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Projects BACK AT IT FINALLY!! RE-BUILD OF AN EARLY CHEVY COUPE WITH A HEMI

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by 31chevymike, Nov 13, 2017.

  1. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Just finished stripping the rest of the paint from my dash without the gauges in. The last gauge I needed to install had a tough time going in, so I need to file down this hole. I have to clean up the hole also where a radio was installed way back. Who needs a radio anyway? I've got my Winters QCR to listen to eventually and the supercharger as well - noises don't get any better than that no? 20180129_171400.jpg
     
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  2. what are those wheels?

    just love 31-32 chevy dashes, looking good
     
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  3. Yup! I'll take one when I get out to the shop. It has been modified a little however....
     
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  4. Cabbage
    Joined: Apr 17, 2006
    Posts: 731

    Cabbage
    Member
    1. S.F.C.C.

    Man that hemi is looking good! All 31s need hemis!
     
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  5. Here you go Mike. I extended the bottom of the dash slightly to match the SW Hollywood panel. Sorry the pics aren’t great. It’s a little cramped in the shop right now, ha! D77FEE5D-EFEA-463A-9AF8-381C70393BC5.jpeg C880F43B-4D51-4441-921D-D182603866C1.jpeg
     
  6. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    They're vintage Fentons, which seem to be kind of scarce. They were popular on GASSERS besides the Halibrand "Kidney Beans". In time, I want to let these wheels go, but they're the only tires and wheels to get my chassis rolling again for the time being.
    Man your dash is way cool! Also had never seen a Stewart Warner gauge panel, let alone a vintage Hollywood! It seems that your stable of hot rods define the true barn find look, rods that were built back then and not restored, just make sure they're safe to drive the shit out of 'em... Doesn't get any better than this, huh Mike?
    We shall soon find out Cabbage! I'm just hoping the weight of that hemi will keep my chassis from dropping too low in the front for the right stance. The new Ford dropped axle has only six springs - you can imagine the look on my face when the hemi is dropped for real within the rails, waiting to see how she sits. I can always have additional chrome springs added if needed...
     
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  7. Tim_with_a_T
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,358

    Tim_with_a_T
    Member

    Not trying to hijack, but where did you source the material for the insert? Me likey....
     
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  8. Thanks Tim. It is actually some embossed aluminum from the bottom of a storm door that I replaced at my old house, ha! :oops:
     
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  9. Thanks Mike! Ha! It does have a bit of a vintage look as I’ve not quite finished it yet. I have always had plans to paint it once the rust in the cab areas are fixed (The chassis and everything else is painted) but I have kind of moved on to other things so who knows?!
     
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  10. GEBHARD
    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Posts: 1,159

    GEBHARD
    Member
    from TX...

    Very cool chevy! I think it looked good in the red primer....
     
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  11. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    There's no hijacking here Tim, this an open forum to discuss hot rod related material. I'm not one of these HAMBers who will get touchy about having a thread posted and questions are not related. This is how we get great ideas on our projects, no?
    You're selling yourself short, it's not just a bit of vintage look - your entire stable of hot rods are REAL, VINTAGE, PERIOD and this is what makes them great. You know well that some guys would take your BB and modernize the shit out of her and bring the car to the "STREET ROD" look, just killing it in my opinion.
     
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  12. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Appreciate this GEBHARD, funny thing was that I was pissed off at a local car club here is south Florida and that is how the body ended up RED on the last days before I took her off the road in 2007. Black primer rules in general, mine being in black since 1995, especially when they were starting to be the real HOT fad in the early 2,000's. In truth? I might have put a small curse on the old girl as things started to spiral downward, blocking my chances for some features in Old Skool Rods, Car Kulture Deluxe, etc. These magazines are based right here in Boca Raton, Florida. Should have been in them never the less...
     
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  13. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Not much to report, as I've been out of work for over 6 months, finally landing a decent job earlier in the month. Should finally get back to work on my '31 in March. Anxious as hell, believe me.
     
