1954 Chevy Dead Sled

I went a year ago to look at this Chevy. Jeff Gemmer bought it in 1996 the way it sits. There is no history on the car other than he bought it from a guy in 96 in Falmouth Kentucky right before the flood would have taken it. Here are the pics from the first time I seen it.  http://www.scroungers.net/t5741-jeff-gemmers-stuff?highlight=Jeff+gemmer

Jeff sent me a message about the Chevy the other day so I went back down for another look.

The 54 is in bad shape. Bad chop top, trunk is gone, hydraulics on the front. Ugly custom work done to it like the Stude?? taillights and trunk chopped in two. There is so much I can't even type it all.

You know me I'm a sucker for a ugly car and I hate to say it but I dig it...

You know what happens next.

The kids seem to like it.

The 54 came with this box of parts. It had to be put in the truck with a skid steer. It's full of stuff. Tons of chrome, the side windows, uncut, continental kit and more.

I love customs and this one will be a tail dragger custom if I have my way but I've always wanted a 54 hardtop Chevy. I would have never cut this one up. I thought about trying to find a roof and back section to put it back the way it was but this one is just too deep in the custom zone to turn back now.    

At least the roof still has a nice curve to it, I've seen way to many 49/54 chevys that they flatten out the roof when they chop it. From the pics it only looks like the rear or the roof is a mess, looks like they overlapped the sheet metal, maybe a few relief cuts with a zip wheel and a some pushing and pulling will bring her back into shape. I would have jumped on it given the chance, and the funds. 

I got my gears rolling a bit. I'm going to hit some junkyards to see what I can find but if anyone has a bumper hanging in their garage they want to sell let me know. I'm looking for a rear bumper that bows out for the quarter panels to run back into.

Something like a 55 or 56 Chevy bumper.


52 Cadi


Ford's? Anything that has the bump out for the 1/4's and is not just a straight bumper.


If you have something, the finish doesn't matter. Rust doesn't matter as long as it's not rust holes.

People have started with worse...I know it will take some cash, but think how it will look... COOL !!!! has it a running gear in it?

1970ish 6 banger with a power glide trans. Jeff said when he first got it he had it started one time and it ran really rough. So the engine may be shot or even locked up from sitting by now.

A little wash and cleaning and a set of wheels would make it look lots better.Them little 250s are good motors and so are the power glide.

painted 55 chevy rear bumper $100.
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/for/4153772926.html

Chris55 wrote:painted 55 chevy rear bumper $100.
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/for/4153772926.html

Thanks Chris. Just talked to him. Seems like a nice guy. I may go over there tomorrow to check it out. Just have to watch my funds right now. I have too many irons in the fire.

I never told Aryan to do anything to the car today. I look over and he's unscrewing the sheet metal out of the back window. It's fun to watch him become a self thinker and just run with it.

We tossed a battery in the car and got the hydraulics working.
Down



Up

Next comes that old 6 banger. Will it run?


Aryan and I took the plugs out and put some trans fluid down in the piston holes just to clean some stuff up in case it was tight from sitting.

The plugs were carboned up and needs changing but not knowing if the engine would even run left me with just a good cleaning on all of them with a wire wheel. We turned the engine over a few times to blow some of the trans fluid out of the holes and then dropped the plugs back in. There is no gas tank in the car so a can of gas with a hose in it serves as the fuel.

I get in the car and the gas pedal is froze. I messed with it in the car and under the hood but could only give it a small amount of gas. I'll have to look into that more. I twisted the key and she cranks no more than two turns and fires right up. It sounds good! I give it what gas I can and it takes off. It was in drive and the shifter is not hooked up. I found out the brakes DO work. HAHahhh
Aryan was laughing and I looked at him. He said I'm just watching you grin

A little more history thanks to Steve Blades.
Steve Blades:
Steve. I remember the car very well. It sat in the yard at a house on the corner of Shelby and Maple Streets for a few years. It just showed up one day and was never touched. That owner never did anything to it that I'm aware of. Then one day it was gone. I'll see if I can't find out some info for you, on my end.

Reb Stew wrote:

Chris55 wrote:painted 55 chevy rear bumper $100.
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/for/4153772926.html

Thanks Chris. Just talked to him. Seems like a nice guy. I may go over there tomorrow to check it out. Just have to watch my funds right now. I have too many irons in the fire.

I know that feeling well, been outa work for over a month now and the doc. says it's gona be a least another two before he lets me go back. ..... But hey glad to hear she's a runner! 

I used to work with someone back in the early 80s that chopped the top of a 54 hardtop but never finished it.

I got a good look at the top today. Whoever did it the chop should have stayed working at Wendy's. It has to be the worse chop I have ever seen and I have seen many. If I had another roof I'd change it. I'm thinking of trying to fix some of it but I hate trying to fix other peoples screw ups. The front is nice but the back and middle is something to see in person. It's brazed on in spots every 3 inches.

I already knew I was changing the taillights and quarters around so I wanted to see just how bad things were. Here what it looks like with the mud on.


Here what is hiding. Scaring stuff. Rolled sheets, brazed on in spots and finished off with almost an 1" of mud.  

And I thought my body work was bad!