1957 Buick 70 Series Roadmaster Riviera "Honey I'm Home!!!"

[tripower]

I have the 57' Olds steering column installed and then the brake pedal assembly that I used out of my 60' parts car that was literally a bolt it...

What do you think? The marks on the end of the column are were I am going to cut it off then then notch and move the dog up to clear the 401-425 exhaust manifold. I have a 364 exhaust manifold but it dumps right out in the way of the rack so this is the route I am taking. I will then machine a
aluminum end cap that will slide up inside the column tube and use a needle bearing to support the shaft. I will then cut off the flange at the end of the shaft and machine the sides to make a 3/4" DD to accept the Borgeson U-joint. I am using a 17mm-3/4" DD rubber dampener U-joint at that fits the C4 rack. I also installed the gas pedal out of the 60' Buick but am going to replace it with a pedal out of one of my 61' Impala parts cars as I think the fit will be much better. I will have to remove the mounting flange and machine a block out of aluminum to mount the pedal and will use screws that will mount from the inside of the firewall for a clean look. Here are a few more pics of the progress.

 

[Phil Reed]

I don't care what you say...................I'm still bringing my 63 up to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tripower]

I got the column apart and I was able to drill out the spot welds attaching the shift dog. Then drive the shift dog off and turn it around 180 and reinstall it. I marked the tube prior to removing it so I would be able it clock it back in the correct location. The jog in the dog is 3/4" so by flipping it 180 it moved the location of the shift dog 1-1/2" back and in between the exhaust manifold and the firewall. I do think I am going to have to add 1" to
1-1/2" of length to clear the exhaust manifold but will wait until I have the rest of the shift linkage figured out. Here are some before and after pics.

Finished up the shift linkage. I extended the shift dog 1-1/2" to clear the exhaust manifold and cut 3-5/8" out of the shift linkage between the frame and the trany and about 6" out of the rod that runs from the column to the trany linkage. Here are the results. Shifts perfect.

 

[droptop62ss]

nice job Dan !

 

[tripower]

Went over to my neighbors and machined my end piece for the steering column last night. I cut 1-3/8" off of the column tube and then machined the end cap/bearing support to fit. Cutting the tube off gives me room to machine the end of the shaft to a DD to fit the new Borgeson U-Joint. You can see in the pics the old end cap and then the new one. The old one had a bushing pressed inside that supported the shift tube. I pressed the old bushing out and re-used it in the new end cap. I also used a roller bearing to support the shaft. Today I will assemble the column and install the new end cap by drilling 1/4"X 20 X 3/8" button head machine screws instead of using the clamp that GM used back in 57. Once the column is assembled I will be able to install the shaft and steering wheel and determine the length of the shaft. I am going to tig a stop collar on the shaft on the inside using a piece of UHMW Teflon as a bushing. On the outside I will make another UHMW Teflon bushing and use the Borgeson U-Joint as a stop. Here are some pics.

 

[tripower]

Here are a few more progress pics. I finished up steering and the brackets for the AC, alternator and power steering. Then cleaned up all the casting slag from the 425 block and will be putting the 425 together over the next couple of weeks. I also found a rear seat out of a 1962 Olds Starfire that I am going to use. I have a set of 64 Grand Prix buckets sitting in the car now but am not sure if I am going to use them or a split bench seat I found out of a 55' Cadillac Coupe De Ville that has the chrome over the back of the seat like the buckets. Any thoughts from you guys? I am going to keep the Starfire pattern when I have the seats reupolstered but will change the color and use three colors.

 

[409newby]

Dan That nailhead just looks right in that car.

 

[DonSSDD]

I like the backseat, no buckets from the Starfire? I think either the buckets or the bench will look pretty good in that car.

Don

 

[tripower]

Dan That nailhead just looks right in that car.

Thanks Pat.

I like the backseat, no buckets from the Starfire? I think either the buckets or the bench will look pretty good in that car.

Don

The Grand Prix buckets are the same as Starfire just a different pattern.

 

[tripower]

After getting the brackets done I figured I had better see how my inner sheet metal fit. I found the battery box
was just not going to work with my alternator on the drivers side. There was maybe 1" of clearance and the exhaust manifold was even closer so, I drilled out the spot welds and removed the battery box from the inner fender. Now I had plenty of room but a big hole. I started thinking about making a new panel to fit in place of the old battery box. Then I remembered the battery box had a panel on the inside that already had the cut out for the control arm. Again I was able to drill out the spot welds and use this panel to make my inner fender complete. The panel that came off the batter box had a "S" curve in it that was the opposite of what I needed to mate up to the inner fender so, I decided to straighten out the "S" curve and then bend it back in a "S" curve the opposite of way it was and the way I needed it to fit. Once this was done the replacement panel was about 4" to short so, I went out and cut a piece out of one of my 61' Chevy parts cars that has the same role in the corner that would match the bend I needed to finished the job. I had to re-trim the opening for the control arm to fit. I think it looks pretty good and once I get some 60% black powder on there I think it will look great. I also fit the stock radiator in to see just how this was all going to work. With the way the engine is sitting in the car now there is no room for the stock fan shroud or the mechanical clutch fan that I want to run. In order to get around that I think I am going to switch to a cross flow radiator that will be set far enough forward to accommodate both a fan shroud and clutch fan. The pocket that was crated up front by the core support by removing the battery box will house a recovery tank for the radiator as well as the remote reservoir for the power steering pump. Here are a few more pics.

 

[Don Jacks]

This car is going to be another beautiful "3-Duce"car.

 

[tripower]

Made a template for the radiator. I used a piece of 2' X 4' X 1-1/2" foam. I cut it in half and then glued it together with some contact cement. That gave me a 2'X2'X3" core to work with. Then I cut to fit my hole 24"X22". I dattoed out the sides and put a piece of wood in so I would have a place to attach the flanges. It will mount from the front and will be basically inside the core support. The foam had a barier so the contact would not eat it up. That left both sides with foil. Im going to run a cross flow copper and brass from US Radiator. It will have a goose neck filler out of the drivers side tank and a recovery tank tucked in where the old batter box was.

 

[BSL409]

This car is going to be another beautiful "3-Duce"car.

X2

 

[tripower]

I've been working on the rear bumper ends. I cut out the plates and blasted the insides. I am lucky as this car is a low mileage rig so they look pretty darn good. Instead of using the shield like the factory did I am going to weld in a shield to the bumper end itself and then make a stainless steel tip that looks like the original shield. Also cleaned up the inner fender extensions (scraped the under coating off) and mounted the remote reservoir for the power steering.

 

[tripower]

I got the shields made and fitted to the bumper ends. Now I just need to get everything welded back together and the bumpers will be ready for plating. I am going to make a stainless exhaust tip that will resemble the original shield. The tip will be welded to the end of the exhaust pipe and use the original hanger. It should work real good and keep the exhaust out of the bumper ends.

 

[BSL409]

Very nice craftsmanship

 

[tripower]

Very nice craftsmanship

Thanks Brian

 

[tripower]

I decided to use a hydroboost system for the brakes. I got this out of a Astro Van. I am not going to use the Astro Van master cylinder but a 92-02 Camaro master.

 

[LMBRJQ 60]

Hydroboost??? how does that work? not familiar with it over here?

Steve

 

[tripower]

Hydroboost??? how does that work? not familiar with it over here?

Steve

Steve,
It runs off the power steering pump and eliminates the need for vacuum. Its been around for a long time but mainly used on commercial and diesel rigs. You can read about it here. http://www.hydratechbraking.com/