Projects 53 150 build

Nice work! I'm enjoying this build and can't wait to see it finished. Silly question: What kind of paint did you use to paint your transmission and bell housing?


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Seymour brand "cast blast" great product. & thank you!

 

Finished fabricating R10 4 speed overdrive shift bracket. Template was an old spare Saginaw 3 speed overdrive w R10. Grade 8 bolts are welded to plasma'd plate on inside of the shifter, 2 shells out of 2-1/4 muffler clamps also fit perfect around tail housing recess really making it solid & adjustable. Shifter is hurst comp plus for muncie out of my ol' 69 Z28. Stick is 55-57 chevy car bench seat hurst & we've notched seat slightly & integrated 2 billet cup holders for more clearance & the orig bench is fully functional.

View attachment 2831302
Also made crossmember & just have to trim sharp edges. More to come later!

 

Put front seat in for a test fit with shifter, got the shifters complicated bracketry all installed & only have to fab a small bracket to move the handle up & over slightly. Nice to be able to sit in it again. Small leaps of progress!



at least I can pretend to shift now! Flux

 

Today an employee of mine donated an authentic 8 ball made into a shift knob. Just what my dad wanted. Suitable for a 4 + 4 in the floor! Next area of focus trimming Lh firewall brace to clear the triple carb intakes back carb. Then a steering column.

 

Lucked into a real 235 side draft thanks to an older pal , so the Offy triple got shelved. Today I finally got to work on the 53 & trimmed the LH firewall brace for rear carb clearance
After a little touch up on the firewall, the chassis will get its last coat of semi gloss black & finally from here on out the motor/ trans & suspension are staying put, nothing like taking a car apart & putting it together over & over.
Lastly the hardest part of the build the linkage for the 4speed Saginaw overdrive conversion .... It was a bear in the car to configure but in the end turned out ok & functions great.

 

Finally got to prep the entire undercarriage for one last detail spray & masked off body since all the cut & fab work is finally done. Turned out quite nice. Next tiny firewall touch up paint & then the suspension & driveline will go in to stay. Flux

 

Making progress in bigger strides now. The mechanicals are in to stay. Ignition system done, & the conversion to electric wipers is 1/2 done. The restoration of the tri power is now upon me & it's getting closer to firing up again. Potmetal restoration is underway & should be back from platers in a few weeks too. I also fitted & made engine mounts for later "58" model 235 while it was easy access. Just for ease of future swap only if needed. This has been a sweet old 235 it's 63rd year with this car. Flux
Here's the 58 235 being fitted.
The 63 year old gem reunited between the framerails.
More to come ..... Flux.

 

Man, I'm loving that 6-popper . It looks fantastic !

 

Question about the PCV valve, Is that where the road draft tube used to be? Looks super clean

 

Yes it is, used a freeze plug with a hole drilled in it for grommet, some use original draft tube & put it in top if "oil" splash is a concern. Thanks! Flux

 

No stone left unturned! Great work.

 

That in line is just tits.

 

Wow, super-sano. I'm loving the level of detail you've used.
When I first looked, I wasn't all that keen on the medium dark metallic green, but with the engine fitted in the bay, it looks great now.

 

Thank you! I pondered changing its color but it has so much family history wearing its original metallic green that it'd be a crime to swap colors. So, I decided to focus on the small details, it's been a compromise between 3 of us guys ages 70,44 & 12. Generations 3,4 & 5 as to what all of us envision. It will look 99% as it did mildly customized in 1964 when my Dad was 18. Restoring & preserving the memories for all of us is to say the least what makes it a fun build. Appreciate the reply. Flux.

 

Flux, believe it or not I just sold my triple less carbs. Sad. But, it went to a good man that has helped me a bunch! Your engine looks superb!

Question:
Is that a Fenton with the heat plenum? I just last year finally found one that I will use on my '62 261, .080. What coating or paint did you use on the Fenton headers? Previous experience with that coating?

Thanks,

Cosmo in the '49

 

Hi Cosmo! I wish it was a heat plenum model but they’re just a set of repop Fenton’s. They’ve been ceramic coated silver. Years ago I had some Hooker Super Comp headers done by Jet Hot & the ceramic looked & stayed on awesome. A local powder coating business did the Fenton’s inside & out. Flux .

 

Loads of repect for the level of detail you're putting into this thing. Awsome to see a family classic in the works!

 

Thank you ! It’s been rewarding to know it’s got a bright future with its current & deserving young gear head (Gen 5) & he will take great care of it but knows the real fun is getting it out & buzzing down the road again. It will be driven , not trailered when the weathers nice. He’s got a snow day tomorrow & I’m gonna take off work & spend the day with him working on it, nice to have a almost 15 year old gear head helper. His first assignment is to fab a thin plate to cover heat riser on bottom of intake while learning how to properly use a plasma cutter. Flux.

 

Small strides to completion . Took the old add on Heater core to 90 year old radiator shop friend & he was tickled to see one of these & rotted it out & soldered the bad spot up. I put in a 12v motor & got a 8 inch , 5 blade , 5/16 shaft diameter fan blade from Dayton for cheap with the proper pitch. Used some ace hardware bronze metallic paint that matched spot on & cleared it. Tested & ready to install !

 

Been a few years but life has got in way & Dads 53 is top priority on project list , almost got its original grille assembled , he added the extra teeth in high school around 1962-63. More to come soon ! Flux

 

The governors on this model are freaking amazing! There are two adjustments so that it is possible to have your first gear kick into overdrive at a lower set point; that will give you the possibility of a true 8 speed although some of the gears are close in ratio.

 

Hi Cosmo ! I recall hitting the hi side of 1 st gear as a 15 year old in my Dad’s 66 chev pickup with mild 327 , lol felt like 8000 rpm’s, I just had to know

 

Where did your car originally come from? Usually that far north 53/54 Chevy's got the square style heaters. My 53 Bel Air came from Conway and had the square one. And a buddy from cabool gave me a couple more a couple years ago. It is a good thing to have the round style.....much better part availability

 

My home town dealership “Holt Chevrolet” Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. My Great Grand Pa had it as an add on possibly the only option on car

 

done , looks sweet !

 

Grille looks great. When building my 53 I couldn't decide on how many bullets so I bought 15. Finally decided on 7.

 

That looks great , I felt the 11 teeth was little overkill also

 

My 54 I am currently working on. I've chopped 3 inches since the photo and added a louvered hood. Notice the 53 front bumper.

 

This is a sweet build! Hope you finish it soon!