First off my name is Will and this will be my first major build.The story begins with the 1928 being stored in a barn in Oklahoma Since 1952 (barn find)and I have a title and some old registration forms going back a little further in time.The only thing missing on the car (minus rotting wood) was the deck lid and I’m still searching for one(if you know of one or how to make one give me a holler). The engine for the build will be an old 348 w block. I’m currently in the process of finding a 1941-1954 Chevy 1500 pickup front and hope to send it to Sids to have him bring it up to date. I have a Ford 9 inch for the rear and I’m all ears on what type of 4 link or suspension set up you guys would use.Thanks in advance hope y’all have great day or night when you are reading this.
Suggestion: Unless you are really in love with '28 Chevy roadsters I'd politely suggest that you pass this car on to somebody who is. This will be a very, very, very difficult hot rod build, especially for a newbie, for a number of reasons...mostly the all-wood body framing and lack of any aftermarket parts. And, when you are done you will have a car that is so un-pretty that it will have very little resale value. Take whatever you can get for it - you'll have to do some research to find out what it might be worth as-is - and purchase a pro-built Model A or '32 Ford frame and go from there. This Chevy will fight you every step of the way, and that is not a great way to enter the world of hot rods which should be fun, not endless frustration. Good luck!
I appreciate your comment on the car and I knew what I was getting into when I bought/traded for it. The car still has viable wood left in areas that will be replaced with a metal frame. This car is not going to be thrown together it’s going take time and it will look good just have little faith.
Looks like a great start! My '34 was in pieces when I got it so you are 10 steps ahead already! For what era are you shooting? '60s I'm guessing??? Should be neat. Please keep us posted.
I have one of those frames... sat an A body on it... it is about 6" longer than the A body needs.. like to get $100 for the thing...
Since you are going for a '60s vibe, this book by Andy Southard should help you focus in on what was happening during that decade. It was a very fast-moving 10 years with trends evolving so quickly that the cars built in the early 60's were hopelessly outdated by the end of the decade. Andy's book is divided into four quarterly segments so you can really be selective on the look you want. Amazon probably has the book. You might also consider starting a new thread on here with a more specific title, perhaps "Wanted: Suggestions to give my '28 Chevy roadster a '60s vibe." Ask for pictures, it always helps.
I have a soft spot on my heart for Sixties style rods. The rules were loose and everything from wild to mild was being built. The popular car magazines reflected the experimentation going on across the country, both in rods and customs, from those on the drag strips to the show car circuit. ( I owned a '32 Coupe that was lost due to personal misfortunes just after I dropped in a Chrysler Hemi to replace the Ford Flathead one of the previous owners had installed complete with transmission, torque tube and rear-end. It was a driver, though. ) With what I know, now, if I was going to build a Roadster, I would look to the race cars of an earlier era for inspiration as to how I would approach the suspension --- especially the 'three-springers' that used a transverse leaf rear spring with the dual sprung front end. Handling characteristics changed dramatically because of the forces at work with the opposing directions of the springs. Many of them used Chrysler front axles, though a good alternative would be the GM pickup axles mentioned --- the only short coming being that Ford still held patent rights to the use of roller bearings and thus some type of upgrade is a necessity to eliminate the outdated ball bearings. Something easily accomplished with any of the kits that also allow the use of five lug rims. Lamentably, my experience with the 348 Chevy engine was that it still had bugs in it that weren't fully eliminated until the 396 and the near perfect 427 came along. (Yeah, I had a 348 turn into shrapnel on my '55 Chevy.) But, whatever path you follow, good on you for turning a cold shoulder to the nay-sayers! Good luck on our termite nest.
The fact that you have everything but the deck lid means you are off to a flying start. Don’t let the lack of reproduction parts stand in your way. If you can not source an original one you can easily fabricate your own deck lid. Buy yourself a bead roller and shrinker/stretcher. Find some flat sheetmetal or even the roof skin out of car will do. You use the bead roller to fold up the sides and then use the shrinker/stretcher to shrink down the edges. That will give you the correct contour. The under frame can be fabricated from 25 x 25 square tubing. The rain channels can also be fabricated from 25 x 25 square tubing. You can use square tubing to replace all the timber if you need to. It’s cheap, strong and easier to shape than timber. The same goes for the sub rails and floor pans. I have been building a steel frame for my roadster and the total cost of the steel would be less than a few hundred.