Good News on the ’55. I’ve always liked the ’55-‘57’s and they defined an era of hot rods that lives on and on.

You mentioned the economic times, here’s a thought – why not re-ring the pistons that are in the engine now? A .001 taper is really good and certainly acceptable! If they are TRW (or any “name” brand) they are probably a step above stock and you can’t beat the price. I know everyone has their preference for pistons, but in the cast arena, the TRW’s would be a good solid bet. Cast pistons get a bad rap and they’re fine for most street uses. While you have the pistons out, I’d recommend you freshen the bore with a quick/light hone to break any glaze. Spend the money you’d invest on pistons in new bearings, good gaskets (I’d use Fel-Pro Performance head gaskets) and a good timing set. Slap those dandy heads on and you’ll have a nice motor for the ’55.

You didn’t mention cam – but this would be a good time to consider it. Be careful not to go “lumpty-lump” without some additional research. Let us know what rear end and tires you’re running and if the TH350 is a stocker and I’m sure TechInspector can produce a dyno simulation that will help with a cam selection. The double humps with 2.02/1.60’s breathe pretty well but it’s easy to over cam any engine and you’ll be disappointed with low end. Unless you’re going for all out “drag race boogie” it’s better to be somewhat conservative on the cam side as most boulevard cruisers live in the 1500 – 4000RPM range.

I like the Performer RPM with a 780 QJet for intake – just my opinion. I’ve done tons of Edelbrock carbs and while they are a good dependable and easy to tune component, the thunder in the QJet secondaries is more in line with a ’55 hot rod – my opinion.

Keep us up to speed and post some pictures. Again, congrads on the great score.

Regards,
Glenn