Author Topic: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing  (Read 15602 times)

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Online Pandora

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #40 on: May 08, 2012, 10:22:19 PM »
Just so y'all know, we got the car off to the interior guy on Monday evening.  We had to trailer her because we *ahem* are still having slight overheating problems.

Apparently, the radiator, fan and other assorted connected doodads would do 'er better moved to the "six cylinder position" in front of the front wall instead of just behind.  And with a slightly bigger radiator *ahem*.

Gunsmith will do that when we get 'er home, probably early July.

Will post photos as we get 'em from the interior guru.

BTW, in case it isn't clear, it's my job, officially, to convince the man to spend the money necessary for the purpose and the job, and his to get it done.  And mine is harder than it may appear;  "This what we need?  Fine.  Order it up online and I'll enter the credit card number and push the button.  Tell me, my darling, why exactly DO you go to work?"
« Last Edit: May 09, 2012, 02:43:07 AM by Pandora »
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Offline EW1(SG)

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #41 on: May 09, 2012, 06:18:45 AM »
Two thoughts when riding the bike - 1) Where the hell is everybody (head on swivel is a must, especially in city, but everywhere...I drive a lot of rural roads and there are morons out there too, but spacing & options are better) 2) Escape options - a) Evade or b) Cannot evade, where do I land?  Not a lot of options sometimes.  

Bad idea - Started putting center median cables up on freeways (think agent traps like in Matrix), look like ginsu knives to bikers!  So I either take a chance on left lane and make it through or I go into the right lane where all the crazies are...grandma backing up traffic, semi on your butt...dipsh*t doing the power exit move from the fast lane while his idiot relative is doing the NASA shuttle launch down the on ramp and thinks slamming in behind you and the semi is a good idea as he considers his next move to cut someone off in the fast lane just so he can get to his buddies house five minutes faster so the can game all night and bitch about girls who hate them.

One thing to remember is that traffic (when there is some) tends to "accordian," like beads on an elastic string, alternately stretching and compressing.  It's at its most dangerous for a biker when its compressing, because a bike between two cages stands no chance at all.  Because auto drivers do play "follow the leader" in that fashion, ie, like beads on a elastic string, the best defense for a biker is to get off the string:  that is, move out of the column of traffic.  (In fact, I was working on that but hadn't yet achieved it when I collided with the car ahead of me last month.)  There isn't anything magic about those lines painted on the ground, EXCEPT that a smart rider (or driver, for that matter) can use them to their advantage.  Stop and go traffic?  Move over the fog line to the median, which gets you "off the string" and out of harm's way if the two cars you were between come too close together to leave room for you to fit, or if you are distracted and fail to slow in time to avoid the car in front:  when you are on the median, there isn't a car in front of you.  Same with a stop light:  where should a biker stop?  If there are two lanes of traffic going in your direction, I prefer to stop between the two cars in front of me...and if there isn't enough room to get all the way into that pocket, I'll at least nose in there in case I get hit from behind.  That may not be ideal if I get struck from behind, but being knocked up the gap like a bowling ball down the gutter is better than being squooshed between bumpers.  On a single lane of traffic, you still want to move outside, but your choices are also limited by what is at the light and what is beyond.  If there is a left turn lane, for example, it does no good to move to the outside left into the path of left turning traffic, and so on.

 Scott,glad to see you here,how you feeling?

At this point, better than my bike!  ;)
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Offline John Florida

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #42 on: May 09, 2012, 09:23:02 AM »
Just so y'all know, we got the car off to the interior guy on Monday evening.  We had to trailer her because we *ahem* are still having slight overheating problems.

Apparently, the radiator, fan and other assorted connected doodads would do 'er better moved to the "six cylinder position" in front of the front wall instead of just behind.  And with a slightly bigger radiator *ahem*.

Gunsmith will do that when we get 'er home, probably early July.

Will post photos as we get 'em from the interior guru.

BTW, in case it isn't clear, it's my job, officially, to convince the man to spend the money necessary for the purpose and the job, and his to get it done.  And mine is harder than it may appear;  "This what we need?  Fine.  Order it up online and I'll enter the credit card number and push the button.  Tell me, my darling, why exactly DO you go to work?"

 If you have the original metal radiator you can probably have it re-cored by a radiator shop to a 4 core set up.As for the fan IIRC without the shroud they're pretty much useless.,but electric fans would do the job better without dragging another belt off the engine and are cheap to find at any salvage yard.
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Offline John Florida

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #43 on: May 09, 2012, 01:18:23 PM »
  I forgot my 64 Chevelle SS: Pearl white black inside.




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Online Pandora

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #44 on: May 09, 2012, 06:59:44 PM »
Just so y'all know, we got the car off to the interior guy on Monday evening.  We had to trailer her because we *ahem* are still having slight overheating problems.

Apparently, the radiator, fan and other assorted connected doodads would do 'er better moved to the "six cylinder position" in front of the front wall instead of just behind.  And with a slightly bigger radiator *ahem*.

Gunsmith will do that when we get 'er home, probably early July.

Will post photos as we get 'em from the interior guru.

BTW, in case it isn't clear, it's my job, officially, to convince the man to spend the money necessary for the purpose and the job, and his to get it done.  And mine is harder than it may appear;  "This what we need?  Fine.  Order it up online and I'll enter the credit card number and push the button.  Tell me, my darling, why exactly DO you go to work?"

