Chevrolet
This has to be one of the nicest looking ’57 Chevrolet Bel Airs I’ve ever seen in the state of Hawaii,” I kept saying to myself as I was photographing Keith Maeda’s black cherry ’57 tri-5 Chevrolet. I mean, this thing has all the bells and whistles.
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OK, we all know that it is easy to ignore automatic transmission maintenance—its messy and time consuming and no one really thinks about it until the trans starts to slip. Most transmission pans are simple stamped steel and do not have a drain plug so draining the fluid makes a big mess on your garage or shop floor. If maintaining your automatic trans was easier and less messy you would probably stay on top of the maintenance wouldn’t you?
Artec Industries, specializing in designing and manufacturing high-quality off-road components for Jeep, Toyota, Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Scout, or Custom vehicles, is known for its innovative designs, quality reputation, fast shipping, and exceptional customer service. Founded in 2003 by Artie Nuttall, the company has a mission to provide world-class aftermarket automotive parts to off-road enthusiasts and to break the mold on what has been done in the industry. Artec’s relentless dedication ensures that it consistently exceeds customer expectations and earns their trust through unparalleled service.
In part nine of our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo Buildup Series, we covered the installation of the Classic Industries Parts and Accessories reproduction ’55-’59 Chevrolet/GMC lower door hinge panels, doorsill rocker panels, upper and lower door hinges, new right- and left-side front floor pans, inner and outer lower cab patch panels, and right- and left-side truck cab supports. To put it in a nutshell, the crew at Cimtex Rods in Jarrell, Texas, basically rebuilt the whole bottom end of our Super Cameo ’56 Chevrolet big window truck cab from stem to stern. Now, with a rock-solid truck cab firmly bolted onto our Cameo’s highly modified C4 Corvette-suspended truck chassis, we closed with the promise that we would be installing a new set of Dynacorn International Inc. ’55-’59 Chevrolet/GMC reproduction truck doors, followed by angle-chopping the top on our ’56 big-window a total of 3-1/2 inches in the front and 3 inches in the rear. Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly go according to plan.
In part seven of our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo Buildup series, we covered the installation of our Stainless Works four-tube ZR1 headers and Cimtex Rods-fabricated 3-inch custom exhaust system, as well as the fabrication and installation of our Cimtex Rods-constructed 22-gallon fuel tank and the accompanying MagnaFuel fuel system. Now we’re going to cover the mockup of our Powerdyne BD-11A SilentDrive twin supercharger system. But first let’s digress and take a look at the big picture. One of the key criterion in our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo buildup was to elicit that all-important “wow” factor throughout the entire series. When it came to the engine, we didn’t want to install just any old run-of-the-mill, multi-carbureted GM small or big block, much less a late-model GM crate engine straight out of the catalog. Going in we figured that the Cimtex Super Cameo powerplant should be something special.
“What’s going on right now with this truck is probably one of the most difficult parts of the overall buildup,” commented Cimtex Rods’ Darrell Cimbanin. “Getting everything to fit inside and underneath this highly modified 1956 Chevrolet Cameo half-ton chassis, like the exhaust and fuel systems, for example, requires a lot of thought and careful planning, not to mention the actual fabrication process, which is very time consuming!”
In parts two and three of The Auto Builder’s Cimtex Super Cameo series, we followed along as Cimtex Rods primaries Tim and Darrell Cimbanin instatlled one of Flat Out Engineering’s Corvette C4/C5 front and rear independent suspension crossmember kits beneath a 1956 Chevrolet 1/2-ton pickup chassis.
Of course, this was followed by the actual installation of the 1984-1987 Corvette C4 rack-and-pinion-steering-equipped IFS and the bolting up of the 1984-1987 Corvette C4 IRS, which makes for a pretty nice-handling street truck.
Along the way, some modifications to the Corvette C4 front suspension were made for the sake of simplicity and an enhanced ride. For openers, Flat Out Engineering designed its kit to incorporate a pair of 12-1/2-inch Aldan Eagle 659/450 coilover shock absorbers, which replace the somewhat antiquated GM designed Owens Corning Corvette C4 monoleaf fiberglass front spring.
Gone are the days of struggling to find restoration chemicals and parts. The article highlights how the availability of reproduction parts and user-friendly chemical solutions has revolutionized car restoration. It introduces popular and effective chemicals like 3M Underseal Undercoating, Eastwood Self-Etching Primer, and OEM Paints React, highlighting their benefits and applications. It even delves into restoring cast-iron parts, suggesting solutions like OEM Paints’ Steering Gear Box Finish. Get ready to be amazed by the latest advancements in car restoration!
In Part III of our Cimtex Super Cameo buildup, we’re going to follow along as the guys from the Jarrell, Texas, crew modify the rear framerails on this ’56, “kicking it up” a full 8 inches. In the process, Tim and Darrell will also narrow the Corvette C4 IRS half shafts to achieve the much desired rear tire clearance they need in order to be able to run a set of humongous 20×10 billet wheels wrapped with a set of BFGoodrich radial T/A rubber.
“Building a good truck chassis is just like building the foundation for a house,” says Cimtex Rods’ Tim Cimbanin. “Everything starts at the ground floor. If you don’t have a good foundation, you don’t have anything!”
No truer words were ever spoken, and we’ve been preaching this fundamental information in all our publications.
