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Yea, I've been back to work since just before Thanksgiving. I just have no idea if its permanent or not.

I really wish there would've been more time at K'zoo too. I totally lost all of Friday due to an issue back home. I spent most of Saturday at MHRA trying to patch up a seriously avoidable issue with dad's car. And finally spent all of Sunday trying to catch up and actually see some of the show and what was left of the swap meet.

K'zoo was just a bad weekend for me.

Hey all, long time no talk to. I did get a chance to run into a couple of you this past cruisin season, but the ones I didn't see... I'm still alive.

Its been a rough year. I was laid off for over half the year, so I did manage to make it to a few of the usual shows (L'viile, K'zoo & Blue Suede Cruise). Sorry if you were at any of those shows and I didn't get a chance to catch up with you. Unfortunately every one of those shows I made it to were an uphill battle with my dad in some way.

As for my cars, all of my projects have been put on hold until I know this job will last and I find a new place to keep my cars inside. Unfortunately I think they may be further postponed until I buy a house as well.

If you haven't had a chance to catch the little bit of progress I made on my Model A Sedan, there's a decent sized picture (no caption) at the bottom of the first coming events page of the Oct 09 Street Scene.

Hope everyone has a happy holiday and a happy new year!

I just checked the weather before leaving  for registration an the rain is pretty much so done. Looks like the weather gets better as the week progresses.

I'm not old enough to have lived through the first days of NSRA, but I've heard enough stories from my dad, his friends and other older street rodders to feel like I could have been there.

I can't count the times that I've heard the story about the original 3 divisions of NSRA. These included a Street Machine Division ('49 and up cars), a Truck and Van division, along side the current and only remaining division, the Street Rod division. I'm told that NSRA dropped the two divisions that included late models due to the lack of support and participation. The story I always hear explains how even Street Rodder Magazine used to cover these cars and trucks in the past, but they too phased out the late model crowd due to lack of participation and support.

Now here we are 30+ years later being told that the people who make up those lost divisions of this organization (NSRA) want back in. But of course this time there are no divisions, they just want to take the events that the Street Rodders have supported since day one.

I'm a listener when it comes to the conversations of the older guys. I've heard the stories of how things used to be, and how they (the older guys) have faught over the years to change the bad, support the good, and keep the hobby going. I also recall the long drawn out fight to get the name "Street Rod" recognized and officially defined. That deffinition wich is on the NSRA website redeemed the "Hot Rodders" with pre-49 cars that didn't have intentions of causing trouble on the streets. I've heard too many stories of old hot rodders causing problems on the street, and those who had no ill intentions that were harrassed because of association of car type. At our local and some larger shows, it is usually the later model cars that still stir up trouble. Weather it be show of power on the grounds or racing on near by streets. I know this is calling all of them guilty by association, but in 2010 as street rodders we too again will be guilty by association. All that the founders of our side of the hobby have faught for will be lost in a sea of "everything else".

Carps, I totally understand the point you brought up with Bonneville. I always look at it in technical form and think that the Street Rod Nationals is just like a class at Bonneville. It includes pre 1949 vehicles only, just as the streamliner class includes streamliners only. As for the creating a class if they cant classiffy your car, thats what Goodguys, NOPI and all of these other organizations are for. The car hobby as a whole is just like a giant version of the SCTA. The smaller organizations (Goodguys, NSRA, NOPI, etc..) are nothing more than classes. Your join the one your car fits into. I've never heard of someone with a 4cyl powered fullsize car wanting to compete with the rocket powered cars at Bonneville... it wouldn't make sense, just like a 73 Dodge Dart being called a Street Rod... its just not right!

I really don't care how many times they write "Plus" after Street Rod Nationals (see next years registration form), it will never be the "Street Rod Nationals" again. I'm not saying that I don't support interest after 1948 in the car hobby. I just think there are other events and descriptions for those cars.

As many of you have already said it, I go to NSRA shows because I want to see pre 49 cars. Don't get me wrong, I also own a 61 Chevy and two tri 5 chevies, but there are other shows for them.

I'm what you could call a young gun at the age of 26. I would assume my generation, the next younger and the next older are the ones they are targeting with this "family involvement." Personally if they were so worried, they should be looking into more ways to encourage us to get into street rodding in its real deffinition.

