Reassembling 57 AGIN

[57AGIN]

Here are three photos of the reat seat installed.

Bob
57 AGIN

[mike b]

Looks nice and cushy.Great job !

[JimNolan]

It's beyond the words or my limited vocabulary. I REALLY like it. Jim

[512Fairlane]

Man that is looking nice.  Have I mentioned how much I love this car?

[RICH MUISE]

Bob...that car is in a class by itself. Outstanding job. Just a great contemporary look. I'm really jealous... Can you tell?
Rich

[57AGIN]

Rich:

There is still a two page list of things to do, before the car gets on the road.  Most of them are just small items, and during this next week will be taken care of.  Yesterday, I thought my 57 was coming home today, it turns out that won't happen until Monday.  Needless to say, I'm chomping at the bit.  My wife will be gone to Washington DC to chaperon students about to receive Horatio Alger Foundation Scholarships.  I will be on "Spring Break," as the school district I work for until I fully retire in June, is off for the week.  Guess what I'll be doing...

I've also been following the thread on your car and I've been jealous, too.  You have done some really nice work on your car.  I envy both you and Rick, your mechanical, fabrication and common sense automotive skills.  I'm learning all the time and enjoying the process.  I'm looking forward to seeing you get your 57 on the road and someday maybe I can travel East, or you West, to do some crusin' together with our 57's.  Meanwhile, Rick and I will continue to represent our Club with our 57's and try to recruit some more 57 owners out here to join us.

Bob
57 AGIN

[geraldchainsaw]

is this going to be solo show car?,   or are you going to let people sit in it?   very nice, jerry

[57AGIN]

Jerry:

Before the refurbishment was started the car was a frequent driver, cruiser, go to the beach to go surfing, go to shows and whenever possible (but very seldom) to the drags.  I really don't anticipate any big changes once I get it back on the street.  I will be much more selective about where I park, but I didn't do all this stuff just to wind up with a "garage queen."  I may not take it surfing as often as before, that depends largely on how well the rear fold down seat works.  The bottom rear seat and the upper fold down part of the seat both have substantially more foam in the center of the seat than before, but I still think it is going to work.  The biggest change in the car is in the paint and from what I've seen of Santini's ability to do repairs to dings, chips, or even major body work if the car gets a hurt bump it can and will be repaired.

Bob
57 AGIN

[Custom300Madman]

 

It's beyond the words or my limited vocabulary. I REALLY like it. Jim

[57AGIN]

Well Guys:

No new photos, but lots has been happening with reassembling 57 AGIN.  We brought the car home from the upholstery shop on Monday and started reducing our 2 page list of things to do.  Monday afternoon I was scrounging brake parts from the local NAPA store.  I picked them up Tuesday morning and while Rick was doing the "Mechanic" things on the list, I went out to get the new tires for the car.  I was trying to get some upscale tires like Nittos, but found that the only big enough rear tires that I can get to fit the 15" X 8" Cargar S/S rims were the same BF Goodrich T/A Radial P255 X60R15 and I got the same P225 X 60R 15's for the front.  I had them mounted blackwall out and spent a good deal of time today blacking out the raised white lettering (even though it is mounted on the inside and mostly out of sight).  This morning we bled the brakes and cleared a bunch of the "To Do's" off the list.  Tomorrow, I'll be getting the upper radiator hose mounted and trying to do something with closing off the too short heater hose (I'm still waiting for Cool Flex to send me a longer piece needed to complete that part of the project.  Supposedly the hoses for the heater are all in stock, except for the chrome ones which they have been waiting for over two weeks for the chrome shop to get them done.  Rick got out the welding rig and fixed the lower left rear shock mount that had almost been ripped apart (poor weld from when the CalTrac Traction bars were installed).  The right sides welds are still solid.  We may fire up the engine tomorrow depending on how the finalizing the cooling system hookups goes.  I think we are going to make our Knott's show deadline with a few days to spare.  WHOO HA!!!

Bob
57 AGIN
 

[57AGIN]

Still no new photos:

But here's an update.  We fired the engine yesterday, sounds great after a year of silence.  Got most of the "To Do" list knocked out.  Went by Santini's & picked up the hood today and checked out some spring places.  Tomorrow Rick and I will remove the new front springs and cut a coil or two to adjust the height up front.  There is a place not too far from where we live that can re-arc springs, so that will be on my list for next week.  Only one more week until the first show and the car still needs to be detailed.  Final buffing and polishing at Santini's, a quick trip back to the Upholstery shop, and lots of Bob's elbow grease & Carnuba Wax.

Bob
57 AGIN

[mike b]

Bob can't wait to see it done for the show.Did you get the package I sent you and Rick?
---mike

[57AGIN]

Mike b:

Yes, I received the package yesterday and shortly after we got the 57 started we opened the package.  Both of us were blown away by the Tee Shirts, Rick chose White and I took the black one.  The gift was very nice, but unnecessary.  We were happy just to help a fellow 57 owner or want to be owner out if we could.  Both of us were glad to hear the you had located and obtained a more suitable 57 Custom.

Both of us, like you, are waiting to see how the car looks and is received at the upcoming shows.  I just hope that April 22 and April 28 aren't full of California's "liquid sunshine," like we are having this weekend.   I know that very soon a bunch of 57 owners in the Midwest will be on the receiving end of the storms that are passing through the West Coast at this time.  Out here we are experiencing a rather severe drought and can really use the water, even though it interferes with getting my 57 ready for next weekend. I hope that these Spring storms leave only pleasant memories and needed or appreciated water.

Tomorrow Rick and I will be removing and cutting a couple of coils off the front suspension.  Later next week I'll be looking into redoing the rear suspension.

Bob
57 AGIN

[mike b]

I AM GLAD YOU GUYS LIKE THE SHIRTS. It was the least I could do. The work you and Rick are doing is first class and the membership is eagerly waiting the finished product. I will send pics of the custom when I get it home on Tuesday .     

[57AGIN]

57 AGIN is back on the road.  Today we finished the "To do" list.  First thing we did today was to cut a coil out of the new springs, to bring the front end down some.  It has a pretty good stance with the shackles reversed, but I'm not a fan of the reversed shackles on other than a drag car.  Sometime next week I hope to get the rear springs re-arced up 1".  Then with the shackles in the normal position the car will be 1.25" lower, but 1" above what it was before.  This may require another slice out of the front coils to give the car the alight nose down attitude I like.  Today was just a whole lot of minor things to wrap it up.  The hood went on last and my fears about having moved the engine 1" forward didn't turn out to be a problem afterall.  Some "Silly Putty" on the carburetor blower enclosure revealed about half an inch clearance and Rick says the Butch's Rod Shop motor mounts won't let the engine torque that much. 

The test drive was uneventful, other than me trying to down shift after going into 5th gear and not being able to find any other gear.  It will take a bit of getting used to the TKO 600.  Rick's car is back in his garage and 57 AGIN is back tome, too.  If I can't get the height adjusted this week , I'll just show it the way it stands.  It is drivable and Knott's Berry Farm is about 5 miles from where I live.  I want to get the stance adjusted before getting the car aligned and the alignment is definitely in the ball park.

Here are a couple of shots of the 57's stance and after these are a few shots of the finalized engine compartment, with the wiring hidden.  Also one shot of a striker plate Rick fabricated to keep the hood retention hook from gouging the paint and catching on the fender sheet metal.

Bob
57 AGIN