1956 Chevy Pro-Street Build

[ptc]

Thanks VS!.... it always feeling like 1 step forward, 10 steps back!!!! My to-do list gets longer everytime I cross something off the list and I start into another part of the project. I guess it just comes with the territory right?


On another note.... Ive been trying to sell a complete 3/4T running gear and frame roller for the past year and no bites.... so I think Im just going to scrap it all out and cut up the frame and make a dolly out of it like this one I saw on this site.....

[ptc]

The ongoing saga of the engine build..... this is tiring.... so the shop finally got off their ass and mic'd the cyl bores only to find they are 'big'. So I need to get bigger pistons no matter what if I am going to 'freshen this thing up'. pistons are already at .006" over and the hone will bring it to .008" over and thats just too much piston slap for something I could be forcing 30 lbs of boost into..... so new pistons are coming in a 4.53 size. That will give me 516 CI

Getting a little bent outa shape at this point, just wasting time.... smoke 'em if ya got 'em!!!

[II_Slow]

There are some very interesting piston coatings on the market now intended to take care of problems like this. If you haven't ordered pistons yet, you may want to research it. You should be able to make up that .002 hone plus a big chunk of the .006 you were already over.
Example: "Polymer Coatings are designed to build up piston diameter
from .0005 to .005" - see JCM Machine & Coatings .

I usually lift my ringlands long before I wear the cylinder walls so I haven't tried it, but a lot of reputable engine builders appear to be sold on some of the piston coatings, particularly on boosted and nitrous applications.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

had you already purchased pistons? I sure hope not I remember seeing some a ways back in here somewhere

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

had you already purchased pistons? I sure hope not I remember seeing some a ways back in here somewhere

Got a link?????


also the coatings may be an option, I'll chek it out.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Didn't mean a set for sale I meant a photo in your thread of what you planned to run

Also a little crazy how long it's taken your machine shop to get anything done with your block I just dropped my bottom end off at one and will be badgering them for sure if we get to the three week mark without anything done to them

[ptc]

Well I got the roll bar pads welded into place for the rear hoop and the frame mounting plates matched below them. Then I got the custom bent rear hoop bar into place and tacked in. Also got the belt bar tacked on. Then cut and fitted the over door bars. They are going in front of the dash as there is not enough room in that corner to get them through the top of the dash. The bending radius just wont work that tight. Next step will be to get the windshield bar and the under dash bar bent and then cut and fitted into place.

Then we remove all the tubing - and send it out for blasting!

[Valarius_Starchaser]

What tube bender/pipe notcher are you using for this? What grade tube as well.

Also interested to see what you do with the door beam section I'm having a hard time thinking of something that wont require me to become an acrobat before I get into my truck

[lower50's]

Roll bar looks really good so far.

[Kim57]

Real nice looking.
Kim

[ptc]

Thank you guys for checking it out!

VS - Its a drag roll cage, 1 5/8" tube - The roll 'cage' is only going to be a 4-point, I am not doing it exactly to NHRA standards or rules, but it will be on par with those rules so that if somebody wants to take it to the next level they will easily be able to do that without re-doing the whole thing. I bought a notcher setup from Harbor Freight, its was on sale with 20% discount, got it for $40!

It will have everything required but door side bars and the rear bars going out the back of the cab to the rear chassis. Im not putting in those items as its going to be a "street truck" with a nice interior and upholstery and this 4 point cage will be enough to keep the roof from coming down on the occupants IF it were ever to go on its top....

The 'kit' came from Chris Alston ChassisWorks - they sell many different levels of kits. Actually this one kit can be built into an 8 point cage. It cost $319. It is bent for the 55-59 chevy truck interior. I made some more bends on the rear hoop to make it a tighter fit and to fit my custom frame mounts.

Here is the basic kit and all the specs on it:

https://www.cachassisworks.com/p-495...e1-58x134.aspx


with many addition options:

[II_Slow]

VS - a swing-out door bar is a nice option to make getting in an out a lot easier. Not sure what the rules say about them if you are trying to certify the cage. Typically spring loaded or pin/clevis at the shoulder and hinged at the bottom.

Here's what I have to contend with so you get no sympathy from be. Just remove the steerig wheel, step in, and sort of fall into it, and then hope like hell no one ever has to get me out in a hurry.

[lower50's]

That's not a bad price.

