Hot Rods My 1st Ground Up Build - Dirty Thirty

What's up my fellow Hot Rodders? Been Hot Rodding with my friends for years now and owned a few cars that were always purchased about 70% complete. Finishing them up correctly with a twist of my own creation....bringing them to life. That being said, my dream has always been to build one from the ground up. And... here I am, I finally pulled the trigger. Was inspired by a fellow alliance member and thread know as the "Midnight Special". After a couple months of long sleepless nights searching high and low, I found the perfect project. As we all know these coupes are getting harder and harder to find. Actually, I went and looked at this car about 3 years ago and the old owner wouldn't take my offer, so I was familiar with the car once I showed up the new owners place.

A couple years back my 1st 30' 5 window coupe was t-boned one night going to get gas for a cruise that next morning. After that mess was all figured out, I got a 29' Sport Coupe which I'm still rocking down the street today. But last year my friends and I drove down to Colorado Dirt Drags (yes, 1500 miles in our pre-war cars, not trailered) from Arizona and changed my view all togeather on hot rodding. If you have not gone, it's a bucket list must! It was out of this world, Cool! Creating this obsession to go for it and build one of these things from the ground up!

Either way enough of my life story. On March 15th, 2017 I bought my new 31 5 Window Coupe. Bare bones roller with original frame, channeled 4 inches, non- chopped body.... perfect launching pad for this build. Already started reversing the channel of the body/frame and now working on the chassis. May be a lifetime before I finish this thing but at least I am going for it! If you want to follow the progress and see how many times I throw a hammer across the room, then let's get this thing started already.

 

Im in.

 

Looks like a great start. Good luck with it.

 

Nece start, good luck !

 

Looks good already

 

I'm in 100%!

Looks like a solid start.

 

The midnight special.

 

Plans?

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Plans... are to stay with the same look and feel as the midnight special but don't kill me when I say I am going to put in a more modern reliable drive train. I know I should be putting in a flatty but prob going pre 86 SBC with tri power, 700R4 and a 9 Inch. We drive all over the country and like the speed/reliability. I'm going to be disowned after this comment. High Boy Super Chop!

 

Pete, thanks for being on board. Your car is bada$$. What was the total chop on this car? I'm thinking about 6-7 inches on mine.

 

maybe name for your project - of course, measuring bottom seat cushion height in reference to top of your head sitting inside might be worth considering - have fun

 

First... things.... first...get the body braced and off the chassis (damn this thing was a lot heavier than expected). Put everything on wheels so I can move everything around as needed. I'm working in limited space with all my other toys. Crazy enough, was able to make it all fit for the time being. Prob doesn't make sense to have all this crap but work with what you got, right?

 

Yeah, I agree. Def don't want to be driving with my head out the window. My old one was chopped a ton but I had seats basically all the way to the floor reclining. Don't worry I am not going to build the car like the last. Let's say I grew up a little bit, hence why I am on the hamb now.

 

Took some flat stock and degree finder, the frame looks to be pretty straight except for a twist on the rear driver side sub rail, just past where it tapers. May have been hit at one time. About a 5-degree twist from underneath, sweeping into the interior of the chassis from the bottom. Anyone know of a trick to get this out? Heat? May just keep it since the front and rear axles are perfectly straight on the chassis since I adjusted them. Not too worried about aesthetics of 5 degrees since it's at the rear of the car (Not a show car here), but want the car to drive straight. It will just be a little more finesse to box that section of the frame. The front of the engine frame is already boxed in, I hear mixed reviews on boxing the entire frame. Any options on that? This thing does flex quite a bit. My plan is to box the entire thing.
Rear Drivers side:



Front already boxed:

The rest of the frame looks to be good, 90 degrees all the way around. I also measured all the top of the rails (hole to hole) check for squareness and nothing more than 1/8-3/16 all the way around as well, if even that. I believe ford assembly line took anything within a 1/4 of an inch?

 

After more than 4 feet of rain in the last 6 months in the PNW this winter I'll follow the build just to see more sunshine and palm trees. Bring it Arizona boy!

 

Welded in some sleeves into the frame for the body mount bolts and strength.

 

Took out the old tranny mount and welded in some supports to the top and bottom of the frame with scrap metal so it doesn't shift on me.

