I am chugging along with my sedan delivery and thought I'd do an update. Some you may recall I bought this via the hamb last year. I pretty much junked everything that came with it except the body, chassis, diff. My aim is to kep it as simple as possible. Nothing to high tech and nothing too modern looking. I took the body off the chassis, replaced rusted out body braces, patched the floor, undercoated the body, painted the chassis, replaced the rear springs and added shocks, new engine (sbc 355), went to a manual tranny (M20), new steering, replaced and relocated brake m/c and lines, wire brushed and por 15'd the inside. Basically all mechanical parts are "fresh" or new, except the tranny, which has new seals and looks ok, but hasnt been tested yet. I am busting my gut to get this on the road (expecting first child in sept!). All work has done by me, in the garage, learning as I go, lots of research on the Hamb and lots of staring and head scratching! This project started as I bought a set of carbs! I am currently doing the wiring and really hoping to at least try and fire it up this weekend - but I have been saying that for a long time now. I have a split bench seat from a 49 chev to go into it and plan on getting on some artilliary wheels with www's. It will hit the road without the outside being painted or any upholstery, but plans are for shiney paint and a simple tuck'n'roll interior. Well here are some pics as it sat on Sunday. cheers ricki
Looking good. We've got a 48 and it is a little down the list but not forgotten. Have you got more pics?
Rckt98 - thanks. Hopefully I will retire to NZ and take my future car collection with me! But thats 20 years + away and a lot can change in that time (not to mention import/export rules). Danimal - I have a ton (tonne) of pics. I have taken pics of everything along the way, and done the before and after pics. What I will try and do is update my website sometime in the next week and put all my pics up there in an album. I'll pm you or update this thread when I do. Dont forget about your 48 for too long! cheers ricki
looks like you're getting a good start. i had a 41 chevy sd yrs ago, great to haul kids, parts, crap in
Well I thought an update was in order. Its been a busy time and I havnt been able to get as much done as would have hoped. Having said that I have done a lot, but the more I do... the more that needs to be done! I have done some spending and supported some vendors along the way - the hot rod company, rally america, coker. It took a while to buy the tires as they are just so damn $$$, but they look good and I have spent way more on this than I thought I would, so what the hell. So since the last update I think its got new plug wires, distributor, starter, wheels - rally america 15x6 front and 15x7 rears - the centers look the same but the fronts are chev and the rears ford bolt patterns - I hope you couldnt tell!, tires - 205x75 and 225x75 rears - trying to get a little bit of a big'n'little effect, seat from a 49 or 50 chev coupe (made brackets to mount the seat to the floor), new front struts, made brackets and mounted 55 chev V8 radiator, more sheet metal bolted on, rebuilt the 2 center carbs (before reading about how low the fuel pressure must be for them), then installed a new adjustable fuel regulator, grill installed (best parts of 3 grills), a shit load of small stuff that takes a long time and you cant see it ! All this and I still havnt driven it... but it is getting closer and I have fired it up a couple of times. I also got my finned alloy prince of darkness coil sent over (thats why I needed the new points dizzy and not hei!). The coil has a story. My uncle gave it to me around 1990 on the condition I never get rid of it. He ran it, in the early 70's (I think), on a morris minor that he supercharged. Its one of those things that you have on your car that means a lot more than just what it is. So I got it sent over from NZ and then sent my uncle pics to show him its new home (I think he approves!). My garage floor has a slight slope to it (is it a mid western thing?) so the chev is facing uphill slightly and it will have a little more rake when it sits on level ground. Ok, enough typing, heres some pics... cheers ricki
ALmost all garage floors in this country have a 1-2" drop over the depth of the garage so any spills (leaking hot water heater, fuel tanks, etc.) will drain to the outside rather than pooling in the floor.
g/day Ricki ,good to see your sedan delivery I am also building a sedan delivery mine is a 46 and as far as I know it is one of two in Australia. wazza. rorre48@hotmail.com
x--gasser - thanks for the comments. Some things I would do differently but overall its turning out nicely. I had a real dilemma deciding on the wheels, I was torn between artillery style and the steel ones I got. I like your coupe by the way! pasadenahotrod - yeah I guess just never took any notice. It makes perfect practical sense. wazza - thats cool. 1 of 2. So that would be made in the USA and imported to Aussie and not made by GM? I like the chevy utes GM did. If you get some time, do an intro and post some pics of your 46. cheers ricki