Thanks Ann. It was here both times you came by. I'm not sure if it was "in season" though. I put it away from October through May. Next time we'll go for a ride.
Paul On Oct 22, 2011, at 12:29 PM, Ann Sanfedele wrote: > Paul - that's terrific... I have lovely memories of a Chevvy Bel Aire of that > year , but it was turquoise and belonged to a boy friend. Is it possible > that having stayed at your home twice you never showed me the Chevvy? Hard > to imagine I didn't remember it or take a photo of it > too. > > I'll have to have someone save me the article this Sunday (I have a standard > supplier for this, but her husband throw things out so fast > it requires extra vigilance. > > ann > > > On 10/22/2011 12:01, Paul Stenquist wrote: >> >> On Oct 22, 2011, at 11:21 AM, Ken Waller wrote: >> >>> Paul, your '55 looks pretty as I rember them looking - other than >>> consumerables - brakes, tires batteries etc, how much of it is original? >> >> Hi Ken, >> >> It's product correct but probably wouldn't qualify as fully numbers >> matching. Although there's no way to be certain on Chevies of that era as >> many parts didn't have date codes. >> the powertrain appears to be original. When I bought it, it was titled in >> Texas by engine number rather than VIN -- that was standard in that state in >> the mid fifties. So since the engine number matched the title number, I >> would think it's original. The engine does have a date code and it precedes >> the date code for the build, as does the date code on the third member. The >> trans is product correct, but I don't think it has a date code. I know the >> floor, trunk floor and the piece of metal below the trunk were replace when >> the car was restored in the mid nineties. Most 55s, even those in good >> climates, rusted in those areas. When I bought it, it had the wrong >> carburetor. It was a Rochester 2GC, but it was from a later model car. I was >> able to buy a restored carb of the right part number for a 55 265 from a guy >> in St. Louis. It was re-bronzed and flawlessly rebuilt. Expensive, but nice. >> It was equipped with a later model power brake booster and master as well. I >> trashed that a > nd reinstalled the original 55 manual brake master, along with new brake > lines, wheel cylinder, linings and drums. I had the top replace and > reupholstered the front seat. I also had the body lifted off the frame and > remounted with the correct shims. All the bodies of that era were shimmed > during assembly to correct gaps and optimize fit. Whoever restored it in the > nineties could have done a better job, and of course it may have settled a > bit. Gaps are quite good now. I had trouble with shorts in the original 55 > distributor and replaced it with the Delco replacement part, which is > actually a '57 style distributor. I've fixed the shorts -- I think -- and I'm > going to reinstall the original distributor. Other than that distributor, the > only non-correct parts I can think of are the radio/cd player mounted under > the dash and two JBL speakers mounted in the rear seat side panels. >> >> Paul >>> >>> Kenneth Waller >>> http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack Davis"<[email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: GESO: My Chevy for the Times >>> >>> >>> Well done articles and photos, Paul. Especially the "tongue in cheek" >>> recount of your acquiring the '55 convertible. >>> I owned a blue and white two tone '56 Bell Air "hard top" back in the early >>> '60's and imagine it's still running somewhere today. >>> >>> Jack >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: Paul Stenquist<[email protected]> >>> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List<[email protected]> >>> Cc: >>> Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 4:56 PM >>> Subject: GESO: My Chevy for the Times >>> >>> A couple of weeks back I mentioned that I had shot a car at the GM Design >>> Center. The car was my ''55 Chevy BelAir Convertible, and i shot it for >>> this Sunday's NY Times. The article that the pics accompany is a test drive >>> of my car and a tribute to '55 Chevies by Car& Driver editor, Tony Swan. >>> It's all part of a Chey 100th anniversary package. Here's a gallery of some >>> of the pics I shot and jpegs of the Times pagea: >>> http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=1018508 >>> >>> I had to do a lot of backlight work to get the GM Design Center in the >>> pics, because the only place to shoot was on the north side of the >>> building. But it worked out well with some reflectors and flash fill. >>> >>> The article is on the web as well if anyone is interested. Swan did a nice >>> job: >>> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/automobiles/autoreviews/a-fabulously-fifties-way-to-see-the-usa.html?_r=1 >>> >>> >>> >>> I also wrote a short and somewhat tongue-in-cheek piece about buying the >>> car eleven years ago: >>> http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/road-trip-returning-a-55-chevy-bel-air-to-its-detroit-roots/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> [email protected] >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >>> follow the directions. >> >> > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
