bhemi Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 I recently passed the one year anniversary of my '37 coupe build. It has been a long haul just getting the engineering and suspension done. The engine is a 1964 401. 0.030 over with forged pistons, roller rockers from TA performance. We just ordered the Tremec 6 speed from American Power Train. The fuel injection is Hilborn but EFI. If you look closely you can see the bell housing which is a Quick Time unit. Rear end is True Trac posi 9 inch with 3.73:1 gears. Chassis is Art Morrison. Triangulated 4 Bar out back and IFS up front with an Opel rack. Engine is sitting in just for mock up. On the road by July 2020 (hopefully). Painting the car 1965 Riviera Bamboo Cream. 95% stock interior but being redone in leather. Adding A/C and power windows. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 ONLY ONE? I like Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted September 20, 2019 Author Share Posted September 20, 2019 Here is what it looks like underneath. We dipped the body at Redi-Strip. The amount of rust was minimal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted September 20, 2019 Author Share Posted September 20, 2019 And this is what it looked like a year ago. going on the trailer 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 Are you having issues with flash rust? It seems like you would have wanted to put some kind of protective primer on it after striping it. That engine is beautiful. Do you have a wider shot of the whole car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 You get a tiny bit of discoloration but flash rust is minimal. The car was last on the road in the late '50's or early '60's all the filler on the car is lead. Zero plastic. The minor body work on fenders and patches is all being TIG welded and metal finished so we are leaving it bare until all that is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 On 9/20/2019 at 3:26 AM, bhemi said: I recently passed the one year anniversary of my '37 coupe build. It has been a long haul just getting the engineering and suspension done. The engine is a 1964 401. 0.030 over with forged pistons, roller rockers from TA performance. We just ordered the Tremec 6 speed from American Power Train. The fuel injection is Hilborn but EFI. If you look closely you can see the bell housing which is a Quick Time unit. Rear end is True Trac posi 9 inch with 3.73:1 gears. Chassis is Art Morrison. Triangulated 4 Bar out back and IFS up front with an Opel rack. Engine is sitting in just for mock up. On the road by July 2020 (hopefully). Painting the car 1965 Riviera Bamboo Cream. 95% stock interior but being redone in leather. Adding A/C and power windows. Wow, that’s great to see a Buick in a Buick. Love the colour choice and cant wait to see the end result. It’s what the factory would have done if they had the Nailhead ready in that year. just my two bobs worth Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 Update. The T56 magnum 6 speed is different from the predecessor TKO which was used in the last generation Camaros etc. So I needed a new bell-housing. We took the entire floor out but will reuse about 2/3 of it. We need to fab a a center "hump" because the T56 is a big transmission. It will only be about 2" above the stock floor pan and I will still be able to use the stock bench. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 . I think a great car can be built modifying the stock frame to accommodate modern IFS and open diff and using a nailhead. A lot of the stuff I am doing is overkill but I wanted to do it once in my life. I could have saved a ton of money by using a small block and an automatic but what is the fun in that? I am keeping as much of the body and interior as stock as possible at great expense. Lol. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiKi5156B Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 I’m curious what redistrip charges for a complete car to be dipped nowadays. For reference my 38 Chev coupe cost $940 to do the entire body including doors,hood,trunk,fenders, nose cone ,interior garnish moldings and miscellaneous small parts. That was in 1985. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted February 26, 2020 Author Share Posted February 26, 2020 On 2/21/2020 at 6:36 AM, RiKi5156B said: I’m curious what redistrip charges for a complete car to be dipped nowadays. For reference my 38 Chev coupe cost $940 to do the entire body including doors,hood,trunk,fenders, nose cone ,interior garnish moldings and miscellaneous small parts. That was in 1985. In Canadian dollars well past $5000. We did the doors several times. The "waffle" sound deadening in the doors was a bear to get out. We heated and scraped it several times first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted February 26, 2020 Author Share Posted February 26, 2020 Some progress. We had to make new floors as the Tremec is a large transmission. We made a dummy drive shaft out of exhaust pipe and put u-joints on it. Under the black cloth is the transmission. A wooden pattern was made and the strengthening ribs from the original floor were copied exactly. The little holes are where it was bolted to the pattern. A "u" shaped die was made for body of the ribs and a round one for the ends and then it was put through the Pullmax. The floor will be in three pieces. The left and right sides will be welded in and the center section will be a removable tunnel. The center section will come up like stock and we will be using the stock bench seat. The cardboard "box" with the three arms is the below floor pedal assembly model we made up. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Really like your project “ Buick in a Buick” When I bought my ‘38 Buick I found a ‘66 or ‘67 Riviera had a similar wheel base and thought it would make a great swap.Full chassis with Nailhead and auto transmission with good brakes in a nice vintage body! nah, was never going to happen but the thought was there. I think the interior mirror design was the sticking point 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 Will keep looking in. