[tom s]

Do what ever is cheapest IMO,tom

[64speed]

Ok so here’s the polishing and chrome prices. 300 dollars an an old ruger for the grills headlight bezels and the trunk trim (all aluminum) to be polished. 700 for the window and door trim to be chrome plated because they can’t be polished because of pop rivet hole filling plus an extra hundred for the taillight bezels from S&H plating in Tennessee. Then 1200 and some change for bumpers from keystone. Does all that sound about fair? Another 250 a side later on when I have the glass done and the vent window frames have to be disassembled and chromed. I don’t think it’s gonna get any better than that

[64speed]

My wife doesn’t want me to trade my gun and after seeing the guys shop she also got a bad feeling and doesn’t want me leaving my expensive hard to replace parts with him. So I contacted S&H chrome in Tennessee cause they will chrome aluminum and I got a very reasonable price quote on my headlight bezels and grills as well as the rest of the trim. I sent the piece of window trim that I have that has the pop rivet holes in it to see how they do and if it comes back alright I guess I will send all my pieces there. Someone on here told me on the how long did it take you post not to count all the things you had left to do but to count the things you have accomplished. On that mindset I am doing pretty ok and things are progressing just not as rapidly as I would like. I am waiting for our first stretch of clear weather so that I can get started on the front suspension and steering but the weather here has been thunder storms everyday in the mid to late afternoon.

[64speed]

Just bought one of those really high dollar spring compressors that was recommended to me in another thread. I will be taking the front Hotchkiss springs out and replacing them with AC Delco springs here as soon as the weather clears up. I will also be putting on my wilwood brakes. Does anyone know what the Hotchkiss springs are worth? I am gonna put them on eBay but I don’t know what to price them at. I think they are the two inch drop springs. I didn’t like the way they rode.

[HWYSTR455]

I'd say start at $50 plus shipping or $80 with shipping, and let it run auction style for 5 days. Clean them up and comment on time in use and how the coating is. They will sell probably for around $100.

.

[64speed]

Well Wednesday is the big day. Gonna have some help so I am gonna push the old girl out in the sun and do the front control arms, springs, brakes, and steering pieces. That will be the last bit of work completed for quiet a while because I got one daughter going to paid kindergarten and another needing braces so I will be saving for the chrome and the final prep and paint. It will be a slow savings plan so you won’t have to worry about too many asinine questions from me LOL just will be plugging away at the car doing what I can do as time and money allow. When I wore a younger mans clothes I could turn out an x frame Chevy in about 3 months drive it for 6 then sell it and start over but I guess those days are gone. This is my car and I don’t plan on selling it so I guess it doesn’t really matter how long it takes me

[STEELCITYFIREBIRD]

Getting your little girls grill chromed and polished is a expense way more satisfying than any car grill could ever be.

[nmoreilly]

Subscribed

[64speed]

Well I started the suspension on Thursday thinking it was gonna be like my 58 Chevy and just fall together. Wrong!!!!! We spent most of the day getting the drivers side lower control arm off and then the new tubular one on. So far all I have done is the control arms on the drivers side done and the spindle remounted. I thought I could get all this done in a day so I started it of course the day before we left for the beach so my car is sitting in the driveway under a cover while my mother stays there and watches it LOL. Nobody can steal it I dont guess cause it has no front suspension. When I get back Tom Vaught has said he would take my control arms so I will be weighing them and boxing them up to ship to him and I am reusing the hotchkis springs in the front because it was gonna sit WAY too high with the AC Delco springs in the front. I have the factory height springs for sale here and on ebay so I hope someone will buy them. I bought them from RockAuto about 6 months ago or I would just return them. As soon as I get back from the beach I will take some pics

[64speed]

So I got one side done except Summit sent me the wrong dust cap. I guess I will try to work on the other side tomorrow but the heat here is so awful that I don’t know how much I will get done. I will post when I get it all buttoned up

[nmoreilly]

Looks good, what wheel / tire combo are you thinking or is it too early for that ?

