1954 Sedan Delivery Build

55ken · Member

RE: 1954 Sedan Delivery Build

Beau 69 · Addicted!

Nice project...............maybe something like attached would work, it includes that beautiful patina.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQVpSFoROg4&ebc=ANyPxKqr9z1pttU0FPO9H88QJYNLmrKwl3Zk_VA61_0cVUbdp5QFj1q2mzuqj0BZVM9ZmVaTjENC7L-lYdYVO8dlKtH8Z86xLg

Welcome from Manitoba

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Forespeed...this is basically the same GM frame they use in the '53 Chevs and the front part of the frame is the same as what they used in the early Corvettes (I'm not sure but I'm thinking the

C2 frames?) so it should be fine with the small block 283 in it. We've put small blocks (350s) into a couple of '52 and '53 Chevs over the years and there has never been a problem. I was planning on adding

a couple of gussets strategically placed anyways. All I really have to do is install a swap kit (Chassis Engineering kit CP-1109), change out the rear end to get rid of the old torque tube

assembly (I've got a line on the suspension and rear end out of a wrecked '85 Corvette) and weld on a plate with mounting holes 4 inches back on which to attach the Turbo 350 tranny I'm going to use.

The engine swap kit is good for 1949 through 1954 Chevs and I'm not sure if it will work for that honking big Caddy engine but you might want to take a look at it because it might just work for you.

Now I can see where you might want to strengthen the frame a bit with that Caddy engine but I'm thinking you shouldn't have to go to any extreme lengths or do any major alterations to your frame unless it

is compromised because of quantities of old rust or damage.

I'd be interested in seeing a couple of pics of your project, especially the frame and front end assembly.

Gary

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Beau 69...that's a great little video and I've been tossing around doing one of two things...first to paint the car a flat or satin black, or second to repair the worst of the damage to the body

(which really isn't that much) and leave the few minor dents here and there then clear coat the entire thing leaving what's left of the original paint, the rust and primer in true rat rod style.

I'll make that decision sometime in the next few months.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

54sedandelivery wrote:
Beau 69...that's a great little video and I've been tossing around doing one of two things...first to paint the car a flat or satin black, or second to repair the worst of the damage to the body
(which really isn't that much) and leave the few minor dents here and there then clear coat the entire thing leaving what's left of the original paint, the rust and primer in true rat rod style.
I'll make that decision sometime in the next few months.

I like your second idea. That's what I'm going to do, but mine won't be called a "rat rod". Satin clear.

50sedandelivery · Addicted!

Here's a very interesting comparison list of US and CDN. production figures for Sedan Deliveries. They only built 1407 CDN. units in '54 and zero in the US. Rare birds indeed!

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Removed the insulation and sound proofing from behind the panels in the back tonight. Nasty job...fiberglass and mouse turds...

...before...

back panel removal behind panels a1.jpg

...after...

back panel clean of insulation.jpg

...lots of vacuuming with gloves and full mask...

Headliner is next...

G.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I LOVE IT !!!!!! Continued good luck with your resto of that very rare 54. Looking forward to continued updates. Cheers. George

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Thanks George!

Murray, here's a few pics of the seat moldings on my SD. I haven't taken them off the seat yet but I can certainly do that if you need detailed pics...PM me if you need more.
Gary,

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Ended up working this weekend but I did get several hours in the garage Saturday night...I want to take out the headliner but had to take out the windshield first...

...began with removing the interior molding around the windshield above the dash.

Reveal molding inside window lower.jpg

Then slid bottom escutcheon to one side and using the hole left by the wiper transmission I pushed the stainless reveal molding towards the outside of the car after loosening it gently first and slid it over the winged clips and off.

Reveal molding with wiper transmission removed.jpg

Repeated on the other side.

Next took off the reveal corner moldings (they have tabs that lock into a channel on the rubber and can be pried gently away).

Reveal molding lower corner left.jpg

Window chrome-reveal molding corner.jpg

Window chrome-reveal molding hold down c.jpg

Used a utility knife to cut the rubber seal along the bottom and then used a hook tool to lift the back of the seal over the pinch weld as I gently pushed out on the bottom corner of the windshield.

A little jiggling and pushing and the windshield came out from the bottom with the lower and upper moldings still in place on the seal.

Window removed.jpg

Cross section through window rubber seal and the stainless upper reveal molding. Channel at bottom for glass; rear channel goes over pinch weld.

Window chrome-reveal molding upper in seal glass channel at bottom pinch weld at right.jpg

Molding and glass will have to be installed in the new seal before installation over the pinch weld...

...ready to take out the old headliner...

Gary

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Took out the headliner today. Spent about 3 hours taking my time, pictures and labeling rods so I'd know how to put everything back in the right order.

Removed the garnish around the rear door first. The liner tucks under the garnish and is tacked to a tack strip hidden under the garnish.

Headliner 1.jpg

Headliner 7 tack strip hold downs close up.jpg

Rod 7 (the last rod) is inserted into single holes at the back behind the last rib across the roof.

Headliner 13 rod 7 next to hole.jpg

Rods 6, 5, 4 and 3 are all supported from the roof ribs by tabs/hooks that poke through the headliner material and wrap around the rod.

Headliner 22 rod 5 left side.jpg

Headliner 23 rod 5 upper hook.jpg

Headliner 24 rod 5 hooks.jpg

At the front of the car the headliner is stapled and nailed down to the tack strip with the windlace and the material from the pillar cover...

Headliner 32 lifting up pillar cover.jpg

...and wraps around the edge of the roof up to the edge of the windshield pinch weld and is then tacked down to a tack strip...

