Projects 1955 Belair *First build thread!*

fun looking build, Im in the same boat as you. parts collecting and pluckin away at the car...

 

i dig the sump you made looks good....also cool when the chick buys ya speed parts...

 

Thanks Otto. It came out pretty good in my mind.
Ill have more on it later, also an update on the quarter radius (there done ) but i dont have all my pics at work.
Heres one for the general profile, before i filled and shaped it. *Teaser
I gotta say i LOVE the look of it, specially with the slicks stuffed under there. I LOVE IT.
The come more flush than in the photo (Wheel spacers were required as the tire was too close to the leafs) Anyways LOVE IT.

I was planning on having the engine all together by valentines day, But im afraid the cost of pistons put the finishing stuff off a bit. Im trying to sell my old rods & pistons (still on good shape) to offset some things, Its a song and dance between parts...Or gas to get to work

And truth be told...She bought me the Magnum rockers & pushrods too She's a good one haha.

 

Doing the radius on the quarter panels was easier than i though, I did take my time (Quite a bit) of it and did a whole lot of looking from every angle i could get to.
Because the previous owner had cut some way, It might have been easier for me. I still ended up with a different shape and took a good portion of metal off.

I started with a 10ft peice of 1/4? tubing, then cut roughtly 4ft sections to work with.
I started working it over my tire (works great!) to get the arch rough'd in.

Then I had to start forming the ends toward the body. compound bends can suck. Especially when all done my means of a tire and vise

Once I got to close i added a bit more flair in the back of the opening, So i would flow with the body line better.
I then starred for a day or so at it...

Did a few tack welds to hold it, then worked it closer, and closer. I must have pulled it off and tweaked it 50 times per side.
Once i was happy with it, I welded the back/ underside carefully to avoid ruining an otherwise good quarter. you know...Other than cutting a big arch out of it to piss off the purists .
I then used (Metal 2 Metal) to fill it in, I was sure to really squezze it in there (with tiny bits poking thru the weld gaps) to ensure good adhesiiiianns.
I let it breath and sanded it down, then applied another skim coat to help shape it.
It tured out awesome, and will look great when primer/painted.

Love it.
Was nervous as hell cutting more etc, but once i got a flow going it was like artwork Haha
Adds alot of strength to the panel too.

 

Went and picked up my heads today.

I had um hit with the "competition" job.
They were pretty wore out, so they got new: Valves/retainers/springs (matched to my cam) (back-cut intakes) 5 angle grind. pocket/bowl blend & clean up.

My machine guy said they tured out damn good for a set of 290's, and they will be more than enough to twist the thing up pretty tight.
Told me to watch my license too

It was kinda cool, said he was happy to see someone my age building a BBC for street slugging. Guess these are getting rare these days. Lone ranger

*Also got my crank back (balanced). My new rods were weight matched & balanced along with the new SRP pistons etc.
Just uhhhh....waiting till i can scrape up the cash to pick um up.

Having to buy new pistons really set me back.

All in All, Im pretty fu*kin stoked!!!
Oh check out the system my buddy gave me off his old car
When I get the car shaked down, This might just be in its future. But its gonna be VERY discrete. for hustlin' purposes
Ahhhh life is grand

 

Hey Johnny, glad to see you are back at it. Wheel wells look awesum. You did a great job. Looks like you got some serious parts. I'm still plunking money into mine.lol. Spent $400.00 for the interior garnish trim for around the windows and doors from a fellow in Pa. HArdtop parts are like hens teeth but it sure dresses up the interior. 101 little things to address also. Had the angle of the dangle wrong on my front shackles and had to re-engineer those and in the process raised up the front end like 1-2 inches which is cool but now the shocks are too short. Two steps forward and one back.lol. Got and electric fan and it came with no instructions and I mounted the temp probe wrong.lol. Temp probe in the wrong location. Next fix.lol. On and on. Looking good on your project. Just keep at it, a little at a time. Later yruhot,,,,Doug ps I like seeing your progress, I'd subscribe but I;m not smart enough.lol

 

Thanks Doug.

ordered my rings & bearings (kings bearings, and some good gapless rings) So i should have the engine tied up soon! It goes quick when the parts are all at hand. Wish i was made of cash!
can't wait to start sluggin.

Or as someone told me the other day
"It's a 55 representing the big block brotherhood, It had better come back with bloody knuckles"

 

Keep it up...Nice work on the radius!

 

Well, I guess its time for a little update.
I finally got all the pieces for my engine build, Got her tied up and put together!!!!!!!! Talk about a mile stone for me, One of the most fun day i've had in a while.
Everything went smoothhh and i've got my very own Big Block cheby

 

As you can tell, I ended up putting head studs on it.
I learned how to file fit rings along the way, and a bunch of other things. Im very grateful to have the help of 1 or 2 friends who walked me thru it all.

So in recap!
It's a 70' 454 ( .30 over)
Forged factory crank
SRP Forged pistons (ls-6 style)
*11.25:1 compression**
Oval port heads (290's rebuild w/comp valve job. new COMP springs etc.)
Solid lifter cam from COMP (xs282s)
Comp true-roller timing set
Eagle H-beam rods
Kings brand bearings thoughout
Comp Magnum roller tip rockers & Magnum one-peice pushrods
MLS head gaskets
ARP Head studs

And other goddies throughout.

