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Projects BACK AT IT FINALLY!! RE-BUILD OF AN EARLY CHEVY COUPE WITH A HEMI

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by 31chevymike, Nov 13, 2017.

  1. you could just leave the leaf spring mounts in and and a nice pair of leafs:)
    haha, just messing with ya
     
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  2. With only a 30 gal compressor possibly your air chisel is a little under powered, I have a similar issue. I find sometimes that a good old cold chisel and a hammer are more powerful.
     
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  3. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    I hear you Greyone - Looks exactly like someone did use a stick welder, just can't fathom why it was done so shitty... It will certainly give me the needed practice to learn how to repair steel areas!
    Yeah, you're DEFINATELY messin' with me for sure, knowing you would have left them in...
    It isn't that it's possible that my air compressor is a little under powered - IT IS! But it's doing the job at hand with other important tasks, just slower. I could spend hours in my garage to constantly strip paint, just cannot do it without running out of consistent air pressure. I'll keep at it till they fall off...
     
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  4. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Just a teaser on the current induction photo that most haven't seen yet. I scored this past summer on a vintage Weiand dual quad intake, thinking I had to settle on a new "repro". I just hope the rear four barrel clears my Vertex magneto... 20170505_135457_001.jpg 20170505_135559.jpg
     
  5. Nice! I love the breathers!
     
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  6. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

    Wow don't know how I missed this build but now caught up and on board for the good part. :)
     
  7. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    If you notice on the bottom of these Moon breathers, I had my engine guy make up the spacers so the breathers stand at a 90 degree angle straight up. These Moon valve covers at the top surface were angled. I wanted them to stand straight up like the famous "Donovan" hemi valve covers! Now I'll have these spacers made in aluminum so you'll barely notice them.
    Thank you Loudbang - my build will get more interesting when I'm at the point of welding in the x-member, boxing plates and of coarse, mounting that big ass hemi and suspension!
     
  8. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Like I mentioned in an earlier post, removing those stubborn leaf spring mounts with all of the damn rivets challenged my patience - took some time, needing to make some relief cuts to pry the mounts off eventually. The last leaf spring mounts that I still need to remove is the very rear. This will be challenging as well, because the gas tank support runs the whole width from rail to rail. Like I mentioned before, I will place the gas tank apron back on the car to determine where I want the rear frame rails to end, cutting off the rear leaf spring mounts in the process. My sawzall and my arm will get a good workout for sure!

    Need some advice: I need to take out some of the bends in the C channel before I can measure my rails for step boxing plates. For instance, the height of the rail. I may be able to turn the chassis on it's side and hammer out some of the bends - with the help of my brother to hold the chassis up. Any recommendations? 20171210_183225.jpg 20171210_183330.jpg 20171210_183305.jpg
     
  9. Super Streak
    Joined: Nov 22, 2011
    Posts: 296

    Super Streak
    Member
    from Florida

    That's going to be an awesome car. Good luck with it. I'm not a bit surprised you found that car in Brentwood. I grew up there, and there were lots of car guys, and drag racers in that town. On Grant ave. there was a beautiful hot rod roadster that sat in a garage for years and for all I know may still be in the garage.
     
  10. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Thanks Super Streak - the truth about Brentwood, Long Island NY is that the city is home to the third largest number of Puerto Ricans in the country. To find a late '60s hot rod in an area where most PRs usually drive Impalas and other types of low riders/fast &furious is an unlikely place for a find such as this. I went to Brentwood High at the Sonderling building and knew the area well. Glad I heard the news FIRST of the '31 and just had to own this car at any cost!
     
  11. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Managed to flip the body around so I can start stripping paint on the rest of it. In the meantime, stripping the last of the POR-15 chassis paint on the rails. When I first used this POR-15 paint, I simply painted right over the primer that turned the rust a white color that made the Black POR-15 adhere to the frame. Now, I'm removing 86 years of paint and rust completely from my frame, which is turning out to be a very tedious task - BUT DIGGIN EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!! 20171214_142155.jpg 20171214_142243.jpg
     
  12. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    20171217_145845.jpg So far, most of the country is FREEZING, with snow and all that crap! The only months I get much needed relief from the friggin' heat is December and January. Can't tell you guys how much I enjoyed last week, when the temperatures dropped below 60 degrees and even in the 40's...

    Of coarse, the temperatures gone back up now in the 80's which makes it 10 degrees HOTTER in my garage. I'm not a small guy either, being 6'3" and 250, so the damn heat takes a lot out of me. Still, stayed in the garage for 1-1/2 hours and grinded down more paint, getting close to the halfway point with bare steel on this driver's side. I'm shooting for a completely stripped body by the end of this month!
     

  13. Enjoying the build for sure, and great job! But- would like to throw/bounce this off you...... With the tall VC's- I see you have allen heads, which I have in hand, and was planning to run with my M/T covers. CHRY HEMI by the way, and the same breathers also.....
    So- we've seen the tall stand VC's used forever in fuel cars, and the early days when guy's ran dry=no coolant.
    D0 your top VC holes (mounting) go into water jackets? I had to think about it some, and if I ever had to pull a VC, well....... you should get the rest of what will happen. I had to revert back to studs for the VC's, and it has been a pain, but got it handled. SO- for those reading this regarding such matters= cheap studs equal out of round, and don't play nice with old VC's. Unfortunately, some things cost some coin to make things right.
    One of those sometime's overlooked, not thought of things that can piss a guy off, and have to re-visit again..... Food for thought here, but following along. Carry on Man!
     
  14. what? no A.C.?
     
