Thanks all. I have now put on some color on the edges so i could mount my panel. Well i figured out i could go on and replace the other rusted parts on the body. So i started behind the drivers door. First i have to replace the outer side of the subrail. I could have make it easy and just do a straight edge. After all its not a stock restoration. But i think its good training in metalshaping for me to do it more stockish. I allso drilled a drainhole in the bottom. Then it was time to do the outer panel. I took a bit of sheetmetal and curved it to follow the bodyline. Then a bend in the bottom. I marked out the wheelwell and bend the edge with a hammer. After some finetuning its started to look good so i could weld it in place.
Not that much new going on. Just keep going on and repairing rust. Finnished up the left side and move over to the right side. I allso welded in a pice to stiffen up the rear panel. And then the same on the other side. And then i started at the rear right side.
At last my restorationswork is done. Now i can go on and build a hotrod again. Well, not really true becouse i have the beltline and bullitholes left to repair. But i wait until its time to adjust the roofline before i fix that. I finnishid the rear lower quarterpanels on both sides. Then before i close the corners i wanted to make the rear crossmember for the subframe. It was a lot easyer to weld it in with the corners open. I tok a bit of tubing and cut it to proper lenght. Started to drill some drainholes in the bottom and suddenly it was many holes. Did some preparitation and could then weld it in place. I could then make the pices to close the corners. Then it was just the lower front quarters left to do. It went preatty easy. The subframe was good and dont needed to be repaired. It was just the outer panels replace.
Wow, this is one of those 'super inspirational' threads that gets me wanting to build something... love it! Keep up the great work Anders. Glen.
Thanks all. Its been a long time without updates now. And not much have been done on the hotrod. Had to fix some things on the house and the garagetime have been spent on my wifes Dodge 56. I put in the motor and that is nomally not very difficult. But some parts where missing and i have not manage to find them. No big deal just time consuming. One of the things missing was exhaust flanges. When i made those it was just as good to make 4. Couse 2 will be needed to the hotrod. During the time i worked with the 56 i cleaned up my frontaxle and sent it away. and got it back with 4 inch drop. I allso got me some parts that i needed to move forward with the build. I have allso put in some temporary crossmembers on the subframe. And then i cut the stock ones out and trimmed the edge on the subframe. So now is the body ready to meet the frame. But i have some more things to do first.
I have now moved things around in the garage so i get my frame on the floor again. I wanted to finnish the rearaxle mounts and suspension. So i loosen the axle from the spring to lift, drop and twisting the axle to find its mechanical limits. Now knowing highest safe point for my rearaxle i could now mount mechanical stops on booth sides. And the add rubbercushions to them. Then its time to mount the shockabsorbers. So out with the rubberstoppers and lift the axle to the top knowing this is highest ever possible it can go. Then find a place to mount them. When i find a place i like i dropped the axle to see that the shocks are long enuff. I could then fabricate upper and lower mountingtabs. I allso clamped a woodlog on top of the frame to help me mesuring the upper mounts. Next thing i did was to finnish the front mountingtabs for the fourlinks. The lower ones i welded and the upper i drilled and bolted. Still need to weld the nuts on the upper ones. And now i belive that my rear suspension is completed.
Thanks. Is no way this will be a driver this summer. I problaby wont get much done when the summer start. Crusing in my other cars, carmeetings, house and garden will keep me busy. Im to cheap to buy all stuff. Its not a budgetbuild but i dont want to put in unlimited amount of money either. All stuff are at least double up here then in the States.
It was now time to mount the clutch to the engine so i can start to plan for pedals. To reach in to mount the nuts on flywheel bolts i hade to expand the hole. Later i hade to cut al the way down to reach. I am not worried about the streinght couse this is how the stock adapter used with automatic transmission is done. It was some different supportbearings included in the adapterkit but nothing i could use. This is just a mock up so i dont need it yet so i mounted it without. Checking the starterfitment. Looks good. I dont see any problems here. The mountinginstructions say the kit is ment to be used by a Mopar ministarter. I really hate the look of a ministarter and cant find any reason to not use a ordinary starter. The adapterkit was supposed to use Ford 10 inch clutchparts. So i buy me a 10 inch cluchkit that was listed from 65 to present to use. I dont know if Ford have used different pressureplates during the years or if the flywheel is drilled for another pressureplate. But the one included did not fit the flywheel. Looking in my spareparts i hade a pressureplate for Dodge 53 with 10 inch clutchdisc. And that one fits perfect. And then i looked on the clutchdisc and think it look close to my 53 Dodge to. So i get my centeringtool made of a inshaft for a Dodge gearbox and tested. It was a perfect match. With a sparedisc at home to i really didnt needed to buy any clutchparts at all. But i used the clutchdisc and the throwout bearing included. It looks like something is missing here to attach the clutcharm to the housing. I could then put the engine in the frame again. And then its time to tweaking everything to its final place and start to permanent mount all things.
A small update. Its alot of other things to do in the springtime so progress is slow. But i have laid out where to put the bodymounts and started to make them. With the most of the body mounted to the frame i could remowe the temporary bars i had to keep the body from flexing. I put in new ones 7-inches below the roofline to be able to plan the interior with the planned 6-7 inch chopping.
To finish some thing in the back i needed to know where my exhaust will go. And to plan that i need to know where my steeringaxle go to the steeringbox. So first i had to mount the front axle. To make things easy for me i had bought a mountingplate for the Vega box. Put it in place and it was really close to the engine and the steeringaxle pointed straight to the exhaust flange. To make it work i had to cut up the frame and sink in the mouningplate. With every things back in place could note that sometimes can 3/8 more space do a huge difference. And the steeringrods seems to go niceley together. And the welding i did when i tapered the tubes have penetrated well.
Not much done on the rod lately. But i have sneak in some time here and there and got little done. I made the cut outs in the wheelwells for rearaxle suspension. I allso made me a driveshaft to the rear. Useless for driving but good to use when mesureing things. Here are some pictures of what i done.
When i lowered the engine in the frame i had to cut out a part of the top on the crossmember to clear the gearbox. I think it was time to finnish that. To pass the swedish tech inspection i need to have a loop for the driveshaft. So when i was on the crossmember and working i adressed that to. Then i added some bars to the subframe on the body to open up the crossmember to clear the driveshaft. I could now rise the rearaxle to its highest possible point to see how high the driveshaft tunnel needs to be. I allso checked how high the upper bars where to know where my floor in the back needs to be. When i was working on my off topic Dodge Van i discovered that they have the same kind of rear axle that i am using. I allso discovered that there was some models that have the same 5x4,5 lug pattern that i have on my axle. So i think that 11x2,5 brakes rear would match the front Buick:s 12x2,5 better stylewise. So out with the driveshafts and mount the backingplates from a scrapped Van axle.
Yes its a 73 basket case i collecting parts for. Have all the mainparts now so i can start on it. Me to. I dont like when a build have gaps here and there. I have now 1 inch where the wheel is closest to the body. Will problaby be a tad closer when the real tires are mounted. Thank you. I looking forward for that day to. If i remember right you have a great looking coupe to beside the center door.
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