Hey, it's only been a year..but I finally drove the '67 this evening!

Thrashed late at night/early morning ( hey it's hot in TX!) for the last few days. I swear, it's all the little things that kill you! But I did have pretty good luck finding all the nuts/bolts and pieces that have been sitting all over garage in their respective little boxes or places. The best way to clean up a garage is to put your car back together!!

This project started with the installation of that custom Dana 60 IRS setup. Then it progressed to pulling the body (for the second time in it's life!) to get it all set up right, and to fully weld and reinforce the frame in anticipation of a little "spirited" driving.

Then, the 'ole engine was looking lonesome, so what the heck? Let's try to find a few more ponies! So it got disassembled and banished to machine shop jail for a LONG time. No big deal, I was working on rear end. But of course rear end was done andbody was back on months ago. Ended up waiting.

Finally got heads back from porter (beautiful!), new cam, new ported intake (swap meet score!), had block TQ plate honed to make sure all was well after running the last couple of years (it was). Rebuilt engine and dyno'd it. Made 825 HP@7400 rpm.

The car also got new carpet, console etc painted and detailed, a line lock installed, new polished TTII's (15x8's and 15x7's with 275/60's on rear). Complete new Aeromotive fuel system with return lines, sump on tank etc.

There were lots of other detail items I upgraded and improved while it was apart (where have I heard that before?).

But the wife was brave...she immediately jumped in it for the maiden voyage. I mean I didn't even know if it would move out of garage, but it did and made it back home under its' own power!

So everyone keep working at it...sometimes it doesn't seem like it will ever happen...but it will!!

JIM

 

Congrats Jim, I love it when a plan comes together. :auto:

 

I like the Dana 60 idea. Did you install a kit or modify it yourself?
Any pics would be cool too.

 

Thanks....

The Dana 60 is a one-off custom deal that is based on a Hemi case. That is a requirement, since that is the only Dana 60 with a pinion snubber mount to help allow you to build front pinion mount setup for a 'Vette. There were a few made in the 70's for racers. Lingenfelter, Cocuzza. Agaman etc plus even a few road race guys in Alaska!! Once installed it doesn't look much different than a Vette diff...just LOTS bigger. Mine is using 35 spline inner shafts, custom 3.5x.134 halfshafts, 1480 series truck U-joints and Tom's 31 spline outer shafts. I lucked into finding a brand new NOS Hemi Dana 60 bare case (how many of THOSE do you figure are laying around?) a NOS (1972 date) posi unit that was supplied only to factory sponsored racers (larger than even a stock Hemi diff. which already has 4 spider gears instead of normal two!) and there had to be a little machine work to fit the 3.07 gears I wanted. They don't make those for a Dana 60. 3.54 is as high as they go. I have a 5 speed and needed less gear with new HP level.

It uses an adapter plate on the rear cover area that mounts a stock Vette cover to it. Then you modify the bolt in diff. crossmember to get it all set right. Took a little while to get it all figured out and angles right, but so far it all seems to work fine.

I went off the deep end a little. I figure a stock Vette has a 8.2" ring gear, a 12 bolt Chevy is 8 7/8", then there is the 9" Ford, then there is the Dana 60....9 3/4"!!!! Not much stronger out there!

JIM

 

Awesome, Jim. I am glad to see that things are progressing.

I think you need to do an in-depth tech article on that Dana rearend. It is an incredible piece of workmanship and engineering and I think everyone here would appreciate it.

Now, since you built your car for freeway cruising how long will it take you to get up here(Washington) from there(Texas) assuming 5th gear at 7400rpm!!?

Hey, to show you how much of a good sport I am I will through in a new set of valve springs when you get here. :D

Steve

 

Don't dare me!!! :D


JIM

 

Jim,
I have a Dana 60 in my old truck of unknown orgin (It's not the original diff). I cannot find brake parts for it as they are much larger than the O.E. rear. I have never been able to I.D. it.
It does have a metal tag on it which reads 3.54 & also a tag at the fill port to inform you to install posi lube. There is also a large "N" cast into the front section.
What is this snubber you are refering to and where is it located? I think there is a small J shaped bracket on the front that looks like it was part of the car it came out of.

I'll try to get some pics of it next time I get out to where it's parked.
Thanks :)

 

Yeah Dana 60 stuff is huge. Used in 1 ton trucks and 4 speed Hemi/6 pack cars.

The pinion snubber mount is a machined spot on top of the housing just above the front pinion bearing (where yoke attaches). It has three 3/8" drilled/tapped holes where a bracket and rubber mount attached. Mopar was big on using them. As you know the pinion of a rear end tries to rotate upwards during a launch. Mopar installed this snubber and let it come up solidly and literally hit the bottom of the floorboards during launch to limit its movement. Other mfgs use them as a "overlimit" cushion "just in case". Mopar used it as an integral part of drag cars and it worked well. In fact, on factory Hemi cars they added a extra steel plate inside under rear seat to reinforce the area knowing what everyone was going to be doing!

As far as I know, Hemi's and Six packs with 4 speeds were the only housing made with this machined pad. I suppose you could weld up a mount etc to housing, but that would be pretty tricky. You never know, you may have one....my buddy had a '73 Camaro drag car with a Hemi case in it!


JIM

 

By the way, the title of this post reminds me of a Seinfeld episode...

 

man oh man, between 542 c2 with the 632 big chief and 427 hotrod with the 540 merlin, I need more power. Congrats to 427 hot rod for your wife going on the maiden drive. Mine is not crazy about riding in ours, maybe 4 or 5 times in the last 1 1/2 years it's been on the road. Complains about no ac, and living in Florida doesnt help. Congrats on the progress. :cheers:

 

My wife loves riding in mine since it's a convertible and she always insists I keep it mild enough for her to drive it. She likes being the one to pull into the Cruise-ins! :cool:

But there are times that Vintage Air setup looks pretty cool. I've got a couple of ideas for an A/C sytstem that are WAY out there (think aircraft stuff..) I just hate the way compressors look under the hood!

It can't be much hotter in Fl. than it is in Houston! Tell her to lighten up some and go have some fun!! A Pro-Street midyear has got to be cool!!


JIM

PS: Seinfeld??? Hold on......that's one of my favorite shows......subliminal....???