Headliner 36 headliner at pinch weld upper left corner of window.jpg

Headliner 38 headliner stapled to tack strip behind pinch weld.jpg

Rod 1 and 2 are inserted into holes on the left side like rod 7 (I made note that rod 1 was inserted into the upper of the two holes), however on the right side the rods inserted into a kind of support for the rod (I've never seen this hardware before)...

Headliner 43 rod 1 support right side.jpg

...and the headliner was removed in addition to the sound proofing.

Headliner 46 all out.jpg

This also turned out to be a nasty job because the space above the headliner was filled with insulation and nesting material carried up there over the years by the mice living in the car as it sat back in an alder grove. There was enough material in addition to old plant material and turds to fill almost half of a green garbage bag. I tried to control the amount of crap I was working in by periodically vacuuming up what I could reach above the headliner and what came tumbling down.

Next I'll strip out the plywood floor before moving on to the bumpers, grill and front clip.

Time for a cold beer...

Gary

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Good stuff, get it down to a "clean" vehicle. Good that you are taking pictures.

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Pontiacanada wrote:
Good stuff, get it down to a "clean" vehicle. Good that you are taking pictures.

I've run a dark room for about 30 years so taking pictures comes naturally...but I also believe it's essential because I don't always remember where things came from several months or even a year down the road. I don't think I've ever worked on an old vehicle that didn't have at least one mouse, bumblebee or hornets nest in it and cleaning as we all know is just part of the process...

...glad to see you're keeping tabs on my work.

Gary

Spruce Laker · Member

53 and 54 only had a carter 2 barrel carb all the same except some have one adjustable idle jet and some have 2

54 laurentian power steering and powerglide
81 buick park ave
80 Honda cx500 deluxe

Fitz · Guru

interesting built, keep pictures coming!

Fitz.

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Haven't posted in a while because I've been spending a lot of time in Alberta working and traveling back and forth to home.

I have been doing some work and I'll endeavor to post the pictures in the next couple of weeks while I'm still in town. But, looks like I'm going to buy a house in southern Alberta near Lethbridge so I'm going to hold back on taking the body off of the frame until after I move. Possession date is August 2nd so I still have time to do things like strip the paint off of the parts I've removed and off of the body, in addition to doing some sandblasting of parts. The garage at the place I'm buying is a nice size and won't take much for me to turn it into the shop I want. I also just bought myself a Hobart 190 mig welder and boy is it fun.

131 Bow 6.jpg

I've also got over an acre of property so I'll be able to move and store all my project cars in one place.

I'll be back to post again soon. Just wanted everyone to know I haven't abandoned you.

Gary

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

congrats on the new digs!

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Thanks Tim,

I'm really excited plus I'm actually a Vertebrate Paleontologist by trade and I've collected fossils for over 40 years in this area. My new place does not only have a great shop, lots of room and a nice little house, but it's smack in the middle of all of my favorite collecting areas and just a half an hour from the Montana border. I'll be retiring in style...

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Oh yeah, last weekend somebody gave me this truck that was sitting in the bush behind their place up here on the Alaska Highway...it's not a Pontiac, but it's still a great little truck...a 1948 Chevy 3100.

...the doors are in the back.

G.

54sedandelivery · Veteran Member

Okay, I'm back after two years...my how time flies.

Moved to southern Alberta officially in November 2016...it took 5 trips with car hauler and my pick up and then a 6th trip with my Holiday Trailer full to overflow. Spent the first winter and spring doing work on the inside of the old farmhouse I bought then blew out my knee. The knee and subsequent surgery basically blew away all last summer and the early part of the fall. Finally got the new floor of the shop poured in October so I have a nice level concrete floor to work on and in November installed a wood stove to supplement my propane heater. Spent the winter getting the shop all set up with my tools and welders plus a new upright compressor, English wheel, shrinker/stretcher, planisher, buffing wheel, sand blasting cabinet and body rotisserie. Also bought myself a nice commercial Singer sewing machine to start to teach myself upholstery...figured I might as well give it a try. Keep me busy during the long nights next winter.

I've just started back to work on the Sedan Delivery by first redoing the disassembly I had done prior to moving...I put the doors, hood and fenders back on to move her here on my car hauler. I'm now ready to get down and dirty again.

The break actually worked out well for me because I now have a better shop to work in plus I've put a lot of thought into the final look of the beast. The interior design, paint scheme and what the final bright work will be is all done. I worked these out with multiple sketches using rendering techniques I learned years ago when I did a Visual Arts diploma...first time I've actually used these particular skills since University.

So, same as before -- I'll take pictures as I do the work and post them here.

Glad to be back and looking forward to reading a few of the posts I've been missing.

Oh yeah...I found a gold mine of old Pontiacs and Buicks on an acreage at the end of a dirt road just north of Foremost, Alberta. Later in the spring I'll get some pictures on here. The old guy's in his late 80's and just starting to sell. He has about 25 acres and somewhere between 1,100 and 1,200 cars dating back to around 1927 all the way up to the late 90's. Most of them are pre-1975...I've already got my eye on a couple of flathead V-8s to put into a couple of Model A's I picked up last year.

Cheers everyone.

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Great to have you back! Car picks are cool but shop pics are just as nice and sounds like you have a nice setup. Looking forward to updates now that your settled.

50sedandelivery · Addicted!

Welcome back Dale. I also took 2 years off from the '50 SD as I'm into Airstreams. Just about finished a 2016 25' accident victim that took almost 5 months to straighten out and reskin and rivet about 40 % of it. Been on 3 trips so far and still have some issues to tweak. I bought a 2014 donor that was a rollover for parts,
Anyways- that and a '54 Chevy 5 window p.u. that followed me home have diverted most of my time. Just sold the p.u. last week as I could hear the SD whimpering every time I went by the garage!
Time to get back on it!

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Good to have you back.