First it's too cold. Now its probably raining.

 

Sunshine every day. Enjoying the 57. Money tight right now construction is down big time so I am just continuing to collect parts. Have everything for the engine so I will start there first. I am putting heat in my garage so this will most likley become a winter project. I know, whats taking so long, I thought I would be further along by now myself.

 

If ya'll buy some real-estate from me..............cheap.

I'll loan ya some $$$ to get moving on yor car.

 

Is this land above or below the waterline Whats your prime on the loan, My first born is 40 now so not worth much

 

Changed direction on the 48 but I am getting serious

I purchased the Eagle rods today and will purchase the pistons tomorrow either SRP 206072 for 11.1 or Keith Black KB886-030 for 10.424.1. I have everything else ready to go. I am changing machine shops because of the cost. I will interview two this week who come highly recommended an choose one. I will do all of the assemby on this engine to save some cost as the body work seats, uphotstery & paint will be rather expensive on this built.

The 57 Olds will go to the body shop within the next two weeks for some rust repair on the lower door panels. I was going to try this myself but lack the confidence. Wish I was a better welder, but I guess a guy can't do everything besides I need the garage space to take the body off the frame of the 48 so I can blast the frame and paint it then finish the body work. Need to do one patch on the drivers floor pan and a small patch on the inside bottom of the drivers door which I can handle because they are flat. I will install heat in the garage in the next week or two so I can work through the winter. Stay tuned I will be adding infor and p[ictures as I go along.

 

Good quarterly update! I was hoping you were going to say one of 'em is finished now... You are right though - it will be a winter project...
Sounds like you are doing your homework well in advance - do the job right the first time, even if it means farming some out.

 

What kind of heat are you going to use?

 

I have heard of people using those KB pistons before. That compression ratio sounds pretty good for a street cruiser, you should still be able to use pump gas.

 

Forced air electric. No gas available in my area. I'll have to take out a loan to pay the bill

 

Ouch.

 

Finally bought the Argon bottle for my lincoln welder and spent most of the day yesterday practicing with the mig on scraps of body parts laying around. So today I will start filling all the holes in the firewall and repair one inside lower door skin and door sill also have to repair inside the rear window lower area in three places. tack tack tack tack this takes some real time. Got all winter though. This boby work stuff is hard work

 

Quit whining and post some pics.

 

Starting tearing into the body work this last week. Fire wall looked like swiss cheese with all the mods that had been done over the years. Got most of the shee metal repaired some more grinding and filler then prime. Found lots of problems on the drivers side floor. Had to cut out quite a lot of metal. Now I have to find a fab shop to bend a bead were the door seals against the floor. Here are a few pictures. I will order the pistons on Monday and then the engine build starts. Plenty here to keep me busy. Found out welding sheet metal takes a lot of time but I am getting better at it. Until next time....

 

Looks like a fun project Pat. I actually like doing welding and bodywork, I just wish I had the time. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

Finally some pics.

Nice work but you've obviously forgotten the definition of bad rust.

"If you can throw a cat through it it's bad rust, If you have to puree the car before you throw it through it it not bad."

You're looks like you'd have to puree the cat first. So it looks fine to me.

 

Looks good! I actually enjoy bodywork the end is very rewarding when done right. The car looks pretty solid keep the pics coming.

 

keep it up

 

That body looks s'mint.
If you call those spots problems you've lived a sheltered life.

That floor would literally be a rust spot on the ground around here, actually the whole car would be a car underbody and frame shaped rust spot on the ground.

I would have just used my favorite technique to cover those firewall holes, floor holes too.

 

Just a frame question/comment; It looks like the frame in your Olds is of "square (rectangular) tube," no? Do you think that the frame needs any reinforcing/stiffening-up? Prior to installing the 455 in my old pick-up, I'm going to close the "C-channel" framing. I have no doubt that the frame, both in your car and in my truck, will hold the weight of the 455, the original engines are easily probably the same weight or most likely heavier, but my concern is the twisting from the torque of the 455. My plan is not only to close the "C channel" frame, but to also tie the frame up w/ some angles off of the cross members and a roll cage, one that won't be unfriendly w/ the entry and exiting of the vehicle, very low and high side tubes. What are your thoughts on your frame?
That old Olds body you have is "too cool." IMO, there's nothing like the 30s, 40s, and some very early 50s rides w/ a modern drive trane. Indepth projects always take longer than originally anticipated, so, welcome to the club. Hopefully when the weather breaks, you can pull the car out on the street, and cruise.
Good Luck. It's a beauty.

 

Good progress Pat, keep it up. Jim, I haven't strengthened the frame on my '46 but haven't driven it enough to find out if that was a mistake. There is a cross member forward of the X in the frame which the transmission rests on, it does provide some strength but probably not near as much as boxing the frame. Anyway, when I get driving this next spring I we will know if it can handle the torque of the 455 or not....

 

I have a Mustange 2 front end kit with rack and pinion steering and the frame has been fully boxed at the front. I will be box in the back to the x frame support before I install the engine. My build plans for the 455 are 550 to 600 hp range. I have attached a couple of pictures.

 

Cool

Why not just heat your lunch with your torch? Then you could stay on the job?

