1956 Chevy Pro-Street Build

[ptc]

Originally Posted by mud.man.rj

Man you lucked out on that engine, was wondering the end driving weight of the truck once streetable, just curious.

Yea I got a decent deal on everything I needed for this, Im very grateful to the seller. Its a pretty small world when you're dealing with the hotrod community around here for cars & trucks or boats or bikes... everybody knows somebody working on something!

I dont know what the weight will be at this time. It will be all steel body and chassis obviously, no carbon fiber here! I'll probably get it weighed once it is all done, am expecting somewhere between 3500-4000 lbs possibly?

[mud.man.rj]

Pretty much a normal weight for a car, think my buddy's big block 69 Nova was around 3,600 lbs..so nice fighting weight for a truck.

[Roadkill58]

Nice score on the engine!




.

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Roadkill58

Nice score on the engine!

Thanks RK - hey did you see I put a sign up list for a SAC Chevy Only meeting group???? sign up and come on out.

[ptc]

Ok so got two of my long awaited projects done on the truck this past weekend and glad I am moving forward again. Felt like I was just hovering over this thing and getting nothing done.

1st thing was the brake pedal mount and the hydro booster - I needed the cab on to do this cause I wanted it right the first time. and measurements were just not working for me.

So I welded on the feet that spaces it out from the frame rail and got that all setup to the pedal hole. Then I got it all assembled and placed it right where I thought it would go.... and yep wrong.... so had to relocate it just a bit to fit the trans mount.... I will do the finish weld of the brackets when the cab comes back off. Tight fit but all works good now.

Heres the pics

[ptc]

2nd project was getting the frame mounts designed, fabbed and into a ready state to weld in when the cab comes off again.

So I found some 3/8" plate steel to use as a base and plasma cut out my shapes that I pre-made out of cardboard. Then I got some 1/4" steel plate that would be used for the risers and the backing plate for the cab feet of the rear hoop.

I fabbed it all up and smoothed and shaped it and then welded it all together. Alot of grinding and fitting and shaping!!!! and then I made a second one for the other side. Once I get them welded up on the frame it will make more sense than these pictures do.

Here they are.

[Kim57]

Looking good.
Kim

[ptc]

Thanks Kim for looking in!


Some questions for all-

Couple questions just came to my mind from reading another thread recently. I guess there is a difference between 6 Cyl and 8 Cyl truck front sheet metal and where the radiator supports are mounted? is this correct?

Does the V8 have a different latch support ? or just an added piece of sheetmetal to close in the gap around the radiator? Anybody have a some pics of these differences?

[bensimmons_05]

Hey PTC, Awesome looking truck! 57 is actually my favorite year, I'm glad this is going in that direction. I really like the tow hitch behind the rollpan (in addition to everything else so far) I may look into that for mine.

I think you are referring to some questions I had about the radiator support in the past, there is a photo or two on my thread, but I'm sure you've seen them. The guys on here are amazing with knowledge, I'm sure you'll have an answer in no time!

[ChuckDriver]

Here's the stock V8 setup.

[ptc]

Thanks Chuck for the pic, and yea Ben your thread got me thinking.

I believe with my big block and electric HO water pump and all the front end components on the engine (PS, ALT, AC, PROCHARGER?), my radiator may need to be as far forward as it can be. So it may stay where the 6 cyl was.... I'd also like to change the radiator to a crossflow style and possibly get more opening on that radiator support. Run a couple electric fans too with a shroud.

I'll have to wait and see when I get that all mocked up.

Thanks again guys

[ptc]

Started messing around with engine fitment of the headers and stuff this weekend. Had an old set of BBC headers to chop up so I cut them up and looked at making them go under the frame rail instead of over. It will work but they will have to be totally custom to bring them out the front fenders.

Also with the heads on and valve covers I found I need to cut back the firewall a bit, OR move the engine forward??? need radiator first! I was thinking about just making a box to cut into the existing firewall as a one piece setup. Then taking the trans cover and making it fit to the new 'box'? what do you guys think?

With this enormous engine bay you'd think that GM would have planned this better??? oh well its just more things to do to make it "Custom"....

[ptc]

Friend stopped by with his pride and joy.....

all updated with a brand new SBC 427 and a 5 speed Tremec manual trans.... this thing hauls the mail and delivers on SUNDAY!!!

Laid some rubber in 4 gears ! One SWEET '69~ !

[Kim57]

Very nice.
Kim

[Nut Case]

Fun stuff happening. How about pic's of the bbc resting on the new motor mounts.
Thanks NC

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Nut Case

Fun stuff happening. How about pic's of the bbc resting on the new motor mounts.
Thanks NC

The 509 BBC is getting all 'dressed up for the ball' right now... so that wont be happening for a little bit. The mockup block (Mk IV 454) has the 502 heads on it with the headers and stuff for fitting to the cab.

