🔧 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.

frank

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I miss that area, man..

First cat delete and cutout thing, they made for me. I walked to rex deli and got a sub sammich while I waited lol
Iggy’s was great, had several sets of headers installed and exhaust systems. Good guys.

They Ended up being a customer of my mine before I left.
 

Jon01

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Not sure, its strange. Booster and master are both brand new, we replaced while doing the blower as I had the wrong master on it.
We had an issue in the shop today, turned out the vacuum line to the booster had a plug still in it. We removed that and bled them again.
While making the pulls in the alley it had a good pedal and was stopping. Pulled it off the flat bed at the exhaust shop and I pedal was spongy and the brakes were barely grabbing. Feels like a vacuum issue to me

That would be my guess too.
Is there a check valve in the booster to keep it from seeing positive pressure?
A lot of the vacuum fittings going into them will have those.
 

Jon01

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I’m not sure, I’ll have to look at that. If there isn’t, should there be and is it something i can add?
Yeah they're easy to find. Like I say, it's pretty much standard issue but if it doesn't have one and you put boost to the booster maybe it's bound or ruptured so it's not able to assist.
Just grabbing at straws but that's all I can think of offhand given the sequence of events you described.
 
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Pro Stock John

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More south. Near Belmont... And the "cafes"

At least what I remember.

Or people used to meet at Cumberland and Lawrence... Lol super convenient for me because my grandmother was off of Lawrence and overhill. ?
I cruised Harlem a lot in the 90s until they cracked down.
 
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Carl@Redline

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LOL, I wasnt driving.
The guy who helped me and who's shop I used talked to his tuner (AJ Performance I believe) who gave us the start up tune and asked if he could give us something to get on it a little to seat the rings. He said for a price he could give me tune remotely that will be safe, well why didnt you say that the other day dumb fuck, smfh. So did a couple of drives (no boost) up and down Madison while logging. Sent them over, he revised them and then said go do some quick half throttle pulls. Did a few 1/2 throttle pulls, logged them, he revised and asked us to do a couple of more. Revised it again and she is now on a very safe tune. Cant do any WOT pulls yet but I can get on her a bit.

Having an issue with the brakes though. They just dont feel right so my guy is borrowing something to measure vacuum once its done at exhaust.
I didnt want to blow off the exhaust appointment as its about a 2 week wait to get in at Iggy's. I want the exhaust done just in case Jr at Sammys calls and says bring it over for the rear end.

For all the bad talk and jabs at people's cars/builds that trickles outta that alley, not surprised he doesn't own a fucking vacuum gauge. Lol
 
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Shawn1112

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Exhaust is done and that MFer sounds all kinds of rowdy now. The difference in going from 2.5” to 3”, adding the X pipe and going from Flowmaster 40’s to Super 44’s is insane. It’s on my guy Juan’s flat bed and heading back to the west side so we can figure out my brake issue tomorrow.
 

Jimy Bilmo

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Exhaust is done and that MFer sounds all kinds of rowdy now. The difference in going from 2.5” to 3”, adding the X pipe and going from Flowmaster 40’s to Super 44’s is insane. It’s on my guy Juan’s flat bed and heading back to the west side so we can figure out my brake issue tomorrow.
Where. Is. The. Sound. Clip?!
 

Shawn1112

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We have brakes, brand new booster was bad. I cant return it to Summit because I painted it smfh.
Had to put the old booster back on and just gave it a quick scuff and quick rattle can job for now. I was never a fan of the brake pedal after converting the rears to disc and upgrading the fronts. Until I get some miles on her with the new master, I wont know how I feel about it. Might have to go hydro boost, hence the reason I just gave the old master a quick rattle can job. If not, I'll get another new master and paint it correctly.

Actually had something that worked out (for now lol). Guy that is doing my new cloth top is only about a mile away from where my car currently is. I swang by him this morning and said what are the chances you can get me in for my top, like right now lol. He said he just had a car cancel and to bring it by at 3pm today.
So its going to him at 3pm and should be done Monday or Tuesday.

I pulled a few strings and had a couple of guys message Jr at Sammys to try and get my car to him asap so I can do WOW (Saturday only) because these 2 guys are going and they want me to go as well. They have spent waaaayyyy more money with Jr and have known him a long time. They both told me Jr said he is going to try and squeeze me on on Feb 20th. Jr hasnt said shit to me yet, but fingers crossed. If he gets me in, I'm going to do WOW but upstairs and only Saturday. Thats not a judged show up there and the minor paint defects wont effect any judging.
 

Shawn1112

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Was out getting my haircut this morning. Made an unannounced visit to the upholstery shop to check on my car. I absolutely love the cloth top vs the vinyl top. He should be done with it this afternoon. I also told him pull my front door panels off and rear panels. Reupholster them back to a factory look. I love how my seats came out but never been a fan of my door panels.

69C02FCF-5643-4767-BC86-8D8308F066CB.jpeg
 

boostedguy05

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