2Loose
reliable source of info
Although not a muscle car, per se, when I get through with this 55 CHEVY project, it will be!
In '93 I bought one of the first Z28, LT1 six speed Camaro's to come out of the NW, bought it in Seattle and shipped it back to Maui. The motor was advertised as a 2 bolt main, 285 hp efi 350, with a speed density system and batch fire injectors. I think the 285 hp was because Chevy couldn't let the Camaro have as much hp as the LT1 Corvette, which was advertised as 300 hp! If you took note at the time, the rpm that they stated the hp at was different! The 'Vette also got the 4 bolt block, the Camaro the 2 bolt block!
It also had the older style plug in chip system, and I was able to get custom chips burnt for about $25 each. Upgraded to a fresh air system, Arizona Speed and Marine headers, removed the cat and installed a true dual system with a cross-connect (no under car inspection in Hawaii), installed an adjustable fuel pressure regulator to fine tune with, and put 4.56 gears in. With the T56, new shocks and good rubber, it was a fun car to drive around Maui. Until I lost it on a curvey road one dark and stormy night and went into the tree harvesting business! Totaled the Camaro, but I was able to walk away from it, sort of....
Kept the motor and tranny, and rebuilt the motor into a 396 with ported Trick Flow heads, ported the plenum to match the heads, and enlarged the front of the plenum to take a larger TB. Upgraded the injectors and picked up a used early edition FAST controller that should work well with this motor with a sequential injector fire system. Put a new OltiSpark with the vented enclosure on.
The early T56's in the Camaros had a lower first gear than the later models did, here's the ratios: 3.36 2.07 1.35 1.00 0.80 0.62
I picked up this '55 Chevy hardtop to put this motor/trans in 7 years ago, but it got sidetracked due to some health and family problems that needed my attention. Then the '55 gasser and the '55 4x4 truck took priority for awhile. And my '58 pro street truck is now 15 years on the road, and needed some "freshening up", so the hardtop just kept sitting. I always knew when a project is "done", it really is never really just "done"..... :roll:
Yesterday was the day to pull the hardtop out of storage, and haul it up to my main shop 15 miles away and get started on it. Will post pix and keep this thread on going as the car comes together.
The vision is a low sitting, good handling, fun to drive, 500 hp LT1 396 with a T56 and 9" locker, minitubbed with good rubber all around.
When I bought it, the motor was a wheezy, oil leakin' 350/350 combo, on stock rims with stock suspension, stock interior, and the magnet found a bit of bondo here and there.
The early work I did included a minitub job, slung the springs in under the frame rails, narrowed a 9" with a detroit locker and 4.11 gears, put slappers on the rear springs. Then the motor let go, so it want into storage. This pix was just before the storage:
Here's a concept drawing I did when I first got the car:
There are lots of decisions to be made, bucket seats vs the bench. Dechroming vs keeping the Bel Air trim. Just how far do I want to go with the frame. Have visited both Jim Meyer's shop and Art Morrison's shop, both offer quality products.
Or do a body off and setup my own custom frame (a whole lot more work, but I feel capable of doing it). It's just that as I turn 71, just how far do I want to go with this car?
I would like to get it on the road and enjoy it, along with the rest of my growing 'fleet' (the '55 street gasser, the '55 4x4 stepside, and the '58 pro street truck), which I am now enjoying each day....
(eenie - meenie - mainie - moe, which car today is gonna show.....)
I did start a project page when I was doing that initial work on this car, will start adding to that as I make progress:
LINK to the hardtop project page....
Aloha,
"2Loose" Willy
In '93 I bought one of the first Z28, LT1 six speed Camaro's to come out of the NW, bought it in Seattle and shipped it back to Maui. The motor was advertised as a 2 bolt main, 285 hp efi 350, with a speed density system and batch fire injectors. I think the 285 hp was because Chevy couldn't let the Camaro have as much hp as the LT1 Corvette, which was advertised as 300 hp! If you took note at the time, the rpm that they stated the hp at was different! The 'Vette also got the 4 bolt block, the Camaro the 2 bolt block!
It also had the older style plug in chip system, and I was able to get custom chips burnt for about $25 each. Upgraded to a fresh air system, Arizona Speed and Marine headers, removed the cat and installed a true dual system with a cross-connect (no under car inspection in Hawaii), installed an adjustable fuel pressure regulator to fine tune with, and put 4.56 gears in. With the T56, new shocks and good rubber, it was a fun car to drive around Maui. Until I lost it on a curvey road one dark and stormy night and went into the tree harvesting business! Totaled the Camaro, but I was able to walk away from it, sort of....
Kept the motor and tranny, and rebuilt the motor into a 396 with ported Trick Flow heads, ported the plenum to match the heads, and enlarged the front of the plenum to take a larger TB. Upgraded the injectors and picked up a used early edition FAST controller that should work well with this motor with a sequential injector fire system. Put a new OltiSpark with the vented enclosure on.
The early T56's in the Camaros had a lower first gear than the later models did, here's the ratios: 3.36 2.07 1.35 1.00 0.80 0.62
I picked up this '55 Chevy hardtop to put this motor/trans in 7 years ago, but it got sidetracked due to some health and family problems that needed my attention. Then the '55 gasser and the '55 4x4 truck took priority for awhile. And my '58 pro street truck is now 15 years on the road, and needed some "freshening up", so the hardtop just kept sitting. I always knew when a project is "done", it really is never really just "done"..... :roll:
Yesterday was the day to pull the hardtop out of storage, and haul it up to my main shop 15 miles away and get started on it. Will post pix and keep this thread on going as the car comes together.
The vision is a low sitting, good handling, fun to drive, 500 hp LT1 396 with a T56 and 9" locker, minitubbed with good rubber all around.
When I bought it, the motor was a wheezy, oil leakin' 350/350 combo, on stock rims with stock suspension, stock interior, and the magnet found a bit of bondo here and there.
The early work I did included a minitub job, slung the springs in under the frame rails, narrowed a 9" with a detroit locker and 4.11 gears, put slappers on the rear springs. Then the motor let go, so it want into storage. This pix was just before the storage:
Here's a concept drawing I did when I first got the car:
There are lots of decisions to be made, bucket seats vs the bench. Dechroming vs keeping the Bel Air trim. Just how far do I want to go with the frame. Have visited both Jim Meyer's shop and Art Morrison's shop, both offer quality products.
Or do a body off and setup my own custom frame (a whole lot more work, but I feel capable of doing it). It's just that as I turn 71, just how far do I want to go with this car?
I would like to get it on the road and enjoy it, along with the rest of my growing 'fleet' (the '55 street gasser, the '55 4x4 stepside, and the '58 pro street truck), which I am now enjoying each day....
(eenie - meenie - mainie - moe, which car today is gonna show.....)
I did start a project page when I was doing that initial work on this car, will start adding to that as I make progress:
LINK to the hardtop project page....
Aloha,
"2Loose" Willy
