Cale's 55 Chevy

[Derek69SS]

Stellar times, grandad still got it! Appreciate the ride along Derek. Love the non-belair dash paint (lacking the alum. inset). Brings me back to that iconic rear seat camera in the TLB car. My biggest mistake in building a TLB clone was adding the brightwork to a true 150 utility sedan......I know, I know.

I love a 210 done as a 210 Pet peeve of mine is mixing 210 and Bel Air trim, and/or Bel Air 2-tone style on a 210 (which was actually available factory on the very rare 210 hardtops)

Dad parted out a rusty Bel Air back in the 70s so I have a lot of trim, but we'll be selling it all as we don't want to use it in either of our 210s.

 

[cheveslakr]

You and Cale are doing it up right. He must be rubbing his hands together with glee!! Not sure when my appreciation towards originality began, but I'd suspect it started when I realized that this stuff was going away fast, or hidden away. Back around the turn of the century these types of cars just shot through the roof and the days of finding 1000 dollar projects were over. That's the sum I paid for my 150 in '98.

 

[spinshop]

You and Cale are doing it up right. He must be rubbing his hands together with glee!! Not sure when my appreciation towards originality began, but I'd suspect it started when I realized that this stuff was going away fast, or hidden away. Back around the turn of the century these types of cars just shot through the roof and the days of finding 1000 dollar projects were over. That's the sum I paid for my 150 in '98.

I know. I had a 54 Bel Air my father gave me in, I think 84 or 85, I worked on in my driveway for about 2 years. No room and land lord said it had to go so, I sold it for $100.
Kick myself in the ass every day.

 

[Derek69SS]

Not sure when my appreciation towards originality began, but I'd suspect it started when I realized that this stuff was going away fast, or hidden away.

Some aspects of it will be far from original, but others we are doing as correct as we can.

We want it to look like someone turned a really nice original car into a hotrod in the 60s. Mostly original looking car, but with a hood scoop, SBC with multiple carbs, headers, floor shift, chrome reverse wheels, stock interior but Sun Tach on the column and some chrome gauges under the dash.

 

[cage2592]

I envy Cale. When I was his age, I grew up working on cars with my father and cherished every moment of it and is why I still have a love for cars. Now its even more special with his grandfather. I never had that chance. That car is going to carry so many memories. I hope he keeps it forever. First dates. A wife, kids... So much to come for him.

 

[Derek69SS]

In order to get Cale's new chassis indoors without taking up any more space, a quick frame swap was in order. With the body in-place, he can figure out where to place the engine and trans mounts, and maybe get an engine out of my way too.

 

[Leadhead]

I don't know of those Z/28 wheels are just rollers or if he's keeping them on there, but they would actually look pretty cool on it!! Love that color too.

 

[Derek69SS]

They're rollers for now, got them in the hoard of parts I bought.

 

[Derek69SS]

I've had a lot of people asking about progress on Cale's 55.

During race season, I knew we wouldn't get much done on it, so we stored it for the summer and finally moved it back into the shop around the beginning of December.

Cale got a bit too aggressive sandblasting some deep pits behind where the emblem goes on the hood, and blew holes in some thin spots, so we cut out the area and made a patch. He also cut a hole for a hood scoop, and used some of that metal to shave the hood-bird... he went a little too fast welding, and warped the hood quite a bit. We're going to need to do quite a bit of hammer and dolly work on it, but it will turn out fine. I made a lot of these same mistakes when I was his age.

The last of the rust issues on the body that we're going to address is the panel between the trunk and bumper. He made the patches, and then I hammered on them for a while to make them fit better... he'll get them tacked in tomorrow night then we'll test fit the trunk lid before finish welding them.

Christmas break is coming up soon, so hopefully he'll make some real progress in the next couple weeks.

 

[SSuperDave]

Kid looks exactly like you, Derek!

 

[Derek69SS]

Kid looks exactly like you, Derek!

Well... I am not that skinny or youthful anymore.

 

[77cruiser]

Well... I am not that skinny or youthful anymore.

When I saw you at Car Craft you were close to that. I think that was 20 yrs. ago.

 

[Derek69SS]

Cale has started a new after-school job at the local hotrod shop, L&L Street Rods.
https://www.landlstreetrods.com/

In a few months, he'll probably be teaching me more than I am teaching him.

 

[SSuperDave]

That's awesome!