what was your first project?
 

I'll start this off with my first project; well, the first one I actually finished anyway. The year was 1994 and the vehicle was a 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS 275HP/327 Powerglide. That motor came from the factory with a small journal forged crank and forged rods; I had it bored .020 over and had the heads rebuilt with new springs/valve guides and had hardened seats installed for unleaded gas w/ a 3 angle valve job. I added Pioneer rod bolts, TRW forged pistons, Speed Pro rings, a Chet Herbert Cam/Lifters, Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, rebuilt Quadrajet carb (later a Carter AFB), Hooker Comp headers w/header wrap, Dual 2.5" exhaust into Walker Super Turbo mufflers with an H-pipe, and then stepped down to 2.25" out the back. Had a tach and Grant 13" steering wheel inside and some fresh Kelly rubber mounted on the 14" stock steel wheels w/SS hub caps! That's about it, very budget build but what a great time that was! oh yeah, no leaks either! Mind you, this was on a shoe-string budget.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/742/32...392ceb1c_b.jpg18059_1160473264017_3369799_n by devin lalande, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/408/31...12ed62bd_b.jpg18059_1160472984010_7406177_n by devin lalande, on Flickr

that chrome package in the engine bay was the cheapest thing I could find AND afford, lol, I'm talking generic PAW over here! all the hardware was grade 8 though!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/650/32...449ae93b_b.jpg18059_1160473184015_6656030_n by devin lalande, on Flickr


prior to the Impala, starting at about age 14, in order, I worked on but did not finish a 1976 Ford pinto, 1971 Chevy fullsize pickup, 1959 Chevy apache pickup, 1973 Ford Ranchero.

1972 Pontiac LeMans (GTO Option)

Got this my senior year of High School. 1979. It was a nice car when I got it. I basically had it painted at some point later and built engines for it. Had a total of 4 different ones in it. Rebuilt the original, a 1970 RAIV, 1970 RAIII and finally a 1972 455HO.

Later in its life with me.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i.../1972GTO-1.jpg

Originally came with Rally II wheels, I found some rare honey combs for it.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...erado/GTO1.jpg

The Ram Air IV in it. Its serious hot rod days.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...ado/RAIV-1.jpg

The 455 HO on the stand after a rebuild. Balanced, blueprinted.... yada yada yada.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...ado/455HO1.jpg

Underhood later in its life with the HO in it.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...rado/GTO-1.jpg

my 03 sierra is my first project...go figure. hahaha.

love the 72 LeMans!

Mine was dropping a 350 into my 89 s10 blazer 4x4.
Came stock with a 4.3 and it was getting very worn out. I was trying to decide if I wanted to rebuild the 4.3 and put on a turbo or just drop in the 350. 350 sounded much easier.
I actually started off with a 302 replica but it turned out that the builder did a piss poor job with it and later cracked a dbl hump head so I yanked it out and purchased the 350 shortblock from St. Louis Engines or whatever it was called from Ebay.
Specs on it were 350 bored .060, flat top hypereutectic pistons with -7cc valve relief. PBM .224/.234 .465/.488 114lsa cam.
Shortly after I picked up an Edelbrock RPM dual plane intake. I wanted it to breath so I found a nice deal on a set of Dart Iron Eagle heads. 200cc chambers 64cc combustion with 2.02/1.60 valves and dual springs (.550 max lift). Paid just over 800 for them and they sale right now for about $650 per head through Dart.
Had fun with it for a few months until the transmission couldn't take anymore punishment. Picked up a Mad Dog 4L60 and 2600 stall for it in April '06 but still haven't driven it since then because of work and me being too lazy to finish it.
It'll only take maybe 1-2 days of work tops to have it moving again so hopefully I'll stop slacking on it soon and get finished.

Here are some pics and videos. The videos were taken after the trans gave up. All I had left is 1st and 2nd gear. In my take off video I reach the end of 2nd (70mph) before the video ends. NO dyno numbers yet but hopefully i'll get some when I decide to put it back together.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...ze/pistons.jpghttp://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...aze/Pistop.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../GuidesNew.jpghttp://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../SpringNew.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../ValvesNew.jpghttp://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...laze/Under.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../BlazaV8-1.jpghttp://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...laze/Weeds.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...scoInferno.jpghttp://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...laze/muddy.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../BlazaCold.jpghttp://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...Blaze/LEDs.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/SeatBlue.jpg

Videos:
http://s175.photobucket.com/albums/w...GoGoGadget.flv
http://s175.photobucket.com/albums/w...rent=Stall.flv

My Sierra is my first project.. Im only 19.

my silverado is mine also...

Awesome car!! I don't like the honey comb style wheels much, but the car is killer.:nod:

Thanks, I miss it.

Thanks.

I never really liked the honey comb wheels either but they were so rare. Guy traded me even for the Rally II's that were on it. The GTO was the only honey comb 14" made and they only came on HO cars. Also note the rear exhaust tips. I spent 3 years finding those. They were only available in 72.

Yeah it's an import, but still my first
 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../DSC009482.jpg

Back in early 04 I found this 86 Toyota MR2 for sale down by the dog track. Didn't run and was rough. My friends told me not to buy it but being hard headed I did. I saw something in it as well. So for $650 it was mine. Now I needed a motor. Months went by til I found someone somewhat local with a running motor from another 86 MR2. 174k miles. $200 and now I have a motor. Well at the time I hadn't done much mechanical work so I was scared to do the swap myself. Lack of time, knowledge, tools, ect. So $1000 more to have a shop do it. So I'm up near $2k into it and now it's running! That was one of the best days of my life driving that car for the first time.

A year later I quit my job at CVS and got a job working for Ron Carter bodyshop. I was a lowly porter washing cars and cleaning. Time passed by slowly and I began to learn autobody stuff. After two and a half years I asked my boss if I could do my car and he agreed. I wrote it up and began the teardown and preping.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Reborn/006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Reborn/008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Reborn/034.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Reborn/037.jpg

The car was originaly going to be black as it was from factory but the painter asked me at the last minute if I wanted to do something else. I told him to go for it. Glad I did.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Reborn/049.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Reborn/052.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...0Reborn/01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...n/DSC03885.jpg

This is how it came out. Now taking this thing apart and putting it back together showed to be quite a task. They sure don't build them like the used to, or atleast not with as many screws and bolts! lol. I added the factory wing, went to a later year side vent and did a few other minor cosmedic changes to it here and there. I changed the springs and struts out to tokico HP's and ST's that dropped it about 1.5" F/R. It felt much better in turns. After this I had the tint guy wrap it up with 5% all around and got the final rear trim pieces. I guess I haven't really done too much to it, but it's my car and I love it. I still have plans for it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...n/DSC04864.jpg

Dylan