The prevalent Model A coupe build thread

Quick rundown of the parts;

'30 Model A coupe body that I thought was in better shape till I took it apart and knocked the bottom couple of inches of rust off.

'32 Dearborn Deuce rails, Model A front cross member, Dropped '32 heavy axle with hairpins. Flat rear cross member with a '40 ford front spring and Pete and Jakes ladder bars.

1965 409 Chevy backed by a 700r4 and 9" posi with 4.11 gears. 475/16" fronts and 750/16" rear Firestones.

And alot of misc. I've collected for it over the last couple years that you will see as the build progresses. This project has been done this far with cash on hand only so expect updates as my wallet and ambition allow, both come in small quantities.

The basic goal is to build a salt flat style hiboy coupe with a heavy chop, kind of like the Green Grenade. I'm going to borrow ideas from Kris's car and others I've seen and apply them to mine.

Here's what the car looked like when I brought it home. Barn fresh, last titled in '63




So far I've taken the body off and sold the rest. Then welded in some bracing and removed the subrails and traded them for some nice tudor sedan subrails. I'll be putting sedan doors on so I will have to stretch the door opening anyway.




Next I built a 4' x 8' table to hold the body level and square while I work on it.


Since I have to replace the bottom couple inches of the body anyway I decided to add 2" to bottom like Kris did on the green grenade. I'm doing this for two reasons, one for headroom and two so i don't have to section my grille shell and it will look better.




I welded stands to the body to hold it 2" off the table and will add my patch panels down to the table that way it should be level all the way around. The plan is to just build the new floor on the table and chop it on there also.



I've also been working on getting my frame set up on my jig.




I made a template of outside radius of my body.


I checked it with my frame and will probably redo the framerails to match the template. I think it will look better in the end. I saw it done on the metalshapers website. http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/communi...m&albumid=9970217718494&ownerid=9990103497670


Well that is about as far as I am right now. I cut apart this poorly done sedan turned pickup yesterday for parts I will need. Bottom of the cowl, doorjambs, etc.

 

Cool. Have fun, you're certainly starting out pretty good!

 

looks like this will be one to stay tuned too. good luck. i like the direction your going

 

wow we must think alike!! im also building a 409 model a coupe on 32 rails, mine has a 4 speed though and 6x2's what kind of intake setup u goin with?

 

Me too

 

Let me know when you are workin' on it again, I'll bring some beer.

 

Looking good Mike.
Max

 

I'm also doing a 30 coupe on an original duece frame with after market chassis engineering x member and duece tank. Would like to do ford power but will probably end up with sbc, to soon to tell. got to keep working on my 33 pickup and then get real serious on the model a

 

Lookin' good MP33. I have a 348, the W-head motors are real pretty in a hoodless car!

I have a friend who works for Weathershield there in your town. Do you by chance know a Russ Payne? He lives in Stetsonville.

 

Oh, this is gonna be a good one. Keep the updates coming.

 

Damn nice looking!!! that 409 gave me a boner!

 

Very cool, you will dig the W motor. It is fun watching folks try and figure out what it is!

 

Mike,

I like where your heads at, this is gonna be a killer car. Great way to anti-section the body.

wow, cant wait to see the updates on this one.

Later, ROB

 

What ever happened to this build? I was interested to see the anti-section.

 

I like the way your going about it - well thought out - should turn out nice.

 

Ok, So it's been a year since I started this thread and I figured I better update it. I haven't had alot of time to work on it but did get a little done. First I removed most of the wood from the body. Surprizingly it was good and can be reused. I have a woodworking background so I should be able to fingerjoint some maple extentions to the B-piller posts for the added 2" anti section.

 

Next I seperated the cowl from the rest of the body and slid it forward on the table to make room for the sedan doors, about and inch and three eighths. Then I spent about an hour measuring and squaring the door openings and cowl to the rest of the body. Then proceded the brace the hell out of it so nothing moves. Overkill? maybe but thats how I roll.

 

Next I started fitting the sedan doors. I had to cut the tops off since they a little taller than coupe doors. It took me a couple nights but I got them. now they open and close like new.

 

Man this is first class.

 

Thanks for the progress report Mike. Very good stuff!

Max

 

The latest thing I did was start on the anti section. Drivers side cowl is first.I cut the rusted metal out and fit my patch panel then tacked it in place. next I drilled the rivets and spot welds and got the foot off the bottom of the cowl/firewall. I will sand blast these parts before they go back together and spray on some weld through primer. I also cut the lower couple inches of the corner of a junk cowl that I have to patch in where the firewall mounts to the cowl sides. Next I will fill in the gaps. Stay tuned.

 

If you look at last pics above you can see where I drew a line on the table where I wanted the bottom of the patch to be. I will do this to the whole side. Then make a patten and mark that on the other side to make sure they are the same.

 

I also picked up a couple Detroit Lockers. Shown taken apart for inspection. I'll use one to help harness the power of the 409.

 

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1. generally or widely accepted, practiced, or favored : widespread</DT>

 

yep the "generally or widely accepted, practiced, or favored" Model A coupe build thread.

I think I got it right? Right? Sometimes I no speak good either

 

awesome. can't wait to see it.

 

Mike - would like to see updates.......any progress in the last year and a half?

 

Year and a half! Huh that aint nuthin. How about almost 2 years? Anyway Titus came over last weekend and lit a fire under my ass and we got some things roughed out. Chopped the top 6", reworked the quarter windows cause I hate the way they look when chopped. Got the subrails and most of the anti-section work started. I'll let the pics do the talkin. If you have any questions just ask, Either Titus or I will answer them.

 

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