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| Almost 40 years after I first purchased the `57, I finally took the body off the frame. I didnt start out to do a frame-off restoration many years ago... |
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Article and Photos by Ray Martino
Almost 40 years after I first purchased the `57, I finally took the body off the frame. I didn’t start out to do a frame-off restoration many years ago; all I wanted at that time was to build a “Race” car. I had been running my pure stock `68 GTO and was tired of changing it from street to strip each weekend. I raced my57 in the F/Gas and G/Modified production classes. With the 265 CI engine (272 punched out), the only thing that left the line before me was a VW… little did I know that gassers of that time period would be so popular now.
I’m building the `57 as close to “how it was” in late `69. Recently I had Jamie Frankland set up the 5:86 gears with a spool for the Olds rear. When I got it back, I got under the car and looked at everything for a minute and I said, “I didn’t work on this 38 years ago when it was dirty and I’m not going to do it now”. You see, back in the late 60’s, I rented a one-car garage and propped the car up on stands. I scrapped all the undercoating and grease off the underside and painted the frame and floor pans black. A song popular at that time was “Drove My Chevy To The Levy…” and I got a kick out of singing it as I scrapped and scraped. After many, many cans of black aerosol paint and one very sore finger, it was all nice and clean. To this day, I still get a kick every time I hear that tune on the radio and I still smell the kerosene heaters.
Now after 40 years, the `57 had a layer of road grime and some surface rust so I decided to clean it up a bit. One fact that I have come to realize is I now need taller jack stands! You figure it out. Anyway, taller jack stands, or take the body off and have full access to the frame and body? As you can tell I went for door number two. I ordered a Auto Twirler rotisserie and after I raised the body off the frame I attached it to the Auto Twirler. Next time I’ll look at the directions and read the part where they say “it’s important to center and balance the body”. It seems that if you ignore this very good advice, you’ll find that the body can be VERY top heavy.
The body is off and as you can see the frame doesn’t look all that bad. The paint I applied back then was flaking off but it did protect the metal for all those years. Take notice of the Olds rear sitting in place – neat! The Olds rear was the poor mans choice of rears ends because of the thicker axles and stronger center section. I did purchase Strange Engineering race axles and they were still installed. Someone changed out my spool and gear set and replaced it with a 3:08 posi unit. The axles and posi unit looked brand new! This car sat in a barn since I sold it 1972, friends found it in 1995 and I bought it and dragged it back to Florida. It sat in my garage until now. Sorry guys, the posi unit went on e-bay and sold for around $650.
I dissembled the frame; pressure washed it, and applied phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid, also known as “osflow”, turns ferrous oxide, (rust), into phosphorous, (smaller black particles). Then you can remove them by lightly brushing with a wire brush: just pour some in a plastic spray bottle and spray it all over. Then let it set over night and the next day all the rust will be black and neutralized. Wear the appropriate eye & skin & nasal protection.
Then I used Extreme Chassis Black Primer from Eastwood as it promotes better adhesion and durability on clean, bare, metal surfaces. This epoxy-fortified primer is the perfect foundation for their Extreme Chassis Black. It’s an epoxy formulation that offers improved solvent, brake fluid, chip, scratch and corrosion resistance. You need to wait 15-20 minutes between coats of Extreme Chassis Black and it can be recoated at any time without lifting. Extreme Chassis Black can be scuffed but not sanded.
Since Eastwood has a great deal on spray guns, I ordered a Devilbiss FinishLine Auto Painting System with Large and Small HVLP Guns. It’s called the Devilbiss Paint Gun Starter Kit. Devilbiss offers a smarter alternative to no-name guns. The set I received included a large HVLP gravity spray gun with 1.3mm fluid tip for top coats, extra 1.8mm fluid tip for primers and heavier materials, and a 600 cc (20 oz) gravity cup (requires 13 cfm at 30 psi) mini- HVLP detail spray gun with a 1.0mm fluid tip. 130 cc (4 oz) gravity cup (requires 8 cfm at 30 psi) tool kit and accessories. It even came in a molded case with a handle. This combo is a fine addition to anyone’s garage or shop.
The rotisserie works GREAT! Rotate the car - get in a comfortable position and cut, weld and grind away! You can see the underside in primer after all repairs were made but for whatever reason I forgot to take some finished photos after I applied the blue. You can see some of the underside as the car sits on blocks waiting to be placed back on the frame.
