57 Bel Air Resto

[Austrian455]

Hey fellas,

I think most of you know that I´m restorating a 57 Chevy Bel Air.
Yesterday I received a PM from Per, who told me that JEGS offers a nice 405 hp sbc for a very good price. Anyway, why I´m telling this is, I thought that you Buick guys may be interested in a Chevy Resto too. But before I start posting Chevy-pics and infos I wanted to ask you all.
I don´t want to bore anyone to death with my "cheap stud-mount-rocker storys" :sleep:

So you can tell me if you want to keep the chevy stuff outside the Buick community or if you would like to see whats going on in my garage.
You don´t have to say anything because of politeness. I won´t be offended.

[Smartin]

I'd love to see it!

[MichelHaak]

I'm a fan of every american car manufacturer between 1948 and 1975 so bring it on! :beers: Bel Airs are way to cool.

[Robroy]

I'm game :D

[Austrian455]

Ok
So I´m going to keep you posted with the resto now.
If have any ideas or thought please tell me. I´m sure on this board are some guys with more experience than me.
I hope you enjoy to see this one coming back to live. The car was a Florida car in nice condition before it came to Austria. That is about 15 years ago.
5 years ago we had a high flood in some areas of the country and the prev. owner wasn´t able to save the car.
So it made some diving experience. The water was about 10 feet (3 m deep).
:bawl:

When I bought the car we pulled it out with all 4 wheels locked!!

The reason why I wanted it was the solid sheet metal.
There was no welding done and only one overspray of the orig. paint.
Very little rust.

[Austrian455]

First thing I wanted to do was to get the orig. # matching 283 running.
I knew there was water inside, so I disasambled that thing down to the short block. The rotary assembly was ok but all valves were stuck as the starter was.
I rebuild the start, the heads, put a orig. "Power pack" 4 bbl setup on it and fired it up. But that was also much work.
You will believe me when you see the 2bbl carb that was on. Still water inside.

[Robroy]

Wow, that was quite a story Peter. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I remember one guy in my hometown that had 57 Bel Air 2D in the same colors as yours back in the 80’s. It had 350LT1 engine with a TH350 trans. and was a fast enough :cool:

The 283 is a grateful engine that can produce plenty of power too in a not too heavy vehicle and some tune up. It can also be real lean on gas if you don’t hot rod it too much. I’ve had this engine in two of my former cars.

Good luck with the resto and keep us posted!

[Austrian455]

After finishing the orig. 283 I started taking it apart.
Ohh man, I took 2 week off to work every day on the car.
That was to much for my girlfriend that time, she didn´t understand why I take holidays for the car but not for her :confused:

[Austrian455]

The holley carb was only to try how the 283 runs after the small overhaul.

[MichelHaak]

Car looks like a good example for restoration! Taking it apart always looks major work but restoring al those bits take way more time! :D Good luck and keep us informed! :beers:

[73 Centurion]

That's some amazingly straight and rust free sheet metal. WOW!

It will be interesting to learn what affect the flood had on the wiring and other systems.

Was the flood fresh or salt water?

Remind your girlfriend that taking time off to work on the car is not for the car. The car is not more important than she is. (How many of us have heard this bit of nonesense). The time is for you to do what you like to do. It is not a battle between the car and her for your time, it is healthy for you to take time for yourself.

John

[Austrian455]

John,
You´re right, the sheet metal on the Bel Air is in great condition for all the time and water it had to resist.
The flood was fresh water.
As I said, I started the car after rebuilding the starter and the heads. It ran fine. Generator also worked. The parking lights and taillights worked. No turn signal, no blower motor, no headlights no horn.
Interior lights and dash lights were ok.
Amazing what those old cars can survive.
Don´t mind about my girlfriend. She left on the day I started the resto (after 2 1/2 years :confused4:)
But there´s one thing I´m sure: I´m 23 years old, so there will be some other girls but I would never get a Bel Air with a better body :Brow:

Here you can see that it is really straight:

[Austrian455]

OK, after taking it apart for 70% I had all parts ,that are not for sanding, sandblasted. That means every thing except the big smooth surfaces like top, hood, doors outside, quarter panels.
So my bodyshop can replace all rusted sheet metal.
After sandblasting we took it off the frame.

