🔧 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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Okay, so I talked to a dude last night that is running this exact same pulley kit. He does LS swaps and LSA installs all the time and swears by this pulley kit.
Apparently CVF Racing makes a 2.4 pulley for the LSA. He said he gets no belt slip using their blower pullies. So that will solve a HUGE problem, now I just gotta find someone to remove the Grip Tech hub and press the new hub onto the blower. Pic is of a LSA he did with the CVF 2.4 pulley

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Turbocharged400sbc

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Just checking but that griptech hub is it possible it's able to be installed either way? I once came across the pulley Hub that only if you really thought about it could you figure that the side with the longer skirt went towards the pulley instead of away. The guy that made the Hub had machine the register the same diameter on both sides so it looked like he had designed it that way to be reversible and change the offset
 
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Shawn1112

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Just checking but that griptech hub is it possible it's able to be installed either way? I once came across the pulley Hub that only if you really thought about it could you figure that the side with the longer skirt went towards the pulley instead of away. The guy that made the Hub had machine the register the same diameter on both sides so it looked like he had designed it that way to be reversible and change the offset
It’s been confirmed by multiple sources that I must use the CVF hub and pulley. Or have a custom hub machined
 

Shawn1112

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Good progress today. After the whole fiasco with the hub, I decided to do it myself. After renting the pulley puller and actually getting to it. It literally took like 30 minutes. So we got the correct hub on, mounted the bigger pulley for now, my 2.4" will be here tomorrow. Blower is mounted and torqued down to specs
Fuel rails/injectors are in, plugs gapped at .25 per the tuner are in, valve covers are on, coils are mounted and plugged in, and the throttle body is mocked up. These cocksuckers at Holley dont give you a TB gasket with a brand new TB SMFH. So I have to order a TB gasket, and a new IAC gasket. Ran into an issue with my coils not lining up with the LSA valve covers. Luckily my guy had a set with like 5000 miles on them, so I have to replace them with used ones.

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Shawn1112

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Hopefully firing her up next week Wednesday pending running into anymore issues with not having parts. Found out today my water neck doesn’t fit the water pump supplied by CVF racing. Why they wouldn’t include that is fucking stupid. Could pickup up a shitty one from Autozone but I want all my shit to match. So I ordered one and should have it by Tuesday. Forgot the lid in my garage, otherwise we coulda slapped that on.

All that’s really left is buttoning up a few things top side. Plumbing the blower and all the fueling from the tank to the engine bay, installing trans cooler and intercooler. Add fluids, turn the key and pray lol.

Not sure if I’ve asked this. But any recommendations on not cracking the paint on my lid while torquing the bolts down?

?

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Jon01

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Goddamn that looks good Shawn!

To avoid cracking the paint I'd suggest washers on the bolts, make sure they're clean on the side that touches the paint. You could add some lubricant to the bottom of the washer and potentially employ a heat gun to the paint around when you're torquing them down to soften the paint.
 

Shawn1112

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Yeah, wet torque. We use them at work and essentially halve the torque value by adding the lubricant.


That'll help guide you if you decide to go that route Shawn.
So just so I’m understanding that graph correctly. If my lid specs are 44 first pass and 89 2nd pass. If I lube the threads with graphite, I’d essentially cut that in half?

Also is it the threads and bolt head that get lubed or only the head?
 

Jon01

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So just so I’m understanding that graph correctly. If my lid specs are 44 first pass and 89 2nd pass. If I lube the threads with graphite, I’d essentially cut that in half?

Also is it the threads and bolt head that get lubed or only the head?
Yep, you're reading it right.
The amount that you reduce depends on the lube and the joint but we generally use 80/90 and reduce ~ half. It lets us use lighter torque tools that are easier on people.

Lube the threads and head, it'll help keep the head from digging into the paint.
I would also use a thin washer or 2 under the head, again, lubricated, that'll reduce the twisting motion of tightening the bolt from catching and balling up the paint.
 

Shawn1112

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Got some more done today, the little tedious bullshit that keeps popping up takes sooo much time to figure out or go make a store run. Anyway the tank is in and plumbed, fuel filter and flex fuel sensor also plumbed. Lid is on, used very thin fiber washers and white grease. Torqued it down to the specs when using white grease. Got some other misc shit done. Pics are horrible but they are something haha. Yes I know the filter isn’t centered in the mount, it will be. Yes the lid is dirty.

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Shawn1112

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Man, this car is seriously one of my favorites on the forum. The cleanliness and attention to detail takes this thing to the next level.


Can’t wait to see it in person one day.
Thanks dude, by far my favorite build of mine. I'm so glad I decided to do be in on the blower build vs sending it to a shop.
I'm learning a ton of shit along the way
 

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