XS, panel, whatever.

Haven't updated for crap in a while.

Long story short I wound up piecutting and bending the stock rails. Didn't like it or the seat position, so I completely cut the seat rails out and further lowered the existing uprights another half inch or so. Then I bent up some drop seat tubes using the HF 'Kinker' and some 7/8" .125" wall DOM tubing. Kinker works great once modified. Fabricated a new set of followers rather than the cheap crap rollers they include. Tweaked the dies a bit...and the damn thing bends without kinking. Tight too. I can get 90 degrees out of it without issue. Past 90 as well with a bit of finesse. Can't beat it for the price.

Anyway. Skipping around a touch here's a couple pictures.




rails cut out. welding rod bend up to mock up my new seat tubes.

Bent up and burned in the first seat rail. The 'spacer' is slugged, rosette and butt welded. Strength won't be an issue. The rails are fish mouthed and welded to the 'spacer' and fully welded to the back bone of the frame.



Then bent up and burned in the other rail. They look 'off' as the frame is asymmetrical... next time I'll just build my own damn shock mounts & supports, but this is the easy way out and it actually doesn't look too bad. Once everything gets molded in and I weld in some dimple died plates...should be slick.

bends done with the kinker. Note.. the distinct lack of kink.





One of my welds. I just quick dressed 'em with a roloc. once the fab is done it'll be sand blasted and I'll mold everything in so it doesn't have to be pretty pretty...but they aren't too bad anyway.

Got the one mid control mounted up. More comfortable than it looks. honestly. Plus my ass will be a solid inch or so up higher once I get the seat pan on and padded. I ain't worried about. Bent up half a handle bar with the scrap I had laying around. Was originally plannning on a 10.25" set of mini's... decided on a set of 8.5" tall instead.

Oh. and the LS2 got stabbed in the panel truck. Gotta replace the front body mounts on that, then finish up some other little things and then all the metal work is done and it's just a matter of finishing up the bitch. Definitely be a nice truck once she's all done.



Also cut apart and re-did the hood, just because. GTO tach pod stayed. Hood scoop shrunk and became *very* '67 427 Corvette-esque.