Projects Plan II - 62 Chevy II Drag Car

nice!!

 

A little more progress. I've been finishing up some of the parts that bolt to the car...welding stuff that was only tacked, sandblasting, cleaning, and painting, and bolting on. There are a lot more parts to go yet.

 

That is REALLY shaping up!
This is the best part of any project:The point where all the scabby,shitty,rusty work is done,and all your hard work is starting to reward you with a car that's coming together really quickly.
It's so rewarding to see them looking more and more like a car every time you bolt something on.
Nice job,and congratulations on what is sure to be a super hot looking car!

Scott


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Thanks!

I just read thru this whole thread, all 16 pages of it. Amazing how much progress it's made, but also amazing how much time I've sunk into it since buying the car in late November.

I try to work on the car every day that I'm home. I've been pretty good at following that plan so far. Also, there's an event in May that I want to take it to, the 52nd reunion for the old Tucson Dragway, held at the new strip there, Southwest International Raceway. I'm going to bring the car whether or not it's done...I would like to show it at the small car show they have, and also get it at least partly tech inspected, to see what I missed. I guess that means I need to get the seat mounted, cage installed, put a motor in it, etc. in the next month.

 

Need I put it any other way? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jG5wWl--zw

 

It looks terrific-- you seem to have nailed the right combination of fit & finish with junkyard dog attitude.

Did you paint it right there in your garage? What steps did you take to minimize overspray, dust, fumes in the house, etc?

 

Those wheel wells are a little freaky lookin but I guess that will be one of the things that make it stand out and have more character from the rest,that along with some great times of course will also make it more memorable

Something like one of these from rocket with some big meats would look wicked just sayin.

 

Thanks!

My shop is 100 ft away from my house. I have adequate ventilation in the shop. It does make a mess....but that's life.

 

I have several different rear wheels to choose from...plan to run 15x7 aluminum slots, with not so wide tires, but I may try some bigger meats on 8" wheels.

The fronts are what I need to go wheel shopping for. I don't have any skinnys.

 

Hope you find some skinny fronts that don't break the bank! They seem to be rare and elusive around my area, and when they show up they go for diamond prices!

 

Something like this or grey ones are typically cool with whatever classic style type rears you choose but I also like skinny slots too especially if you choose slots for the rear, but I know you already know all this Im just sayin again.

 

I'm trying to make the car look like it's from the 60s, those wheels are from the 2010s....but I guess they fool a lot of guys?

 

Yeah, I guess you are rite about those exact wheels but some that style would look cool, they did make em back then that werent spindle mounts or knock off magnesiums didnt they? Im truly not sure now that I think about it.

 

Spindle mount spoke wheels were pretty common, but they generally didn't run front brakes with them. The new wheels let you sort of get the look, and run brakes. But they're "fantasy" wheels, they never existed back then, as far as I know

 

Someone posted an old advertisement for ET wheels from around 1970 awhile back offering their 10 spoke bolt on wheels, as ET and Rocket build today. So they are an old design, just not really of the period that Squirrel is going for.
And I found this ad for MT showing a similar wheel back when:

 

Squirrel, you are a true craftsman. I'm really enjoying this thread. It's what real hot-rodding is all about.

I'm impressed with both the speed and quality of your work.

 

Squirrel, your car screams out for 15x3.5" Fenton Gyros.

If the budget won't support those, 15x4"Ansen slots would be a good second choice.

 

I have a question. I was wondering if there was a plan to connect the front and rear subframes. I have been thinking about a "gasser style" build of a early Chevy 2 and I was wondering about the strength if you have some wheelstands happening.

Will it be strong enough?
I was just wondering what you thought.

 

Good question. The car has interesting construction, the rear frame rails are connected to the rocker, at the spring hangar box. The front subframe is pretty much just connected to the floor, although it does get some bracing from the firewall, which is reinforced at the top, as well as where the front subframe bolts on. I'm adding a cage, and I have to add sill bars since I altered the floor. The cage and sill bars will connect the front of the rocker/floor to the spring hangar box. The rocker already does this, too. What's missing is a connection between the front frame, and the rocker. I added a piece on each side to do just this.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9556214&postcount=218

I couldn't see any benefit to adding a piece of thick wall tubing betwen the front and rear frames, since the rocker and sill bar are already going the same place, for the most part. I added the missing piece to tie the front frame rails to the rocker. We'll see what happens.

 

Cool I was just wondering. I am leaning towards a early chevy 2 wagon it won't have an Altered wheelbase but I am hoping for some strip time. That will be about 2 projects down the road.

 

a friend down the street has an early wagon that has been converted to 2 door, but it's just a rolling basket case, needs to be finished. Since he already has a finished 66 two door wagon, he's trying to sell the project

 

I am working on a 61 chevy wagon right now.

 

I don't know how I missed this. The car is well thought out and looks great. But I think that's SOP for you. Sure would like to land one of those little roller skates.

 

Thanks!

Got more work done on the front suspension yesterday, it's on two wheels. My son Gary helped.



And I started on the rear. I installed the rear springs. I swiped the "good" third member out of the rearend in my 55. Cleaned up the 57 Ford Wagon housing for the Chevy II, set the pinion angle, welded on the perches, and painted it. Installed it, and installed the third member. And I'm working on the axles, got one done, still threading the other one for the long studs. Should be on all four wheels very soon.

 

Damn!
You guys are really flyin'!

Looking good!

Scott


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This car is sweet!

Looking real Good!!!

Dan

 

how do you set the pinion angle with no load ?

 

You guess. The car won't sit much lower when it gets all the weight in it. I set the pinion 3 degrees nose down, relative to the crank/transmission shaft centerline. I may have to shim it, or I may not...we'll see. I'm making some caltracs type bars for it, there will be some adjustment there too.

 

The wheels look good,That what you are gonna run? Some skinnier tires with a more period look like you are wantin would narrow the look of those up even quite a bit more, Im sure you already know that and are probably not that concerned with the wheels so much rite now but I thought I would pitch that out there for anyone else keepin up with what you are doin.

You are the man,Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing along the way

 

The benefit of a subframe connector is it makes a direct link from the front and rear frames without any offset. It's much stronger in a straight line than offsetting to the rocker and back in.