Project "Pariah"

[Diognes56]

This thread is for my 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door Sedan aka "Pariah". The picture below is a rendering I did in Photoshop, partially to test some ideas and color combinations but mostly for use as my sig on message boards and to give myself a goal to focus on.

Pariah is in the beginning stages of being repaired and updated, with aspirations for it to become my "rolling resume" when I am done with it and school, so I can hopefully get a job at a hotrod shop (There are quite a few on here that I would love to work at ). The previous owner didn't do anything properly, so there is more work to be done than if he had just left it alone, but that is how it goes.

In my mind the car will end up as a Touring Sedan. Fun in it's own right, but not a true (IMO) pro-touring car. Think more CTS-V and less C6 Z06.

Current plans for the car include (plans are pretty fluid untill I get some more parts):

Body:
Complete frame off.
New floor pans and inner/outer rocker panels.
Shaved door handles, antenna, hood, trunk, and side badges.
Smoothed firewall, dash, and bumpers.
Mini Tub & spare tire well delete.

Drivetrain/Frame/Suspension:
Will either be getting LQ4/4L60E or LQ9/4L80E.
CPP 2" dropped spindles, tubular upper/lower A-arms, and 1" sway bar in the front.
CPP Rack & Pinion Steering w/ Ididit tilt steering column
AME Center Frame Brace.
AME triangulated 4-bar w/ Ford 9".
Coil-overs all around.
CPP Big Brake Kit (13" rotors in the front, 12" rotors in the rear).
18" Wheels: Currently thinking CCW 505A's would look good on the car, but I have a while before making a firm decision.

Electronics:
CCI Power windows (Tinted).
American Auto Wire: Classic Update Series harness.

Interior:
Corbeau GTSII seats front and rear.

Others plans too, but can't think of them right now. Anyway, more pics to come and hopefully the progress won't be too slow .

David

[Musclerodz]

Is it an HT or post car? The HT is pretty nice looking for a 4 door.

Mike

[Yard Dawg]

Looks like a nice project with a good plan. Look forward to seeing the updates.

Here's a wild idea that I'll throw out!
What if you sealed up the rear door on the drivers side. Then have any passengers get in only through the "passenger" side?

Probably a crazy idea but I can't recall if I've ever seen one done that way.

...and since I've already tossed one hairbrain idea out there...here's another!
Why not make that working rear passenger door half the width? Similar to an "extended cab" truck. (Might look cool or it might look a bit too stretched out)

Just trying to think outside the "box"!

[Steve Chryssos]

Very cool David. I'm really fond of four door hot rods. They immediately send a message that the owner wants to share the fun with others.

[ZVT]

This is long term project I remember seeing the rendering a couple years back I think on RevXtreme.

You certainly have staying power as far as projects are concerned I would have given in a loooong time ago.

Zee

[Rick Dorion]

I love it. Great year and I think 4-doors are cool. Something different and could be a great semi-sleeper.

[Diognes56]

Thanks guys. It is a 4dr Sedan (Post). I have had it for a number of years, but have been unable to work on it. So I have just been staring at the rendering, paging through catalogs, and dreaming for a while now . Now that I have a garage I can work in, it finally achieved project status earlier this month .

Thanks for the ideas Yard Dog, that might be a cool idea for a 4dr hardtop. Use 2dr hardtop doors on the front, cut down the rears and suicide them. I like the proportions of mine as it is . Though I wouldn't mind having the hardtops roof height, which is about an inch and a half lower than the sedans.

Anyway. Here are some pics to bring this thread up to date. The first pic is from earlier this month, first thing I did was remove the front sheetmetal. The second pic is from last week. I removed all of the glass, pulled the front doors (having trouble with the rear doors), and seeing what all needs repaired.

David

[Diognes56]

Some of the things that need to be repaired are the floor pans. The previous owner cut out a large hole in the front driver's side floor pan (1st pic), pop rivetted in tin, and the underbody tarred over it .
In the other floor pans (2nd pic)they tarred aluminum foil over the larger holes and just tarred over the smaller ones. There is pop rivetted tin in the inner rockers as well, and a lot of bondo in the outer rockers and for reasons I have yet to determine the driver's side quarter panel.
Both the wind shield and rear glass (3rd pic) opennings need some work as well.

On the plus side, that seems to be pretty much the extent of the "major" repairs. So it is not a bad starting point. The mods will be more work than the repairs will be.

David

[4OfaKind]

Off to a good start David.

How do you take the glass out? I have to do my 56 4dr post glass. I will post an update Monday.

Mal

[Diognes56]

Well it depends if you want to save the seals or not. Mine were toast, so I just ran a razor knife around the seal cutting it flush with the glass on the outside. Pushed on the inside top and pulled it up and out from there. Then I just pulled the rest of the seal out of the openning.

If you are wanting to keep the seal, you have to use plastic or wooden pry tools to loosen the seal from the lip on the inside and get a section of it to the opposite side of the lip. Then you can run the pry to between the seal and the lip which will pull the rest of the seal to the opposite side of the lip, pick it up, and carry it away.

Probably not the best descriptions, but hope they help .

David