After nearly a month, two full days of driving, the beotch is home! Fat Hacks old 49' Fleetline is now a canadian citizen and awaiting a ton of work. The car just plain did not want to leave him! He must have treated it right... My truck got broken into, the border lost the paperwork and wouldn't let me export it from the states, and the truck complained the entire way back until the exhaust manifold to pipe gaskets blew...now it runs much better. Need a better exhaust I guess. The car is rough, but I have already been given a nice running engine (305 SBC), have located an S10 T5 for $50, was given a standard passenger car bellhousing, and bought some super cool ET mags from a HAMB member (thanks!) for $200. I bet I can build this thing for about $2500. And remember that it will have to pass the tough Ontario safety inspection. So I will be looking for a set of 53-54 uprights to lower the front of the car in conjunction with a few coils cut out of the springs. I am also looking for a way to put real springs in the back that doesn't cost $500US. Anyone find any springs that are comparable? I can make the mounts no problem. I heard from someone that minivan springs work... Also, has anyone used the repro lower quarters for 49-54 chevies? How about the floor pans? Anyone have any 49-54 parts? As you can see, I am psyched to get going on this thing. Now all I have to do I get rid of that pesky road race prepped camaro.
I used a pair of aftermarket lower 1/4 panels on my 50 delivery. They were pretty close. The finish bodywork didn't get done on mine until after it sold so I can't vouch for total accuracy but they seemed ok to me when I roughed them in.....
Yeah - you did all the expensive stuff! I figure I have have it on the road and driving for $2500 if I can find some springs that will work for cheap. I can make the spring mounts and the shock crossmember. I can get custom springs made for around $350. I would rather go to the wreckers and see if I can get something that will work and get them made in a custom rate. They only charge about $200 for that. I am looking at about $1000 in repro sheetmetal, and steel stock Motor and trans combo will have about $500 into it after I get a clutch and incedentals that all used motors need to run Brakes will be about another $400 I am contimplating either a new poly gas tank ($149) or a find a good used one for cheap and get it boiled and resealed. Is the original tank still in that car? How about the original master cylinder? I would like to go to through the floor pedals instead of hanging for looks. I was measuring and it looks like you can cut up the original to use it as an adaptor base for a newer master cylinder...like the one on there. What is that master off of?
For the rear leaf springs, Chassi Engineering uses 1968-74 Nova multi-leaf rear ends or 1967-69 Camaro or Firebird for there kits. http://www.chassisengineeringinc.com/chevy/1949-1954chev.htm May be able to get a set of springs from the junkyard and save some $$. You can get a dual master adaptor from The Filling Station. You send them your stock unit, then thay convert it to a dual unit.
The car already has a 56' olds rear in it and has been converted to an open drivetrain with a 2.8L V6 and a Th200 in it. Chassis engineering still requires you to use their springs and mounts which make for another $500 kit.
I am strongly thinking of moving the master to under the floor and using the stock pedal. The floors going to be out of it anyway while its being replaced so, it shouldn't be too hard. The frame gets its work done probally next week.
Why mess with perfection? I mean who else has a rusty 49 with only rear brakes and a citation motor that was used as a daily driver? And its brown!
GEZUZ Hack...makes me glad that Ricks on the other side of my world !! Congrats Rick....i think...LOL
I have been told that you can take to stock master and chop it up to make an adaptor for other master cylinders. I will have a good look at it when the floor comes out. The clutch linkage I am told will work with a later bellhousing with a little tweaking...that would save quite a bit on money if the T5 goes in. As soon as the floor is out, the frame is getting welded up, and I can clean everything up. If its good to me, I might even hit it with some paint. I migh have to improvise something for the rear springs. I am going to take it to work and weigh how much weight is on the back end of it so I can figure out what spring rate I need. I would like to use an off the shelf spring. Maybe I can figure out something that will work with custom front and rear brackets.
Rick- "bought some super cool ET mags from a HAMB member (thanks!) for $200." So...ya' got 'em home? I hadn't heard anything and was wondering if the "relay" went OK. Were you able to talk Denise out of any cookies?
The Jalopy Journal