 

I don't see you out in the garage working on your cars. Don't you have a 442 to complete? I bet your setting in front of the fireplace with a toddy and something to eat laughing at me all the way

 

a] It's too early to have a toddy
b] I'm full from lunch
c] I'd never laugh at my ole buddy

I'm studing up painting. My brother in law sold his paint shop and left me hanging w/ a primed 69 442. Everything is done but wet sand and paint. New engine brakes, front end etc. One of these days/years I'm going to go back with trophy blue and a black vinyl top.

When I'm not LMAO at bluevista and Sandy, I'm thinking about making a plastic paint booth and reading http://www.autobodystore.com/forum/

I'm really a paint and body moron

What happened to the plan to add electric heat to your garage?

 

I have the electric heater it's sitting on the floor waiting for me to ceiling mount it and do the electrical work. My trade is electrical so you know how that goes just gotta do it.

I am a paint moron as well, but I do plan on at least doing the priming and wet sanding and paint prep I have done that successfully before. The final paint is still undecided. I think I would have to take classes to do that, Its a little scary with the cost of paint and redo's

 

"The cobbler's kids have no shoes"

 

Rumor has it that it's a 2 year course...


Pat, its looking good; just keep a working... I want to see whos car gets painted first!

 

My car better be painted before both of them Rob, and mine won't be done with a brush either.

The fastest way to get that heater done would be to get a carpenter to hang and wire it in.

Half a day, day at the most??

Not a union or government job is it?
Then you'll need drawings, a job site supervisor, architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, permits, bricklayers, carpenters, pipefitters, plumbers, tapers, hvac guy, painters and laborers.
Oops, I almost forgot the plain white envelope for the building inspector.

One year job at the least.

 

Or just borrow a front end loader and "Get er done"

 

 

You guys being from that part of the country, I'm from NY originally and my father was a union boiler maker since '45, when "The War" was over, and alot of the time, due to seniority & position, he owned businesses and still kept his book while he wasn't working, anyway...what about the pay-offs to the right guys, you can eliminate quite afew of those steps(people/departments) w/ the almighty dollar. LOL F/sure. W/ the right connections, you can get the materials f/ free in the process. You might owe someone a favor afterwards. You do have plenty of property to bury peepz on, no?

 

Citcapp... you need a bear and a couple go-rillas to help you out!!!

 

Did you ever pull the trigger on buying the pistons? I've got a set of 0.030" over 11.00:1 Arias pistons (w/ a C head chamber, prob 11.5-12.0:1 with your Edelbrocks) that I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them any more since my motor is now 0.040" with a set of 9.5:1 Arias pistons filling the holes.

 

It's fun to see your pictures Pat! Having heat in your garage would certainly make the hobby more fun this time of the year! Keep us posted on your projects, both the garage and the cars!!! John

 

Actually, I working on a post graduate degree. It's been in primer for about 3 years

I got the righty tighty lefty loosey down but the wipe on/wipe off sanding still has me muddled

 

I see the boxing now, couldn't see it in the pics prior. My understanding is that the boxing alone does the job, plus you have the "X" frame which makes f/ a more rigid base f/ the drive-trane. My biggest worry is that after a big hole-shot, w/o doing some reinforcing, I'll end up w/ one or more of the body panel spaces going from ie; an 1/8" to 3/8" in places, or the door not shutting properly, etc. I'd be sick to say the least. I won't be running as radical an engine as you are, and as nice of a car as you have, that body w/ the fast-back is too cool, I'd think about talking to one of the "hot rod gurus" about tying up the frame.
Years back I parted out a '58 Ford Custom Cab pick-up that was super straight and solid, I got it f/ $135.00, and a guy came from San Antonio to buy the cab, bed and some other parts f/ his son. He was a "car nut" who brought along some friends in an all original beautiful DeSoto(SP?)and a handful of pics of his cars. He got talking about twisting up frames of early vehicles (40s and 50s) in the process of "coming out of the hole" at Innis (Dallas) and San Antonio. I at first had considered a drive-trane from an older Mercury Monterey that was available at the time f/ a song and dance, 460ci, C6, and 9" rear, f/ that '58 Custom Cab. (I had too many projects going on at the time) He obviously had alot of experience w/ hot rods in general, and he stood there and explained how the torque contorts the frame when the tires bite. He was really interesting to talk to. That was the first of my gathering info on frames of different year vehicles and their reconstruction. You may know more than I do about the topic, and I'm not trying to tell you what to do, only some thoughts and a very small piece of my "automotive journey" over the years.
If I were single again, I'd have a big garage w/ a small house attached instead of having it the other way around.
Is that fast-back from your neck of the woods? It seems to be in quite good shape and I was wondering if you got it from one of the hot/dry states. As a kid growing up in New York, I knew what salt on the roads in the winter did to automobiles.

***Man, that Olds in your profile is a beauty. The skirts set it off well. Super nice!!!

 

PM sent

 

Cutlassgal: No room in the garage for the bear he is two big.

Texas Jim: Thanks for the compliment on the 57 she is a sweetheart and with the 455 she scoots as well

Jamsbo: finish you edubacation and get the paint on the car not on the floor or on the bear

More panel welding this weekend keeps me out of the taverns what can I say.

 

This is when the tavern comes to you. It should be cold enough in that garage to keep the beer kegs cold...

 

Good point, but does a six pack, a grinder, and a welder work well together?