# 51 Chevy Styleline Deluxe



## Big Bastard Loco

RayLoc Fabrications are jumping into air rides now. Pretty much anything metal, we're up for the challenge. So on with the build;


Our friend came to us with his frame from a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe, a c-notch "kit", a 4 link suspension, and wanting a custom transmission crossmember made. Ok.


Started with the frame, obviously.










Removed the leaf springs and lined up the outer c-notch panel.










Got the inner and outer panels welded in place.










The center pieces were pre-bent on our table, then squeazed in to be tacked in place.










Notched!










Got the top welded in, and cleaned it up. We went ahead and stitch welded the inner corners while the bottom wasnt boxxed in yet.










Caught the other side up.










We'll finish boxing it in tomorrow.


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## tpimuncie

Cant wait to see it done


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## NYC68droptop

gonna keep a eye on this one.


why did you go with such a monster notch. what size wheels are you gonna be rollin?


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## bigbelly

> _Originally posted by NYC68droptop_@Feb 23 2011, 06:57 AM~19939677
> *gonna keep a eye on this one.
> why did you go with such a monster notch. what size wheels are you gonna be rollin?
> *


x2 :nicoderm:


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## Big Bastard Loco

We dont know what size wheels. We didnt think it was such a monster notch either. We got handed the pieces that "went to the car". We probably arent even putting the body back on. We're just the frame/fabricators of the build I suppose. We have other builds more involved, but you wont see those for another few weeks, and it would be in the hydraulic forum.

Ok, round 2;



Got it boxed in with the factory looking lip.










Did the other side, but didnt clean it up as nice yet.











Now we're waiting on the 4 link rear suspension. The man thought we were gonna be more than 30 hrs till we needed it. Should have it tomorrow we hope. Working on the design of the transmission mount now, probably make that tomorrow while waiting for parts.


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## Big Bastard Loco

In case your wondering how we bent our bottom pieces so nice...



A couple months ago, Ray built a plate bender right on the welding table.










Bent.











We bent it more, but once we brought it to line up, we just tacked it in.


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## tpimuncie

> _Originally posted by Big Bastard Loco_@Feb 24 2011, 12:04 AM~19947449
> *In case your wondering how we bent our bottom pieces so nice...
> A couple months ago, Ray built a plate bender right on the welding table.
> 
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> Bent.
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> We bent it more, but once we brought it to line up, we just tacked it in.
> *


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## goinlow

> _Originally posted by Big Bastard Loco_@Feb 24 2011, 03:04 AM~19947449
> *In case your wondering how we bent our bottom pieces so nice...
> A couple months ago, Ray built a plate bender right on the welding table.
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
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> Bent.
> 
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> 
> We bent it more, but once we brought it to line up, we just tacked it in.
> *




Homie, thats bad ass...... !!!


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## Big Bastard Loco

Yeah, I was building a giant c-clamp that was powered by a hydraulic pump, so I can bend 1/8" plate around my regal frame. Ray had to make something even better and built himself that plate bender. He needed it to bend a piece of aluminum for some kind of shifter plate in a custom honda.

No progress today, we're snowed in, and still havent seen the 4 link suspension. Maybe tomorrow, definately done with our work by the end of the weekend.


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## lesstime

nice build cant wait to see more what motor tranny ya going to be running ? any info on the 4 link on where you got it or price???


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## bigbelly

:thumbsup:


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## Big Bastard Loco

So I guess we werent gettin a 4-link, but more like a 2-link out of a 1971 pickup. I forgot to take a picture of the whole thing we got, but heres the arms;











Heres the crossmember and mounts we removed them from. We tacked a spare piece of tube, centered on the mounts, and cut out the rivets.










So they stay the same angle...










Since the tube was centered, we made a center mark on it, and lined it up with the center mark we made on our crossmember.










Made sure our arms looked like they were in the right place.










These were gonna make due for our mounts.










Got them welded in place.










Heres what its gonna look like on the frame.










Gonna work on getting the other ends of the arms connected to the differential, then get everything squared in for our finishing.


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## lesstime

looking sic you can get some mad lift off them trailing arms and still drop downlow


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## lgh1157

Nice work man, that notch looks like the standard height to lay out a 50's ride.

If you run the bags on those long GM arms you will get a great ride with good lift and full dump

Keep the pics coming, looks killer

L


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## Big Bastard Loco

So what we did today was get the leaf springs back off, got the arms lined up and mounted to the axle. And tacked the crossmember in place to test ride height.










