Rodgers 55 Chevy

1955 Chevrolet 210

454 ( 468 CID ) / 4 speed

This project was built for my brother, Rodger from Manitoba !

Completed October, 2003.

The "before" picture... was a very nostalgic look !

Prep sanded, and completing the masking in our shop. We haven't got our paint booth set up in the shop yet, so our neighbours at East Side Auto body ( right next door to us here in Hanna ! ) were kind enough to apply the paint for us.

Just after shooting the white...

After a complete re-mask, here is the blue applied. Gary at East Side did a superb job with the application of the acrylic urethane paint... we get a little "anal" about attention to details, edges, ect, and Gary made it happen !

Here are a few more of the parts, painted inside and out. Full assembly in a few days !

Our thanks to Mel ( owner of East Side Autobody ) and Gary for their help with this project ! I'm sure we'll do it again !

With the chassis fully detailed....... NOW THE FUN PART !

Note the front anti-sway bar system. You can see the engine mounts that we made which utilize stock 1959-62 Chevy/Canadian Pontiac 6 cylinder frame stands.Centre photo helps show the subtle firewall modifications which were required to install the big block Chevy in the factory location.... NO, WE DO NOT MOUNT ENGINES FORWARD !.... And a view of the disc brake conversion being installed.

The factory original inner rear wheel wells, prior to widening. On the right is the right rear inner wheel tub as viewed from the trunk, after the widening ( about 2 1/4" ), while under construction.

This mock-up "slip axle" was built for fitting the rear tires in the wheel wells. Rear axle housing is being narrowed by 3 1/2" on each end ( 7" total ) and will use the large Ford 9" ends which will accommodate a set of custom built Moser axles. On the right is the steel "web kit" which was fabricated to be welded to the back of the rear axle housing. This will prevent housing bending/distortion under extreme torsional / forward thrust loads.

Pictures of the installed narrowed 1962 Chevy rear end housing with inboard mounted leaf springs under frame and ladder bar system.

On the left is the Chrysler 8 3/4 Dana 44 side bearing kit. You can see the difference in design, but the 8 3/4 parts fit right inside the original 1961-64 Chevy/CDN Pontiac posi unit. On the right, the larger fine spline axle is evident when compared to the original side gear on the left.

Our exclusive Moser axles... and our complete posi up-grade kit.

Here is the detailed assembled 3 member 1955-64 Chevy/CDN Pontiac "pumpkin" ready to race. Uses our own exclusive machined steel bearing cap girdles which are precisely fit to each cap, and use our own lock assembly. See "Our Products for 409 Cars" for more information.

Here is the detailed Borg Warner Super T10 4 speed transmission. 2.43 first gear.

Here we have the 12 gallon fuel cell being installed. This is being done along with a Barry Grant fuel pump, fittings, and complete braided steel line.

THE ENGINE !

Aftermarket Angus H beam rods /full floating, for use in the upgraded 7200 RPM Chet Herbert roller cammed 468" CID 454 engine. Also the new "air gap" large port manifold which was mated to the set of new CNC port machined retangular port Dart aluminum cylinder heads. Here is the shop foreman unwrapping the heads ! They are assembled with 2.30" / 1.88" stainless back cut valves, roller springs with titanium retainers and 10 degree locks. Using Dart stud girdle.

On the left is the 650+ HP 468 CID big block Chevy as we got it back from Lee Brothers Performance in Red Dear, Alberta.

After we made a quick valve adjustment, and some of our customary detailing, the "monster" was ready to go into the chassis !

Here's the engine being set in. Due to clearance issues with the Dart stud girdle, we were unable to use the wider bodied Dart valve covers.

Here's my youngest Daughter, Cynthia, showing us the electric CSI aluminum water pump ! After a minor modification to the Dart stud girdle, the new Moroso chrome valve covers were installed.

Close up of fuel system installed, including regulator. An unusual arrangement which avoids the typical "2 lines across from the wheel well" syndrome.

Engine was run, and adjusted Setpember, 13, 2003 ! BIG noise !

Adding the accessories to the engine. Rear ride height properly adjusted by re-arcing the leaf springs which were re-mounted on new brackets under the frame. Shown also, completed front suspension with disc brake conversion, and our own anti-sway bar installation.

The new front wheels for the car.... 15" X 5.5" in the classic CenterLine Auto Drag have 215 70 15" tires installed. The rear tires are Hoosier 28" X 14.5" 15" ( 12" tread surface ) DOT slicks which are mounted on matching new 15" X 10" CenterLine wheels.

WHOA !... one doesn't realize what a little polished stainless trim can do ! Here's a shot of the underside of the trunklid.... smoooth, and white. Fitting all the trim on the car now.

A few shots showing door and fender aligning. Our body lines and gaps are fitting nicely !

and..... the completed engine compartment:

After the road test... and does it road test ( tests the limits of traction, while driving like a brand new car ! )

All 3 of the above "thumbs" open to full size ( 1024 pixels wide ) high resolution pictures, which can be converted to a "bitmap" image for the desktop of your computer !

Shown here also is some of the new "210" interior parts that were installed as the finishing touch.

Dashboard has been re-finished in black. Also, on the right, the new aluminum brackets that were made in our shop to support the fibreglass racing seats.

Our shop foreman ( my son, Donovan 2 1/2 years old ) checking the fit of the seats !

Just a picture to see how it would look !... My 59 GMC with the 55. This picture also opens to a high resolution 1024 X 768 which you can convert to a Bitmap for your desktop.

Picture on the left was taken in Saskachewan on highway 44 on October 4, 2003.

On the right, unloading at 8:00 AM, October 5th, 2003, in Lac Du Bonnet Manitoba at TransCanada fitness ( Rodger Bruneau Jr's Gym ).

In August of 2004, Rodger, with the help of Dave from Motion Performance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, entered this car in the Fastest Street Car shoot-out. How 'bout: 9.70 @ 140 MPH !

This page in memory of my brother, Rodger Patrick Bruneau... March 17, 1962 - February 14, 2005.

SO sorry that we never did get a chance to race eachother........... your brother, Aubrey

Final update, March 2, 2005.

E MAIL

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