By Brian Brennan Photography by THE AUTHOR Videography by Ryan Foss Productions

When Less is More

ll of us grew up knowing how to change a spare tire or we learned quickly while parked on the side of the road. Odds are we haven’t changed many flats in recent years as a result of tire technology, better roads, and the cell phone that have transformed the way we live. So, what to do with the spare tirewell in our ’50s and ’60s cars as they, for the most part, no longer comply to the specs of our new tire sizing and wheels of choice. Of course that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared, but that’s a story for a different page.

The 1955 Chevy wagon in these photos is Modern Rodding’s very own project car with the work to be handled in our In The Garage Media Tech Center. (We will also be unveiling our Model A roadster in the coming months.) This will be the first of a long string of stories that will deal with everything from removing the spare tirewell that now provides for a larger gas tank mounted underneath to upgrading the tailgate and the surrounding sheetmetal. A little background on the 1955 Chevy wagon as it is offered in both two- (Nomad) and four-door wagons. Our four-door is a six-passenger, seven-window wagon that’s in need of a lot of help.

Chevrolet made a dramatic change to its body design in 1955 with the new smooth straight panels on the hood and sides. This was a noticeable change from previous years, which was still reminiscent of the prewar styling. Aside from the flatter panels, the wrap-around windshield and rear glass, and the noticeably different taillights, the new look clearly distinguished itself from early models. It was also the first-year style and performance were combined through the introduction of the 265-inch V-8. As you can tell from the photos our 1955 Chevy wagon has seen better days. In other words, patina is alive and well and lots of work will be needed to bring our 1955 Chevy wagon back to summertime drivetime specs while keeping the “character” years of use and abuse have produced.

The first step, in our many steps forward, is to remove the spare tirewell, as it’s no longer needed and what’s needed is a larger gas tank. It just so happens that the space underneath the floorboard via the spare tirewell removal will afford us the space required to install a 29-gallon Classic Performance Products gas tank, ideally suited for cross-country drives.

Sheetmetal

There are three major components to this story; removal of the tirewell and replacement with a Real Deal Steel (RDS) spare tirewell delete panel (PN SWNFF-567), a Golden Star Classic Auto Parts (GSCAP) tail pan (PN TP13-553), and a GSCAP tailgate (PN TG13-55). (Next time around we will get into the tailgate and all of the required hardware to make it fully operational, which we gathered from Danchuk.)

Tools

You should have already noticed that there’s a video (scan the QR code) that follows this process step by step, again done in our tech center under the watchful eye of Tech Center Manager Jason Scudellari (we call him “IJ,” short for “Installation Jason”) and Louis Fernandez. First step was to round up the required tools we would use, like the Harbor Freight Tools (HFT) Vulcan OmniPro 220 multi-process welder with 120/240V input. The welder comes with a full-color LCD display that’s very handy and can handle MIG, TIG, and stick welding. In this situation we set it up for MIG.

We also brought into service our HFT Central Pneumatic high-speed metal air saw (10,000 spm), ideal for cutting through plastic and, in our case, sheetmetal. It will handle 16-gauge metal.

We were also going to need a cordless electric impact driver capable of installing and removing small hardware. In this application we selected an HFT Hercules 20V lithium battery 20V Lithium-Ion Cordless Compact 1/4-inch hex impact driver. It’s capable of 1,500 in-lb of torque and 0-3200 IPM, making it very capable to handle a wide range of fastening.

We also found ourselves requiring an air punch and flange tool and this time we selected the HFT Central Pneumatic unit that is capable of cutting 16-gauge sheetmetal and punching a 3/16-inch hole. We would need these holes punched into the spare tirewell panel at precise locations where we would install sheetmetal screws for fastening and holes for spot welds.

Lastly, of the major tools, we needed an angle die grinder. Here we selected the HFT 1/4-inch Professional Mini Air Angle Die Grinder. Called the Chief, it has a compact aluminum body for working in tight spaces. It comes with a 90-degree head, again ideal for tight spaces, and front exhaust, which blows debris away from the work area. It’s ideal for grinding, deburring, sanding, and polishing.

What Needs to be Done

Given the condition of the 1955 Chevy wagon there was no denying that while we would be removing the spare tirewell and replacing it with fresh sheetmetal we would also change out the tail pan that rests beneath the tailgate, and it was perfect timing as it was exposed and easily dealt with. The tailgate is also in need of changing and while we would perform this task, we will get to the myriad of other items that go along with the tailgate swap, such as the retractor cables, striker plates, rubber seals, and so on the next time around, and that’s where we relied on Danchuk to help us out with our fresh GSCAP tailgate.

You can follow along for a step by step on how we removed the spare tirewell and installed the new floorpan, tail pan, and swapped out for the new tailgate in the accompanying photos and video.

2. The original tailgate open and resting with the rear spare tirewell visible. Great spot for a spare tire back in the ’50s, not so much today given the growth of the wheels and tires we now use.

4. A Golden Star Classic Auto Parts (GSCAP) tailgate (PN TG13-55) was one of three major components to complete this project.

5. A GSCAP tail pan (PN TP13-553) is a not-so-much seen but equally important piece of sheetmetal that should always be looked at. Because of its location it is subject to rust, especially after decades of water and weather abuse.

7. HFT Central Pneumatic high-speed metal air saw proved ideal for cutting the brace that’s on the back side that holds this tail pan in place.

9. ITGM Tech Center’s own Jason Scudellari used an HFT cutoff wheel to remove metal and rusted out bracketry to remove the tail pan.

11. The fresh RDS spare tire wheelwell delete panel is resting in positioning. Once you cut your hole, measure twice, and cut once, the panel is dropped into position.

12-13. The HFT flange and punch tool comes in handy for inserting the prerequisite holes required in the delete panel, allowing for spot welds to be added later.

14. Here we used the HFT electric drill to install sheetmetal screws that will hold the delete panel in position, prepping it for the spot weld process to come.

15-16. There’s no denying it will take a lot of spot welds to hold and seal this delete panel into position. Next step will be seam sealer followed by paint, sound deadener, heat-sealing material, and then final carpeting.

18. Rust inhibitor is sprayed over the brace that rests under the tail pan sheetmetal. It will need to have the paint removed in areas where spot welding will occur.

20. Make sure the notch in the tail pan fits appropriately around the mounting area for the tailgate hinges.

22. Up-close look of finished spot welding. Note the panel on top and the tail pan on the bottom before any sealing is accomplished.

24. From the underside the panel is in place, blue tape is used to create a sharp trim edge, and we are now ready for seam sealer to be positioned.

26. Seam sealer is applied after all welding and grinding is complete. Note the use of blue tape to create a sharp edge that also allows for a neat job when sealing is finished.

28. Next will come some paint and Dynamat to deaden the sound and reflect heat. But for now, the RDS spare tire delete panel is ready to move on.

29. The project is complete for now, well almost. The GSCAP tailgate, tail pan, and the RDS spare tire wheelwell delete panel are in place but next will be the Danchuk treatment, making sure the retractor cables, rubber seals, and all necessary trim and hardware are in place.