Page # 2: CONSTRUCTION OF The 1966 PRO STREET Corvette, ... "LOVE IS BLUE"

ADDITIONAL PAGE CONTENTS:
Page#1: Main Site Page
Page#2: Construction Of 'Love Is Blue'
Page#3: Interior & Sound System
Page#4: Parts Fabrication & Installation - HARD PARTS
Page#5: The Early Years Of My 1966 Corvette
Page#6: Trips & Journey Taken In 'Love'
Page#7: Other Corvettes I've Built Over The Years
Page#8: Cheesecake Photos w/ 'Love Is Blue'
Page#9: Construction of 1/25th tribute scale model of 'Love Is Blue' by: Ron Drechsler

Just like Chip Foose has often said on the TV show 'Overhaulin', that shows the construction of custom cars;..."First I sketch out my thoughts onto paper...". My latest transformation process began the same way. While I was laying around recoving from open heart surgery in '89, I sketched up a couple of drawings of what I thought I might like to change my Corvette into...THIS.

Tip: Take photos of everything you're doing. I used mine to study the 'idea' of the placement of parts, to help visualize how it will look. And believe me, you will treasure all those photos taken now, many years from now. I wish I had taken MORE in the early years.

Custom chassis built by: MIKE LOESCHER , 'Finish Line Racing' (formerly, 'The Brass Rollcage')
Located at: 3113 S. Ridgewood Ave. (U.S. #1) Edgewater, Fl. 32032
Phone: (FUN)-427-RACE (386-427-8522)

These four collages give a quick thumbnail sketch of how the chassis, motor & parts were all laid out on the floor & assembly began. The name at the top; 'Brass Rollcage', use to be the name of 'Finish Line Racing' before they went into being mostly a racing school.
Mike Loescher, himself

Thankfully, Mike still does work for me (between race schools) when I need something constructed RIGHT for the vette that he helped build the chassis for years ago. We had no blueprints to go by, for this custom setup, so we had to 'wing it'.

You'll notice that we originally were setting this up for my old custom built 12-bolt-IRS vette rear, but finally changed over to the Ford 9" as the power levels kept increasing. I wish I had stayed with the IRS now, even if it would be a little weaker.

This (L) shows the old Lakewood safety bellhousing (while it was a 5 speed car) attached to the frame by four mounting points to make sure there was NO motor rock in the chassis, & delivered ALL the torque to the rear wheels. Photo(R) shows the 'down tube for the windshield side brace. The original '66 VIN tag & TRIM Code tag can be seen in their stock placement, on the dash crossbrace, just under where the glovebox goes.

The drivetrain & trial placement of the four 2 1/2" stainless steel exhaust pipes under the frame.

Fiberglass matt being laid to build new floor around the new frame configuration. New fiberglass floor partially installed.

This above, shows the floor glassed in and the new center dash pod rough glassed together sitting over the frame pictured left.
Here's Mike Loescher (lower L) welding the rollbar across the top of the vette's stock windshield frame, laid in tight to make it almost dissapear, once completed.

In upper right; frame with body off, to show how the water & fuel delivery lines run down the passenger side, under the body, beside the frame rails.
Yep, that's Ernie Irvin in the photo lower right, as he checks out "Love's" radiators while under construction @ Finish Line Racing".

Here's famous TV sports broadcaster, Jack Arut, ( photo upper L in the white shirt ) & Krystal Loescher, a NASCAR Grand American Modified racecar driver as they check the progress on "Love's" construction. You might have seen Krystal pictured in that poster (above) put out by Vavoline in the 1990's "Say No To Drugs" campaign with all of their famous sponsored racers standing together; like Dorsey Schroder, Mark Martin, Robby Gordon, Al Unser Jr., Joe Amato & Bobby Rahal, among others back then. That's her! She is co-owner of Finish Line Racing and teaches racing along with her husband, Mike. If you looking to learn how to circle race, call them. Phone: (FUN)-427-RACE (386-427-8522)

The original 1966 Corvette 'birdcage' framework.

Center console area roughed in, and smooth finished.

Inner fender wheel well begining construction, glassing together, shaping, forming. All done in my home's 2 car garage, with no kit panels! You will notice what's left of the original '66 rear deck in it's stock shape before I cut that up too, to add the head rest raised area that flows into the radiator housing area.

Closing in the air feed passage from the door, up over the wheel wells & into the side of the radiator housings. Also note the head rest area now being built and glassed together. Also note the large opening between the inner wheel well and what will be the top of the rear fender which was planned to be the air feed to the side of the radiators once completed.

Shows the air scoop passage before it's closed in under the wheel well upper body panel. A LOT of trial and error, fit & re-fit.

Final shape now appearing.

Almost NO bondo used in the building of my car, only in the finishing segment, for light smoothing of minor imperfections).

Another Tip:
Details, details. It's ALL about the details!! That's what seperates good cars from great cars. Keep after it when you're doing yours. Don't get tired and cut corners, you'll hate yourself later.

Mike Loescher, as he attaches the five link bars to install the 9" Ford/Strange equipped rear end. Next photo (R) shows the rear, the 5 link bar strut system, Koni adjustable coil-overs using Eibach springs, Strange 31 spline axles & Wilwood brakes.

Here is the C4 Corvette front suspension before polishing and attachment to frame.

Photo (L) shows the nose section, upside down on the floor. Now on the car (R).

1990 Thunderbird Supercoupe headlight header panels glassed into the nose to mount the headlights ... after modification, of course.

The nose is being constructed in these next set of photos.

