ShoeString 62'

Spring Progress

2009-03-23T08:10:00.017-06:00

I finally made progress on the car this weekend with a number of smaller projects. I first had to get the garage reorganized if you are going to undertake a restoration then be sure you have the space to store everything. Here is a shot of the garage with all of the boxes of stuff that I have removed. I am down to just the dash and the trim on one side of the car, and the windows. I had my Dad over and he helped me remove the trunk. So I am getting closer to pulling the car off the frame and I am still close on my schedule for my spring projects.

I also have started to pick up some parts for the 409 I purchased these heads for my 409 from a guy in Texas that I meat on the 348-409.com web page. I had to remove the valve springs so that required a purchase of a new tool. I picked up a good spring compressor at Sears for $20. So that was the other weekend project. The heads are going to a machine shop on Monday to get cleaned and checked for cracks.

The process is slow but soon I will have a major update as I get the frame off from under the car. As always my kid came out to help in his special way, but hey at least he is interested in the car, and some day he will get to enjoy it.

62 Impala work

2008-12-23T13:30:00.001-07:00

Well I have gotten some work done over the last few weeks. Not the progress that I would like to see, but any progress is good. Since the shop space that I have is tight, I have to find ways to make sure that I have room to do my projects.

So once I got my 409 on the engine stand I wanted to be able to be able to store it over the frame when not working on the car. To accomplish this I needed to remove the power steering, steering box, control arms. All of these items were going to be removed and replaced at some point, so I have removed them and am able to store the 409 and maintain my shop space.

I continue to remove the trim and am almost done with that. After that I will finish removing the exhaust, transmission, drive line, glass, and rear bumper. with that done I will be ready to remove the car from the frame and start the restoration and customization process. I am hoping to have the frame off at the end of January.

New Power

2008-12-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

In the consideration and planning stages of this car, it was decided to leave the engine as it was with some mild upgrades to it. The car came with a Chevy 350 with a four speed. I found some simple builds to make a nice performing 355. That was the plan. In the back of my head I thought it would be great to put a Chevy 409 in this car, not a common engine, and a great engine for this car.

The old 350

So I began to watch eBay and various other sites for a engine block, but most were out of my price range at the time. So I waited and continued to evaluate the car its issues and what I was going to do to the car. I spent a lot of time at a web site dedicated to these engines http://www.348-409.com/ which was a great source for information and engine build suggestions. This is where I found my engine, a member in South Dakota was selling a 409 short block from a truck, a perfect engine for my car.

Fine 409

So long story short I switched gears from evaluation to disassembly of the front end of the car and pulling the 350 out of the car. I was able to sell the 350 and offset some of the cost of engine. So on the stand now is the New power plant for the car a Chevy 409, she's so fine.
The 350 out of the car and my little helper