🔧 BUILD Shawns 1971 Impala Donk

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Interior/Top
LS Swap
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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.

daturbosix

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Home, can’t drive it. Too much weight in trunk. Suspension guy can’t get me in for a week or 2. I’m going to throw some air shocks on at home. That way I can raise the rear to drive it
stop at play-it-again sports and pick yourself up some footballs.

put those in the springs and inflate to your desired pressure. ;)
 

Shawn1112

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wait a min... Shawn1112 Shawn1112 i think you already got air shocks on that thing....
You are correct, but no hoses going to them so dont even know if they are good. Gonna go buy a hose kit and throw it on there and see what happens.
I gotta get it up kinda high as the body roll while turning is what I'm concerned about.
buy coil overs, install them?
Have them, along with an anti roll bar for the rear and a bunch of other shit. I have special brackets for them in the rear that go with the anti roll bar and those need to be welded on. Just looking for a cheap fix to drive it until the suspension shop gets me in. Speaking of the suspension shop, just left there. Picked up my buddies Chevy on 28's, MFer sits perfect!

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FESTER665

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You are correct, but no hoses going to them so dont even know if they are good. Gonna go buy a hose kit and throw it on there and see what happens.
I gotta get it up kinda high as the body roll while turning is what I'm concerned about.

Have them, along with an anti roll bar for the rear and a bunch of other shit. I have special brackets for them in the rear that go with the anti roll bar and those need to be welded on. Just looking for a cheap fix to drive it until the suspension shop gets me in. Speaking of the suspension shop, just left there. Picked up my buddies Chevy on 28's, MFer sits perfect!

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Yaj Yak Yaj Yak wants to know more about the Dad van in the back. :rofl:
 

daturbosix

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You are correct, but no hoses going to them so dont even know if they are good. Gonna go buy a hose kit and throw it on there and see what happens.
I gotta get it up kinda high as the body roll while turning is what I'm concerned about.

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.
 

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.
I'll double check, but after you mentioned it. I remembered seeing the lines all ghetto rigged at my engine guys shop and I told him cut the lines as I didnt think I would need them. Maybe he re-routed them and did a good job of hiding them. Either way, its a 10 min fix if I need to put new lines in.
 

Shawn1112

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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 sound 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).
 

Jon01

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I know others have said it but those rims look fucking sick on there Shawn. Love it.
I didn't know they had those louvers stock on 71's. That's cool but I can see how it'd be a pain in the ass in your application. Can you get a lid off of a 72 when you paint it to resolve the issue?
 

Shawn1112

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I know others have said it but those rims look fucking sick on there Shawn. Love it.
I didn't know they had those louvers stock on 71's. That's cool but I can see how it'd be a pain in the ass in your application. Can you get a lid off of a 72 when you paint it to resolve the issue?
Thanks!!
Thats a feature that only the 71's have, not something you want to swap out. Once I get it all out it should be perfectly fine. I'm going to look around for a few long skinny brushes. Pull the lid off and spend 4-5 hours on it. I think between brushes, shop vac and a compressor. I can get most of it loose and out.
 
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Jon01

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Thanks!!
Thats a feature that only the 71's have, not something you want to swap out. Once I get it all out it should be perfectly fine. I'm going to look around for a few long skinny brushes. Pull the lid off and spend 4-5 hours on it. I think between brushes, shop vac and a compressor. I can get most of it loose and out.

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.
 

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