Hey everyone my name is Matt from Vancouver B.C. I am a redseal auto tech and have been in the trade for 8 years. I Also have a decent amount of welding experience just so everyone knows where I stand. I have a bone stock 54 Chevy 2dr post that I am going to be bagging , I have already replaced the floor pans and body braces. I have a fresh 235 with dual carb aluminum offy intake and split Fenton exh. I will also be running a T5 tranny , I have the adapter plate and clutch disc. As far as front end goes I am still on the fence about doing a mustang ll or fabbing the stock front end for bags. My plan for now is to get the rear done and engine/tranny in as to hopefully be driveable in the summer. This is my first time doing any suspension fabrication and any help from someone who has done a gambino taildragger kit will be much appreciated. Step one is going to be doing the notch and then setup the rear suspension Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hey Matt nice looking ride ! Have you already bought the kit ? Sounds like you have some good experience so it shouldn’t be too difficult to tackle. The guys at Gambino’s should be able to help you with any tech questions you might have. Not sure if you plan on running the original rear end, drive line, etc.. If your not make sure to get your measurements before removing the rear end. Not sure with the chevy’s but you might have to look at tunneling the floor for drive shaft clearance as well. I’m sure someone else who has way more experience will hopefully chime in and help you out ! Good luck !!! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Thanks ! Yea I have the kit already . I picked it up on my road trip to santa maria last year. I have a rear end from a 4x4 S10, so I will be running an open driveline and from the looks of the other threads I read tunneling will be a must. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sweet looking ride, will look great laid out. Yea call Alex he's cool and knows his stuff. I'm about to buy his "Supreme Kit" for my 53. This will be the second car I've owned with one of his set ups in it.
Yes, tunneling is a must. I used the Slam Specialties, SS5 bags up front. I made room on the lower arms to accept the bag so they would not rub. After going to all the trouble I think they would have cleared without. I'm sure Alex could confirm this? I have a 7" power brake booster mounted in the original location under the floor. The power booster almost sits on the ground when the car is laid out. I'll be honest though, without "pancaking" the front cross member, you cannot lay frame with stock front suspension parts. I'd consider buying the 2" dropped uprights but it would sit my brake booster solid on the concrete. If you have not purchased valves/solenoids yet I would strongly encourage you to look at the Aire Jax manual valve. It is super smooth, reliable and requires zero power. It is a very nice set-up that allows you to monitor each corner of the air-ride with individual ports right of the valve manifold. Good luck with your car. It looks good already!
Thanks I will contact gambino and see what they say , The parts I have are -rebuilt 235 with speed parts -rebuilt T5 tranny -s10 4x4 rear end -gambino taildragger kit with bags -fatman dropped uprights I don't have any other airride stuff. I am also planning on doing the dual master ( get rid of the jam jar ) what master did you use a corvette ? Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yes, Corvette with 7" dual booster, '67 Nova rear, 700r4. The 235 with t5 will be a lot of fun to drive.
Following this thread... I'll be down a very similar path that you are taking - 235/T5, bags, new rear end etc... Looking forward to your progress
Update ! Notch is in and frame is cut . I'll post more photos soon. I have been posting to my Instagram go checkout @yota_ventures on Instagram , I made a photo thread on there so that's the most current photos Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Gambino just posted some how to videos on his IG stating to mark and measure the notch and then take it out and weld it completely on the bench. We drilled some holes and plug welded it aswell for some more added strength, Thanks to my buddy Karl from @japhands_kustoms for the help. Here's pics of them before we cut the frame and a shot from last May when me and a buddy drove to the santa maria cruise in nationals and then hitup gambino on the way home. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Nice set up You might want to look at using a jag clip off a series 3 The right width for 49-54 chevys and it’s a bolt in, the shocks are mounted outside the spring perch so doing bags should be easy And you keep your 5-4.75 bolt pattern get big girling front disc brakes and power steering, parts are not expensive for the jag neither and they can be bought for next to nothing I did this swap on my 50 it was really easy.
I had a ‘51 fleetline that I put a mII on. Only way to go. Rear was a competition engineering or some other brand bolt in rear 4 link. Project never got finished and traded it for something I could finish with out relying on anybody else so I can’t tell you how it drove/rode. Look in my album and see a pic of it... If I ever get another Chevy I’ll do it all over again. No just throw that 6cy away and put in something that will fly.
For now I'm just going to bag the stock front . At this moment I just want to have it rolling for the summer so motor and tranny need to be done and rear finished. I was in the shop tonight putting the links on Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Time for some updates, I spent some time and built a trans crossmemeber for the T5. I cut 11" out of the stock one and then plated the sides and fabbed up a tube crossmember. After I got that sorted I installed the new clutch and pilot bushing. I used and old school trick to replace the bushing that I learned at the beginning of my apprenticeship. I filled the pilot bushing full of grease, then had a punch that fit perfectly into the bushing and used the power of hydraulics with a couple good hits to pop it out. After installing the transmission and driveshaft I finished up mounting the rear shocks and put in the bags, lowered the car onto some blocks and gave it a test. Everything looks good so far. I plan to run the new brake lines next then pull the rear end out paint it and finish welding a few things. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Any updates? I'm thinking of putting one of these kits in my 51 but I don't know how they hold up on a daily driver
I know this is an old post, but Ballom how did you find the center line for the notch? What measurements did you take?