My quest to get into the 9's

[mr2cam]

I have been wanting to create a thread about my car for a while, I finally have a bunch of pictures so I decided to post them.

The car: 1980 Chevrolet Monza, bought the car in 2011 and have raced it since, the car was a low 11 second bracket car (11.34@116 best), came with a basically stock 350 SBC, built powerglide, 12 bolt rear end and ladder bars.

Before the last race of the season last year I broke a rod in half and it destroyed the block, so we built a 383 in one week and got it ready for the last race. Best pass was a 6.68@100mph, I then took it to the closest 1/4th mile track and only ran a best of a 10.65@124 (converter was waaaay too loose). The car weighed 2600lbs without me in it (I weigh 220lbs), so I knew that we needed to put the car on a diet, and here comes the pictures.

What she looked like with the 383:

Motor out and fenders ready to pull off:

Fenders and nose off:

There goes the stock front end!:

 

[mr2cam]

edit..

 

[mr2cam]

Pulled the trunklid off, decided to skin it and install zeus fasteners:

Skinning the doors, pulled out the glass to replace with lexan.. also pulled the regulators and cut out the door bars:

Cleaned up the firewall, pulled out all the rivets and getting it ready for some body work

 

[mr2cam]

Frame rails are connected and the firewall bondo is done:

My dad skinning the roof:

The trunk is completely cut out, going to make battery mounts and go with a smaller fuel cell (had a 16 gallon cell before):

Halo bar is in (only had a roll bar before, upgrading to a full 8.5 cage):

Bending more bars:

Cutting the lexan for the doors:

 

[mr2cam]

Another bar is in:

Drivers side bar is in:

Took out the stock speedo gauge and tach, mounted aluminum to it and going to cut new holes for the new gauges:

Bars connecting to the front of the frame rails:

New 8 gallon fuel cell, checking fitment:

Were going to be using a lot of aluminum on the car:

Decided to reuse the stock dashboard, I was working on sanding all the ugly yellow off..:

A-arms are on:

 

[mr2cam]

Upper control arms are on, along with the spindles:

Mocking up the SBC and powerglide with shields:

New kick panels that are bead rolled, just need to polish them!:

Motor and trans is in, getting ready to mock up the motor plate and mid plate:

A preview of what the dashboard will look like:

My buddy finishing up the welding to the cage:

Pulling out the windshield so we can finish welding up the cage:

Rear quarter panel window wouldn't come out, so we decided to try to break it out:

New dash polished up, also have the wideband gauge installed over to the right:

Getting ready to put the brakes on:

 

[mr2cam]

Brakes are on:

New battery mounts are welded in:

Remote battery terminals installed:

Painted everything to prevent rust:

New trunk floor is in and riveted:

An idea of what the trunk is going to look like:

That is all we have done so far, will have more by the end of next weekend!

 

[quad]

Impressive progress. This car will look mean all black!

 

[mr2cam]

Impressive progress. This car will look mean all black!

Thanks! The car will actually be a mix of black and a gunmetal grey! Still a lot of work to go!

 

[quad]

Thanks! The car will actually be a mix of black and a gunmetal grey! Still a lot of work to go!

Sounds good. Looking forward to more updates!

 

[mr2cam]

We went to remove the door bars and found something extremely scary, they were only welded to the floor with 2 tack welds, here is a video of my friend removing one of them..


[youtube_browser]0QZAN6Yr5wQ&feature=share&list=UUvS_RJ4Vq7j91NzgwfeRsYg[/youtube_browser]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QZAN6Yr5wQ&feature=share&list=UUvS_RJ4Vq7j91NzgwfeRsYg

I am lucky I never wrecked the car..

 

[Elwood617]

We went to remove the door bars and found something extremely scary, they were only welded to the floor with 2 tack welds, here is a video of my friend removing one of them..


[youtube_browser]0QZAN6Yr5wQ&feature=share&list=UUvS_RJ4Vq7j91NzgwfeRsYg[/youtube_browser]
Door bar removal - YouTube

I am lucky I never wrecked the car..

And that is why I prefer to do the work on my car myself!
Look like a cool build, subing to see progress

 

[timspony]

Very nice build!! :beer: /// I'll be looking for more updates!

 

[mr2cam]

Very nice build!! :beer: /// I'll be looking for more updates!

Thank you sir! BTW is your car mineral gray?

 

[Demonio1023]

Great build, I can't wait to see the final product. Forgive my ignorance, but what is the purpose of two batteries?

 

[mr2cam]

Great build, I can't wait to see the final product. Forgive my ignorance, but what is the purpose of two batteries?

Well I don't run an alternator so it will give me a little more time if I need to hot lap the car, also I am removing the 16 gallon fuel cell, and ditching a little more weight on the ass end, so im trying to put a little more back there because I don't want to have to put a different spring in the back.

 

[Demonio1023]

:thumbsup: Thanks for the lesson!! Now let's see a nine second pass!

Well I don't run an alternator so it will give me a little more time if I need to hot lap the car, also I am removing the 16 gallon fuel cell, and ditching a little more weight on the ass end, so im trying to put a little more back there because I don't want to have to put a different spring in the back.

 

[mr2cam]

I will try to get some pictures of the motor progress soon, when the car was running 10.65@124 it was a pretty basic 383, 12.7:1 compression, pro-comp alumnium heads, pro-comp intake manifold, and a off the shelf camshaft that we had laying around.

For next year we are porting the heads, going with a much more radical camshaft, super victor intake manifold, and upping the compression to about 13.5:1. Shooting for about 600hp, but I am thinking we will be closer to about 590 at the crank.

Here is a video of it running a 10.70, the day before it ran a 10.65.

Renegade Raceway 10-13-13 3rd round eliminations - YouTube

[youtube_browser]WM1gKM9LN5Q&list=UUvS_RJ4Vq7j91NzgwfeRsYg&feature=share&index=4[/youtube_browser]

 

[ford5.0forlife]

Wow.. Looks like it's coming along great! Good luck with your build man. That door bar was some scary shit..

 

[CobraBob]

Thank you sir! BTW is your car mineral gray?

No, Tim's Cobra is Dark Shadow Gray. A gorgeous car.

Keep up the excellent work with your build. You've made some great progress.