🔧 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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Well like the saying goes. The proof is in the pudding. Night and fucking day difference on how hard it’s hitting. My guy that took me to pickup my car said with me behind him it was hitting super hard. My fucking Holley 3.5” screen popped out of the center console and my plate almost fell off. 1 screw completely gone, the other screw about 2 turns away from falling out.

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FESTER665

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Well like the saying goes. The proof is in the pudding. Night and fucking day difference on how hard it’s hitting. My guy that took me to pickup my car said with me behind him it was hitting super hard. My fucking Holley 3.5” screen popped out of the center console and my plate almost fell off. 1 screw completely gone, the other screw about 2 turns away from falling out.

View attachment 106059

Yeah, thats a little better. :bowrofl:
 
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Rent Free

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If your looking for OEM/clean used parts I think your going to have to go way south or west coast.

Unless you can find people that have them stashed inside.

Its a bitch finding oem parts.

It took over 3 years to find all the interior parts for a 60 Ventura my grandpa did. Most of it came from Arizona.

Midwest problems forsure.
 
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Shawn1112

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If your looking for OEM/clean used parts I think your going to have to go way south or west coast.

Unless you can find people that have them stashed inside.

Its a bitch finding oem parts.

It took over 3 years to find all the interior parts for a 60 Ventura my grandpa did. Most of it came from Arizona.

Midwest problems forsure.
I got my Miami Donk peeps on the hunt as well. I also check a lot of the FB pages that I’m allowed to see without having FB.
 
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Shawn1112

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New tilt column 100% rebuilt with OEM parts including a brand new neutral safety switch is in. Probably didn’t need the NSS but whenever I replace something I like to replace it all especially being it’s a $20 part lol.

Of course my interior guy is way behind, SMFH. Worst case he will come to me and him and I will strip the interior. He will take it back to Milwaukee and start on all that. Then once paint is done, hopefully he only needs to build the center console. So if that’s the case, he would only need the car a few weeks. He has a lead on either SRT seats or Camaro SS seats. Told him I’m fine with either.

All new weatherstripping ordered today, I have the new window sweeps and new emblems already. Bought some extra windshield and rear window clips to be safe. On the hunt for the belt line trim clips. Think I found those, just waiting on an answer. I’d have to think being 50yrs old, a few clips will break.

Just dropped off my painter a few more dollars. As of now we are still on schedule for Jan 25th as the start date.
 

Shawn1112

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Try these guys in AZ. We used to find gold out there: https://hiddenvalleyautoparts.com/
They had a pitman arm for like $50. I searched for days looking for a pitman arm when I replaced my steering box lol. They have a bunch of shit I don’t currently need. But will probably use them in the future.
 
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blue-sun

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By any chance was your car at a house/shop off 59 in West Chicago one day around 4:30 on (I think Wednesday) last week? I was going to a wheel shop from my work and saw a nice old car like yours on big ole wheels. I was zooming too fast in traffic to really get a good glance at it and I don’t know the older GM’s that well. I just know it was clean, brown and looked badass.
 

Shawn1112

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Went by my painter today to try and finesse him into taking my car earlier and gave him a few more dollars. He has a Camaro he needs to finish up first, so might get lucky but we will see. So told him my main reasoning for him to take it early is to get all the trim stripped as I need to get that shit to Florida asap. (check out the trim lady on IG). So I ask him if he knows where I can buy OEM exterior door handles, he said no but knows a chrome guy who is good and they wont be that expensive. Then asks me what I'm doing with my bumpers, I said they arent bad. MFer gave me the guilt treatment and said, how the fuck are you putting all this money into your paint, trim, weather stripping etc. But your going to have me put "okay" bumpers back on the car. So I called the chrome dude out near Midway, $75 each door handle and $750 each bumper, 2 month lead time. So I guess I'll be pulling my bumpers off before I leave for Mexico....smfh.
 

Shawn1112

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Well shits starting to get real. Interior guy just came down from Milwaukee. Him and I stripped about 75% of the interior and he took it back to Milwaukee. Only thing left in car is front bench, carpet, dash and headliner. He found me some bucket seats from a 2007ish Monte Carlo.

Car goes to paint shop on Tuesday

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