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stooge Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Cool! I didn't know you had a thread going on here, and I know your hamb one got nuked. Really cool engine, and with the Hillborn efi and tremec, should be a blast! before I found my 320, my choices were going to be dictated by what i found, and was either going to be a straight 8 that i have now, or a nailhead and Muncie. I like your doing it overkill sentiment, its a lot of fun to have a bit of fun and freedom, and would definitely say i went overkill on my last project c10 with every piece of the puzzle changed or modified, but that also sort of pushed my '37 century project in the opposite barebones direction, though there are a few deviations from the standard straight 8 that i am doing in regard to intake and exhaust. Keep it up, looking forward to seeing this come together! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 41 minutes ago, Stooge said: Cool! I didn't know you had a thread going on here, and I know your hamb one got nuked. Really cool engine, and with the Hillborn efi and tremec, should be a blast! before I found my 320, my choices were going to be dictated by what i found, and was either going to be a straight 8 that i have now, or a nailhead and Muncie. I like your doing it overkill sentiment, its a lot of fun to have a bit of fun and freedom, and would definitely say i went overkill on my last project c10 with every piece of the puzzle changed or modified, but that also sort of pushed my '37 century project in the opposite barebones direction, though there are a few deviations from the standard straight 8 that i am doing in regard to intake and exhaust. Keep it up, looking forward to seeing this come together! I got a little too aggressive at HAMB about what constituted a traditional hot rod. I didn't like guys with a 'glass 32 roadster, a purchased frame ,a crate Chevy and a turbo 350 telling me they were purists. This is the latest on the floor. Once we fit the toe boards and cowl section we will form a center section and install it with nutserts . The outboard sections will be welded in and merged with the new rocker panels we made. Trunk section is in progress as well as mini-tubs in the trunk to fit more tire. We got the power window kit in from Nu-Relics. Way better than those cheesy wire ones. Really nice USA product https://www.nu-relics.com/chevrolet-s/206.htm 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 this is one beautiful picture. LOVE what you're doing here, keep up the great work and thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted April 23, 2020 Author Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) Small update. We continue to work on the floors. I haven't seen the car in a month due to the lock down. Shipping times and service from some vendors is noticeably slower. We had to move the engine back slightly as I want to run a regular fan. I think electric fans just look wrong on resto-rods. I got two Harrison radiators with the pile of parts that came with my car. One the original "honeycomb" style and the other had been re-cored. We are using the re-cored one for trial fitting. To fit a '37 radiator to a 401 nailhead the outlet on the bottom has to be moved. Here it is removed - the bottom was then removed and reversed and TIG welded back together and the outlet soldered in. Edited April 23, 2020 by bhemi typo (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 More fiddling with ride height and stance. I have insisted since day one that every decision be based on drivability and performance. A lot of show cars can't do a u-turn on a four lane freeway or clear any minor bumps. We keep tuning to make sure nothing rubs or interferes under situations like full suspension compression and flat tires etc. We are now 1/2" lower in the front and 1 1/2 inches higher in the back but clearances are all good now. Once you get the body and the suspension happily married then it's back to checking drive line angles. I think we are almost there. In the meantime we are working on A/C, power windows, wiper motor and windshield washers. The original gauge cluster is going off to Classic to incorporate a tachometer. I bought a heater off a member here and we are going to blow the Vintage Air through 1937 vents for the floor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 The floors are out again, hopefully for the final time. They were tweaked a touch as we moved the engine and transmission back an 1 1/2" to clear the fan and stock radiator. Here they are with the new inner rockers mocked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted May 20, 2020 Author Share Posted May 20, 2020 Small update. Two steps forward and one back as always. The B pillars didn't have rust holes but they were thin and the decision was made to build new sections that made sure it was all solid thick metal. All the shiny stuff is new but they got the factory lines near perfect. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted May 21, 2020 Author Share Posted May 21, 2020 A little more progress. My baby has some bling. We got a package back from the platers. We use these guys in Victoria, BC. I have been sending them stuff for years. https://www.electroshine.com/ Good service, reasonably fast and decent prices. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 More progress. We got the trunk lid fitting well with good gaps all around. Then the rear floor was braced some more and the trunk floor and wheel tubs were removed. We are adding 1 1/2" to the inner tub to make room for bigger tires inside the stock fender. Once those are done trunk floor goes back and finally permanent floor pans. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted June 4, 2020 Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 A little more progress. Wheel tubs fitted and added 1 3/8" drop to weld the trunk floor to. The blue strip is the new 1 1/2" wide piece we added to move the tub inward as close as possible to the frame rail. The wheel is the style I have have in mind. Hopefully 18 x 8 to 18 x 10 depending on the room we get inside the stock fender. