Projects Traditional '35 Ford Pickup Hot Rod

Hi All,
I'm building a period correct, early fifties style 1935 Ford Pickup.

Here's where I'm at. I scrapped the 1935 Ford Frame and went with one from 2x3 box so I could get the proportions right.

The frame is rolling, albeit tacked up for right now. This is at my friend's shop, FFR Fabrication. He's a hell of a fabricator and a great guy.

I built the Flathead, and recently stabbed it into the frame. Next steps are finishing the frame, chopping the top, resizing the bed, and finishing up sheet work.

After it leaves the shop, it comes home for assembly, wiring, and paint. While the truck will be getting a sizable haircut, there is no intention whatsoever on building a rat out of this.

Here's where I'm at so far:

 

And one from the front!

 

I read that...then read the rest...then looked at the pictures.

I'm not going to say anything about your build or your friends fab skills. It's yours to enjoy.

But, you can call it lots of things, unfortunately a period correct early fifties style pickup is not one of them.

 

x2

 

Yeah, that we'll see I suppose.

Obviously, these style trucks in a chopped fashion is a new development, with Gene Winfield's chopped, fendered shop truck the prime example of a period correct, modified '35/'36.

 

But in form and execution, this car will be more a traditional fifties car than a lot of earlier hot rods out there.

 

I'm sure it will be a cool truck but I gotta agree...I was around in the 50's and never saw channeled hi boy styled pickups. HRP

 

Perhaps you dont know, Or you do know and its just sitting on your frame for mock-up, and you dont have any sort of cushioned cab mounts in it YET for this picture, but your cab is sitting down about 3 inches too low in the back. 35-37 Ford PU Cabs came with wood supports between the cab and the frame to help cushion the cab and make it sit correct. Yours looks like its leaning way back. Here is a crummy pic of the 35 I built about 10 years ago and a couple of pics of the cab wood I pulled from the internet for reference.

 

X2

 

I like it. No matter what you call it...

Here is a pic of a local drag truck from back in the day:

Check out the rebuild thread here if you're interested:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/official-b-altered-truck-restoration-thread.427766/

 

Hi Dirk! I did not know this actually. When I got the truck it was just body on frame like it is now. I had thought it looked funny, thanks for the heads up!! Nice truck too, they look great nice and low!

 

That truck is mean looking!!

 

Please keep the references relevant. The pic of that racing says 1967... a long way from the early fifties. Apart from the fact that it's a race car.

 

That's the Truth

 

You veered from traditional period correct with your second sentence.
The HAMB is always good for a chuckle, and revisionist history lessons. I'm sure it'll be a fun project.

 

I think we're all a little bit into revisionist history how many traditional, 50's style hot rods with SBC's actually have a road draft opening?

Thanks though. I guess I overstated my initial point a bit; the style will be that of a traditional 50's hot rod. A style and design that COULD have been built by someone in the day.

I forgot the HAMB is so touchy with their semantics

 

You've written yourself a get out of jail card with that one! I'm not buyin it though.

People could have built all sorts of things from the future, even a bobber (Rudy) truck...if they could time travel.

 

Science fiction was all the rage back in the day...

 

Maybe, just maybe, we got off on the wrong foot.

This is my Project thread for the CAR I'm building. It is a fine CAR, that will eventually do CAR things. It will look like a CAR.

 

In the end, it's all about bad ass hot rods and good times, right?

 

It's your vision of tradition so go for it. Just like dirk35 said if you look at the side profile it looks wrong in my opinion , sure the truck isn't done yet. It maybe the lack of wood blocks or the huge Zee in the back. If the profile looks wrong the whole deal won't really work visually.

 

I like that! Yeah the body is just sitting on the frame rails right now. It'll have the body mounts higher in the back to make up for the height the wood would have provided.

I agree, it looks a little strange with the cab leaning back

 

I don't have any wood in my truck.
Think it still worked out...

 

That looks great! Are the body mounts higher in the rear?

Also, what'd you do on the rear roll pan piece? It looks really nice.

 

I'm not using stock body mounts but fab-ed my own. Since It's channeled 5 inches, I made a whole new floor.
That's also the reason why I didn't have to kick up the frame.

The roll pan is just a piece of 16 gauge curved and welded to the sides.

Here is my build thread, if you're interested:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/ford-truck-build-pics.313603/

 

Umm, I thought it was a TRUCK? LOL

 

You win

 

Thanks!! I'll take a look though it

 

Update with pics - pushed the front cross member and engine back 2"

Getting ready for frame horns, body mounts, steering, bones, and pedals. Need to find a bench seat that accounts for a gnarly tunnel, if anyone has ideas...

Then chop and shorten the bed. Getting close...

 

Frame getting some love