Awesome restoration shop tour

[Zymurgy]

I got to see a friend of a friends great restoration shop. Very talented man, some beautiful cars nearly all have been in the family for years.

His dad was into model A Ford's which was his first Restomod. The 55 Chevy is beauty with some crazy custom Hemispherical Heads. His current project is a Plymouth Business Coupe which he is installing the 5.7 engine and drivetrain from a Magnum donor.

They crazy thing is he did the first 2 in just one year while working a full time job. He is now retired and plans on having the Plymouth done by fall.

He is an incredible self taught fabricator does everything but the upholstery.

 

[Zymurgy]

Sorry about the picture order.

 

[mikedrini]

Man, I love how clean restorations look when done by pro's. That's a level I can never get to.

 

[Davea Lux]

I did not know that there were Hemi valve covers with a Chev logo. Are those after market heads on a chev block?

Dave

 

[odcics2]

I did not know that there were Hemi valve covers with a Chev logo. Are those after market heads on a chev block?

Dave

Yes.

 

[Zymurgy]

I did not know that there were Hemi valve covers with a Chev logo. Are those after market heads on a chev block?

Dave

Here is a short description.

 

[mr. fix it]

I bet you were enjoying every minute of the tour

 

[live4theking]

Cool stuff.

 

[Zymurgy]

I bet you were enjoying every minute of the tour

Every minute, I got the wrong time and was there 40 minutes early so I got to talk about his equipment he uses too.

 

[Big_John]

https://www.enginelabs.com/features...rest-in-arias-hemi-heads-for-ls-351w-engines/

 

[Big_John]

And a little about Nick Arias. Nick Arias, Jr – Nitro Hotrods Magazine

 

[Zymurgy]

Nick Jr build this engine. When he call him about the heads he still had 2 pairs of them left. Nick gave him a quote and this guy just couldn't afford it.

A month or 2 later Nick called him back and offer to build the engine for what he told me was about the price of a crate engine. The conditions where he would just worked on it during down times at the end of the day. Couple months later he had his engine. He obviously couldn't be happier.

 

[Ripinator]

Nick Jr build this engine. When he call him about the heads he still had 2 pairs of them left. Nick gave him a quote and this guy just couldn't afford it.

A month or 2 later Nick called him back and offer to build the engine for what he told me was about the price of a crate engine. The conditions where he would just worked on it during down times at the end of the day. Couple months later he had his engine. He obviously couldn't be happier.

How come I never get a deal like that ?!?

 

[73Coupe]

Is this guy married? My guess is no - no wife would allow that. Looks like the ultimate MGTOW lifestyle for a car guy!

 

[bluefury361]

How come I never get a deal like that ?!?

Cause You spend to much time looking for 318 dual quads Rip......

 

[bluefury361]

Thanks for posting the pictures Mike. What an awesome shop/man cave.

 

[Zymurgy]

Is this guy married? My guess is no - no wife would allow that. Looks like the ultimate MGTOW lifestyle for a car guy!

View attachment 283901

He is married with 2 grown kids, but now retired. There was a really cool pictire on the wall with his kids in the rumble seat, going around Charlotte Speedway, in his Model A.

Couldn't get the best picture because of the reflection. This was in 1995-96.

 

[Zymurgy]

Ironically the 55 Chevy was supposed to be his wife's car. He orginally was going to install a LS crate engine, them he looked into the Aries build for the fun of it. When he got the original price, he continued with the LS, until he got that second call back from Nick Jr.

His wife said it was supposed to be her grocery getter, but with the HP north of 700, not so much.

 

[65sporty]

Ironically the 55 Chevy was supposed to be his wife's car. He orginally was going to install a LS crate engine, them he looked into the Aries build for the fun of it. When he got the original price, he continued with the LS, until he got that second call back from Nick Jr.

His wife said it was supposed to be her grocery getter, but with the HP north of 700, not so much.

I would still drive it to get the groceries.

 

[Zymurgy]

I thought I would share the cars he is making for his grandkids. He has fabricated everything but the wheels.

He was going to make them pedal cars but realized he couldn't keep the proportions correct for the extra room needed for the pedals, so they are battery powered.