55 E/G - New old ride

[HVY70SS]

Tom
Sorry to hear about the loss of your daughter..cherish the great memories.

Bobby Smith
"Smitty"

[TomBlake]

Haven't posted much on the progress of the car so will make a few posts to get updated.
Made an engine/transmission sling to remove the assembly in one piece. The chassis wasn't setup to remove the engine without first removing the front motor plate.
Pulled the engine and transmission out to work on both.
Transmission - replaced the tail shaft with a newer rollerized one and added the deep fluid pan.
Engine - Adjusted the valves, tightened the stud girdles and installed the intake manifold.

[TomBlake]

Got a good friend that is trying to teach me to weld. (I watch most of the time). The firewall, some floor panels and some chrome trim holes outside are welded. Mary got the front end support rods fiberglassed in place and we got the firewall painted.

[TomBlake]

Firewall with the motorplate complete. The transmission has a converter installed and the intake has been refurbished to look like new, amazing what a little blasting and cleanup will do to a 20 year old intake manifold.

[TomBlake]

The engine / trans get married together and started into the chassis. We had the engine in and out seven times. Trying to make this easy to work on takes time. We trimmed the motorplate over and over. when it finally goes by the chassis tubes and in far enough in we found there was not enough clearance for the valve covers and trans deep pan to fit. Trimmed the cooling fins on the deep fluid pan and it went into place.

[TomBlake]

My welder friend thought the valve covers needed some help so he polished them so they look much better than before. And in my spare time I modified the engine sling so it could change angles for easier engine installation. The engine is in place, but it still not staying, need more modifications to make the installation quick and easier.
That's about up to date on the progress for now. We will be at the 4th race and the car will look something like the original 55 E/G'er from the outside and from a distance.

[Babycakes]

Looking 'GOOD' Tom.Your 'persistence' and 'talents',are finally paying off

[dinotheweirdo]

Need some windows to start slippin some 'stickers' on.

[mikey]

Love all the pictures. It's really coming along nicely. I thinks it's really good that you are doing several "R and Rs" to get the fit just right. No sense fighting with it if it's not necessary. If I keep the Willy's, I'm going to do a removable trans tunnel, just in case I decide to try a "Glide", or have any trans trouble. I'm surprised that whoever originally built the car didn't do that. But, I've had several dozen "surprises" with this car over the past 4 years. Let me know if you need help with the nose, and I'll have Tony give you a call. You really are doing a hell of a job, and it's nice to know that Mary is helping. She's a real "Car Guy"!!!!! ..............Mikey

[TomBlake]

Dino....We were holding off on installing the glass because we thought we could get the headliner installed. It would have had easy access to installing with all the windows and doors off the car. We found out yesterday the headliner installation will have to wait till after we get the interior molding, which we do not have as of yet. That will make it another project for after the 4th race.
As of today we did get all the modifications done to make the engine installation quicker and easier. Than we got the engine, transmission and torque converter assembled and installed into the chassis. Installed the headers and it is starting to look like a car again. The engine should be in the car to stay for the race in August.

Mikey.....It was real good to hear your engine running even if it was over the phone. You are getting a good handle on your project and hope we can get together at the Lakeland track in the very near future.