Summer 2007

With my winter project for the most part completed I boldly set forth for a summer of play with my 57.

March 10, 2007
DACC Spring Classic Chevy Show for '55, '56, '57 Chevys, Reliable Chevrolet

You to can be on the front page of the club web page if you park next to the club president's newly painted and restored vette.

I finished my winter project just in time for this club event. I had missed the first three events, a cruse and two car shows because my car was not finished. Nonetheless, even though there were a few things left to do in conjunction with a couple of annoying problems I was still able to make the show.

After fighting through a chance of rain there were about 60 tri fives in attendance.

March 14, 2007
TMCC Kennedale, Texas Raceway

Oh yea! The first race of the year! The TMCC started 2007 with its first race at Kennedale, Texas.

We had four cars make the race today, two fifty-six�s and two fifty sevens. Ken, 4 door 57 Larry, with his son in a 4 door 56 raced with me. Tom; Ken�s son with his wife and son in law plus friend; Larry�s son�s wife and children were there to support us racers.

I ran good first time trial and a so so second round missing third gear but only loosing two tenths.

I only made it past the first round of the elimination. In the second elimination I red lighted, -0.083. The first elimination was greatness. A 0.024 reaction time making a 9.70 run

I had a good run going in the first elimination of the consolation bracket when I shifted into third gear and the motor bogged and I lifted. After I let off and she started right back up again and ran fine after. Tom thinks my fuel pump is not keeping up and I ran the float bowl dry. What ever it was, it cost me the race and I had it won.

I had a good time and some great fellowship.

March 20, 2007

Fuel Pump and Leftovers

I wanted to put a new fuel pump in the old girl because of the bog down I had in third at Kennedale. I bought a new Holley High-performance fuel pump. It pumps 110 gallons per hour, at 6.5 to 8 psi. The part number was 510-12-327-11, with 3/8 inch fuel inlet-outlet fittings and the fittings are ratable.

I had to wait a week for the part because UPS delivered it next door. While I was waiting, I fixed the throttle peddle. It was slipping around the arm and getting stuck under. To fix it I crimped the pivot loop by pounding on it with a piece of steel. I made a block of wood to raise the peddle and drilled new holes for the screws to better position the peddle. It works great and I got the big foot back on it.

I tackled the parking brake not working. I found some tape blocking a pulley and removed it but found that was not the problem. I decided to just yank on the parking brake and it moved. It was filled with sand from my sand blasting. I air hosed it out and it worked as good as new.

The Hurst shifter was not adjusted to my liking so I shortened the arms. Maybe that will stop it from missing gears if I don�t jam it in gear.

I decided to grease the wheel bearings since I was going to take the wheel off to get at the fuel pump. I greased the passenger�s side when I noticed the tailing brake pad had cracks. I called NAPA but they didn�t carry the shoes anymore. I ordered them from Danchuck and did a UPS over night to get them quick. I ordered them 4 pm on Monday; hopefully I�ll get them Wednesday.

I started on the pump. The old one came off with little problems. Although, I didn�t like the gas dripping on me but I survived.

The new pump needed fittings. I went to Auto Zone and bough the fittings along with some hose, clamps, brake tools, carb cleaner, and fix a flat and a under hood fuel pressure gage. I already had an in line filter

I had to rotate the inlet-outlets to make pump fit in place. The new pump had a thicker bracket and I had to look in the agony can to find two new bolts. Luckily, I found two. One shot Alan was in effect and I had to take the pump on and off several times to make it fit the way I wanted therefore getting gasket cement all over. I had to plumb the fuel lines to make every thing fit but I think it is a better looking that it was before.

March 21, 2007

The brake shoes came to day as expected. I put the right side shoes on without trouble. After finishing that side, on I put on more heat rap on the header in an effort to heat shield the starter and more importantly the fuel lines to stop vapor lock.

I started on the other side and it came apart and went together without incident. This side was cracked worse than the other side. Again I used up the remainder of the heat rap on the left side header.

