[blacksheep55]

Here are some pics from today of my car guys. I finally am done other than a little cleanup grinding and POR-15 on the inner rockers, brace ends, and floor. I have all of my engine stuff back from the machine shop as of this past Wednesday, and plan on starting assembly within the next week. Like a kid I just couldn't resist sitting it together for inspiration. It will look better orange with the headers white. I have everything I need for it and I will post a video of it running on the break in stand. Can't wait, starting to get stoked with it finally making some progress.

 

[66stratogasser]

i love the headers they look awsom and look forward to seeing the video

 

[1955 D/GAS]

Looking great! Can't wait to see more.

 

[1946Austin]

Very nice! The big block should be great for power and torque!

 

[mt94ss]

I love '55s with fenderwell headers!

 

[Str8axle]

I love the SOUND of my fenderwell headers with a smallblock! The sound will be even sweeter with a bigblock! Your floors look great too.

 

[blacksheep55]

Thanks guys. The motor is a std. bore 454 with 11.5 to one, forged pistons, 188 rect port ported heads 2.19/1.88 valves, Comp solid flat tapped .595/.595. The entire bottom of the car was primarily rivets, roof flashing , and tin. It also featured 4 missing floor brace ends, rusted inner wheel well, 4 broke off body mount bolts, virtually no inner rockers, a foot and a half by a foot and a half hole torched out of the tunnel, and countless other custom features. It has been alot of work to get it solid, but now that I have, I can actually have some progress to post pics of.

 

[blacksheep55]

Here are some more pics of the 55 guys. I have the perches welded on the rearend, a 8.5 10 bolt posi 3.73s, and moser axles for now, and I have it painted up. I want to get the rear part of the car about finished before I start on the straight axle. I have several sets of bucket seats, but I think I am going to use these impala ones that I am going to recover in black factory covers. I have another set of these seats if anyone needs them. The other pictures are of SOME of my parts I haven't used YET. So you can tell, I have plenty to do.

 

[1946Austin]

Those Impala buckets will look great and be very comfortable too! The 8.5" 10 bolt is very strong, and the only thing I'd ever upgrade on them would be axles and C clip eliminator kit. Did both on my OT Camaro about 25 years ago, and it's held up perfect behind the 427.

 

[blacksheep55]

Here are some pics of the engine almost finished guys. I have been busting a$$ trying to get as much done as possible. Had some health issues there for a minute. Hopefully the next time you see it, it will be a video of it on the break in stand. Now its back to the car. Uhhhhh. Does it ever end?? LOL

 

[1946Austin]

Nice Hopefully it never ends! That would be boring!

 

[blacksheep55]

Okay I haven't posted here in a while, but I lurk around. Here are some pics of the 55 as it is now. Got some magnesium torq thrusts for it (not on it yet),it has a fresh built 12 bolt with 3.90s, nodular iron case super t10 with hurst vertigate shifter, 1964 M/T scattershield, engine runs awesome, I just got some 074 casting aluminum L88 heads for it (not on yet), recovered 67 chevelle seats, and it goes on etc. etc. Hoping to have it driving real soon.

 

[1946Austin]

I see you made changes to the engine with different valve covers too! Are those still the chrome headers you had on the engine before? So the 10 bolt and 3.73's went away? That BB 454 is gonna be screaming at freeway speed with the 3.90 gears! I'm winding 2900 at 60 mph with 3.73 gears and 28" tires.

 

[blacksheep55]

Yep Austin, those are just some hedman chassis headers for now. Come to find out, and everyone should know this, Patriot fenderwell headers WILL NOT fit a tri five with stock suspension and steering box. They have changed the #5 tube and it is in the way now. I don't care what you do or where you put the engine, the new design will not fit. I am doing a straight axle come fall, so I just blasted and painted these and will use the Patriots later. I got rid of the 10 bolt because it was just an explosion waiting to happen and I came across a 12 bolt housing cheap. The motor sounds nasty, I ran it on the break in stand, and it will be getting aluminum L88 heads as soon as they are out of the machine shop.

 

[1946Austin]

There's a big difference in 10 bolt GM rearends! All sorts of different sizes from 7.7" to 8.5", and the strength varies with size. The 8.5" used from 1971-81 is a very strong rearend, and only 1/4" smaller than the venerable 12 bolt GM rear.
I've had the same 8.5" 10 bolt in my 1971 Camaro for a lot of years with a pretty stout 427 powering it, and never had any trouble. Lots of 1/4 mile runs with big slicks for the first 16 yrs. I owned it, and it's held up great.
The 8.2 has a reputation for being fragile behind high HP engines, or heavy vehicles. Some of the 7.7 10 bolts actually have axles that are larger and fine splined like a 12 bolt rear. Big Pontiacs and Olds used the 7.7 with the huge axles in the 1980's.

 

[blacksheep55]

Yup the 8.5's can hold some power with good axles and some extra plug welds as well as circumfrence welds on the tubes. Saw a friend of mine's 1500 horsepower f'bird go 9.60s at 150+ on a stock 7.5..........for a while. Some of my reasons were that a guy offered me enough money for the 10 bolt to build a great 12 bolt, and 8.5's didn't come out until '71. 12 bolts came out around '65 so it is possible that they would have been using one in the late 60's in a race car. So it is more "period correct". And let's not forget the fact that it is just cooler when somebody looks up under your car to see a 12 bolt. Here is a video of that 1500 hp 'bird. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJv-D_g_YjY And that is on street tires. Can I get an AMEN?

 

[1946Austin]

Very cool! That F bird looks fast for sure!
I try to be somewhat accurate in my gasser, but not too hung up on completely period correct. My fabricated aluminum valve covers aren't period, but I guess I can tell people somebody was way ahead of their time when they built them!
Likewise on my TH350. I'd have loved an old Hydro, but their hard to get and more than I'd spend. I may even change the TH350 out if I can find a decent 200R4 or 700R4, as I'd like to be able to drive 70 mph on the freeway and not be turning over 3000 rpm's.

 

[blacksheep55]

Here is a picture of the bottom of my '55 today guys. It is getting really close. I got the exhaust done, fuel system done, brakes, power, all done.

 

[1946Austin]

Wow! Beautiful!

 

[mt94ss]

Looks like you are getting close! It's so clean it will be hard to run it and get it dirty... or not. X-pipes and welded mufflers aren't period, but they sure sound/look cool! Run what ya brung!

Your friends f-bird is cool. Is it a turbo or a supercharger? LT-1 or LS?