Well I have been wanting to do this for a long time, and I finally feel like I have gathered enough parts to officially call my build "Started". Last night I drove to Camarillo and picked up the last major piece I need. and here it is. I am planning on a highboy stance, no channel and a small chop if any. I am 6'4" and can use every inch of space available. I have been working on a 31 chassis, and of course if you have seen any of my other posts you will know it is getting a 47' Flathead Cadillac with a 37' LaSalle to spin the tires. Now that is not to say I have everything I need but it definitely is a good start. I have never done anything like this before, but I have done smaller projects (built a motorcycle from the ground up) and I have been researching for quite a while now. So here it is my official build thread (Shit Ya!). I want all the opinions and info you can through at me. I have a pretty tough skin so I think I can take it, and the decisions I have made thus far have not been taken lightly.
While I was gathering parts I have been doing small fun things to keep me busy. I put some holes in the front axle. Might have gone a little hole crazy, common disease here on the HAMB. I have some 40 backing plates that it turns out I will probably not use but I accidentally put some holes in them too (117 in each).
The bones I got were in pretty good shape, except for the fact that who ever welding the threaded bungs in did not know how to weld worth a shit. I am no pro mind you but I can tell the difference between chicken shit and some decent penetration. I ended up having to cut a bit more off the end then I wanted to to clean everything up. I didn't want some short stocky bones so I decided to make some extended threaded bungs. The tie rod ends are from McMaster. Here they are tacked in, you can still see the fine work with the disc grinder of the previous craftsman, but I didn't want to cut any higher. And here the are welded in and the bungs shaved to match the slop of the bones. The total length with out the tierod end in now 43 3/4". Could someone let me know what length theirs is on a nice freshly split set of bones.
Looks like great body. Keep updates com'n! Brian Oh, and you know, you could just shove the seats WAY back and slice that top!
Nice! I've always wanted to do an "A" with a caddy flathead. Keep us posted on build updates, cant wait to see this one finished!
It is time to throw out the first bone to heat up this thread. I know there are some passionate feelings on here about putting a Model "T" type spring perch on a Model "A". I have seen people do it well and do it poorly. I am sure know one plans on doing it poorly but I plan on doing it well and as safe as that set up can be. Here is the perch I made. After I cut off the horns, I tacked the new cross member in place on both sides then welded along the seam to the frame. After I cleaned up the weld I took some flat bar and wrapped it around the crossmember Here it is cleaned up. The inside where the flat bar and the crossmember meet will be Tig'ed up when I weld in the perch.
I have also been spending quite a bit of time welding up the holes I will not need in the the frame, there are just a couple (hundred, at least it feels that way). I put a block of graphite behind the holes and fill them with a Mig, use a cut off blade to knock the weld down the a flapwheel for clean up. All in all it goes pretty quick.
Couple other things I have been putting together, got a pair of wheels and tires on here. The wheels are 16"x4", still don't have the rear wheels. I have a powder coat facility here at work, sure come in handy for stuff like this. Sand blasted the old paint of the wheels and double coated them in off white. Got the tires on here too. If anyone local to Carson, CA is interested in trading machine work or powder coating for parts let me know and we can see what we can work out.
Kevin, I can't wait to see this on unfold! I know with all your contributions to the flatcad community, that the mill will be awesome! And looking at your attention to detail here, this looks like it will be a helluva build!
this makes me feel good that you fit your body in the bed of your truck plan on takin my 31 coupe a few states over here in the next few months and didnt wanna trailer it
You are damn right I am using a Flathead Cadillac!!! Love them! I was all set to bring a trailer when the guy I bought it from mentioned the sedan would slide in the back of my F150 like it was made for it, and he was right.
Got to get to the build a little bit today. Here are the brackets I cut out for the front spring. They will slide all the way down the bones and be welded about an inch from the seem on the end. They one on the left is how it looks after it is cut. I cut them on a wire EDM here at the shop. Sort of ridiculous takes about ten times longer or more than it would with a plasma torch or a water jet but we have a wire edm so they are cut on the wire edm. The one on the right is after i soften the edges a little. The sharp edge looked like it would stand out. Here is the fit before the weld Here it is after welding
Here is the bottom plate for the spring perch. I don't know why I made it all curving on the perimeter when the top is straight, looks retarded when put together. I will cut a new one next week. To bad it is a custom set up because I don't think it would work for one of you guys. But if you think it might let me know.
The last update for today, I got to put a few of the little things together to let the front end start to take shape. I have done plenty of research but just to be sure I want the front axle to tip back 7 degrees, correct? In the pictures nothing is even tacked together it is just sitting there but it definitely fired me up. The spring will be about an inch closer to the end of the bones when I weld it up. You can sort of see the lame mismatch top and bottom plate on the spring perch. I am sure the first of many brain farts in the build. Next to fab up the bracket to attach the bracket to the frame.
That is a really nice piece. I hate to be a critic because I think the work you're doing is really nice...but in my opinion there is one area for improvement in safety and strength for that design though. You could rework the main piece to eliminate that notch and make it a hole with some material around it instead. Slide the tube into the hole and weld it up that way.That way there would be alot less strain on your welds from the suspension movement, plus you could weld it the whole way around. Just a thought! and if you do decide to make a version like what I suggested, PM me because I'd be interested in you running off a pair for me if the price was right. Thanks and good luck, Keep up the good work! -Steve
ps. That spring pertch mismatch thing that you're talking about is nothing!!....I wouldn't worry about it! There's nothing about it that visually bothers me at all! If you get too picky and matchy matchy it's gonna drive you crazy and keep you off the road longer. But like the saying goes...you gotta like it cuz you gotta live with it.
I thought about that, and I could have had a small band wrap all the way around (not much room for a lot of material), but decided that it would work out ok. Plus I like the similar look compared to the spring right next it.
And you're correct in tipping the axle back 7 degrees. I'm pretty sure the rule of thumb is that as long as you're withing a degree or so, you'll be OK...but I would think that if you're gonna be off, it's better to be a bit over the 7, it will help to keep the car tracking straighter at speed. You have to make sure that you're wishbone mounted spring perches and the angle on your suicide perch all match up pretty good too, to avoid binding or twisting your spring.
Yeah I think you're right in saying it'll work OK. I would be keeping an eye on it though, just to make sure you don't end up with cracking around those welds. Afterall, that weld is holding up your entire car and if that sucker pops you're gonna find out why they call that a suicide set up.
This looks like it's gonna be a cool build. Can't wait to see this come together. What about making the little curve in the top of the spring perch? Would give it a little shape and look nicer then a straight peice. If you don't do that, I would leave it as is. I think that two peices with a flat edge would just look a little too "cheap" for lack of a better word.
The Jalopy Journal
