The laundry list for this Vega pro street build includes; S&W 2″ x 3″ Frame Rails with Ladder Bar Suspension, S&W 12-Point Roll Cage, S&W Round Tube Front Half . . . Put it all together and now we have a…
Category: Custom Metal Fabrication
Building Race Headers
First, get a bundle of tubes. Then cut and tack them up. This set of headers are a Side Exit 2″ Stahl Pattern. A side exit header gets the noise and fumes out the side of the car, and away…
Big Tire . . . Little Car
The 16.5″ wide tires were all over the quarter panels due to the low ride height. These quarter panels have seen some serious mods — stretched 2″ forward and 4″ to the rear of centerline. What the hell — let’s do…
Tagged with: vega hatchback
This Is How We Do It. . . Chassis And Roll Cage Engineering
This chassis and roll cage example is mild steel. This car will certify for 7.50 ET and live a long life. The photo below shows the drivers floor bar placement as per SFI Foundation specs for 8.49-7.50 ET This funny…
We Build Custom Cars
Just a few chassis fabrication tools we use at the shop. If you work around machinists, architects, builders or other craftsmen, you are probably familiar with these tools. Here at the race shop our goal is to build it right the first…
Mocking Up The Vega Hatchback
Now that the Vega is off the chassis table – it’s time to mock-up everything. Below we installed an S&W ladder bar kit, and a HUGE S&W diagonal link at 1.25 x .095. Below the back braced 9″ just needs…
Sheet Metal Wing
The owner wanted to keep his tires planted at the big end — we told him to try this. The side spill plates were kept minimal. The vehicle originally showed up for a rear window replacement and new decklid due…
1977 Vega Hatchback Project Update
The fiberglass was hung on the chassis with care. . . Doors hung, swinging and latched. The frontend tree has been built with custom receiver brackets made and applied. The rear of the front end, lower and upper mounts, and…
Custom Metal Fabrication
What came first the Tonneau or the Wing? The only way to make this wing work was to have a tonneau cover to direct air to the wing. This tonneau is in two pieces and Dzus fastened — we call…
Tagged with: custom metal fabrication
Tubs, Tin And Sheet Metal Fabrication
Finishing up the sheet metal for the Vega Wagon. All of the aluminum panels as well as the aluminum wheel tubs are DZUS fastened for easy service. The floor pans are steel — and all are welded in. The lower half of rear…
The Vega Wagon Gets Side Exit Headers
2 1/4″ primaries with 4″ merge collectors, 18 gauge 304 stainless steel. . . A few hours . . . and a dozen “J” bends later. . . Can’t wait to hear them!
Puzzle Time
Vega Wagon Chassis Painted. Firewall and body extensions completed — can’t wait to see assembled. Dsuz tabs placed and springs applied. Chassis certification will be no problem. Our S&W stretched chassis comes with manufacture chassis tags. Time to get to…
Getting up to speed on the Vega Wagon build
The Vega is nearing completion! The body has been removed for the final time after welding in the firewall. We have flipped the chassis and air panned it. The passenger side could be aluminum, but we made it steel getting ahead of…
Custom Sheet Metal For Drag Car
T2, as we call it, gets new tin after replacing both rear frame rails, and ladder bar crossmember due to rot and rust. All sheet metal has been replaced. Per NHRA rules the driver floor must be steel, but everything else…
The G-Body Shuffle
The G-body designation was originally used for 1969–1972 Pontiac Grand Prix and 1970–1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo personal luxury coupes. The term “G-Body Shuffle” became popular in the drag racing community for the vehicle’s side-to-side motion of the rear end after…
Tranny Tunnel Vision
This project showed up missing the trans tunnel cover but had the Dzus tabs mounted. Double frame rails were high in the car so overall tunnel height was kept to a minimum so carbon fiber dash can be attached and removed…
1936 Plymouth Coupe Suspension And Chassis Tuning
We are in the final stages of this “daily driver” build. Currently we are trying to find a body shop to bondo up the 80 year old sheet metal. We have already taken it down to bare metal and applied primer to simply…
Electrical Wiring — The Right Way
This last season we have wired a few cars in the shop. The ’33 Coupe Pro Street, the 1969 Camaro drag car, 72 Chevy Vega Pro Street, these all have a much more complicated wiring system than this classic ’70 Cuda pictured…
Tagged with: pro street, street car wiring, wiring, wiring harness, wiring muscle car, wiring street car
Making This Chevelle Great Again
This Chevelle is going through a transformation – from race car to daily driver. This 67 Chevelle showed up tubbed and narrowed with a Dana 60 and a reworked frame. Originally we were simply replacing trunk floor and quarter panels. Below…
Metal Fabrication in Northeast Tennessee
Below are a few fabrication projects using aluminum and steel sheet metal. The three-piece trans tunnel below is easily removable – yet strong – all Dzus fastened. The rear wing below is more than just sheet metal fabrication – it is…
Window frame tubing and tabs have been finished and installed
The window frames for the Camaro are bent to shape, and the window tabs welded up. The window templates have been made, now time to cut some Lexan. The Lexan has been attached to window framing then bolted up to…
Plymouth Coupe Sheet Metal Fabrication
The ’36 Coupe sheet metal fab work is nearing completion. Time to tackle the dreaded . . . hole in the roof. We had to cut the hole in the roof even larger to clean-up the edges and make it…
Drag racing parachute and wing plus new Plymouth coupe flooring
The ’68 Camaro And Metal Fabrication This Stroud Pro Stock parachute just fits under the new wing we made for the 68 Camaro. We have been playing around with the side spill plate size and shape. The drag racing parachute bag…
Having the right tools for the job
We have many customers in need of custom built performance parts. The photo below shows the new door hinges we just made for a 1936 Plymouth Convertible. If you need custom parts made – we can help.
1968 Camaro Rolling Chassis
Built to run Sportsman Class or Bracket Racing, NHRA Certified 8.50. This is a new car. Mild steel, TIG welded, tube chassis, U.S. Body Source Fiberglass Body, Harwood trunk lid, rear bumper, and extended hood. F1 Hood Scoop from Suncoast Race Cars. Aluminum…
Tagged with: 1968 camaro
This 1936 Plymouth Coupe is going to be one COOL Hot Rod!
The boys in the shop have been chipping away at the ’36 Coupe project – mostly doing the stuff no one will ever see. Once we install the carpet and door panels we built, no one will see the steel sheet metal floor…
Tagged with: Plymouth Coupe for sale
Stretched Chevy Vega Wagon
Getting started with our S&W Race Chrome Moly Chassis Kit. Tacking up — making sure everything fits just right. The stretch is all in the front, and hard to see without the Glasstek fiberglass front cap. Setting up front struts in the front end holding…
Tagged with: swracecars
The 1936 Plymouth Coupe Dashboard
This 1936 Plymouth Coupe originally came to us with just a round cluster in the center of the dash. Luckily the car came with extra parts – one which was a deluxe factory dash – so we opted for that.…
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