Projects 1935 Olds 3w coupe build

Here’s the background. . . I picked up a 1935 3w Olds coupe about 7 years ago. My business took off and I couldn’t spend a minute on it until last summer. Even now I work insane hours and have a toddler to take care of so I work on the car only a few hours a week. This is going to be a super slow build at least for the next few years. Stick with me if you want. . warning- old guys may not live long enough to see this one finished.

The plan is this- I have a 324 rocket and t-5 ready to go. The car will look pretty much stock but for a few details that most won't notice. I love lowrider bombs so it will be sort of like that . . .stock and old timey , artillery wheels and bias whites. . but with dropped suspension. . but I also love hot rods so it's a coupe (lowriders never do coupes?) with a detailed and fast hotrod motor and a 10 bolt chevy rear that I just put an eaton posi into. .

Anyway heres the first part-

Part 1- Can bagged IFS actually look good?

Well, I tried anyway!

First- I accept that IFS will never be as elegant a solution as a straight axle. . there is just too much going on . . add a sway bar, bags, shocks and it just gets too busy looking in a hurry. But, I wanted to run IFS . . . and I want the car on air. But the thought of welding a bunch of rectangular tube together (or buying aftermarket that looks like that) on this beautiful of a car seemed just wrong. Fatman even offers a subframe that is suposedly set up for this car that really sealed the deal for me because it is so damn ugly- just two straight 2x4 rails with the typical MII stuck in it.

I have been looking a lot at factory chassis parts and finding that the curves and flanges of stamped parts just look so much more at home on these cars than the “fabricated” aesthetic. Welded tube can be well done for sure- the mini-truckers have turned it into an art form- but it didn’t seem right.

A digression for some HAMB love-
I want to point out that I could never have done this without the hamb. I rarely post, but I read all of the tech and it has made me a much better builder. Honestly, I am kind of a recluse. . I don’t have friends who build cars so I am not learning from peers, my dad never taught me shit. . . but nonetheless I am getting pretty good at it just by watching all of your builds. Every now and then I learn something the hard way because I am way out beyond my experience .

Anyway- I bring this up because this particular project was really made possible by two particular posts on the HAMB. First I found this-

Mustang II part deux by ElPolacko
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70073

Which lays out how to build an MII yourself. It actually has nothing to do with Mustangs , I, II, or otherwise. What this gives us is the relationship between all of the various points in space to set up any IFS without going to race car chassis design school. How you connect those points, where they sit in relationship to your car, ride height, and how you support the body are all entirely up to you. It’s one of the best threads on the hamb. . it’s not entirely traditional but it opens up a lot of possibilities beyond the simple solution proposed.

Then there is this-

Build your own ’32 frame rails by flthd31
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...hlight=flthd31

Which describes how to weld up curved and contoured pieces from scratch. Yes, it is specifically about ’32 rails, but the technique can apply to lots of things. Maybe it was obvious to some of you, but this one really suggested a lot of possibilities for making better looking parts.

So, armed with this knowledge I cut off the frame at the firewall, bought a bunch of flat steel plate and proceeded to scratch build a new front frame.

here are some photos. . . more description and photos of the finished frame in a minute

 

First I swept the rails up from the firewall in a nice arc. The rails are made just like the flthd 31 tech . . four pieces of flat steel for each cut into curves, clamped and welded together to create a contoured piece. I love the curve of a ’32 rail but I won’t be building a highboy anytime soon so at least I can know this nice shape is under the fenders on my custom. The new rails are internally fishplated to the stock frame at the firewall. . . it's a little tricky but it can be done.

One thing I hate about MII’s is that “hat” design that sticks up above the rails, so I swept the frame up high enough to allow the upper arms to connect to a steel plate that sits right at the top of the rail. Those dog-bone shaped plates are ½” steel cut with a 4” grinder. I don’t have a plasma cutter but with this one project I could have bought one with what I spent on 4” disks. In front of the crossmember the frame curves down to pick-up the strut rods, bumper brackets, and hold what looks like a spreader bar but is also a sway bar sleeve. For the crossmember itself there are no straight lines and it’s made the same way out of plate cut into curves and welded up. The shock supports and sway bar arms are made with plate and bent round rod that outlines the edges and gives them dimension like a cast part has.

