LT1 and a T56 in a 55 Chevy

That's good to hear!!! You were gone for quite awhile, I was thinking the worst!
I had some pretty severe injury/health problems, a couple of each piled up on me, lost a couple of years there in the shop, but seem to be back at it, it's just that now the "honeydo" list seems to butt in front of the shop projects, yes dear !!
 
I had some pretty severe injury/health problems, a couple of each piled up on me, lost a couple of years there in the shop, but seem to be back at it, it's just that now the "honeydo" list seems to butt in front of the shop projects, yes dear !!
Be sure to take pictures when you put the body back on the frame Willy.
Like to see how you do it.
 
Well, health, family, and travel have taken it's toll on my time, but I'm back at it...
Time to mount the body back on the chassis, and I chose to do it by lifting the chassis up to the body, starting at the rear, and bolting the back end on at the rear most body mounts, then lifting the front, bolting that, then putting in the rest of the bolts. It went pretty smoothly....

It's been sitting like this for some time now, while I completely went through the chassis, and rebuilt the floors, trunk and did the "mini-tubs"....
55HT_fitPartsLT1_080s_march2016.jpg


With jacks under the front of the chassis as well, I was able to pinch the 4x4, lift it up off the steel sawhorses, set the edges of the rear of the body on sawhorses, and remove the 4x4. Then lift the rear of the chassis, aligning the two rear mounting bolts, it all clicked together like magic....
55HTBody001s_Oct2018.JPG


If you look carefully you can see the left rear body mount bolt above, I was able to guide the rear of the chassis so those two rear bolts dropped right into the mounts...
55HTBody002s_Oct2018.JPG


The rear is fitting up just like it's supposed to, somethings gotta be going wrong here, it can't be that easy ???
55HTBody003s_Oct2018.JPG


Used an engine hoist to lift the front of the chassis up as it needed to go higher than my floor jacks would handle, it all went smooth...
55HTBody009s_Oct2018.JPG


Stuck the front body mount bolts in loosely with nuts, and put it all on jack stands to install the rest of the body mount bolts...
55HTBody010s_Oct2018.JPG


It all went together surprisingly easy and I 'm quite happy with the fit of the rear axle, wheels and tubs...
55HTBody011s_Oct2018.jpg


More later,
Aloha,
Willy

More pix here...
 
The nice part was that I could do it all by myself. Trying to drop that body down on the chassis would have required a bunch of guys, and we are just all way too busy right now, with the equipment I have available, this looked like the best way. All I can say is that it worked just great !!

Now I have to put in the steering column and hook it up, then the wiring...
 
thanks for posting the great pictures of your project
 
The rear is fitting up just like it's supposed to, somethings gotta be going wrong here, it can't be that easy ???
I've thought that many times myself........ something got to be wrong !!! :)

Great planning on your part Willy!
 
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reading links and sub linked info may not be fun,
but you may be amazed at the amount of wasted time and money,
you can save from being wasted with the info gained in the process
you may not find the link you need, specifically,
but the info you do read, should make you think,
and question the process, ask the related questions,
and look at all your options carefully.
and yes if your installing a suspension, measure accurately several times..
assume nothing is correct until its carefully verified several times,
and yes your very likely to make mistakes,
so Id suggest you measure with the suspension and tires sitting on the ground,
before, you decide on tires, clearances , Finnish welding of the suspension links , spring perches, drive shaft angles etc. are finalized/ begins


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...asuring-for-a-new-drive-shaft.478/#post-67321

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ear-axles-and-differentials.11848/#post-73266

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/getting-a-camaro-or-firebird-to-bite.4067/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...c4-corvette-wheel-tech-info.12099/#post-75335

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...nks-that-may-help-your-musclecar-handle.3526/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ouve-got-a-camaro-nova-etc-this-may-help.460/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-and-info-to-help-get-the-chassis-right.9012/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/suspension-springs.5622/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/disc-brake-kits.6579/
 
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All great sources of info, many thanks....

Realized I forgot to cut an access hole in the floor of the trunk for the "in tank" fuel pump and fuel hose attachments....

Crawled under and took some measurements and taped off the future "hole"...
55HTBody015s_Oct2018.JPG


I was able to slide that 14" carbide cut off blade in on top of the fuel pump, under the trunk floor, and also a wet towel to absorb any sparks, pieces of metal...
55HTBody016s_Oct2018.JPG


This should give me plenty of access....
55HTBody017s_Oct2018.JPG


Smoothed the sharp edges off and put seam sealer in a couple of open spots...
55HTBody018s_Oct2018.JPG


Now to fab a cover....
 
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Had a little time to run to the shop with a piece of 16 ga. galv. sheet metal I had laying around, and cut it to 10" x 12" to fit over that 8" x 10" hole in the trunk, drilled it on a uniform pattern so it should not matter which side it up when ever I put it on. Had some #14 ss sheet metal screws around, 3/4" and 1" long, a bit over-kill but what the heck...

Drilled the cover with the smaller hole size initially to use as a pattern to drill the trunk floor prior to tapping the sheet metal screws into the floor metal....

55HTBody019s_Oct2018.JPG


Transferred two corner holes to the floor where the cover will go, then redrilled those two corner holes in the cover plate to the larger size for the #14's to slide through, then screwed down the cover with those two corner screws, then drilled the rest of the smaller holes in the floor using the cover as a guide. Then redrilled the cover holes to the larger size for the #14's...
55HTBody020s_Oct2018.JPG


Now I have to go do the initial tap of those #14's into the floor around the hole....
Think I'm gonna need a coupla beers to get this job done....
Aloha,
Willy
 
Nice, very nice!

Glad it was flat where the access door goes, would have made the job a lot harder if it wasn't.
 
I prefer to drill and tap the frame when possible. The RivNut takes a big hole compared to the thread size.
Just a 5/16 bolt will require a 1/2 inch hole and 3/8 inch bolt will require a 5/8 inch hole.

RivNutDrillSizes_00871.jpg
 
thats TRUE, but taping frames with less than 3/8" thick metal
(and thats almost all of them) leaves a comparatively weak thread engagement surface area.
the thread inserts take significantly more stress to strip threads.
the best thread inserts require access to the under side where a washer is placed around the extended lower protruding shank,
of the rivet, before its permanently expanded ,trapping the washer,
but if you have that access a washer and nut should be used or a flange nut
everbilt-hex-nuts-803958-64_145.jpg


welded on the under side of the sheet metal
 
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I don't thread the frame for anything that is stressed much, just things like mounting a remote
filter and cooler. If it strips, then I can drill larger and install a RivNut. But that can be a pain
since there is no room for a drill motor and drill bit between the frame and trans/engine.

FP01_FilterScrewThread_00803.jpg
FP01_CoolerLines_6173.jpg
 
Rivnuts were used on every 2nd Camaro Z28 & Firebird Trans Am to mount the front sway bar to the stamped steel and welded together Front subframe.
They are strong when installed correct.
 
Rivnuts are what I wanted to use, with flathead machine screws, and counter sink the holes on the cover to get a flat surface, but couldn't find any locally, and had the #14 sheet metal screws on hand, so just went with those. A bit of over-kill the way I did it, but it looks pretty nice...
Just painted the cover, will post when all done with it. The ss tends to gall so rubbed some bees wax on the threads, stops all galling, and have never had them loosen up due to the wax...
 
Redrilled the holes in the cover plate to the larger size, tapped the screws into the holes in the floor, painted the cover with black hammer tone, and installed it....

55HTBody022s_Oct2018.JPG
 
that looks decent, in fact far better than most similar repairs and added access panels Ive seen.
 
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