61 Bel Air
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
61 Bel Air 
Bought this car 1 year ago, changed over the suspension to Air Ride and ordered new wheels from Budnick. Drove 4 stops on the Power Tour with two of my daughters, just missed a tornado in Oklahoma on the way down. Scary night that was for sure.
Second phase of this project is LS2 with 4l65. Asa cam, lsxrt fast intake to be straddled by coil covers from Edelbrock. Trying to imitate the look of a big block. These engine bays are so big, I think the look will be just right.
I'm hoping the brake booster interference isn't too severe but I'm anticipating some issues here. Choices I guess would be , switching to manual, hydro boost, or moving the booster further to the drivers side. Option 3 will be a last resort but will tackle if necessary.
Sure I will have some questions for you all, appreciate your interest in my build.
You guys are all on the wrong side of the state. 
I have a 61 two door hard top that is in small pieces getting the LSx treatment. I made some custom adapter plates and a transmission cross member for my car and a friends 63. I notched the frame on our cars to get the engine where I wanted it using stock style mounts and I can tell you the muscle car oil pan kit from GM will hang down below the cross member. I may use the Holley pan on my car since the first Impala conversion I did used a cut truck pan and the 63 uses a cut GM muscle car pan... I'm tired of welding aluminum oil pans. Hahaha.
One of the members of the board in the the St. Louis area with a few cool converted cars is Garys68.
I have a 61 two door hard top that is in small pieces getting the LSx treatment. I made some custom adapter plates and a transmission cross member for my car and a friends 63. I notched the frame on our cars to get the engine where I wanted it using stock style mounts and I can tell you the muscle car oil pan kit from GM will hang down below the cross member. I may use the Holley pan on my car since the first Impala conversion I did used a cut truck pan and the 63 uses a cut GM muscle car pan... I'm tired of welding aluminum oil pans. Hahaha.One of the members of the board in the the St. Louis area with a few cool converted cars is Garys68.
Love the car! Looks nice. I recently found a '61 2 door sedan like ours but it's an Impala not a Bel Air, didn't know they made them. Not sure if it can be bought but I'm thinking about finding out. Seeing your car REALLY makes me want it now!
Also back in 2010 I just missed a tornado on the Power Tour in Illinois, radio kept saying where it was, but I wasn't sure where I was, so that didn't help. People were pulling off the road, but I just kept driving, I wasn't going to be a sitting duck. Then I got to a clearing and actually saw it. It was HUGE! Not one of those that taper down to a point at the bottom, but rather about a 1/4 mile wide. Luckily it was quite a ways away, and I made it to the next town and got a motel. Sirens were going off all through the town, and when we turned on the news saw that it about destroyed a small town and crossed the freeway that I had just been on. That's he only time I've actually seen a tornado, and the last time I want to!
Also back in 2010 I just missed a tornado on the Power Tour in Illinois, radio kept saying where it was, but I wasn't sure where I was, so that didn't help. People were pulling off the road, but I just kept driving, I wasn't going to be a sitting duck. Then I got to a clearing and actually saw it. It was HUGE! Not one of those that taper down to a point at the bottom, but rather about a 1/4 mile wide. Luckily it was quite a ways away, and I made it to the next town and got a motel. Sirens were going off all through the town, and when we turned on the news saw that it about destroyed a small town and crossed the freeway that I had just been on. That's he only time I've actually seen a tornado, and the last time I want to!
Wow!! That is a nice Car!! I got a 61 4 door I am building. Hoping to do an LS swap in it as well. Is your air ride an accuair E-level by chance?? I am just installing mine and trying to find pics of where to mount the level sensors.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Need some assistance guys Can anyone help me and identify what year or model truck this bracket for the throttle body cable is from? I guess FAST expects us to know what to source these from.
The three holes to mount it plus screws were in my kit, but when I called them the tech guys didn't know the answer..
Appreciate any help, and if you have one I'll buy it.
The three holes to mount it plus screws were in my kit, but when I called them the tech guys didn't know the answer..
Appreciate any help, and if you have one I'll buy it.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Hitting it hard now! Last weekend we pulled the motor.
Thanks to Craigslist I sold off the motor and Chevy Rally wheels, nice to get that stuff out of the garage quickly.
