The question everyone wants the answer to...

Fat Cat · September 23, 2007, 09:26:02 PM

OK there was some speculation as to the details of my latest project. Last week at Kalamazoo I found a deal on a 48 Chevy 4 Door Sedan in the swap meet area. I bought the car on only a few picture of it on a flyer.

Yesterday Enjenjo and I went to pick it up. In some respects it was a better deal than I thought because there were a few extra parts included with the car. However all the glitters is not gold and there are a few issues that need attention.

The body has had some repairs in the recent past that have been done pretty good for the most part but in looking at the frame there is an area that has been repaired badly and that will need to be fixed before I can continue on. So instead of building the chassis with the body on I am forced to remove it to repair the frame.

My plan is to have the car on the road by the first part of April. I am going to use a 305 Chevy motor I have been hanging on to for years. I bought a Tuned Port Intake so I will be running that. This will be hooked to a 700R4 trans. I am going to install a Mustang II frontend and a later rear with a 3.40-3.70 gear. We plan for this to be a cruiser. Miss Kitty and I have not decided on exactly what color it will be but it is supposed to be a finished car by the first part of April. So I will be a busy beaver over the winter.

HotRodLadyCrusr · September 23, 2007, 09:33:50 PM

I'm anxious to watch the progress of this over the winter. Perhaps there can be a couple of thrash days during the winter and we can come help.

Fat Cat · September 23, 2007, 09:59:34 PM

If I have too many more days like today sometimes the progress can not be called progress. I tore into the engine I have for the car and found a bunch of sludge in the intake valley so i decided to tear into it further and install new rings and bearings. Once I had it down to just the block and crank I found that the crank is going to need to be turned .010 under on at least the main journals and the block is going to need new cam bearings as they have been wiped out. The funny part is I drove the car that this motor came out of home. It had a dead miss in it and I suspected that the cam was flat on a couple of lobes. It has a flat cam but I did not expect the extra work that it is going to need.

So I can't really call today progress.

river1 · September 23, 2007, 10:03:01 PM

Quote from: "Fat Cat"

So I can't really call today progress.

i'd call that life. sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not.

OH WELL

later jim

WZ JUNK · September 24, 2007, 06:33:11 AM

Looks like a great road car. Flat black is a nice color.

John

Bruce Dorsi · September 24, 2007, 07:47:04 AM

Check your PM's, Frank!

BFS57 · September 24, 2007, 08:34:43 AM

Hello;
I am not as experienced as most of you. I have been doing the car thing (seriously) for about 3 years. One thing I have found to be true about "deals" is that most of the time a deal is "not what it is supposed to be". Lately, I have Cut to the chase and saved myself countless hours of frustration by purchasing only new parts!
It's just like the model airplane hobby I was in for years and when you see a Model Motor in the swap you have to ask yourself, "If that motor was so * good why is it for sale?" Same thing holds true for cars, if the object was so good, why doesn't the present owner want to keep it?
Buyer beware!

Bruce

enjenjo · September 24, 2007, 09:13:40 AM

Quote from: "BFS57"Hello;
I am not as experienced as most of you. I have been doing the car thing (seriously) for about 3 years. One thing I have found to be true about "deals" is that most of the time a deal is "not what it is supposed to be". Lately, I have Cut to the chase and saved myself countless hours of frustration by purchasing only new parts!
It's just like the model airplane hobby I was in for years and when you see a Model Motor in the swap you have to ask yourself, "If that motor was so * good why is it for sale?" Same thing holds true for cars, if the object was so good, why doesn't the present owner want to keep it?
Buyer beware!

Bruce

In this case, it was the right place at the right time. The car really has no major problems, even the frame repair is an easy fix, the body just has to come off to do it right. For that matter, I have another frame here too. But he couldn't sell it, because he had sold all the little stuff off it, hinges, emblems, brackets ect. But Fatcat knew that we had all the hinges, emblems ect. that the car is missing.

KustomLincolnLady · September 24, 2007, 12:16:30 PM

Very Cool!!!!!!!!!!! Now fat cat and Miss kitty can cruise with the rest of us

oh yeah, and who needs emblems

we were in your neck of the woods yesterday on the bike!! rode to grand rapids and over to perrysburg and back

it was fun

Debb

58Apache · September 24, 2007, 06:31:41 PM

For all of the bad things I have encountered, the good that came out of it is I either learned how to fix it, or learned from the experience, or both.

I look at it as a hobby more than an investment. If the goal is to enjoy, then the bad doesn't matter so much, except where money is concerned. I know you guys have resources to help in most situations so bad stuff is just a bump in the road.

Congrats on the project, don't have any regrets, and move forward and enjoy the hobby of making it like you want it. Looking forward to seeing the great job on it I know you will do!

Steve

Rayvyn · September 24, 2007, 10:03:33 PM

Quote from: "Fat Cat"Miss Kitty and I have not decided on exactly what color it will be but it is supposed to be a finished car by the first part of April. So I will be a busy beaver over the winter.

I thought you had intentions of doing an extended cab model A pickup... :?:

If not, then get off that frame and turn it over to a handsomely deserving young rodder such as myself. (Dad really needs the room in the shop, too.) I might have plans for a shop/grocery/race/parts 'team smart' truck... :!:

Crosley.In.AZ · September 24, 2007, 10:32:05 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"
Quote from: "BFS57"Hello;
I am not as experienced as most of you. I have been doing the car thing (seriously) for about 3 years. One thing I have found to be true about "deals" is that most of the time a deal is "not what it is supposed to be". Lately, I have Cut to the chase and saved myself countless hours of frustration by purchasing only new parts!
It's just like the model airplane hobby I was in for years and when you see a Model Motor in the swap you have to ask yourself, "If that motor was so * good why is it for sale?" Same thing holds true for cars, if the object was so good, why doesn't the present owner want to keep it?
Buyer beware!

Bruce

In this case, it was the right place at the right time. The car really has no major problems, even the frame repair is an easy fix, the body just has to come off to do it right. For that matter, I have another frame here too. But he couldn't sell it, because he had sold all the little stuff off it, hinges, emblems, brackets ect. But Fatcat knew that we had all the hinges, emblems ect. that the car is missing.

fatcat is like a genius , thinking ahead all the time.

Miss Kitty · September 25, 2007, 06:04:38 PM

Quote from: "Crosley"fatcat is like a genius , thinking ahead all the time.

Shhhhh, don't actually tell him he is a genius.

He is very excited about the car, the only real regret he has is that he found it so late in the "car show" season.

EMSjunkie · September 25, 2007, 06:11:21 PM

Quote from: "Miss Kitty"
Quote from: "Crosley"fatcat is like a genius , thinking ahead all the time.

Shhhhh, don't actually tell him he is a genius.

He is very excited about the car, the only real regret he has is that he found it so late in the "car show" season.

But there is always next years season

he has plenty of time for regrets

Vance

Carps · September 29, 2007, 08:11:27 PM

Quote from: "river1"
Quote from: "Fat Cat"

So I can't really call today progress.

i'd call that life. sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not.

I'd just call it welcome back to hot rod building.