I'm guessing the motor won't look real period correct, so I wouldn't worry too much about the rear end The speedway axle kit works ok, if you play with it some. But if you're planning on racing and pulling the wheels up, get something stronger. For ride quality, it helps to get springs with the correct rate (or take out leaves as needed to soften them up). Mine is ok, although the bias ply tires, and altered wheelbase do make the handling not quite as nice as you'd like for something you're going to put a lot of miles on. Most guys don't put a lot of miles on cars like this, so it's not an issue. I probably wouldn't do the "gasser" thing to that car, unless you can come up with a nice W motor and 4 speed and Olds rear. But I'm an idiot.
x2 Like "slow motion" said in post 21 about the rear wheels. This was a south Texas gasser from the mid 60's. It had issues(The one time I saw it race, it ended badly - a rod sticking through the oilpan ) My brother and a friend of his bought it, painted it from grey primer to flat black, put in a 283+AFB /3 speed and used it to go to college I think it had a 4.11 gear. It had stock suspension, but if I recall correctly there was a piece of railroad track welded in to raise the front, in order to clear the front tire with a set of chrome headers with a collector box that was flush with the wheel well.
I've put two of them under BBC powered Tri 5's that have made more than a few wheels up launches and driven many thousands of street miles with no issues at all Just my experience
I've put a Speedway kit under my '53 Chevy, straight, no drop 48" with Chevy spindles. It sat too high for me so I took out one leaf from each side and it helped a bit, but still too high. I found an original MAS 2" drop and it put everything back to where I liked it and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two axles. The '53 has a 409"/4sp. If you need pictures of how I did mine let me know..
I took about half the leafs out of the springs in the Speedway axle kit in my Chevy II. The springs are just about flat now, no curve. Rides decently smooth.
built this about 10 years ago. 4" I beam bolted between frame and crossmember with mid 70's Camaro posi rear under the rear leafs for moving around. Street freak potential for sure. Finished and at the Hamb drags with rear over the rear leafs. Drove like a dream and straight as could be. easy to take back original if wanted. Don't cut the frame!
Cavman, Was the MAS just the beam or springs also. I might be interested in seeing some pictures of that. Thanks popper John Lynch
I bought just the axle, no springs. The car is in storage now, and I have no pics of it, but I do have pictures of the Speedway setup.
Thank you cavman. I'm leaning towards the Speedway front end. I did a lot of research on the I beam method and was considering it also but I really want the straight axle look. I am thinking about going to the Olds/Pont rear end though which should make some happy on here. It's just that I have a lot of stuff off of drag cars and wanted to use some of that instead of buying parts. popper John Lynch
hey it's your car. build it how you want. you got to live with it. straight tube or a truck axle is about the same. i have had both and don't see much difference. power steering does make a world of difference in driving. something to think about though, trucks have had I beams on them for a long time, so there is longevity in there favor. the best thing you can do is put long springs on it. speedway just uses trailer springs on there kits. there is a reason trailers don't have shocks on them. no give.
show me a trailer spring that is the same as the Speedway springs...then maybe I'll believe you. The funny thing about the Speedway springs is that they tell you in the instructions that you'll have to remove some leafs to make the springs work right, but no one (except me, that I've seen) actually does it. Everyone is after the "ultra high" look, they don't seem to give a shit about how it works.
I took springs out of mine because even with the weight of the 409 up front, there was no spring action, plus even with short tires the crank center-line was an inch too high. After the 2" drop, I could use the taller skinnies. I wanted a nose up, but didn't need to be able to walk under it. As far as ride goes, hell I once drove a '57 Chevy short-box to the west coast and back from WI. I'm sure my '53 will ride a lot better than that.
Finally.... Someone using the term Street Freak I was beginning to think no body remembered. I get so tired of hearing everything being called gassers , I just sold my old 55 chev. Ex-gasser put on street duty and I'm currently building a 50 stude champion Street Freak and people are always calling it a gasser, there just uninformed, it's getting coilover 4-bar tube axle in front, Dana 60 w/locker set on leafs w/floaters and lift bars and Koni 50/50 shocks out back ,powered by tunnel rammed duel carbed small block with all the go fast guts grabbing gear's via m22 crusher 4 SPD.......Body will be mostly stock except for radiased rear wheel wells and a 10% engine set back... I'm going for the low down and nasty Street Freak look like the ones that I remember from the past ... Sent from my QTAQZ3 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
"LOW DOWN" and STREET FREAK don't go together LOL - Street Freaks were all about ridiculously high attitude!
hey squirrel, i was just saying that they don't look that long. how long are they, as i haven't actually seen them? they just don't look much longer than 24 inches and that is a standard trailer length. i have a henry j and i used model a front springs and they are 32 inches long. i have been driving this thing for 14 years and except for no power steering, it rides better than some springs i have used in the past. i build my own axles and use springs that are the longest i can find. the early truck springs, re-arched and leaves taken out, ride about the best i find.
Sorry, I totally disagree with this. Just to name ONE well-known car, Gary Kollofskis '55 was referred to as a "Street Freak" at the time, it sat relatively low.
There should be a picture of Kollofskis' 55 in the hot rod dictionary listed as the baddest "street machine" of all time", there was just no equal on the planet back then (at least for me). But in Dons defense, we can thank the car rags of the day for highlighting a large number of abominations as being magazine worthy, causing (some) people to "pidgeonhole" cars. The sea of current generation "gassers" kind of smacks of those days.
George, i have only seen Street Freak used to describe ; I'm sure that magazine scribes have used the words together when talking about feature cars, but as a title, I'm sticking with the above definition. I can't recall anyone ever calling this a Street Freak as a descriptor, but I certainly could be wrong! I'd love to see that reference though. One of the first of the Pro Street movement that's for sure - before it became Pro Fairgrounds.
Here's a quick n dirty. Let me know if any adjustments are needed. Btw, Kollofski's car wasn't a Street Freak, but the red one above it was. I still remember that car fondly.
Don, my computer is down, and I am on my daughters iPad, I hate trying to post photos and stuff on here. If I still remember, I will post it when my regular computer comes back.
I like it but I think I want it a little higher in the back with a little more clearance over the rear wheel. Thank You popper John Lynch P.S. Wish I had those type of skills
Fixed it Don. You are correct, that "nosebleed" 55 was the true epitome of its breed. Who knows the name of the second baddest 55 Chevy "Street Machine" to wear Motor Wheel "Fly" wheels? Hint.......it was ornge.
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