A Noob's build thread: 50 Styleline

I've been bumping around here for about 8 months now, and I realized that I never really started a build thread. I figure it'll keep me motivated to have it be public....yet I'm sure I'll inevitably get ripped a new butthole for some of my economic choices. My paints thus far have been rattle can primers and satin finish black undercoatings. I figured I'd post my transgressions up front.

The car has a LOT of hidden problems, most substantially the unadulterated rot in the front floorboards and the entire bottom 3-6 inches starting at the rockers and going around the back to the tailpan. It was "fixed" in the 90s with riveted galvanized steel and covered with about .5" of Bondo. The areas behind the gravel guards were filled with expandable foam, carved, and covered in Bondo. Needless to say, tons of work awaits me after it's running again.



I nicknamed it "Samson", after Brock Samson of The Venture Bros. I don't know if anyone on here watches Adult Swim at night on Cartoon Network...but it's one of their adult cartoons, and friggin great.

Either way, here's how it started out:



Since I got it back in April, I have installed a front disc kit from ECI, a posi disc brake rear from an 81 Trans Am, new rear shocks, new trans crossmember and motor mounts from Walton Fabrication, and a lot of smaller things like rubber bumpers, bushings, etc. HOWEVER, if anyone knows where I can get Rebound Bumpers for the front end, let me know. Kanter, ChevsOfThe40s, and the Filling Station don't seem to have them.

The ECI kit...went on pretty well, but one caliper bracket left a lot to be desired, and a lot to be ground away in order to fit:



I got a 283 from a 65 Impala and a th350 from my neighbor to put behind it. I cleaned it up, stripped it and hit it with some Duplicolor ceramic paint, put new gaskets on it, had to get a different alternator bracket that moved it over towards the passenger side, etc etc. Here it is, under wraps:




Here's the front end, as cleaned up as I was able to get it. I know they put an asphalt coating on some of the parts, but I swear that it looked like they sprayed road asphalt on it. There were rocks hardened onto the frame with the black top.

Here's BEFORE:



Here's AFTER:



Right now, I just want to get the trans mounted to the motor, and get the whole shabang sitting in the car within the next week or two before the winter deluge hits. Anyone want to help? I pay in copious amounts of beer

Sometime next year, I want to figure out what needs to be done to modify the front end so that I can use this 49 Merc grill that I scored for free:



I also want to get some of the new Cragar 69 Delux wheels when they hit the shelves next year, along with some Spyder caps:



I keep on changing my mind on paint, but I seem to have settled on doing a charcoal with little hints of a burnt orange trim. While I like the black/red motif that lots of folks use, I'd like to do something different...if only marginally.

Thanks for looking, thanks to all of the guys that have suffered because of letting me be under their tuttelage....RustyNewYorker, TugMaster, etc. Hopefully she'll be running next Spring.

 

looks like a good start...

 

Nice start....

Here is your motivation: Don't let me beat 'ya to the road
LOL

 

The engine looks great and the front end paint looks killer too! These cars are some of my favorites for sure.

I think your choices with the exception of the wheels are pretty cool. I actually think that those wheels might kill the car. The wheels and tires that you have in the pic of when you got are perfect. I would run some spider caps on those fuckers an call it done. Those Cragar wheels are going to stick out like a sore dick and will definitely throw your car in another direction. I mean, why spend more money for something that is definitely less cool. Save those Cragar's for the dude that wants to put them on his PT Cruiser.

The Merc grille will be interesting to see how it is accomplished but could definitely be cool. I'll keep an eye on this thread as the updates come in. Like I said, this car was born awesome and I think the upgrades you've done are all well executed and good ones. Keep it up!!

 

Sore dick! Ha! Kinda like when I was working with my rubber mallet the other day, missed what I was whackin' and whacked somethin' else

I'm going to have to figure out another wheel option, because the disc rear required a wheel spacer so that it didn't bind on the caliper and caliper flange from the 81 Trans Am. I bought some cheap wheel spacers....10 bucks or so, to use temporarily so it can roll. But I've heard bad things about even attempting to run them...hence why I've been looking at other, relatively inexpensive wheel options for replacements. I'm going 15x6 on the front, 15x7 on the back.

 

What about re-drilling the drums and running a wider wheel off an Olds or something.

 

Great start! Keep posting...

 

cool car.

 

No drums....running on 4 discs

I just need to find some wheels that I like that can go on w/out the spacers and not rub....problem is, I have to buy them to find out I haven't seen anyone else on here running a disc brake rear on these cars to see how they handled it. Too bad stores don't let you bring your car in and try on wheels the way you'd try on shoes....."Nope, that didn't work...let's try these" type of thing.

 

You and Jeff both have sick cars in the works....I'm friggin jealous!

