here are a few pics of my deluxe that inherited. any and all ideas would be thanked. the body is in good condition except for the trunk.
Sharp car. Put bumpers on it, put some wheels and tires on it, and drive it! I'm guessing you might be new to this whole '50s car thing? My advice would be keep it as simple as possible and don't let too much ambition turn it into a pile of useless parts. Don't change anything that doesn't need to be changed and whatever you do please do NOT spray primer over what looks to be decent paint. An afternoon with some polishing compound and a few rags, followed by good wax, will make that thing shiny and beautiful again.
i plan on keeping it pretty simple. then engine is seized up in it. trying to get it to free up. i got this car not very far from where you are from. ozark mo. that is where i was raised up. my neighbor wants to sell me his 350 to put in it. good idea bad idea?
Your choice on the swap. You can always go with a 54 or later full pressure 235 or a later 6 swap. The 235 swap could be done without having to get rid ot the torque tube. Look in the Hamb classifieds or Craiglist for a motor, They come up more often than you think. Like was said earlier. Don't go crazy. Get it on the road and drive the shit out of it. Remember it's an old car, it's already cool! Todd
I agree with the masses, and listen to Tug....for now Your car looks like a beautiful old girl that needs some sweet lovin' to make her hot again. Get it SAFE and rolling, enjoy it, then decide where you want to go with it. It looks to be in such good condition that whatever I did, I would keep it minimal and classy. My rod, on the other hand, was a POS when I got it. Rust deftly covered and hidden, and an engine/trans combo for next to nothing. 6 months later I'm still toiling away, and body work won't happen until next year. You're blessed with a solid looking car...don't F it up!!!!!
Good lookin' old car. I'd stick the bumpers on, shine it up. Trade the cinder blocks for some whitewalls with Lancer hubcaps. Drive it around a while, then decide on future modifications.
cool car. i agree, keep it simple. that paint looks like it would shine up pretty decent with some elbow grease.
Drop it off at my house..Naw.. I will come and pick it up!! I will call you when its done!! Later.. Where do you live?? I cant seem to remember!!! LOL!!! I want one..4 door Fleetlines are SWEEEEEEETTTTTT!!! John
There's a 4 door Fleetline for sale 1 block from me. It was garaged most of its life but got turned out on to the drive about a year ago. Its all original and has a for sale sign on it but he wants 9500 for it. With my Styleline I put in a 305/700R4, Jaguar IFS and 78 Camaro rear on triangulated 4 bar. All on air ride now. Looks original from the outside. Alex
Heres 3 ways to keeep it simple, keeep it cheeep, and keeep it on the road.......... If you really wanna make a change, or neeed to..... Keeep a straight 6 in it. Find a 1955 or later 235 or 261. With patience a good engine can be found for a few hundred $$$. Near bolt in, a search will tell you all you need to know. Fun hop up parts available. Heres a good website for info..... http://www.inliners.org/ Do these 2 things right now. Place an ad on craigslist asking for 51-54 chevy front end that someone whos done a mustang II conversion has laying around. You will likely get an email from some sucker who just did the conversion within a few hours. I had multiple offers, i paid 40 bucks for the set up. The goal here is to upgrade from huck brakes, to self energizing bendix brakes. Not only do these stop significantly better, the parts are cheeeper and more readily available at your local parts hut. This is a bolt on upgrade. Be sure to get everything that attaches to the spindle to make sure you get all the parts you need, and some you dont. The most important parts to get are the BACKING PLATES, AND THE SPACERS THAT HOLD THEM ON. Put another ad on craigslist asking for a 53-54 chevy torque tube rear end out of a car equipped with a powerglide transmission. Someone who just did an open driveline conversion will email you and give you one. I paid 100 bucks for mine, in 2 hours bolted it in, and boom...... I had 3.55 gears that are perfect for the hiway, the brakes are also upgraded.... Bonus! Lots of great info at.... http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/index.php? Go on ebay and get a manual, PRONTO!!! Take the manual apart and put it in a 3 ring binder. Heres an online version to get you by for now. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1949_53/index.htm Good place for parts..... http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/ Have fun!
Ezakly! You'll probably be shocked at how good that paint actually is. They used some tough stuff back then. Visor and hood bird are major plusses! Just do some minimal safety upgrades and be thankful for what you inherited. COOL !
thanks for all of the compliments. along with the hood bird i have a few more ornaments and the fender covers for the back. havent decided with hood ornament to puton it or if i want the fender covers on it when i get it running.
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