I'm a member of both Goodguys and NSRA and was looking to purchase a lifetime membership this year for NSRA. I live 5hrs from Louisville(NSRA), 3hrs from Kzoo(NSRA) and just 2 hrs from Columbus (GG). With the year change I no longer find the need to drive longer than 2hrs to see the same thing. The money I would normally spend on the NSRA membership, gas to those events and room/food for that weekend will just have to go to my cars now.

I actually sold my 52 F1 and started building a 48 F1 just to be eligible. This is deffinately something to kill the motivation to finish it. Ironically I drive a 1980 Chevy C10 pickup to work everyday. If I really wanted to drive it to a show, I wouldn't waste my time and gas on the 10hr trek. I'd just drive it 10mins up the road to quaker steak and lube on sunday night to park with everyone else's newer stuff...

Not to bring up the past, but isn't this why they used to have the Van/Truck, and Street Machine Divisions?

Thanks guys for the info and feed back.

I've been reading a lot of information and opinions on transmissions since I first started building this truck. It seems that I keep hearing the same thing said. One or two say the only way to go is a 4L80e or a 400 and everyone else agrees that the light to moderate towing can be done with a 700R/4L60 if you're careful. Hearing this from people I trust reassures me that this is really the route I want to go.

I mean no offense to those who swear by the 4L80 but most won't recognize that this is a long haul street rod first and a short distance tow rig second. Also, I will only be towwing the race car in good weather and most likely only one weekend a month if I'm lucky to have that much time off. I know the 4L80 will do everything the 700R will do and more, but from the looks of it by the time I'm done with rebuild and controllers I'll have more in the trans than I will in the whole chassis. I'd really like to drive it this year instead of saving and waiting for that right deal on one to come around.

Thanks again for the info. This should get me back on track to getting this thing done.

Hey everyone. As usual, its been so long since I've posted on here that I almost feel I should do a new intro.

I'm still occaisionally working on my 48 F1 when time and patience permitt. I've finally reached the point on the project that I need to make some serious final decisions.

The major one being what trans to run. I did some searches here on the RRT as well as on the net in general and don't like the info I've gathered. My goal for this truck was to mostly drive daily in the summer, do the long hauls to the national shows and pull the race car to the track a couple times a month all while getting decent gas milage. The last two parts of that goal just don't seem to go together "cheaply".

My original plan was to run a very mild/almost stock SBC, a basic rebuilt 700R and a 3.50 geared 9". Most posts I've read so far don't recomend the 700R pulling a car trailer. Many have given "safe" weights to pull with the 700R but to tell the complete truth I don't really know how much I'm going to be pulling because the car isn't done yet.

I have a TH400 that could use a rebuild and its the path I've been seriously leaning toward. The only things that keeps pulling me back back to the 700R is the improved gas milage. The idea of a gearvendors sounds like the simple solution but the price tag does not.

The 4L80E also looks like a good path to take but looks complicated to run with a carb and also is expensive in the long run.

If you've read this far through my long winded rambling, as always, constructive criticism, do's, don'ts, and opinions are always welcome.

Brett

After some more research and searching on yearone's website, it looks like none of the rear seat parts from other models will work. I've come to the conclusion that only a 2door hardtop rear seat will work for stock application. I'm going to take some measurements on the extra 63 Riviera interior parts I have to see if I can do a little improvising.

Do any of you guys think that 57 4door hardtop is worth $1800? It has a clean ohio title but is a bit rough around the lower end and its going to need floors. I'm considering buying it because I need the entire front clip, dash trim steering wheel and a few pieces of other misc trim. I really don't know if there's a market for the other parts I don't need. Anyone?

this might sort out the issue for the front glass...


http://www.yearone.com/pco/T_0307/full.asp?page=237


and this page for the side and rear...

http://www.yearone.com/pco/T_0307/full.asp?page=236

hope this helps....

Wayne, thanks for the link. I was considering trying to save the 4door and the fact that they sell new rear glass encourages me more.

