Projects 30 Ford coupe build

all this peer pressure, feels like back in highschool!

 

X4 3 pedals or I think it's considered a "street rod" lol just kidding.... Kinda

 

Looks like a nice solid project. Like said obove get your radiator, pump, and fan. A water pump riser (Zoops, etc.) will help a lot with cooling (getting the fan where it needs to be). Build from the front back, adjust as required. Sticks are fun but automatics have there place too. Not trying to open an endless debate just remember it's YOUR car build it your way and have fun doing it.

 

don't you guys realize how much work shifting gears is?! we have A LOT of hills where i live! If i have more than 400HP between the rails does that compensate for the auto? i think it should!

 

That's a tidy body, one of the biggest hurdles I think. What a great start.

 

But then you should have lots of torque... which means you wont have to shift as much, which means it isnt that bad which means you can have a stick.... ;-)

 

Jer you're supposed to be on my side!

 

Good luck with that, LOL. I think this is ALWAYS my plan but every project turns into "I can do this a little better" and suddenly it's a show car. For some reason I just can't make it simple.

 

so i was eyeing up where the motor mount will/would sit if i left the motor roughly where i have it right now and the mount will be right where the vega box is going to mount on the frame. i DO NOT want to cut the firewall and again am thinking of where the tail of the tranny is going to sit in relation to the body cross member. first thought is a hurst style mount but then i got looking at LS style conversion mounts and like this idea much better. the thought would be to fab them up in a reverse pattern to the actual LS ones so the adapter plate would bring the motor mount back from the original position thus eliminating the interference with the steering box. the frame mount itself could be notched or mounted low enough so the steering shaft could pass through as well. thoughts?

 

I think what your saying is using the plate from this newer engine and bolting it to the older smallblock (with those nice finned covers) mount locations and moving the mount back on the plate to clear the box. Does that newer block have bosses in block at those rear positions? The older engine doesn't correct? My concerns would be engine mount to plate without engine boss support essentially plate in air (which may be fine due to plate thickness) and also shift in engine weight to mount position could be an issue. 57 chev also incorporated fwd mount holes on smallblock with brackets as another consideration. I do have a hurst mount if you decide differently. It may require rework to clear the fuel pump. Pretty sure some members have mounted smallblocks with either trans with little or no mods to firewall.

 

Some of the suggestions to do certain things on builds garner research to verify when did these types of things come about as I know a fair bit about old cars but definitely not an expert by any means. I've faced some 'standard' pressure over my hotrod having a pedal less than three but it works for me with my not always on back. Also they were available at the time period I feel my car fits into. Being a member of the Hamb certainly warrants thorough knowledge in what you are preaching or edumicating on (I've been corrected on one or more occasions myself). Its fun too and sometimes surprising what you find out. I certainly remember going for a cruise in a 48 Caddy that had an automatic and it was a pretty quick machine and shifted real nice. So yes just injecting some data into choice of drive-train components for everyone to glean from.

The automatic transmission was invented in 1921 by Alfred Horner Munro of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and patented under Canadian patent CA 235757 in 1923. (Munro obtained UK patent GB215669 215,669 for his invention in 1924 and US patent 1,613,525 on 4 January 1927). Being a steam engineer, Munro designed his device to use compressed air rather than hydraulic fluid, and so it lacked power and never found commercial application.

Automatic transmissions
Early models
The GM Hydra-Matic was a success and installed in the majority of GM models by 1950. Through the 1950s, all makers were working on their own automatic transmission, with four more developed inside GM alone. All of GM's early automatic transmissions were replaced by variants of the Turbo-Hydramatic by the 1970s.

• 1940–1967 Hydra-Matic — Oldsmobile (now the trade name for all GM automatic transmissions)
• 1948–1963 Dynaflow — Buick
• 1950–1973 Powerglide — Chevrolet (also used by Pontiac and Holden)
• 1957–1961 Turboglide — Chevrolet (V8 models only, except Corvette)
• 1958–1959 Flightpitch — Buick
• 1961–1963 Dual Path Turbine Drive — Buick
• 1961–1964 Roto Hydramatic — Oldsmobile/Pontiac (also used by Holden)
• 1964–1969 Super Turbine 300 — Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac (Oldsmobile Jetaway)
• 1968–1969 Torquedrive — Chevrolet (manually shifted automatic, 6 cyl only)
• 1956-1964 Jetaway-315

Turbo-Hydramatic
The Turbo-Hydramatic was used by all GM divisions, and formed the basis for the company's modern Hydramatic line.
Medium-duty rear wheel drive

• 1964–1992 Super Turbine 400/TH400/3L80

Polishing or painting the tranny Fitnessguy?

