Projects Only 15 First Hot Rod Build

Thats a really cool picture. Thanks for the compliment.

 

First of thanks for all of your help and encouragement. I'll be keeping the 318. This build is quite a learning experience for sure. Looking back at how little I knew about cars less than a year ago astounds me. I didn't even know what a cam was!!!

 

Thanks for the info. I most likely will need some u-joints to clear the headers so this info is a great help. I don't think I could pay the $70 for the flaming river ones.

 

For the crossmember, using the S10 would be a good idea and perhaps
the easiest way to accomplish the desired results.

 

Well I've been working on the plymouth almost every day since my last post. However I went out to weld some more of the floor supports last night and my harbor freight welder crapped out. It seems like the motor that powers the wire feed went bad. Rather than trying to fix it I'm thinking about upgrading to a good welder like a Miller, Hobart or Lincoln. Do any of you guys have suggestions on good welders. I'm looking to spend under a grand if possible. Thanks

 

I have all Miller welding and plasma cutting equipment and couldn't be happier. Miller has been courting the hot rod market for several years and offer several small but efficient MIGs that would do you nicely. They've got a great website that will answer all your questions. A word of advice: buy a welder that is a step or two above the minimum requirement for your needs even if you have to save for it. Doing this will insure that your welder can keep up with your growing skills.

http://www.millerwelds.com/

 

Thanks for the advice. I like the look of the 190 model.
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/product.php?model=M00487

 

Hi Sam. I have the Miller 140 that works on 120 volt and it does very well on most jobs that I use a mig welder for. I also have a stick welder ( Old Lincoln tomb stone) for the heavy gauge work. The 140 has been replaced by the 141. Either that or the 190 should work ok for you. If you have 240 volt available everywhere you will be using the welder the 190 may be a little more versatile for heavy work. I have found that I use mine away from the shop at times and the 120 volt is more convenient. Hope you are making good progress.
Bob

 

This will be a great project for you, take your time , you'll learn much to stay with you in later life, good luck.

 

I might get the 141 as I do have an old craftsman stick welder. It burns through anything thinner than like 3/16". I'll still probably get the 190 as I've been experimenting with some pretty heavy metal sculptures and furniture. The stick welder is quite difficult to use compared to a mig.

Thanks

 

Since I can't weld I've been cleaning the garage. Anyone want a free transmission lol
And here's a lamp I made for my moms birthday just before the welder quit.


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That's creative Sam. The trans looks like a 58 to 64 Chevy.

 

Thanks! I found the trans in my backyard a couple summers ago. I had just assumed it came out of the 1950 chevy that it was next to. It'll probably end up as a lamp or something

 

Here's my new welder. It's a miller 211. It's definitely much better than the harbor freight welder.



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Congratulations!

 

Very nice addition Sam.

 

Thank you

 

I had today off because of the weather so I worked on floor supports. I'll post up some pictures this weekend when I have some time. Since I'm using the plymouth fury radiator how should I mount it? Do I need rubber mounts? Thanks for any help.

 

Not sure of the type of radiator that you are using. If it has flanges on the sides with bolt holes it bolts directly to the core support. If it is the more common late cross flow type, it will sit in cradle brackets at the side tanks and will have rubber insulator pads at the top and bottom. If you still have the 6 cyl radiator it would probably work OK in the Maine temperatures.
Bob

 

i just stumbled on tis thread... wow.... 15 years old... un real.... Keep working at it.. your doing a hell of a job. the progress is amazing and your skills are insane. glad to see such a young guy building the car HE wants..
always keep that in mind, the hamb is a great place for ideas and advice.. but always build your cars to what YOU want, dont try to please others.. That way down the road, you know that the choices you made were made by you and it the car YOU want.
keep up the excellent work and post lots of pics! pictures make a build thread. it makes it exciting and alot more fun to read! NICE JOB!!

 

Thank you! I'll make sure I post lots of pictures.

 

I made two body mounts yesterday then I ran the exhaust back to the axle and tore some stuff out from behind the dash so I can finish the firewall I'm going to use a transmission cooler and a small fan for a heater. So I don't need the little 6 volt fan and the controls.


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Nice looking welds Sam. Have you found the Miller an improvement over the Harbor Fright ??

 

Looking good! While the tranny cooler heater is a very clever idea you'd probably be better served by one of the many styles of add-on heaters that were common in '40s cars. They bolt to the inside of the firewall wherever you have room and are easy to hook up. They can be powered up using a voltage drop device of sufficient amperage or replace the original 6-volt electric fan motor with a 12-volt motor. You might even get lucky and find one that's already 12-volts, they are around. Keep up the good work...and stay warm!

 

MissysDad1 has good advise on the trans cooler heater. The small diameter tubes in the trans cooler may restrict the hot water flow and produce minimal heat. A heater core and a fabricated box may be a better choice. Save the Plymouth control as those dashes were nice looking and the control and switches can be used with 12 volts .

 

Thanks. The Miller is definitely a huge improvement over the harbor freight welder.

Thank you. Your probably right about the trans cooler heater. I might still try it as I am getting a free trans cooler from a friend at school. If it doesn't work I can switch to an add-on heater.

I guess I didn't really think about the trans cooler having smaller diameter tubes. Don't worry I'm saving all of the switches and parts even if I'm not using them.

 

For Christmas my dad is getting me stuff to wire the car. Should I have him get me a wiring kit like a rebel wire or just have him get a fuse panel and switches and everything else separately. I have the whole wiring harness from the Fury and some really cool switches including a dimmer switch which is actually worth more than I payed for the whole engine and trans. Anyway I don't want to get a kit only to find I still need to buy a whole bunch of parts. Thanks for any advice.

 

I'd go for a kit every time. Do some research to see what comes in each kit from the major suppliers and choose the one that fits your needs best. All the info is on their websites online. Your car will be fairly simple - no power windows, power doors, high-end stereo, air conditioning or other fancy electronic stuff - so one of the basic "complete" kits should do you just fine. What a great Christmas gift from your Dad!

 

Nice Christmas gift. Several decisions you need to make before ordering wiring components. Steering column choice is the first. If you use the Fury column than the fury harness is a possibility as the directionals, dimmer and ignition will all plug in. Any other column and a lot of sorting will be necessary. The fury harness will be primarily a source for wire as a lot will need to be eliminated or rerouted. The best option is a basic wiring kit as it will come with the wires labeled every 6 inches as to the circuit and with most of the necessary terminal ends. They can be ordered to plug into a specified steering column or if you use your original 49 Plymouth column you can get a harness that will work with the basic signal switch, floor dimmer switch and a dash mounted key switch. Trying to buy coils of wire and the terminals separate, and the time to figure it out is often more expensive and a heck of a lot more aggravation then the basic wiring kits. Talk to the kit vender or company to get what you need.
Bob

 

Keep plugging away kid! I was in your same shoes 35 years ago. Young and inexperienced and not having parental guidance can be overcome. At least for you there's this wealth of info any time. I love how you hit snags, show pics of a problem that stops many more experienced guys dead in their tracks, then a couple posts later you've worked out a solution. You've obviously got the necessary level of stick-to-it-ivism to finish this as your own, home built, running hot rod. Bravo! Your level of determination will carry you through so many other aspects of life. Carry on!