Just bought my first HAMB friendly car! 1958 Chevy Bel Air!

Awesome and funny

 

Awesome!!!

 

Grats ,You need to change the trany fluid and wash or replace(some have a brass washable screen) the filter, Differential may have water =needs drained and new lube refilled.

 

The trans fluid that was in there looked alright, not to mention the fact that we filled about 2 quarts into it there i the alley way. I already have the new gasket and lube for the differential. I am going to focus on the following things before we go out for a real drive:

1.Tires
2. Brakes
3. Rebuild starter
4. Power Steering and Generator R&R
5. Differential and Trans fluid flushes and gaskets.

 

Trany lvl should be checked HOT. If over full it not good ither and prolly should drain some.Best way to check the old PowerGlide ,now that you added 2 quarts is assisted by some one holding their foot on the brake and check the lvl with it in drive, that will give a true reading, most of the time it's not a big deal but atm your in a learning process position. Over full is no good on seals. Remember 2 quarts = 1/2 gallon. Another thing to be aware of is that tranny has a modulator. It is operated by engine vacuum. If it is faulty it could vacuum fluid out of the trany, It usually shows a smoke, but may just show a oily in the tailpipe, if its nor burnt off in the engine. Just saying this as a heads up. It's lookin good.

 

Alright, two things off the list! Yesterday I got the new tires from Coker Tire, and got them mounted onto the original 14 in steel wheels. Then I sanded down the brake drums, brake shoes and replaced the one leaky wheel cylinder. I also took the time to repack the front wheel bearings with new grease and got those all buttoned up. After that I drained the differential oil and refilled with new oil. Once we got the car onto the ground, we began to tune the engine. we had to adjust the dwell to 30 degrees from 20 and then set the timing, and I will tell you what the engine runs a lot better.
I am surprised how quiet it all is really, with the windows up it is hard to tell if the car has started. The best part of the say was after those 9 hours of working in the driveway, we drove the car around for a good ten minutes, taking it out on a real road for a bit and getting the car up to around 45 mph. Pics and videos to come soon!

 

Like I said before''The smell of sweet success !! Grats I think you got it whooped ,Son. The rest is going to be easy. ''

 

The 58 looks great, got a 4 door myself. Also check out the guys over at www.chevytalk.org (been there 4 or 5 years), lots of year specific help, lots of guys with the '58s.

Took a while to read all the threads, didn't know if I missed it but I had a rear door that didn't open from the outside, had to take the inside panel off and pull the rod manually.

Excellent find!

 

I have not messed with the door much, but the door panel is off, and the rods seem to move ok. I know the rods that lock the door dont seem to move as much as they ought to. We will see in the coming weeks. Thanks for the tip about chevy talk!

 

First real drive of the Bel-Air today and I gotta say, it went pretty well. We drove it on a five mile round trip, in stop and go traffic, hitting about 50 mph. th best part though was the reactions I got from it.
Lady at the gas station: "I love your car"
Guy in a 60s Ford at an intersection: Wave and a Thumbs up.
Dude on the street: "This car is gorgeous"
Kid on the same street: "Can I post a photo to instagram?"
Amy "How much would you sell it for?"

 

Grats chstitans42, She is double value of what you paid for it now. You bought the right car, it seems, and you will continue to enjoy it as long as you want. It's like a love affair. It feels good don't it? I am waiting for the shows and swap meets you will go to and your posts of those activities. Hmm ... Time to decide on your 2nd HAMB friendly car. Take your time. Decide. Then start collecting parts .

 

Sweet car, I love those 58's, they have a great shape. Keep up the good work man, I got my first hamb worthy car this year too, a 54 Pontiac 4 door I am in the process of doing the same too, I just have a bit of rust to take care of. Like both rockers lol.

 

Thanks guys! as more progress is made ill be posting more videos and pics! stay tuned!

 

Cool, I had one just like it back in 1971, except mine had the 3 on the tree and no A/C. I paid $175 for it LOL. I remember going 180 miles in 12 hrs in the worst snow storm I've ever been in. Also with gas being about 33 cents a gallom it would go from Cullman, AL to Chicago on about $12. Those were the days huh. Hope you enjoy yours!

 

Man I wish I had paid only $175 for mine...but I still think I got a good deal. I would be afraid to drive this tank in the snow

 

Great car. Enjoyed your video. Always had a soft spot for 58's and have owed two of them. Last one I did a little mild 60's custom with a few modifications which included disc brakes, a turbo 350 tranny, 50 Pontiac taillights, one piece California bumpers, tuck and roll interior and a 54 Chevy grille that I got a lot of compliments on. Car was a great cruiser. It had glass pack mufflers so my grandsons named it "Pops noisey car".
Your looks pretty solid. They tend to rot out in the inner rockers, floor pans and above the headlights. Good luck and keep having fun with it.

 

Had the second real test drive. Drove it around town, prob a total of 8 miles, but A-LOT of stop and go traffic, turning the car on and off about four times etc. The only hiccup was that at the first stop, the rad puked a little in the parking lot. I had added quite a bit of fluid in the rad just before the drive just to make sure I was full up. Hopefully everything is alright but the car seemed to run fine, the temp gauge does not seem to work. We also added another whole quart of trans fluid to the trans to get it full at hot. I guess in 30 years it all leaked out.!

 

Good deal ! Keep your eye on the tanny level. If it is losing fluid and not showing a leak it may need the modulator replaced. It is a simple job = one or 2 bolts and a push-on vacuum hose. You got a good think going !

 

the trans does leak a little on my driveway, same with the power steering. I figure hey it is an old car, just make sure I keep an eye out on the levels and check every time I drive it. I will be making more videos soon.

 

Hey you are doing an awesome job, both with the car and your documentation. Keep up the great work and updates!

 

Didn't the power steering systems on these Chevys leak new from the factory? At least, that's what I've been told.

My 1960 Impala's p.s. has been completely rebuilt with new hoses, a stainless steel sleeved cylinder and control valve and it still leaks.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I haven't had much time to make a video on the car lately but I will be doing more this weekend.

Interesting. Well mine does not leak much,but it does leak. I was not planning on replacing all that because it looks to be expensive. I am sure other parts will be breaking before this one does

 

you can buy sealers for weepy P S and trany . not need to tolerate the driping

 

You have yourself a awesome car!! thanks for the videos and keep us updated.

 

Just saw the video, awesome. I was never a fan of the '58, but that hardtop 4 door made a believer out of me.

 

Thanks! I hope to make another video tomorrow.

My fav part about the 58 is you really dont see them anymore. Everyone has a tri five chevy at shows, but they leave the 58s home. Also the amount of chrome on this beast is awesome!

 

Nice thread.. Nice car.. Happy ending...

 

Thanks! Well It was a happy ending, BUT its not over yet!

 

I am looking for pictures of your 58 chevy ,I need a dash level butt shot ,a right and left, level profile. Thank you I want to collage them and make desktop wallpaper. I'm also planning a photoshop Carson Top with no chop,,,,,,

 

Awesome car man! I'm sure we'll run into each other sometime.