Need Advice on my 1954 Chevy

[Vance Wine]

This is it. This is how I bought her. I like the way she looks, but want to make her car show material..Ive never set up at a car show.. But my wife and I want to make it an event to do so. Not sure if this car is Car show material or not.. I am new to the RAT world. So if you experienced guys could give me some advice on what to do to this car to make it even better.. Engine.. (original inline 6) Pretty much all I have planned as of right now is shaved door handles to give it that sleeker look.
thanks !! VW

 

[rex1927]

Looks Good!

Looks ready to me.I would not change a thing.Nice car.[dr

 

[Vance Wine]

Thanks! The under carriage and the engine aren't as pretty. I plan on dressing the engine up to make it presentable... what do people usually do about a rusty undercarriage?

 

[Vance Wine]

Here are some pics of the not so pretty!.... engine and underneathe..

 

[JeremyL]

Sweet looking car! If it were mine I wouldn't change much of anything except a little cleanup job under the hood. For the rusty undercarriage I'd suggest a good cleaning & then coating it with something like POR 15 to protect it.

 

[Vance Wine]

Jeremy I agree...I do plan on dressin up the engine a bit.. I dont have the $$ to do a chop top but I like the lead sled look... when you see cars with the rear wheel covered... is that just self fabricated or are there places to buy the fenders? thanks vw

 

[rainman]

Car shows are all about, "details", every little thing needs to be touched!!
Clean, clean, clean!!

I agree with the others, I like it as is!!

 

[LUCKY DEVIL 13]

I like the body as is but as far as the enginie bay I'd say start with the wiring and get that in order with some convoluted tubing that'll clean it up alot then take and pull the valve cover and clean it up and paint it - if you can take some stuff off of the motor and get it out of the way for a bit you could scrub and clean the motor up and repaint that as well just use cardboard around it to mask off the rest of the engine bay - That is the one big area that everyone looks at at shows so I would focus on that Otherwise you've got a killer ride!!!

 

[Vance Wine]

Lucky Devil and Rainman.. thanks for the responses.
When I say car shows.. i dont mean that Hot Rod parked over mirror kinda stuff... Just a fun Rockabilly style show. I agree about the engine compartment. I look forward to fixing it up... Im learning alot reading through the threads on this site.

 

[hankthebigdog]

what he said /\. clean up wiring and make it look neat and a spot of paint on the heartbeat. Drive the wheels off of it and enjoy every mile from show to show. I go to shows to look and enjoy the time with the wife, not for the $10.00 trophy. just my $.02

 

[Vance Wine]

My wife is a Pinup model.. (pic attached) so she will have a great time blending in the '50's era.. and i like cars.. so hey! that seems like good marriage counseling to me...! we are both happy. Plus my son would love the cars!

 

[Tim...Ok]

Nice car, looks really good..

I agree, I'd tidy up the wiring, maybe a little paint under the hood..then I'd drive right past the show and take the car out for an afternoon cruise with my honey..I can sit in a lawnchair at home without anyone verbally bashing my car..

 

[Vance Wine]

I like the honest opinions here, thanks. And your right. Enjoy the ride for the ride.. [cl

 

[Rat33pickmup]

Nice 54..... google 53-4 chevy fender skirts and they are all over for those cars..... would be sweet with Skirts on her......

Smitty

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Shows are for dogs - get out and DRIVE.

That being said, what you really need to do before you start driving is go over it with a VERY fine tooth comb for road-worthiness. You cannot assume anything with a purchased car that you didn't build, no matter what the P.O. tells you. That wiring looks scary as hell IMO. What is the reason for the rat's nest going on there? Could be ok, could be an electrical fire waiting to happen. If it's bad then toss a new wiring harness in it. With the kits available today it's really not that big a deal. A good weekend project at best, and it's also a good time to convert to 12V if it hasn't been done yet.

Even more importantly - BRAKES. Get that thing up in the air and scrutinize every line and hose. Look for rusty or kinked lines, cracked or dryrotted hoses, leaky fittings, etc. Pull off all the wheels and drums. Inspect the linings and drum surfaces. Make sure the wheel cylinders are functioning properly. Check the diameter of the drums and make sure they are within tolerance. If they are, have them turned if they are grooved. Pop open the master cylinder and check out the fluid. Should be nice and clear, not murky looking. Pull the hubs. Clean out the bearings & races and repack them with fresh grease. Adjust the brakes properly. While it's in the air check all the suspension & steering components. Check ball joints, tie rods, pitman arm, drag link, A-arm bushings, springs, etc. Check all fluid levels - engine, transmission and differential. Check the tires for uneven wear, foreign objects or broken belts. Find a local alignment shop that actually knows what a '54 Chevy IS, and take it in. Have them put it on the rack and set the alignment.

This is just a short checklist, but things you should most certainly do before driving the car any distance at all. I know it's cool to hop in a old car and go for a drive, but it's not like the daily driver you're used to. It's a bit of work, but well worth it. If it was easy everyone would do it. We want to make sure you and your wife can enjoy this hobby for many years to come. Good luck!

P.S. I spent many a gunnery mission at ol' Graf. I was stationed in Budingen (now closed) with 1-1 Cav. from '92-'94. Good times over there. Thanks for your service. [ddev

 

[gassersgarage]

This is a friend of mine's '54 Chevy. Lots of things you can do.


Like others have said, go over everything to make it a reliable and safe driver.

I traded my '51 Ford Gasser for a supposedly finished '52 Chevy that was in the Long Beach Motorama in 2009. I've spent the last couple of months fixing everything that was wrong with it. After fixing the cooling problems and re-aligning the doors for proper fit, fixing the braking system, aligning the front end and tightening up the steering box, I took it back to the original builder to show him the results. He said he only had 3 weeks to put the car together for the show and never fixed what was wrong. Funny, now he wants to buy the car if I want to sell. This coming week, I'm adding A/C for the summer.

 

[Sam_Fear]

You want some easy show off - pinstripe it. Under the hood, besides the wires and hoses, clean up the valve cover and pinstripe it. Change that little out of place air cleaner. Down the line, maybe some frenched lights and a chop.

 

[Vance Wine]

Thanks to everyone for the comments.. sometimes I cant get on quick enough to respond.. (im on army time) and btw. pinstriping.. Great idea!

 

[Vance Wine]

Devil, Thanks for the in depth answer. luckily im related to an Awesome mechanic with an awesome garage (my dad). Graf has changed alot. It is close to being one of the nicest post in Germany. I was in Vilseck, Germany for 3 years before moving to GRAF, and at that time Graf sucked.. (2005)