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54 Chevy Bel Air hartop

36 messages,  Last post on Aug 16, 2009 at 7:20 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet, Classic Cars, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 4

#7 of 36 Re: Is there any way... [andre1969] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 02, 2007 (8:06 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 02, 2007 8:01 am)
The poster did say "sedan" so I was working on that premise, that this is a 4-door car. Isell and I aren't so much in disagreement about not chopping up a 2-door hardtop, but a '54 Chevy sedan is the type of car you want to consider very very carefully before investing a lot of money. Not only is it modest in looks and performance, but very few people are going to stop and appreciate it.
 
However, if you give it some juice with nicer wheels and a good V8 rumble, well then the picture changes. Then you have a mild street rod. You have more fun. The spectator has more fun.
 
Yes! You can modify to power steering and disk brakes without cutting or changing anything permanently. It's not that easy but you can return the car to originality--although again, with a sedan, I don't know why you would.
 
Just look at the value of a Ford or Chevy sedan from 1927. In 80 years, they are still worth less than a used Hyundai---so with an early 50s sedan, you aren't sittin' on a gold mine here.

#8 of 36 Re: Is there any way... [Mr_Shiftright] by isellhondas

Sep 02, 2007 (8:52 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 02, 2007 8:06 am)
In the heading of his post it said hardtop and later, he said it was a sedan so I don't know.
 
to answer Andre, yes, they can be converted to disk brakes without butchering the car but, WHY?
 
It's almost like some people think the old drum brakes were dangerous or inferior. If they are adjusted properly and working well, they will quickly skid the car to a stop if necessary. Yes, disks won't heat up or fade as much, but, again, people shouldn't drive a 54 Chevy as they would a modern car and any sensible person wouldn't.
 
Last night, at the local car show, thre was a 1953 Chevy convertable. At least it had been at one time. Undr the hood sat a small black Chevy engine of some kind. The Powerglide had been replaced with a floor mounted who knows what. The stock guages had been replaced with modern digital ones etc. It was a nice car to be sure but it sure wasn't a sweet, stock 53 Bel Air convertable.
 
To each his own...

#9 of 36 Re: Is there any way... [isellhondas] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 02, 2007 (8:56 am)

Replying to: isellhondas (Sep 02, 2007 8:52 am)
The disk brakes are only necessary if you swap out the anemic 6 for a big V8. If you keep the stock 235, then drum brakes are fine. But with triple the horsepower, you'd better have disk brakes on there. This is exactly what the Big Three did anyway, as their HP increased in the 1960s.

#10 of 36 Agree... by isellhondas

Sep 02, 2007 (9:45 am)

If you're going to drop a V-8 in there the car is pretty much doomed as an original so what the heck.
 
I don't think once a V-8 has been installed that it would be possible to return the car to stock. Too many things have to be cut.
 
One time I decided to see what the top speed of my 54 Bel Air was. I got to 92 MPH and it wouldn't go any faster.
 
It wasn't TOO anemic for what it was.
 
Another time I blasted through a tunnel at about 80MPH with my dual pipes blasting like mad only to discover a motorcycle cop hiding outside the tunnel.
 
He was NOT amused nor was he a big fan of split manifolds and 18" glasspacks!

#11 of 36 Re: Is there any way... [Mr_Shiftright] by andre1969

Sep 02, 2007 (9:46 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 02, 2007 8:56 am)
The disk brakes are only necessary if you swap out the anemic 6 for a big V8. If you keep the stock 235, then drum brakes are fine. But with triple the horsepower, you'd better have disk brakes on there. This is exactly what the Big Three did anyway, as their HP increased in the 1960s.

 
How about this for a compromise? Instead of going with disc brakes, what if you just went with a more substantial drum brake setup from a later model car? Disc brakes are going to make a power assist mandatory, whereas simply putting bigger drums on the car, you could get away without the power assist. So there'd be less to change, less complexity, etc.
 
I had a '67 Chrysler Newport hardtop with a 383-2bbl, and it just had drum brakes. I'd imagine they were 11" drums all around. It also had no power assist, so you'd think it would take plenty of leg muscle to stop a heavy, torquey behemoth like that. But I had no trouble at all. Even more telling, before I owned it, it belonged to a little old lady who'd owned it since around 1971. That's gotta be proof positive that, as long as your drums are big enough, you really don't need a power assist.
 
Of course, a good disk setup with power assist will still be better, but that Newport was perfectly adequate in normal day-to-day driving. Of course, if you want to slam on the brakes multiple times in succession, hauling it down from highway speeds to a dead stop, you're going to fade them pretty quickly, but I can't imagine too many situations where you have a bunch of panic stops in a row like that.
 
My '67 Catalina convertible has drums all around, with power assist. I dunno how much hp the thing has. Originally it had 290 gross with the 2-bbl, but it has a 4-bbl on it now, so I'd guess around 325? Other than being a bit grabby at first, I've never had any complaints about them. I'd imagine they're 11"?
 
As for the domestics switching to disc brakes, I don't think it was high-hp engines that caused them to do that, but probably increased pressure from the public, foreign competition, or somebody else. Heck, in 1973, GM was still putting 9.5" drums (same size as a Corvair, I think) as standard equipment in 4000 lb musclecars with 454/455 big-blocks! Fortunately, a disc setup that also upgraded you to 11" drums in back was optional, and I think most of them were equipped this way. But they were still making you pay extra for the privelege, in a time when the power was coming down.

#12 of 36 Re: Is there any way... [andre1969] by isellhondas

Sep 02, 2007 (10:12 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 02, 2007 9:46 am)
Andre, in the case of that '54 Chevy you simply don't need bigger drums. They stop just fine with the stock set up.
 
Now, if someone has turned the drums beyond minimum specs it could be a different story.
 
Mine stopped just fine!

#15 of 36 Thanks by ogre_bear

Sep 07, 2007 (2:42 pm)

Thank you all for the opinions and suggestions...I appreciate all of your insights on the subject. I don't know why the top of the page says " What is this discussion about? Chevrolet, Classic Car, Coupe" <---I don't know why it says coupe there...I clearly put sedan. Knowing its a four door..Where this project goes will be entirely to my friend, being that the Bel Air is his car. Since my buddy and I are only 20 and 22 we have never seen the Bel Air in its original state during its "out the factory" time period , So I would scratch the stock classic thought and fabricate a more rod/moded car thats would reflect our time era and passions. but that's just my thought. I'm just here for the ride..Gaining knowledge is all I can ask for..Thank you all ...

#16 of 36 Re: Thanks [ogre_bear] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 07, 2007 (4:34 pm)

Replying to: ogre_bear (Sep 07, 2007 2:42 pm)
I fixed the sedan "thingie" for you.

Messages Page 2 of 4

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