Classic Performance Products have again jumped on board to sponsor this build as well as Eastwood and a new sponsor for CSM “Prestolite Performance” the parent company of Mr. Gasket, Lakewood Industries, Accell Performance to name a few.
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Floor Pan Repair
To keep the build articles in the correct order we’ll backtrack a little and show you how we were able to get the floor panel repairs accomplished with ease. Back in the late 60’s when I first built this gasser, no concern was given to the size “Hole” cut in the floorboard for the trans shifter. I went with the “one Size Fits Japan” approach and just hacked it out to about 10”x20”. I must have been thinking that at some point in time I may want to remove the transmission from the interior of the car… Silly me. Photos 1-2
I was going to purchase the replacement trans hump repair panel (obviously I wasn’t the only one to hack out the floorboard like a glass bottom boat) till I saw the price. Luckily, I only cut out the flat area and didn’t need the floor contours that the new panel had. This allowed me to go out and get a piece of sheet metal the size I needed and just shape it to the curved floorboard.
Eastwood has these handy clamps that hold and position the sheet metal panels for welding. I found that once I cut the panel close to the size I needed I could fasten one side and curve the metal over and draw my cut lines as needed. This worked VERY well since I had to bend the panel as I went. The clamps tabs are the perfect width and space the panels at the correct distance apart to ensure a great weld. It took me awhile to attain that “Great Weld” part only because I tried to weld ½ inch or more at a time instead of tacking small spots all over. I finally got the hang of it and stitched the panel in. I must say that the Lincoln Mig Welder was very easy to operate and I got the hang of it quickly. If I had practiced a little more and not jumped into it I would have saved myself some grinding and re-welding. I will get Eastwoods magnetic Copper Butt-Weld Backer plates to use as a hands-free backing support in the future. They go on the back-side and help you make better and easier welds - especially when your welding holes. Photos 3-8
Eastwood Clamp Info
Innovative panel-alignment clamps make it easier for you to position flat or curved panels for precise butt welds. Intergrip panel-alignment clamps work like miniature butt-weld clamps that align panels edge to edge and surface to surface, leaving an ideal 0.040” gap for full weld penetration. Clamp the sections together, tack weld, and remove the Intergrip welding clamps for final welding. The result is a clean butt weld that requires little grinding, and is less likely to trap moisture.
* Miniature butt-weld clamps align panels edge to edge and surface to surface with the appropriate 0.040” gap
* Helps you produce clean welds with minimal grinding
* Intergrip welding clamps are a must for long-lasting panel repairs
* Easy 3-step process
Hanging the front suspension
Classic Performance Products supplied the front-end rebuild kit we’re installing today which included the upper and lower Control Arm bushings and Ball joints. I want to restore the Godfather as close to original as possible. I had installed ball joint spacers in the late 60’s, they were cast aluminum but after 30 some years are now pitted and dirty. I searched on the internet to see if I could score some NOS spacers like I had - NOT the C clamp type - They were prone to breaking and I believe NHRA outlawed them. Photos 11-14
Ball Joint Spacer Info
I scored by locating Roger Valente from West Orange, NJ on e-bay. He manufactures and sells these spacers that have not been produced in over 40 years! These are brand new and fit all `55 to 70 Chevys. They are designed to allow the front end of the vehicle to rise further under acceleration and deliver a better weight ratio to the rear tires. It allows the front end to rise as much as 6” under hard acceleration for maximum weight transfer. They can be used for street or strip. These are made from 6061-t6 aircraft quality billet aluminum. These are cad designed, CNC. The kit comes with all grade 8 bolts and hardware and instructions. They do not change the stand still height of the car or the normal driving height of the car. They are $89.95 plus shipping. You can reach Roger at 973-752-9261 or E-mail hotchevy60@aol.com. Tell him Cruisin’ Style sent ya. Roger says they take 20-30 minutes a side… Photo 15
Installing the Ball Joints and spacers
I can believe that if you are just assembling the parts as I am. Will take a little longer if you have to start from scratch.
We pressed in the upper and lower control arm bushings and then bolted the ball joints and upper ball joint spacers on. Let me tell you - this is much easier working on a bear frame then with the fenders and engine in place. Photo 16
Here’s a nifty trick to install the upper control arm bump stop - you can press this on as hard as you can all day and it will not pop onto the hole. It only took me a half-day to find that out… To remedy the problem I put a very small notch on the plug just like on a self tapping sheet metal screw and then just twisted it in - worked like a charm.
