55 project thread

[55ChevyPU]

where do you live again, socal right? and yea I bought the right fender. The one I had was subject to repeated gunshot/buckshot wounds! Its not that the fittment wasnt right its just all these trucks are different in there own ways one fender that might be amazing on one truck sucks on another so yea as you can see the right fender is fine now it just required a bit of muscle

[entourageguy]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

fired the truck up today the break-in went pretty good other than a few minor leaks here and there and even drove itno the garage under her own power!

Looking good 55chevyPU

My main concern is that it stopped ok once it was in the garage... if your wondering why look at my tailgate... ouch

Brian ...

[55ChevyPU]

haha didnt pull her all the way into the garage just had a couple 4x4 cut's to throw under the wheel for stopping. Did I mention I have no brakes? :P It was pretty impressive though the engine at an idle was still producing pushing power up an incline. Its a 383 stroker built up quite a bit with about 450hp

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

where do you live again, socal right?

Yep, I live in Inglewood, CA You know where fourm is the Lakers old home. I live about 2 miles from there.

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

fired the truck up today the break-in went pretty good other than a few minor leaks here and there and even drove itno the garage under her own power!

Congrads on the start up!! Like you, I had a few minor leaks also.

[55ChevyPU]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

Congrads on the start up!! Like you, I had a few minor leaks also.

I lied it was more like a geyser of fuel shooting out the back

[watahyahknow]

thank god it didn't caught fire , seen it happen once it took the car AND the garage it was sitting in

[pgf545]

55 I love the day you get to fire a new motor. That always gets me going. Plus it will keep you motivated to get the thing finished and driveable .

Bernie

[55ChevyPU]

www.two40musclez.com/chevy/motor.avi

the sound is junk but oh well

[mikar]

Congrats 55 Sounds Great!! Keep up the good work...

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

www.two40musclez.com/motor.avi

the sound is junk but oh well

That was really cool!!! Did you have opened headers when you shot the video?

[55ChevyPU]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

That was really cool!!! Did you have opened headers when you shot the video?

yea it was uncorked, I bled the brakes yesterday and am doing the power steering this morning woohoo I can drive the thing up and down the street

[Daniel U]

Sounds good! Looks Pro Street with that side mount tach.

[texascowboy593]

sounds good 55!

[Jebb1978]

Woo Hoo! It sounds healthy!

[55ChevyPU]

so ive been pretty busy working lately but got some stuff today. I switched to bear claw latches. I can still use the door handle like it was stock but instead of any resistance at all the I push the handle button a contact switch on the inside activates a solanoid and the door goes "click" open and "click" shut

[watahyahknow]

niiiiice , verry rolls royce like luxury




make sure you still able to hook up a jumpercable to the battery somewhere under the bed if needed though .
you woulnt be the first locked out of a car running solenoids after they left the lights on overnight

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

so ive been pretty busy working lately but got some stuff today. I switched to bear claw latches. I can still use the door handle like it was stock but instead of any resistance at all the I push the handle button a contact switch on the inside activates a solanoid and the door goes "click" open and "click" shut

Got any pictures of the bear claw set up?

[55ChevyPU]

yea sure



and here for the "Click" factor

www.two40musclez.com/chevy/bearclaw.avi

[watahyahknow]

looks real good , it might be a nice idea to leave the plate on it unpainted and polisch or chrome it , makes it stand out a little bit more

[poncho_villa]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

yea sure


and here for the "Click" factor

www.two40musclez.com/chevy/bearclaw.avi

That "click" factor is great. I hope it still works that good after the door rubber is installed. I have shaved door handles on my truck with bear claws. Once my new rubber has finally settled into place the doors should open nice again.

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

yea sure


and here for the "Click" factor

www.two40musclez.com/chevy/bearclaw.avi

Was it a kit for our years or did you have to fab it your self? And how do you get those video links?

[55ChevyPU]

Cal: I had to make the mounting plates for the door if you cant tell by all the scribbles on it. The door in that area has one of those recessed sections I still need to cut the edges down to fit that, I still think they are pretty good for a 19 year old. http://www.two40musclez.com is my web server. My digital camera can record decent quality digital video so I just upload that onto my server and give you guys the link, if you need a small video hosted I can throw it up there but nothing to big in size!

Poncho: Yea I hope the rubber works out for both of us, Ill just have to wait and see. I was first thinking of doing shaved handles but as I thought more about it I like the door handles for the 55-59 trucks. I want to paint the rest of the truck before it gets to cold "yea I know im in southern california its hot here all year" but before I could paint the doors I had to figure out the locking mechanisms/latches. I probably wont be using the handle much because I am going to install a remote to operate the door relays as well. Maybe I will install a 3rd relay which has to be activated to use the door handles for extra secuity.... HRMMM IDEAS IDEAS IDEAS.

The way the handle locking mechanism works is there is a vertical cut in a piece of metal. Turn the lock open and the vertical cut allows the flat piece of metal on the button to slide through. Turn the lock to the closed position and the lock piece is horizontal while the cut is vertical not allowing it to slide through. Right behind this lock is a electric push switch I mounted so instead of the lock pushing open the latch it pushes an electric switch and pop goes the solanoid. I dunno I though it was a pretty cool idea.

[Sweet&LowPro55]

Awesome job your doing !!! My '55 looks to be the same color .Would it happen to be a House of Kolors paint ??? What is your color called ??

[watahyahknow]

Originally Posted by 55ChevyPU

I am going to install a remote to operate the door relays as well. Maybe I will install a 3rd relay which has to be activated to use the door handles for extra secuity.... HRMMM IDEAS IDEAS .

it should be possible to use the doorlock lead off the alarm system switching a relay for that to disconnect all the power going to the switches on the handles and the relays youre going to use to pop the doors remotely , it would work the same way as with mecanical doors only without the click of the doorlocks
.........mmmmm wait a second the alarm only gives the doorlockservos temporairy power , you might want to use a doorlock servo operating a (micro)switch for that .
should be eazy making something like that and built it under the dash