Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

[Blazerteam]

I lasted two weeks before I had to clean those borrowed wheels. They aren't any prettier.

Actually..if they where 3 inches wider,they would look much better on the car.How much would that cost in the sunshine state?

[yellomalibu]

Actually..if they where 3 inches wider,they would look much better on the car.How much would that cost in the sunshine state?

Not to split hairs - but Florida is known as the Sunshine State. Not sure why, I think it rains a lot more in FL than it does in CA. ???

[Blazerteam]

Not to split hairs - but Florida is known as the Sunshine State. Not sure why, I think it rains a lot more in FL than it does in CA. ???

It would be expensive too..to ship the wheels there .

[Scott Liggett]

Actually..if they where 3 inches wider,they would look much better on the car.How much would that cost in the sunshine state?

Aluminum costs a bunch more than steel to widen. These are pitted badly, which is hard to see in the pics. More money to rechrome. Third problem, who makes a 16" of any real width?

[Blazerteam]

16 inches wide tires,is difficult..

[Scott Liggett]

Just replaced the lower ball joints. The old ones were both sloppy. Nothing looked worn or broken. I'll have my alignment guy check them out. See what he says. Then, drive down to CPP's fancy new digs and chuck them the front window.

[Scott Liggett]

Got the car aligned Monday morning. Much happier about driving it now. Had my guy check out the old ball joints. They look like they are adjustable, but aren't. The lowers are supposed to be adjustable.

Ordered up battery box, Ford solenoid, and kill switch. Hopefully, they will be here Friday. I will get started this weekend moving the battery to the trunk.

[Scott Liggett]

Dumbass me somehow managed to put the parts into the E-shopping cart on Summit, but didn't finish the checkout. So, I never got the parts ordered or sent. I finished that today.

Since I didn't work today because of a total fiasco at work; I decided to continue working on getting the dome lights working again. The SS option removes the center roof light and replaces it with a pair of lights below the dash, a pair of lights in the C pillar, and one in the back of the console.

I already replaced the old school light bulbs hanging under the dash with a LED setup. There are now six inch long LED strips under the dash. They are brighter, draw much less amps, and don't get so freaking hot.

Today, I tackled the console light. It never worked. I had the original console harness that powers the light and the clock, but I have never found the harness it supposed to plug into. I am thinking it got cut out by a previous owner, probably when they removed the hacked in under dash AC. So, I ran wires from the harness to the passenger side under dash light wiring and tapped into them. The light originally used the tube type of bulb that looks like a big fuse. They produce far more heat than light and I've seen them melt whatever plastic that was around them. So, I replaced old light with another LED. This one I got at a local electronic's chain Fry's. It was dirt cheap, $5, and has three bulbs. It looks pretty cool lighting up the back of the console and rear foot wells. I need to get a new lens for it.

Lastly, I need to fix the C pillar lights. The wiring is still there and I have power going to both lights, new bulbs; but neither work. Still haven't figure that out. I need to start checking grounds for the light sockets.

I may put in an overhead light because the SS interior light suck for trying to read something after dark n the front seats.

[malc]

Dumbass me somehow managed to put the parts into the E-shopping cart on Summit, but didn't finish the checkout. So, I never got the parts ordered or sent. I finished that today.

You´re not alone on that one.

[squirrel]

The dome lights used an orange and a white wire, white was ground, thru the door jamb switch, orange is "hot" from the fuse box. they usually quit working when the car was a few years old. I envy you not, working on this stuff!

[Scott Liggett]

I still have the factory wiring running across the roof of the car. It's still in decent shape. I don't have a headliner which makes fixing it easier. The positive wiring from the fuse box was melted when I bought the car. I fixed it years ago piece meal.

[Scott Liggett]

I stood looking at the work I did to fix my trunk floor; then looked at my new Taylor Cable aluminum battery box and realized that I had to drill about five big holes in my new trunk to install it. I was suddenly a bit conflicted. I didn't really want to screw up my nice trunk.

But in the end, I got out the drill and go busy. First, I used the dimples on the floor as a location guide to where to start. That battery box is mounted by two long threaded rods that are supposed to go through the floor and the frame rail. I drilled a couple small holes first to make sure I was lined up with the frame.



I then drilled the two holes slightly bigger than the 3/8th rods. The frame was drilled easier than I thought it would be.


Next I put down the box's pan on the trunk floor, then the rods through the pan, the floor and the frame rail. Bolted them tight.



This is all the farther I got. I started late and I spent a lot of time figuring out where I wanted the box in the trunk. I also took into consideration where the battery cables would have to go.

[TheSilverBuick]

Nice! After you make the first hole it's all down hill from there I had a lot of hang up with drilling my OHC 4bbl intake manifold for the injector bungs, but once the first hole was in, I was committed!


Where did you get that bitchen star bar holder/clips??

[Scott Liggett]

Those clips were for hanging rakes in the garage. I think. Its been so long I cant be sure. I bent them tighter to hold the cross bar. They dont hold it perfectly thats why the green wire is there. My original plan was to mount them to the underside of the trunk, but they were in no way strong enough to do so.

[TheSilverBuick]

Noted. I'm going to look for maybe some conduct clips or something. No guarantee of success either, but I like the idea!