If you don’t do your own work, select a shop that is knowledgeable in
vintage vehicles, as the technology has changed over the years. With
that in mind, we paid a visit to a local alignment shop in southern
California and peeked over the tech’s shoulder as he overhauled the
front end on a 1951 Chevrolet. Appearance-wise, the car looked great.
However, being 55 years old, the Chevy was showing its age as the
steering was loose and tire wear was beginning to show some
irregularities.
Dave, the owner of the shop, knows older cars and has been in the
business for more than 30 years, following the footsteps of his father,
who also did brake and front-end work. While most of Dave’s clientele
drives modern vehicles, Dave can be persuaded to tend to the needs of
the older vehicle owner.
The left-front shock absorber nut was frozen to the shaft after 55
faithful years of service and had to be torched off.After an inspection and road test, Dave ordered a complete front-end
kit from Rare Parts in Stockton, Calif. Dave deals with them frequently
and has a good working relationship with them. Since the front springs
were in good shape and had a satisfactory ride height, they didn’t need
to be replaced and were re-installed after the overhaul.
After driving the old Chevrolet on the rack, Dave began the
disassembly, quickly learning that this was an original and unmolested
car that still had the factory spiraled Delco shock absorbers — both front