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Yeah, and not just the drive-ability is a concern--resale comes into play, too.... When all is said and done and the car is all built and I've had a bit of fun in it, I'll peddle it and use the money for the way kewl hi-dollar goodies I want for the Ranchero.
:....Never seen a LOW gasser ...."
I don't know if you'd classify the American Graffiti/Two Lane Blacktop 55 Chevys as Gassers or just street racers. They have the radiused rear wheels, flip front ends and tube axels, but do sit a lot lower than what is associated with the traditional gassers.
American Graffiti Home Page (Unofficial) - The 55 Chevy
Maybe a different front suspension and something this style Dave?
I don't think so Mike... at this point in time contemplating something more modern for suspension--maybe some 'Vette pieces or possibly a coilover strut setup on the front and possibly independent on the rear, too.... Got some ideas down on the old drawing board, but nothing definite yet. So many options, just depends on how carried away I decide to get on the car.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike P
Found pictures and a lot of information on the frame pictured below...Some things I like and don't like on it, but the concept is neat!!!!
Dave-doesn't the IRS's have a limited rear end gear ratio??.I don't know for sure.
Did a bit more grinding and sanding on the inner body structure today. It's boring, noisy, dusty, and generally nasty work so I just do an hour or so at a time. I do a much more thorough job doing a little bit at a time rather then trying to do the whole thing in a couple days. One good thing (maybe) is that the boring work sure gives the old brain a lot of time to mull over some build ideas!!!! Probably another couple hours work and the passenger side will be ready for some epoxy primer, then a half turn on the rotisserie and start on the driver's side! Next step on the body will be the start of the fun stuff, fabbing up all the aluminum panels!!!!!
Sounds good Dave. More fun than busting up concrete. Did that and reloaded everything on the desktop for the last three days. Time to get things fixed before the rain starts. Also fixed a door with dry rot. Kept working around the truck thinking about my header issues, and getting all my fiberglass parts mounted on the truck!
Great looking frame there.
Got the inside of the quarter panel supports and mounts for the new skin done on the driver's side, rolled the car over and repeat the whole process on the passenger side!!!! Lots more hours of the "glamour and glory" part of a build, grinding, sanding, making tabs, and shootin' primer...........
Don't ya just love it. I think I finished the tail light conversion on the Nova..
Dave,
I've been thinking about your quandry - whether to build it gasser style or not. I'd like to see this baby go back together as a straight-axle gasser style car. Why? Well, I know this is going to sound dumb, but I feel sorry for this car.:CRY: Somebody hacked and butchered it into some semblance of a gasser years ago, but it was so badly done it never really had a chance of being terribly successful. Now, in your capable hands it could become what it never was - a really well-built gasser. It doesn't have to sit nose-bleed high; Gene Moody's very successful record holding '55 Chevy didn't sit a lot higher than stock and it was pretty level (see pic). Not all straight axle cars handle badly, either. There was a red '55 Chevy gasser that went on one of the Street Rodder tours a couple years ago that did very well in the slalom. If you want low and nimble, build a Camaro or Corvette; this thing could be BAD and still be streetable...:D
Thought about all that stuff Jim, matter of fact it's the main reason I agreed to take the car in the first place. Had a gasser the first time around....I was a kid and hung out as the "shop boy" with all the local racers, who helped me put it together. I bought a blown up '56 Ford 2dr. sedan. One guy gave me a CAE (remember them?) straight axle and helped me install it right for taking care of his mom's yard all summer and shoveling snow in the winter. The guy who owned the gas station I worked at advanced me the money on my wages to buy a 406 tri-power and 4 speed out of the junkyard ($600.00, paid him back $50.00 a payday), my Dad, Lyle, and I did the rest of the work. Sat about 4" higher then stock, no front brakes (spindle mount wheels), and ran like Jack the Bear---this was in '65.....It was a great car for a 15 year old kid!!!!
For this car there's just not enough nostalgia racing around here to build it as an all out racer, and I'm old enough to like a lot of the "comfort things" in a cruiser, A/C, good seats, power windows etc.... So for me as a gasser style car it'd end up just sitting in the garage neglected til somebody came along with a big check book that wanted it more then me.
Done up with an LS engine w/EFI, 6 speed, loaded with options, lowered a bit from stock with a few custom touches, some sort of trick IFS, 2 tone paint and a set of grey centered Torq Thrust wheels it would be a very usable car for me! Lots of good power around town, and that long winded double OD tranny for down the highway!!!! Also had an acquaintance of mine, self proclaimed "expert" on how a car should be built and told me about all the things the car had to have to be "correct" as an old gasser..... I don't want to build a car to those standards again, nor would I want to put up with all the "could of, should of, would of" crap if I put all MY touches on it as a gasser. Think I'll be happier with it looking stock from the outside with good suspension, brakes, and horsepower along with the AC, power windows, power locks, power steering and brakes, keyless entry, etc, etc, etc. Then the gasser guys will leave me alone, the resto-freaks will continue to hate me, and as always I'll have a car built to no one's standards but my own and not fitting in anyone's catagory!!!!!
