55 Wagon Progress

[oldman3]

Robert, very cool update, and everything is looking super, nice work...Jim

[mongocanfly]

more good work Robert....and look at those (butt welds)...nicely done ...haha

[MP&C]

Thanks for following along guys!



Last night we got some details crossed off the list, our radiator sits on the front side of the core support but the overflow can't stay on the front side as it would spew all over a painted splash pan. So we marked the core support baffle to align with our overflow AN fitting and as Jared was drilling the hole and installing the grommet, I got to bending some 1/4" stainless tubing. Now it will drain behind the frame rail...



























Since McMaster had made a delivery we got some of the Oetiker clamps installed. Yeah, I think I like this cleaner look...











My buddy Jeff Ford down in Aiken SC was working on installing a floor pan patch and had omitted the flange in the radius corner below the toe panel.







So in addition to busting his chops, we put together this video tutorial so he could do the next panel in one piece. Hope it helps someone else as well..



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-R_kVKKBEI





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[mongocanfly]

Very clean...oetiker clamps are a nice clean touch...

[Hammered 77]

Robert,I like the looks of the Oetiker clamps, but I'm not familiar with them. Are they reusable and how do they unfasten?

Rick

[MP&C]

One time use and they have to be cut off. Harley Davidson uses these on their fuel lines and I believe oil lines.

[MP&C]

Well today was slated as lift-off day. So we got our lifting eyes installed on the body this morning and set up the lifting devices.



We loaded the frame onto the trailer, figured a winch would be easier than pushing..



Getting the body ready to separate from the rotisserie...















With the body bolted down, we moved it outside to take some pictures..





Here is the room we have behind the engine for access to the O2 sensor connector...





Our attempt to install the rear bumper so we could look at it with some chrome on the rear end did not fare well. The bumper brackets did not line up correctly, just my luck, so we added length and welded the original holes closed so they can be moved to the correct location...

[oldman3]

Robert, coming together and looks stunning...Jim

[mongocanfly]

WOW..!!!!...that green is gorgeous ..!!!..but im a sucker for green,,my 1st truck was green...

[Hammered 77]

Thanks Robert, I guess my only concern would be if you had a problem out on the road. With everything being new it shouldn't be an issue anytime soon.

Rick

[MP&C]

Rick, we'll have to include spares for the glove box...

[MP&C]

So this weekend we played with blocks. Made from 2x6's, and gave the wagon a lift kit. This should help in using a creeper for any underside work..











Mike wanted to get started on the wiring harness, but we thought it best to install the brake bracket assy first. As luck would have it, the plastic bushings did not fare well with the install. We took the opportunity to make bushings out of oilite bronze, something more fitting in a 55 Chevy over plastic.
























https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ibn...ature=youtu.be



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[MP&C]

With the brake pedal sporting new oilite bronze bushings, Mike got all the pedal assemblies installed, and hole drilled in the floor for the parking brake cable.. Then on to underneath stuff, installing the flex plate bolts and torqueing them down. We used the starter to bump the engine around, and found we also needed to shim the starter, so that was done.







The AC vent brackets were folded using the magnetic brake....











Then trim the ends and one more media blast session to get it ready for epoxy primer.



Jared and I worked on getting all the body mounts snugged down, and then turned attention to the rear bumper. In the stock configuration this is slightly wide, so we had opted for a slice and dice and making the three piece bumper into a one piece..















We had intended to get this done prior to paint, just one of those things that slipped through the cracks before it got sent out for paintwork. We did have some rags used between the bumper and body to prevent any damage, and removed them for pictures. The final fitment after tacking:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiSJfE7_i4E



Our data plate for the firewall had been looking pretty sad....







…...so much so that we had thought about leaving it off the nice shiny firewall..







But we had sent some pictures of the carnage to Bob at Alternative Chrome in Kutztown PA, and he said he could clean it right up and add a sealer for us.. Much better...

[MP&C]

Starting some of our electrical work, since the fuel pump and float assembly both connected using ring terminals, we wanted to use some weather pack connectors so there would be a quick disconnect. We had purchased one of the weather pack "kits" from Jegs in order to have a selection to work from as we put the car back together..







On our standard terminal lugs, we pulled insulating sleeve off the back side so we could use a "W" crimp, and then covered with heat shrink.







Some anti seize was applied to the connection to help keep corrosion controlled, and some braid loom and heat shrink was used to add some protection.











Weather pack connection, wires stripped just enough for the W crimp, strain relief crimp remains on top of the wire's jacket insulation.















Next, to finalize our parking brake situation, we needed to drill a hole in the floor, which then had epoxy primer applied to the perimeter. Once cured, we installed a rubber grommet and fed through the floor. If you recall, the Lokar cable did not fit the opening in our donor brake pedal assembly, so a thick washer with the correct smaller hole was found, and the bracket hole was opened up to the outer diameter of the washer...







