I couldn't pass it up.....

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So much for waiting till winter to work on this project. This guy came along with a pocket full of money and really likes this old thing. So it's now his.

He just wants to get the 6 cylinder running and put a disc brake kit on the front axle with rebuilt drums on the rear "For now".

That's the way they all start out isn't it?

I did the research on the S/N 14FP-A 1616.
Made in Baltimore Maryland in January 1948, 3100 series.
At least the tag was.
 
After a new radiator, points, plugs, rotor, water pump, starter, ignition switch, battery and cables, a carb cleaning, oil and filter and a little time, it runs and sounds pretty good. No excessive blow by and didn't get hot after running it for an hour. Clutch seems to be releasing so now we need a front disc brake conversion, u-joints and a rear brake job and send it down the road.

After running the numbers on the engine it seems like someone put a '58 235 engine in it. Much better than the 216.

Some one butchered the sheer metal in front of the radiator. Any one got one laying around I could buy?
 

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Good score on that engine. Full pressure system vs the old style dipper cup on the 216. Bearings vs babbits,ect.
If I remember my stovebolt stuff the 216 valve cover would have the bolt heads in the center of the covers.
Can't help you on the radiator cover though POPS. Shouldn't be too hard to find as most likely they were the same all the way thru to early series 55 model.
Torchie.
 
Good score on that engine. Full pressure system vs the old style dipper cup on the 216. Bearings vs babbits,ect.
If I remember my stovebolt stuff the 216 valve cover would have the bolt heads in the center of the covers.
Can't help you on the radiator cover though POPS. Shouldn't be too hard to find as most likely they were the same all the way thru to early series 55 model.
Torchie.

If I was going to build this one I would already have a 350 slid in it. While I was working on it last week it suddenly came to me that it's been over 20 years since I have put a set of points in anything. Always used a match book cover to set the gap but that's a thing of the past also.

We must be getting old or something.

I'll probably find a picture of the cover and reconstruct the top of this one. Should be pretty easy.
 
Ahh.... The old gaping the points with a matchbook cover trick :D
My friend that comes over when he can to help me on cars is 41-2 years old and never had to learn to gap a set of points till I showed him.:eek:
And you are right about it getting hard to find a match book to use POPS.
Also notice that they don't make "Strike any where" type kitchen matches any more either.
We used to think that we were so cool lighting a match using our thumb nail.:cool:
We are getting old.....Or maybe we are already there.[ddd
Torchie
 
Done and gone..

I finally got this finished up. He's happy and I made enough money to pay for the rest of my stroker motor build. So we're both happy.
 

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Perfect! For everyone involved.

What did you do to the paint? It looks a bit less oxidized, but not too much. Guessing you just washed it, but please share. It looks great.[cl
 
turn em and burn em, nice work!


I'll probably find a picture of the cover and reconstruct the top of this one. Should be pretty easy.


you probably know this by now, I see you have the cover reinstalled, but for anyone else looking for answers:

the radiator doesnt mount inside the core support "ring" on chevrolets, only on GMC's (with the 5" longer engine), but yours was mounted in there because the later motor has a longer water pump and the fan occupied the space where the radiator would have originally been. so a replacement piece wouldnt fit anyway.
 
The art of the deal. :cool:
It's always nice when everyone is happy with the deal.

Perfect! For everyone involved.

What did you do to the paint? It looks a bit less oxidized, but not too much. Guessing you just washed it, but please share. It looks great.[cl

I spent about 15 minutes blowing the rodent remains out of it the hit the thing with a pressure washer, lightly, and dawn dish soap.
That's about the size of my detailing work. It looked pretty good from anything over 15 ft.

turn em and burn em, nice work!

you probably know this by now, I see you have the cover reinstalled, but for anyone else looking for answers:

the radiator doesnt mount inside the core support "ring" on chevrolets, only on GMC's (with the 5" longer engine), but yours was mounted in there because the later motor has a longer water pump and the fan occupied the space where the radiator would have originally been. so a replacement piece wouldnt fit anyway.

That's the conclusion I came to when replacing the radiator. I just cut the cover straight and welded a 1/2" square bar to the edge for a little rigidity.
 
Hi IRPOPS

If you want to make it work for you...swap out all the parts to make it a decent runner...

If you wanna make a buck...get it running and sell it...stop over to the www.stovebolt.com website...those guys will be drooling over it....

In stock form....you can always stick it away in the barn and let it appreciate it for a while too...

My Howard Knapp Chevy truck rebuild came from Farmington NM....love the sheetmetal in your neck of the woods...stuff like that has not been around for 30 to 40 years in my neck of the woods in upstate NY...

Good luck which every way you go....

MikeC
 

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