1956 Chevy Pro-Street Build

[ccreddell]

Left turns I can handle, its the hard right turns into the wall that screw things up...

[BC Toy chest]

The hinge adapters are beautiful they are a work of art.

[ptc]

Thanks guys for looking in on all my stuff.... my job has been working me to the bone and havent had any free time to 'work' on fun stuff..... any "free" time has been going to home duties.... But should have some more movement on this thing this coming weekend hopefully. Been working on the wheelbarrow firewall install and it has been alot of hackin and hewing and grinding and welding.... but its getting there.

The hood has taken a back seat to the firewall for now....

My bed is done at the body shop and should be picking that up this weekend too, so one end of the truck is ready for paint already!

The engine should be here next week and I get to play with mocking that all up in real life to the chassis finally with a trans and get a driveline made!

Its all coming together.... in my mind..... now I just need a 'Detroit Assembly Line' to make it all happen!!!! lol

[RockinKees]

Awesome job on the hinges PTC!!
I think a lot of people are gonna steal your idea

Things are speeding up now

[ptc]

Originally Posted by RockinKees

Awesome job on the hinges PTC!!
I think a lot of people are gonna steal your idea

Things are speeding up now

Steal Away!!! thats what we post things up here for to help people! There are always stumbling blocks to making things custom, so if somebody does it first and makes it that much simpler for everyone else, hey its all GOOD!

I was trying many different ideas to try and mount the 58-89 hood to a 57, but this turned out to be the simplest way to go about it. But thats just STEP 1 of MANY MORE. The 58-59 hood DOES NOT JUST FIT.... it will require many hours of sheetmetal cutting and relocation and then body work to make it look right and fit the fenders and the front cross brace correctly. So it will be a real challenge. But again I think this may be easier and less work then just simply cutting the entire top out of a 58-59 and trying to weld it into a 57 hood frame that has been gutted.

[ptc]

I did a chance to get some more things done on the truck this past weekend.

I completed the outriggers for the rear roll bar pad supports. They came out pretty nice and alot cleaner then the other pads I made.

Pic #1 - I used some 3" x 2" box tube and cut them to length as needed from the frame outwards.

Pic #2 - Then I added a second 'block' on top of that and welded them together. This put the outrigger perfectly centered on the frame rail and kept it out of the way of any undercab structure.

Pic #3 - I capped off the end with some 16 ga sheetmetal to make it look all finished, ground it all smooth and it was ready to weld up to the frame.

Pic #4 - This is the orientation of the pieces as they would be under the truck cab with an example "foot plate" on the right. So I tac welded them up into place under the truck cab to the plates mounted there and to the frame rail.

One more thing done!

[ptc]

I also got hot on the firewall.... (no pun intended).... I really need to get this figured out and DONE~!!!!

Took alot of just cutting and fitting - I stopped trying to figure it out on paper and just did it the IAN ROUSSELL way.... JUST CUT IT AND WELD IT!!!!

And this is where I am at this time with it. I have to get ahold of trans cover to finish it off at the floor on the interior side. On the engine side I have some pieces I formed with the shrinkers and stretchers to close out the edges real nice and make the paneled firewall look original. Then I need to cut in a throttle pedal box and the brake pedal is moving over to the left side of the steering column. Just not enough room down there. (The well is so big because Im planning on a little extra space for some Arias Chevy Hemi Heads in the future!) They are pretty large HEADS!

These are all the pics I have for now until it is done.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Nice work on the install I figure my install process will be similar just make the cut and get it going I don't think I will need to go far back enough to need to modify the trans tunnel just enough to move her back an inch or two I can see the advantage of both though

Fingers crossed mine comes in today like it says it should

[Kim57]

Looking good.
Kim

[II_Slow]

My engine is set back 14 inches, so you get no sympathy from me!
Yeah, the wheel barrow thing looks like it works pretty well but apparently it doesn't fit "out of the box". Nothing like a few compound curves on parts never meant to be toghther, right?

Those Aries hemi heads look very intriguing, time to do a little reseach on those. Those heads and a 14-71 blower, on alcohol, yeah that ought to do it.

At the drags Saturday, we pitted next to my friends with blown hemi Baracuda on alcohol. Off the scale on coolness (literally - it ices up the blower hat!).

[RockinKees]

Nice room for the go-fast goodies

[lower50's]

You got some great progress. With using the wheelbarrow do you end up with extra space at the back of the motor above the trans?

[ptc]

Originally Posted by II_Slow

My engine is set back 14 inches, so you get no sympathy from me!
Yeah, the wheel barrow thing looks like it works pretty well but apparently it doesn't fit "out of the box". Nothing like a few compound curves on parts never meant to be toghther, right?

Those Aries hemi heads look very intriguing, time to do a little reseach on those. Those heads and a 14-71 blower, on alcohol, yeah that ought to do it.

At the drags Saturday, we pitted next to my friends with blown hemi Baracuda on alcohol. Off the scale on coolness (literally - it ices up the blower hat!).

Thats Nice!!! My friend has a '66 Cuda with the Blown injected 426 Hemi and it is an incredible machine.... The 426 Hemi just cant be beat for BAD-ASSness... but if its gotta be a BBC then the Arias stuff is pretty nice.

CUSTOM- means "make it fit" ---- out of the box means "BOLT-on something that somebody else has already made for the masses"....

