"The Project" (In novel form) Chapter 1 - The Find

ohh and we do have another set of bias ply whitewalls that are big as all hell, on 16 inch kelsey hayes. not to shabby either...

 

That was a great anthology for the backround on the coupe!! I really got a kick out of it. I'm going to San Luis Obispo in May for Paso/Maria and I gotta check out the car while I'm in town!

 

Mocked up the new carbs, velocity stacks, valve covers, and intake manifold, also put in the stearing box last night.

 

very nice. love the finned engine parts.

 

I like the car, but is that rear end (As cool as it is) gong to stand up to that big ass Chebby?

 

What happened to the Paxon?

 

the tranny mount, nice and simple

 

Started the pedals today

drawing out the lines to torch

 

The twins break time!

 

I know what your thinking, and too everyone who justifiedly has doubt about the columbia, heres the situation cleared up a little...

Actually the rear end was rebuilt by a guy named Herby Landis, whos been consistantly running 500+ horsepower to all of his 8 columbia driven cars for the last 45 years up in seattle.

Alot of the people say you cant do this you cant do that, and for good reason, mostly because they have never seen it before, and the stock columbias are so weak and functioning problems int he 'softer' conection areas internally... well most things i cant do, someone else out there can, and what most people cant do with columbias, this old timer can...


If you can find one of his built columbias that withstand this kind of power... your gonna pay for it, 3 times the cost of usual columbia's. Not to mention its damn near impossible unless you know a close friend, i bought mine from his brother.

If your not sure it will last... well lets all do an experiement, just look for me at Santa Maria, and then Back the Beach, and the Ink and Iron, and then Primer Nationals, and then... we all will have an answer.

 

and the problem were hacing with the McCulloch Supercharger is finding a space to mount it, but were not giving up yet, when we get the block back from Danny Roslan, whos boring and honing it, we will be able to get a good look and make a decision on that beast... i really want to use it...

 

The only thing you forgot in the Story Of Your Coupe is how he bent the spokes with the torque of the Olds, Hemi Or 348 and switched to 5" Steelies up front and a '57 Olds rear with the 7in wide Steel wheels out back.

Motor look good dude.

 

hahaha hey the story is a work in progress, keep adding info! i also got some huge radials, just no photos yet, youll like em

 

Yeah, I can wait till the part where the 17" Billet Specialties wheels and Sherbert/Easter egg paint come into play. Maybe some coilovers up front and a Jag rear end!!! Perhaps Boyd himself laid his hands on this thing in the early 90's!!!!

I really like the car though man. I just wish it was running some Ansen Five Spokes out back with Inglewood slicks and some spindle mounts up front. Very KiwiKev-esque!!! But don't let schmucks like me deter you from your vision. It looks cool the way you are going.

 

i like the build thread very coool , cant wait for more progress

 

progress report...

So recently the chevy is really come along nicely, I would say like watching your kid grow up, but having never had kids, so like watching your new (or first) dog become your favorite dog... it seems now like we have narrowed the car down to those last final bits that need to be put together. Having collected all the parts and done most all the fabricating I feel like I have come over the hill and am sliding down the other side. Though this analogy doesn’t quite sit well with me... The idea of it being a "hill" implies my lazy ass didn’t enjoy doing it, but the fact is, im more addicted to it now then I ever was. I guess im more a climber now then I ever was...

The 34 is really looking good. We’ve got the m22 in and the 348 is out getting honed and bored by Danny Roslan. The carbs are in, thanks to Aaron Von Minden, hes a great guy and a good friend to have, he hooked me up big time. Peter and Scott finished the final touches on the chop. The Columbia is in and mounted as is the inner bracing. Peter and Scott completed the pedals and the steering column and box this week.

Also I’ve dusted off some old Kelsey Hayes 16s I got at a swap meet in Paso last year and am getting em powder coated black... I get a lot of shit for the excelsiors I’ve got on currently, but who cares I like em. Im not gonna date your wife just because you like her...haha, zing!... that was a good one.... Anyways, I’ve got some 500s up front and 750s Firestone blackwalls ive planned on running as well, im a firm believer in having multiple sets of wheels and tires and changing your shoes every now and again... also I’ve got a pair of Firestone Bias 890s in the garage, if I can find a wheel for em. (ahem! anyone? Bueller...Bueller...)