Some of you might say priming the motor before turning the key isn't necessary, but I'm of the belief it can't hurt and doesn't really cost that much to accomplish. I bought a small bucket and drilled it for fittings both bottom and top. Bottom was the oil feed and top line was compressed air, used air pressure to punch oil in through the oil pressure fitting.
Installed the Lokar gas pedal, bought the floor mount version. That's gonna work out sweet, action shot my wife snapped because she thought it was funny looking with me sitting in the engine compartment.
Installed the fuel tank today with plumbing to corvette regulator.
Will finish up the plumbing this week, taking Thursday and Friday off for the install. Good buddy is coming in from Houston to help, going to be a fun time for sure.
Thanks to Craigslist I sold off the motor and Chevy Rally wheels, nice to get that stuff out of the garage quickly.
Some of you might say priming the motor before turning the key isn't necessary, but I'm of the belief it can't hurt and doesn't really cost that much to accomplish. I bought a small bucket and drilled it for fittings both bottom and top. Bottom was the oil feed and top line was compressed air, used air pressure to punch oil in through the oil pressure fitting.
Installed the Lokar gas pedal, bought the floor mount version. That's gonna work out sweet, action shot my wife snapped because she thought it was funny looking with me sitting in the engine compartment.
Installed the fuel tank today with plumbing to corvette regulator.
Will finish up the plumbing this week, taking Thursday and Friday off for the install. Good buddy is coming in from Houston to help, going to be a fun time for sure.
Looks aweome!!
Few questions:
Who modified the tank or was it bought that way?
What wheels are those?
Can you post up a part number and some pics of the Lokar pedal installed?
Few questions:
Who modified the tank or was it bought that way?
What wheels are those?
Can you post up a part number and some pics of the Lokar pedal installed?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Few answers Lokar assembly is called the Eliminator, on their web site.
Wheels are Budnik, called Shotgun with brushed centers.
I bought the tank from Rock Valley, but if I had to do it over again I might go with the one from "Tanks". With Tanks it appears from their picture on the web they also move the sending unit to the cut out platform as well and have a plug welded in the old opening. I like that idea better, with mine you have to use the original style sending unit which has the old fuel feed line integrated into it. I guess on the other hand it does give my a nice way to siphon the tank if I need too.
Wheels are Budnik, called Shotgun with brushed centers.
I bought the tank from Rock Valley, but if I had to do it over again I might go with the one from "Tanks". With Tanks it appears from their picture on the web they also move the sending unit to the cut out platform as well and have a plug welded in the old opening. I like that idea better, with mine you have to use the original style sending unit which has the old fuel feed line integrated into it. I guess on the other hand it does give my a nice way to siphon the tank if I need too.
Question about the tank. I can't really see what sending unit you have, but I used the one with 2 fuel lines in it. I kept the stock sending unit and used the corvette set up as you did. I kind of like the way you did your fuel tank, but seems like alot of work when you could have just used a $50.00 part. Just a curiousity question more than anything. Your car looks really nice, and with a good stance.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Thanks Ken, appreciate the offer. Regarding the fuel tank, not sure if I'm following your question but here goes. I'm using the original sending unit, it still has a single fuel pick-up as part of the unit itself. Obviously this doesn't get used since now the tank has an internal Walbro pump. I guess if I ever need to drain the tank having the original pickup in there will be nice.
Question about the tank. I can't really see what sending unit you have, but I used the one with 2 fuel lines in it. I kept the stock sending unit and used the corvette set up as you did. I kind of like the way you did your fuel tank, but seems like alot of work when you could have just used a $50.00 part. Just a curiousity question more than anything. Your car looks really nice, and with a good stance.
Using the Corvette (or any modern GM) "bucket" style pickup eliminates fuel sloshing past the fuel pickup. Those buckets are an interesting and brilliant design where the bucket stays full keeping the pump completely submersed (and cool) while the pumps pickup is always sitting in fuel - even to the last half gallon or so. Think of the bucket as a tank within a tank for fuel control or look up "surge tank" and this is the same idea gone OEM.
I'm actually in the process of building this very setup for two cars, my 61 Impala 2 door HT and a friends 63 Impala wagon.
Sorry to hijack and hopefully this makes sense.