I appreciate that, I know valve cover swaps are taboo but if this thing was any uglier cheer leaders would start gathering in my driveway to chant about it.
LOL I think that the problem with swapping rocker covers is because of the basic dislike of the SBC by the Ford guys. I don't think that the majority of the fellas would even know a little GM 4 if one rolled up and bit 'em on the ass, so I doubt the rocker cover change will have much effect on them.
I wondered what you meant about taboo cover swaps and realise that people try to disguise later engines with early covers ,,maybe this Frontenac cover swap is similar but there is so few Chevy 11 engines being done like porkbeaner said no one knows what they are anyway ,,I want to do the swap to our 153 engine too,,does the old tin cover stay on the engine and the alloy cover go over it ,?or just use the alloy one with the adaptor plate ,,?
I'm going to build an adaptor plate, I think the new one could fit over the tin one but it wouldn't allow for the best placement on the motor that way. It's really tight up front against the thermostat neck/housing even with the stock cover so if I stacked the covers I don't think it would fit/clear
Oh and post a shot of yours, I'd love to see it! I'll be sure to put some measurements in the post on the adapter so if you decided to do it yourself you could copy a lot of what I did. Part of the reason I decided to make the adapter out of board first other that ease of modifying it was that I could hang it on the wall and make a trace of it for anyone that wanted one for themselves
Just kinda walking by it lately. Thinking I'll have a full hood, a stock hood top with louvers and no hood at all as options on this. It's easy enough to swap around the they aren't real hard to stash in the shop.
I love the idea behind this- its gonna make a great driver... just splice in an electric motor into the system and a prius battery under the seat and you'll have it made... How many horse is that motor? add a 100hp electric and it'll smoke the tires right off! Can't believe I missed this- Subscribed!
Should end up around 140hp tuck, I'm really stoked on it. I might actually have to put a sheet over it for a while, baby is due 4 weeks from today and every time I walk by the A I stop and stare and day dream for a little longer than what's deemed necessary if I'm trying to be otherwise productive. You know, like putting a bigger cam in the 46 haha.
The cam in the '46 falls under general maintenance. Its kind of like a tune up or oil change. LOL When we freshened the caddy and put it back my '46 our excuse was that the Cleveland needed points and plugs. We didn't have points and plugs but we had everything to put the caddy back together so swapping the motor was just a tune up. LOL
Got the cam in the 46 and all tuned up, at least for now. Gotta short list made for it over the summer and with the baby due litterally any day now I think I'm going to find a sheet to throw over the car before I start taking more stuff apart. Next item on the A project is the adapter for the valve cover and adding any parts that make their way to the garage. Keep ya posted
Guess I ever updated those following this thread but April 5th we had our little baby girl As such I havnt done much with the A. I did get the cam into the 46 and tuned. I've been using my moments of garage time getting it ready for the summer. I did however go junk hunting and find a but load of nos Plymouth tail lights. I've shown the 39 units already, I thought I'd put them on the fenders but the buckets for them are nearly 4 inches deep and with this much rubber in back that's a no go. I'd shifted gears towards some model as lights on the fenders with modified stands when I came across these 41 Plymouth lights. As far as I can gather the bucket on those is actually built into the car so I would have to adapt something else. It actually looks like a 42-8 ford would work perfect just like a 39 ford would work for the 39 plymouths but looking around it looks like a 41 ish Chevy tail light might make the smallest hole to fit them. Though I'm wondering is a smaller housing around the bulb going to make for a smaller visiable light? Anyhow here's the lenses and a cool... light from something, that I got Right now I'm thinking a ford housing an a trim ring made of whittled plate stainless or maybe some stainless round stock shaped and then flattened on the back side? I think they'd look cool here with the tall part at the bottom this making the lense face nearly vertical, the curve of the lense nearly matches the body. More photos because of crampt space, big hands and shadows
I like those, the shape will blend in with the body or fender mounted and not stand out to distract from the overall look of the vehicle.