I greased the bearings and that is when I messed up. I put the outer side race on backwards. When I took a test drive, it made a terrible squeal. I took it apart and put it back together but now it feels like someone is tapping on the brake as the wheel rotates while driving.

I jacked her up, quit for the day, and went home with my tail between my legs.

March 22, 2007

Jessie James is Alive and Well

For being a dumb ass, I got to spend $195 for two wheel bearings and a grease guard. I found out what was causing the pausing feeling. I could see the wheel wobbling. I took of the drum and found the back wheel bearings busted in half and I still had the front bearings in backwards.

I called Stoked Out Specialties, Dallas�s Danchuck dealer, but either the number didn�t work or I kept getting a fax tone. So, I called NAPA. They had to order the bearing and to get them tomorrow I paid another $30 for over night.

It's only money!

June 6, 2007

I have had not much going on with the old girl since my last entry. On March 25, 2007 after feverishly getting the bearings, fuel pump, and floor one percent items finished, I set out to Ennis for another round of the TMCC drags. Half way there I ran over some bumps and my motor started to miss. I pulled off the road to a side street and she stalled and wouldn�t crank over. I waited a few minutes and was able to get her running. Needless to say I headed back home to lick my wounds, extremely mad that I missed my dead line for a raceable car to attend the Ennis race. I found out later I had only a loose battery cable.

Since that time I went through a month of being mad at the old girl. I renamed her the �Hell Bitch� and thought very seriously about selling her. I don�t think I will but I am about a short drive away from making her someone else�s hobby.

After my month of pouting I�m starting to like the Hell Bitch alittle again. I was told she has been selected for a '57 car story to appear in the September 2007 edition of �Chevy Classics� magazine. The magazines reporter Ron Wolf will use my DACC featured car web article,Link text, for his article

I have not had much of a chance to drive the Hell Bitch because it has been raining almost every day for 2 months!

June 9, 2007

Photo was stolen from the club's web site

Today we had our monthly DACC meeting at Wilson Auto Repair which in Garland, Texas. It has been several months since I attended a meeting so it was good to get to see all the guys again. On the way home, again rain. I had to drive 30 miles in a good down pour.

The Summer Of The Boat/Not

Since June 20, 2008, I have been concentrating on getting my boat back in running order. The water impeller went out of action a couple years ago, and I have not had the time or incentive to fix it. When I last worked on the out drive I could not get it back together, lost interest and put the whole thing on the back burner. I had more than enough to do to keep restoring and repairing my 57.

After 2 years, the rain came back and filled up Lewisville Lake again. So much so the lake is now flooding. With that fact and renewed interest in boating I went back to work on the boat.

I already had the gearbox off so; I started taking the out drive apart. I had to replace the trim wires and shifter cable. Putting the parts back together went well. Moreover, unlike my grandfather�s watch I took apart when I was a child the out drive worked after my repair.

On July 12, 2007, I finished and was able to start the engine up on a garden hose.

The next step is to clean her up and wait until the lake goes down and is reopened.

Update Aug 7, 2007: The Lake was flooded the whole summer and I never went out. So I went back to the 57 as you
will read below.

July 15, 2007

I attended a club function DACC Summer Cruise - to 'Yesterday's Diner' in Bridgeport. Great Place, good food. I took my Chry 300. Too hot and my Radiator was shot.

July 20, 2007
Keep it Cool Man!

The radiator in my 57 has gone bad again. There is a pinhole leak in the top of the radiator that I have patched several times with JB Weld. But, the patch job keeps failing and leaking every several months. I want a larger radiator for when I get around to putting in an A/C unit in the old girl therefore instead of having the old radiator fixed I bought a new aluminum radiator.

I bought the radiator on eBay and �Superior Radiator� made it. It is 16 inches tall, 35 inches wide and 3 � inches thick. It has an automatic Trans cooler built in the unit. I don�t need it since I have a four speed but you never know I may switch to an automatic some day.
I will have to do some drilling to make the boltholes on the brackets, and drill two two-inch holes for the necks. All these holes will have to be drilled through the side covers. The radiator has two rows of 1-inch tubes in its instructions. The whole radiator has been TIG welded and has no epoxy.