With the ball joints and spacer installed I went on to the installation of the dreaded coil springs. Coil springs can kill you if you do not use extreme caution in their installation. First I attached the lower ball joint to the spindle turning down the castellated nut to cover all threads but to leave extra room so I could attach the upper ball joint and then just tighten the nuts to draw them together. I used my coil spring compressor and then placed the spring in place and lifted up the lower control arm with a floor jack. I was at a disadvantage because there is almost no weight on the bare frame to give you a little advantage or stability. I did not like how much compression I had to use with my 40 year old tool so I ran a chain from the frame to the lower control arm to keep the spring in place “Just in case”. I WILL get a new coil spring compressor before I attempt to replace coils again. That done I installed the 90-10 front shocks supplied by Mr. Gasket.
Next month... Front disk brakes supplied by Classic Performance Products, side motor mounts, rear suspension including Lakewood Traction Bars and J -bolts... CSM
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P-Ayr Products
“Who would want a plastic replica engine when you can get the real thing?” The many advantages of lightweight replicas are known to street rod and race car fabricators, performance retailers, and even major auto manufacturers. In the 12-year history of P-Ayr products, their collection has grow from a single Chevy short block replica to now over 150 part numbers.
It’s important to stress that while many of their products are used for decorative or display purposes, each one is a faithful reproduction of the original, often with the cooperation of the original manufacturer. They use steel inserts for all bolt holes, and all specifications are held to OEM tolerances. You can bolt any factory component or accessory to a P-Ayr engine and it will fit! That’s why many P-Ayr engines and transmissions are used to design and build chassis.
I can’t stress enough how easy engine mockups are when you use a P-Ayr replica engine block.
Motor Mount Installation.
Time to set up the motor in the stock position and install the side mounts from Street & Performance. In order to do that we have to mount the backing plate and scatter shield from Lakewood. Photos 1-3
As you see we used the stock engine mounts to locate the motor in the correct position - side mounts on the Lakewood bell housing really helped. We will eliminate these when we install the rear transmission mount crossover bar. For some reason it’s not recommended to run bell housing mounts and rear trans mounts together. Anyone want to tell me why? Photos 4-6
Ok, engine is in place - lets take off the stock front mounts and clamp on the side mount kits from Street & Performance. I did use the cam hole in the replica block as well as the timing cover bolt holes as references to make sure the engine was centered over the cross member. Photos 7-8
I clamped the mounts in place and removed the motor - no chains or hoists needed here! With the holes drilled I needed expert help to install the nuts and bolts thru the mounts. I enlisted my wife Mary Anne… Her hands are smaller and could actually get thru the bottom access holes in the cross member to reach the bolts sticking thru - she started the nuts and ran them up the bolts. She also retrieved the bottom rubber spacer and washer from the original mounts that I dropped in the cross member and couldn’t reach. I want to get her involved with the project and I’m certain I’ll have her paint stripping and sanding the fenders in no time…
Notice the Busted Knuckle stool in the picture? They’re great to have around the shop for bench work or that pause between jobs. Yes, I have stopped trying to pick up the wrench painted on the seat before I sit down. Photo 1
Front Disk Brakes
Let’s move on to the front disk brakes. No, I did not have them on the “Godfather” in the late 60’s and yes I’m trying to restore it to the way it was but for safety sake I’ll make a few exceptions. 50 some year old drum brakes are not a good idea when I want to pound the gears in the quarter mile.
Classic Performance Products came to the rescue with this neat conversion package. Everything just bolts onto your stock spindles. They also have 2” dropped spindles but that’s not the look I want for this Gasser. Photo 9
Now, time for the caliper brackets. The caliper brackets are offset so you must install them on the correct side - the bags are labeled L & R. Which is great till you take them out of the bags and throw the bags away. I could not find any L-R markings on the brackets - So I had to assemble the pads on the (wet) calipers to line them up and install the correct bracket on the correct side.
