Ok, Now where to start?

I finally got my 52 Belair moved from my garage into my work shop to start the transformation. I have accumulated lots of parts for it but I am not sure where to start. I have a '56 235 to put in and I am thinking I should strip the front end off and clean and paint under hood and install the 235 and tranny first. I also have new suspension parts for front and rear as well as all new brakes and brake lines. I have to do a lot of sheet metal and floor repair and I have new rocker panels to put on. so am I thinking the right order would be engine bay/ new engine install then move onto the suspension and brakes, then finish up with sheet metal and things like frenching lights, peaking hood, etc? I probably should have said this is not a frame off restoration.

All ideas are greatly appreciated since I have a habit of starting everything all at once then getting lost.

Thanks,

 

I would start with all of the metal work. no use in putting in clean painted suspension, engine, etc and then get heavy dust all over them from sanding, etc. post some pics.

 

^^^ Exactly!! knock out all the sheetmetal repairs... then you can undercoat and paint the frame before you run all your new lines and work your way out from there to the rearend finish it up and paint it... then move onto the engine trans.

But I would pull the engine/trans first to get it out of the way while working on your flooring!!

 

Do the dirty before the clean I was taught.

 

Start making up excuses to tell the wife!

Doc.

 

when I posted this question i felt it was probably too stupid and I probably should not have asked. Boy am I glad I did. your answers make perfect sense and are the way I am going to do it now. Before I would have started with the engine swap and I can see how that would have led to more work later trying to keep everything clean and prtected when doing the metal work. so I am going to start pulling the trans and engine tonite so I can get started on the floors. Thank a lot!

 

I agree with all the above. I love mechanical work and thoroughly enjoy doing it. Rust repair and bodywork, not so much...in fact I hate it. I started my first car backwards, did the fun stuff first, then it took years to finish the not-so fun because my heart just wasn't in it. I wanted to drive the car, not finish it.