Projects Maybe it's time to post my own project thread ('56 Chev 210 HT)

Damn, ain't that a kick in the head!

 

^^^^^ I wonder how a sailor would react instead?

 

Quote... Ain't that a hole in the boat? [emoji41]

 

It's been a while, any progress?

 

Well, finally got back on the '56 4-5 weeks ago. This past summer I talked to a learned friend with questions for doing my first floor patch panel repairs - he encouraged me to do a full pan. Seemed like a daunting idea, so it took another 3 months or so of waffling back & forth, but I ordered a full repro pan which arrived two weeks ago. I also needed to add to my metal working tools, so while I waited for those the past couple weeks I've been doing prep work, planning, research, etc and shop organizing & related projects I'm just about ready to start welding in some internal bracing in anticipation of cutting the floor out. As I've dug into this more, I've found more issues with my existing floor, so getting the full pan, will be the easier solution than a number of separate panels, and I think I will end up feeling more confident in the final product. With all the time inside the car studying seams, etc, I've also found some minor repairs & patching on a few other items, to add to the work list.

I hadn't originally wanted to separate the body from the frame, but I'm actually getting excited about it now, as I will be able to fix some prior owner created issues, etc.

I'll try to post some picture after I make some progress on it, that is more noticeable than my last photos.

Gotta56forme/Scott

 

427,
I refound your prior comment and have a question...
I've reassessed some project goals on this car, and am going to have the theme of all things simple/manual...

• steering - changing to 2" drop spindles; going to try out an idler arm bearing kit; and changing from a 14" steering wheel to a 16" (stock was 18")
• brakes (disc fronts, drum rears)
• transmission (5-speed/OD, was automatic)

question: Since I'm staying with manual steering, but dropping the spindles in front, would I still want to consider the offset cross-shafts? Some reading & research I did suggest I should likely only use the offset cross shafts with a power steering set-up.
Gotta56forme/Scott

 

Scott, I have absolutely ZERO experience using dropped spindles so you might want to take this opinion with a grain of salt. The determining factor, for me, would be if I could get proper alignment on the front end. The spindles you want to use may have additional camber built in, hard to say, and you might want to check with the manufacturer on this. If it were me though, I'd more than likely put the offset shafts in as long as I had everything apart. There should be plenty of adjustment to take the additional 2 degrees out if it's not needed. Also, the ball bearing idler arm conversion and a bigger steering wheel will definitely make it easier to steer. I hope this bit of opinion helps in some way. Jedd

 

Not tryin to stray too far from the build, but wanted to thank you for posting, see my avatar and you can see why I'm a fan- good luck!!!

 

thanks! Seein' you are a '56 cousin, don't worry about derailing the thread...

gotta56forme/Scott

 

not much of an update, thing are progressing towards bracing up the body for floor removal. Been doing all sorts of preparatory tasks.

A small victory that I thought I would share, that was a small side project that had been bugging me...

Before I bought my car, someone punched out or wallowed out the factory trunk lock hole on my '56 210. I only noticed it when I purchased a match set of locks to go on the car as all the existing ones were mismatched (one was even from a Camaro, the PO told me). I found the wallowed out trunk hole when I went to put the new lock on as the PO had jerry-rigged a lock to stay in the hole. But, I buggered up the jerry-rigging and the hole was so messed up, the lock cylinder would just rotate in the hole when you turned the key. So I set out to fix it.

I didn't think ahead to share this with anyone so I didn't take a starting photo. The hole was so wallowed out, you could hardly tell it had 'teeth' to clock the lock cylinder firmly in place. The first photo of the white trunk lid, is an unmolested, factory stamped hole, which I referenced for fixing my 210 HT's trunk lid.





The next photo is the trunk lock hole after I roughed it into shape using a ball peen hammer and punches to fold the clocking tabs back into approximate position. I could only get so far with the hammer & punches, so I turned to my impromptu slide hammer (vise grip and right angle screw driver). I was able to get the shape pretty good and the lock cylinder clocked properly and stayed in place when turned, so I called it good... for a couple days. But the very wavy clocking flange must have been eating at me, because...





This morning, I couldn't sleep, and out of no where the thought came to me to press the clocking flange using opposing socket bases as a... mandrel? (I'm a novice metal worker). So I took 7/8" sockets base to base and threaded a bumper carriage bolt in them (1 socket behind the lock hole, the other in front of it) I then used a large flat washer and nut to draw the two sockets tight against each other to flatten out the trunk hole clocking flange. It worked out pretty slick.





Does the repaired lock flange have the same snug fit as the factory stamped hole? No, but it's miles better than before.


Anyway, I thought that might be useful to someone needing to do a similar type of repair.


Gotta56forme/Scott


Repurposed tools used:

 

quick update...

Yesterday: hung a 4ft light fixture inside for my floor project.



Today: 2 words - spotweld cutting.

That is all.


Gotta56forme/Scott