Greg,

Good points about the why the fun part was missing... until you finished it and saw Rick in it. :thumbsup:

I'm very interested in how well the '55 performs; ride, handling, acceleration, comfort etc.

That is a tough choice re your '37.

Brizio build but boredom, or beat up body but livin' on the edge. :unibrow:

Skip...

Ricks smile when I took the car to him this Saturday was all the payment required.

Okay ---

The car drives NIMBLE... I loved it. It's a bone stock LS2 - Speartech harness and computer.. The 6 speed shifts "snick snick"... so well -- that I'm re-thinking the 700r4 in the 37... The clutch is butter smooth. I love the hydraulics! AME's chassis is SO FAR SUPERIOR to the Jim Meyer chassis I have -- I might as well have a stocker... and trust me when I tell ya - my Nomad drives like a new Corvette. The AME chassis uses bushings - where my chassis has Heim joints. II want bushings! LOL

While my Nomad is pretty high tech - it's still old skool (dart block - 8 stacks - but EFI etc). This car is bone stock LS -- I have him by 150 ft lbs of TQ and 100 HP... but that LS motor just purrs - starts instantly - idle is impeccable.. and it is right on the power band instantly. The 6 speed and 3:42 gears is a "nice" combo. I'd have stuff more gear back there - but Rick wanted to stick to the "it works perfect in my ZO6" theory (he has had a couple of those and loves 'em).

He made a couple of mistakes when ordering the chassis - which I'll now have to correct. AME recommends 550# springs up front... Rick wanted a "softer/cruiser" ride so ordered 450's.... it needs 550'. I can't raise the front end - the coil overs just squeeze the coil until it goes into coil bind... and the height stays exactly the same! You don't discover this until all the "stuff" is on the car -- and you start to adjust stance etc.

The combo over all - is pure sweetness. The tires are fat -- without ruining the drivability on todays highways....

Thanks Greg. :thumbsup:

All that info about what works and what doesn't is obviously very helpful for us tri-fivers.

In this world of tricked out, subbed up F-bodies , I really liked reading this...

"The car drives NIMBLE.... I loved it."

It seems from how Rick's 6 speed performs it could add a lot of fun in your '37.

I had no idea your Nomad drove like a new Vette...and to think AME far exceeds it ..wow.

So between Ironworks, Roadster Shop, AME, SRIII Motorsports and others I don't recall for the moment...choosing a chassis is now the toughest choice a tri-fiver has to make IMO.


I liked it better when wheels and paint were. :D

When I did my chassis -- there were no choices. Art bent the frame rails for my chassis... Jim Meyer and Paul Newman Creations were the "choices" at that time. I've had my chassis a long time... I'm one of the early adopter types in the tri five world around here. Everything has gone well past when I did my car. Now - I'd do a Roadster shop or AME chassis -- big inch LSx -- paddle shifted auto or 6 speed.

Re: Driving like a new vette. The heim joint suspension has ZERO slop... The rear is 4 bar with a pan hard. I'm running Strange coil overs... and fairly fat tires (255's F and 275's R)... big front and rear roll bars etc. Car drives great - until you climb behind the wheel of a newer chassis (AME et al). Then mine seems not quite as trick. I'd trade the heim joint front end for some "wubba" in there.

The new frames with the exhaust ports running thru is super neat... I built the SS exhaust for this car from scratch -- and loved the routing and the "up tight and out of sight" exhaust this car has. The new stuff is triangulated rear - so less "crap" in the way etc.

Comparing a WAGON to a 2 door is unfair -- but in a road race I'd run him down in the straights and he'd waste me in the twisties.

Snicking through the gears of these Tremecs.... that's just fun buddy... beats an automatic any day of the week. I'm doing it in the 37 -- just made that decision. DONE. :woot:

:D

Build the 37 yourself. Its true your getting older but getting out in the shop and working on cars and accomplishing something in the end, keeps you young. You may get sore here and there, but it keeps you strong and healthy.

Also your a great human being for helping out a friend like you did. Alot of people just wouldn't have done that, even if they had the capability to do it.
You are scoring major brownie points with the man above.

Yep...That 55 turned out great..have someone esle build your 37???? with that shop and tools!! you're right- wait till you get back from SEMA and it's 45 and raining- every day

You are a good man Greg, wish there were more people out there like you interested in helping people rather than trying to make money off of them. :yes:

Looks like Rick is a happy guy is his Tri-Five, which by the way you have done an exceptional job and I would classify it as pro-built as can be. :thumbsup:

:cheers:

Great story Greg!! No doubt a true friend right there! Came out nice! Both of you should be proud! :thumbsup:

GOOD! Because I can really use some help!


:rofl: :willy: :rofl:

I know... right!

Chris -- you know yourself... sometimes -- like right after a major thrash - you start asking yourself about how much fun you're having... but then the itch starts itching... and the tools are calling your name...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA!

I'm all in - all ready!

You are a good human, Weld!
The car came out great...I like the look of it! With the seasoned paint he may be able to enjoy it even more? He has a son that can take him for drives if I remember correctly? If not, I'm sure you and your friends can find time here and there to help him enjoy a great driver!! :thumbsup:

Yes Tony he does have a son... but he also has plenty of car buddies to go get him and take him "out" when his health will allow it. This isn't his only hot rod... he has a 57 fuelie 2 dr hdtp and a 63 split window fuelie... but this was the "dream car" so was more important to him.

Greg your a great guy. You friend is fortunate to have you as a friend. The car turned out great and is exactlly what he wanted.

I know what you mean about building a car for a friend as I just finished a 6 year project. He did pay me though and he was really happy with the outcome of the car. And I am 53 and they do get harder to do.

Thanks for being a great friend.

speaking of being a good friend...what's in your trailer GREG?:_paranoid

Prostreet --

Thank you for the kind words... When it's all said and done - we really just use the cars in order to hang out with others just like us... so it's really just all about PEOPLE not cars. :cheers:

Chris --

I AM NOT spilling the beans here... that is for someone else should they decided to... my lips are sealed! :rofl: :rofl: :woot:

You're good people Greg! It's a nice story and it truly does speak to the heart of hot rodding. I spend a lot of time alone working on my car, as I'm sure most of us do, and it pays off when you can make other people smile. :cheers:

Ok Greg spill the beans..... What's in the trailer?

I never ventured to this section,but all I can say is WOW!Greg, I's nice to have friends like you . Car turned out great ,hope your buddy recovers and enjoy driving this car for long time.

Major props to you,sir! :thumbsup:

Thanks Stefan!

I'm not a pro builder -- I'm just a home schlepper... I just tried to build him the car that HE wanted.

He will never recover in order to drive it -- but he still likes being driven around... and his smile is worth the little extra effort I put forth.

Seriously -- being retired... and having a fairly well equipped shop... it's really not as big a deal as some make it out to be. I've got all day -- and I'm not laying on a creeper trying to build stuff... it ain't that hard! :D

Greg,


Every word you have on the above write-up means so much ; Friendship, satisfaction, quality, medicine from heaven to the Rickster !


This '55 is , BTW , 55 yrs.old in 2010 !


Bless you !


GM.


.

Amen Brother!!!!!!!