LT1/T56 Into a 1957 Chevrolet Pick Up

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[JOATMON]

Cleaned up and painted the engine compartment, then started laying out the wiring harness and test fitting the steering column. I'm using the column from a '97 Camaro as well as the harness.
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[JOATMON]

This pic shows where the shifter needed to come up, which was under the bench seat and right where a structural rib is in the floor. At the time I started figuring I would have to go to bucket seats. The red X is where the shifter needed to be.57 chevy 013.JPG

[JOATMON]

About this point I got side tracked on a boat project AND I bought the '97 SS. Poor truck got neglected again while I worked on the Camaro. I wound up getting the truck back in the shop and did more work on it. Then I had major valvetrain issues with the Camaro and did a top end rebuild on it. I finally decided to work on one project at a time until completed or I would never finish anything.

[JOATMON]

Here's a spurt of work completed. Pulled the entire front suspension out. I rebuilt with new kingpins and bushings, new lowering springs and shackle bushings. Teardown;
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[JOATMON]

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[JOATMON]

I wanted to keep the straight axle suspension and alot of other things about the truck more retro versus completely modernizing it. But I did it in a way that will stop and steer much better.Disc brakes and power rack and pinion steering newer 57 pics front end work 025.JPGnewer 57 pics front end work 030.JPG

[JOATMON]

And front and rear sway bars.moon pics 57 progress down river pics 006.JPG

[JOATMON]

The plate brackets you se in the previous photo were made wrong by the company I bought them from. Somebody got his center to center measurements wrong. So I made my own out of 1/2" T6061 aluminum plate.SWAY BAR BRACKETS AND HOARDER SHOP 001.JPG