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Projects Bad Banana Resurrection - 55 Chevy Gasser

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Bad Banana, Aug 10, 2010.

  1. Lucky3
    Joined: Dec 9, 2009
    Posts: 652

    Lucky3
    Member

    Very cool car and a touching story !

    Go man go !!!

    :D:D:D
     
  2. 29ToyA
    Joined: Oct 29, 2010
    Posts: 413

    29ToyA
    Member

    Great story! I like all old photos, damn cool project!
     
  3. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

    x2! :)
     
  4. Wesley
    Joined: Aug 12, 2006
    Posts: 1,670

    Wesley
    Member

    subscribed, your story is inspiring. I need to be more assertive on getting my dad to the track with me. Our car doesn't have the history that yours does, ours was a father son build in the mid nineties, and I cherish the times we spent together running the car together.
     
  5. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Time for some update pics. Looking pretty complete under the hood. Need to finish the rad hoses and plumb the fuel system. I am building the rear axle this weekend. Should have it ready to go under the car very soon. Here are some quick pics.

    158.jpg

    Step-son helped me make these shock mounts. We used the original holes in the frame and he learned about how to "swiss cheese"

    159.jpg

    The rad mounts on the side of the rad with the rubber are original as well as the 3/8" aluminum rod in the front. I moved the rad up a bit higher so I had to raise this mount. I added the upright and gusset and the rear rod to mount the surge tank. The rad is also the last rad in the car from the last time it ran. The surge tank was never on the car. Dad had a fill cap in the top rad hose. I don't have that any more but decided to use the tank he never got around to using. Both are 1965 Vette pieces. You can also see what I did for the throttle linkage (swiss cheesed bracket as well) :D

    160.jpg

    Step-son has been working on the brackets for the water pump drive. As I said before, the pulleys are original.

    161.jpg

    I think it is starting to look like a racer again! :D

    162.jpg

    I mounted up one rear tire and stuck it under there to see what it will look like. Hope to post more pics (both old and new) soon. Right now, I feel I am still on track to be ready to test before the snow melts. :)
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2016
    catdad49 likes this.
  6. pregrid
    Joined: Jan 8, 2009
    Posts: 176

    pregrid
    Member

    Subscribed. what a wonderful thread. Here's some Heap Good MOJO for you and your dad.
    Dave
     
  7. Falcon Gasser
    Joined: Aug 29, 2007
    Posts: 940

    Falcon Gasser
    Member

    Rusty, its coming together really nice, I think you will have no problem to test before the snow is gone as cold as it has been. Whats the next big step?

    Jon
     
  8. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Putting the rear axle under it and setting it on the ground. After that, I will probably work on getting the engine fired up in the car. It looks like a may have an opportunity to run the engine on a dyno. The guy who owns the engine is buying a used engine dyno local to me. He wants to see an engine run on the dyno before he buys it and called me and wants to use this engine for the test. It is win/win for all of us. I want to make sure there aren't any leaks and I would like to get it to idle so we aren't screwing around with it in his shop. Time will be limited but if there aren't any issues, we can do some tuning on it while it is there. It will make it nicer when I put it back in the car and take it out for the first time this spring. Right now, it will probably not be before sometime in February before we can get to the dyno. Hopefully, I'll be ready when they are.

    Not a huge deal if we can't get to use this engine for the test, but I would like to try. The timing of everything my not work out. We'll see.. ;)
     
    catdad49 likes this.
  9. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Check that off the list. I wanted to sweep the floor today and clean up so I pushed it outside. Took some pics outside and then had a hell of a time pushing it back into the shop by myself because the driveway is slippery. No one else home today. Not to worry, I got a running start and it rolled right back in. I think it was starting to shiver a bit.... :D

    Still need to do some rear suspension work but it is getting closer every day.:)

    163.jpg 164.jpg 165.jpg 166.jpg 167.jpg

    5.13 gear, spool and Moser axles reside in here now.

    168.jpg
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2016
    catdad49 likes this.
  10. alterbob
    Joined: Nov 10, 2009
    Posts: 112

    alterbob
    Member
    from Butler,Pa.

    Looks Good Rusty Lets us know what it dyno's at. Bob Bauer
     
  11. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Hmmmm maybe... I might just keep that a secret for a while... ;)
     
  12. Rich1028
    Joined: Jul 12, 2008
    Posts: 222

    Rich1028
    Member

    looking good!
    thanks for the updates.
     
  13. treeserv
    Joined: Nov 2, 2009
    Posts: 242

    treeserv
    Member
    from n.j.

    :DYour getting there keep it up.
     
  14. novabbc
    Joined: Feb 1, 2011
    Posts: 86

    novabbc
    Member

    Excellent! Keep up the good work and hope to see you @ Beaver Springs. Here is a couple of pics of mine from back in the day and from the day I picked it up after being stored for 37 years.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. uwonamos
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 271

    uwonamos
    Member
    from Omaha, Ne


    There are no secrets on the H.A.M.B.:D
     
  16. Just read this thread beginning to end. Awesome.

    Would be great to have a youtube vid on the first drive with your dad there!
     