Heres the up test.










The down test.










Made some round mounts, gonna make some lower support gussets tomorrow.










More crossmembers, and round mounts for the top of the bags.










Heres a good ride height,










dropped,










and monster truck. lol










So theres not too much more the owner wanted us to do. We made the upper bag mounts a crossmember because the owner said he had a guy building a panhard bar, but I have a feeling we're gonna get asked to tackle that when he sees what we did so far.

And we didnt have access to front bags, so we're not doing any of that install. Im hoping it wont take the guy too long to finish getting it running to get us some more pictures.

We still have some holes to drill in the round plates to run fittings. So we might get a little bit of hose and get some video of it going up and down. Thats really up to the project foreman, Ray Chizzle.


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## lgh1157

Why dont you run the bags on the bars ?

More room for the exhause to wrap the axle, better ride, more life and still lay frame

L


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## LILRAYRAY

> _Originally posted by lgh1157_@Feb 28 2011, 05:34 PM~19982568
> *Why dont you run the bags on the bars  ?
> 
> More room for the exhause to wrap the axle, better ride, more life and still lay frame
> 
> L
> *



Customer is running side pipes no clearance issues. Also he doesnt wan't it to lift higher than stock ride hieght. He just wants to be able to lower the ass end. Also if I would have left the bags on the bars then he would have to cut out his floor pan. Something he didn't want to do


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## Big Bastard Loco

Yeah, what he said.

Myself, I think it turned out pretty good. Whatchu think?




Just a few welds to clean up, and the mans taking this home. i hope its not too long before we see pics and vids of it in action. If we end up doing more work like the panhard bar, we'll be sure to post pictures.

Thanks for all the comments and feedback.


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## viejitocencoast

nice work bro .. quick ? when puting in a 4link do u leave the leafs on so the axle dont get out of place and later remove them ? thanks


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## Big Bastard Loco

> _Originally posted by viejitocencoast_@Mar 1 2011, 09:41 AM~19988492
> *nice work bro .. quick ? when puting in a 4link do u leave the leafs on so the axle dont get out of place and later remove them ? thanks
> *


Well, we did, but it did sorta sway off to the side...but thats why the owners putting a panhard bar in. It will keep the body from moving side to side.

Someone was crying to us about how we were gonna throw off the wheel alignment in the rear by doing what we're doing. I just had to keep pointing out how you cant get away with changing the rear suspension like we did and get the exact same alignment. When you do something like take a 51 chevy car frame, a 60's for rear axle, and join them together with a 71 chevy truck rear suspension...its probably time to take your car to an alignment shop before hitting the road for long periods of time.

The owners happy, thats all that matters to me. lol


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## lgh1157

Looks killa .

I did that with my leafs, i remove all but the longest, positioned everything, and then tack welded the axle to the frame with some square tube so it wouldn't move

I think that GM 2 link is a great set up

L


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## viejitocencoast

cool im gonna be 4linking my bomb truck soon , so i kinda figured i would leave the leafs on then take them out once the 4link is welded in place, should i leave it stock height or should i lower it a bit then put the 4 link ? thanks


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## lgh1157

^ i dont wanna steal homies thread, . . . . . . . but you should weld you bars parallel at your ride height, , . . . . . whatever your ride height is "stock" height or lower [ with blocks etc etc ] 

Start a new thread on this and will get lots of good info

L


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## daoriginator64

> _Originally posted by Big Bastard Loco_@Mar 1 2011, 03:22 PM~19989109
> *Well, we did, but it did sorta sway off to the side...but thats why the owners putting a panhard bar in. It will keep the body from moving side to side.
> 
> Someone was crying to us about how we were gonna throw off the wheel alignment in the rear by doing what we're doing. I just had to keep pointing out how you cant get away with changing the rear suspension like we did and get the exact same alignment. When you do something like take a 51 chevy car frame, a 60's for rear axle, and join them together with a 71 chevy truck rear suspension...its probably time to take your car to an alignment shop before hitting the road for long periods of time.
> 
> The owners happy, thats all that matters to me. lol
> *


i agree 100 percent.


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## daoriginator64

this is what i did!










leafsprings on for mock up!


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## Big Bastard Loco

I like the way the 4-link looks. If I did this again to my own car, Id go with the 4-link for sure. Looks good man.


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