Ryan's 57 4 door Belair Hardtop Project

[hurddawg]

Rear toe control rods showed up today! Thank you Nick, they look fantastic

toecontrolrods_resize.jpg

Another step closer!

[hurddawg]

For the most part I wrapped up the projects I had going on and so I can focus more time on this project. Although with Trout/Salmon fishing starting up soon it might be difficult though lol.

So I in the past few weeks I've been selling off some of the stock components I did not need anymore and taking up space, original diff, tires wheels, brake kit I bought originally before going head in, etc. So that freed up some additional cash to buy some brake/fuel line parts and exhaust parts. Engine has been decided for most part. My Dad is a SBC fan and out of the blown up bits of his previous engine(s) we managed to put together a 383. We sent the heads out (Edelbrock E-Tecs) for clean up and valve work, but one head may have to be replaced. Although engine stuff is a bit early imo, he is excited about it and wanted to start on it so I am buying/bought stuff for that.

I bought ridetech front coil overs couple of weeks ago (sale at Jegs) and last weekend thought I could install the front suspension on for mock up. Ends up the ridetech top hat interferes with the frame. Couple of days ago I learned the Ridetech offers (at additional cost) 1" drop top hats so I'll try that and see if it give up enough space. Other wise I will need to give up on the lower Ridetech mount and use a trunnion where the C4 dampers attach. The Ridetech lower attachment bracket locates the coilover lower mount in the webbing area where the stock spring rests.

Since the front suspension mock up didn't go so well (due to selected parts), with some help from a friend we got the rear suspension hung on the batwing. excuse the mess! I'll probably tackle the front suspension this weekend as the new top hats should arrive by then.

d36_in_frame.jpg

[WagonCrazy]

Lookin' good man. Keep at it.

[chevynut]

Same problem with the QA1 standard top spring seats but the tall ones work great. Looks good so far.

[hurddawg]

Short update. The taller hats showed up, but still no dice. I ordered the Ridetech trunnions the other day, so sometime next week I should have the front suspension on the frame. Since I have holes in the lower control arm from drilling the lower brackets I decided I'd order a replacement.

Feeling a bit defeated with the suspension, I did turn my attention to the brakes. In the past few weeks I had bought a set of C5 brakes (12.8"x1.25") and to get them to work you need an adapter bracket. So I had been working with a friend who had purchased a water jet recently and he turned these out for me....
C5brakebracket.jpg


With some hardware the end result is this:
c5brakemockup.jpg

I still need to powder coat the carrier though. The color is not a spot on match, but close enough to the color I want to paint the car. Which is C6 Atomic Orange, and based on the color samples I've gotten is a notch or 2 brighter than the car's original color of Sierra Gold. So in tune with the restomod theme, the color will get a update too

My other mission this weekend is to get the gas tank bolted up.

[hurddawg]

Another bump in the road. The tank i bought from Ricks appears to be the tank for Trifives, BUT a seamless frame. The rear most mounts on the tank and the "junction" where the frame tail piece connects interferes with each other. Time to start practicing TIG welding.

[NickP]

Another bump in the road. The tank i bought from Ricks appears to be the tank for Trifives, BUT a seamless frame. The rear most mounts on the tank and the "junction" where the frame tail piece connects interferes with each other. Time to start practicing TIG welding.

Picture of the mount issue?

[hurddawg]

Sorry no pictures of my actual parts, but using photos on the web already...

So here is a photo of one, in the frame you did Nick. The tabs on my tank are like this and the brackets.

In the following link from the 'other' forum, here is a guy installing a Ricks in his 2 pc frame and is how my frame looks.

https://www.trifive.com/forums/showt...=119712&page=5

I emailed Hector at Ricks to see if he'll sell me a couple of SS tabs for the rear. Thinking now I'll need the frame side brackets too.

[NickP]

Sorry no pictures of my actual parts, but using photos on the web already...



So here is a photo of one, in the frame you did Nick. The tabs on my tank are like this and the brackets.

In the following link from the 'other' forum, here is a guy installing a Ricks in his 2 pc frame and is how my frame looks.

https://www.trifive.com/forums/showt...=119712&page=5

I emailed Hector at Ricks to see if he'll sell me a couple of SS tabs for the rear. Thinking now I'll need the frame side brackets too.

So, you need brackets? I apologize for not following you. Don't buy brackets, I have a set somewhere I'll give you if that's what you need. Tabs? You mean the Stainless ones. I don't have them. What tank do you have? Is yours like the one depicted in my chassis or like the one in the link?

[chevynut]

Nick, the problem is that the 2-piece frames have a rounded corner and the rear SIDE brackets won't fit there at the location they put the rear tabs on the tank. I think the welded rear tabs on the tank interfere with the frame and IMO they should have put them further forward or on the rear of the tank as shown in the pic below. For the cost of the Rick's tank (~$1500) I think they should put the tabs wherever you want them. I would have put a piece of 1" bent stainless angle on the rear of the tank to slide it back closer to the crossmember.