Today, I worked 5 hours on the new radiator install. I started with draining the radiator then removing it. I had built brackets when I moved the radiator into the 6-cylinder position so they had to be removed as well.

The remainder of my time I started fabricating a fan shroud. I made a poster board cut out and traced in on sheet metal. I cut it out and bent it into shape. It is very rough still but it is together.

July 21, 2007

A friend in need is a friend indeed. My buddy got a boat new to him. It is a 12-foot V-bottom aluminum johnboat. It was a gimmy so, needs a lot of work. Witch is good for Ken he needs something to do. He wanted to make new seats but did not know how to make the angled cuts in preparing the seats. Being an old wood worker, I went over and was happy to lend my services.

About 4:00 p.m. I headed home. The day was a 7/10 cloudy day and only 88 degrees which is a mild day in July in Texas. I had a snack and then worked 3 hours on the 57.

I started by sawing three holes in the side covers for the hose connections and drain valve.

Next, I drilled the holes for the brackets and the side covers for mounting. I did several mock ups before drilling and once drilled I loosely fitted the radiator to the car. I found that my top hose was to short making me buy a new hose on eBay. I upgraded to a 24-inch stainless hose. I really like those.

I am amazed how easy it was for me to just start drilling big holes in the side covers. When I started working on my car 8 years ago, I do not think I would have been so bold. I guess over time you skills and confidence increases. I also have changed my tastes about keeping the car a stock as possible at least in the engine area.

For the remainder of my time I pounded and bent on the fan shroud I am building. I then sanded it, put a coat of paint on the top part of the shroud, and called it quits.

July 22

Only put another coat of paint on the shroud today.

July 27, 2007

My Big Feet

I swear I hate my big feet. If you set it on the floor, I will step on it. I could rant for a page of two about that but hey, I�m having fun. I won�t even mention about how the Hell Bitch slashed two groves into my skull or when I stepped on a band of chromed metal I wanted to save in tact and getting mad an throwing it having it hit and mar my new radiator. Gerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I�m back at work after a 4-week vacation. We are on a four-day workweek for the summer, which gave me the chance to put in 4 hours of playtime on the 57 this Friday.

Playtime today consisted of finishing the fan shroud. I just had to do some more custom bending and attach the chrome ring. I had to weld the tabs ring because they developed cracks from custom bending from project to project.

Once the shroud was completed, I put it on, when I noticed I had drilled the mounting holes a half inch off on one side. Measure once cut twice, Gerrrrrrr! I had to take the whole thing off and elongate the holes to make the shroud line up correctly. I also cut an inch off the chrome ring. You are supposed to have the shroud only cover half of the fan for better airflow.
After all that the fan went on and looks good if I don�t say so myself. It should be functional as well.

I moved the horn circuit breaker from the front of the side covers to behind. This will be the first of the little things I will have to do to make the new radiator fit.

July 27, 2007

I didn't work on my car today instead I went a North Texas Chevelle Club meeting. The meeting was held at Real Performance Motorsports = RPM in Lewisville, Texas. Twenty or so cars were there for a dyno pull contest. My buddy Frank's car pulled 600 on the motor and on the bottle.(or close to that I can't remember the actual amount) You have to love those big block Chevys.

August 2, 2007

After finding, I had punched a hole in my new radiator I had to take it to Tiner Radiator Shop on S. Cowan in Lewisville to have the hole fixed. Once I got to work, I worked 3 hours putting the new aluminum radiator in the Old Girl.

I replaced a couple of the top side plate screws with flush bolts so they would not rub holes in the radiator. I also bent back the side lip on the holding bracket, then sanded and painted it. I remade the spacer on the holding brackets and bolted the radiator in place. The old bottom hose fit so I kept it. The old top hose was a little short so I replaced it with a 24-inch stainless hose.

With everything in place, I sawed a 1 �-inch hole in the side plate for the parking & truning light wires.

I will need to find a new place for the horns. I�m thinking of replacing the original horns with something a little more fun.