'52 BelAir gettin' a late start

So my dad calls me in November 2010, all excited 'cause he bought hisself a hotrod project, a '50 Ford business coupe. We bullshit for awhile, but I'm at work so I tell him I gotta go. Old guy calls back 5 minutes later and says he just can't wait to tell me, he bought me a car too. '52 BelAir and a 4-dr '52 parts car. Gotta confess, I got all choked up, I called him my pa and he called me his son... wait, wrong song. See, I had one in highschool that I never drove and it got sold off and 25 years late, we're gonna DO this! Got an El Camino frame to drop it on, got the original 283 out of my '64 C10 to re-build for it. (know anybody with some small-chamber big valve heads?) Got a first year 283 4-barrel intake.. terrible intake for performance, but it looks SO effin cool. Been lookin' at cast-iron 4-speeds... I can remember bein' about 4 or 5 years old and my old man had this '52 coupe with the 327 and a T-10 from a '64 impala in it. I had my fat little fingers buried in the sides of that white tuck-n-roll bucket seat, (seatbelt? We badboys got angels, brother!), absolutely in awe as I watched pops row that stick, hootin' and hollerin' like a wild man. So now my son is 6, and pops is retired and has time now and then to drop in, so we're doing the deal. Late start my ass, it took all these years just to gather up the parts!

 

Damn...forgot to put the teaser photos up there!

 

A lot can happen in a month! Aftera lot of lurking around and tapping the collective knowledge here a few times, I really wanted to document my project. Primarily for the satisfaction of seeing the progress, but also for my dad and someday my son might appreciate it. Got the '52 4-door here about 3 weeks ago and immediately went to work, stripping it down, selling parts I don't need and "harvesting what I do want. Hated like hell to cut it up, but I don't have room to keep every rusty hulk! Here's a couple shots of that process.

 

Dad was tickled to see me havin' so much fun. At the end of the "parting out" process, he can brag that he got me a $500 BelAir. Thanks to H.A.M.B. classifieds and Craigslist, I made $830 so far, with a few parts left still to sell! After subtracting that from the $1250 pops paid initially, feels pretty good, and gave me some dough for tools and supplies. The next goal, space and time being limited, (did I mention we got a 60 day notice to move?), was to get the BelAir body on the donor (free!) frame and somewhat secure so I can transport it easily. Here we go...

 

I gotta start documenting more frequently... Things get forgotten so quick! So impressed by how well built these old cars are... Thanks to my accumulated patience and some skill,(aided by copious amounts of penetrating oil!), I have been so pleased at how few bolts I've broken. I'm not much of a "torch it apart" guy.. I find that wrenching things apart and drilling or grinding rivets out sets a pace that allows me to mentally picture how things go together, visualize how I want them to look later and plan my next move or two.
So the '79 frame was exactly 2" longer. Ask.com verified stock dimensions easily, as the unsprung roller frames measured slightly off (shorter). I thought about opening up the Elky frame at the back of the center section where the side rails are joined to the box section, but in the end took the 2" right out of the middle and plated it on the inside for 18", basically extending the front box section toward the center more to cover my weld and provide support. I have not yet had my welds fail, but I still don't trust them completely and prefer to reinforce with boxing the frame for peace of mind's sake.

 

It sounds like you have a great dad. That is going to be a lot of fun.

 

few more thoughts and a couple of pictures and that will bring me up to date. I cut the '79 frame right be hind the coilover crossmember. Not so much for structure but for keeping the stock look, I want to graft on the last 2 to 3 feet of the old frame. It will provide support and also maintain the factory bumper mounts and use the rear most body mount location. After rolling the frame back under the body, first order of business was cutting out the front half of the trunk floor, sides of the inner fenderwells, all the way up to the back of the back seat. Kind of hate to cut like that, but this is not a restoration, this is going to be a daily driven car that I can depend on and service and a 60 year old chassis with 70 year old designs seems too much. aside from the money aspect of parts and service the original would require!
As it sits this morning, the frame is 6' or so from the body, roughly centered fore and aft... looks as tho I might have gotten very lucky with how well the front arch conforms to the front body braces. They will be trimmed on the inside, but to keep the mounting location for the inner fender wells, I will save and use the outboard portion. More later...!

 

Small spaces require frequent stops to clean up and think about what is next. Yesterday morning was all about that! Got some of the rust cut out and today I will do some patching and see what can be fabricated/salvaged for the floor braces I had to trim back. The underseat braces and rockers had this yellow colored sandy/dusty mess inside of them... at least it vacuums out easy enough.

 

Somebody reminded me the other day that this should be fun... I get to feeling pressured about the impending move and then this project feels like work. So, slowed myself down and it has been more "fun" the last couple of days! Snow piled up suddenly, and as a result everything about the move is in low gear and I can relax in the garage 'cause I can't do dick outside right now!
Enough with the "group therapy" vent. The way the BelAir was strapped to the original frame would probably be overkill on the Elky chassis, given that the newer rails are a lot heavier. I am still trying to use as many of the original mounting points as possible tho. Spent the last 2 days fabricating front bumper mounts. I am really set on maintaining a stock outside appearance but with front steering and a very different shape to the front frame horns, it is a bit of work! Still thinking about the best way to tie the front clip to the frame as the original radiator bracket and "2 center bolt" mounting is not really feasible. Couple of shots, more later on.

