In an attempt to get the correct firewall for my 55 I was advised the 55 just used a 54 with hand made holes for the wireing and heater hoses, my question. To a judge, is that what do you expect to see when you look under the dash when judging the interrior. This is what was said and it makes sense.
******
More here on my input on the 55 scenerio. It all depends on your number, having owned #144 (ugh, sold to Tony Reale just because he HAD to have a blue 55) and currently #516, I can speak about early and late cars. I've also seen in detail #278 when John Rohner owned it and took pics in great detail of this car. If you have an early one, and my guess it that you do, Brett (number 101???), the CORRECT firewall insulation mat is a 1954 mat and modify it!!! My #144 was VERY original, knew it's history back to early 1960's, it was never apart before I began restoration of it. I've included some pics of the mat before dissasembly. The main differences in the two are the locations of the exit hole for the wiring harness and the location of the heater hoses for the heater core. In the 1955 the wiring is slightly to the left of the 1954, closer to the inner fender. On the firewall mat, you can see the the original hole of the 1954 is present and unused. The hole for the 1955 is made by hand to the left of the 1954 hole.The steering column hole is unchanged from 1954. Even though the 1955 used the larger hole in the firewall and the metal cover plate, the 1955 still used the same rubber mounting plate on the inside and the same hole as the 1954. The heater core on the 1955 did not exit directly through the firewall as it did on the 1954. The core exited to the right side, had two short rubber hoses and connected to two 90 degree brass elbows and exited through the firewall to the right of the 1954 holes. This was to make clearance for the different battery location and bigger inner fender on the 1955 model. Again, the original holes for the 1954 are present and are unsed. The holes for the 1955 heater are made again by hand to the right of the original ones.
Here are pics of the original mat pieces and a 1954 mat before I modified it. This mat was made in the "good ol days" and was made when John Rohner actually owned Rohners and pieces were actually made by someone who knew the cars!
http://deliquescence.net/~tyler/tyes...20firewall.jpg
There are many more items unique to the 1955's through the production year, like the fact that the early ones used 1954 frames and had the six cylinder mounts cut off by a torch and the fuel pump clearance made by hand (as in my #144). The remains could be easily seen and the rivet holes were present as were the depressions in the frame rails at the six cylinder mounts. Later 1955's had production rails with the fuel pump clearance stamped in and not made by hand, but still had the depressions and the unused rivet holes present. Early 1955's also had 1954 stamped real axles (MW)and not 1955's (AE). Early and mid 1955's had the hole in the lower dash for the 1954 manual choke in the dash but resined over. These appeared at least through #300. My #144 had it as did #278, but #516 does not. The bolt holes on the hoods of early and mid 1955's used the smaller sized bolts for the hinges and male hood pins akin to the 1954's, these are characterized by the "wb1c" bolt heads. The later hoods had the larger bolts like in 1956 and later and are characterized by the "TR" bolt heads. #144 had the small bolts and #516 has the large bolts. The fiberglass on the inside of the trunk lid is different over the radio screen. #144 and #278 had fiberglass mat over the screen, typical of mid to late 1954's, and #516 has woven fiberglass cloth (very thin) over the screen. This may be a little more vague and not be directly related as much to serial number as it does to supplier, however. One thing of note here about all 1955's that few notice even though its obvious. This helps tell if a 1954 body is used to build a "fake" 1955. Inside the door jamb, the area above the dog leg weatherstripping is resined in smooth where the upper dash surround bonds to the door jamb structure. On 1953's and 1954's this "lip" is left in place. On 1955's the area below the lip is built up with resin so that it is flush down to the area immediately above the courtesy light switch and VIN tag. This is one small tell-tale of originality. So goes the saga of the 1955...only 700 pruduced, but as intesting as the 1953 when it comes to proudction......
*****
Thanks to Sam Reynolds
Info posted for others doing restoration work on the 55s.
If anyone else has other notes that would help us trying to bring back these cars please post to this thread.
Thanks
Tyler
******
More here on my input on the 55 scenerio. It all depends on your number, having owned #144 (ugh, sold to Tony Reale just because he HAD to have a blue 55) and currently #516, I can speak about early and late cars. I've also seen in detail #278 when John Rohner owned it and took pics in great detail of this car. If you have an early one, and my guess it that you do, Brett (number 101???), the CORRECT firewall insulation mat is a 1954 mat and modify it!!! My #144 was VERY original, knew it's history back to early 1960's, it was never apart before I began restoration of it. I've included some pics of the mat before dissasembly. The main differences in the two are the locations of the exit hole for the wiring harness and the location of the heater hoses for the heater core. In the 1955 the wiring is slightly to the left of the 1954, closer to the inner fender. On the firewall mat, you can see the the original hole of the 1954 is present and unused. The hole for the 1955 is made by hand to the left of the 1954 hole.The steering column hole is unchanged from 1954. Even though the 1955 used the larger hole in the firewall and the metal cover plate, the 1955 still used the same rubber mounting plate on the inside and the same hole as the 1954. The heater core on the 1955 did not exit directly through the firewall as it did on the 1954. The core exited to the right side, had two short rubber hoses and connected to two 90 degree brass elbows and exited through the firewall to the right of the 1954 holes. This was to make clearance for the different battery location and bigger inner fender on the 1955 model. Again, the original holes for the 1954 are present and are unsed. The holes for the 1955 heater are made again by hand to the right of the original ones.
Here are pics of the original mat pieces and a 1954 mat before I modified it. This mat was made in the "good ol days" and was made when John Rohner actually owned Rohners and pieces were actually made by someone who knew the cars!
http://deliquescence.net/~tyler/tyes...20firewall.jpg
There are many more items unique to the 1955's through the production year, like the fact that the early ones used 1954 frames and had the six cylinder mounts cut off by a torch and the fuel pump clearance made by hand (as in my #144). The remains could be easily seen and the rivet holes were present as were the depressions in the frame rails at the six cylinder mounts. Later 1955's had production rails with the fuel pump clearance stamped in and not made by hand, but still had the depressions and the unused rivet holes present. Early 1955's also had 1954 stamped real axles (MW)and not 1955's (AE). Early and mid 1955's had the hole in the lower dash for the 1954 manual choke in the dash but resined over. These appeared at least through #300. My #144 had it as did #278, but #516 does not. The bolt holes on the hoods of early and mid 1955's used the smaller sized bolts for the hinges and male hood pins akin to the 1954's, these are characterized by the "wb1c" bolt heads. The later hoods had the larger bolts like in 1956 and later and are characterized by the "TR" bolt heads. #144 had the small bolts and #516 has the large bolts. The fiberglass on the inside of the trunk lid is different over the radio screen. #144 and #278 had fiberglass mat over the screen, typical of mid to late 1954's, and #516 has woven fiberglass cloth (very thin) over the screen. This may be a little more vague and not be directly related as much to serial number as it does to supplier, however. One thing of note here about all 1955's that few notice even though its obvious. This helps tell if a 1954 body is used to build a "fake" 1955. Inside the door jamb, the area above the dog leg weatherstripping is resined in smooth where the upper dash surround bonds to the door jamb structure. On 1953's and 1954's this "lip" is left in place. On 1955's the area below the lip is built up with resin so that it is flush down to the area immediately above the courtesy light switch and VIN tag. This is one small tell-tale of originality. So goes the saga of the 1955...only 700 pruduced, but as intesting as the 1953 when it comes to proudction......
*****
Thanks to Sam Reynolds
Info posted for others doing restoration work on the 55s.
If anyone else has other notes that would help us trying to bring back these cars please post to this thread.
Thanks
Tyler
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