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First of all I want to say, I'm back I've been out of touch with these forums for a bit (thanks to those ever present LIFE STEPS IN stuff), but, I have been busy.

I've been working on my 57 pretty steady and I though that I would share some of what I've been doing with STF.

Anyway, let me update. I bought this 57 last Aug. It sits on an IRS pan. The body was ok...somewhat, but, it did come with these items. Some of the stuff was brand new, still in boxes:
1- a complete Airkewld air suspension system, front and rear.
2- a set of Airkewld Bad Disc brakes with Wellwood calipers, for the front,
3- A freshly rebuilt Pro Street Trans, with 3:44 R&P.
4- extra W deck lid.
5- New 2" narrowed front beam
6- dropped CB spindles
7- steering box
8- new pioneer stereo
and a bunch of other stuff, that the PO threw in.

Basically, I got the body for free ( since I sold off some of the stuff)

Here is the car when I brought it home...



The interior...


The oval was hit in the front, needed a drivers side heater channel and the luggage tray was shot. The fenders were repro's and the pans were put in kinda shabby. Also, the doors were cut for one piece glass.

I started with the heater channels. This is some of the PO's work.



These are the only shots of the heater channel repair, that I took I wound up replacing both sides...




After the channels, I tackled the luggage tray. I was able to get an OG tray, but, only the bottom half. Fortunately, only the bottom half was toast on the 57.

Here's the tray before install....


I sand blasted the bottom and coated it ( except for the edges to be welded) with Masterseries Silver before installing it. It's that much less I have to paint on my back

Here's a shot of the old tray cut out...


After a bunch of measuring and trial fittings, here's the tray tacked in...


and completely welded in...


I also changed out both lower rear quarter panels, repaired the rear H apron and removed about 5 lbs of bondo off the deck lid.

With this being the 4th of July weekend, the wife is down the shore and my son in Boston for the weekend... I'm home alone and I kicked some butt....
I worked on the front clip.....here's the 57 with no nose...


After measuring about 100 times and double checking again. I tacked on the new front clip..


I did use the hood and fenders as guides... Here is the completed product.




Everything fits very nicely

Last weekend, I was able to score a set of 54 oval fenders for $75 They need a little work, but , they did come with the wiring tubes and that distinctive bulge, where the running board meets the fender.

Here's what one of them looks like on the car...


I also worked on the pan this weekend. I had cut out the old pans, sometime ago. But, before installing the new pans, I wanted to install new gas lines...that's right, two new lines...in the tunnel...with AN fittings!!!! Talk about being masochistic
This is for my , if and when, fuel injection plans...

It took some doing, but, I did get it done. I also installed new pans. These are the 18 gauge, Wolfsburg West pans. Boy, are they nice....worth every penny.... Here is the somewhat finished product..





and that's where i stand, as of now.

Tonight after work, I'm going to pressure test the gas lines and then work on the pan. I will be coating the entire pan with masterseries silver, then truck bed liner on the bottom side of the pan.

Next up, body prep and paint, I'm leaning towards a gray/silver paint. The reason being, that I already have a light gray headliner and gray carpet. We'll see what happens

Good to be back...

Pete,

Nice work! Inspirational relative to where i am. See here:

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=125980

I'm just behind you with the repairs on my '57. When you comin' down to give me an "experienced" hand?

Thanks for the pics.

doc

Wow.. VERY sweet work..

Must have taken hours to fit the nose with out doing the secret cheat.

I used the same ones and I concur worth every penny and then some. My first time replacing pans and they fit when I put the body back down and I want to stress if I can get it right anyone can.

I get the feeling that these pans will last forever.

I finished painting the pans. I used Masterseries. I applied two coats, followed by a couple coats of Rustolium Hammered gray paint. You can see a bit of the frame head in the pics below. I didn't get full pics, because, I had to bring in the body, because of rain and in my little garage, it's one or the other

Anyway, instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs and watching paint dry, I decided to do some repairs on the early fenders. The drivers side, lower front needed some work.

Here is a shot of the new piece being fitted...



After a bunch of fittings, trimming and refitting and trimming...here is the piece tacked in....



and the finished (welded) product...

Yea, buddy! Looks great!!

doc

I've been trying to finish the 2 year siding job , on my house I took the week off, with the thought of finishing the siding, but, as luck would have it.... it rained for a couple of days.

Not wanting to work on wet roof shingles I proceeded into the garage and worked on the chassis. Anyway, here is the finished pan. I started to install some of the components...







As for the body, I'm just about ready for some Rage Gold, but, my supplier won't be getting some until this Monday.


more to come....

Really great looking!!

What disk brake set up is that? Lowered or stock height?

doc

doc wrote:Really great looking!!

What disk brake set up is that? Lowered or stock height?

doc

doc, those are lowered spindles. they came with the car, as did the brakes

I think you earned the "Cleanest Pan Award"

Thanks for the post.

Timmy