However, nothing is set in stone yet.... Everything I'm doing to the car now is stuff I would do no matter how it was built... I dunno, maybe I should get the body put back together and set back on the frame and just sell the dang thing.... Who knows what's right??? I know I would never build it as a "period correct" gasser, so maybe I should just sell it to someone who will----but then all you get for potential buyers is tire kickers or people who want to steal it!!!!!
Dave,remember the Yellow 57 that for yrs was a featured build in Popular Hot Rodding.It was god knows how many kinds of builds and changes.You could go threw the same evolutions with your car if you like.
Found it interesting your "shop boy" background.I too did the same thing as a kid working at Paul Weaver's garage.
At the end of the day,no matter who says what,it's your car to do what you want.Look at me.A Astro high top hot rod/tow van.HUH??.Well it's what I want and if anyone has something against that..........yeah,it's my project to do what I want.Heck if we where all alike,how boring would that be..........
Heck I still say put a Ford in it and piss them all off!. They do it to 32 Ford coupes all day long, time to get even!
Dave, this 57 was at the drags the other day, and man was it gorgeous. When I saw it I thought of your build.
Don
Yep, lots of options, Dave. And lots of 57s out there to look at to get some ideas. What you've done so far looks great; if you did sell I'm sure you'ld have no trouble moving it.
Don--Nice car, but way too much chrome on it for me!!!! All those carbs got to be way more work then they're worth!!!! The paint work and the color itself are fantastic, what a gorgeous blue!
Falcon--Yeah, lots of ideas out there, plus a whole bunch of my own.
Steve--For resale, probably best with a Chevy in it---if it were anything else it'd be one of the Arrington Hemi's with supercharger!!!!!
here's some before and after pics of the inside of the quarter panels.
All your points well taken, Dave, and I can't disagree. If I was building it I would go for the gasser look, but it would still have power steering and air conditioning.:o You can always pull the belts off if ya wanna race, eh? I don't care what the purists think - if they don't like it they could go poop in a sack. People think my coupe is from an earlier era until they get up close and see the disc front brakes and torsion bar front suspension.:eek: If they don't like it, too bad. It drives great!
Anyway, it's ultimately your choice to do with it as you please. With your experience I'm confident it will turn out great. I just hope we get to see this one finished before you sell it...:cool:
Dave point well taken. Just would be cool! A hemi would be really cool. But a comfy ride will attract a huge audience for resale.
Spent some time on the '57 today, did some "rearranging" on the interior structure to facilitate the type of headliner I want in the car. It will be glued to some foam, then the foam glued to the roof and areas above the doors and window, it's going to take a bit of work to get rid of all the rough edges smoothed and open areas filled in. Sometime in the cars past, kids must have decided to use the roof as a trampoline so it's in tough shape. I cut out one section that was the worst and will have to replace it--thinking probably with aluminum as it will be so much lighter then the original 18 ga. skin on the car....
Also considering some options on how best to flush mount the windshield and rear glass, never did like the factory big ugly seals with the trim piece stuck in the middle of it! Mostly just planning a lot of little things to smooth the car out but at the same time leave it stock appearing to the casual observer.
they make a windshield rubber for use without the stainless trim,
I looked at that Charlie, had the rep from one of the body shop supply houses bring one over... IMO the seal looks even more massive without the stainless. Think I'm going to have to do some restructuring of the window openings to get what I want....Quote:
Originally Posted by cffisher
Dave the back of my cab looks the same. Every time I think I've smoothed out a beat up area, I find three more! I think your plans will improve the stock appearance.
I cut out the worst part of it (back half of the roof). It's 18ga. steel so it will match up very nicely with the .040 aluminum I plan on using for the quarters, door skins, and deck lid. So far by my calculations I've taken off over 300 pounds of ugly fat from the body. When I got the car it had no seats or anything in it so I can't really estimate how much lighter the pieces going in the interior will weigh. Getting anxious to set the body back on what's left of the original frame and see where I'm at for weight!
Looking good Dave, the bit your on at the moment is always very time consuming, full marks for sticking with it.
Never does get so it goes any easier or any faster, does it Steve? Just a necessary part of doing things right I guess...
Seeing as how the build direction for my '57 has changed, I had Bill change the title for me. Thanks again, Bill.
