Projects 1940 Chevy Sedan big block project

Major progress today. Installed a bolt in the crank and confirmed the 454 is not stuck. It turns over. Knowing nothing else about the motor what do the experts think should be my next step? Pull the heads and check cylinder condition? Compression check? Pull the oil pan and inspect the bottom end?


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Still no progress on the body. Working out a way to hold the body up 24" so I can roll out the chassis. Thinking 4 logs 24" in diam and 26" tall should be plenty stable. Run a 4x6 across the span to set the body on.


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Or, 4 buddies and a case of Beer should do the trick.

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Yeah maybe. I have jacks just nothing to set it on. Going to get some logs from work on Monday.


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I would do a cylinder leak down, basically kills all birds with one stone. Look to be in the less than 15% per cylinder. If that checks out drop some new valve springs on it and try and light a fire in it.

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Also pull pan and check a main and rod bearings.

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Thanks schwanke


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Houston we have lift off! After torching a ton of frozen fasteners off, the rear diff, springs and frame have been extracted.


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No check out this creative way to attach the nova subframe. big thanks to everyone who recommended fixing my wheelbase or I might have actually tried to drive this down the road. Ya'll are lifesavers.


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There was zero penetration on some of these welds.


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gusset?


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Here is the one I built a few years ago. MII front, 350/350.



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I would toss the frame for sure, find a good stocker and start over doing it right. Even if you don't do M2 you can do a nice setup with the factory front suspension. On our 47 Fleetline, we machined the knee action shocks out and mounted new S10 shocks up through the center of the springs, then made a mount and put a 80's Chevy rack and pinion on the car. It handles fantastic and drives amazingly down the road. But in all reality it's hard to beat the ease of Installation and price of a M2 setup.

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Yeah. I want to replace it. I missed a whole 1940 for sale for 500 bucks a couple weeks ago. Insert sad trombone noise.... oh well. My understanding is that the frames from the late 30s work as well. So I'll broaden my search. I'd also be interested in your thoughts on just repairing what I have. Seems like a doable fix. The nova clip is solid and the sedan frame is just 2x4 so I'd think a good fabricator could insert a straight section and I'd be back in business.


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did an abrasive cancer scan of my rockers and doors and whatever that part onboard and behind the front fender that is welded to the floor and firewall is called (front quarter?) looks like I'll be replacing inner and outer rockers and mounts as well as patching the rear quarters and replacing the front quarter. Also floors need done. Any recommendations on the order? I know I don't want to just start cutting. Seems that replacing the section the door bolts to is a logical start. Then rockers then floors? Maybe I should buy a MIG. That's a LOT of gas welding....


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The whole frame clipping thing is kind of frowned upon. Now, basically because of exactly what you found. 99.9% of the time, the job was done shitty. I have a 46 Chevy coupe I bought that had a Camaro clip on it that seemed like a nice install, until it came to front sheet metal time and it was all sorts of FUBAR. So I bought another one and now I can finally put the damn thing together. My plans and style have changed a lot since the build start 12 years ago, and now it's going to be basic bare bones with front and rear seats and a 5.3L/ 4L60E combo I had originally built an LS7 7.0L for it.

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Yeah it looks like it would take skill to do this right. I know I don't have that kind of experience so I may just have to pass this along. Bummer. To be honest I'm playing with the idea of selling the big block and the front clip to pay for a replacement stick frame with the earlier style suspension. I think the 30s era cars had a solid axle and single leaf is that right? Then see about an older smaller motor.


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All early Chevy's we're parallel leaf straight axle, I think it changed to independent around 39-40. So you would be best to just find a factory frame. The Tip hat designed frames are actually quite strong.

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A 215 all aluminum Buick engine would be fun in one of these cars or a 303 olds rocket engine. But I have had a strange obsession with small V8's as of late.

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Sorry, can you explain that in language a newbie can understand? Are you saying to go with the ifs from 39-40 or that I could run the older parallel leaf frame?


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No I mean the front suspension on Chevy's had parallel leaf springs meaning the front and back suspension was virtually the same. It was not the greatest setup and is expensive and difficult to lower much more than 3"

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Gotcha. Sound good. Thanks.


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I'm a fan of the flathead motors from a purely aesthetic perspective. Loved the 6 in my old Plymouth but that seems like a lot of work to get a less than awesome motor. The flathead fords are cool to but seems very rare and costly. Are you talking about the late model. Buick v6 from the Monte Carlo and similar cars?


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No the early 60's Buick 215 V8

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Oh. I'll have to check that out. Thanks!


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Buick 350 looks interesting as well.


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Took some of the thin ugly blue paint off. Found a few more bondo patches but nothing major. Used jasco paint stripper from the Home Despot. Pretty cheap and it got the job done. Glad I didn't go the media blasting route. At least now. We'll see how I feel when I get into the crevasses. this represents about a cup of stripper and 30 min with a scraper. Less messy than I expected. The thin paint probably made it easier.


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Watch it when buying another frame for your 40. 1940 chevs had a frame that fits 1940 and only 1940s...a one year frame. The master 85 had a straight axle with parallel leafs up front. The more expensive deluxe versions used coil springs. I believe both cars used the same frame with leaf spring brackets on the Master 85.
Now, that said, if you have to replace all the body mounts and the floor, maybe a 39 frame would work for you. I believe it's about an inch or more narrower than the 40.
If you want a six banger for your car, I'd definitely go with a 292. They have a long stroke with 7 main bearings to control that crank. I had one in a little 68 chevy shortbox stepside and I loved that thing! I put an earlier 55-57 chevy 3 speed overdrive in it and drove that truck all over the western and midwest U.S.. Always got 17 MPG and easily stayed up with all interstate traffic. Mine eventually had a clifford header with dual exhaust and a small Q-jet 4 barrel carb on a clifford intake. Pulled like a freight train.
Oh yeah....the later ones came with a GM HEI distributor...only 1 wire and no more ign points to fool with.

 

That sounds like a great option. Yeah I'm kinda worried about the frame. Knowing how few good ones there are out there and how hard it would be to know what I was getting if it wasn't a complete car with numbers. I have time on my side though. So I'll keep on reading and asking questions on the H.A.M.B. and I'll figure it out eventually. Right now it's my union sanctioned beer break time.


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I have to admit. It's an appealing finish....


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