Hello all, I finally dug out my 47 Chevy today and insured and licensed it. The car was my wife's grandfathers and when he passed away 2 years ago, we inherited it. The car has been sitting dormant for probably 15 years now and up until today the most it was driven was on & off my trailer and around my block once or twice. Well today I put about 40 miles on it running it around town and I just had a blast driving it. I kept thinking all along when I finally got to the car I would rip everything out and start from scratch but after emailing back & forth with an old friend he suggested leaving it basically alone other than maybe dropping it and swapping in a 5 speed. Well we have all heard the saying... "sometimes you can see the forest for the trees", well after driving it today that all makes perfect sense. I had rebuilt the carb a few months ago and today changed the fluids and i must say the old girl ran super and never missed a beat. So I think I am sold on just keeping this car as low dollar as possible and just the leaving 6cyl in it. I want to swap out those fugly chrome mod wheels and tall tires for a set or Torque thrusts or another set of rallys and some 60 series tires, similar in size to the Rallys i have on it in this pic. (they were borrowed from my 68 Camaro Rag Top for the pic) Of course the car needs to be dropped a few inches in the front & rear to sit right IMHO. I ordered a set of 1.5" lowering blocks for the rear which should hopefully take care of the back. Now the front needs to come down. I am open to suggestion on dropping the front end. What have you all used on your cars to correct the stance? The front end on this car is very tight and it drives beautifully, so I kind of hate to remove the stock suspension. The brakes are great, so honestly I am not even worried about Disc brakes at this stage of the game. There isn't but about 4 or maybe 5 inches between the bump stop and the frame so I dont think removing a coil is really an option. What about drop spindles? Have you guys used them and where did you find them? Thanks in advance, Nick
I think you'll wish you ordered at least 2" blocks for the rear. For the front, don't be afraid to cut a coil or coil and a half (start with one). I'm not sure the suspension, but I used dropped uprights on my '52, plus cut a coil. Got 'em from Buffalo Enterprizes. VERY nice car by the way!
Thank you guys, I may have to rethink cutting the coils after all. henry29, I really like the way yours sits, how close are your snubbers to the frame up front with a coil and half cut out? Also do you know how tall your tires are? The pics of mine with the rallys on it are 235 60's on the front and 255 60's in the rear. Also on the rear the only wheels I had to try where the 15x7 rallys, but I would rather run an 8" wide wheel out back if I can. Do you all know if I can squeeze a 255x60 mounted on an 8" wheel under the fender with out it rubbing? I know back spacing plays a roll on if it fits or not, but say an 8" wheel with a 4" back spacing just for the sake of argument. Thanks again, Nick
That's one beautiful '47. I think a mild drop, some decent wheels and tires, a set of Fenton's and 22" Smittys, and you'll have a real nice cruiser. The engine is definitely a later, full pressure 235.
Told you so--you pbobably had as much fun in that today as you did the first time you drove your old 500HP Billet 39???
On mine I dropped the rear with a 3" block and and removed the two leaves from the bottom of the leaf spring pack. Looks and rides real nice but on severe bumps the axle tubes touch the bottom of the frame rail so I will need to notch it for additional clearance. At the front 1.5" coils have been removed from what I can tell but I will be intalling fresh springs as I want the nose up stance. Sits/rides nice overall. Rat
Glasspacks, they sound great with a 235. I got mine from Speedway but there are other vendors that carry them as well.
Seems like '54 uprights would give you an inch and a half of drop and work on that front end. It's already been converted to 5-lug hubs?
Thanks guys. The car has an 8.5 Nova rear end & a synchronized 3 speed under it and the front end has been converted to 5 lug hubs. I asked my father in law about the hubs right after I got the car, but he doesn't remember doing it. My wife and I have been together for 25 years and I do remember when we were just dating that he and her grandfather had gone through the front end so I would assume that is when they did the swap. Another dumb question, what are the uprights??
heres how i did my 47 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=281629&highlight=flop+jamco
Great post and pictures about lowering those old Chevies. I will be looking forward to doing the same in the future on my 47 Chevy wagon. Thanks for all the great ideas...
