Cool build, I love sleepers!

Dad has managed to get the 65 B Body 8 3/4 back in with new axles from Dr Diff and the Wilwood brakes on.
We flipped the front spring hangers upside down and moved them back 3/4". The rear of the springs have sliders rather than shackles.
The 15x7 steel wheels I have on in the pics are 4 1/4" back space but the 27.5" tires have a very wide section width compared to the tread. (9 1/2" section width...6" tread...7" wheel)I didn't really trust them for an accurate back space due to the increased section width as it relates to the tires position to the leaf springs.

I unbolted the 17x9.5 5 1/5" back-space wheels from my Satellite and bolted them up to see how they fit. These tires are 275/60/17's and measure almost 30" tall.
The true 5.5" backspace gave me 1" of clearance to the springs on the inside.
The tires on these have an 11" section width with a 9.5" tread on a 9.5" wheel.
5.5 is what I am ordering rather than trying to push the limit with a 6" back space not knowing if a wider tread tire may have more section width.

I pulled the trigger on these wheels from summit with a full set of lug nuts for the 60 degree conical seat.
Fronts... https://www.summitracing.com/parts/VSW-521H5465P-19
Rears... https://www.summitracing.com/parts/VSW-521H5165P0
Lugnuts... https://www.summitracing.com/parts/GOR-45088-20
I thought the price on these were excellent!
4 wheels with lugs for less than $500.00 shipped to the door.
Here's a few other pics of the 17" wheels and how they fit...

Also a big Thx. to Cass at Dr. Diff for walking me through what needed to be done to the brake parts as Wilwoods design wasn't exactly correct.

The new wheels arrived and I mocked one up.
I like these lugs a lot better than the fighting the shouldered ones...
Now I need to start looking at tire combinations...
Dad wants radials...No more bias...Maybe a set of MT ET Streets...

V8 K frame is back from the sandblaster. I'll add a little extra welding and some etching primer for now.
I think were going to assemble everything and install the engine, transmission, headers and suspension thru the bottom with a dolly.
Also decided that with winter coming to add a 13' x 24' lean to on the end of the garage to house the Duster for the winter and provide an area separate from the Dart to control the mess in the garage...

Multi-tasking is good Remodel the kitchen while you're at it? lol

I like the father-son projects a lot. This one should be a blast!

Great job keep up the work

Moved the Duster over into its temporary home for now.
Dad wants to keep it rolling to push in and out while the addition gets finished on the inside.
It delays any work being done on the car but when it gets cold will provide a good place to do it...a trade-off of sorts I guess...

After seeing what some others are doing as far as lightening and cleaning up their K frames I started working on the one for the Duster today. It's a little rough around the edges so it won't be a show piece but I can knock off some weight and neaten it up some...
Here are some before pics...

A couple more...
After some chopping...welding...cussing and grinding I'll post up a couple finished pics...

Sleeper patina cars are awesome.

I just picked up a 72 Challenger I plan on doing the same thing......

Dad has been working on the Duster nearly every day since his garden slowed down. All of the inner fenders have been sanded and primed...
The undercoating was removed from the inner wheelhouses in the front.
K frame is finished and in primer.

A couple more pics...Thought I had some of the K frame but???

Dad has been working on this nearly everyday now.
We mocked the K frame back up in it to let it roll around as he wants to clean the rest of the rear unibody. Somebody take notice to the spindles. They're the stock ones for 10 brakes but I think he has them mocked up on the wrong sides...
Let me know if they are so I can get them swapped around when everything goes back together permanently...
Does it matter using the aftermarket Wilwood calipers and brackets?

Dad has been making pretty good progress on this...
I went down last week and removed the heater and air box...wiper motor and wiring plug from the firewall...pulled the cluster and took the trashed dash pad off.
He installed a metal firewall behind the back seat to the trunk area since the battery is going to the trunk along with the fuel cell.
He didn't say anything to me about it but he removed all of the side moldings from the drivers side...not a mark in the paint and there is no discoloration...

A couple up close pics of the fender and door...
This works out well...He calls and says order this...that and the other...I get to shop for it...find what I would want to use and pay for it...I drop it off to him and he pays me back...Kinda like Christmas shopping with someone else's money...
The fuel cell and mounts installed along with the battery box...
All installations and all fabricating is his ideas and designs...I kind of lead him which way I would like to see it go and help with making sure everything works together but this build is for the most part all him... 78 years old and still keeping busy...

Now you see why I try to coordinate everything ahead of time...

I had a guy come down and shoot the gun to match up paint on the car to mix up something that would match for under the hood. He did...no one checked it...Dad picked it up and paid for it...took it home and sprayed it and

"So you get what we have here...which is failure to communicate...I don't like it any more than you do...but that's the way he wants it...Well he gets it"

Dad likes it...To say that I hate it doesn't even come close...
Needless to say the hood will always remain closed...

Hello Quint
This project is coming along nicely but why mount the fuel cell up so high

Far as paint not matching once the engine is installed shouldn't be too noticeable but of course I wear bifocals

P.s where did the fuel cell and battery box come from

It's kind of a his car...his rules thing. The cell has the rear fittings down low...everyone I talked to seemed to think you want the pump to be gravity fed as it is a push style pump.
He didn't want to cut the trunk floor out so he made the brackets and then drilled a few holes. The way it is it will gravity feed the filter and pump assembly... I tried to get him to use a smaller cell down in the spare tire well but nothing really fit well...even the 8 gallon one I had was a little too big at the bottom.... add that to the fact he didn't want the filter and pump down low where it could be seen either...

Battery box is a "Taylor" kit from Summit. Fuel cell and -8 fuel lines were a Summit package. I get the battery box by itself and use the Summit 2 gauge wire battery relocation kit as it's a few bucks cheaper and also has the extra grommets. Call me if you need anything I can reference the invoice and give you part numbers if you want...

We're going to try something different under the hood...He scuffed everything up...I just need to find something suitable to put back in...He said black and I just may go that route...

I took down a bunch of hand tools today to start bending the brake lines and installing the fuel and electrical stuff...I had a manual fuel shut-off valve to put inline prior to the filter as the way it is you couldn't change filter out unless the cell was empty...So I took that down with all the fittings today also...The trans came back from being freshened and all of the new motor mounts and everything showed up. I need to make another order tonight for a few odds and ends he also wants...
He wants to clean up everything in the interior and maybe paint a few areas that are worn before putting the seats and carpeting back in...