Hello;
I too have a 57 daily Driver but mine is a 4 door hardtop. I had the windshield changed and the glass guy had fits trying to get a proper replacement glass. The end result was that the winshield for a convertible fit my hardtop sooo... I would think that the glass from the 4 door hardtop would not fit your two door.
As far as the rear seat goes I think that the rear seat may fit but the bottom is where you may have some issues.
I think the lower trim will fit as if you order it new it's the same no matter what car it's for.
Thats my 2 cents worth

Bruce, I wish I could drive mine year round but the ohio winters would destroy it. Is there a major difference in the seat bottoms? I've never seen any details in the actual diferences in the rear seats.

The rear seat pieces are not designed to be free standing. You're gonna need a 2 door front seat unless you can make the back rest of the 4 door front seat tip forward. 57 two door seat seem to be scarce as hens teeth as they are a one year seat. Buckets may be your best choice.

Charlie, that front seat has been one of those parts I just can't bring myself to spending the money for. I've found a couple but they've been pricey. I'm not a big fan of buckets in a big cruiser like this ones gonna be. A friend of mine has a 56 2door front seat I've been considering buying to use instead.

As I've probably already told some of you, I took the plunge last year and finally gave in to my strong interests in tri 5 Chevys. I never gave much detail, so here a quick update and my current issue...

I bought a '57 210 2-door Hard Top that had previously served as someones parts car. The car was gutted and quite a bit of outside trim is missing as well as the whole front clip.

Why someone would part out a perfectly good hardtop I don't know...  

So now its like I'm trying to save the world in put this thing back together. The car has a really nice trunk floor, and came with the pieces to patch the area below the deck lid. It needs inner and outter rockers and about 4" of the floor along side of the rockers. It'll also need quarters to fix the half quarter hack job that was already done to it. The chassis has seen better days so I recently purchased a super nice unmolested roller "California" one piece chassis for it. Also picked up a pair of workable front fenders and inner fenders, a near mint hood, a nice decklid, some random trim and some misc pieces to try and tie all of the front end together.

I've searched high and low for parts, and its just come to what I never wanted to do - use another complete car as a parts car :? . I recently found a 57 Chevy 4-door Bel Air Hardtop that is in savable but sad shape. This car is complete aside from the hub caps and all of the glass (even mirrors) being broken out of it. This car ever has the original engine and trans (4 barrel - 265 or 283?). I know everything from the firewall forward will work for my 2-door and not too much of the interior will work.

What I'm trying to get to is the questions...

I was told hartop uses a different rear seat from sedan but 4door hardtop vs 2door hardtop was never mentioned. Will the rear seat fit my 2-door?

The car also has the stainless rocker trim. Will this work on my 2 door?

I believe the windshield and vent window trim will fit as well, am I right?

Overall do you think it'd be a good idea to part out this 4 door in favor of a 2 door?

Has anyone heard anything about a car off in the ditch on the ohio turnpike (rt80) in the east bound lane at the rt250 exit? I was told it looked to be a white street rod.

Good seeing the few of you guys that were still there when we arrived. Its always worth the battle with mother nature to catch up with you guys (and gals) and shoot the breeze... even though we didn't have very long this time.

Sorry about the tent Frank. Wish I could've been there earlier to enjoy it with all of you. If anyone can fix it, I'm sure you can.

We got back here to 70 degree, dry as a bone weather and high wind warnings with gusts of 55+ mph winds. A couple hours later the wind died down and it started raining... go figure

My name aint Tina... I faught Ike and WON! LOL....

Looks like its gonna be a wet one...
Oh, the joys of driving an open wheeled car.

Anyhow, I got dessert!

See you guys late mornin tomorow.

You guys can count me in...

As of right now my crazy schedule is to on the road right after I get off work Saturday mornin and be in town by 11am. I should be over in the 29 Below section as soon as I get there.

I'll have to get away from the fairgrounds by a reasonable hour to hunt down a room or two since the motel we were booked at closed without any warning. I'll be countin my minutes all weekend since I have to be back here for work at 11pm on Sunday night.

I really hope I get to catch up with most of you guys at some point in the weekend. It's been a long time since I was able to have enough time to hang out and catch the whole show. Oh, how I love work...  :x

All I have to say is "sheep"....  


I'm bringing ear plugs next year...