Then the washer was TIG welded in place..











Next challenge, the brake assembly had an internal pedal return spring that would now rest on the cable and rub in the same place on the ends, so in order to minimize any wear through the cable strands, the spring was relocated to the side of the frame at the adjusters where a shoulder was machined into the adjustment fittings to support the spring ends and not rub into the cable.







To further protect the cable from spring rub, as there surely would be deflection of the spring as the brake was applied, we test fit some heat shrink to act as a protective sleeve. The internal liner of the Lokar cable was roomy enough for the heat shrink to pass up inside, so concept test complete, we ordered some high heat Teflon shrink tubing from McMaster. This was installed over the cable, with plenty of extra slid up in the liner, and assembled all the parts..



























That should hold us.....

[67C10Step]

Fantastic work! That thing is a stunner. Cannot say how much I love that green.

[MP&C]

Thanks!!



Oh yeah! Made a trip to Annapolis Wednesday, Brandon and Richard were done buffing parts... Hell of a way to transport fenders and doors....

[oldman3]

Beautiful work and paint...Jim

[mongocanfly]

that looks so nice...id been a nervous wreck hauling that stuff home..

[MP&C]

Thanks guys! Greg, I was a bit more slow lane than my norm..



Back when we were shaving all the holes in the firewall, the dimmer switch in the floor actually went THROUGH the floor where the connections were made on the outside, and only the push actuator stuck through the floor. Not wanting anymore electrical connections outside the floor than needed, we welded up the center hole, and kept the floor nuts to bolt the new one inside.. Any never gave it any more thought. Until this weekend. Our dimmer switch, a DS115 has a bolt pattern of about 1.75" between hole centers. The factory nuts are about 2.625" between hole centers. Oh well, back up and punt has become second nature with this project..











So we started by fabricating an "adapter bracket" using 16 gauge stainless and a 1/4-20 press stud.











Next, the left bolt needed to be 1/4-20 to fit in the hole of our dimmer switch and with the floor hole at 5/16-18, we need another adapter. So two set screws of appropriate size were welded together, and this allows using an allen wrench to install and hold while tightening the nuts to hold down the dimmer switch.







The right screw remains 5/16-18 through, but we are going to find something with a smaller (shorter) profile for under the carpet.











…..with plenty of room for the wiring inside







Mike and Jarod got the fuel tank along with fill and vent tubes installed...



















…..and then finished our "flexible" lines from the hard lines on the frame up to the EFI.















We still have clamps to install.. Up at the EFI, 30* fittings were used to give us a downward trajectory but yet high enough to keep off the heat of the intake (that the 45* would have done).

[oldman3]

Robert, great work, as usual, looking super...Jim

[MP&C]

Thanks Jim!!



A while back I picked up some used body tools, including this bumper puller/straightener (red handle). The rubber pad was about falling off, with exposed rivets, but since I was just hanging it up as wall art, didn't think much past that..







Fast forward to last weekend, and a square body 4WD stopped by, which has the typical bumper ears not parallel to the ground. So I pulled the tool out to show the owner that there was indeed a way to repair that. And then decided we need to go ahead and repair the tool so it could be put back in service for when the next time the truck stopped by...


First order of business was to remove the old fender bolt and nut and replace with a machine bolt and lock nut.











Next, for our "replacement" pad, we had a small piece of horse mat we could cut it out of, and one of our counterbore bits was used to get the screw heads below the surface..












The pad was held in place using 10-32 pan head screws and lock nuts.









This tool works by placing the pad against the bumper face, hooking the top or bottom back edge (depending on direction of pull needed) and prying to twist back into shape.. So now our wall art is all ready for next time...

[oldman3]

Robert, it has been ages seen I've seen one of these, nice repair too...Jim

[Green 1959]

Wow that's amazing!!

[MP&C]

Thanks guys!!


Some weekend progress... Fine tuning the rear bumper fitment.







Driver's side fits well to the profile of the rear of the quarter...







Passenger side not so much, so the bumper is marked with some fineline tape for where we will sand down the edge to better match..







Leading edge of drivers side needs some trimming...











….as does the center section behind the tail pan..







Next, in order to test fit the front bumper and provide the same "trim fitting" we will need to install the doors and front fenders. So our hinges got some new braid loom and a pull wire installed for the hidden wiring..







The tapped holes in the door's nut plates were chased to insure the fresh paint did not interfere with the bolts..































All buttoned up for the day, and under Kramer's watchful eye..

[mongocanfly]

Looking really nice ...Kramer looks like he approves..