building a 55 hardtop gasser for a texas customer with a blown 383 and 4 speed with a 9 inch rear . 4 wheel disc brakes radiused wheel wells straight axle and fenderwell headers, will be a candy red and black interior with a flip glass nose. here is the chassis after a couple of weeks on the jig . we are using mas axle and springs which iw will not ever buy from them again ... nuther story .. speed way brakes and misc brackets and tabs . we have fabbed all of it in house and narrowed the rear etc. LOVE THEM GASSERS
another day and it is looking good, we did our shock mounts front and rear and set up the steering drag link etc and toe in .........
You do beautiful work. 4WDB is a very good idea- even if not period correct. Even with a 'glass front and "only" a SBC, tri-five Chevys aren't exactly svelt. Where did the fenderwell-exit headers come from?
we use 4wdb on most all builds and have never done a period correct car, i call em gasser inspired. i am an old******** and drove the real ones and they were no fun compared to the ones I do now. we use a new vega type box on it... ******* headers, this is a real blown 383 with electronic hilborn injection on top of it and a 4 speed .. so it is the real deal...
...lemme see if'n I got this right...you're in a pinch for time gettin' the Vicki ready for the Hamb drags, cause you gotta leave soon for 10 days at B'ville...and now you're wastin' precious time doin' a customer's car for money?... you're a greedy man Sam...
well I aint seen an old grey haird guy driving a certain******in 32 3w much either............. I am afraid the vicky will wait awhile i just cant make myself throw it together for th hamb drags and have to take it all apart to fix whjat i***** up so , Ill see ya next yr with it.. and hope to come to tulsa in sept with the vicky to run ... and I aint miss'n bonneville..........and i likes money toooooo
I think '55 Chevies are on the lighter side, really... My 1st '55 was a 210 and it weighed 3240 lbs... when my buddies Camaro weighed 3480 on the same scale! The guy who built my new '55 said it weighed 2900 pounds... with the fiberglass front end. The doors have been cut out on the inside, and all the glass replaced with lexan on the sides. Not very practical... but if I were to replace the deck lid and doors with fiberglass... it would be pretty light for a door car. I'm not going to, however... I like the steel. I plan on welding the inner panels back in the doors and putting glass in it. gragrcr50, what kind of times do you plan on turning with that thing? Sam.
this is actually a customers street car with the four speed etc i might run in the elevens i think ... I just bought a 56 sedan with glass doors and front end sbc and glide at 2800 lbs ...low 11 car...my black magic gasser with full interior and all steel except hood straight axle etc bbc and 400 weighed 3180 lbs
SamIyam, you're gonna have a fine street rod when you get done. Did you get that Vintage Air AC unit yet?
Yea, yea, yea... uh NO! I'm not changing a THING... except for the front end... I'll leave the doors hacked out for now... I talked to the original builder last night... and he was diggin' on what I was doing with it! He was surprized that I kept the Olds rear... (I've spent a ton of time and money to make it work) and liked the idea a SBC and a 4 speed in it. BTW... he did say that he has the ORIGINAL race motor from the 70's tucked away in his shed... might end up with that and keep it is a token... Sam.
now your talkin, the 56 i just bought is in southern washington red and white sedan cut whel wells and all. sounds like you are on to something put a pic up of it on here so i can see it... sam i am too