Tim...those 41 Plymouth lights are very simple and understated..just perfect for the curve of that back panel. I don't remember ever seeing those lights used on any hotrod. Too bad. You may be the first. I've seen guys make the bulb socket housings from about anything with a bucket shape. Saw one guy make his housings from old voltage regulator covers with a NAPA socket inside...one of those snap-in sockets... Making tasteful bezels could be a little tougher. Seems like 41 plymouth tailght bezels were a big bulky pot metal affair. I'll have to go looking online to see... .....or maybe cut the holes in the panel and install the lenses from the back side. Just a thought
@Rocky yeah the stock bezel is pretty fat. If I put a hole in the car I'd like it small and sealed off so mounting from the inside with no trim isn't sounding appealing. I've got a couple friends with pretty cool fab shops so I'm less concerned about the trim that drilling a hole in the car. Are the Chevy lights you out on your 34 fairly bright? Looks like you just have to make a tiny hole for the housing on those and they are a similar size
Why not just run stock tail lights they're cheap and everywhere I might have some of you need- Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yeah buddy! First time being able to step back and look at it! Back wheels shifted back a little moving it as it's not bolted in but you get it right? Was a tight fit moving it forward and it hasn't got a steering box in it but we made it work. pushed everything more or less back in place and put the 46 in the other stall before baby girl woke up. I've got a month or so before Sarah's going to want her parking spot back so I'm going to try and get the chassis final welded, blasted, painted and put back together. If I'm luck I'll patch in some good sections of subframe where mines rotted before the body goes on and it goes back into the far back corner. Think I've got another load of parts to stick on it coming as well keep ya posted
After looking at @porknbeaner post about chassis paint/coatings https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ssis-your-approach-more-than-welcome.1060647/ I've decided after blasting to brush it with rustoleums red rosy proofing primer and top coat with Valspar tractor/ fleet/ machine paint from tractor and farm supply. Should give me a nice glossy finish that is easy to touch up should I forget something, and with the red primer if it wears threw in spots it'll just look traditional lol That's the plan anyhow
I like the Rustoleum choice too. I feel like the Valspar paint can chalk earlier than Rustoleum but you have more color choices so it's a trade-off. I also add the catalyst (I've found it at Tractor Supply) to harden the paint.
@slowmotion I was in front steering the wheels by hand and my buddy was moving the car forward with the back wheel that didn't have a fender on it. Team work
The other side hasn't got a splash apron, running board or back fender on it. Looks twenty feet tall with no fenders lol. I'm going to try to get the other fenders on and maybe mock up the tail lights and some of the back end stuff this week
Damn it and I always get a thrill when all they are wearing is an apron. it sets damned nice. looks like '62.
Good to know @Tman my thought is with the paint if I need to move a bracket or weld something on it shouldn't be a big deal to touch it up and keep rolling. Started mocking some stuff up this morning on my way out the door. I put the plate and light on the stock spare tire iron and the tail light where the lense looked verticle to me. I slid it down from the top of the fender until it looked right As I kind of guessed they would the tail light and plate are on the same plane like this. I thought the stock length tail light stand would bug me but it's already kind of growing on me. Right now I'd like to keep the plate at the same height but bring it in towards the body about half the current distance. Then drop the tail lights until the bottom of the light is even with the top of the plate. Which if I kept the stand in the same place but took an inch or so out of the length might do just that while bringing the lights closer to the body. I don't think I want the plate and lights to all line up from the side view like it does now. It just doesn't feel right with that long ass bracket. Anyhow that's were it sits. I think @Tuck wins on stock tail lights
Also I know it seems standard to hang the plate off the two lower holes for the spare tire iron but I really want to see that banjo and I think it helps exaggerate the chassis rake by having it feel lighter there. Figure I could run the license plate wire threw the spare tire bracket and then threw the top center bolt that bolts in from inside the car. I'd just center drill the length of the bolt and feed the wire in
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