[64speed]

I already have us mag 18x8 with 235/45/18 all around but think I can go to 245 without rubbing. They are torq thrust style wheels with magnesium centers

[nmoreilly]

Originally Posted by 64speed

I already have us mag 18x8 with 235/45/18 all around but think I can go to 245 without rubbing. They are torq thrust style wheels with magnesium centers

I just saw that from the earlier posts..will look very sharp. 245 front / 255 rear would look even better if you can get them to fit

[64speed]

I have plenty of room for 255 but I don’t like a staggered setup. I like being able to rotate my tires

[64speed]

My neighbor came over earlier to see what I was doing and he was checking out my shell of a car and complimenting me on the work I had done so far. When he got around to the very front he was looking down the trans tunnel and stopped and looked and asked me what rear end I was running. I told him and he said it just looked “nasty” under there and you could tell it means business. Guess I am gonna be one of those guys that brings mirrors to car shows. Just kidding I would never do that.

[64speed]

Well I finally got her finished up this morning. Now all I gotta do is bleed the brakes. The UMI frame brace went in easier than expected. I gotta do something about the swaybar end links because there was not enough thread engagement to put the nut and the washer on. I had to just put the nut on it for now until I can get some shorter bushings. Heres some pictures.

[64speed]

We’ll progress is halted again because we have had a leak under our master shower that we didn’t know about until the other day when I went to step out onto the rug outside the shower and the tile felt like a diving board. Had a contractor out here and he said the subfloor under the shower and some of the subfloor in front of the shower is going to have to be replaced. Called USAA to find out how much homeowners is gonna pay but apparently there is a cap on rot because you are supposed to call about water damage before it gets to the point of rotten flooring. I don’t know how you’re supposed to know about it under your walk in shower but whatever. The aluminum around my side windows and posts had been pop riveted on in some places so I was not able to just have it polished. I called advanced plating and Paul’s and about had a heart attack based on the quotes they gave me to repair it. I got a quote from S&H plating in Tennessee and it was reasonable so I sent them the worst molding to see how they did and it turned out fabulous. I don’t know how Paul’s or advanced could make it look any better. I know they advertise show chrome or whatever but I personally don’t see how the results could be any better. The holes are filled and the piece is beautiful so I guess they have my business. Lifetime warranty too so it’s a no brainer. Anyway front end is together and other than being terribly out of alignment it’s great. I got all the brakes bled and the master cylinder and lines mounted and sealed up finally. Progress is being made just not at the speed I’d like. Got one daughter starting private school in September and one daughter fixin to get braces so I guess I am on the 5 year plan but it will all happen in God’s time. In the meantime enjoy the pic of the chrome piece. Keep in mind this piece had pop rivet holes in it

[64speed]

Well just an update. I got the UMI rear control arm frame braces installed and boy that was a thrill a minute. It wasn’t too bad I just wish I had done it while I was swapping the Rearend instead of essentially installing the lower control arms again. The top didn’t move much. I have decided my build order and am going to proceed accordingly. I am going to take the 70 HO block I have without the main caps and have the billet ones from Butler installed. I put my rotating assembly on layaway and it’s the 4.25 stroke crank forged scat with the forged scat rods with the upgraded fasteners. Block is virgin so I will only bore it 30 over. Clevite bearings all around. Butler asked me what I wanted the compression to be assuming an 87 cc chamber on the Edelbrock heads I plan to buy when the rotating assembly is paid for and I told the 10.5 to 1. I guess they factor that in to the dish of the piston. I am gonna buy the ported Edelbrock heads that are ported to 310 CFM. Paul Carter is going to order my cam as soon as I pay him and I already have Lunati voodoo 1.75 roller rockers. I am going to run headers just because I feel the manifolds will give up too much. Intake is still Torker II and I have my full Holley Sniper setup matching from gas tank to throttle body with dual sync distributor.

[64speed]

Well I followed everyone’s advice and sold the block with no main caps. I’m going to use the 455 block I have but I am gonna put the 4.25 stroke crank in it and bore it .30 for 462 cubes. Plan is still for the 6 speed and I have all the Holley sniper stuff. I think I am going to have four bolt main caps installed in the block I am building just for piece of mind. I want everything overbuilt. That’s why I setup the Rearend like I did. I want 100k trouble free miles with plenty of hard use smiles mixed in that mileage. Block will be studded of course.

[69 Limelight]

Thought you were getting 2- 400 blocks from Cliff and going to stroke one of those?