  14. Tuck
    Joined: May 14, 2001
    Posts: 5,780

    Tuck
    Tech Editor
    from MINNESOTA
    1. Early Hemi Tech

    Stoked for you and the new job @31chevymike ! Dig that dash- I found some chrysler dash for my model a truck at Iola a couple years ago that'll fit my stewart warner dash. Those chevy dashes like yours have a nicer flow to them-

    I like the thickness of the top of the dash on this one- would be cool to make it padded. :)
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1436982759.474086.jpg

    Those old doors are hard to find-! I remember there were panels on the Alexander Brothers Adonis clone that came from that material sourced from storm doors I believe- Moriarity could correct me if I'm wrong... love the look of that stuff.
     
  15. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Thanks Tuck! Truth is, I would like to swap out my original dash for a '55 Chevy or sorts, modifying it to fit my interior and have the curved ends continue onto the doors. I saw this done here on the HAMB a while back and really inspired me to pull this off on my hot rod. We'll see...

    That material that Mike used on his dash from old storm doors shows a great look, different from the common "engine turned" method we're all used to seeing.
     
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  16. Tuck
    Joined: May 14, 2001
    Posts: 5,780

    Tuck
    Tech Editor
    from MINNESOTA
    1. Early Hemi Tech

    I have a mock up picture somewhere where I did that in reverse in my roadster. I used a 55 chev dash and it wrapped around the back the two bumps being the bumps for the seats. I sectioned a big chunk out of the middle. I wanted to run a speaker between the seats a lot like a convertible has-

    I have a 59/60 dash for my roadster... but like you said we'll see.
    [​IMG]
     
  17. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    That's what I'm talking about Tuck! Looks like the one issue to address is the top of the dash, where it looks rounded, knowing our dash's run straight across in 30's rods. Maybe fill in gaps with steel inserts?
     
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  18. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Okay, very relieved that I sold my Chevy dropped axle to Mike @drifter9 this morning, who drove all the way from Georgia to pick up other very needed parts for a '34 Chevy Master 3 window coupe that he just acquired.

    It will work out very well for him to hang his axle with the front tip and rear leaf spring mounts that I cut off my chassis, knowing he has no front suspension or mounts as well. And to think I was going to throw them out... Became another hot rod buddy to see how our coupe builds are coming together.

    Now I can purchase a new welding tank filled with Argon/CO2 tomorrow. I'll also get the chance to buy those '32 Ford frame horns that I've been itching to get and weld in. Looks like these new frame horns will be my chance to finally learn how to weld!! 34 Chevy 3 Window Coupe.jpg
     
  19. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    "Houston, we have a problem"... What was I thinking in that I could attempt to grind down some welds holding my rear shock cross member that was welded in crooked... Let alone there is only four inches of space to work with.

    Thought I could grind down these welds with my mini orbital grinder with steel knurled tips. Any suggestions? 20180322_201016.jpg 20180322_201055.jpg
     
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  20. Dick Stevens
    Joined: Aug 7, 2012
    Posts: 3,710

    Dick Stevens
    Member

    Sand blaster and a die grinder!
     
  21. Runnin shine
    Joined: Apr 12, 2013
    Posts: 3,337

    Runnin shine
    Member

    Now I’m pretty brave when it comes to slicing frame rails, sometimes I think my frames are made up entirely of welding wire
    I would take one of my trusty 4.5” electric cut off wheels and make slices( four up and down cuts total) exactly where the weld meets the crossmember cutting on the outside main frame rail goin inward. Then weld the slices in the main rails back up and finish grind. After that install a crossmember correctly.
    Now since you say you need to learn to weld, maybe practice first or have another HAMBr weld it for ya.
    You can call me Wyatt for short.



    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  22. greaser
    Joined: Apr 30, 2006
    Posts: 866

    greaser
    Member

    Cut crossmember off flush where it meets the frame rail. Weld a plate to the frame rail and over the remaining cutoff end, and weld new crossmember to the plate.
     
