Projects 1957 Oldsmobile: Jaguar XJ6 IFS/IRS

Fascinating. I had a '57 Olds 2-dr sedan back in the day, and I lowered it and stiffened everything up to make a road race wannabe out of it. Putting Jag suspension under it would have been a wet dream for me at the time!!

 

What's happening with this one Steve?

 

Not much. Working on trying to get this horrible sheet metal to fit. This car was whacked pretty damn hard at one point. Hood won't shut as it hits the cowl before you can latch it.

 

Just read it through from front to here - nice work ELp.
Lots of fab work and it's so great that you share your 'magic' with us mere mrotals.
Thanks.

 

Nearly finished the project.

Fired it up today, sounds way better than we expected it to. Sits much lower now with all the gear mounted in it.







Need to get the rack re-sealed and replace a rubber hose on the trans, should be ready to beat the streets!

 

Follow the link to hear it run,

http://instagram.com/p/dsVkmImey-/

 

Dyn-o-mite!

 

What a fantastic job!!! Can you describe the ride and handling? What was the weight difference?
Chuck

 

Nice save and finish on this one. Thanks for sharing all you did. I'm always interested in reading your threads.

 

Only driven it a few feet just to make sure everything works. No interior in the car so I'm not going to be able to do much driving.

Weight wise, the Olds is about 75 lbs heavier than the Jag was. Similar weight distribution too.

 

Hi,
To answer a question raised earlier in the thread, the split for the jaguar diff carriers is 3.54 to 2.88 for one carrier and 3.73 to 4.54 for the other.

I have not seen and 30 spline output shafts in any jag diffs, the diff fitted to the XJ40 range is not a 4HU unit. You can use DANA 44 ring and pinions in the 4HU diff (I have done it) but as well as the mentioned bolt size difference the spline count on the pinion flange is different.

 

I'd love to see this Rocket doing some canyon carving!

 

Didn't get any final pictures, the engine crapped out on us before we got a chance to drive it.

 

Sounds like the Oldsmobile was a real lemon. BUMMER!

 

Why did you keep the Jet-A-Way transmission. Certainly something better available these days.

Send the motor to Tony Lombardi (Goatroper02). He can make it better than new!

 

I think it collapsed a few lifters.

I restarted it just two days from the video I showed in the previous post and it wouldn't idle and was running pretty poorly. Transmission didn't shift out of first either. I did drive it about 1500 feet. In and out of my driveway and my neighbors, pretty smooth but not enough to evaluate it's handling prowess.

Once sorted out, it should be pretty nifty.

 

I would say most likely that wasn't Steve's decision. I'm betting on the customer making that decision.

 

Steve, owners choice.

If I had my way, would have had better than a $1500 rebuild and a TH400 hanging off the back.

 

Go here for Industrial Chassis:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/industrial-chassis-inc.615096/

 

Man, late to the party.....and am glad someone grabbed this thread from cyber-history here. Your shop does great work.

Of course.

 

Jagasm, we do all sorts of work. Give me a call next week.

Ray has been enjoying the car for a while now. He repainted it and had a few things engine and trans wise to sort out, but it's now cruising the streets of SanJose. So happy in fact I am supposed to get a 57 Olds Wagon to do the same trick with.

 

Steve
We spoke today on the 1957 Eldorado Seville

 

bump

 

Not sure how I missed this thread for so long, but I've got a death grip on it now!

 

I would love to see a thread on this happening

 

Please please please start a thread on the wagon and snap as many pictures as you like so I can copy your brilliant work on my 57 Buick Super!

 

The wagon build is probably not going to happen now. I believe the car was totaled.

 

Well, that kinda sucks!