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Keep at it Hank - every thing you fix yourself you will have the pleasure and knowledge that it was done right.
And congratulations on your coming family addition.

Hank -

Although the new baby is gonna occupy a lot of your time, I'm sure you'll get an afternoon off once in a while to do some work on the old girl.

Even if it's just some exploratory work, you'll be amaed at how much you can learn form that, and - in spite of some occasional frustration - there's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from doing it yourself. Also, there's nothing wrong with spending a few moments with your nose buried in a manual when you can't be in the garage.

FINALLY i have done some more worthwhile work to the clipbee.

late on friday afternoon my uncle helped me remove the motor, which was no small task in itself. that thing weighs a ton i swear! I just ended up cutting the exhaust pipe, it wasn't reusable anyways. Had to remove the power stearing pump to get a good bolt hole to attach the chain too. Also had to unbolt the trans cooler, which by the pics you can see is wasted....rusted up good at the inlet and the outlet holes, othewise i couldn't get to the front engine mount bolt. for this car being so big, that engine seems to be cramed in there at times....especially the exhaust, what a weird way to do it.

does anyone know if there is an exhaust manifold for the driver's side that faces towards the back of the car instead of the one i have that faces forward for the single exhaust. i would like to do dual, custom exhaust, but i don't want to wrap forwards and under the motor first. the stearing box will be a challenge too.

my pressure washer sprung a leak and wont hold pressure, so i couldn't clean the motor off very well. it is one of those cheap electric ones. i need a good gas one, but i can't afford it right now.

that engine stand is a 1500 lb stand, and you can see it is giving it a fit to hold it up....that is one mosterous motor for a 352 that's for sure. just to get it off the hoist and on the stand, i had to straddle the stand onto the hoist and then build up the back of the stand with blocks of wood.....it was sturdy suprisingly. then i had to position the motor just right to get it on the stand and bold it up. i used 2 1/2 or 3" grad 8 bolts to connect it. once i got it on i put a jack on the front of the stand to lift the weight off the hoist. then i pulled the hoist out and lowered the jack...this was scary.....then i lifted the back off the blocks of wood, moved then and lowered to the floor......i don't recommend this to anyone as it was very scary to do it this way, but i had no other choice unfortunately.

i also got the dash out....enough said.....what PIA!!!! i didn't like Packard that day i can tell you. i got it out with all the wires attached so i could take good pictures of where all the wires go too when i take it apart. i tried to take as many pics of where all the wiring hooks up to the motor too, but my camera phone sux.

i took the stearing wheel off and the shaft out too.....anyone know how to remove the long shaft that runs into the stearing box....it just stays there. or does it come out with the box as one unit?

anyways.....almost done dismantling this thing. next up is removing the body.......do i really need to put in some door braces when i take the body off?????? it seems as though it would have been mated to the frame at the factory without brace.

anyways enjoy the pics.

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On the exhaust, you're not going to find a driver's side manifold that faces rearward, they didn't make them. On the dual exhaust cars, like my Patrician, it uses a pipe that goes forward a little ways, then back, and the pipes aren't tied together at all. I know what you mean about the single exhaust, my '55 Hudson I used to have was single, and running the pipe under the engine was a PITA.

As for the steering column, it doesn't come apart easily, you'll have to take it out as one piece. 1956 had a modern rag joint to seperate the column and box, you can find one of those to retrofit if you desire.

what about those dual exhaust they sell on ebay for these cars. they okay.

Give Classic Exhaust a call @ 866/966-5460. I got an aluminized dual with resonators for my 56 Clipper from them for $450. Delivery time is 2 to 4 weeks.

Thanks for the information! ;0) i will keep it in mind when it comes time to do this.

a couple of things...

1. i changed my name to cli55er....i just came up with it and liked it better than clipbee for some reason.

2. nothing much to report on the car tonight. i was able to get the passenger's quarter window out tonight and the upper trim that runs down the side of the car. i took out the passenger's brake light also. the only thing left is the front windshield and trim and also the passenger's side backside lower trim around the wheel well.

once that is all off i will move on to the gas tank, then i can take off the body.

noone really answered my question......do i really have to weld or bolt in braces across the door openings?? seems to me that the body was probably put on without the braces to begin with, but i was told if i didn't do it it would cause it to fold on itself....seems like a fairy tell to me, unless it was a convertable or something.

i think the next big picture post will be me and the guys taking off the body.

later dudes,

Hank

couple of things i just saw in an email....

what color would the frame be, glossy or flat or etc...

what color is the underside of the car supposed to be, like the frame or like the body color on the car.

my guesses...

1. glossy, but i think i would rather have something very rust resistant and protective, like some kind of coating.
2. same color as the frame not body color.

what about with the doors off, my doors are not there, so i don't have that support there. did you take your doors off??

what kind of cart did you build to put your body on?

thanks man,

Hank

hh56 what happened to your post...it just dissappeared...weird. i saw your car and frame then it was gone.