 

Went and bought 20 feet of 1/8th 4-inch flat stock to make my own boxing plates for less than $20. The engine bay was already pre-boxed so had to blend in the rest of the plates. Instead of 3 plates on each side when you buy from a jet cut vendor for $160, I was able to do one solid plate per side. Even in the back, where it contours. Notched out the rear so it will slip into the rear cross member. Ended up clamping it from the top about 1/8 below the top lip of the frame about flush and let the bottom overhang. Ended up using a reciprocating saw to trim off all the excess off the bottom and welded flush. Tack welded about every 4 inches and then started closing the seam as I welded longer beads. You better have a lot of clamps for this step. More the Merrier!


Bottom


TOP

 

Went to Arizona Model A in Gilbert, Az and scored some 31 splash aprons, hood, and inner shelf.

 

Thought I scored an orginal 32 grill online but after looking at it in person it looks like an original 33 industrial truck grill. SOB, it's about an inch wider and 1-2 inches deeper. I mocked it up and looks like it will still work. This one needs a big dent pulled out but not too worried about cancer on the bottom. I like to look. Will just need to tack some places back in to make it stronger.

You guys see anything wrong with using the 33? Or is it worth finding the right 32 grill. The only major difference I can see its at the top of the nose. It's straight across, rather than a dip down int he middle.

 

Looks like fun.I`ll saddle up and go along for the ride.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Have both sets of early Ford Hubs. Outside and inner. The inner ones are turnable and was going to use these moving forward but 3-4 races went in perfectly and then 1 outer race just falls in. Looks like someone already tried pinging it with a hole punch once before but does anyone know of any tricks? I read a couple threads on here and I tried re pinging it and it did make it stiff but with enough pressure, it just moves again on me. I hear you can put locktight 680 on it but this is going to be a driver. Anyone every heard of Devcon plastic steel? I don't know if it's worth rigging.

Should I just bite the bullet and buy new hubs, drums etc? what was going to be a $30 turn of the drum job, is now going to be a 1000 dollar job haha. I can try and reuse the inner hubs too but will need to find usable drums, the right studs and the have them wedged again. The newer hubs, the drums just slip right over, but this will be an expensive adventure going new.

These are the outer hubs I tried reusing, I don't have a pic right now of the bad outer race with the pings in it, but can get that later. trying to reuse as much as possible that came with the car but want it to be safe at the same time.

 

I`ve said it before."Into every life a little rain must fall".But,at times it sure seem like a monsoon.Ain`t it just grand this old car hobby of ours?
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Just pulled a 350/200r4 out of an 84 Monte Carlo for next to nothing. Going to see if I can get her to fired up *she does turn over). Just waiting on motor mounts to come in. Took off all the smog crap. Keep our fingers crossed it fires right up!

 

Nice to see the build McFly!

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The hubs that you have with the flange on the outside of the drums is the one to use with Buick drums. You can also use them with reproduction cast iron drums. The holes for the pressed in and swedged lug bolts are abandoned and new holes are drilled in the desired bolt pattern and tapped for 1/2" fine threads. Grade 8 cap screws are used as lug bolts. Bob Wilson of Wilson Welding and Machine can do the necessary machining on the hubs and drums if you want to go this way.

 

Congrats and good luck

 

Sorry its been a while everyone. Life just got busy but the good news were back in business. Last time I boxed in the frame. Next task. Make a subframe. I went a little overkill on the 4x1 tubing but I wanted the original floors. Just remember the previous owner hacked the hell out of everything so I have been left with not much to work with. Actually, I am redoing everything this guy did. Here is the subfloor project. The car orginally had a 4 inch channel and took that out to go back to stock height and create this bad mama jama Highboy!

 

Next project was flipping the firewall from its original location. I read some forums on the site but they all wanted to drill out the original rivets. After hours of hammer and dolly as well as fitting this thing into place about 50 times I got it perfect with no seems. Used all original holes as well as the rivets! Had to make some relief cuts and weld them back into place once everything was dialed in. I actually have almost too much room for this SBC now haha. Only had to cut out about an inch of the firewall to get clearance for the bell housing.

 

Now I am working on getting the back end all lined up. They cut out the wheel wells as well as all the rain gutter support systems. So I cut out all the 1x1 tubing the installed and made some new pieces by shrinking and stretching some flat stock as well as correct the huge gap that was made with the (Almost 2 inches off) trunk . This is still in progress but right now I have the deck lid on and the new inside rails ready to be welded. What a pain in the rear. Like I said, redoing all the work that was chopped out of this thing and trying to bring it back to as original as possible. Time to weld her up this weekend.