Projects 1955 Pontiac gasser build

Nice to see it rolled out catching some rays! It looks sweet.

 

I'll look for it there, if I can make it down for the show. By the way, the 56 Chevy in my avatar used to sit out on E. Ash st. I bought it from an old high school buddy, several years ago.

 

Great build! Love the idea of a Pontiac gasser style car! You're really coming along with it!

 

Great job, I love it and you are doing an awesome job on it. Keep it up and keep us posted on your progress.

 

awesome build, i always wanted to do a canadian 2 dr post gasser

 

wow your getting closer you will have grin from ear to ear when you drive that bad boy.........keep after it lookin real good..

 

Great to see the project going forward as well as it is.

 

Bad ass. Much nicer than my build. When I posted my project, everyone here called me names.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61608

 

Nice build! What'd you end up using for your steering box? I'm doing a 50 Chev. right now, and decided that a box behind the axle would really be too cramped. Looks like you pulled it off. Hope to see yours out this summer somewhere.

 

Thanks, I used the original steering box. Thats why I had to make a steering arm and flip the caliper brackets to the front. I would have rather just kept the drum brakes and than go to a differant bolt pattern, but the drums already had 10 holes and I wasn't able unless I bought new drums .

 

Ok, they must have changed to a cross steer by 55 because my original box rotates from front to back and couldn't be made to work. I had a 55 a few years ago, but don't remember what it had.
I'll be looking to see yours out though.

 

55 never had a cross steer, at least the way it is now, I added that. Factory IFS and a drag link,idler and pitman arm. Since it's a rear steer box(steering box behind linkage) I made the arm go rearward of the axle.

 

Ok, so you put a Saginaw cross steer box in it at some time. Is the linkage pretty severe from the firewall to the box? Did you have to drop the column at the firewall? I'm just digging, trying to find out how I want to do mine yet.

 

The factory box has never been moved and in the stock location. What i'm referring to as fas as cross steer is the way I have it now. From the piman arm to rh steering arm. Than another lower tie rod from spindle to spindle.

 

nice to see your latest progress, hope you can take it to doc's show in may, hope to have the old injun parked next to you!

 

I should unless I have a major setback. Hopefully doc can have his 57 there as well and have our 55-6-7 Pontiac gassers all lined up. Plus I want to see Arnie Beswick too....

For anyone else interested , the Johnson Grove car show in Lacon Il on May 28th. 9am-4pm .

 

That is looking good man. One heck of a lot of work on that chassis cleaning it all up along with beefing it up. Many hours huh ? Your stance turned out sweet. Keep the momentum going. We're all behind you.

I had to take a 2 week break on mine to do some electrical repair on the line from my meter pedestal to my shop which has a 130' run which I did in direct burial. I'll never do that again. A friggin gopher ate into the sheath and into the wire insulation and as soon as we got some rain that was it. Dug up the whole deal by hand and shovel to save what I could. Just got her all back together today and started working on the 64 again. Pics tomorrow. Again, GREAT JOB, Dil

 

I finally got my shock deal figured out. I ended up making a mount that gets clamped to the top of the spring, the top mount ended up adding in a gusset for double duty. No fancy brackets here, just something that works.

Just about any of the shocks I was looking at with the lower loop/top stud had a 5/8 opening on the bottom. I liked these because they were for a 7/16 and had a sleeve thru the bushing. Napa 94102.

 

Great build!!! Great details!!!! The stance looks wicked, i can imagine the correct wheels already!!!
Keep going man!!! More pics!!!

 

Pretty sure I have the correct wheels already. Might want to go do an into before the police show up LOL. Thanks for the input.

 

Made some more progress yesterday, I finished up putting the brakes back on and got the other shock mounted up , the hose brackets had to be opened up to fit the hoses thru with a rotary file, kinda a sqare peg in a round hole. The hanging brake pedal assembly(55 chevy) got mounted to the firewall, the stock location was on the frame under the driver. I welded new bolts in to mount to the firewall and extended the pedal with an OT truck pedel so I could mount it high enough. I'm using a chrysler 5th ave master and prop valve. The same style master wilwood uses. It's mocked up with the old master, i'll post pics with the new master and lines are done. My next deal is removing the rear leaf springs again and put in new bushings and the frame bushings for the rear upper mounts.

 

Very cool!!! Hope the front tires work out well for you!! Joe

 

Looking good man. Keep posting the progress pics. Dil

 

man this really makes me want a 55

 

Been watching the build. You're doing great. Can't wait to see it running. Mark L

 

Thanks again guys for the input. I spent most of yesterday removing the remains of the inner rockers and got the new ones and my center floor section from my old parts car tacked in. I've never done this type of work before, but for me I found it was easier to drill the supports where they attach to the inner rocker like a spot weld hole and screw the brace to the rocker than weld it , since it would have been hard to clamp it to weld.

 

I went ahead and upgraded the cam, replaced lifters, springs and rocker studs. Timing cover is mounted back on for good this time. Cleaned up the firewall and got it repainted as well as the engine. I got some more sheetmetal in the trunk and floor done and ran out of gas. My chrome Moroso valve covers stood out like a sore thumb, instead of buying valve covers for now I ground down the stamped section and put on some body filler to cover that area up some and painted them to match and look alot better IMO. Than put both breathers up front to look more like an early engine.

 

I got some more of the plumbing done today and my alternator bracket figured out for now. There was no place to mount the alternator arm. I blocked off the passage that the later intakes match up to the timing cover and ran fittings for a 1/2" heater hose from the cover to water crossover. I also blocked off the heater nipple on the passenger head with a pipe plug since I won't be running a heater anytime soon.

The 60 cover also had a tall fitting which I also replaced because of clearance for the alternator. I ran a small bracket off the top water pump bolt the the alt arm. And also made a fuel pump block off plate. With the Hurst mount there really isn't much room for a pump there. And I shortened the driveshaft too (no pics). I also got the headers back on and trans mount done as well.

Babysteps compared to what I have left to do. I like doing the smaller updates periodically campared to having ones every 3 or 4 months. Thanks for lookin. Bill

 

Nice build, your getn there. I drove my 71 Olds over to the show in
Lacon Saturday. looks like the rain may have kept some of the cars away.
There was a bad ass looking 53/54 Chevy gasser there. maybe a member here?

 

You are doing a very nice job! You are obviously a great fabricator and designer as well!