 

Been a little tough to make real progress the last few days. An hour or two here and there. Got a lease signed on a new place and that's a relief to know where we'll be going and when. New garage is similiar in size, but new landlord means I have to be careful about my project mess and setting up in a new place may take some time. My wife is very happy with her new space and a happy wife is never a bad thing! These new bumper mounts and reshaping/rebuilding the front frame horns took some time! Finally got them to a point where I'm happy with the shape and strength, hoping not to have to do much more than sand them up a bit somewhere down the road. Certainly sturdier than the originals and they are attached to the frame at 5 points instead of the original 2. The steel I used is milder, but almost twice as thick at a full 1/4 inch. So if anyone needs a clean pair of original '52 bumper brackets...!
Moving on to the steering column today. Raided my parts pile and I am fabricating something that may not be permanent, but at least I can use it for awhile.

 

Pictures don't show how truly "jigsawed" the frame horns became. Cold garage and a borrowed MIG with.030 fluxcore make for tedious work, and I'm trying to conserve the last of my "budget" so instead of some fresh 1/8" flatstock, I am recycling pieces of the Elky frame that I cut off. Later a little more grinding and some filler will smooth it up, but for now I really didn't want to move this thing around with the front end in pieces or unprotected without a bumper. Since there is still snow all over outside I had a little time to make these sturdy.

 

Got a few more things tidied up today. Had a minor repair to the splash pan I wanted to try working on, scrounged up a bearing for the steering column and then settled in after the wife and kids left. Nice uninterrupted 5 hours of progress!
I cut the steering column off the old box, used a steering shaft from a '65 C10 I had and with a couple of relief cuts at the tapered end, ws able to press in a 1 and 3/8" by 3/4" bearing to support the shaft. A used steering U-joint and a cut down collapsable section from a late 70's GM (and the rag joint), supported at the firewall with the bracket and clamp from the same '65 truck, and I can steer the old girl around. Least I worry anyone, this is NOT intended to be a driver any time too soon, just something to make it easier to move around!
Front clip from the parts car is on now and tomorrow I will graft on the rear frame and stock rear bumper, try to get the trunk floor back in and get ready to load up all the parts and trailer it all over to the new place. Fingers crossed!

 

Took longer than I thought! Ha.. should know that by now. Got bare metal cleaned all around the perimeter of my trunk/wheelwell area, got the two frame stubs welded in. Tried to take a little time to make it "pretty.. auto-darkener on my hood is failing and I guess some of my "parts car" money will have to go there now. Been catching a little heat from my sweetheart for all the hours of fun I'm logging these last 4 weeks. Gotta keep my priorities in order- if momma ain't happy... ya'll know the rest of that one!
Grieving the loss of a parent is never easy, I know that! But men and women process SO differently. I ask if she "needs" anything, and if there is no answer, my firdt response is to go find my own stuff to do. Problem is that sometimes that's o.k. and other times it isn't. Go figure.
But tools and rust and car parts make sense- way easier to deal with than people.

 

Wow. Hard to believe a year has passed by! Lots of changes- moved closer to town, got a smaller workspace to organise in. Changed companies (still local, still construction, just new people and new equipment to get used to), wife started college... Just took awhile to get moving again on the hardtop. Winter is here and I have some time, so it has been "on" again. Got the rest of the body stripped down for rust repair and panel-bangin'. leaving the beltline trim and rear glass/trim in for now. Budget does not allow for new rubber and I think I can fill the cracks and get by for awhile. Can't stress how little cash I have to put in this car, just time and care for the near future.
Been collecting motor parts. In exchange for some dump runs, a friend has let me pick thru some piles. Got a 0010 4-bolt longblock with 991 heads. Not so thrilled about 76cc chambers, but it's got roller rockers, a PJ gear drive and a "rowdy cam" according to my buddy. Saginaw 3-speed for now, but got a line on a Sag 4-speed for $100.. Still need windshields, hoping to re-use the rubber, save some $. Here's a couple shots, next up is body on a rotissierre and finish welding/seamsealing the under side and a shot of bedliner, then back on the frame.
As for pops, he is collecting '50 Ford coupes and finally got his '34 Ford pick-up home to Michigan. My boy is good, Not really wanting to pick up tools yet, but he always wants to hear what I've done each day and has a pretty good memory for what I explain to him about old cars in general, basic engine pieces and their function, and is excited about the possibility of riding around when I get it driveable. (God bless that boy, just overheard him in the kitchen, saying his "blessing" over his breakfast. No prompting, guess he just has had some good role models)

 

Guess I should explain a bit- shot of in-progress trunk floor shows '78 LeMans tank I scored for $25 and hung. Trunk floor was really wasted when I started and in order to drop the body over the '79 G-body frame (purists, please note that, yes I am aware I have diminished the "collector value", but the rolling chassis was FREE and I want a safe driver. The amount of cash involved in reviving the original chassis was prohibitive.) I had to cut out almost the entire trunk floor to clear the coil spring and 4-link rear kick-up. Pontiac tank is routed to the original filler and a new floor fapped in with old bed box steel and jerry can sides (beads already rolled in!). Once it is seam sealed and painted, it will serve my purpose, a reliable means of transport in a classic body.