Here is a hood skin I purchased from Ecklers Corvette in Tittusville, which I promptly cut up in numerous pieces.

Those pieces were then fitted around the engine, blower and other parts that didn't fit using the stock hood. They were glassed up to be MY hood. The hood sat so low on the motor, it had to be widened, raised and lengthened, just to clear the valve covers, breathers and such.

I'll bet most of you thought they were stock.

Here's a guy I can't thank enough, Darik Hayman, from Oak Hill, Fl. This guy assisted me doing the greatest finish glass work that you could ever ask for while I was unable so, during recovery from more health problems. Darik took up the slack. Thank you.

Here the 'stock' 1966 side vents, after they were cut to shorten them, (they had to be cut so they would look the correct size on the lowered fenders).
There's a reason this vette looks so low and mean in the front ... because it IS low. The crease on the nose comes to just about half way up my lower leg, (about 12"!!)

These show the beginning of the lower fan housings for the main air feed to the radiators.

You will notice it took a lot of steps to build these and package it to fit in the tight confines of the rear area.

The rough glass work turned out to be beautiful after long hours of grinding, shaping, sanding, painting and clear coating.

Tail light housings being built.
Here's another little tech tip:
You will notice I use a lot of cardboard and masking tape to shape my pieces. I lay the glass, then peel and sand the cardboard away. The cardboard is easy to shape and form...and cheap. I LOVE cheap! More to spend on 'Go Fast' parts. But always buy the best parts you can scrape the money together for. It's cheaper in the end.

Just about there.You'll notice the rear bumpers I made out of fiberglass from the stock steel vette ones, but they didn't make it into my final production design.

Puller fans in position over custom Be Cool radiators

Just prior to deciding to go full Pro Street, I had started to re-design the old body, as shown below:

Now we begin priming and painting:

HARD LUCK-HARD TIMES

First day I drove the Vette after painting, I had a water hose burst. The steam obscured the windshield making it unable for me to see. I tried to pull off the side of the road & clipped a sign post, tearing the right side door and rear fender up! How's that for bad luck? THE FIRST DAY I DROVE IT!!

EVEN HARDER BAD LUCK

Shortly after fixing the body, and the car completly repainted again, a bolt came loose from the base of the center carb, which had just had modified by The Carb Shop in Calif. It fell thru the blower, taking it out. It went into the motor, where the piston lifted the head, which allowed the cylinder to fill with water and on the next compression stroke split the cylinder block wall open. How's THAT for Hard luck? That was a newly built 440 cu.in. motor with only 750 miles on it. Total replacement cost: $9,800.00 !! That's why you put screens over the top of the intake and lifter valley! My car sat for a couple of years before I could recover from that cost.

Ross custom blower pistons and Big Brodix-2 aluminum heads.

Close up(L) showing the block "O" ringed. Notice that I had painted the block to match the car here? I changed my mind, not enough contrast. I went back to good ol' Chevy orange, then later went to a black block to help heat transfere.

Here's Eric putting the final touches on the 440" 3X2 motor, prior to firing it up on the engine stand.

Getting ready to put the motor back in. Pulled body panels.

Again, friends help me to get it back into the chassis.

Valentines Day 2002.
3X2 motor finally rebuilt & installed again. How fitting that "Love's" motor got put back on Valentine's day!

IT, (HARD LUCK THAT IS), JUST KEEPS ON COMING!
Right after finishing the Hot Rod Power Tour 2004, I was feeling so good about completing the trip without any real serious problems. That was till I was leaving Green Bay, Wisconsin the next day. Going down the road, a bit above the normal speed limit, the deck lid came uhlatched and the wind caught it, throwing it open into the 140+ MPH wind and breaking it into several pieces, forcing me to buy some materials and make quick temp repairs on the road.
Deck repaired with a few 'updates' and improvements.

And the reason for all this work is now fixed for good. A new electric lift was installed on the deck lid in 2005 to hold it firmly closed at high speeds.

Put one on the hood while I was at it. Just cause it's too cool watching the hood slowly open with a push of a button by itself! Great stuff at the local Drive In!

REPAINTING PARTS OF THE CAR MYSELF AT HOME, 2006/2007

Frame re-painted in new color! To fit the new Turbo 400 into the frame, I had to make some changes, so I took that opportunity to change the color on my tube frame.

Re-painting the firewall after switching to automatic (deleted clutch hole and minor changes to firewall).

Dash painted new color.

Newly painted underside of rear deck lid, inner panels of the rear clip & hood.

2006 BODY READY FOR PAINTING FINALLY

Painted body with House of Kolor Oriental Blue Kandy, over black base, with marbalizer accents. I rented the use of Southern Custom Painting's paint booth, located 2335 Guava Dr., Edgewater, Fl. 32141 Phone: (386) 427-1122. Thanks, Robert Chalker, owner.

Robert, upper left, lending a hand wet sanding between coats, no extra charge! Thanks, guy!

ADDITIONAL PAGE CONTENTS:
Page#1: Main Site Page
Page#2: Construction Of 'Love Is Blue'
Page#3: Interior & Sound System
Page#4: Parts Fabrication & Installation - HARD PARTS
Page#5: The Early Years Of My 1966 Corvette
Page#6: Trips & Journey Taken In 'Love'
Page#7: Other Corvettes I've Built Over The Years
Page#8: Cheesecake Photos w/ 'Love Is Blue'
Page#9: Construction of 1/25th tribute scale model of 'Love Is Blue' by: Ron Drechsler