Off to the machine shop...

I wanted to get the small block off to the machine shop before the end of the year, and the trans over to ACE, and of course I forgot my camera. Aghhh. I did both today, spending some time down at Fisher's Machine, talking to Bobby about what we are doing with the enagine. He's going to rebuild it with all new parts, keeping only my castings, crank and rods.

Then I went to Ace Transmissions to drop off the Turbo 350. Chris is going to rebuild the trans and get me a better torque converter....the one I had was junk. He is also going to install the kickdown cable, which was cut off the old trans. Probably made passing a real pain in the @$$!

Anyway, the SHC garage has been busy preparing for the Chevelle. I sold my bass guitar last week for $80 in order to purchase a nice used engine hoist for $100 off of Craigslist. It was located in Brick, at Sandy Point Marine, and Tommy gave me a lift to pick it up. I cleaned up the intake manifold, power steering pump, starter, and a few parts. I'll post about them next time, if I remember. I also installed a new bolt hasp and LARGE Master lock to the garage door, just to be extra secure.

Trans Sold...

In order to raise the money for the rebuild of the turbo 350 for the Chevelle, I decided to sell my Muncie M20 on eBay. I had the ad posted on Craigslist and eBay for about 5 days without much success, and then realized how bad my photos looked. No wonder I didn't get much of a response! So I took some better photos, posted them online, and updated my ads to include the trans mount, yoke and Hurst shifter. I really didn't need any of it anymore, so why hold on to it? After less than an hour with the new updates, I got a call and a man named Cole from North Carolina said, "I'll take it". Now I'll take the automatic to Mr. Chris for a rebuild next week.



See how nice I cleaned up the trans and packed it up. I even put a little tag on the trans to remind the new owner to add oil! Now I just have to haul the 85 lb box over to the UPS store tomorrow...agghhhh.

Parts and Planning

Tis the season, to plan your spring build and gather parts. I know that I should be thinking of the holidays...but I can't. It's also the time to work your tail off and save your cash for the spring swap meet, trans rebuild and machine shop work. That's what I've been trying to do lately, work and save for the Chevelle.
I stopped by Fisher Automotive and talked to Bobby about the small block rebuild, which I hope to get down to him within the next two weeks. I also talked to Chris at Ace Transmissions about the turbo 350 rebuild, and placed ads on Craigslist to sell my 4 speed and some extra parts to help pay for it all.
I've been thinking about the engine options...LS1, big block, small block, and have come to the decision to build a nice streetable small block out of my old 350 from the Stingray. I also found a used Edelbrock Performer online for only $60, so I picked it up. A new one goes for $127, and I do't mind spending a few hours cleaning up a used piece that I can get for half price.

Junk in the Trunk...

After a week of little more than nothing, I figured that I should at least unload some of the junk in the trunk of the Chevelle. I was surprised at just how clean the trunk was, and the rest of the body. It won't take too long in the spring to get it cleaned up and painted. The worst area is two small rust holes in the lower corners of the rear window (which is already removed).








The quarters and rockers are pretty good, as are the doors. The entire front end, inner and outer fenders and cowl hood, is new from Goodmark, and still in the boxes.

Vintage Small Block

I was looking at the new (used) small block that came with the Chevelle. Tommy was quick to point out (good eye, pal) that there was some repair work done to the intake manifold under the water neck, which is a vintage Edelbrock Torker. I love those old manifolds. The block is a 1964-1966 283, casting # 3834810. A nice, vintage, 2 bolt block. I have posted a link on the SHC site here (under the Links section) with small block casting numbers.

New Project!

I am excited to announce the arrival of the latest project at the South Hill Customs shop. A 1971 Chevelle. This will be one that the entire family will be involved in the design and build process, as I'm sure Sarah and Zach are going to try to drive it!

More pics coming soon, the X-mas decorations need to go up today.

Bye, bye Buell.

The Buell is now in the hands of its new owner. After much consideration, I felt that this was just too nice a bike to convert into a mutant, and I was very proud of the custom body work and paint. So I loaded it up into Cary's Hemi-powered transport and delivered it. I am sure it will provide much happiness to the new owner.