I am trying to plan ahead and paint the parts the night before but I might add that I’m getting good at installing “Wet” parts without messing them up. But it’s not recommended... The kit comes with the correct bolts and everything went together nicely. Photos 10
I chose not to paint the anodized brackets and just left them as they were. I think it looks OK…
I then de-greased the rotors so I could paint the exposed metal. I did give then a night to dry... I hand packed the inner and outer bearings. Once that was done I placed the inner race bearing and installed the seal. The other part of the bearings is already pressed into the rotors. For the life of me I can’t remember what they are called. OK I looked it up - Tapered roller bearings use conical rollers that run on conical races - so the races are pre-installed… Google is great and I’m getting old… Photos 11-12
After sliding the outer bearing on I discovered that the cotter pin would not go thru the hole with the washer installed. Back to Google - I found that it was OK to leave the washer out and just install the nut but wanted further confirmation on this. Ron, the race guru who lives across the street said it would be ok, and CPP said that they would supply a shorter castellated nut for this purpose. After explaining that I already had the shorter nut installed they said that they knew of a few isolated cases where the cotter pin hole was just in a little too far in… They requested I send them the photos and they would have their R&D department look into it. I’ll keep you posted. Photos 13
I installed the calipers and made sure that the rotors spun without any binding. Installing the brake hoses was a breeze and the disk brake installation is finished. Photos 14-15
So got the calipers and rotors installed - now for the real test - would the American Racing Torq-Thrust D 15x4.5 wheels fit? YES!!! As you can see there is plenty - well not plenty - but certainly enough room with some to spare. And don’t they look GREAT! WOW! I can’t wait till the rear is finished and the frame is sitting on all 4’s…Photos 16-17
Special Thanks to our sponsors
Classic Performance Products
714-522-2000
The Eastwood Company
800-343-9353
Mr. Gasket Co.
216-688-8300
Lakewood Industries
216-688-8300
Mallory Ignition
216-688-8300
P-Ayr Products
800-322-3285
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I’m coming along fine with “The Godfather”… I did notice I left out some pics on the front motor mounts. I think I was letting the paint dry and put the motor back in for the trans crossover. As you can see the motor mounts almost look factory installed… (1-4)
Transmission Crossover Mount
Now I installed the engine again - did I mention how EASY that is with a P-ayr replica engine! The Lakewood Scatter shield has the `55-57 side frame mounts, this allowed me to again position the engine where it needed to be without any guesswork. I then installed the Borg Warner Super T-10 4-speed. It’s a steel case all nickel gear “Race” piece with a 2.64 first gear. (5-6)
I remember in the 60’s we all wanted the “Close” ratio trans and thought that was the best setup for our street and race cars. I have since learned that the wide ratio gears allow you to run say, 3:90 or 4:10 rear gears instead of say 4:30-4:50’s - the 2.64 first gear of the trans allows you the same bottom end but at everyday highway speeds it’s much better…
I bolted the trans mount to the trans, then the crossover to the trans mount. I placed the side mounting brackets against the frame to mark the weld area I needed to clean to bare metal. After cleaning off the paint to ensure a good weld I clamped the brackets in place and tack welded the corners. I’ll do full welds the next time I take the motor out - that will allow me full access and eliminate some awkward welding positions. (7-10)
Z-Bar
I wanted to make sure that the clutch Z-bar lined up - it was a little off but the flat bar with the pivot stud that bolts to the bellhousing had two bends in it and by straightening out the bends a little it lengthened it just enough to work. (11)
Steering Box
I installed a 605 steering box toying with the idea of power steering but the fenderwell header came across the top and were TOO close to the fluid lines so I used the original box. It was a stretch to put the 605 on a “Nostalgic” gasser and I’m kind of glad it didn’t work out. As you can see there’s plenty of room now for the fenderwell headers. (12-13)
I rebuilt the idler arm with a special bearing kit I purchased from J&E Chevy instead of using bushings and from what I’m told this will make the steering effort a lot easier.
Here’s a side view of the header over the front wheel. (14)
Rear suspension.
Here’s a picture of the lakewood Traction bars installed on the car in the late 60’s and still on the car when I got it back in 1995. (15)
I installed new shackles and bushings from Classic Performance Products on the rear springs and hung them in place.
Oops I almost forgot - I said I would keep you posted about the front spindle nut-washer and cotter pin - Classic Performance called me back and said that they did NOT recommend running the front spindle without the flat washer - they sent me out a set of thinner washers and different castellated nuts. I installed them and the cotter pin went in as it was supposed to - Thanks CPP!
Now back to the rear... I placed the rear Olds housing onto the leaf springs and installed the set of Traction Bars that Lakewood sent me. They came powder coated in black and looked fine but my original ones were YELLOW. So as you can see I painted them to match. I’ll get the Lakewood logos and put them on each side. The J-Bolts were installed and when I get the frame on the floor with some weight on the suspension I’ll adjust the bars so that they are parallel to the ground.
Classic Performance Products
714-522-2000
The Eastwood Company
800-343-9353
Mr. Gasket Co.
216-688-8300
Lakewood Industries
216-688-8300
Mallory Ignition
216-688-8300
P-Ayr Products
800-322-3285
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