Hot Rods '36, going against my ways

Too WIDE!!!!

 

I will also continue to shorten that grill some more, all while trying to keep a flowing shape. I've done some test pieces of placing a bead around the perimeter

Picture of that this evening

 

Looking good. Thanks for the fix!

 

I think one of the biggest problems with fat fender cars running fenderless is that the frame is not as clean as a '32-'34 and, due to the way the factory mounted the body to the frame, they always end up looking channeled - no such thing as a post-'34 Hiboy on a stock set of rails!

To maybe help a bit with some of the earlier mentioned issues, try swapping out the lower cowl sections with patches for a '33/'34 - the curve upward will be less pronounced and you can then fit custom hood sides that will address the issue regarding the "thinness" of the hood sides. Adjust the patches to allow the hood bottoms to align with the vanishing point as suggested and the forward flow will be smooth and pleasing to the eye.

The rear wheel opening will be a completely different challenge - these fat-fendered cars just don't have the right shape out back to run fenderless and need serious recontouring to mimic the abrupt bustle of cars built in the late '20's and very early '30's. Most '35 and up brands have the fenders and rear pan sweeping out and away from the body (resulting in the teardrop shaped wheel openings when the fenders are removed) and would benefit visually from bobbed rear quarter sections and below-the-decklid panels (or, for sedan-type bodies, a '34-style rear body line and tucked in rollpan of some sort).

Having said all that, I, like you, have never been a fan of fenderless post-'34 bodies but I think yours is looking quite good so far.

Steve

 

I'm not usually a fan of narrowed front ends on early Fords, but the changes you've made in the proportions of your '36 do make it seem like a good idea. I'll be eager to see how it turns out.

 

Thank you, When I came across this project, the "Awe" factor caught me. It looked neat. On the contrary, it was good from far, but far from good. The concept of the car had potential, so I'm doing all I can to restyle and create a car that is different, but looks right.

There is nothing "standard" on this build, but there is nothing that hasn't already been done on any other car. It's just doing the right changes


Thank all of you for your interest in how this will turn out....

Ps no picture like I thought I would post last night.. Took out eng/trans, changing mounts and will be taking out firewall to make a new one

 

Replacing that well made firewall? Next one will be a knockout!

 

It's one of those things, I thought it was great, A few flaws yes, but I had only had my head roller for a week

But now that I've worked with it more, I want to build a new. Theoretically, it should come out better!

 

Lowcoe, thanks for the compliment !!!

 

What do you do at 9 pm, when your burned out on other parts of the car......

Start building a dash you've never seen

 

Picked up the parts to make a narrower axle today. Now the question is posed, 4" dropped axle with transverse spring? Or fabricate one with 1.5" drop and go with the torsion bar set up?? ( which means cut out current crossmember, then out in a tubular crossmember. Say 3 x .25 tubing. Cut in half. So that the axle sits in a radiused crossmember). Then set up some torsion bar mounts. And go all out and run the shocks inboard with a simple arm that will cantilever??

Anyone do this with some photos I can check out?

 

I'd like best to see it with a V8-60 tubular axle. Is that a possibility?

 

I understand that point of view. In the early pictures the car looks like a pelican!!!!

I've worked on a filler panel to go below the hood. As you can see in the picture it continues the lower body line ( which will tie into the grill she'll. I'll be building a "lakes style" header. The collector tube has Ben rolled to match the lower body line of the hood and the will reverse curve at the cowl, following the lower body line and then turn out at the front of the door. You can see I've formed a window on the lower panel and I need to mirror the window on the lower hood line.

Once I can roll the car out, with all the above mentioned mocked up, I can then get a better idea of the look from 30' away as opposed to 5' or at an angle

The exhaust pipe in the picture was my first go at getting the pipe rolled. The new stainless pipe has a flowing "S" curve to match that lower hood/body line

 

SIDE NOTE.....

How do you keep your wife happy when you buy new equipment for the shop??

Convince her it's to build things for the house

Louvered cabinet doors

 

UPDATE!! and checking on opinions...

Narrowed a 4" drop tube by 5"....

Think about the following before replying...
I've been talking with hot rod guru and he is somewhat convincing me of doing an inboard shock set up.
Now, at 40yrs old I can't say I'm an expert at "old skool", so where onboard could come into play ( I'd have to venture it isn't ol skool).

But..... For the sake of a simplistic, cool and uncluttered front end, it's an idea that has merit.

Feedback guys, I know the car is only mocked up, but look at the pictures, close your eyes and imagine..

 

Didnt some 50s and 60s indy cars have inboards? I think do what you want. It would look great uncluttered like you said. I posted a long time ago about kicking the bottom of your grill out. I think it would look killer along with your layed back windshield.

 

I have not mocked up the kicked out grill,,,,,
But I will

Reason being I haven't rolled the car from where it sits so I can get a good side view

 

Kool! Just an observation I had from one of your earlier posts. you wouldnt have to go much. Pinkees laid back a grill on a 36 roadster and it really makes the car.

 

Don't know why I missed this build, sure is a nice one, look forward to following it. Bob

 

On your shock conundrum, What about some lever action vintage shocks, not Ford, maybe the British ones mentioned on Fordbarn, maybe some early GM style Delco-Morraine (?) or similar. I know you want to clean up the front, but a simple nearly self contained cool shock would add a small splash of welcome mechanical interest. Or not welcome perhaps, but something is fighting to get out of my head and share it with you. Did I trip any triggers, to both you and the other "helpers" on this topic? Something like this maybe (both shagged from a google image search):

Or like this:

Different from the Ford array of usual suspects, visual interest, maybe some clean mounting arranged to "feature" the change...? Just an idea from a "form follows function" perspective.

 

Been working on the new axle. I picked up the parts that Magnum uses to build their axles. I took 2.5" off each end to narrow the front end

The car then looked like every other typical street rod front end. So, I figured I would lower the stance, I went 3.5". Wow, it made a huge difference

So I going back to a 46" axle. I think it will look right

With all that said, I've had to shorten the grill....
Here is a mock up

 

Nice build, if your going sprint car style suspension, there's alot of stuff one here a search would throw up.

 

Almost done with one side....

 

The hood looks great, you really have a good eye for this.

 

I'm really liking that hood. May need to steal that

 

Fascinated watching this come together.

 

How many original vents???

 

Sweet. Think of all the posers who will tell you they had one just like it. Looks factory (only better).

 

Thank you for the compliment...

Just realized I may not have bent enough pieces for the other side. Not a problem have the material to make them,,,,, But didn't mark down exactly how I had the brake set up

 

Good thing you can't see both sides at the same time