Thanks for checking it out

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

Nice work on the install I figure my install process will be similar just make the cut and get it going I don't think I will need to go far back enough to need to modify the trans tunnel just enough to move her back an inch or two I can see the advantage of both though

Thanks - mine I think will include the trans and have a flat floor from there on out.... lots of room.

Originally Posted by Kim57

Looking good. Kim

Thanks Kim!!!

Originally Posted by RockinKees

Nice room for the go-fast goodies

Yessir! thats what this 'little truck' needs!!!

Originally Posted by lower50's

You got some great progress. With using the wheelbarrow do you end up with extra space at the back of the motor above the trans?

Thanks! - Im hoping its all inclusive of the space behind the motor that includes the trans bell. Or I can cut the back off the wheelbarrow wherever it ends up and blank it off. Im gonna wait until I get the engine and trans into place before I make the final cut on it.

Just waiting on the motor! ---- impatiently!

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by ptc

Just waiting on the motor! ---- impatiently!

Whats the time frame on that monster anyway? Are you building it or getting a turn key setup?

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

Whats the time frame on that monster anyway? Are you building it or getting a turn key setup?

Should be here next week! its gonna be delivered dyno-run-ready from their shop.... meaning they have already run it and dyno'd at said HP rating for warranty.

Then I JUST have to put on my own intake systems with the supercharger, ignition system, exhaust system, plumb it, wire it, and .... thats all! ---

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by ptc

Should be here next week! its gonna be delivered dyno-run-ready from their shop.... meaning they have already run it and dyno'd at said HP rating for warranty.

Then I JUST have to put on my own intake systems with the supercharger, ignition system, exhaust system, plumb it, wire it, and .... thats all! ---

Nice we will have a nice little race for first engine start up then

Or at least in my head we will

[RockinKees]

Originally Posted by ptc

Should be here next week! its gonna be delivered dyno-run-ready from their shop.... meaning they have already run it and dyno'd at said HP rating for warranty.

Then I JUST have to put on my own intake systems with the supercharger, ignition system, exhaust system, plumb it, wire it, and .... thats all! ---

Maybe a dumm question, but why not dyno with all your parts on it?
Then all the neccesary adjustments are done right away.
Or do I miss something important here?

[ptc]

Originally Posted by RockinKees

Maybe a dumm question, but why not dyno with all your parts on it?
Then all the neccesary adjustments are done right away.
Or do I miss something important here?

Never a dumb question my friend! --- They 'engine' dyno it to their build specs, Im buying a long block from them and they will warranty that the build meets the specs they quoted me at 717HP - 648 FT LBS Torque. Thats on them to produce. Thats just with a basic single plane manifold, an 850cfm 4 barrel carb installed on it and 2" headers through their own exhaust system.

Then I get it, put all my stuff on it, and complete the entire drivetrain in the truck. Then it will go to a 'chassis' dyno (after its all completed) to do a final "tune" on the complete package to get MAX HP to the rear wheels.

Final tuning on a chassis dyno allows us to make changes to all systems to find the best of every part right down to tire pressures!.... the fact that drivetrain losses can vary from one run to the next, and things like tire temperature and pressure affect final results, the chassis dyno is much better suited as a vehicle tuning tool than an engine horsepower measurement tool....

Thanks for asking!

[RockinKees]

Ah okay, that makes sence to me


Thanks for explain this to me (and a few others I think )

[Nut Case]

ptc

You gone and done forgot, "Universal Fit" translation is "it needs to be universally modified to fit"

Just thought you might like to know

Nutter than usual Case

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Nut Case

ptc

You gone and done forgot, "Universal Fit" translation is "it needs to be universally modified to fit"

Just thought you might like to know

Nutter than usual Case

that fits into my "Custom Out of the Box" category....!!!!

[ptc]

Well the summer heat is here in the central valley 100+ all weekend working in the garage in full leathers welding and grinding.... I knew I should have got all this done during the winter!!!!

Got most of my firewall welded and smoothed out and got a new blank floor piece made to replace the old steering and brake holes. My brake pedal will be floor mounted and on the left side of the steering column. I got all the column piece measured out and its ready to go into place.

Still no motor. Decided on a custom cam change at the last minute that will make that supercharger come alive. So another 3 week setback on that. Trans is going to shop this week to make it 1000 hp capable.

So lots of things happening.... just getting WARMED UP!!!!!

[ptc]

The DASH and GAUGE package ---- Im going with a Corvette C2 Dash hump and the Dakota Digital VHX package shown.

I have acquired a Corvette C2 dash pad so the 57 dash hump will be removed. The Dakota Digital VHX pak which will be placed into a machined Billet aluminum blank C2 faceplate.




So here are some photos of my latest work.... just doing little bits at a time - too many things going on.


Photo 1: - This is the wheel barrow cut into place. I was really struggling with the way it looked with the indented firewall places all out of place.... almost cut the whole thing out again and started over!.... I didnt like how the indentations were uneven on each side so I ended up just cutting them out and reforming it all.

Photo 2: This is with the indentations changed: I cut them out and then re-fabbed them and re-installed them to match up better. Also the new floor plate is installed with the column coming thru....

Photo 3: Interior side with the new FLAMING RIVER steering column (Thanks Dave!) and the new floor plate I made up. But got the wrong drop length on the column mount!!!! UGH!!! Need to order another part and WAIT!

[lower50's]

Gauge pack will look cool in there.