Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Homealone's 1955 Chevy 3200 Build

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Homealone's 1955 Chevy 3200 Build

    If you guys remember, a little over a year ago I picked up a 1955 Chevy 3200 pickup.

    Intro page here.....

    Crap, I Did It Again... A 55 Chevy this time - DFW Mustangs
    http://www.dfwmustangs.net/forums/showthread.php?t=50429
    I thought I'd share my latest Toy. A 1955 Chevy 3200 pickup. A few Saturdays ago, I hitched up the trailer and headed down to Cockrell Hill. Backed up the driveway, unspooled the winch, and opened the shed doors. It looked like a scene from "Hoarders," junk piled around, on and in this little guy. Hooked up







    Since then, I've been driving it off and on, lowered it a bit and changed the wheels again.

    But with the straight 6, 3spd and low geared rearend, it wasn't very streetable. Great around the neighborhood, but not so much if I wanted to go over 35-40mph.

    So with the wagon at a stage where I can enjoy it, I pulled the 55 out last night and began the T-5 5spd swap.

    I'll post pics tonight but so far, I have removed the 3spd, swapped the clutch, modified the T-5 and installed it and the hole in the floor board for the shifter has been cut.

    Next step, shorten the driveshaft, modify the trans crossmember and top off the fluids.


    Pics to come.
    Last edited by homealone; 03-25-2015, 07:39 PM.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I guess I should subscribe to this one too, geez.
    Putting warheads on foreheads since 2004

    Pro-Touring Build

    Comment

    • #3
      no dually conversion?
      "If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." - Henry Ford

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Z06killinsbf View Post
        I guess I should subscribe to this one too, geez.
        Put aside some time, I have 12 cars!


        Originally posted by Baron Von Crowder View Post
        no dually conversion?
        Not yet.

        I do have the donor though.

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by homealone View Post
          Put aside some time, I have 12 cars!




          Not yet.

          I do have the donor though.

          people look at me funny when I say it, but that grille/headlight setup is my favorite of that body style.
          "If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." - Henry Ford

          Comment

          • #6
            Please don't butcher the flatbed. That's a cool truck.

            There was a guy with a tow truck '80s Chevy in my old neighborhood and it was CLEAN. His grandfather bought it new and only towed for a few months before he died. It sat ever since. Smelled like a new truck inside. Everything was perfect on it, and it even has gold leaf lettering on the sides.

            Oh yeah, the '55 is pretty cool too! I always loved those '55-59 Chevrolets.
            When the government pays, the government controls.

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by 46Tbird View Post
              Please don't butcher the flatbed. That's a cool truck.
              It is a cool truck. It does mean ass burnouts!

              Comment

              • #8
                To catch up, I wasn't excited about the stock steel wheels I had on it and the stance was too high.

                So I grabbed a set of 15x8 rally wheels and set it down a couple inches. I wanted to go lower but I am limited by the steering drag link to oil pan clearance....for now.




                Threw on a couple Mexican blankets




                And picked up an S-10 T-5




                Ditching the 3spd, Hello 5spd.






                Quick modification to the T-5, 3/8 off the input shaft, 1 3/8 off the bearing retainer. It's a bolt in after that.




                Installed and floor board cut for shifter.



                Comment

                • #9
                  The drive shaft is now too long, so lets take 3 1/2 inches off.






                  Clean up the yoke and press it back in.






                  My dial indicator took a crap while I was truing it up so no welding until I get a replacement.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Until I find a suitable shifter, I played around a bit. Lengthened a 5.4 connecting rod and welded a nut to the end.

                    It could stand to be a bit longer but works good.





                    Comment

                    • #11
                      I finally had an afternoon to get a few more things done. The mystery seat sat way too low and was mounted with 4 sheet metal screws. Terrible seating position, too close and too low. The steering column was about shoulder level and my knees were up too high. It made grabbing the pedals a bit tough.

                      So I made a seat riser and raised it up 3.5".







                      Stripped and painted the floor while I was in there.





                      Now I have no idea what this seat came out of but it has to get a facelift. It didn't fit well to begin with. It's too wide and the doors would hit it when you closed them. With the taper of the cab, raising it 3.5" just made it worse.

                      So I had to narrow it 3" which let me set it back a few inches where it belongs.

                      Crappy seat. Just like a Foxbody, the red interior has to go. First I cut 1.5" out of each side of the seat back. Either the guy at the factory was a terrible welder or someone has been in here before.

                      Welded it back together and reshaped the foam to fit. The existing vinyl was too rigid to reuse so I covered it with an old shipping blanket and then again with a set of saddle blanket covers.














                      Last edited by homealone; 04-17-2015, 07:04 PM.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        And since the seat was raised, I had to add another length of connecting rod to the shifter. All in all, the new seat position is great. Sits higher and back far enough my 36" inseam had a bit more room.


                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Gonna blow some minds trying to figure out what that connecting rod came from.

                          And the seat looks good
                          Putting warheads on foreheads since 2004

                          Pro-Touring Build

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            UPdates ?

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by TRAILBLAZER View Post
                              UPdates ?
                              Nope, just driving it. What free time I have has been going to daily drivers, the house and the wagon.

                              Comment

                              Previous template Next
                              Working...
                              X