Eric W

Got the mechanical side of the aux fuel pump done. Thanks to Ben for the hint on where to put it - this was much easier than up by the tank would have been. Before: After: Steps: Determine mounting hole location - note fuel line has clip on to frame, so needed pump far enough behind that to keep the line in the clip after the job is done. Drill hole - drilled from inside out because drill wouldn't fit between body sill & frame. Cut fuel line more or less centered over the hole. Clean up the nasty, stinky gas that comes out. Put the pump up there to get an idea of where to aim the tube bends. Take pump down. Bend front tube section to meet up with pump. Put pump back up to see where to cut off the tube. Pull pump back off. Cut off tube with ~1" or so to the pump. File smooth the end of the tube, clean off the 1" or so of tube that will go inside the new hose. Do same steps for tube at back end of pump. Final install fittings on pump with sealant. I used Loctite 565. Put pump in place & tighten down. Put 1 clamp on each piece of hose, other clamp up the tube on each side. Install the hose - I did pump end first, then angled the hose over the end of the tube. Put clamps into the right place.

If you go to google, you can put in "1955 nailhead site:craigslist.org" - repeat this for as many years as you want. The key is the "site:craigslist.org" limits the results to only c-list. I did this within the past month (for this same engine), and there are lots of them out there. They ranged from parts / bare block to as-pulled to complete fresh rebuilds... Someone with more knowledge can comment - if your screen name implies a '55, I think the exhaust configuration changed from '55 to '56 - not sure if this was because the brake master location changed, or the brake master location was changed to accomodate exhaust pipes down each side. But fitting a '56 into a '55 might be somewhat involved around the left side exhaust / brake master area.

After Ben's hint, I remembered this picture: Give me a few days, and there will be a pump right about at that hole in the frame...

Thanks Pete - here are some that could help: Trying to figure out how to measure (or back out) the height from the bottom radiator-to-frame bolt points to the bottom of the bottom tank. The radiator shop was showing 5" here, but I think that puts the radiator too low. Also thickness of the core (I know it's nominal 2", but is that 2 1/4, 2 3/8, or right on 2"), thickness of the bottom tank, distance fan to core. Also distance from bottom of bottom tank to top of core, and top of core to highest point in curved top of top tank.

John didn't have exactly this one. Still looking... I've been exchanging emails with one company who has made a couple different configurations of early 50's Buick radiators. They told me they have done 3 of the 4, and of course, I'm looking for the one they haven't done. They sent me their dimensioned print for what looked like the closest, and what they have will not fit the 40-series car. The tank thickness on the bottom tank looks like a problem, and as shown, their overall radiator sits too low in the mounting frame (or maybe what they've done is taller overall). Height isn't too much problem because the holes in the side brackets can be relocated (or just make it with undrilled side brackets and I'll drill as needed). Thickness at the lower tank is the big problem because that's structure they can't change. Looks like they're using a standard 3" extrusion for the top & bottom core tube "caps", but from what I can tell, the bottom will need to be 2". So though these guys are close, they won't have a product for me unless/until they go to a 2" - at least for the bottom tank. Anyone have a junked/trashed not-worth-repairing 3123756 that I could use just to measure? I saw 2 of these at DVAP in Casa Grande - I might just go back there. I need a couple of rims anyway. (And a "Brake" release knob for the '55)

I have not used steel wool yet at all on chrome. Others said it works ok, but I went with the polish on a microfiber towel only. The polish I used is Simichrome. It's made in Germany; sold at motorcycle shops. Don't know if this is better/worse than anything else - I'd just had it recommended to me back when I had a motorcycle, and it seems to work really well. For the chrome itself, I did some ebay trading - the trunk handle that's on the car actually was an ebay item from someone right in town here - even "my side" of town, so I just met the guy at a shopping center in between us. I'm no expert, but as far as I can tell, there isn't really a cure for pitted chrome - if it's a steel part it can be re-chromed. If it's a non-steel "pot metal" part - there's people that will work with this, but if it's pitted, it's very involved to strip it, drill out the metal where the pits are, refill the drill holes, smooth it all down... I'm trying to avoid that whole process by just buying the best examples I can find of the few pot metal parts. For the clear plastic - clean as much as you can. I used alcohol and q-tips. Also used those #11 narrow-angle x-acto blades to really get all the dust & dirt out of all the molded-in crevices. I'm talking about the "inside" or "back side" of the lenses. For re-coloring, I used Testor's metallic silver in the letters. Be patient & do this over several days - get a good 5-6 coats in there, even though it's slow & frustrating. I didn't get enough in there & the red bled through. After the silver is in the letters, I masked off the perimeter to not get anything on the "outside" of the lenses, and painted the inside with VHT Nite-Shades red tail light lens spray paint. That stuff is pretty expensive for a spray bomb. Got it at the O'Reilly's auto parts, I think, but it's at a couple of the major brand parts stores. This stuff goes on really thin. Took 5-6 coats to build up decent color. For the emblem - again more cleaning. x-acto knife, alcohol & q-tip, simichrome polish. You want the metal that will show to be as shiny as you ever want it - because there's no guarantees you can polish over the paint with anything - and not just take the paint back off. I painted this with Testor's Gloss Dark Red and Testor's Gloss Dark Blue. I have no idea of the durability of these, but the car will live in the garage, other than being out every once in a while. I took the emblem off from the overall handle part to clean out between the overall part and the emblem, and also to stick the emblem on a little shoe box lid by punching a couple of holes in the lid. Makes it easier to handle & move around. Painted this with the super-fine paint brushes that were at the Testor's display in the craft store. Good luck!

