🔧 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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I CANT FUCKING STAND UNORGANIZED PEOPLE.

We did pretty much nothing to my car today. This fuck was supposed to go to Home Depot yesterday and get everything we need to mount up the intercooler, plus some other things. He knew I had to stay home yesterday and wait on parts. He was going to plumb the fuel on the top side and start mounting the intercooler. I walk in this morning and he didnt do a fucking thing yesterday, and never went and got anything from the store. Then he realized I needed to order some more shit. When we pulled the motor, we went thru all the parts and I ordered what he said I needed over a month ago. I asked if he was sure and he said yes, anything else we needed we could source locally. Well since Friday I have had to order shit every day including today. This fuck does this shit for a living and as I might have mentioned before. I can 100% see why he says he doesnt make much money. Because your lazy and unorganized, you have no drive at all.
He misplaced some hardware and his response, its no big deal we can get that shit locally. No MFer, that takes me away for 2hrs to make a store run

Now I have to blow off my suspension shop appointment for Monday SMFH. I started to go in on him today but bit my tongue before it got bad.
Shoulda paid a shop, drop it off and pick it up when it was done. No fucking way in hell should we still be installing the blower and fuel.
My rant of the day!!!!
 

Shawn1112

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WOW is officially not happening, SMFH.
Suspension guy wont be able to get me in until sometime late next month to do my rear end being I cant make it Monday.
Just got off the phone with my painter as he was supposed to get the car next week Wednesday to do some minor repair work, run a new AC line and a few other things I want done. I re-scheduled with him for March 6th and told him there is no rush, keep that MFer till April if need be lol.
 

Caleb515

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WOW is officially not happening, SMFH.
Suspension guy wont be able to get me in until sometime late next month to do my rear end being I cant make it Monday.
Just got off the phone with my painter as he was supposed to get the car next week Wednesday to do some minor repair work, run a new AC line and a few other things I want done. I re-scheduled with him for March 6th and told him there is no rush, keep that MFer till April if need be lol.
Damn, that sucks.

Any chance you could trailer the car to the suspension guy and then finish up the engine work after he's done with it?
 
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Shawn1112

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On a side note: if you ever get the car to Sammy’s let me know, want to check it out since I live 10 minutes from there.
Thats where its going for the rear end. He did all the suspension work and thats why he is doing the rear end. I dont want 2 different shops touching the suspension as the rear end is part of the rear suspension. Then you run the risk of finger pointing if I ever have an issue. My painter also does custom shit and mechanical. He offered to do the rear end, but I was like fuck that I'm not giving anyone the opportunity to point a finger at another shop.
I'll keep you posted
 
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Shawn1112

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Good luck I don't like it when shop guys don't try to figure out how to get us in when it was planned.

I have a very small list of shops and folks I will work with.
Not the shops fault in my case, its mine. My appointment was scheduled over 2 months ago.
He is booked solid the thru the summer as of now. But being an existing customer, he is going to find the time to squeeze me in next month.
 
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Shawn1112

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So we are basically down to the tedious little bullshit. Intercooler, remote power steering reservoir and the cooling reservoir for the blower all mounted and most of it plumbed. Throttle body and throttle body adapter thing installed. Ran a brand new throttle cable as well.

Having an issue finding a lower radiator hose. The existing one is about 1” to short with the new water pump/water neck.

Also we didn’t think about the boost reference line. We might have to pull the lid off, drill and tap it. Unless someone has another idea. I though on one of my cars we ran a T off the booster and used that
 

Jon01

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You could tee off the booster line for a reference. That's what I'd do.

Sorry the other shop doesn't have their shit together man, that's extremely frustrating.

For the lower hose, I always just go to the parts store and ask to look through their hoses till I find something close or that I can cut what I need out of.
 

Shawn1112

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You could tee off the booster line for a reference. That's what I'd do.

Sorry the other shop doesn't have their shit together man, that's extremely frustrating.

For the lower hose, I always just go to the parts store and ask to look through their hoses till I find something close or that I can cut what I need out of.
What about this, I’ve been digging and found it

 
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Jon01

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What about this, I’ve been digging and found it


That's perfect. Motion sells good stuff too.
 
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Shawn1112

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Hell yeah, I can't wait to hear that puppy!
Might not sound the greatest at first. We gotta ghetto rig my old exhaust back on. We cut it with sawzall. Also I need to now go 3” all the way back. Old exhaust went from 3” headers to a 2.5” reducer
 

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