 

How big are the spacers? maybe you just need a set of wheels with a bit less backspacing, provided your fenders have the room.

rallyamerica.com has 15 inch smoothies in lots of backspacing/width configurations for pretty cheap... an alliance vendor too

but i guess it would depend on where the rims are rubbing..

 

That's not what your dad meant when he said to "always use a rubber, son" ...


Anyways, what about stock Camaro/Trans Am or maybe S10 rims? Should clear discs since they were made to in the first place. Only question is if they'll fit in the wheel arches. Just pick some hubcaps to run and no one will know the difference.


Unfortunately the hood latch is part of the grille bracing, so changing the grille is a little involved, I have a piece of '60 Cad radiator brace I saved I may use to support the latch area so I can change things, but you're pretty much on your own there.

 

They're 5/16" thick, which allowed them to clear. They're rubbing on the edge of the "donut" close to the vent notches around the perimeter where that donu meets the main body of the rim, if that makes any sense. The reason I was looking at those Cragar's was price and, primarily, because the face of the wheel doesn't double back the way the stock ones do.

Good idea on the S10 rims....I'll see what's out there.

Regarding the hood, I'm looking for a front cap from a 49-50 Merc. Good thing is that I don't need one that's in good condition (as people fight like women on Black Friday at a WalMart for those things). If I can find that, then I'll work on grafting that to what I've got.

 

Looking good!!! What's wrong with the stock rims?? those rims you show do NOTHING for me. Todd

 

Well done indeed.. and Brock is awesome

 

Why e'rybody be hatin' on da rimz?

The stock ones won't fit on the rear without a wheel spacer (danger, Will Robinson!) because the inside lip locks up with the caliper flange and caliper (yep, discs on the rear). If I could find the same style, 7" wide, that didn't rub the equipment, I'd stick with these. Maybe 16's instead of 15's? The other issue, this is a budget build and I don't want to drop a Benjamin each for wheels. I's open to suggestions.

 

Any guys on here who don't watch it...you SHOULD. If for no other reason than to see Brock's 69 Charger. Since I do rapid prototyping and CAD work, I was considering making a piece of trim in the shape of that image at the top, and put it on the car in place of the "Deluxe"...chromed, too.

 

I was just thinking, would grafting a 53 grill shell to the hood/fenders solve the problem of how to make the 49 Merc grill look logical in there?

Found this on the board:

 

The stock wheels are 15X5 I have a pair of 15X6's or 15X7's same wheel pattern. You can have them. Either drive up here or wait till I go to Jersey again(don't hold you breath) And I'll drop them off. My guess is the stock wheels don't have the offset you need for rear disc brakes.


Just a thought here. Do what you NEED TO DO TO to get the car on the road and safe. Drive it and enjoy it. While your doing that, go to car shows get ideas talk to people and save your pesos to do all the fancy custom shit. my 2 cents. Todd

 

Wow! Cool.....THANKS! I'll definitely take them! I'll have to plot a trek up there towards Mystic after the holidays. You say they're like the stock ones, just wider?

Your 2 cents is pretty much what I'm going by. The wheel thoughts were more pontifications as opposed to things I'm doing right now....more of daydreaming about the point when it finally runs again. I'm looking at dropping the engine in over the weekend, weather permitting. Of course it won't be running for some time after that!

 

I'm 5 minutes from Mystic.

 

Going to be a cool car!!!!
and DONT burn out the foam!!

 

So I'm outside today, trying to beat the incoming weather, mating my trans to the engine (which has been a hell of a time getting the torque convertor on correctly). Things are finally coming together, I'm kicking ass and taking names.....when I realize that there's white all over the place. Once I realize that it's been snowing for at least 10 minutes, I decide to finish the job and cover it all up for the day. That's when I realize that I'm obsessed....I think I would probably have black fingers from frostbite before I realized what was going on.

Hopefully the engine goes in tomorrow after the white stuff passes.

 

all i got was rain and freezing cold fingers today

 

What was supposed to be a dusting, barely sticking to cars, has turned into about 2-3 inches at the moment....another 2 or so to come tonight. Doesn't look like any engine droppage tomorrow >

 

Killer project! Ive been drooling over a 51 post like this and this is definately making the decision to buy easy Good luck!

 

NOTE: To any of ya'll using a Walton Fabrication trans crossmember or motor mount, the transmission mount that comes with the kit might not fit your particular application. I thought it was a universal one, but it didn't fit my th350. The hole spacing was off by 1/2 inch, theirs was 4.25" hole center to hole center.....needed one that was 3.75" center to center. Had to go pick one up at Advance for 7 bucks.....cheapest that I was able to thwart Murphy this week.

 

How bad is the bind on the wheels? I do some off-road stuff and have had good luck grinding the top/face of calipers to clear different wheels.