Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Next weekend I will put the new wiring harnesses in her. Then bolt all the sheetmetal back on her. Then trailer her down to the muffler shop for complete exhaust and over to the tire shop for alignment. After that she will be my summer driver.

Took her down the road and back in front of the house with the open headers and no weight on the rear end. Spun the tires in all four gears and sounded really nice!!

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Trying to decide what to do about the dash. The current dash is pretty well hacked. I have a second dash in really nice shape. Should I cut the middle out of the nice dash and put that in Bonnie, swap the dash with the one in Bonnie, or just buy the patch panel I see in catalogs and off the nice dash to someone who really needs it?

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

the two dashes

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Does the damage under the heater control hole extend over to the glove box? It that is repairable in place I would get an aftermarket patch panel and sell the good dash after the repair is completed.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

From the looks of it I would fix what you have with that dash without cutting into the nice one. If you want it original then buy the patch from LMC, otherwise roll a piece of sheet and weld it in.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Drill out all the spot welds and put the white one in and DON'T paint it! Nice Build x 2!!!

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Time for a litttle update. Been busy putting her all back together. The plan is to drive her all summer then take her all apart this winter and get the bodywork and paint done.

The motor looks great

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

I used the Factory Fit wiring assembly and completely rewired the entire truck. I laid out the whole thing on the dining room table and figured out where everything goes. The wiring went in fairly easy and only cost me about a day.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Hung all the sheetmetal back on her. Kinda sucks putting on pieces that have damage but I want to drive her now.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

I think the stance came out ok. Right now there are 245/50 series tires in the back with a 25" overall diameter. I'm going to run those till I kill them then up the rears to 30-32" diameter and maybe 300 wide.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Got the exhaust in. Went with single chamber mufflers with 2 1/2' pipes the entire way. I think its a little too loud and will probably be taking her back to get two chamber muflers swapped in.

My girlfriend gave me a ride to pick up Bonnie and hated the square tips I picked out.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Got the front end alignment done and have been driving her a bit. With the Muncie 4 speed, 3.73 gears in the Ford 8.8 rear end, and the low profile tires, I'm winding her up too much when on the freeway. Ordered up some 3.08 gears from Summit Racing and those are going in the rear later this week.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

So now its time to drive her and enjoy her. Between now and winter I will choose a color and figure out what I'm going to do for bedwood and the interior.

Now the girlfiend and I have to fight over what to drive.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

Of course I don't get to relax too much. The next project is waiting in the garage.


Meet "Sheila" currently a '71 Firebird with a valve stuffed in the #4 piston.

Sheila will soon be a Formula clone with a smoking motor.

Re: "Silver's '59 build thread"
 

You do really nice work. For the price of the patch panel I'd buy/use it and hang the stock dash in my garage as art. Hell I'd be tempted to put a radio in it as my garage BOOM BOX..