Hot Rods 1949 Chevy convertible build

We had 3 or 4 Chevys in our club in the 50's some were highly modified If you really want to enjoy your car change the tranny to a later 4 or 5 speed The powerglides were useless and the stick ratios were so bad one of our cars was in second gear just thru the intersection

 

lots of hours you can spend doing other stuff..best wishes on the build

 

Valves wouldn’t free up enough for comfort so off with its head. Cylinders look great. Having the machine shop tank the head and give the valves a once over. She’s bored .060 over and looks fresh just sitting a while. Letting the cylinders soak and spin over every day.

 

Sweet Ride..... can see why you were after it

 

Nice,I had a 50 coupe for a bit, love the styling . Congrats

 

Post 6 shows a HT. Is that yours also? If so you could've done a BobK and made that your convert

 

I bought that purple hardtop to use as a donor and couldn’t do it and sold it. Then I bought this yellow hardtop to do the same thing and fell in love with it!! I just can’t cut one up like everyone else on here, I wuss out. I’ll keep the hardtop now and the convertible will sit next to her. It’s a disease.

 

It's all in what you want or feel comfortable doing. The yellow HT looks like a nice car

 

Congratulations on a nice car.
49-52 Chevrolets are very cool cars.

 

Disk brakes are on. Power master under the floor fabrication can hopefully start this weekend.

 

From the other view,nothing ruins the driving feel of an old hotrod that a T5 conversion..the powerglide in stock form is a cruiser,it flows like the lines of the car.

 

Nice score and I like what you are doing with your "new" car. But before you buy any more parts do yourself a huge favour and get some better/safer jack stands! The ones in th epic can collapse...

 

Looks like you did well for yourself. I have always liked those year cars in ragtops. Somehow figured one would make a great daily driver. My son lives near Smyrna, so if I see you out cruising, I will flag you down sometime.

 

Please do!! Hope to have it on the road in the next month.

 

Working on a bracket to mount the booster and master behind the original one. That master area sure is tight on the convertible frames.

 

Master/ booster mount done. Now to replace the entire floor.

 

I’m back on the convertible after a long break. Had a baby, started a new job, building a house, all that good real world stuff.
The more I dug in the worse things got. So a new floor pan was in order along with rebuilding the convertible top well.

 

The floor and new pan

 

Here’s more. I don’t have the skills that a lot of y’all do but this should be good after some seam sealer and a coat of paint.

 

More

 

Almost done with the floor and top well

 

I have the same wish for a 1953 Chevy convert like I drove through high school. When I went into the Air Force at 17 my dad sold the car. I have looked for 20 years like you for one I can afford but no luck. I haven't found someone to bug like you did, yet. Still looking though.

 

Well, since this was supposed to be on the road in 3 months and now we are closing in on 3 years, what’s the big deal with adding another few steps. Pulled out the torque tube rear in favor of this 55 rear. Put new bearings and brakes on it. This is so I can update the trans.

 

So I couldn’t find any info on if a t5 would fit in a convertible frame with the huge x member. Turns out it will fit but you need to pull the engine. Or do one of the dumber things I’ve tried. I pulled the input shaft out, lined everything up perfect and slid the input from out of the bell housing and back into the trans. I can’t believe I got the needle bearings back in there without a catastrophe. I should have just pulled the engine forward.

 

It’s in. And that’s it for me tonight.

 

I don't know if you ever found an intake, but a McGurk dual for a 235 would have the correct small bolt pattern for your Zenith carbs.

 

3yr... is great, can't say I've seen many convertibles.

 

Good for you! I've always liked those, and if it's got a 235 already in, you're almost there already.

 

I’ve heard that before but haven’t come across one yet.