Hot Rods 28 modified build downunder

I just joined up on Photobucket and uploaded a few pics.

Since I haven't tried posting them on the HAMB yet I thought I would start a build thread and post my pics as I upload them.

The build started about 3 1/2 years ago and hopefully will finish before the end of this year.

A quick history. I bought a model 'A' open car cowl, frame, repro door skins and fibreglass roadster rear section. Good start for a hotrod I thought.



Then I bought a rolling '48 chassis. That gave me axles, brakes, spindles, radius rods, wheels and tyres. I was on my way.









I already had a 401 nailhead that I bought with the intention of putting it in my '36 coupe (still waiting for its turn).

That was my starting point, so I'll see if I can upload some pics to get the ball rolling.

 

After some further consideration I decided I didn't want fibreglass. Two reasons: 1. It's fibreglass and 2. It was a floppy and seemed like a lot of work to steel out.

So I got an RPU rear section for about what I would have spent on the steel for the roadster body. Still has to steeled out but it's a lot easier.

I was also inspired several years ago by Jimmy McCord's modified before the whole rat rod thing took off.







As you can see I haven't channelled the rear section yet.

(This Photobucket thing is pretty good)

Pete

 

Thats going to look sweet, any idea what colour your going to paint it and what you will be running in it?

 

This is probably a very amateur question but what is the fuel tank out of, it's very cool.

 

yes , that tank is cool ...that width should look great between the tires

 

Pete, what is that tank from??

Looks like a fun build!

 

Looks like a great start to a cool project. Good luck.

Saint

 

The tank is very cool. It is off a Fordson tractor. It has a small internal tank that used to hold petrol (gasoline for you fellas). The main tank was for kerosene, that the tractors ran on. They started on petrol then switched over to kero. That's why it has two caps.

I'm toying with the idea of running Avgas in the small tank with a changeover valve.

The caps are cast aluminium and one of them has the "enfo" logo cast in it. The ends of the tank are stamped 'Ford Motor Company, England'.

Only trouble is it has a lot of rust and scale inside and I'm yet to hear of a foolproof way to deal with it.

I'll take some detail pics of the tank to show you.

Pete

 

It's going to be a dark grey/green. I'm running a 401 Buick with a Muncie 4 sp.

 

c'mon.....I know you've done more....fess up and upload the photo's...

If I knew you wanted a rpu back I would have swapped mine for your floppy back...not to worry..

Cheers,

Drewfus

 

Looks like a good start and how about some pics of that 36.

 

Yeah, I've done heaps more but I've just started uploading my pics onto Photobucket so as I upload them I'm going to update this thread. Hopefully in a week or two I should be up to date.

Here are some detail pics of my fuel tank as mentioned above







Pete

 

Pete, that's really cool! Thanks for fillin' us in on the tank!

 

Once I had mocked it up, kind of, it was time to get to work. I built a rolling frame jig to build my chassis on. I was very lucky with the frame. It was unmolested, dead flat and dead square...so I cut it up





Somehow I worked out that for the ride height I wanted I need a 13" Z in the rear and 2" in the front (with a suicide axle). That just seemed too much so I settled on a 10" Z. In hindsight I could have gone 8". I ended up not needing to use my reversed eye rear main leaf. I dont know how guys estimate accurately what the ride height is going to end up at.

Here's the front sweep. I had just watched Bob Bleed doing the "Bleed Sweep" on MFS and thought it was a cool way to lower the front so I had a go at it.







I think it was a 7 degree cut just in front of the cowl to give me a 2" Z. Don't forget to do the opposite cut just behind the crossmember to bring it back to the original angle.

 

How will you get this project licensed in Oz since i had heard or read that juice brakes on hot rods was not allowed and I guess you will need to box a fish plate the frame!

 

The rear Z was a bit more of an undertaking. Because the rear of the frame was going to be visible I wanted it to look kinda like it was built that way...no bevel cut RHS in other words.

I drew up a template with the 10" step that I had decided on. Then I drew a few more before I ended up with this one



then I transferred the shape onto 5mm (as close to 3/16" as I could get) steel sheet and flame cut 2 of them out





Bent up some 40mm x 5mm strap for the top and bottom webs.



and welded them up



Next I had to get the rear crossmember sitting where it was going to be. I cut the crossmember off and built a frame to hold it exactly 10" above wher it use to be



I stagger cut the frame to spread the stress and make sure the back half of my frame didn't just drop off. Once the crossmember was tacked in its new position on top of the jig and the rest of the frame was also securely tacke in place, I just needed to fill in the gap.









Some fish plates and boxing still to come to ensure a good strong joint between old and new

 

I certainly won't be running mechanical brakes on it with a 401

 

. I dont know how guys estimate accurately what the ride height is going to end up at.



guestimate...i recently moched up my whole car and now i want to change the frame...the only positive is now i know the amount the suspension changes....this will help me get the scrub line very close...ive seen adjustable/multiple perch mount holes on the back suspension...good idea if it will fit in the design

 

I spent a fair bit of time and effort at this stage so by the time I realised 2" less might have been good, I was not about to go back and re do it. If it was just RHS I might have. I think building in adjustment is a good plan. Maybe next time.

Pete

 

From what I know you wont be running drum brakes mechanical or hydraulic up front either in OZ as they say only discs up front especially with a 401 or any other V8 engine.

Nice project all the same and great ideas, keep up the good work.
I agree that brakes should be judged on their merits not just sweeping rules.
Some aussie rules suck.

 

Awesome stuff, keep the pics coming

 

Brakes are actually judged on their merits over here. There are a series of brake tests that must be passed to get registration. It's not that drums are out. It's more that they make it so hard to pass with drums that it just seems that way.

At this stage I am unsure how mine will perform. I have a few options up my sleeve before I go to discs. Boosters, performance linings etc.

At the moment it's one of the great unknowns.

Pete

 

You stick to your guns Pete, maybe F100 drums would work.

 

my RPU is full reg. with 53 F100 drums on front, unboosted. 289 windsor.
when the car weighs 960kgs full of fluids, dont take much to stop it!! breezed through the decelerometer test.
stick some recent shots up pete!!

 

That's what I'm hoping for Ben. I'm using Buick drums and I've drilled the backing plates so heat shouldn't be a factor. I am using early Ford ('48 car) brakes though, so that might have an impact.

Ben, you have to wait a bit for recent shots because I want to document the build in an almost chronological order. I'll get them up soon because I haven't really taken a lot of pics along the way. Missed a lot of mockup/ trial fit type stages. Mainly pics of parts as I built them. I'll put some more up shortly.

Pete

 

Keep the pics coming Pete.

Wish I had taken more pics of mine when I was building it.

 

fan-bloody-tastic

keep them pics a coming.

 

Pete,

If you haven't managed to clean that fuel tank out yet, try the following...

Dump a few double fistfuls of different sized blue metal, a chunk or two of old bike chain, and a tinful of old nuts and bolts into the tank, 'lubricated' with a litre or so of kero. Hang it horizontally off a tree or the old hills hoist with some rope and shake the Hell out of it, sloshing the mix back and forward through the length of the tank. Keep changing the kero till it comes out clean.

Cheers, Glen.

 

Great looking build and tech article. Very good job.

 

Pete, that is a very cool tank....KBS Coatings make a great tank kit for cleaning and sealing the inside...They've got a dealer in Australia too. Check out thier site at http://www.kbs-coatings.com.au/

Glenn