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  23. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Great story and pictures. Saw the Jack Merkle built raceengine painted on the car. I wonder if that old 283 SBC was really a Jack Merkle built engine. It would be interest to know its specifications. The 1975 time frame would fit for a Merkle build as he built a lot of great engines for Long Islanders.
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2018
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  24. Man that’s tight in there! (That’s what she said?)

    Know anyone with a plasma cutter or someone proficient with a cutting torch???
     
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  25. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Don't have a sandblaster, but I do have a die grinder, just too big to get in there to do the deed completely. I even bought another orbital grinder for small areas, trying to use a knurled steel bit to try and grind down the welds, to no avail.
    That is some good advice Wyatt, I'll look at it again to re-evaluate - thanks!
    Thinking a bit about what you're saying, I'm planning to step box my frame anyway. I'm liking your idea the best.
    Don't take this the wrong way Gman, but I created the last look of the body with decals and lettering I applied myself, giving the impression that the car was an old race warrior from the drags of the day. If I made you thinking that Jack Merkle built my engine, the look was successful. As long as I've lived on Long Island, I never had the opportunity to meet Jack when he was alive. Wish I did.
    Damn right that what she said Mike!!! Greaser's post seems the way to go. This cross member can easily be remade and while at it, adding more holes to the coil over tabs gives me more options to lower the ride height in the rear. But before I do this, I need to weld the rest of the cross members that are originally riveted to prevent any flexing while I handle the frame as I've been doing, suggested by Mike @drifter9 while in my garage last Wednesday. My coupe was a bit too high at the rear for the length of time in my possession.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2018
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  26. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    Just received my new '32 Ford front frame horns this morning, needing to know where I need to cut my frame horns to complete the task. They're at 3 - 3-1/8" tall, so I have a pretty good idea where I need to cut mine. You see where I have the tape rule at? The cut will be somewhere between those 4 holes. Is it easier to slip these new frame horns over mine to determine where to cut?

    I placed the new '32 Ford belled hole boxing plates for these new frame horns in place and discovered that they will need to be grinded down to fit inside for step boxing. Still deciding on whether to use these belled hole boxing plates for the rest of my rails or not. Since I will be using square tubing to strengthen my rails with the new boxing plates directly welded on top of them, the belled holes will show the square tubing in the center of the frame. Thinking I will coat the inside rails with POR-15 to prevent rusting and perhaps hide the boxed tubing from view through the belled holes. 20180403_124306.jpg 20180403_124601.jpg 20180403_125435 (2).jpg 20180403_125528.jpg 20180403_125739.jpg
     
  27. before cutting, make a template of the new pieces from cardboard, cereal box works good, and use that to determine the cut. can't go wrong.
     
  28. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    That's a smart idea, then I can be sure exactly where to cut my frame. Thank you!
     
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  29. 31chevymike
    Joined: Feb 9, 2008
    Posts: 1,281

    31chevymike
    Member

    FINALLY!! Got most of the necessary supplies to enter the world of welding! I had trouble with the attached chart to make sure I had the correct settings on the welder. Judging by the look of my first bead, I had the wire speed too slow and voltage was not hot enough - do you agree? I was checking out some videos on YouTube and saw some dude pushing his gun in a straight line, while some other Eastwood videos showed both a "C" pattern and circles. I will try to do these patterns next.

    What are the correct settings for 1/8" steel using Argon CO2 Mix - 75/25? Tried to look up on the net, but to no avail. This will help tremendously as the chart once read properly will give me the correct voltage and wire speed settings for a much cleaner, smoother bead.

    Lastly, with the gas turned off, should the gauges be at zero? Can't wait to get back in there to try again!

    20180423_181204.jpg 20180423_181421.jpg 20180423_181114.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
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  30. Stogy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 26,345

    Stogy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Might have been a Model T coupe...named No Quarter as in the Zepplin tune...and its white I think. He posted it in a thread I was posting in...I can't remember which one...darnit...
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
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