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  • 54 Chevy

    Here's a shot of our 54 that someone took on the Power Tour this year. The car has a 350 HO with 700R4, 3.50 gears (may change to 3.70s), 4 wheel disc brakes, power R&P. Plans for the future are to change it to a 2 door with some other custom mods.

  • #2
    Re: 54 Chevy

    I remember that ride. It sounded good.
    HRPT 2004LH 2007LH 2008

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    • #3
      Re: 54 Chevy

      i remember that wagon also, cool little tear drop Hilton in tow...
      Never kick a fresh Turd on a hot day.....Harry S Truman

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      • #4
        Re: 54 Chevy

        Leon
        I'm going to try to attach a pic of our 54 - still nearly 100% stock.

        I REALLY want to put an overdrive into it - it's currently 3 on the tree with the danged old torque tube.

        What trans / driveshaft / axle did you use?

        I'd like to keep the stovebolt 6, just get some overdrive and a real driveshaft!

        Man I can't get photo's to work - I'll resize it again.

        [img]http://render1.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDP-WtofRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6x qpxQQPoxoo0xaJQxv8uOc5xQQQJnG0nllQanqpfVtB%3F*KUp7 BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QQQl%7CRup6Gna%7C/of=50,590,441[/img]
        There's always something new to learn.

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        • #5
          Re: 54 Chevy

          I just found a 53 Belair sport coupe, It may need to be my next project

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          • #6
            Re: 54 Chevy

            I tossed around the idea of keeping the stock 235 and bolting it up to a different drivetrain with a 700R4, but the cost of the adapter made me wonder why. The 235 can be bolted up to a 700R4 but it's not cheap, was going to cost around $1000 for the adapter, cooler, shift linkage, etc. plus the tranny. If you want to stay with a manual, get a bellhousing from a later 235 and you can bolt a newer tranny up to it, then put in a new rear with an open driveline. Either way, it isn't much more to go with a 350 since they are cheaper to build than the 235.

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            • #7
              Re: 54 Chevy

              Leon
              Thanks for the reply.

              The 235 in our car purrs like a kitten - it must have been rebuilt when my wifes uncle had the car, the paint on the engine is still all in very good condition and after the carb rebuild (good old 1 barrel - I still need to drop the float a little) it runs very smoothly - and is incredibly quiet (pretty much stock single exhaust)

              I don't want to "cut up" the car too much - as is it's all original as far as I know -- but I want to make it more driveable - I'm starting to get the impression there is not an simple or cheap way to do that.

              I would not be apposed to putting something like a 5 speed out of an S10 or camaro or something like that into the car - just having overdrive would be sweet - and a manual would certainly make more sense behind the anemic six -- loosing HP to the automatic could make the car nearly not get out of it's own way!

              Any suggestions on where to locate the bellhousing / transmission - or what rear end to use?

              I really don't want to change the rear springs or ride height --

              SORRY -- I've turned your project thread into my questions thread ???
              There's always something new to learn.

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              • #8
                Re: 54 Chevy

                For a rear, I used a 9" that was 60" wide if I remember right. 8" Ford rears are fairly common in that width, and there are a few Chevy rears that width, you'll have to take a tape to a junk yard. Make sure you don't mount the rear on the spring right over the pin in the springs. Because of the torque tube rear, the mount is not in the center of the axle, it is about 1 5/8" forward of it so the new axle has to be located to the rear of it to keep the wheels centered. Also, because of the tube being gone, the new rear might move around a little that most guys don't even notice. The rear springs are thinner than late model stuff and aren't as stable without the torque tube. I upgraded to a new spring package.

                The bell housing can be gotten from any chevy 55 or later, what to look for is the wide bolt pattern where the tranny mounts up. There have been a lot of guys that have done this swap, I know there are guides to this on the net. I used to have bookmarks to some of them but got rid of them when I went with the new engine. A popular combination is the later model bellhousing, with an S-10 transmission (pre 93 because they went to the Ford bolt pattern after that I think).

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                • #9
                  Re: 54 Chevy

                  I just sold my 49 Chevy Fleetline. The main problem with these cars when converting to an open driveline is the narrow leaf springs. If you parts from a factory powerglide equipped car, it will be an open driveline with the proper width rear and proper spring seats. This is the easiest swap since its a 100% bolt in onto the factory narrow springs. Grab the driveshaft also as it will be the correct length for a PG, TH350, or a TH2004R automatic.

                  Any 55-57 chevy rear will also bolt in, but the spring seats are too wide for the springs. This also will allow pontaic and olds rears of similar vintage to bolt in. These rears are ~59" wide. Only the cevy rear will have the factory 4.75" bolt pattern. The others use 5x5".

                  Other easily available rears that are the correct width are the 2nd gen camaro, and 4x4 S10. I had a S10 4x4 rear in my car.

                  I would personally use one of the kits available like, Wilsons, or CE's or Posi's to convert the car over to the wider modern springs which ride much better. One of the kits also puts the springs in the proper place so that a 2nd gen camaro rear end is a bolt in. I don't remember which kit does this however.

                  The S10 T5 is a nice swap for these cars and works will with the stock 235's torque.

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                  • #10
                    Re: 54 Chevy

                    You guys are the best!
                    so many projects, need more money and time!

                    story of our lives right?

                    thanks!

                    I hate to loose the springs - I just replaced them a couple years ago! but if that's the best way....
                    There's always something new to learn.

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                    • #11
                      Re: 54 Chevy

                      The kit I went with was from RB's, it came with new rear mount and shackles. They even had me talk to the guy that makes the springs so we could get everything right since I have the wagon and was towing. I gave him the car's front and rear weights plus aprox. hitch weight and the springs I got worked perfect.

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                      • #12
                        Re: 54 Chevy

                        Wow
                        sounds great!
                        do you have contact information for this place?

                        We just found out the tenant that lives in the house where we store the 54 for the winter is moving out by Christmas -- I'll have to find room for it in my shop -- ugh - but I'll be able to take all the measurements and looking for parts - I'm starting to warm up to the idea of a 5 speed from an S10 - hopefully I won't have to cut up the floor too much for the shifter.... hate to cut the car at all.
                        There's always something new to learn.

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                        • #13
                          Re: 54 Chevy

                          you could put a 55-62(?) overdrive 3 speed in it, then you could keep the column shift and have overdrive too, and run a mid 3 gear ratio.

                          lots of good info on the HAMB about running the old 6 in these cars.
                          My fabulous web page

                          "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                          • #14
                            Re: 54 Chevy

                            The rear spring kit I used is HERE
                            I recommend the kit with the upper shock mounts, it keeps everything mounted up nice and strong. The forward spring eyes are tapered to fit into the stock forward mounts, and everything else is new. It comes with new saddles to weld to the axle tube so you don't have to worry about finding the right with PLUS the spring perch dimension.

                            It may be a little hard to see, but here's a picture of my chassis before putting the body back on

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                            • #15
                              Re: 54 Chevy

                              You guys are the best..... THANKS!
                              I've got a lot of research to do, and you guys just made it a whole lot easier.

                              hmm.... OD 3 speed on the collumn - that's cool too!
                              There's always something new to learn.

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