🔧 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.

Shawn1112

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Dropped my parts off after work. Missing a few items that I have to order asap. Just my luck 2 of the items are out of stock FML. Need the bolts that bolt the blower to the heads which are in stock. The 2 parts out of stock are a separate fuse box that will pair up with my Holley system, and the throttle body cable bracket.
 

Shawn1112

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Ebay and going direct to the manufacturer for the win.
Found the Motion Raceworks TB cable bracket with the Lokar cable on Ebay, paid $25 more than what Motion charges.
Did some searching on the fusebox relay panel and figured out who the company is that makes them. Called the dude up and he answered. He said he can put one together by end of day Monday. He sells them positive triggered on Ebay, and we need it to be negative triggered which we could have done on our own. He said he can build it to be negative triggered so we dont have to fuck with it.
 

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So ive been contemplating pulling the motor to make life 100% easier. I’ve been told swapping those heads and installing the ARP head studs on a Donk are a major pain in the dick with the motor in the car. I’ve also been doing a ton of research since last night, I guess if you don’t get all the coolant out of the holes on the block you run the risk of cracking the block. With help, I’ve yanked motors out of cars in 2-3hrs in my garage. That’s with alley mechanic tools lol. So fuck it, we are going to pull the motor.

With the motor pulled, I might as well do a blower cam. Talked to the guy who put my motor together. He said he would charge me $300 to install the cam, measure for pushrods, install the pushrods, install the studs and pop the heads on. Installing the pulley kit and pinning the crank will also be a breeze with my motor on a stand.
 

Z28Camaro

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So ive been contemplating pulling the motor to make life 100% easier. I’ve been told swapping those heads and installing the ARP head studs on a Donk are a major pain in the dick with the motor in the car. I’ve also been doing a ton of research since last night, I guess if you don’t get all the coolant out of the holes on the block you run the risk of cracking the block. With help, I’ve yanked motors out of cars in 2-3hrs in my garage. That’s with alley mechanic tools lol. So fuck it, we are going to pull the motor.

With the motor pulled, I might as well do a blower cam. Talked to the guy who put my motor together. He said he would charge me $300 to install the cam, measure for pushrods, install the pushrods, install the studs and pop the heads on. Installing the pulley kit and pinning the crank will also be a breeze with my motor on a stand.
When you take the hood off, make sure you have plenty of extra hands around to help and make sure you don’t scratch anything.
 
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Pro Stock John

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I think given all the work you will do to the engine, pulling to pin the crank, swap heads and swap the cam I'd do it out of the car. That's a big wide engine compartment and given you painted it I'd want to minimize scratches. Some high end shops use some lightly adhesive blue film on the body when working on cars.
 
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Shawn1112

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I think given all the work you will do to the engine, pulling to pin the crank, swap heads and swap the cam I'd do it out of the car. That's a big wide engine compartment and given you painted it I'd want to minimize scratches. Some high end shops use some lightly adhesive blue film on the body when working on cars.
I have the blue film, the whole front end will get a rinseless wash tomorrow. Blue film, then moving blankets over the blue film. I originally had planned on the body shop pulling the front fascia, hood and bumper off. But I just was too damn busy and couldn’t get our schedules to align.
 

Shawn1112

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Picked these up from the painter, they are dusty AF. Told him I’m pulling the motor. He wants me to bring the block to him to paint it. He can turn it around in 2 days and said he would only charge me for material as I have already sent him a $6k motorcycle job and a $20K plus paint and other shit on my guys Cutty.
So now I have to talk to buddy who shop I’m using. See if we can tie up his bay/lift a few more days. If not, no biggie.

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