Another 55 Chevy born, with a stroker 409!

[desapience]

Hey old timers, remember me? I've been AWOL from here for several years...

As many of you already know, I have had a 55-Chevy with a 409/476 stroker for a good 8 years or so.
And, back about 5-6 years ago, I started a complete restoration on another 2-dr Sedan BelAir, and I do
mean "complete". The cowl is the sole piece that was not replaced with new panels... The project stalled
for 4 years due to many reasons, waiting for parts we knew were being reproduced being a big reason. I
waited for two years just for a top-skin! Then, the shop-owner lost interest and kept putting finishing it
off endlessly, despite having been paid ahead of what had been done...

Well, I got tired of that..., and long story short, I built my own shop, and am now in the process of finally
moving forward on the car.

It will have a 409/stroker... either a 409/446, or the 409/482. I'm leaning towards the 482, because I'm also
leaning towards a stick-shift car, not an automatic as originally planned. A gear-vendors "rock-crusher" Muncie sits in a crate awaiting my decision.... I'll be updating the final leg of this restoration... on a more regular basis.
Denis (DeSapience)

Here are some older pics before the top-skin was installed....

 

[303Radar]

Looks like a nice clean setup!

 

[Don Jacks]

WELCOME Back Dennis.

 

[blkblk63ss]

Welcome back , of course we want to see more picture's of the body build too .Wished i had a 55 also!!!

 

[jim_ss409]

Looking good Denis!
You know we never get tired of watching somebody else work, so we'd love to see some progress reports as you go along.

 

[1961BelAir427]

Welcome back Denis!

 

[No409]

sweet build!

 

[boxerdog]

Welcome back....

 

[63 dream'n]

welcome back.......

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Hey Denis, good to hear from you! It has been some time, but good to see you are back having fun. And with your own place, that's a new twist .

Cheers!
TomK

 

[1958 delivery]

I'm surprised you didn't do a C4 suspension/frame swap, it's the going rage for Tri5's

 

[Jim Sullivan]

That engine looks great!!

 

[desapience]

I know the car I'm about to describe the work I've done on is not 409 destined, but, it is an active project with some unique issues with unique solutions.
It's my 31 CHEVROLET 5-window Coupe. I've been working on a total frame-off rebuild (my member pics who the car when I first bought it years ago).
Anyway, I did do the car over in 2009, ZZ430 engine with Barry Grant 6-shooter tri-power, and a 4-speed Muncie and Vette posi rear with 3.70's.
The thing flew.. literally. But the old "wooden coach bodies on these cars leave a lot to the imagination after 80+ years.

I started by rebuilding the doors, removing some wood entirely and adding steel reinforcement, where necessary... some pics below show that.
But, while both doors came out great (new metal bottoms, etc), the driver's door pillar was completely rotted out...
So..., I made one, but not out of wood. I milled one by hand out of 6061 aluminum..., the results are way nice!
Next, now that the upper body is secure, the body comes off the frame, and I'll get the frame blasted, while I work further on the floor....

Denis

 

[LMBRJQ 60]

Hi Denis,
Looks real good
Ive got a couple of 34 chevs here that are going to get a similar treatment. Love the B pillar idea

Steve

 

[desapience]

Ol' Timers! Let's call this post a pre-paint update on my 2nd 55 Belair..., and yes, it is going to get a 409/446, or a 409/482.., still undecided which of my strokers it will get.
As I mentioned before, I pulled my 55 out of an eternally procrastinating shop, and pressed forward. The 55 has now had 3 solid weeks of steady work by a small team of young
body men (less than half my age), who are actually having a ball doing the car! The firewall and complete underside were painted on rotisserie last week. The frame was meticulously
gone over and also painted, and shrink-wrapped before being



reunited with the body. All seams on the car are precisely matched to be the width of a paint-stick stirrer, and the entire body has had thorough going over to correct some of the mess the prior professional procrastinator made for.

The 55 will be hole-drilled for all the stainless (being a Belair, there's a lot of it, and every piece of stainless on this 55 Belair is ORIGINAL, and show polished!

The car will painted this coming week, completely apart (fenders, doors, trunk lid, deck lid, hood -- everything painted separately). The 55 has already been fully mocked-up twice, with 3rd and final time yesterday.

The body and the separate parts will all then be hand sanded and buffed out BEFORE final re-assembly, and the stainless installed. The glass install follows, and at this point, the 55 itself is scheduled to be back in my own shop June 27th (possibly not until after July 4th Holiday)! That's when it gets interesting!!! From that point onward, I do all of it.

The update for my 31 Chevy 5-window is not so dramatic, but, non-the-less, represents a huge step in making this 31 a top-shelf hotrod... The frame was blasted, reinforced in a few
areas, welded where necessary, acid washed, and painted a gloss black urethane.... Finishing the 31 will be delayed because finishing the 55 is my priority now!
Enjoy the pics.... I'll post the finished paint steps this coming week.

Denis

 

[jim_ss409]

Nice to see that 55 project moving along so well. Those guys must be real workers if they're going to have it all painted by the end of the month.
I can't wait to see how this one turns out. Judging by the quality of your other 55, I'm betting this one is going to be a real show piece.

 

[Donny Hammond]

What kind of frame are you using????Donny

 

[CDNpontiac409guy]

That 31 Chevy is NICE... I'd like to see the photos of it, in another thread... a bit confusing here with the 55

 

[desapience]

Nice to see that 55 project moving along so well. Those guys must be real workers if they're going to have it all painted by the end of the month.
I can't wait to see how this one turns out. Judging by the quality of your other 55, I'm betting this one is going to be a real show piece.

Jim, I'm also getting excited about how this one is going to turn out, and for the time being I'm going to keep the wraps on some of the details until it is done. Let's put it this way, I've already been
offered $60,000 for it just from a 15 minute ride in my red-white 55/409/476! I responded with a "we'll see".... No dice, actually, because I do hope to attend the Daytona Turkey Day Run in November.
I will sell it though...,

But, you can bet this one will be a step higher than my red-white 55.., which is now a 15 year old build!! It will be a show-car that is 100% functional and will see a trailer only for
whoever buys it and hauls it away like that.
Denis

 

[desapience]

What kind of frame are you using????Donny

Donny,
The frame is a modified 1931 Chevy frame -- the original frame that came with the 5-window coupe (it was bought new and spent all its life in Salt Lake City Utah, until I bought it in like 2005).
It had a renault front end suspension and steering system (what a mess), a 56 Chevy 265, 4 barrel, Saginaw 4-speed with over-drive, and a 56 chevy rear-end with 3.20-ish gearing then.

I did not box the frame in, but it does have 3 additional cross-members, and a 65 year old man (me) driving it -- which means, I will drive it with care -- speed-shifting but no power shifting...
A very FAST fun, primarily old school, hotrod, is what it was and how it will remain (ahem, with a Dart SHP block bored and stroked to 427, dual quads... etc).
I built it originally in 2008-9 with a ZZ430 SBC clone, with Barry Grant six-shooter tri-power).
But, this time, I'm giving it a build that will bring it to a level it has not ever before had..., and hopefully will make it last another 85 years.

Denis