cutting out bad sections on my original hood, welding them on and re-painting the hood.
What a fucking nightmare, so in the mean time I either gotta think about going fiberglass which I absolutely hate, plus my billet hood hinges are for metal hoods.
Or I need to source a solid hood over the next year which I'll probably try and do. The car is put back together and buffed, but he still needs to polish it. He is going to do that when he wet sands and installs the hood. The grill looks really good on the car with the Rose Gold accents.

Picking her up tomorrow to go to the tuner. Yes I'll be that guy that drives it with no hood out to Sycamore NFG lol.
Any guesses on what she will put down, its being tuned on 93 being I'm doing flex and planning on running a tank of 93 thru it every 4-6 weeks.
2.40 pulley, fully ported blower, Borowski LS3 ported heads, and a mild blower cam. I have no idea what to expect as I dont know these LS motors and LSA's
I can tell you this though, the ride home after the tune is going to be balls to the fucking wall on those side roads (Plank rd)

After the tune, if my guy has one of his lifts open. I'll take it back to the west side to do the 15" 2pc rotors and 6 piston calipers up front.
I know I have to notch the spindles to make the big brake kit work. I talked to a local powder coater who will PC my spindles black with a 1 day turn around.
So while they are being PC, I'll go over the whole drivetrain to make sure everything is still tight, no leaks, etc. I'll also have the tuner adjust the fans so they both come on at the same time. Also have to figure out my fuel gauge issue, I'm almost positive the bass is knocking the ground loose or something stupid like that.
At times the gauge reads true, then it will read empty
 

SpeedSpeak2me

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Quick update, car is still at the body shop. New hood went out to get blasted and was worse than my original hood with the flash rust SMFH
So he is cutting out good sections from the newly bought hood, cutting out bad sections on my original hood, welding them on and re-painting the hood.
What a fucking nightmare, so in the mean time I either gotta think about going fiberglass which I absolutely hate, plus my billet hood hinges are for metal hoods.
Or I need to source a solid hood over the next year which I'll probably try and do. The car is put back together and buffed, but he still needs to polish it. He is going to do that when he wet sands and installs the hood. The grill looks really good on the car with the Rose Gold accents.

Picking her up tomorrow to go to the tuner. Yes I'll be that guy that drives it with no hood out to Sycamore NFG lol.
Any guesses on what she will put down, its being tuned on 93 being I'm doing flex and planning on running a tank of 93 thru it every 4-6 weeks.
2.40 pulley, fully ported blower, Borowski LS3 ported heads, and a mild blower cam. I have no idea what to expect as I dont know these LS motors and LSA's
I can tell you this though, the ride home after the tune is going to be balls to the fucking wall on those side roads (Plank rd)

After the tune, if my guy has one of his lifts open. I'll take it back to the west side to do the 15" 2pc rotors and 6 piston calipers up front.
I know I have to notch the spindles to make the big brake kit work. I talked to a local powder coater who will PC my spindles black with a 1 day turn around.
So while they are being PC, I'll go over the whole drivetrain to make sure everything is still tight, no leaks, etc. I'll also have the tuner adjust the fans so they both come on at the same time. Also have to figure out my fuel gauge issue, I'm almost positive the bass is knocking the ground loose or something stupid like that.
At times the gauge reads true, then it will read empty
I'll guess 650hp, but I think that's being very conservative, as I don't know squat about the components.
 
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Shawn1112

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Do you have pics of the hood condition? I'm not understanding why the paint had issues if it was properly prepped beforehand
Its flash rust and the first I've ever heard of it as well, albeit I'm not a body/paint man.
Its a bunch of tiny pinholes that is only seen when taken down to the bare metal. Yes you can repair them, but they will eventually come back.
Dyno with big rims or stockers ? I say 586 whp
With the 6's, I cant put the stockers back on unless I put washers on the studs to clear the calipers. Thats probably not the safest lol.
4L80E right? How much boost will the combo make?
Yes I have an 80
Well thats the million dollar question. I have no clue and I cant seem to find anyone with a full port by @jokerzperformance and the 2.40 pulley.
Ive heard anywhere from 15-20lbs which could be possible I guess, and again I'd be thrilled if it made that much boost.
Car made 370ish to the wheels with the old cam and old heads
 

cap42

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Its flash rust and the first I've ever heard of it as well, albeit I'm not a body/paint man.
Its a bunch of tiny pinholes that is only seen when taken down to the bare metal. Yes you can repair them, but they will eventually come back.
Flash rust can be chemically or physically removed and never be an issue as long as the metal was sealed and proper foundations were laid after treatment was done. Which is why I'm wondering what was going on with your hood. Did the paint shop strip it to bare metal and go up from there or did they just prep and shoot the original?
 

Pro Stock John

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Thanks for bringing that up, as I need to talk to him about my converter. It goes in and out of lockup between 55mph-65mph and it drives me fucking nuts if I'm just cruising at those speeds.
Single or triple disk?

Tuner can probably tweak the lock up, maybe change the TPS value of when it unlocks.
 

Shawn1112

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Flash rust can be chemically or physically removed and never be an issue as long as the metal was sealed and proper foundations were laid after treatment was done. Which is why I'm wondering what was going on with your hood. Did the paint shop strip it to bare metal and go up from there or did they just prep and shoot the original?
Originally when it was painted last year, they stripped the trunk lid and header panel to bare metal as thats all they recommended it needed.
I had issues arise on the hood since then and when I brought the car back they recommending stripping down to the bare metal, and applying some sealant before repainting. The sanding to bare metal and repaint was on his dime, the only thing I was going to pay for was the sealant. Well after stripping it down to bare metal they found the flash rust all over the place. Hard to get pics of it, but I saw it first hand and it was like cancer, it was fucking everywhere. The new hood that I bought looked really good, we had that one blasted and when it came back from the blaster it was worse than my original hood, like way worse. That shit was all in the nooks and crannies.

As mentioned, this flash rust shit is foreign to me. I asked a buddy of mine who owns a body shop in the city. He also said if its as bad as I described the hood is fucked. I'm not even remotely thinking he is trying to fuck me in any way, shape, or form. He has stood behind his work and the other issues are 100% on his dime no questions asked.
 
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