🔧 BUILD Shawns 1971 Impala Donk

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

General Information

1688879068474.png


***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.

Shawn1112

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Aug 4, 2010
34,871
104,473
Streamwood
*** This thread is very long and a lot of back and forth by me and just probably a boring read. Check out the tabs for the short version***
The tabs are right below the header picture of my car

Current mod list of 3/19/23, I might be missing a few things and will add as I remember

Exterior: Custom Mixed Metallic Root Beer With Copper Flake, All Original Trim, Custom Cloth Top, Skirts Modified To Fit With The 26” Rims, Tiarra Grill, LED Headlights, LED Sequential Taillights, Billet Hood Hinges (trunk hinges coming soon)

Engine/Fueling: LQ4 6.0, LSA Blower, LS3 Heads, Built Bottom End, Cam Motion Supercharger Cam 228/244 .604 lift , Flex Fuel Compatible, Aluminum Gas Tank, Dual 450LPH Fuel Pumps, ID1300 Injectors, Custom Fuel Rails, Full Return Fuel System, Motion Catch Can, CVF Black Diamond Pulley Kit, Upgraded Intercooler

Drivetrain: Built 4l80 Transmission, Custom Length Driveshaft, Quick Performance Shortened Ford 9” Rear End With 35 Spline Axels, 4.10 Gear, Upgraded Wheel Studs

Brakes/Suspension: Wilwood 15”Drilled/Slotted Rotors With 6 Piston Calipers Up Front, Rear Disc Conversion, Wilwood 13” Drilled/Slotted Rotors With 4 Piston Calipers Out back Wilwood Master Cylinder, QA1 Adjustable Coilovers Front And Rear, QA1 Front Sway With Links, QA1 Tubular Control Arms, Trick Chasis Adjustable Rear Trailing Arms, Custom Rear Anti Roll Bar

Wheels: 26” Rose Gold Forgiato Sincro 26x9 Up Front, 26x10 Out Back with a 7” Rear Lip

Interior: Fully Custom, Power Bucket Seats Up Front, Center Console From Front To Rear, LED Lights Thru Out, Dakota Digi Dash, Billet Accessories Thru Out, Custom Rear Deck, Suede Headliner

Mobile Entertainment: Alpine Single Din Head Unit, 4-8” Hertz Mids, 2-Hertz 6.5” Component Set, 6-Hertz ST35 Tweets, 2-15” Resilient Sound Subs, Taramps Smart 5k Amp, 3-JL Audio HD 600/4 Amps
 

Shawn1112

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Aug 4, 2010
34,871
104,473
Streamwood
That interior is immaculate. From start to finish, how long do you think it'll be til its complete?
Looks better in pics. Carpet is newer, seats are in great shape for 50yrs old. Door panels need some help and the dash is like 7 out of 10.

Hoping 75% done come next summer
I have enough money left over from the Regal to do the suspension and either paint the car or get the LS swap 100% complete.
The little baby dick 350 actually moves and feels good, but once those 26" rims get bolted on it will be a different story. Was doing 90mph in the rain up 294 this afternoon goin home and it was very smooth. Paint isnt horrible and I think with a good paint correction (single stage paint, never corrected that before) the paint will actually look very good. Except for the spots they poorly touched up over the years. In April I get my yearly bonus at work which will be healthy enough to do paint and interior if I do the motor first. Music I will do what I alaways do, score on Offerup and or CL and not too mentioned guys I know selling shit in the city. I'm eventually going to have to upgrade the brakes as well. Gotta ask Great White Drake Great White Drake if he upgraded his and what he went with. I heard you can swap to a corvette brake system, its cheaper then going Baer or Wildwood
 

Great White Drake

You used to call me on my cell phone
Jun 23, 2010
6,094
8,246
Looks better in pics. Carpet is newer, seats are in great shape for 50yrs old. Door panels need some help and the dash is like 7 out of 10.

Hoping 75% done come next summer
I have enough money left over from the Regal to do the suspension and either paint the car or get the LS swap 100% complete.
The little baby dick 350 actually moves and feels good, but once those 26" rims get bolted on it will be a different story. Was doing 90mph in the rain up 294 this afternoon goin home and it was very smooth. Paint isnt horrible and I think with a good paint correction (single stage paint, never corrected that before) the paint will actually look very good. Except for the spots they poorly touched up over the years. In April I get my yearly bonus at work which will be healthy enough to do paint and interior if I do the motor first. Music I will do what I alaways do, score on Offerup and or CL and not too mentioned guys I know selling shit in the city. I'm eventually going to have to upgrade the brakes as well. Gotta ask Great White Drake Great White Drake if he upgraded his and what he went with. I heard you can swap to a corvette brake system, its cheaper then going Baer or Wildwood
Kore 3 sells complete kits that bolt up to your factory spindle. I’ve had zero issues in 3 years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jon01 and Shawn1112

Jon01

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Feb 8, 2012
4,021
15,508
Fuck yeah Shawn that thing is cleaner than clean.
Do you have any pics of the billets?
I dig the look on your Regal, I can't want to see what you have planned here.
This thing needs an LS and some kind of FI with a 4L80E behind it dude, please don't leave some weak ass 300hp drivetrain in it.


Kore 3 sells complete kits that bolt up to your factory spindle. I’ve had zero issues in 3 years.

Yes. I have Kore3/C6Z06 stuff on my C10.
A+ products and support. Tobin is fantastic to deal with and for tech support after the sale.
The quality of OEM engineered systems is far beyond what you'll find on aftermarket products too. That's what swayed me their way vs. Baer/Wilwood. The savings wasn't that significant in my instance but the higher quality of product/engineering is what sold me on his product.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shawn1112

Thread Info