[Austrian455]

As you can see, the frame is also solid as a rock. No rust anywhere.
On this pics you can see the first performace upgrade installed.
On those chevys the rear shocks were bolted directly to the trunk floor.
This is not a very stiff solution. So we welded in a "shock relocation bar".
We did this just before we took off the body (for alingemet of the holes).
That makes the frame a lot stiffer and keeps the shocks where they have to be. Also under "hard" driving. :Brow:

[MichelHaak]

You're only 23? Wow great job man! :beers:

I thought you were mid thirty's because of your knowledge and amount of cars... :shocked:

[Austrian455]

After disassambling the frame to the last bolt and nut a brought it to a company called "Voest Alpine". Thats the biggest company in steel and metal industry in austria and one of the biggest in Europe. Maybe you heared of them. There we ran the frame throught some acids and destilated water. So I was sure that 100% of rust was removed. Even where you can´t sanblast it.
Then it was fire zinc plated ( in a zinc bath :xyxthumbs:)

[Austrian455]

Ohh man, I love to do something like that. There are not many things that feel as good as making somthing better than it was.

[Austrian455]

OK guys,
today I spent some hours in the garage and put together the rear axle for the bel air.
I had the parts sandblasted and powder coated for a smooth and clean look.
I used a set of new 3.08 gears and a Auburn Limited Slip Diff.

What do you think. I love it.
What do you think about the tooth contact pattern?
I think it looks pretty good. Nice square shape. I adjusted the back lash to 0.006, that should be OK. I also did some slight "porting" to the oil feed port for the rear pinion bearing. I will add the pic later.
I filled it up with full synthetic richmond 75W140 gear oil :beers:

[Robroy]

I'm no expert how to set up the rear, but it looks mighty fine to me :beers:
I assume the yellow represents the contact surface…

[Austrian455]

Thanks Per.

Here are the pics of the work I did to get a bit more oil to the rear pinion bearing :Brow:

[Austrian455]

You're only 23? Wow great job man! :beers:

I thought you were mid thirty's because of your knowledge and amount of cars... :shocked:



Thanks Michel,
:rooleyes2: I´m nearly getting red.
Trust me, the knowledge in cars comes fast if you spend every free minute under or in a car ;)

[Gum,beest]

Peter
That looks awesome :xyxthumbs:
The pro's got nothing on you
It look like a very thorough job
Could you give some bold park figures for example the sandblasting of the body and the gavanizing of the frame
I'm thinking to ship the Centurion to Hungary (family in law)next winter to do some body repair and mayby treat my frame like your Chevy if i can pay it on my humble salary

[Austrian455]

Erik,
Thanks

I´m sorry but what are "bold park figures". Seams my english isn´t as good as yours.
Sandblasting the body requires that it´s completely empty. You have to remove everything inside the car. interior, dash, wires, steering column......
And if you want to have the frame zinc plated you also have to remove everything on the frame. engine, tranny, brake and fuel lines, take the body off, rear axle, steering, front end ...... so the car would be disassambled to it´s last bolt and nut. You´re talking about a frame off resto. Do you reall want to do this??
If you want, the zinc plating of the frame isn´t realy expensive. I paid about 400 dollars for it. The work you have to do before makes it expensive.

[Gum,beest]

Thanks Peter
This is exactly what i meant nothing specific just a round figure
And probably your English is better than mine i was just trying a Fraze maybe it supposed to be something like "ballpark figure"

For the work that is why i want to ship it to Hungary my father in law used to own a body repair shop an he has still connection in the business
That is what i have done with my Mitsubishi
And the labor cost is affordable compared to the labor cost here in holland aprox five times less maybe more, they can happely live on €300,- for a month
For me i spent that amount on fuel if i drive the Buick two weekends not to mention my other cars

As for the rest i want to restore and improve each winter a piece of the car and i am not scared for the work i only need space
Zink plating or powder coat the frame i still dont know what to do but something has to be done while the frame is still in good condition

But enough of that just keep on going to show us the way it is supposed to be done (it is a great lesson for me anyway)

[Austrian455]

Erik,
maybe, if your frame, trunk and floors are in good condition you want to use this to clean it and fresh up the paint: http://www.jegs.com/p/KBS+Coatings/1044197/10002/-1

So you can keep the car together (for 90%). I would pull the tank to get the trunk pan cleaned and painted and replace some rubber parts like exhaust hangers body mounts ...
But that yould save you much money and give you a clean look.