  15. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    I just googled search on this subject and found an earlier HAMB thread on this subject - here's the quote from a reply: "If memory serves me correctly some are oil and the others are water. So yes it could be water. Wrap them with teflon tape and reinstall should be fine. I installed studs in mine with the teflon tape and never had an issue. Also the top three hole for the valve covers are also water." I am glad you brought this subject up because now, I will look into this BEFORE I fire up the hemi. Appreciate this INVISIBLEKID!
    It's funny, but my brother bought me a new free standing 12,000 BTU air conditioner to use in my garage and it just does NOT get the garage cooler. It has an exhaust tube that even gets the hot air to exit my garage with a small vent in the door.
     
  16. Tim_with_a_T
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,357

    Tim_with_a_T
    Member

    It's funny, but my brother bought me a new free standing 12,000 BTU air conditioner to use in my garage and it just does NOT get the garage cooler. It has an exhaust tube that even gets the hot air to exit my garage with a small vent in the door.[/QUOTE]

    My storage garage would get pretty toasty as well in the summer months. One thing that helped me was I put a bunch of plywood up in the rafters (for parts storage), but that created a thermal barrier as well (not intentional). It was bearable until mid-afternoon, then I would have to go do something else until after the sun went down. Keep up the good work!

    I noticed the cinder block wall in the back - if that faces the sun then you're basically sitting in an oven lol. One of the garages I rented had a brick wall on one side... same thing. Total oven experience.
     
  17. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    My storage garage would get pretty toasty as well in the summer months. One thing that helped me was I put a bunch of plywood up in the rafters (for parts storage), but that created a thermal barrier as well (not intentional). It was bearable until mid-afternoon, then I would have to go do something else until after the sun went down. Keep up the good work!

    I noticed the cinder block wall in the back - if that faces the sun then you're basically sitting in an oven lol. One of the garages I rented had a brick wall on one side... same thing. Total oven experience.[/QUOTE]
    The garage I'm renting is a unit within my apartment complex, 16 garages in total in front of our apartments. The cinder blocks in the rear has another garage right behind it. So the cinder block wall is not facing the sun, just the garage door. On top of the cinder block is an opening to the rear garage, which is most likely the problem. I just don't know how to seal it from the rear garage. In any case, I'm getting the job done no matter how uncomfortable it is in there.
     
  18. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Another big achievement today - managed to strip almost all of the paint on the driver's side in less than a week! All I have left is to finish up the doorjambs (driver's side is almost done already), the visor and the panel it's mounted on and the edge on the trunk lid for the most part.

    Then I can continue on the chassis, preparing to cut off the rear frame rails and most of the gas tank support. This will be the most challenging for me to date. Aren't these bodies awesome to look at in bare steel?
    20171219_170740.jpg
     
  19. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,723

    George
    Member

    Top goes into water, bottom into oil.
     
  20. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,723

    George
    Member

    You'll need Edelbrock/Carters or maybe spacers to raise the rear one.
     
  21. Don Nagel
    Joined: Dec 19, 2017
    Posts: 12

    Don Nagel

    Man, love that engine! Would love to have that set up in my garage, keep us posted...


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  22. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    What I'm still confused about is will these water and oil jackets leak if I don't use valve cover studs with Permatex? Now that I'm aware of it, I am planning to use the VC studs. Would you happen to know the thread pattern George? As far as the carburetors, I am planning to run dual Carter AFB's and hopefully will clear the mag. Thanks for the great advice!
     
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  23. 5/16 coarse thread into the head, "working" side is fine usually....."head" side is usually 3/8 to 1/2 deep depending on Mfg. to shoulder. Good studs aren't cheap, and cheap studs aren't good.......
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2017
  24. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Today I tackled removing the rear leaf spring mounts and modified the gas tank support so that when the body goes back on, the width of the apron will be completely hidden underneath - just showing about 4 inches of the rear frame rails past the edge of the body (Look at the dirty area on the gas tank apron where the edge of the body rested on). I cut the frame rails to end just above the bolt where the rumble seat pad on the apron had mounted (Photo 2). I can shorten or leave the length of the rear frame rails to where it looks the best! The rear frame rails will now resemble a '32 Ford with a spreader bar and nerfs, will plan the outcome later in the build.
    20171220_145140.jpg 20171220_145307.jpg 20171220_145748.jpg 20171220_171602.jpg 20171220_171630.jpg 20171220_191423.jpg
     
  25. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Soon I'll trim off the front of the gas tank apron where the gas tank straps used to bolt to. I thought leaving what's left of the apron will keep the strength for the rear of the rails. Or, I may take it out altogether if I choose when the spreader bar is attached. We'll see...
     
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  26. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Well said INVISIBLE KID - I'll start looking for these valve cover studs soon enough. Appreciate the info!
     
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  27. Fatbrosracing
    Joined: Jun 23, 2009
    Posts: 242

    Fatbrosracing
    Member
    from Australia

    Do you know what brand that valley cover is?
     
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  28. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,723

    George
    Member

    factory used bolts on the bottom & most likely didn't use sealer. a number of bolts go to water or unpressured oil. Carters are wide & short shouldn't be a problem, it's the long & narrow Holleys that won't clear.
     
  29. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    I do indeed - I bought this valley cover from Hot Heads Research in North Carolina. You have two choices, the front or rear oil fill.
    Thanks again George, I was not ever going to run Holley's on the street anyway.
     
  30. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,723

    George
    Member

    hemis don't have the oil under the V/cs like modern engines. If you use sealer on the VC gasket, only use it on the block side, especially if you have adj. rockers or push rods. You don't want to tear up the gaskets when taking the covers off.
     

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