Thanks Ben - the frame rail may be easier to access than back by the tank. I've got the car's front wheels on ramps (I prefer a car on ramps on its own wheels to jack stands when possible), and the back end on jack stands under the frame forward of the rear wheels. So it's about 15" or so floor-to-frame all the way around. Like this, the rear suspension is fully extended, with the tires just not quite touching the floor. So though the suspension is down away from the forward side of the gas tank, I can't really tell where it will go when it's up. I'm considering getting a 2nd set of ramps and putting the back wheels on them to see where the suspension goes with the weight on it. I recall seeing a photo where the aux pump was bolted to the frame cross member just forward of the gas tank. But I don't know what car that was on. That would be close to the tank, but above it.

Anyone have photos of where you put the electric aux fuel pump? I'm thinking back by the tank on the frame somewhere, but I can just picture getting through this, letting the car off the jack stands, and crunch - the suspension wipes the pump right off. This is for the '51, but any photos will help. (Even if they're the "don't put it here - crunch" variety.)

I got the B-1A installed in my '51 pretty easily. I put the car on jack stands, then put a square of plywood on the floor jack, and the tank on top of that, and just lifted it up. The jack held the tank to get the straps in. The kit from Tanks did not include the worm clamps, but that's an easy item to get locally. I got the tank hung up one day, then the next day went back and added the short coupling hose section and the filler neck. Found I had to shift the tank about an inch to the left to get the filler neck centered in the tube through the trunk - just loosened the tank straps and scooted the tank over then re-tightened the straps. Haven't got it connected to the fuel line yet - plan is to add an electric pump.

Thanks! You might be able to tell from the first photo (from the rear) that the tank is designed to be able to shift left-right. I ended up shifting it to the left about an inch to get the fill neck centered in the filler opening.

Hardest part was remembering where the tank bolts hook onto the frame...

Here's where I spent a good part of this afternoon: This one won the class ('49-63 Chrome & Fins): I thought it would be a $100k+ '55 Chevy on the row right across from me, but no, the people showed it's not the money...

Got the Tanks, Inc. tank. Looks good so far. Need to get a couple of worm clamps for the filler neck joint. It's obvious they do this to keep the shipping box size down. Well packed, and it appears to be painted the silver color. The (made in Taiwan) level sender had a gasket with it, but they include their own little-bit-thicker gasket. The screws for the level sender have o-rings under the heads. The level sender gasket is not symmetrical, so if you're putting one of these on and it looks like the holes don't line up - the notch in the gasket goes towards the back. I ordered a 6V fuel pump from Summit, so I'll put that up by the tank while I'm under there. - what's in the box. - nice logo & trying to show the gasket has a notch that goes to the back. - level sender installed.

How about the early 60's Cadillac monster truck in the background of the 3rd photo? That one for sale too? It's a kinda-dually. 3 wheels on the back axle...

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/4381661232.html Posted at $2400. "Inline V8". No photo of the inline vee.

These tanks are shipped with a stub for the filler neck to keep the shipping box smaller. They also should include the length of tube to complete the filler, plus some sort of flex hose to join the two parts. I have a B-1A & new sender on the way as well. The tank on my car pinholed right through when it was dipped.

Yes! Got the brakes bled today. My 7 year-old daughter on the pedal, me doing the open & shut on the wheel cylinder bleed screws & topping off the master. Bled until the non-clear fluid was out of all 4 corners. Pedal is nice & solid at about 1/2 travel, and I haven't tried adjusting the shoes at all yet. Now all it needs is a gas tank, radiator, battery...

That wheel was just a photo grab from another auction. I think they were asking $280+ship.

Thanks guys. With that ID I can find any number of photos of '54's with that ring. Yes, I have that ring in the bottom photo with blue background, and since it's not right for either my '51 or the '55, I'll be moving it along. $35+ship sound fair? That's what I was going to put it back on the ebay parts recycling service for, then it only cost me a little to learn about the single-year only '54 horn ring... I can send more photos if you'd like to have a closer look...

I saw one of his cars at a show last year. I will see if I can find the pictures. Pretty amazing.

In looking at dashboard / steering wheel photos of '50, '51, '52, all of the photos that show the steering wheel in the car show a wider, rounded spoke on the horn ring. Example: Here is an example with a narrower, non-rounded horn ring. What car(s) was this on? Here is the non-rounded-spoke horn ring by itself: I have not found a photo of the non-rounded-spoke horn ring in a car. Anyone know what years/models used this?

This could be the ticket - not the other side of the country, looks nice already... Ok, there's 4-doors, but price is well within range... http://forums.aaca.org/f117/1955-century-4-door-8000-a-368235.html

Went back & found your "before" photos - awesome job!

Yes, thanks!

Still looking - anyone have a busted-up, not-worth-reworking core that I can use as a pattern? Plan is to have something made that fits. I've ID'd, called & emailed on about a DOZEN parts cars. People either don't want to ship, don't respond, want to sell the parts car whole, etc.