All that wrapped up in a pretty stock lookin package
Here she is, IN the MOST proper CHEVY orange!
Im so damn proud

Its my first rat motor, and it should move my 55 veryyy nicely.

 

I've also been picking away at other things.
Got a battery mounted in the trunk, and all the lights working...Its got soul now.
I rewired and reconditioned the guage cluster and everthing else, its a real beauty lit up

 

lookin good!

 

Lookin' nice there, Johnny! I just got my mouse block (327) back from being bored .030 over. Got all the parts to put her together. Just waiting for my boy to get home from college so he can help/learn. Gonna do my block chevy orange to match my double hump heads! At least you got your car! I'm still lookin' for mine.... Keep me inspired, pal!!!

Oh, yeah, I picked up a pair of ladder bars that were once used on a '55 gasser! Pretty cool!!!

 

Awesome dude! Good job on the radius!

 

Nice work...I was just wondering what happened to this build the other day! I really like this car!

 

Yea, I been slacking on my thread... It took me longer than expected to get my parts. Money is a killer for me, But i did it, It's a solid motor and im very excited! One place i didn't skimp out in was the -GO- department.

While i was collecting parts I've just been putting the dash back together, tracking down my small parts and cleaning things up. tieing up wiring ends etc. got a bunch done really.
Its nice weather out here, So im thrashing before the "Oh god kill me now" heat sets in.

Due to funds, Its getting a TH400 right now. I already have the trans (Said to be "Good") I've got my fingers crossed and I got a new-ish convertor from a buddy for near free. (Its too tight @ 1,500 stall, but it will work as a stand in while I get a drive shaft made and verify the trans functions)

Shit, now that i think of it... finish the installs...I'm hot on the heels of a running car! SWEET GO baby GO

 

Thanks for posting man, All this is gettin' me motivated to get caught up at work so I can get out in the garage and start on mine!!

 

I hope you checked your piston to valve and piston to head clearance. I am not trying to be a know it all , but aren't those casting number heads closed chamber. I would think with a domed LS-6 piston there is no room in there. If you have checked it out and my memory is wrong I hope you have a blast with it , it's a very cool build.

 

II Funny.
Yea I was concerned with it as well. I did clay the chambers, It kept stopping while i was turning it over with a breaker bar. Had to jump on it with my foot a bit to keep it rotating, then it free'd itself up
Just messing with you, I did check and shes good to go. It's the same dome that i pulled out of the engine, I just replaced um with new forged slugs that could accept full floating wrist pins.
Its got plenty of room.
Very good point however!

Outlaw. Go get it! gas will only go up

 

Looking Good !!!!!! I bought my 55 chevy 31 years ago ... Hang on to that baby ... It will become part of the family ....

 

Awesome!

 

I was sorta planning on stabbing the motor in this weekend. But my plans are going awry...Wrong

My original idea was to use the TH400 i've got, push a fresh filter in it and new fluid. Kinda just see if it works i guess. Roll the dice, as i dont have the funds to have it "profesionally" rebuilt. In hopes that a 400 is pretty strong and robust.

I popped the pan off last night and im not so sure. Im not an expert on automatics, But i think theres an awful lotta silver & gritty sh*t in there
Its a 69' TH400, codded for a 350v8 4bl Chevelle/Nova/Camaro. Someones put a Transgo kit in it. So im sure its seen good abuse.

I'm figuring its gonna need an overhaul? So im now looking into a DIY kit, Guess its time to learn something new! Hurray

Also I took this picture with the engine alllllllll dressed up for the dance, enjoy!!!

 

Lookin' good man, I actually got out in the garage and got some work done on my Mustang this weekend, felt great! I wouldn't be too worried about that trans pan having all that junk in it, I used to service transmissions all the time and most of the pans looked like that, that's just where all the junk settles. Other people may have a different opinion but I would clean it up real good, slap a new shift kit in it and run it. If you want to rebuild it look around, you may find someone to rebuild it cheap. I knew a racer in SLC that would rebuild T350s and T400s for $250 and he was good and fast.

 

Awesome build, you do know that you can use a square port intake on oval port heads, plenty of people do it

 

Harry --- guessing you served in the "Big Red One".


Joe

 

wow haven't checked on you in awhile lookin real good love the wheelwells

 

Hey Johnny looking great,Just finished my updated on my 454 and did the closed chamber head thing also and a few others and still dialing in the tunnelram. I went to reinstall my M/T valve covers and guess what , they won't clear the Harland Sharp roller rocked I installed.Uhgggggggg wanted to keep the covers, Anyway I had heard that they had spacers and I ordered a set ( in Chevy orange of course) and they worked real good and got to keep my vintage covers. Keep up the good work, looking forward to seeing this car at some of the cruises. Doug

 

waitin for an update johnny ---shes lookin good------guess i shoulda read this thread before i went to sema---

 

If it's close to fitting...try stacking up two thick valve cover gaskets.

 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MRG-5863/