Anyway, dig it or not. . . It’s a fendered car so it really only matters to me . . . and it was fun to build.

Next- my version of a rear notch and 4 link. . . but it could be while.

 

Beautiful work.

 

Thats a factory suicide door car correct more pics more pics !!!!!!!
My Grandfather has a 36 olds unfortunately bone stock with all the silly goodies but still cool as hell !

 

Seven years isn't slow! I've just got my Morris out of more than ten years in storage, and for reasons much like yours haven't had a chance to do very much. Count yourself quick!

Very tidy MII, by the way, and that's coming from someone who doesn't like IFS ...

 

Dig it !! Fantastic work, I'll stick with you.

 

It took me about 23 years to get my 37 chevy p/u on the road.

 

That is an awesome car! Where you say old guys may not live to see it finished us middle aged guys have no guarantee of tomorrow either. I know you were probably kidding but no one knows when thier time is up. Keep us posted, I love your plans.

 

some inspirational 35/36 coupe builds

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380233
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=492952

 

Nice looking project/ As busy as you are you'll have to set aside some time for yourself, even if it means staying up late.

BTW, both your links are to the 32 frame build.

 

thanks- fixed it.

 

Keep on keeping on...

 

my friend has the exact same car with the same motor plans..not sure about the trans and front end swap..what are the odds? its such a rare car...

 

A 303-324 rocket is the right motor for just about anything. . . but for this car it's the ONLY motor to use. I built one for this about 6 years ago and it has been sitting on a stand in my studio just waiting. My theory is that if I am so slow that I spend years just looking at this stuff it should at least look good in the meantime. Is your friend Todd from Apple Valley?

 

Nice fab work my friend! You have my attention for sure.

 

Seven years is like yesteerday. My 34 Buick has been in the garage f0r 38 years.Looked for running boards for 20.

 

Wow looks great!

 

subscribed

 

Good luck with the build. You are being mean with the pictures though... More please!

 

thats cool... im the guy that ripemup56 was speaking of.... yeah good job! ive had mine for about 4 years now and i still can not find a grill.... it took me 2 years to locate a passenger headlight mount! my 35 was in a garage fire in the 60s and sat out in the desert ever scence! i chopped about 4 years ago and took it down to metal and now this is how she sits.... funny cuz this month i plan to start at her again! i agree with you on the motor ..... for me its going to be the same i have a 54 324 with slant pan dual quad weiand and mallory dual point with edelbrock valve covers i cant wait!

 

Excellent my friend! Can't wait to see the rear!

 

Cant wait to see this one on the road Chuck!

 

the front frame rails & IFS are gorgeous. i should have never sold it and regret it still to this day. but at least i can look at the build process.

 

cool, his name is Chuck from Victorville...if you check my profile, he's on my friends list..you'll see a couple pics of the car....

 

Oaklahoma-Please remove your OT post from this build thread...I plan on adding to this post over many years and i'd rather keep it on topic.

 

Removed as requested. Ive subscribed to keep up to date...Keep up the good work.

 

..............where is Victorville??

 

I remember thinking what a cool car this would make and the way it´s shaping up you will really do it justice.
Can´t believe it was seven years ago now!

 

Wow dude, the fab work is fantastic, one of the nicest IFS ive ever seen. honest.
The car has so much potential.

 

I said the rear frame was next but this little side project was on the back burner for a long time and it just came together-

tail-lights

I like seeing the fenders in 30's cars without tail-lights. . . and the olds
has this nice peak that matches at the trailing edge of both the front and rear
fenders. . . tail-lights kind of take away from that. About 5 years ago I started searching for bumper guards to mount the lights in.

The bumper on this car is a nice thin shape so most guards look too heavy. Then I came
across a 30's Packard fold down center guard off of a sedan (folds down to open
the sedan trunk. It's a weird clunky shape but with a little trimming. . . and welding.
. . and more trimming . . . and welding. . .I thinned it up, filled in the back side and added
a round knob shape to the top. Oh . . . and then I had to find a matching one and do it again. All of this shaping was done by beating the crap out of thick pieces of steel on an anvil. I cut out the centers for taillights and went on the hunt for some glass lenses that fit. . . so for a long time I was going around and tapping on lenses on every old car I saw and eventually found 60's mini cooper lenses that fit just right. I shaped and polished them to the best of my ability and then went looking for a chrome shop.