 

Automatic vs manual.....
Honda vs Harley.....
Know what I mean?
It's all about the feel. The stick guys know what I'm talking about.

 

Santa came a little early today! Have to say the quality of the wiring harness is super. Got a great deal on it so happy with that. Grill shell is decent and the rad is very nice as well. Went back and forth on the rad, aluminum or not, prefer the cooling of the aluminum as I have experienced with the rad in my Camaro. Dropped the temp by 10 degrees plus right off the bat. I will get the rad painted black to look the part a little more.

 

Hotrodders can make decisions on their vehicles and no matter what they decide someone will have an opinion on it negative, neutral or positive. That is part of the game. The drivetrain in my car is North American 100% so I would say Harley vs Harley (Fun vs Fun). You have your ride and I have mine. My choice versus your choice. I'm happy, you're happy. I respect both spectrums without the pressure. There are many ways to build a hotrod and automatic transmissions were available long before I was conceived. Modifications to your transmission automatic or standard can alter dynamics to suit your desire. I get razzed for paint colour, tires, wheels, hood, fenders, trans, wipers not enough page for the rest...and my response is always the same...that's why I bought it. I quite like it. So cars are an individual thing and I respect peoples choices.
Fitnessguy... the car is starting to smile .

 

Nice start! Good luck with it & please keep posting.

 

thanks hipster, will keep posting for sure. next step is to finish the body mounts and do a final locate of the motor now that i have the rad and grill shell. slowly but surely! darn work gets in the way

 

Fitguy:
I ordered a set of Auto Meter classic gauges for my F100, (nice new set that look right and fit my cool engine turned dash, go right in where the old Stewart-Warners were!) Truly beautiful, the needles look like jewelry.
When I got 'em, the speedo was tiny... (3-1/8" dia., grrrr...) Not 'standard', by any of our HAMB/ S/W 'standards...
Auto Meter was friendly, said I can order a 'custom speedo' that's 'standard size'. (3-3/8") $$$.
No exchange on the little one. It'll go in the HAMB classifieds...
Which set did you order? (Similar situation?)

 

Where did you get the grill, Rad and harness from?

 

i ordered the oldtyme black "set" i have a bare dash that is also coming with no holes yet so won't have any issues with hole sizes. good to hear you like them otherwise. i looked at a long of vintage gauges on the site before i ordered these and was tempted by a few ads but at the end of the day when it comes to that stuff i prefer to have new so i know what i have. have all autometer in my camaro and have never had any issues.

 

i did something i never did before which was order parts like that off Amazon. The shell was going to cost me $400 canadian before shipping and an aluminum rad from northern rad was quoted out at just under $700. i got both the shell and the rad for under $400 US off amazon with free shipping to a supplier of our in california. that was enough savings to take a chance which now that i have both i am happy about. the Rad is a top street performance rad out of california.

 

That thing is looking sick! Love the fact that you aren't chopping it. That's what I decided to do with mine. I think it looks great like that!

 

Looking good!

 

Did you get the matching grill insert at the same time?

 

anyone can chop a coupe, it takes a leader to not follow the crowd........

 

no, the car came with a mint original grille. needs to be re-chromed but otherwise straight and solid. actually played with the fit last night. the shell will have to be opened up a little as the grille doesn't quite fit length wise as of right now but otherwise the dimensions are good and the shell is straight so no complaints.

 

Sounds like you got it. Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking of ordering both the grill pieces from So-cal so I know that they'll match. Haven't decided on where to get the rad. I'll take a look at Amazon. Thanks again.

 

they really aren't that far off so won't be hard to adjust. I would take a close look at the cost comparison. i mean for me it was a huge savings. those dollars can be used for other parts.

 

It would be great to have original vintage stuff when it comes to those parts but the pricing on it just doesn't make sense to me. For example there is a guy that has a grille and shell original in Vancouver and he wants $1100 for them. Perhaps to some people it's worth it but when I am done, will anybody really tell the difference between that one and mine if finished the same? Not too many guys in my opinion.

 

One thing to keep in mind for the future when placing the engine - make sure you can r + r the distributor without having to remove the body or pull the engine. That will save you headaches later on if you have to remove it.

 

Roger that on the dizzy. Those are all the things I am taking into account when deciding where the motor is going to sit