  17. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    It now runs!!! I had an issue with the injection though. When I cleaned up the barrel valve I noticed there was a light spring behind the idle return fitting and it looked like there should be a jet or something in there. The spring did not do anything. I have not run one of these before but it was supposed to be a running outfit already set up for alky. So... I put it back together as it was.

    As you will see in the video, it was dead lean at idle and really wouldn't start and run unless you bottle fed it. Once I figured it out, there was no place to get any parts. So, I made a small metering disc to give it idle fuel pressure and it was enough to make it run. It obviously needs some tuning yet and I need to locate the correct idle meter disc but I was able to run it enough to get it up to temperature and hear it run for the first time in almost 29 years.

    Step-son was pretty happy to hear it fire. You can see his reaction when it first catches for the very first time. ;)

    Here is the video. To see all of them in order, click on the first one on the left and they should all play. Be advised.... the guy talking (err... ramblin') might have breathed a few too many alky fumes ...especially at the end... :D

    http://www.youtube.com/user/badbanana1955chevy#grid/user/15DC5AE8E1047412
     
  18. cooljunk
    Joined: Dec 18, 2007
    Posts: 423

    cooljunk
    Member

    Great to hear it fire up at last. You going to be runnin alcohol?
     
  19. GaryB
    Joined: Dec 19, 2008
    Posts: 3,529

    GaryB
    Member
    from Reno,nv

    gotta love a injected sbc
     
  20. ahgarageohio
    Joined: Feb 6, 2008
    Posts: 182

    ahgarageohio
    Member
    from ohio

  21. Badhabit
    Joined: Nov 5, 2009
    Posts: 86

    Badhabit
    Member

    Man, sounds great! I need to go work on my car!
     
  22. pregrid
    Joined: Jan 8, 2009
    Posts: 176

    pregrid
    Member

    Now THAT'S cool. Good job!
     
  23. 57rustbucket
    Joined: Dec 26, 2005
    Posts: 65

    57rustbucket
    Member
    from Latrobe

    I live very close to Pittsburgh raceway park. (old keystone raceway) I am in the process of building a 1956 chevy gasser to race there. If you ever come this way PM me on the forum so we can hook up and meet. I am hoping in a year to have my 56 gasser finished and at the strip.
     
  24. OahuEli
    Joined: Dec 27, 2008
    Posts: 5,243

    OahuEli
    Member
    from Hawaii

    Music to my ears! Great job and looking forward to the video of it running the 1/4 mile!
     
  25. Finelinefab
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 25

    Finelinefab
    Member
    from La salle

  26. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    Outstanding!!!! Hell Ya!!!! Way ta Go Bro. , Great job on the thread also, Great pics.... Cheers
     
  27. Bad Banana
    Joined: Jun 20, 2008
    Posts: 834

    Bad Banana
    Member

    Yep... Besides nitro what other kind of fuel is there??? :confused:

    x2

    yup!

    Get to it man!.. it ain't gonna build itself!! :D

    It is cool isn't it.. Thank you

    Will try to rememeber to. Although I have noticed I don't remember as much as I should as often as I should the older I get.. just ask my wife! ;):D

    You and about a bizillion other people it seems...

    Thanks again

    :D

    I have a few more things I need to fab up while the engine is still in the car. Once those are done, the engine and trans comes back out and I need to get crackin' on the body. I figure I really only have about 2 months until the snow melts and I have a lot to do yet. It has taken me about 6 months to get this far and I think I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

    I made some phone calls yesterday and let a few people hear ir run over the phone. My Dad was first obviously. He giggled and I asked him if he thinks it will run at least 11.30s (which is the fastest he ever ran it) and he said "you're worried it might not aren't ya?"... LOL. Then he started pointing out that it now has a much bigger engine, on alky, roller cam, aluminum heads, yada yada yada.... LMAO

    Next was my life long friend Denny who donated the engine and injection manifold to this project. I was on the phone to him when I couldn't get it started and I told him about the barrel valve. We discussed what could be done and I told him what I thought I could do (make a metering disc and use the existing spring) and he felt it was worth a try. Once I got it running I called his shop and he was gone for the day so I just waited for his answering machine to pic up and then fired it up. I'm sure he will get the message... ;):D
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2011
  28. koolkemp
    Joined: May 7, 2004
    Posts: 6,005

    koolkemp
    Member

  29. hotrod_32
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 496

    hotrod_32
    Member

  30. redlinetoys
    Joined: May 18, 2004
    Posts: 4,302

    redlinetoys
    Member
    from Midwest

    Yowie! That thing sounds sweet.
     

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