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 (edited) As I approach the second anniversary of taking my car to the shop we are slowly making progress. With widening wheel tubs and a lower stance we decided to do a new one piece rear floor extension and trunk floor.The far vertical piece is the guide that was made to keep the contour on point. It took three guys and two new dies to put it through the PullMax. Edited July 8, 2020 by bhemi (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Cardinal Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 beautiful work on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted July 9, 2020 Author Share Posted July 9, 2020 Thanks. Once I has a plan for the car I knew I was out of my depth. The work is better than first class and the owner is probably the most honest guy I have ever met. It's not cheap but i haven't lost a minutes sleep having it in his hands. Their facebook page has a lot of detail on the work that went into just that one piece. https://www.facebook.com/currusmetalworks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted July 22, 2020 Author Share Posted July 22, 2020 More progress. Trunk pan and rear inner wheel tubs are in final fitment. The solution to all the extra components and electrical has been to create an equipment "compartment" between the rear of the passenger area and the trunk. This is a businessman's coupe so no rear seat . It will be attached via nutserts in the bottom of the compartment for access. The Hydro-boost will sit on top. To quote George the builder: ." I also have placement confirmed and templates made for the left and right toeboards. The pedal cage mounting location has been confirmed with clearances for all three pedal sweeps. Getting the pedal cage low enough in the floor will require notching the top of the chassis and I have that all planned out. All the chassis work will be done when the body is removed for welding to be completed. I have the driveshaft tunnel template completed. We will be cutting a relief in the component shelf for the tunnel to slip through and connect with the trunk pan. I'll send pictures during the next week. Attached are images of the brake booster located on the component platform. The plumbing inside the car and on the chassis will be stainless steel tube. Connecting the tow parts of the systems will be done by stainless braided hose. This will allow for the body and chassis independent movements without fatiguing the components. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted August 26, 2020 Author Share Posted August 26, 2020 A little parts porn. Tilton pedal assembly, vacuum pump and tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted September 9, 2020 Author Share Posted September 9, 2020 We made a relief in the trunk pan to get more volume back in the trunk. In the pic above it gently curved down but we lost stowage. This the solution we came up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted September 9, 2020 Author Share Posted September 9, 2020 Drive shaft tunnel done. Only thing left is to take out the clecos and TIG weld it all up. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Neat work!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 That is beautiful metalwork, a craftsman at work. I'm envious for those skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted November 16, 2020 Author Share Posted November 16, 2020 Small update. The solution for power seats was to saw the factory bench in half and use Mercedes power bucket tracks/motors. It solves the transmission hump problem and gives the driver/passenger independent controls. They will be well hidden when upholstered and I am using a '66 Cadillac switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 more seat pics. We split the seat in half but when sitting it will look like a solid bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 Other than the seat work continues on the firewall and the trunk area. Motor is out again and fenders back off. Maybe two months from paint? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted December 8, 2020 Author Share Posted December 8, 2020 More progress. I measure progress in inches on this project. Every change seems to bring another change and more hours making stuff fit. The original Buick frame was not symmetrical but the Art Morrison one is. The front of a '37 coupe narrows dramatically as you get up to the radiator. Also I am adding A/C and power steering and the nailhead is wider than a straight eight. I also wanted era (nailhead era) correct pulleys as I think a billet serpentine system would spoil the vibe. I want the fully "dressed" engine to stand out and the accessories to fade into the background so no chrome on the A/C pump or PS pump. When done it will have a fresh coat of Buick green on the engine before installation. I think it looks pretty good. Getting all that to fit in front of the radiator was a Tetris exercise. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Cardinal Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 wonderful work and I LOVE this nailhead! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted December 10, 2020 Author Share Posted December 10, 2020 Thanks. I appreciate your kind words. When this in paint I will be over the moon. It's been 2 1/2 years of work so far. I think it will be pretty unique when done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhemi Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 (edited) Whilst we wait to fix the deck lid or hopefully find a better one they have moved to making adjustments to the front sheet metal. The right side of the nose still has a little modeling clay on it from when were experimenting with a different nose treatment. I decided Buick got it right in the first place and left it stock. We have cut the hood down to make the nose cone more rigid. The hood will be modified to have removable side because the nailhead is so pretty If anyone has a 1937 coupe trunk lid they don't need please contact me. Edited January 19, 2021 by bhemi (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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