Project : X-BOMB

Day 86 - October 26, 2017

Picked up fiberglass front end for $100. Also picked up 33 spline axles and spool for $40.

We came home with a really good haul that day.

Is there a story behind why that front end is so cheap, or is that what they go for? I'd be fiberglassing all the things if that sort of thing was available. 

I'm pretty sure you guys are the kings of swap meets. 

Edit: re-read my comment, I don't want to imply AT ALL that you guys did something other than get a good deal. I'm just curious if there is a reason (like it was broken and repaired) it was so cheap or if these can be had much cheaper than most of us suspect with careful shopping. Sorry if it came across any other way. 

I know that trick, you just bring your own masking tape a sharpie for the picture.  What did you really pay?

Us ham 'n eggers that may or may not be able to weld and can barely bend metal in a vise are envious of your skill and abilities.

Keep up the great work, hope to have even some of your talent one day!

Dan

mazdeuce - Seth said:

Is there a story behind why that front end is so cheap, or is that what they go for? I'd be fiberglassing all the things if that sort of thing was available. 

I'm pretty sure you guys are the kings of swap meets. 

Edit: re-read my comment, I don't want to imply AT ALL that you guys did something other than get a good deal. I'm just curious if there is a reason (like it was broken and repaired) it was so cheap or if these can be had much cheaper than most of us suspect with careful shopping. Sorry if it came across any other way. 

The left side was longer than the right side. It took a while to figure out why they had a figment issue. Once we found it, it was very clear. We straightened it out but it will be further back on the car and not match factory dimensions.  

This particular front end is the third time I saw a fiberglass front end for a Nova at a flea market. Coincidentally the other two were also $100 each. One I saw at Maple Grove  but did not purchase and the other came from Carlisle and I did buy. It ended up he 69 nova that I ran  427 in 

akylekoz said:

I know that trick, you just bring your own masking tape a sharpie for the picture.  What did you really pay?

We were called by Denny who found it before we got thru the gate. Denny is a fellow competitor and friend who saw it, called and helped load it.  Like it or not, there's no funny business. 

That makes sense. I've seen fiberglass hoods that don't fit quite right go for absurdly cheap because no one wants to figure out how to make them fit. 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

That gives me an idea. There's a fiberglass shop here that makes drag bodies. Wonder if they sell their oops stuff cheap. 

The best part of the fiberglass clip is it appears to eliminate the giant front bumper! 

20 years ago the kits for these were available for like $300 new. 

That was for individual pieces too. 

I remember missing out on used 'stock car' fiberglass pieces for an intrepid online for $300 for a complete body, spare hood and spare fenders and a few other pieces if I remember correctly. Guy had changed to a 'charger' body and had no use for the old stuff. I couldn't source a trailer to take it all in time as he didn't want to sell it off piece by piece. 

So old used fiberglass body parts can probably be had cheap in that sense. 

There's a whole different reality happening for Camaros and Novas.  The value of steel cars (Restored or Pro Touring) is going nuts.  Taking old Detroit Iron off the track to return to the road is happening at a feverish pace. 

wheels777 said:

There's a whole different reality happening for Camaros and Novas.  The value of steel cars (Restored or Pro Touring) is going nuts.  Taking old Detroit Iron off the track to return to the road is happening at a feverish pace. 

My bosses 74 went from 10 second street/strip toy to currently all chopped apart for a pro touring style rebuild with fuel injection just to get some value out of it. So i beleive that.

dropstep said:

wheels777 said:

There's a whole different reality happening for Camaros and Novas.  The value of steel cars (Restored or Pro Touring) is going nuts.  Taking old Detroit Iron off the track to return to the road is happening at a feverish pace. 

My bosses 74 went from 10 second street/strip toy to currently all chopped apart for a pro touring style rebuild with fuel injection just to get some value out of it. So i beleive that.

Many folks are doing it and the. 'racing' parts are showing up at the flea markets. We bought 4 Drag shocks for $25 - Like new for a Nova. 

That creates kind of an interesting paradox. The cars themselves are becoming expensive, so it's expensive to get a car to be able to use the cheap parts. If you had one sitting in your garage that you got when they were cheap...... it's a good time. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

That creates kind of an interesting paradox. The cars themselves are becoming expensive, so it's expensive to get a car to be able to use the cheap parts. If you had one sitting in your garage that you got when they were cheap...... it's a good time. 

Or....reread the first post on page 1. :-)  

actually the 73-74 Novas are still cheap. 68-72 is where the money is at. 

Not new from summit/jegs fiberglass is cheap.  I got a brand new never mounted 1pc front end for my camaro for $150 and it was $1000 or so at the time from a retailer.  If they made street quality chevelle doors that took all the factory guts i’d buy them before steel.  

Keep me in mind next time you find a cheap 6.0 that isn’t broken somehow.  

Day 87 - November 3, 2017

Metal front end that has been lightened without inner fenders weighed 127 pounds. Fiberglass front end weighs 31 pounds. No hood. Net 96 pounds 10.4 ounces. That is equivalent to 17.4 hp gain at our target ET.

Day 88 - November 4, 2017

Stripped off front suspension. Started heavy cleaning/grinding/smoothing.

Day 89 - November 5, 2017

Front crossmember removed part was 7 pounds. New tubularized crossmember is 3 pounds. (4 pounds = 0.72 horsepower) Front Frame horns were 11 pounds.  So we have a net 111 pounds off the front end with the fiberglass. 90% of it was in front of the front axle. This is the same as adding 20 horsepower.

In reply to TheV8Kid :

November 2017?!?!  Dang, we're almost caught up!

In reply to AngryCorvair :

Yep. We're getting close. We still have quite a way to go as well. You guys may be watching it live for a little while soon.

In reply to wheels777 :

Dang I forgot the emoji again. 

Seriously, great bargain hunting and fab skills.  Makes my wrenching look like building legos. 

AngryCorvair said:

In reply to TheV8Kid :

November 2017?!?!  Dang, we're almost caught up!

We are running multiple parallel paths and it will catch up soon.  Rear being put together for a Camaro.  Fuzzy getting an engine together for his Baker.  My 'Baker just got the engine back together.  Gutting out the farm house next doors.  Prepping a car to ship.  But we will be back to it at some point.  As Fuzzy noted, it will be live soon.

Stampie said:

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

That gives me an idea. There's a fiberglass shop here that makes drag bodies. Wonder if they sell their oops stuff cheap. 

You need to investigate this. You know...for science.