I looked at some pre-made firewalls to save some time, WOW! they really appreciate their work on those things, big $$$$.... guess Ill make my own.



Thanks Kim for checking in!

[Kim57]

You can always use a steel wheelbarrow as a firewall.
Should be big enough to fit around the engine and can be had pretty cheap at garage sales and second hand stores. Just cut down to fit what you need.
Kim

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Kim57

You can always use a steel wheelbarrow as a firewall.
Should be big enough to fit around the engine and can be had pretty cheap at garage sales and second hand stores. Just cut down to fit what you need.
Kim

Thats a great idea, thanks Kim! I was out looking around the shop at (car stuff) I could cut up and use but never even thought of that.... see all this thinking power helps from all sources!

I think ACE is having a sale this weekend on "GM" wheelbarrows!

[mud.man.rj]

Never heard of the wheel barrow firewall trick, what a good idea. That is what makes this site tick, well and all the awesome Gm products.

[Kim57]

The wheel barrow is an old school hot rod trick.
I still remember a few things from my youth.
Kim

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Kim57

The wheel barrow is an old school hot rod trick.
I still remember a few things from my youth.
Kim

If anybody has done A LOT of sheetmetal work around here Kim its you! so I am very grateful for any pointers you have on doing this stuff.

For shrinking and stretching metals for valances, dashboards, corner trims etc and such is there any "other" way then to just buy the little jaw machine to do it? when I say other, it means with the same net results without being a journeyman sheetmetal man...

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by ptc

If anybody has done A LOT of sheetmetal work around here Kim its you! so I am very grateful for any pointers you have on doing this stuff.

For shrinking and stretching metals for valances, dashboards, corner trims etc and such is there any "other" way then to just buy the little jaw machine to do it? when I say other, it means with the same net results without being a journeyman sheetmetal man...

I'm just learning as I go.
I have the shrinker/stretcher from Harbor Freight and the seem to work just fine for the weekend mechanic.
If you check the body paint section there are some real experts who are more than willing to give advice on how to do things.
Kim

[BIGglaSS]

Originally Posted by ptc

For shrinking and stretching metals for valances, dashboards, corner trims etc and such is there any "other" way then to just buy the little jaw machine to do it? when I say other, it means with the same net results without being a journeyman sheetmetal man...

Yes. You can also shrink with heat or tuck/planish. You can stretch by pounding into a hollow stump, or hammer on dolly. If you wish to go further down the rabbit hole, check out: http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/

[ptc]

Thanks BigGlass for the info....

Well I tried my hand at working the metal (by hand) without any special tools to see just how it would come out and I guess it worked ok. Took the better part of a WHOLE day to complete one fender but got it done!

I wanted to shave the turn signals off the front fenders and close in the lower valance area and smooth it out. There is a detail that comes out from the grill that I will carry down the front of the valance also.

My idea is to close off the length of the front valance area behind where the front bumper will sit. Im not going to run a stock bumper, but I will have a piece of 6" x 3/8" IRON "C" channel directly behind this sheetmetal welded across the frame rails just in case I bump into something....

So heres how I did it, if anybody cares....

Photo 1 shows where I cut the protruding side of the signal mounting spot with a cut off wheel, but only half way. Then take a hammer and dolley and flatten it all out smooth. Then tack it in place from the front.

Photo 2 shows the back side with the fender crud all cleaned out and ready to take some backing metal to support it all.

Photo 3 shows the backing metal piece made out of 18 ga metal and then I punched holes in it to weld thru to the fender.

Photo 4 shows it all welded in from the back side of the fender. I clamped it tight against the fender as I welded from the center outwards. there is a crease in the fender there you have to hammer and dolly it into shape a bit while its hot, it works well.

Once everything is done on these fenders they will be blasted and then prepped. That metal piece will get some body seal around it and then the inside of the entire fender will get LINE-X coated. I am going to do that in all my fender wells. The stuff is great.

That was part ONE of many for the fender upgrades.....

[ptc]

The second part was the closing in of the valance area behind the front bumper. so heres that part. Most of time is spent on just cutting and shaping the piece of metal that will go into the spot to be filled. Its time consuming..

But here it is ready to go

Photo 1 shows the piece all fitted and ready to weld into place after mostly just shaping it around piece of pipe and rigid steel conduit.

Photo 2 shows it welded into place using the old slow and non warping method...

Photo 3 shows the signal and the valance parts all finished. Needs sme final finishing and some bondo ....

Next upgrade will be the frenched in Merc Headlight rings!!!!