My 56 Chevy HT Progress

[TrifiveRichard]

I recently joined the site, and thought I'd share some of my progress on our 56 chevy 2dr ht. We purchased the car back in 2013, and really got started on it in late 2014, so it's taken a while. I am now finishing up the electrical, have the windshield and rear glass to install yet, add fluids, and start it up. Then it will go to the upholsterer.

We bought the car in LA while on a trip there, and had it shipped to AL. The body has been dipped, then I completed the sheetmetal work. The body was pretty good, but did need inner/outer rockers, trunk lower lip, driver and passenger foot wells replaced.

The build is a restomod, with the body virtually stock on the outside. The chassis is an Art Morrison GT55 with coilers on all 4 corners and 2" dropped front spindles. The reared is a 9" posi with 3.73 gears. The wheels are around 2013 corvette chrome GM units, front 8.5x18 and 9.5x19 (as I recall). The motor is GM LS3/525hp, with GM accessories, except A/C compressor (Sanden from Vintage Air). The trans is a TREMEC magnum close ratio unit. The exterior color is base/clear coat black. The interior will be an older Ferrari cream/yellowish color. We added power windows/door locks, DVR receiver/amp, rain gear under dash wiper motor, vintage air A/C, Classic instruments gauge cluster. The front seats are 2006ish GTO, and the rear will be hand built by the upholsterer to complement the front.

Attached are a few pictures of progress along the way, and as it sets today.

56 chevy 4.jpeg56 chevy 1.jpeg56 Chevy 2.jpeg56 Chevy 3.jpeg

[56Safari]

Looks pretty sharp man. I like the H pipe made from V bands, I wasn't aware that the Art Morrison chassis had provisions for that.

[busterwivell]

WOW! You are making my 56 project look like junk! Nice work!

[BamaNomad]

Having watched Dick's work and progress on his '56 HT over the past 3-4 yrs, it's my opinion that it's going to be a real hit at any shows he takes it to once completed... including the biggest TriFive shows!

PS. I noticed he didn't say anything about the 'Infinity' system he installed... .. or the 3 Farad capacitor... I told him he's the first/only fella ever to install one of those infinity systems in an automobile, but maybe I'm wrong!~

[TrifiveRichard]

thanks for the comments guys. The Morrison chassis doesn't come with the holes for the H-pipe. I cut out round sections in the inner frame rails and welded in 3.5" tubes. The exhaust goes thru those. The pipe is mounted solid to the trans side of the trans mount, much like the C3 corvettes did.

Gary (BamaNomad) is quite an advocate of Infinitybox! This is the first time I have used the system. It has some nice features, like soft stop on the power windows, as well as disabling the ignition and fuel pump when the key fob lock is activated. Overall though, I probably will not install another one. They are expensive, have there own idiosyncracies, and I don't see the bang-for-the-buck in this type of application. One lesson learned from installing one, is be sure to get power windows that have a reversible polarity motor, not the center-tapped one. I didn't, and had to add 8 relays (2/motor) to get the box to work with my power windows. Dick

[55 Tony]

.. or the 3 Farad capacitor... I told him he's the first/only fella ever to install one of those infinity systems in an automobile, but maybe I'm wrong!~

Wow! Something tells me that that car will never see and automatic carwash!
A 3 farad capacitor! With that mention and the infinity system I was guessing the infinity system was for sound but hooking it up to the power windows doesn't make sense (to me anyway)

Back to the 3 farad capacitor, did you know that a capacitor is the only thing known to man that can store electrical energy?

[chevynut]

did you know that a capacitor is the only thing known to man that can store electrical energy?

So what does a battery do?

[TrifiveRichard]

The capacitor is clearly for the stereo amplifier subwoofer. It handles surge currents at a frequency batteries are said to have too much internal inductance to maintain voltage. It's overkill for my amp, but wasn't too expensive and is insurance.

I mounted the battery, subwoofer, capacitor, amplifier, large unstitched fuse panel, and infinitybox rear power cell on a platform and located it behind the rear seat, using the original shock mount holes to hold it down.

[Belair-o]

Beautiful car!
You mentioned in your first post, "The motor is GM LS3/525hp, with GM accessories, except A/C compressor (Sanden from Vintage Air). " I looked at switching out the R4 compressor for a Sanden on my GMPP serpentine kit (based on the '90-92 Z28 TPI engine, I think), and couldn't figure out a way to do it. Did you have the same serpentine configuration, and do you have any guidance on how you did the swap?
Thanks, Doug

[55 Tony]

So what does a battery do?

Ah Ha! I suckered someone in. A battery stores chemical energy. When used it turns it into electrical energy. Just something I learned in electronics class that I like to trick people with like our teacher tricked us.