It was meant to happen

Roughly two weeks after deciding to test fate and see if any parts became available, I spotted an ad in Craigslist.  The ad was for  two 235 Chevy engines, a '53 & a '54 along with a set of Fenton cast iron headers for dual exhaust and miscellaneous other parts.  I exchanged emails with the guy and confirmed the engine numbers.  I had some concerns about the '53 initially as that was the first year for Chevrolet to use pressure oiling and it was only on engines that came with Powerglide transmissions.  Those engines were also equipped with hydraulic valve lifters.  Beginning in 1954, all the 235's were pressure oiled whether with solid or hydraulic lifters.  The Fenton headers (really cast iron split exhaust manifolds) were a real plus to the deal as they are only made in reproduction form now and these are originals.  When I made the pickup of everything, I discovered the deal also included chrome valve cover/side cover kits for both engines.  The '53 used 2 studs thru the middle of the valve cover for hold downs while the 54 and later engines used a 4 bolt retention system that fastened the flange to the cylinder head.  The seller also threw in a new exhaust pipe and a couple of wheels (wrong bolt pattern for my car).  I rented a pickup truck from U-Haul to drive the 75 miles to Climax, Mi. and on the way back, I had an idea - call my buddy Dick at More Power!
     Dick and I have known each other for over 30 years.  He worked for a customer of mine and we had frequent contact back in the late 70's.  When I went on the road as a salesman in 1981, Dick's employer was one of my customers and we discovered a common bond in cars.  Dick had been drag racing while I was in Vietnam so we had never met at the track.  20 years ago, Dick and his partner Duane opened a performance engine rebuilding company called More Power.  They specialized in high performance drag racing, circle track, boats and any other form of performance engine building.  Their customers included championship monster trucks and racing lawnmowers!  Dick and I had reconnected when I started repairing computers 7 years ago.  He immediately became a dedicated customer of mine and I've serviced his computer and network equipment for several years now.  Sooo, time to call Dick.
   The question I put to Dick was this,  "I have two old Chevy 6's in the back of this pickup and I'm wondering if I can bring them to the shop so I can tear them down and determine which, if either, is suitable to be rebuilt."  Being the good friend that he is, Dick responded without hesitation, "Sure.  Bring 'em on up.  You can work on them here all you want instead of hauling parts back and forth."  What an amazing offer!  But, after all, Dick is an amazing guy.
    Six weeks later another piece of the puzzle fell into place.  I had been checking Craigslist and ebay for transmissions and rear ends when I spotted a new ad on Craigslist.  The ad was for a 1957 Chevy rear end complete from brake drum to brake drum with leaf springs and shock mounts still attached.   I had seen similar units on ebay without the shock plates and U-bolts for $250-500.  This one wasn't positraction but it was a steal at $75.

 Dick came thru again loaning me his pickup to go get the rear end.  That took care of 2 key parts of the drive line.  If you read my earlier rantings, I mentioned that I wanted to keep the stock wheels and tires on the car.  The 57 rear had the smaller 4 3/4 bolt pattern but I had an idea.  A quick email to Moser Engineering in Indiana confirmed an idea I had.  They would make me a custom pair of axles to fit the 57 housing but with the flanges to match the 41 wheels.  Problem solved.  The T5 transmission would be the tuffy - or so I thought.
    Just before Thanksgiving, I spotted a new ad on ebay for a T5.  I knew from memory the exact part number I wanted and I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted that number in the ad!  But....the ad said the guy would be out of town for few days and couldn't ship it right away.  I made the buy for $280 plus shipping and waited for a week and a half for it to arrive from Nebraska.  It arrived in a big cardboard box that had once housed a large office chair.  I about cracked up laughing at the UPS driver as he carried this heavy (80#) office chair up my driveway.  I asked him if he knew what he had in his hands and he said, "Well, it's an office chair box so I guess that's what's inside."  His eyes got real big when I told him it was a truck transmission! 
     A couple weeks later I was on the Chevy Talk forums and was involved in a conversation regarding someone else's swap intentions.  One other sizable part was needed to complete drive line swap - a bell housing.  Another fella in on the conversation then sent me a private message telling me he had 3 of the exact bell housings I would need; a 1948-54 truck housing.  The price was right at $50 plus shipping. 
    There's a few more pieces needed to complete the drive line.  I still need a clutch disk, throwout bearing, shifter and custom driveshaft but all those items are readily available.  So, it looks like the 41 was destined to get a new drive line after all.  Call it fate or destiny, makes no difference.  The project was coming together.
    Coming up next, I'll detail the engine rebuild complete with pictures and tell how my heart sank when I disassembled the T5.  Stay tuned.