I've been doing some more little stuff, got the right side wheel tub glued and riveted in place and started working on the dash. (I'll get some pics tomorrow). I suppose because of the thread on the Dolphin gauges I got to thinking about gauges for the '57 while I was sanding on the dash... I like the Dakota Digital set, but I think it would be totally out of place in the car. So, maybe a set of Stewart Warner Wings or something similar--or just the old faithful Autometer's, like the Phantom series??? I want a 5" speedometer in the original dash hole, then in the 2 small holes a 2 1/16" fuel level and voltmeter fit perfectly... That's the easy part of it! I also want Oil Pressure, Oil Temperature, Fuel Pressure, and Water Temperature in 2 5/8" size--just thinking about a place to put them and have them look good. I don't really want to just flush mount them in the (now flat) dash panel, I've considered separate gauge mounting cups on the dash, and also thought about making some gauge pods that weld into the dash to hold them??? Fuel pressure gauge will have the Autometer isolater, certainly don't want any high pressure fuel lines inside the car with me!!!
I'll take some pics tomorrow so I can get some input on what other options I have on doing things inside the car...
An official "I'm sorry" to all of you who had the great ideas for the build when the car was going to be done up gasser style---It would be a kewl gasser, but just not for me... I also thought of selling the car to someone who was more in to the gasser look, but I have too much into the car when I got it and a lot of hours in it since I brought it in the garage. Kind of feel like I'm cheating a bunch of people cuz I changed my mind on the car.... :o:(
Dave... With your dash filled and flat you could mount your gauages in that area but on an angle towards the driver like with the pods on an angle with faces towards the driver. Pods half in dash and half out welded in.and painted same as dash. I did that to one of my 64's but can't find any pictures. This is what I mean you have to put somthing there anyway hahaha
Yeah, something on that order Charlie.... But I'm thinking more on the top part of the dash and centered on that big rolled front edge.... a pod angled to the driver welded and smoothed to the dash....???? Got to do something a bit different, just my nature I guess!!!!:LOL::LOL:
"......An official "I'm sorry" to all of you who had the great ideas for the build when the car was going to be done up gasser style---It would be a kewl gasser, but just not for me..."
Dave no need for an "I'm sorry" !!! Everybody on this site has preached build it for youself, not someone elses expectations at one time or another. I've always enjoyed the work you do, and really enjoy seeing this build thread....I'm really interested in seeing how the new suspension turns out.
Yeah Dave-caught me by surprise by the title change.Well the build changed so I guess it fits.
Doesn't matter if it's a cruiser or gasser, just that you like what you build. I've seen photos of what you've done and kind of think you could do just about anything and it would be pretty slick, no apologies needed!
Dave I do think with this change you opened a larger market when you want to sell it and you did say everything is for sale at one point or another.
Yeah, in the overall scheme of things this is the car that's going to pay for all the goodies going into the Ranchero... Checking results from the big auctions and talking to the guys who are in the biz of buying and selling Hot Rods the cars bringing the best money consistently are the one's that can be driven...the Sat. night Barret-Jackson cars are the exception, but building that kind of car is a bit out of my pay grade!!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by 1gary
No apologies necessary, Dave. I like the gasser style, but ultimately it's YOUR car and you have to build what YOU like or it'll just end up collecting dust in a corner somewhere, unfinished...:HMMM: We're all waiting now to see how it turns out.;):D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
A nice winter project to keep yah busy!;):D:cool:
Thanks guys! I guess if someone "insists" it has to be a gasser they can just come by, drop off a large amount of cash and take the car home and build it!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:
So anyway, being one who can never leave stock alone I had to make some changes in the dash. I cut out the OEM stuff and replaced it with .030" aluminum glued to the brackets I built. Just covered the seams and put a light coat of primer on it for now, still have to decide on the method and place for gauge placement and I'll be doing a bunch of changes on the windshield frame in order to flush mount it.
Dash looks good, Dave. The main reason I wanted you to build this one as a gasser is because I want one and was living vicariously through you.:D But it will be cool no matter how you build it.
Don
Did Don just say hes headed North with a large amount of cash??? :LOL::LOL::LOL:
Still kool,Dave..Dont mind how you build it..Its your car,,and I am sure it will have your stamp on it when its finished..Lookin forward to it..:cool:
Thanks gang, now it's time to get the Plymouth finished up so I'll have more time and room to spend on my own stuff... Found an engine and transmission for the 'maro so I've got to make room for it in the garage and start building some mounts and headers.. I miss everything about my big shop except the headaches and payments!!!!!:LOL::LOL:
Wish I had more room, but I guess I'll make do with what I have... Should be able to sneak in enough time on the '57 to get the quarter panels glued on and set the body back on the frame, anyway. That should be enough motivation to get the other stuff done and out of the way!!!!