 If you have the original metal radiator you can probably have it re-cored by a radiator shop to a 4 core set up.As for the fan IIRC without the shroud they're pretty much useless.,but electric fans would do the job better without dragging another belt off the engine and are cheap to find at any salvage yard.

Nope.  We're going this route:





Whole new radiator/dual electric fan/shroud/xmission cooler/AC condenser in brushed stainless, so not so shiny.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline AlanS

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #45 on: May 09, 2012, 07:31:30 PM »
I thought you were talking about the blower on top of the motor! THAT would be cool. ::whoohoo::
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Offline John Florida

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #46 on: May 09, 2012, 08:01:38 PM »
  That's gonna cost as much as the motor.
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 Filippo Mazzie

Online Pandora

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #47 on: May 09, 2012, 08:12:19 PM »
  That's gonna cost as much as the motor.

$1600, no tax, no S&H; all the parts and pieces, no running around trying to get connectors for this and attachments for that.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline John Florida

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #48 on: May 09, 2012, 08:28:01 PM »
  That's gonna cost as much as the motor.

$1600, no tax, no S&H; all the parts and pieces, no running around trying to get connectors for this and attachments for that.

 Long way to go for a stock 350.
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 Filippo Mazzie

Online Pandora

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #49 on: May 09, 2012, 08:29:47 PM »
  That's gonna cost as much as the motor.

$1600, no tax, no S&H; all the parts and pieces, no running around trying to get connectors for this and attachments for that.

 Long way to go for a stock 350.

So? 

He's done the bits and pieces and all that jazz and we're done.  And he sez to tell you you're a pita.
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline John Florida

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #50 on: May 09, 2012, 08:53:16 PM »
  That's gonna cost as much as the motor.

$1600, no tax, no S&H; all the parts and pieces, no running around trying to get connectors for this and attachments for that.

 Long way to go for a stock 350.

So? 

He's done the bits and pieces and all that jazz and we're done.  And he sez to tell you you're a pita.

 There's a news flash!!
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Offline Libertas

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #51 on: May 09, 2012, 09:44:23 PM »
OK, another burnout video coming sometime soon!   ::whoohoo::
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

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Offline Libertas

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #53 on: May 09, 2012, 10:17:55 PM »
They could have used more of that on Dragnet.
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline EW1(SG)

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #54 on: May 09, 2012, 10:51:36 PM »
  That's gonna cost as much as the motor.

$1600, no tax, no S&H; all the parts and pieces, no running around trying to get connectors for this and attachments for that.

 Long way to go for a stock 350.

So? 

He's done the bits and pieces and all that jazz and we're done.  And he sez to tell you you're a pita.

 There's a news flash!!

I thought pitas were greek.

Love 'em with tzatziki.
My doctor told me to start killing people.  Not in those exact words, she said I had to reduce the stress in my life.

Same thing.

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #55 on: May 09, 2012, 11:33:21 PM »
  I forgot my 64 Chevelle SS: Pearl white black inside.






I had one of those - only dark metallic blue. After I got married for the first time we sold it to a young kid who was working at the same place as me. One day he didn't show up for work. Or the next day, or the next. My boss tried calling him but no answer.

Two weeks later I had a visitor to the jobsite - the men in blue. They wanted to talk to me about my car that they had just pulled out of the Green River. It seems that the kid had gotten himself into a spot of trouble and tried to outrun the cops in that clapped out Malibu. He missed a turn and landed in the drink. Apparently he got away. It turns out that he never bothered to transfer title.

Fortunately I had sent in the sellers report of sale  ;)

Offline Libertas

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #56 on: May 10, 2012, 06:36:18 AM »
Hmm..."spot of trouble"..."Green River"....   ::thinking::

Wasn't wanted for murder, was he?!   ::speechless::

Just who owned that car?   ::exitstageleft::
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #57 on: May 10, 2012, 08:09:17 AM »
Hmm..."spot of trouble"..."Green River"....   ::thinking::

Wasn't wanted for murder, was he?!   ::speechless::

Just who owned that car?   ::exitstageleft::

You're alluding to Gary Ridgeway - the Green River Killer. And yes, I knew him too.  :o

Offline Gunsmith

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #58 on: May 10, 2012, 08:42:24 AM »

Here's a before picture of the '55 at it's lowest point.



JF
Yes, the engine is stock compression & stock cam, but with the intake, carb, AL6 ignition module and MSD Distributor and duel exhaust the motor is not far from 300hp.  If I swap the cam and put headers on it'll make 300+ no problem.

The Radiator is a 4 core down flow the next thing to try an correct the overheating would be to move to the 6cyl position which will entail modifying the core support along with numerous other mods to accommodate AC condensor, tranny cooler, shroud, fan etc... Then that would only be good to the 300hp range, the new setup will keep any motor cool over 400hp, it'll give some buffer if I decide to tweak it up some more.


Offline Libertas

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Re: '55 Chevy Delray - restoring and customizing
« Reply #59 on: May 10, 2012, 09:03:03 AM »
Hmm..."spot of trouble"..."Green River"....   ::thinking::

Wasn't wanted for murder, was he?!   ::speechless::

Just who owned that car?   ::exitstageleft::

You're alluding to Gary Ridgeway - the Green River Killer. And yes, I knew him too.  :o

Yikes!  I knew some nefarious types from my youth but not that nefarious, just run-of-the-mill...they're probably still in prison, or dead...whatever.
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.