Goodbye Sweet 55

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's' prob fixed...

Fixed your 's' problem Travis.

Now if that's all that's holding your pig project up, you are good to go.
 
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MountainRam said:
Fixed your 's' problem Travis.

Now if that's all that's holding your pig project up, you are good to go.
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Hey thanks Darryl!

I know it was a silly little think, but it was driving me nuts. :D
 
Well..... spent about 5 hours in the garage today!

Taught the girls how to use a Po-go stick, sorted nuts and bolts, built to end tables to the living room, general clean up, then got out my painting supplies since the wife wants the kids bathroom painted.

0 minutes devoted to the pig. :frown:

maybe tomorrow....
 
Not much, but I pulled out the grinder and sander and cleaned up the firewall a bit. Will probably fill a bunch of the holes I don't foresee needing with the 350 swap.

Baby steps... :grinpimp:

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2.webp
 
Bought a bead roller and a shrinker/stretcher set a while back and got to play with them for the first time today. The bead roller warps the metal considerably (maybe I’m doing something wrong?), but the shrinker/stretcher helps get the patch panels relativity straight again. The top patch was my first attempt and you can see that the beads are wavy and not parallel. The second, lower panel is better, but not great. I might weld them in as a reminder of where I started on this project, but it might drive me crazy to pop the hood and see those wavy lines…???

Anyway, it sure is fun learning to metal work.

hmm... think I may go back out and redo at least that top patch. Again, 55 to be competed in 5-6 years. ;)

:cheers:

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OK... after reading a bit, I found out what I was doing wrong with the bead roller. Here's some tips for those of you wanting to roll:

1. Prestretch the metal, rolling shrinks it.
2. Roll the bead, then tighten and re roll instead of cranking all the way down from the beginning.

Both seem obvious now...

Attempt #2 at the top patch panel seems much better, no? (I said better, not good :D).

I'm stoked!!! Back to the garage!!! Too much coffee today!!! :wrench::wrench::wrench:

DSC_0938 attempt 1.webp


new attempt 2.webp
 
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The close-ups show why the beads are OK, not good.

Attempt two panel still needs to be trimmed to fit the hole. (Henry's sleeping, so I can't use the sander at the moment. :))

:cheers:

DSC_0938 attempt 1 CROPPED.webp


new attempt 2 CROPPED.webp
 
Travis. That is pretty cool! Just a thought. If you are planning to run the harness and computer for the Chevy 350 TBI inside the can you may want to wait on patching the top hole until you figure out how you will do that. That nice size hole will make it easy to run the wire harness through. You'll end up having to drill another whole somewhere else. There is probably plenty of room on that side under the dash for the computer.
 
88chevota said:
Travis. That is pretty cool! Just a thought. If you are planning to run the harness and computer for the Chevy 350 TBI inside the can you may want to wait on patching the top hole until you figure out how you will do that. That nice size hole will make it easy to run the wire harness through. You'll end up having to drill another whole somewhere else. There is probably plenty of room on that side under the dash for the computer.
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Hmmm... hadn't thought of that. I think I will go ahead and leave that top hole open for now. Thanks for the info!
 
Sand blaster Resource

This is the Sandblasting resource Justine mentioned.

C&D Sand Blasting
Phone 719-683- 4819

Address: 2495 North Elicote Hwy
Calhan CO 80808

Last time I took stuff to him he used Nickel smelting slag as the abrasive.

I've got a 40 tub that needs blasting and have access to a trailer so perhaps we can get together and combine our stuff for a single trip.
 
Pops said:
This is the Sandblasting resource Justine mentioned.
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"Justine"... hmm, does he have a nickname for you too? :D

Pops said:
I've got a 40 tub that needs blasting and have access to a trailer so perhaps we can get together and combine our stuff for a single trip.
Click to expand...

Wow, this would be perfect. Let me know when you want to do this and I'm in!
 
Pretty cool stuff Travis, you're going to have skills after this project...:wrench::wrench:
 
CO_Hunter said:
Pretty cool stuff Travis, you're going to have skills after this project...:wrench::wrench:
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I sure hope so. I'm learning quickly to not forget my gloves. I've got about a 1000 little cuts from working with the sheetmetal. :crybaby:
 
Anyone with some restoration/repair experience is going to be on the north side of the springs this weekend? If you've got some time to burn, I'd like an honest opinion on the 55. Doug and I have been discussing sandblasting our projects, and I honestly don't know if I want to spend the $$ only to get some pillars and a firewall back. I'm a bit too sentimental about the old girl and don't know if she is actually repairable, or if I'm just foolin' myself (wouldn't be the first time ;)).


Starting to think I could sell my 55 parts (take back my garage & shed) and get a rig I could actually wheel sometime this century. ???

Thanks in advance...

:frown:
 
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You wouldn't want my opinion. In the automotive world, there are drivetrain guys, and there are body guys. Usually the drivetrain guy has a ridiculous engine, trans, and axles stuffed into a vehicle full of rusted holes-- then there's the body guy that has an immaculate interior, a waxed paint job, chrome everywhere, and an engine that is just adequate.

I'm the drivetrain guy-- I would rather take my rig out and dig through grease fixing busted stuff for hours every weekend, than spend one single hour fixing rust. Rust never stops, it doesn't even take breaks, and it's always going to come back. I know you love that cruiser dude, tough choices. Life is short, lets go do something fun :)
 
Yeah..........

No one worry about stooping by. I'm sure I'd just try to talk you into the conclusion I've already come to. Too much time (time away from the kiddos/wheelin'/etc.), too much skill (that I sorely lack), too much $$$$$$$$ (which, well......;)).

Reality:
Even if I do chop/hack/weld/fab a Frankenstein 55 together that looks halfway decent, there's still an engine, trans, transfer case, axles, brake system, fuel system, all windows, steering system, lockers, wheels, tires,....................... basically, building a hacked 55 from scratch. :bang:

Or, I could just go buy that 4Runner, hammer out some dents, and wheel it. Upgrading or repairing as needed. NOT building a whole SUV from scratch.

Anyone want a 55 project? Needs a little work. :grinpimp:
 
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