[ptc]

Originally Posted by II_Slow

VS - a swing-out door bar is a nice option to make getting in an out a lot easier. Not sure what the rules say about them if you are trying to certify the cage. Typically spring loaded or pin/clevis at the shoulder and hinged at the bottom.

Here's what I have to contend with so you get no sympathy from be. Just remove the steerig wheel, step in, and sort of fall into it, and then hope like hell no one ever has to get me out in a hurry.

Thats what you need to really think about as a driver..... YOU have to be able get yourself out of a burning vehicle and not expect somebody to come to your rescue in a fire ..... dont make a coffin out of your roll cage!

Heres some parts that make a swing out side bar feasible and they are NHRA approved per rule 4.10.

https://www.cachassisworks.com/p-529...-134-tube.aspx

[ptc]

Ok well the (engine) project took a left turn yesterday.... engine builder got fired... due mostly to his machine shop people just screwing the pooch totally. Hes fine with it as he is so busy anyway, everyone is happy. So moving on.

Gonna find another motor at this point that is built and ready to go that meets my 'boost specifications'. There are so many out there right now to choose from it shouldnt be too hard to find something for a decent price. All it takes is money right!

[lower50's]

What good is money if you don't spend it. Are you getting your motor pieces back?

[RockinKees]

Yeah, the same question as Lower 50's...it's your engine, right??

I thought the engine is being built by a company who has qualified personal. When they get fired the engine stays in the company. With or without an engine builder...

[Advanced Design]

I take it you fired them and are moving on? Cage looks good!

[Nut Case]

PTC, sure hope the cage is never needed, my best friend in HS, his dad had a body shop, and lots of wreck cars in a compound, stole a mid 50's Studebaker barely running, well a few pipes badly welded we got it running took it up on some rolling hills to roll it over just for fun. got 5 point seat belts had our Moto cross lids and away we went 3 full rolls. Never do it again, lots of knots and bruises 16 year old dummies. So experience taught me a lot. BTW it was a ugly station wagon. Keep on keepin on. Nut Case

[ptc]

On the engine deal - The machine shop is a good shop but just overwhelmed with too much work with the racing season starting. But they need to figure out who their paying clients are and take care of them too.

I "fired" my builder.... hes also kind of a friend.... so its not as bad as it sounds, I was tired of waiting.... He had a deadline of April 1 to get it done and it wasnt going to happen. When I did a little research and found #1 that other machine shops in my area could get my block work done in a week! Right now, no problems.... No waiting needed! That pissed me off. I dont care how big of name you have as a (machine) shop, if you think you can piss on little people then you are dirt in my book!

Secondly - since my builder was already having THAT machine shop do the work, (I didnt want to pay them) and he wanted the block, crank and the manifold I had purchased for the project, so I sold it all to him for cash money. I made $500 over the original purchase price and got a TH400 basically for free. So it turned out ok for all I guess, I just lost 3 months time that I will never get back.


Nut case.......... I am NOT building this truck to be a test dummy for my welding abilities on this roll bar, I can assure you of that! Its tacked into place right now only for fitment. then it all comes back out, the cab gets blasted, primed and painted (interior) and then the bars all go back in and tig welded with welding blankets protecting everything we can.

[lower50's]

The shops need to remember it's the little guys that helped there business grow.
At least you turned a profit after it all and scored a trans.

[ptc]

Well finally got my last roll bar tubes bent into shape and should be getting them fitted into place this weekend and hopefully get the firewall completed too. Found some more rust in the upper cowl assembly that I need to address, possibly remove the whole thing and replace it.... Another $300 gone to the sheetmetal 'Gremlins'.....

[RockinKees]

Angry Gremlins....

Sure hope you don't find more of them!!
Now get me some pics of your cab with rollcage!

[Advanced Design]

Just don't feed them after midnight or let them get wet.

[ptc]

Sorry guys took a break from the truck this weekend, just didnt even want to look at it. I did get some rims for it to make it a roller again. Since I sold my other wheels and tires. Found a complete set of SURVIVOR American Racing "Daisy" wheels in CHROME! 15x8 and 15x10 ---- They were pretty ugly but a little steel wool and the chrome came back to life again. Ill be selling these too when I get the new wheels.... but they look pretty good dont they?

The roll bar will be my next assignment to complete!

But..... then on SUNDAY.... I went for a little drive..... Late Model Sportsmen race cars.....