Can't stop me now:

Brakes brakes brakes, have been on my mind.  I need to make sure they are in good shape. I have been doing a lot of research to try and determine what the correct replacement parts are for the disc brake conversion kit we used and I am getting close. When I inspect the system I will need to know what parts I need to order.

Thanks to a lot of advice from members of several 55 chevy facebook groups, I have decided that instead of buying new calipers, which really aren't that expensive, less than $30 a pop, it makes more sense to rebuild each caliper for around $9 each.  Also I will be replacing all the wheel bearings as well as the master cylinder and the hydraulic hoses. Bearings and hoses are around $6 to $8 each.  This is definitely a value added task, minimal cost for a great deal of safety and security.  The last thing I need to do is have a braking system that could fail.

Changing to power brakes isn't a hard job to do, kits are out there that just bolt in. The only drawback is the expense.  They can range from $250 to $350.  The nice thing is that I can do that down the road, having manual disc brakes instead of drums, does help stop the car better than stock.

I mentioned before, the more hands on I am with the car, the closer it brings me to my dad. When I was younger, we would do these types of repairs on the family cars and my own.  I can remember my dad helping me pack wheel bearings with grease, make sure I didn't over tighten bolts, bleed brakes...... This will bring back so many more memories.

Relax, this won't hurt:

Today the goal was to drain and remove the radiator, drain the gas tank, and remove the heater core. 

Radiator:
Surprisingly, there was little fluid left in the radiator, the hard part was removing the hoses. The lower hose needed more persuasion to come off.

Heater core:
The heater core took considerably longer. The firewall had to be modified so the big blocks valve covers would fit. This pushed back the firewall making the heater box a tight fit.

 After two hours, the heater box came out and when I pulled the heater core...... Guess what..... It looks brand new. I then realized that the car was only driven in the summer, so the heater was never used. I plan on having both the radiator and heater core checked and pressure tested.

Gas tank:
I don't know if it is good or bad, but it seems that their may be no gas in the tank. What little gas was there smelled OK and was not discolored, so I may not have to deal with a varnished tank. I will know more when I drop the tank.

Blast From The Past:

As i mentioned before, the 55 was restored back in the 90's, by a hot rod shop in wampum PA.  The owners name was Dave "Beans" Kotuby. As i was looking at the pictures from the restoration i wondered if he was still around. I knew that he sold the shop years ago but nothing else.  After putting on my detective hat, i was able to track down a phone number.

After 20 years and a little phone tag, i spoke to "Beans" this past Sunday the 18th. He was always very nice and our conversation went very well. He was able to answer questions i had about the restoration and he expressed his sadness regarding my dad passing. He shared a few funny stories regarding my father.  He grew up with my dad in Koppel PA and looked up to him, even back then my dad had a 55 and everyone wanted to ride with him.  He would cruise around town blasting Locomotion by Little Eva!

Beans told me another story where they were trying to start the 55, during the restoration, and gas started to build up in the headers. This lead to a loud explosion and flames shooting out from under the car while my dad was behind the wheel. Beans distinctly remembers my dad jumping, then lying on the front seat yelling "FIRE IN THE HOLE" "FIRE IN THE HOLE".

He still lives in the same area, just a few miles from my mother house. He had actually passed by her house on Sunday as he went to Summit Racing (performance parts shop)located in Ohio. 

He offered his advice on a few subjects, car related, and i invited him to stop over to look at the car as i work on it.

I haven't had a chance to begin work on the 55, but hopefully that will change over the next few weeks.  I have used the time to formulate a plan of attack and research prices if i need any components replaced or serviced. My goal is to keep the budget low. Here are the "Heavy Hitters", items that definitely need inspected.

• Cooling system
• Transmission
• Brakes
• Differential
• Gas tank and Fuel system

I am hopeful there wont be any major mechanical issues with these items. 

In order to flush the braking system i bought a vacuum brake bleeder to attempt the one person method. For under $27 its worth a shot - Thanks Amazon!

It Begins:

This will be the first time the 55 has seen daylight in 15 years, unfortunately it was for 20 minutes while it moved 100 feet from the house garage into the detached garage – roomier!

Friday October 2, 2015

BACK STORY:

Growing up, I can't remember a time when I wasn’t fixated on my Dad’s 1955 Chevy Bel Air. Even though it was a “law ornament”, I would always get in and pretend to drive it. I can still remember that distinctive smell a car gets when it has been sitting for years and critters make it their home.

When I was older, my constant pestering (begging and pleading), successfully convinced my dad to let me get it back on the road.  A few months after starting the process, it was clear that it would need professional help. 


As the car was being restored, there were many trips to swap meets and lots of hours looking through the Danchuk catalog for parts. Those are very fond memories for me, spending that time with my dad living and breathing the restoration. After the restoration was completed we enjoyed driving and taking the car to cruises.

After only a few years, the motor failed and the car was placed into a garage and covered up.  Every year we said “When are we going to get that car back on the road”, and every year nothing happened.  15 years later, the car still sat under the car cover. When my father passed away in December of 2014, I realized how many more memories I missed making with him. I never thought he wouldn't be here to enjoy the car again. 

During those 15 years, I found the love of my life, got married and had a daughter who is now 5.  Since my dads passing, I have been compelled to bring it back to life, so I can share it with my family and make even more great memories. To me, this is a way i can honor my dad's memory as a great husband, father, and grandfather.  

None of this would be possible without the love and support of my wonderful and caring wife and my mother. My mother is truly the strongest person i know. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!

In order to begin work on the 55, I called in a flatbed so it could be moved to a larger garage to give me more room to work. Since the car was fully restored (Frame off) just a couple years before it went into storage, I optimistically see light mechanical items such as fluids and small components. I am crossing my fingers that I can handle the majority of the work to keep the budget low ( the car was almost brand new when it went into storage, 4,600 mile on a complete frame off restoration). Since the garage was climate controlled and the 55 was covered, it looks as fresh as the day it was done.