 

Nice work ! I love these lo-buck builds I think cause thats all I can afford to do myself ! I have a 51 with a newer tank in it and it has a (crude) access panel for the fuel pump/sending unit ,in the trunk floor ,glad it did ,saved me from pulling the tank off on the side of the road lol! Keep up the good work!

 

Just a little update- Between making breakfasts, getting the boy on the bus each morning, doing laundry and keeping the house picked up, it seems I never get an uninterrupted day. Makes me happy to support the wife while I'm home for the winter and I don't have to feel guilty for the hours I do spend in the garage. Progress has been steady however and certainly enjoyable. Learning so much and in my head the next build is already improved using the mistakes and false-starts I inevitably create for myself. Here are a couple pictures of the floor board replacement. Kind of a patchwork, but the steel is all free and other than a chunk of 4x12 and a selection of rubber mallets and ballpeens, I have not yet graduated to creating shaped panels. All in good time! Hoping to move to the firewall and pedal assembly tomorrow. Glad I saved the whole firewall/cowl and dash from the 4-door. Should make this a lot easier.

 

Thanks, KoolKemp, for the encouragement! You were one of my early heroes when I first got on here, and I still check your build threads for inspiration. This chassis swap is exactly as everyone warned... a lot of fussing! But for a guy with little money but a lot of time and .035 wire.... bring it on. Still debating about updating to a compact clutch/brake assembly from something newer or fabbing something to come thru the floorboard. I hate to lose the character of the car.. there are sounds that I swear are imbedded in my bones.. that quick one -two thump and a jerking to the neck when the brake and then the clutch pedal get side-stepped and slam back up under the floor... I get impatient, and then I remember something El Polacko posted about poverty being no excuse for lack of ambition.. Had to move the column up 1 and 1/2 inches at the firewall to clear the control arm, keeping the column shift for now, and sliding the e-brake over about 4" to clear the head but keep it on the right side of the column... almost time to mock up the motor and trans and see what kind of room I will have to play with.

 

Just mocking things up... most of ya'll know how exciting that can be. Watch a grown man bloody his hands, giggling like a little girl and making "vroom-vroom" sounds. Keeps the spirits up tho, and makes me happy. If it isn't fun I'm not likely to push thru the frustrating times. Any thoughts about fabricating clutch and brake pedals/brackets under the floor vs. going the "easy" route and plug in some newer GM firewall mounted assembly?

 

I just put a 70's chevelle swing pedal in. Pretty basic, you can do it.

 

I wanted to retain the stocker "look" and I'm cheap. I purchased the master from wilwood when one of the suppliers was having a sale. My 52 Pontiac has a heater box right where a thru the firewall setup would have to be located, I wanted to try and keep the engine bay clean. The setup allows for a remote reservoir.

Here is a quick link

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308693

Good work keep at it.

 

Slow progress..

 

nice project.. working on a 51 hardtop myself right now..

 

Just a quick check in. Pictures show a little progress. Picked up some cash work to pay for seam sealer and undercoating. Missed a sale on windshields last month... damn luck. If anyone has a lead on glass.... just sayin'!

 

man that's gonna be a great ride! keep at it. makes me miss my old '52 even more.

 

keep on. you'll make it one day

 

Great to see you are making some progress!

 

Funny how men and women see things so differently. My wife was way more excited about the recycled trampoline frame/body rotisserrie than scoring a free 0010 motor, or getting a free roller frame. Nope, seeing the BelAir spin like a chicken at Raley's right in the garage really impressed the shit outta her. I was actually pretty happy to find some steel still behind the leftside gravel shield yesterday morning when I finished pulling the trim. 3 hours later the patch was prepared and the POR15 drying.

 

Still plugging away, got the left side rocker done, POR15'd inside and out, got a couple shots. (Any Grayling MI area HAMBers want to do an intervention? Pops just brought home his 4th '50 Ford, bought a '52 BelAir and just put a deposit on a '64 T-bird; all in 1 week. Intervention is needed!)

 

So three more blissful hours alone in the garage, tasty oldies on the radio, and the sound of sizzling bacon.... nope, just the welder! 6" of fender lip, rusted thru the outer skin and inner. Nice! So the old 4-door fender got brought out and chopped up some more. Mix in some more patches from the fender skirt and it is about right for a skim of filler. Gonna take a couple weeks at this pace to get the under side ready for bedliner. Oh well, quality time with the old girl in the garage!