A wise man once said "the only dumb question is the one you don't ask". http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1949_53/03front/3_02.HTM Uprights are the part of the front suspension that mounts the steering knuckle. In this picture, if you look at the lower left corner, at the part labled "steering knuckle support" you can see how it works. The '54 "uprights" mount the knuckle up higher on the support, which lowers the vehicle. If you don't want to scour the junk yards or swap meets for these, you can buy some from Fatman's and others.
I would lose the blocks and just flip the main leaf and cut a turn and 1/2 of the coils.Where abouts are you in NM?
Thank you all for the suggestion on cutting the front coils. I went out this morning and cut a coil & a half just as you all suggested and dropped the front end. I have only driven a little but so far so good no bottoming out. I ordered a set of Torque Trusts for it and when they get here I will buy a new set of front tires, maybe some 205 65's which should drop it another inch in the front. On the back I will run a set of 255 60's which are about a half to an inch shorter than the tall skinnys that are on it now. The ebay seller I was buying my 1.5 inch lower blocks from refunded my money and said he was out of stock so I am back to square one on the rear. I think I may just build my own lower blocks. I have some 1/8 inch steel plate left over from a frame I did on a 56 F100 and I think I can just build a box with an X brace welded into it. I don't think it should be to hard and what the hell it doesn't cost me anything but my time. Anyway here are the pics I just took with the front end lowered. I will post some more once I get the back done or the new wheels on it..
Looks great! We used to cut the rubber bottom/stops in half to get a little more spring travel. The lowering blocks will also need a locating pin on one side and a locating hole on the other and you'll need to source some longer U-bolts and nuts. OR, you can buy something like these from Chev's of the 40's. These are a little pricey but made out of alluminum and all you gotta do is just bolt them on. http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/detail/11827/LOWERING_BLOCKS_2_W_UBOLTS.html
I cut 2 full loops offa my 48 Pontiac and cut the rubber snubbers down to 1/2 inch. The car would bottom out on big bumps very rarely.your chevy looks like a pretty nice car.
very nice car. cant believe youve had it parked for 15 years!! bet you cant either after taking it fir a spin. i would go with at least 2 inch blocks. i think 3 is better but not sure if itll affect your pinion angle too much. i would put whitewalls and skirts but its your car.
Sorry, didn't see your other question. I'm running 205/65/15 on mine. Does yours still have the torque tube in it? Your rear wheels look like they're centered.
Thanks VNTGE41, My wife & I were just talking about that today as we picked our youngest up from school in it. Henry29, No it has a 8.5 Nova rear end under it. Since I went ahead an pulled the trigger on new wheels I want to put new tires also, at least for the front and was considering 205 65's. I think they are right about 25 inches tall as opposed the 27 inch tall tires on it now. As for the rear I have an almost new set of 255 60's I plan to use.
Nick--I relalize I'm a lot older, but if you put a set of Coker's on your new torque thrusts--and get that paint off of the bumpers and grill--you will enter a realm of cars you have never been associated with--when I got the Pink car back I put the Cragers off of the Econoline on it--it was then just another old rod--When I put the Cokers on it --different car--everyone had to talk ro me about it--have someone here photoshop it with wide whites--they will
Sweeeeeet ride awesome to start with such an intact peice! id say a good lowering and wheel change and you will be sitting pretty. heres a lil peek at one siiting low my 48 project!
I hear you Wayne, but I am still stuck in the past reminiscing about my old 39 Ford. I like the wide Whites and all but my preference is still for more of a traditional Street rod look, even if the car really isn't one at this point & time. Honestly I kind of liked the look of Falconwagon62's 48 coupe. I hope he doesn't mind me swiping his pic, but I would eventually like to steer towards this general direction with the car. Anyway things could change so, don't count me out on the Coker's just yet.
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