Here are some progress shots of my 1951 Chevy. I am lucky to have access to a full shop, the catch is it is about an hour away from where I live. So, I only get to work on the car a few hours each week. Progress has been slow and steady. The motor and transmission should get their initial fitment in about a week. I'll try to keep this updated each week, but sometimes progress isn't all that visible or exciting...
Looks like a really great start. What do you have planned? I look forward to following your progress.
The plan is to shave and deck the car. I will maintain the belt line, rocker and front and back gl*** trim. The firewall is smoothed and the car will be powered by a 305 vortec out of a 96 Tahoe and 700r4 transmission. The engine was sold to me as a 350 but a running of the casting numbers revealed it was a 305... It will work for now and I got a great deal on it so I'm trying not to be too upset about it. The vortec intake has been removed and will be replaced by a custom TBI set up. The motor and transmission are hopefully getting their first fitting next weekend. Updates to come
Here it is prior to being torn down The seats had just been recovered prior to purchase as well as a new headliner installed and a new carpet kit. The seats will get the inserts redone prior to install as I'm not s big fan of the bow tie print. Everything from this post on should be in order.
Your car, your money, your time and effort, but if it were me I'd resist the urge to billet it out. keep posting pics!
No billet will be taking place, the wheel and column are the end of it. I'm removing 90% of the chrome from the car and the interior will be almost all black with a few aqua accents. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Unless you think that is too much billet. I'm not a fan of the stuff, and it never crossed my mind that this was going that direction, but now I'm paranoid! Thoughts?!? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That's not helpful at all! I'm truly open to advice here, especially before the whole damn car is done! Judge away, I'm tough! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sup man. I follow you on IG. Yeah this board has a problem with street rod stuff which is what that column/wheel is. It's ultimately your car so you can do what you want and "what works best" is different for everyone. I've seen people cut the stock column and make some linkages to work with the M2 set up. Either way man, I enjoy your build and it keeps me motivated.
half the people here have street rods as their avatar, so I wouldn't sweat it. Car is coming along nicely, what is your goal date to have it rollin?
Haha. Gotcha. I get sick of people picking apart other guys builds. To each is their own. I'd just hate to see you lose the traditional flavor with the "street roddy " components. I figure with customs, if it's out of sight it fair game if it makes the car better to drive, but from an aesthetic standpoint, mixing eras and styles is a wet blanket for me.
Awesome, that is a very fair stance. A coat of paint is always an option down the road for the column. My end game is to have a car that looks like it could have been done in the 60s. The center console I built has an iPad that will be the stereo, but will be able to be hidden away when needed/wanted. Thank you for the input! I'd much rather hear these type of comments now rather than when the car is complete. Some might consider the gauges street rodish, but I like those and trust them over the 65 year old ones that were in there. Cheers! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Little more work on the firewall Test fit of the motor and trans after fabbing up the brackets. Brake master cylinder bracket in place Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Steering connected Column and wheel fit in. I know there are haters on these parts, I will likely get a different wheel down the line.. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hey! Somehow I never saw your post here, thanks for the encouragement! Got a bit more done today. Hoping to bang out some brake lines this weekend. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Somehow overlooked your comment as well. Thank you, I will ultimately do it the way I want but I do welcome any advice that is constructive! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Exhaust going to fit with the steering linkage in there? Tyler.... put a big block in my 53 so three u-joints a pillow block and cut a piece of pipe into the frame for clearance it fit...[emoji3] sweet ride man keep it up
I am hoping it will fit, I have the frame mount master cylinder to contend with too. I ordered a set of hugger headers that come highly recommended for this application, so we'll see how it all comes out. This set up has a double u-joint at the spline and a single at the column. I'll get the big sockets and hammer ready in case the headers are going to bump the linkage. Thanks for the kind words! I'll have to track down some pictures of that big block you put in! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Mate, I'm in a similar situation as yourself, and I get nothin' done. So billet's better than nothing. If it gets it to the road, go for it. I think that wheel and guages look OK, not mad on the column, but hey, if it works.. Times are changin' with me, I'm 50+, I aint so fussy no more on a few minor aesthetic details. Outside bodywork/ wheels, maybe more so.
The billet stuff is one thing, who made it is another. I just hope it's not from a Hoffman Group brand. Just in case, better read this: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/do-you-have-a-list-of-the-hoffman-companies.650004/ And this too:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-h-a-m-b-rules-guidelines.44274/
I can't even see the column, the wheel though.......you know, if they just rounded off the edges..... Don't stop now, keep going!
Yeah, the wheel is terrible. Do you know if a 50's Chevy wheel is a direct fit on an aftermarket column? I'm liking the 15" versions of the 55-56 or 57 wheels. That said, this one will have to work until the car is going and stopping under its own power. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Not bashing, just adding a few comments: Many first time builders have regrets over time, or even during the build. They keep making changes during or after the build, or at some point build another car as a better example of the "old ways". My point is that feathers get ruffled, when people who get the entire car period correct, have to hear a builder claim that their car IS like it was done in 1960. Sort of a insult to their hard work to get theirs "period correct". If you said your car was meant to look the part on the outside, "but will have some modern features", then nobody can fault that description. There are many threads on here on how to make old gauge faces work with new components, so that excuse does not work, if you "want it to look like it was built in 1960" >>Bear in mind how people react when they see a custom at a show. Customs normally show best with hood closed. So, people instantly go peek in to see the complete interior/gauges/steering wheel/upholstery color and pattern. In this case the car really does not look 1960, no matter how hard we try to rewrite history, to justify our choices. "It is,...or it ain't", there simply is no inbetween. I think it's pretty cool that some hamber from a distant land, so far from where these customs came from, knows the real deal. as an aside, this whole "period correct" rods and customs thing, can be a lot of fun to create, IF that is your quest. There is room for "in between" on here. .
All good points! Thank you for the input, the inside will have a couple "off correct" items. The wheel isn't staying and the seats will be recovered as well, they came freshly recovered when I bought the car but they are not to my taste. This is my second car, my first was a 63 bel air sedan that was "budget restored" with no modifications. This time around I want to build a car that can be daily driven and relied on. Something I can hand the keys to my wife and not worry about how her day in the car will go. Maybe I posted in the wrong "area" of the HAMB. I read the rules ahead of time and felt this is where my build fit, but time will tell if I was right or wrong. Maybe one day I'll log on and my thread will have been deleted. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
