Introducing........RAT’S NEST - Page 14

**ZLP955** · #**131** 03-22-2019, 09:03 AM

Nice detail capturing there, thanks!

**R68GTO** · #**132** 04-06-2019, 01:22 AM

Another update on my progress......sunk my driveshaft in some evaporust and found the original painted stripes. I have no idea if this shaft is original to my car and would assume it is not due to the drivetrain swap over the years, but it's an original GM shaft. Also included some shots of the body stripped down. Very pleased with the lack of "surprises". Original panels are very nice and straight with just some minor work having been performed on the rear quarters back in the late '70's.

bbbentley · #**133** 04-06-2019, 01:36 AM

Talk about your clean virgin sheet metal! Nice! Looks great Jim. Do you ever sleep?

**ZLP955** · #**134** 04-06-2019, 01:45 AM

Looks great, nice and solid!

**cook_dw** · #**135** 04-06-2019, 01:09 PM

Great progress. Don’t remember reading it but have you decided on the paint scheme?

**R68GTO** · #**136** 04-06-2019, 04:41 PM

It will be restored to Lemans Blue. Plan to use vinyl to do the Rat's Nest thing.

**KnoxvillePig** · #**137** 04-06-2019, 05:33 PM

Very Nice!! Thanks for posting progress pics!! It was great talking with you this AM.

**cook_dw** · #**138** 04-07-2019, 12:53 AM

Very smart move on using vinyl wrap. Best of both worlds.

**R68GTO** · #**139** 04-14-2019, 11:12 PM

Worked on my original 9204 brake booster this week. Goal was to get it ready to ship out for re-plating. Of course it had a large amount of the gloss black paint on it so I went to town on it with some citrus stripper. It took 3 or 4 cycles of stripper and scraping with a plastic putty knife but it all came off exposing the original plating. Included a pic of the pedal connector and RBW pin as it also looks to be the original unit.

**R68GTO** · #**140** 05-26-2019, 10:33 PM

It's been a little while since I posted an update....been busier than a cat covering $hit these days!
I found a correctly dated 512 4 bolt main block and a matching set of 291 casting heads. Block is dated Sept. 8, 1969 and the heads are Sept. 11, 1969 so about 2 weeks before the build date of the car. The long block is built to stock spec.s with all the correct internals and was broke in on a stand. It will be a while before it lands in the subframe.

Went to a swap meet this weekend and met up with the son of the 2nd owner (Rat's Nest creator) again. He shared with me a story about the car's M22 biting the dust during one of the runs BITD. His Dad sent it to Doug Nash for a rebuild. Doug found the input shaft had a slight twist to it so that was replaced. When it was time to pay for the rebuild, his Dad was tight on money so he paid for the rebuild by giving Doug Nash his son's (guy I'm talking to) train set! Apparently Doug Nash was a model train collector in addition to an transmission guru!

Picked up a set of 1969 license plates at the swap meet, thought the MN suffix was appropriate

Spent some time today working on my 3.5" Fenton Gyros that will end up on the car. They're in pretty good shape with just a couple of nicks on wheel. I have more polishing to do, but am pleased with how it's coming out

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to R68GTO For This Useful Post:
big gear head (04-06-2019), dykstra (12-09-2021), NorCam (11-08-2020)

The Following User Says Thank You to cook_dw For This Useful Post:
R68GTO (04-07-2019)

The Following User Says Thank You to R68GTO For This Useful Post:
JBALL (05-28-2019)

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to R68GTO For This Useful Post:
JBALL (05-28-2019), markinnaples (05-29-2019), mockingbird812 (05-27-2019)

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