[Gum,beest]

Thanks for the advice
Frame is in good condition according the APK inspector(APK is a annual safety inspection for all cars and trucks ,for oldtimers its once in two years)
The floors are oké but the trunkfloor needs some patching (pinkey size hole on the right side)

[Austrian455]

OK guys.
It´s long ago that I freshed this thread up.
A lot of work was done in the past weeks and months.
The frame was powder coated black.
The rear end was assembled and set up correct.
I put the front end together, the rear end is also back in the car.
The body work and paint job was finished.
And last week I tried to fit the new transmission mounts and
steering crossmember in the frame.
Pics today in some hours ;)

[Austrian455]

I´m sorry.
It took me some days instead of some hours to post the latest news about my 57´

Here we go:
On the pics you can see that I was working really hard the last time.
A buddy of mine helped me all the time.
I got the front and rear end completed.
Poly bushings all around. Tubular A-Arms, 2" lowering springs, power rack/pinion steering, power disc brakes all around, new stronger leaf springs with 2" drop, auburn posi, 3.08 gears, 2.5" mandrel bent stainless dual exhaust with flowmasters, built TH700, tubular crossmember, new ZZ4 350 short block, edelbrock aluminum heads, hydr. roller cam, roller rockers, long tube headers, 650 thunder series carb, 17" torq thrust wheels, ............
I could go on with this ... endless :Brow:
What do you think about the body?
orig. color.
unwelded original floor and trunk pan painted.
I love it. Can´t wait to go on.
That´s me on the pic holding my Converter while filling it up with B&M Trick Shift :Brow:

[Austrian455]

Some more
The brown stains you see on the floors and quater are wax protection I sprayed in everywhere. I have to wipe it off tomorrow.

[Austrian455]

That´s me (driver side) and my buddy with the engine on the hook :xyxthumbs:

[Austrian455]

We put the body back on the frame today.:cool:

[The German]

Very nice work, Peter ! I like your color combo ! Congratulations !!! :xyxthumbs:

As I know from another Bel-Air-owner who chromed his engine it´s important to adapt the cooling system to the new conditions - on the water side and on the oil side. Would be interesting to get your information about what you will do regarding that point.

Good luck with the rest of your work, Peter !

[Austrian455]

Rolf,

Thanks, I also love the colors on the car. I was very happy when I got it back from the body shop. It´s easy to make a mistake with those small color charts you get to choose the color. Often they look very different on the car.

I´m going to put a 4 core aluminum cross flow radiator in. I´m not sure about a engine oil cooler. It will get a 7 qt. Moroso oil pan.
I already bought a elctric Moroso racing water pump.
And its getting 2 Flex-a-lite transmission coolers.
2 electric fans on the radiator.

[Robroy]

Oh boy :shocked: what a full restoration project!

It will be like a brand new car when you’re done with it

[MichelHaak]

Very nice! Especially all the new parts which makes the car kinda 'super cool'.:D

Did you already fitted the brake and fuel lines before you mounted the body and engine?

[Austrian455]

Thanks,

Jep, I put in nearly everything you can mount without the body.
stainless fuel line, brake lines, 90% of the emergency brake, exhaust, .....
Tomorrow I´m going to start with the construction drawing for my new fuel tank.
I don´t like the old one. I had it sandblasted and galvanized. But I prefer to make one.
I want to use polished stainless steel sheet metal.
Maybe I can get it a little bit bigger than the stock tank.

[Austrian455]

Hey guys,

Some weeks ago that I kept my thread updated.
Thought I should post some new pics of the Chevy since the resto is going on.
I recognized that all pics I posted in the past are gone. To bad, I think it happened when the forum was "renewed".
On the last pic you can see a Pontiac Fiero. It was my car for years, I sold it to a friend. Always liked the car.
it was a great daily driver. One reason why I spent the money on 19" wheels and new paint.

[Austrian455]

Here you can see the new chrome parts.
I love to put stuff like this on my car :Brow:
I used stainless bolts and had all the brackets sandblasted and powdercoated.

[Austrian455]

Some friends of mine helping me with the front bumper.
I´m under the car to get all the bolts in place :laugh:
In the drive way my buddy Fiero (man, that was a good car)

[Smartin]

It looks great, Peter!

Perhaps you can reinsert the photos in the previous posts?

I rarely ever "attach" photos in posts anymore. I always host them somewhere else and link them to the post. That way, they're always there.