Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

[Huskinhano]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

I say go to HF and buy one of their cheapy MIGs :

[milner351]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Scott if ya lived closer you could use my $50 swap meet special Italian made 110v flux core mig - man has that thing paid for itself about 5 times already!

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Drivers side header build is going very, very slowly. There is a lot of to clear, steering box, pitman arm, centerlink, oil filter, and clutch linkage. I have two pipes down. Should go a bit faster.

Fingers crossed the computer can get my old machine up and running tomorrow.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Since I got my computer up and running, it's time to catch up on pics for this car.

I left off when I was installing the scattershield, clutch and such, but I first had to get the old dowel pins out of the block. That required removing the headers and starter to get to the back of them. One required torching and drilling, then some serious hammering.




Here's my swap meet Lakewood scattershield and block plate. $150.


It had this dowel in it. I knocked these out before installing the new, longer dowels in the block.


Here's the new pilot bushing compared to the old one.


The flywheel turned and the scattershield test fitting. I gave up trying to check if it was centered and went ahead and installed the clutch and trans. If the trans didn't slip right in, I would've backed up and spent the time checking it's alignment. It was a fight to get the trans in with the old bellhousing.




I gave Carl my shifter bracket and he made a copy for me. Yannick welded it up. Then I test fitted my original shifter, bracket, shifter rods off the new trans, all on the old trans. It fit very well. I now have two set ups. The one on the left is the new trans and in the Impala. The one on the right, well, it may find it's way into the Caprice.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

If you remember some time ago I bought bigger 1 3/4 in headers at the swap meet. Well, I screwed up and paid $40 for a set for a big block Mopar. I suppose I could've tried to sell them, but instead I decided to have some fun. I bought $25 flanges and three U bends at $9 each from Speedway Motors to see if I could build my own headers. Since the car was up on jackstands and the Hedmans were out, I went after it.



Here's the difference between the sbc flange and the Mopar. Similar, but not.


First, I ground off the welds on the flanges and knocked them off.




That was months and months ago. Now, I started by getting the square opening on the pipes to fit the rectangular flange openings.


The passenger side was easier, but I still had to move pipes around to fit the chassis. So, after some cutting and fitting, cutting and fitting, I ended up with this. The #2 and 4 pipes were cut off altogether. The #6 pipe was just shortened across the top. The #8 pipe was not modified at all.


Test fitting it into the car. It clears everything. I may still modify the #2 pipe as it will be very close to spark plug wires. So, I set it aside for now.


The driver's side was much more involved. Only one pipe survived being cut off altogether. After going back and forth to the car, I moved the #5 pipe was moved forward to the #3 position on the flange. There it cleared everything without modifying at all.



I went to the #1 pipe next as it would be the most complicated to clear the steering box and pitman arm's movement. This was my first attempt. It fit until the wheels were turned hard left, then smack into the pitman arm. After fiddling with it, I just pulled it apart and started over. I needed to get closer to the #3 pipe. I started mocking up the #5 pipe before starting over.



This is what I came up with after moving the #1 pipe around. This requires going back and forth to the car and test fitting. Since I'm working without a welder at this point, I just used masking tape to hold the pieces together.


Lastly, I started routing the #7 pipe. I had to route it so it wouldn't hit the back of the steering box and came up with this design. It actually came out looking great. After the first test fitting, I noticed the collector was much farther forward than passenger side, so I cut off the pipes and added 2 1/2 inches to their length down by the collector.


Here's what I needed to clear. The pitman arm, steering box, oil filter and clutch linkage. Success!! Next, I will borrow a mig and tack it all together before taking it in to get completely welded.

[milner351]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Nice work Scott - that takes patience!

[squirrel]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

You're nuts. I was wondering about the headers....I missed the part earlier about them being for a mopar! Seems you should be able to find used chevy headers cheap if you search around.

But this way you get to learn about fabricating stuff, so I guess you really are doing the right thing. I suggest you buy an oxy-acetylene torch set and learn how to weld....a torch seems to be the best "old fashioned" way to build headers.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Finding used large diameter headers,even for sbc, is harder than you think. I thought I scored. I also thought about buying a set for a gen 1 Camaro then modifying them to fit since no one makes big headers for my chassis except Stahl, $1400. They should be close because they have rear steering like the Impala. Hooker Super Comps are $450. Thats big money for something I might have to cut up.

[squirrel]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Ok, I see the problem now. The only large diameter used SBC headers I've ever got for free would fit a T bucket, not very useful.

Big tube headers for big blocks don't seem to be as hard to find, I got some for my 61 on epay for under 200 a while back.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

You did a great job ... just one small consideration. I really like how you taped it all together to be certain it fits.

How are you going to weld the inside of the pipes? (the part where all four pipes run parallel with each other) if you cut the pipes at the collector, you can reach from the inside and weld them up.... fortunately, you can resolve that because you need to extend the collector.
One last consideration, you want the collectors and pipes to be roughly equal on either side (it's why you have the stagger now).

[mike343sharpstick]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Man that's cool, making a set of used mopar headers fit a SBC.
There are basically two types of headers for an AMC, either eddy shorties or long-tube headers that hang way to low for a lowered car. Neither option is exactly cheap!
Something like this may be the way to go, and you have so little invested that the risk is minimal.
I may need to spend some time at a swap meet this summer. :D

[kyhunter89]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Define big tube headers. 1 3/4" or 1 7/8"?

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Define big tube headers. 1 3/4" or 1 7/8"?

1 3/4 or bigger on sbc. My 1 5/8 Hedmans are actually smaller than the exhaust ports on Victor Jr heads. Total power killer.

[langleylad]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

Scott , you are a true hot rodder ! . Wear that badge with pride .

[milner351]

Re: Rebeldryver's '65 Impala SS Black Betty

This is certainly the backyard budget way to get larger tube headers - for an SBC no less! Scott you never cease to amaze.

I hope the tape, then the tacks, don't lie and you don't end up with any significant tweaking after yanick lays down his row of dimes - or - even better - shows YOU how to do that so you can finish it... ;D