# '51 Chevy Old School Custom



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I bought this kit so I could get the really nice in line 6 out of it for another project and decided to do something with the rest of it. After looking through some vintage Hot Rod magazines I settled on an Old School style custom.

Very little on the car won't be touched. I had thought about maybe getting a Jimmy Flintstone body and making a slammer out of it but that's not my style. Instead I set to chopping and fabricating. The first project was to pancake the hood. I had part of the cowling left over from the '32 Ford 5-window I did that had some nice louvers on it so I wanted them in the project somehow. After gluing in the hood I cut the top close to where I wanted it and shaped it the rest of the way. I then cobbled together 5 pieces of plastic and made the replacement hood. I've also started working on an internal brace since the hood will be modeled in the open position. 




























I don't have to kill myself making sure it's a flush fit since it will be open but I have been working towards that anyway. The inside of the hood where the louvers are on the outside will get a sort of screen work over it. 

I also modified the front grill by placing the bullet insert from the '50 Ford Shoebox. This was a pointy affair and the Chevy is more flat so I'm still in the process of shaping it to look right. Once done it'll be chrome dipped and will be about the only chrome on the car. 










The engine compartment was set up for the in line 6, it's narrow and set forward, almost too far forward for any engine of consequence. Doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Candidates right now stand at a 6.1 Hemi from a Dodge SRT8 Challenger or a Paxton blown 5.0 Mustang with a GT40 intake. Neither of these choice would be a difficult install and would require only slight inner fender modifications. The radiator will be modified with the new cap and electric fans. 

The windshield frame will also be different. Right now I'm considering either lowering the stock framework by about a foot scale or getting either a '60 or '62 donor body and using those windshield frames, or maybe see if I could graft on the while top. I like the speedster sort of look and since this thing is going to be slammed to the ground a lower windshield would fit the bill. More on that later though.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Engine was scavenged from an old Monogram Mustang, the 5.0 has a belt driven Paxton style supercharger from I believe the old AMT '57 Ford kit. I had to cut the top of the transmission to get it to work in the Chevy but there is plenty of room otherwise after the fender inserts were notched for the headers. This is a full function V8, it has the air conditioning, power steering and smog pumps still on the accessory belt. 










I built this engine some 17 years ago and it was in a Boyd's Dusty Rose colored Ranger pick up that was featured in the Scale Auto annual in '93. Unfortunately that truck sort of fell apart from age and the engine was set aside for a project like this one. No wiring on this car, at least not in the plans yet but maybe depending on how other things come out first,


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

OH YEA PETE, Now where talking custom build here, "OFF THE HOOK" once again, thats going to be VERY COOL, And buy the way, who does your Nails, Man they looks like you just got a pedicure, Those are "NOT" farmers hands, there the hands of a TECHNICIAN, 
No doubt.......LOL....Cant Wait to see this thing come together.

Ian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

LOL Ian, I drive a $200,000, GPS enabled, 6 disk CD equipped, air conditioned tractor, my hands rarely get close to dirt. I spend more time on the plotting computer inputting drive data than I do the 4 to 6 hours a day riding around like the Autopia ride at Disneyland, all I have to handle is the throttle, it drives itself. 

OK, all the molded in chrome trim has been removed, the rear fenders were rounded off and will eventually be modified to have 1956 Corvette style tail lights. The front and rear roll pans were really bad fitting so they were modified and are being molded in. 



















I still have some sanding to do, I've been shooting the car is silver primer to look for uneven spots, metallic paint like silver or gold shows uneven places better. The headlights will be Frenched in as will the radio antenna.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Worked on the rear a little tonight; with the rolled down rear fenders, the recessed license plate and the tunneled tail lights it's sort of reminiscent of the '53 Vette.










Still working on the rear roll pan, the seams are somewhat problematic. the front one is a mess too, may take a day or two to sort them out. Right now I'm still in the hack and fill stage, clean up will come once all the mods have been done.


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## CJTORINO (Jan 20, 2003)

this looks very nice.
and I like the Ford engine in a chevy.
kind of a change of pace, as most everyone sticks 
a chevy engine into an old Ford.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Yep. Bucking the trend. This is actually being built for my brother in law, but the 5.0 is my idea. Right now it's going to slow way down for the extensive painting process. I may have another project starting while this one dries.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Ian Anderson said:


> . . . And buy the way, who does your Nails, Man they looks like you just got a pedicure . . .


Well, we haven‘t seen his feet, but I’m sure they look as clean and well taken care of as his hands! :tongue:

Love what you’re doing with the Chevy. I’ve always been a big fan of classic customs. What are your plans for the interior?


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Scot, pretty much stock at the moment, I'm working with the possibility of maybe trying an old body putty technique to create diamond tuck. The only problem is it's a one shot deal, if I screw it up there's no going back. I've already been looking at splitting the front bench at least, everything else may just be stock. I have custom stuff but this isn't one of those projects were I want to use a lot of good stuff from the parts box on. 

My feet aren't all that great, about 2 years ago I had a pretty savage accident, got hit by a car and my feet and legs took most of the impact. It took 16 screws, 4 plates and 40 staples to fix my right ankle and foot, my left one took just 8 screws and 2 plates they were crushed so bad. Both knees have been worked on several times to remove scar tissue. So days it's tough to walk, I've gotten pretty good at whatever I need for the day, there's not a lot of physical to what I need to do. Things are getting back to normal. Again.


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