Another Season Over...

It looks like another season is over with....E-town closed as of this Sunday, NHRA is finished, NASCAR done, too cold to ride motorcycle. I can't stop myself from checking ebay and craigslist for some winter deal on a Camaro or Chevelle, although I have no funds available. I did get a really nice gift from a friend of mine, a slightly used pair of 275-40-18's for the Vette. Now I just need some 18" rims.

Tommy went to Island Dragway last week after getting the wagon put back together. The hole in the oil pan was from a weld that broke loose on the scraper. He pulled the motor, swapped the oil pan and installed a new water pump. He made two passes without any problems, and so I promised to post something, anything, as long as the pic of the oil pan wasn't at the top of the blog. Here you go pal!

Wagon progress, and set backs

Tommy, Richie and I went down to Oldbridge Township Raceway Park again last night to drag the wagon a bit. We got a nice first run in at dusk with a time of 11.77 @ 112 mph. (Check out the wheelie on the Trans-Am who ran a 9.7)

The next few runs were not what we expected. The wagon blew out the transmission dipstick on the next run, smoked all over the place on the top end. We added 2 quarts to get the fluid back, and taped the dipstick on the tube.

After the final pass of 11.44 @ 116, Tommy's best so far, he noticed something again leaking under the car. We couldn't believe it... a small hole in the oil pan! Looks like the big block is coming out now.

The Wagon is Dragin'

Well, we finally made it to test the 80 Malibu wagon at Englishtown Raceway Park. Tommy got through tech inspection without any problems, drove around the pits for a bit and warmed everything up, and headed out to test the line-lock at the starting line.



The first pass was just a half-throttle test, but the wagon still ran a 13.12 at 97 mph! Tommy only got one pass though, because we broke a poly lock on the rocker arm. So, we pushed it back on the trailer and will fix it this week.

Old Drag Racing

I found a VHS tape of some old (1996?) drag racing from good old E-town, so I threw it up on YouTube. Here are a few clips... (these were not my cars)

Helmet Hook

I went last week on the Rolling Thunder run...and while I was hanging out, waiting to go, I realized I had no place on the Buell to hang my helmet. You can always put it on the mirror, but it falls off to easily. So, I fabricated up a little hook under the seat where the ignition module once was mounted. I made a paper template, then fabricated the hook out of steel. Welded it up, drilled some holes, ground it smooth, and gave it a coat of Plasti-dip.

Malibu Wagon Update

Tommy has been a busy man, as he approaches his retirement (Only 5 days to go pal!). He has been working hard on the '80 Malibu Wagon, with almost no help from yours truly (sorry about that again pal). The big block is in and running, and we finally figured out the torque converter issue. He peg-legged it around the block....but I will wait to the first real burnout to get some picz. You should see how far he has gotten....look at these:


He ran his fuel system and is in the process of installing his new 4.11 rear with custom trailing arms.






Check out his new wheels and the slicks. The front end got new springs and 2" drop spindles to lower the ride. The big block springs were WAY too high. The rear tires look like a tight fit; we will try the spacers, but a mini-tub job may be in order.

Buell/CBR Tail swap

I've been receiving a few request for some details on the Buell/CBR tail swap, so I went back to the garage to take a few pics. The tail fairing also needs the side panels that connect to the front of the fairing and seat. The front of the side panels is connected to the frame under the gas tank by simply drilling one hole in the frame webbing and pushing the plastic tab on the side panel through. It's not a perfect contour fit, but it is close enough. The rod that was welded to the read frame sits in the pocket of the fairing with rubber hose as cushion.




I also made a small storage area that is hinged under the rear seat cowl and locked with a cotter pin. The pin also keeps the tail fairing secure to the frame. I added plenty of rubber bumpers (vacuum hose) so that the rear cowl was not scratching the fairing. The rear fender eliminator was just a piece of steel bent at the ends and welded up to connect to the frame. All the wiring is stock with the exception of the LED lights in the top license plate bolts. The LED taillight is from the stock CBR and requires nothing special, just plug it in!

