Preppin’ for Paint When I started to restore the `57 I remember Tom Donahue saying “Remember back then we didn’t fix them like we do now”.

I needed to install a PCV system on the SBC engine. The Edelbrock Pro Ram II manifold has the oil fill located in the center valley of the engine.

I wanted a functioning modern Gauge cluster to fit in the stock `57 housing. The housing I started with was modified years ago with aftermarket gauges and the center section was filled by a mechanical Pro-Comp Auto Meter 160 MPH Speedometer.

Craig Clements, a licensed Architect from Sarasota, Florida caught the car bug at the very young age of 6.

I had a polished chrome plate from another `57 that nicely covers the heater pipe access hole - Pic 1. The Raingear Electric wiper motor system kit had a cover plate for where the vacuum wiper motor was mounted which I painted glossy black.

DRIVESHAFT We had a custom Driveshaft made at Central Florida Driveshaft, 307 S Combee Rd, Lakeland FL, 863-666-3874. Owner Dick Hudson had to Cut the end off our shaft to shorten it since It was originally made for another engine trans combo.

Interior floor This is what it looked like in 1995 when we dragged it back from Bucks County Pennsylvania. Still had the `68 GTO bucket seats – In great shape too – Pic 1. It had the obligatory wood steering wheel that was so popular at the time

Gas Pedal I left off with “I resolved how to manually return the throttle to a closed position using the stock `57 gas pedal.” That statement should have been edited out since I had solved the need to do that when I converted the original rod linkage to Lokar’s modern throttle cable system.

Cooling System Well I guess we’ll have to start at the beginning. We used an AFCO Short Race Water Pump #10680090 to get the water flowing thru our Auto City Classic Aluminum Radiator part #SL264

Hydraulic Flaring Kit As I mentioned before, I picked up a Mastercool Universal Hydraulic Flaring Kit #11535 from Eastwood to take care of all the fittings I needed throughout the build of “The Godfather”.