I’ve got some old gauges and a huge FW Stewart, pre Stewart Warner speedo that’s going to be awesome in here. Says "Master" right on the center... I ordered a repop original gas tank that should be here soon as well... Im down now to the drive shaft, and interior.

The next step is the floors, currently were bracing them and doing body mounts, then we will be doing aluminum with hammer rivets. Its got a lot of work left, but im optimistic it should be done by West Coast Customs @ Santa Maria. You better come up and say hey if your going to be there for the show...

Also when i sold my 51 chevy to Denmark earlier in the year i went and stopped by and saw Troy at Hollywood Hot Rods, and swung by Old Crow... man you guys have got to stop by and see those guys and the stuff they are doing if your in the burbank area, its impressive to say the least. Troy, who i had met several times before, was unloading his cars from the roadster show, but stopped and gave us a good tour of his future projects. and the guys at Old Crow let us peek around some and shot the shit for a bit. As soon as my cars done, im driving it down, and im bringing the beer.

 

You guys better come up and say hey at Santa Maria in a few months, always good to meet other hambers...

also the excelsiors were swapped to a 31 40s style roadster, so look for this car with new shoes...

 

now thats cool!

 

yay for floor templates and finished bracing...

 

So i walked around the aisles at the Fomoso Speedway glancing here and there at the vendors overpriced crap for about 3 hours. the broken friction shock arms, the cracked Hillborn injection manifolds and the 4,000 dollar magnesium wheels...

I was looking for this and that, a little bit here a little bit there, maybe a aluminum bell housing for the Muncie or a early model T steering wheel. The problem was I would get to talking with these vendors and it would take me forever to get down the damn aisle. the guy with the "Wild Thing" bantam body for 300 bucks had been a musician and played with the Rev Horton Heat at one time, the guy with the perfect Plymouth steering wheel (that I wanted but not for 500 bucks) was an old circle track racer, and so on and so forth... Well somehow I made it out of March Meets with a scatter shield and pair of 348-409 exhaust manifolds... just what I needed...

As I walked back to the car I got a cell phone call from my friend Danny. Now to understand Danny you’ve got to use your imagination because hes one of those people that are so unique it is a stretch when you hear about em, but you never forget them when you meet them, you know the type... Well Danny is a big guy, 6 foot 5 something, but feels 6 foot 20 somthin... Hes got a serious face, and hardly ever cracks a smile. Danny is a drag racer. My '66 chevelle motor was built by Danny and ended up being a 510 hp 383 stroker small block chevy. Danny at the time had a 69 camaro with a 900hp big block and a 300 shot of nitrous... I recall Danny telling me of one time he took his wife for a ride in the race car out on the street in front of his shop in the downtown, and she was sitting half on his lap half on part of the full cage, with the shifter between her legs, and while stopped at a light, she bumped the nitrous button, popping a hell raising wheelie right there in downtown. Danny said the car jumped about 4 feet into the intersection. If he had’nt been the first car in the line of cars up at that light, he would of landed in some old ladies trunk. anyways, so Danny calls me, and tells me my motor is just about done. Hes boring the 348 out, honing it, 9.5 to 1 compression, making this thing bad ass. Now hes doing the work, and im doing the assembly but in my experience, not all engine builders are created equal. And Danny is one of the best.

He tells me my motor is almost done, and it will be finished in 2 weeks, plenty of time for Santa Maria...

So at this point, the motor is done, the interior bracing is done, the suspension is done, the chop is done.

The next big steps, are firewall fab, finished lead work, radiator mounts, belly pan, exhaust, and running all the lines. Also the excelsiors went back on the model a roadster and the firestone big n little’s went back on the chevy.


And for you guys who like drag stuff, heres Danny's Nova.... this day he also set a wheelie record at this pinks all out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2AGrhbex74
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and yes, the beautiful long haired viking man, is the infamous Phil "Iron Maiden Sneakers" Cantue

 

The car has such a cool stance.

 

So gettign ready for Santa Maria, were almost done.