The seat bracket is a small piece of rod with a washer welded to each end. It is welded to the stock seat tab with a small spacer to raise it up about 1/2 inch. The seat slips on and holds the rear fairing snug. I unbloted the ignition module (I think that's what it was) from the right side of the bike and fastened it to the top of the frame with zip ties, just behind where the seat is.

Phone Picz

I wanted to see how some of my old phone pics looked on the blog, so I am posting them here now. Just a few projects from the past, and maybe a friendly face!




I was riding across the Golden Gate Bridge, when I had to take a pic of this sign!

SHC's Latest Creation

The latest creation from South Hill Customs, my Buell M2RR. The front is the 2000 Buell M2 Cyclone, the tail is the 2003 Honda CBR 600RR. I purchased all the parts used off eBay for about $200, and did the bodywork and paint in the garage with the leftover black I had from the Stingray and Honda Accord. I had everything painted on Saturday, but the run I put in the tail fairing did not come out using the razor blade technique I had researched about. So, I had to repaint the entire tail after I sanded it down and primed, sanded, shot color and clear....again. After I re-assembled it and took it for a test run to get some fuel, I realized the hard way that the fender eliminator I had fabricated was too low, and the license plate took a beating. I straightened it out, and moved the plate up. so now everything should be good. I'll post detailed pics a.s.a.p.

Back in Black!

I haven't documented this bike build all that well, but I have a quick update. I finally got the last part from eBay, and proceeded to finish the fabrication work last night and today. I welded the new seat bracket and tail fairing support, (and only had 3 small fires this time!) and gave them a coat of POR-15.

It was then time to prime the for the last time, and lay down 3 coats of black DuPont ChromaBase basecoat and 2 coats of 7900 ChromaClear. I have a long run on the right side of the tail (the whole side!) so I gave that part an extra coat of clear, because I will have to wet sand and buff it out tomorrow. I found this fix on YouTube. The parts are hanging from bungee cords and drying in the garage tonight. I don't recommend trying to paint them that way though, they bounce and fly all over the place as soon as you point the gun at them!

To busy to blog...

I have been to busy lately to blog, and my camera has no batteries....I know, poor excuses. I've been fabricating the new tail fairing for the motorcycle. The stock M2 Cyclone rear end is pretty ugly, and that giant seat is as attractive as a pair of "mom jeans". So I purchased some used parts off of eBay from a 2003 Honda CBR600RR, and am in the process of making them fit my Buell. The first step was to repair the crash damage to the Honda parts with a little fiberglass, filler and primer. See, good as new!
The new tail has a solo seat, so the cowl that covers where the passenger seat was will hinge up, revealing a small storage box where I can keep my junk. I also integrated the stock CBR LED taillight, and fabricated a nice fender eliminator for the license plate and turn signals. I'll post more pics of that soon. I'm just waiting for the last eBay parts to arrive so that I can finish the mock-up, and start to paint the parts. Some of these eBay sellers are terrible...you pay for the parts immediately after the auction ends, and you wait weeks to even get a response or shipping/tracking information from them! Unfortunately, I am waiting for the fairing parts that go under the seat, and without them I can not mount the seat or rear tail. I'm stuck.

Buell Tank

The fuel tank on my 2000 Buell M2 is made of plastic, and from what I've discovered, doesn't like to be repainted. The gas fumes breathe through the plastic, and then push up on the paint and cause nasty bubbles. So, the tank needs to be sealed from the inside and outside, and the paint redone.
I started by stripping the body work off, and sanding the paint off the tank. I am waiting for the tank sealer to arrive from Caswell, and a few new body fairings I purchased off eBay. More pics as I get started next week!

Hot Rods & Harleys 08

On Saturday, May 17, 2008, We attended the Hot Rods and Harleys show in downtown Rahway. We hung out all day with friends, ate some good food, and listened to great music. Zach and I even won the best in show for our class and brought home another trophy. We got a few offers to buy the Vette, and our new friend Charlie introduced us to George, who has a 1967 GTO that we may paint.

We also saw our friend Joe's latest acquisition, a 1937 Ford that was awesome! Pictured here is our friend Jack Dunlap congratulating Joe on his latest trophy win.