Figured I'd go ahead and start a thread on my newest project, the '59 Chevy wagon. Been working on it for about a month now, and am going to need some motivation if I'm going work on it this winter, since once it gets cold, I don't like going out in the garage. But, I really want to have this thing on the road by spring, so I'm going to try my best.

The car is very solid, and I'd say about 98% rust free, and it has a 1972 Utah license plate on the front, so I don't think it's been on the road in a while. I'm pretty sure judging by the condition of the body, it spent it's life in a dry climate. It was originally a Department of Agriculture car, and you can just barely see where it used to say that on the doors. It's an odd car in that it really isn't a station wagon according to the trim tag. The body style is called out as a sedan delivery, but with windows. This is why it's badged Biscayne rather than Brookwood like all other two door wagons. Being that its a sedan delivery, it doesn't have, and never did have a back seat, just a flat plywood floor from the front seat all the way back. I'm torn on whether or not to put a seat in it. I think it would be more practical with one, but then there's the rarity factor without it. I'll decide on that down the road I guess.

It's getting a 2007 5.3/4l60e out of a Silverado classic, so it's a genIII engine. Also will be upgrading the brakes, doing a mild drop, putting in A/C, and nice interior and some new wheels and tires. Going to try and polish out the paint as best I can, and although it won't be perfect by any stretch, it will make a cool driver, which is the end goal because I just finished a truck that is way too high maintenance, so something I don't have to worry about will be a nice change of pace.

Anyway, here's some pics. I will update this as photobucket allows, because it's being a real pain at the moment......

 

That is one bad *** ride, good luck with the build

 

About Time ................LOL

 

Sweeet! I would leave the paint as is and try to bring out the dept. of ag lettering so it can almost be seen...

 

Damn that's a nice project. A neighbor down the street from me has a nice 60 but I think its a Brookwood. Next time he is out I will take a closer look.

 

Thanks!

No way this is going to be as fast of a build as you are used to.....
I'm not sure there's much that can be done to make the lettering any better. I think it was buffed off at some point, and the paint underneath it is just a bit darker. Someone sanded the "for official use only" part off the driver's door at some point too.
Thanks!

 

I love it !!!

 

Where did you find this? Rare find

 

Cool factor X eleventybillion...


This is a real "unicorn" right here...

 

(I'm really hooked...as it looks to have the same paint color as my 72 Greenbrier...)

 

I will have to tune on for this build.

 

That sure is one cool looking wagon. Keep the updates coming please, as I love 50's modified cars.

 

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This will cool for sure

 

Impressive find and I am tagging along for the build.

 

Glad you're finally posting about this project.

Are we going to Ottawa or PT with this one? You have plenty of time.

Of course maybe I should start another build topic for my current project too...

 

I bought this car from a friend of a friend who is big into '59 Chevys, notice the ElCamino in front of it. I guess he had plans for it but decided he wasn't going to get to it so he sold it to me.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm slow sometimes. My plan is to go to 'Back to the 50's' in June, but not sure if that will happen or not, things are going to have to really get rolling if I'm going to make that deadline.

And you should make a build thread on your car, I'm sure people would dig it.

 

The first part of the build is going to be kind of boring. I didn't have room for the car at the time so I just went and took out the gauges so I could convert them to modern electronics. I've never been a big fan of aftermarket gauges and want to keep the interior looking mostly stock, so this is what I did. I scoured the Pick n Pull for an electric speedo that I could rob the guts out of like I do on my C-10 swaps. The S10 was close, but the sweep was just enough off to keep it from working. What I found that worked best was a '96 Corsica. The 0 to 120mph is really close to the same as the '59, and the cluster also has a temp and fuel gauge that could be made to work.



I started by peeling the face off the cluster then cut the plastic part the stepper motor bolts to so it would fit in the original gauge housing. Had to space it out with some spacers.



This is what I ended up with. Then bolted the stepper motor back on....





Then screwed the original face back on. Sanded the needle down to the right size and shape to make it match the 59 needle a little better.



Aaaaaaannnnnnddddd Photobucket just screwed up............ So that's all for now

 

Pretty cleaver. Thanks for sharing.

 

That's why I like your threads. Other ways to get modern electronics without braking the bank.

 

Once the gauge is put back together, you can't tell anything has been done to it, just the way I like!





And just for grins, what it looks like before being all put together.....



Then it was on to the speedo....