Classic American
Little Blue Wagon (Part 1)
When you’ve previously built your own cars to a high
standard it can be difficult buying someone else’s finished one unless, like Ian
Burton has with this 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood, you undo it and start all over again...
1959
Chevrolet Brookwood wagon
Ian
Burton says he’d always fancied owning a wagon like this 1959 Chevrolet: “I
love the look of the 1959 Chevrolet fins,” he explains as he backs this rare ’59
customised Brookwood out of the large garage/workshop it shares with his all
steel 1933 Ford hot rod. “Our friend Nick Taylor had a ’59 and that started me
wanting one.” The garage has been home to a 2006 SRT/10 pick-up, a fully
restored Volkswagen van, a Chevy dually and even a Mk1 Escort restoration, but
Ian’s real love is hot rods. As well as the ’33 he also built a ’34 coupe that
has since been sold. “We’d had hot rods in the past,” explains Ian’s wife
Janet, “so we were looking for something with a bit more space inside and it
had to be suitable for towing a caravan to shows.
The garage has been home to a 2006
SRT/10 pick-up, a fully restored Volkswagen van, a Chevy dually and even a Mk1
Escort restoration, but Ian’s real love is hot rods
But
Ian is a perfectionist – it also had to be right.” In November 2011 Ian spotted this
Brookwood listed on American eBay for sale in Idaho. He hit the Buy It Now
button there and then, “I wanted something that was ready to go with the
bodywork and wheels all done.” There followed a period of waiting until the car
arrived at Chatham docks. “It looked really nice,” remembers Ian, “and appeared
pretty much how it looks now, but as soon as we drove it I was thinking
something didn’t feel quite right; it was wallowing about.” The Chevy had a ZZ4 small-block engine
and TH350 gearbox, up front were 12in disc brakes, but the steering remained
all original. It also had Air Ride suspension which controls the ride height at
each corner. “It felt firm but not responsive,” remembers Ian, “so I changed the
steering box for a Borgeson Delphi version though it still wasn’t right so
after some research I fitted a Flaming River steering rack. Chris Isaacs (see
www.chris-isaacs.com) set it up for me and he realised the suspension uprights
had been changed which was causing bump steer – that’s why the Borgeson hadn’t
felt right. With a bit of cutting and welding Chris did a perfect job and now
it feels spot on.
The Chevy had a ZZ4 small-block engine
and TH350 gearbox, up front were 12in disc brakes, but the steering remained
all original. It also had Air Ride suspension which controls the ride height at
each corner
I
also fitted a hydroboost brake system which runs off the power steering pump – a
great conversion.” The Air Ride wasn’t set up correctly, so Ian instead
replaced it with a programmable Ride Tech system that automatically self levels.
He then installed an American Autowire kit. “The original 1959 wiring was
temperamental, and I’d used Autowire on my hot rods with great success. I then
added new headlights and a wiper motor. At that point I decided to pull the
three-speed gearbox and put in a four-speed 700R4 built by Terry Mead at Mead
Speed Autos (07773 616545). That worked fine for a while, but then Nick was
building a hot rod and needed an engine right around the time I got the urge to
drop in a new LS3.” Ian found one for sale in the States with a 4L60E gearbox
including computer and wiring. “I bought it for Christmas then Nick came down
for a visit and after three 14-hour days it was all fitted. Terry came over to
help sort the gearbox, but
then we found the engine wasn’t quite right. Paul from Wortec tuned the engine
and found that the computer needed adjusting. It took a few attempts to get it
set and it still didn’t idle well. Paul suggested I change the race camshaft that
was in it and put me on to Monkfish (01296 714009) which specialises in LS
engines. Once my mate Chris Doust had helped me fit a smaller cam it was perfect
– and now it goes like stink!”
The original 1959 wiring was
temperamental, and I’d used Autowire on my hot rods with great success. I then
added new headlights and a wiper motor. At that point I decided to pull the
three-speed gearbox and put in a four-speed 700R4 built by Terry Mead at Mead
Speed Autos
