Projects '28 Model A Pickup Build

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611884&highlight=suicide+front+axle

This is the thread I would recommend looking at, especially the magazine scans.

 

No problem! Anything to help out a fellow truck (and BMW) enthusiast!

 

It's all good. I'm not even close to being an expert myself. There is a ton of great pics/tech pages and builds on here to go thru. Spend some time and go through the archives and search for trucks. There are so many great builds that you will find. Everyone has different ideas and a way to build what they want.

Mike

 

I am going to go out on a limb, and suggest you can get low, and you can have it look good.

To get the car as low as it appears you want, place the spring behind the axle, use a 46-48 front wishbone with the dip in it to clear the frame rail, get a dropped axle, and some aftermarket steering arms that have enough drop to go under the wishbones, and you'll achieve the look you want.

remember you may still have to negotiate speed humps in your travels, so make it low, but make it practical.

 

???....dude, people move FROM Calli to Tenn.....not the other way around..... Good luck with your build at any rate...

 

The link is much appreciated!

Thank you. Will do some searching.

Noted. I'm not too worried about speed bumps and the like- I come from a world of cars lower than most out there, and have my fair share of low driving knowledge.

I know. I'll move back someday. Had to move to pursue my career.

 

Study the Proportions of this car and its suspension and you will achieve greatness.

 

good start. i just picked one of those trucks up

 

Thats Beautiful. Is there a build up on here on it?

UOTE=Dynaflash_8;7347045]Study the Proportions of this car and its suspension and you will achieve greatness.

[/QUOTE]

 

I believe its one of the Rolling Bones's cars.

 

It looks like you have a Model A bed riser, but the box you have is actually for a 26-27 Model T.

 

No thanks. Going to do my own thing. Too much chop for me. Not enough low.

Interesting. That's new info to me. Will have to look up pictures to know the difference.

 

Here's a low one that's not too hateful.Axle out front.

 

That is 3wLarry's old 32.....rolling bones chassis.....


Oh yeah, truck build looks good. I like the cheapo hinges...I'll reserve judgement for the finished product.

 

^ are you actually in Wallingford?

Mike you definitely need to do a suicide front end on the truck. I think it would be killer and going to be one of the only ways you will be able to get the truck as low as you want with out z'ing the front end

 

^ theres all sorts of local hambers on this thread! Hamber Hitchhiker also lives in wallingford. Im about half hour south of seattle.

 

Walingford Hot Rods and Hitchhiker are essentially one and the same.....Personally I would say, No the shop is not in Wallingford, It's in Greenlake.....

 

Oh ok ok nice. Figured there were a few guys on here from the greater Seattle area but didn't realize how many. I am just up in Everett and shop up in Smokey Point.

 

Anyways back on subject. Mike any updates?

 

Why did ya movelthe cab?

 

I was wondering the same thing.

I know you said you did not want to z the front frame but another good option is a sweep. Do a search for "Bleed sweep" for Bob Bleeds tech on doing it.

 

The UPS man brought lotsa goodies!



New drop axle, '41 spindles, disk brakes, and all of the associated parts.



Some assembly required...

I started taking pics as it all went together, but soon got too greasy to pick up the camera.







I'm sure everyone's not in love with the disk brakes, but I plan on driving this car a good amount, hopefully it'll have some power, and I don't feel like messing with drums.

Then we took the cab off the frame and got started on the small stuff. Removing all of the mechanical brake components, such as all of the levers and pivots.



And then I started tackling the rivets on the stepboard mounts.



More pics to come later!

 

After lots of thinking and planning, I realized the original chassis wasn't going to work without having to hack it to pieces. I really didn't want to destroy it as it is still good for a future build or if someone wants it. So I decided to dive in and make my own chassis.

I woke up early Saturday morning and picked up some metal and quickly made a big ass mess of the shop.



Lots of tubing:


I began with a 2" drop front cross member I bought which I had planned on using on the original chassis. After compressing the leaf spring, and taking LOTS of measurements, I set the cross member to the height it should be at relative to the chassis if it were on the floor (the final chassis ground clearance will be 3" with the original sized tires).



First cuts!


I decided I wanted a kink inwards before a sweep up to the front cross member. 26.25" width up front and 29.5" at the beginning of the body, and I wanted the kink to be 10*. So a 5* cut on everything and the proper rise/run travel got me all where I wanted to be.

The start:


The most complex pieces were the two that transfer from the kink to the sweep. I was proud of 'em.


A couple of hours later:


The kink and transfer to the sweep...


Further in to the night...


I worked late in to the night and after about 14 hours I was here:


Kind of slow but its all squared up and true, and I'm quite pleased!

I woke up this morning and re-did the rear end to make sure I was content, then I welded 'er all up.



It's not done, I plan on adding gussets to the kinks as well as fishtail plates. A front cross member and such as well, and an X-brace. But it's coming along!

Then Andrew joined in on the fun and we began work on channeling the body.



Clearancing for the frame!




AND SHE'S FITTED!


As I said in one of the first posts, I like the look of the cab sitting closer to the rear wheels, so its moved about 10" back from factory.

We stuck the bed on the back as well to get an idea of the completed look. The bed will come down 6" to line up the top with the body line in the cab. Lots of other big changes as well, but we put in some serious work this weekend.



More to come next week.

 

That front cross member will twist & open like a poptop

 

I know, like I said, she's not quite done. The front still has some work to go on it. A cross member behind the spring mount with some bracing should do the trick. But thank you.

 

Slowly but surely.

 

I haven't posted any updates, and while I've been taking photos, I haven't really put 'em together to share online. But I figured I'd make an update even though no one paid much attention to the last couple

Since the photo above, I've:
chopped the top down, as well as the doors
engine mounts and tans mounts made
engine installed
split wishbones, suspension is complete front and rear
steering is complete
brakes
floor pan is part way through construction
bed is shortened up and mounted
fuel cell is in
top wood is assembled and in place, just need to wrap and mount it.

I've been snapping photos with my phone, so those are easy to post up. Nothing really revealing though.

I think I'll keep the final aesthetic of the truck under wraps until its done. More fun that way.

Fabbing up the channeled floor for the cab:


Made some motor mounts:


Rollin'


Racekor pedal box:


Then my first run at foot wells:


A mostly-completed frame:


Test fit:


Brakes:


Making the floor of the bed:


Fuel cell:


Needs caps but it's wrapped up:


Cowl steering in place:


And then I re-did the footwells and such because I felt like it, and so now the foot wells are outlined and the firewall is mostly boxed into place, and it's about ready for sheet-metal.



And that's where I'm at now.

Also worth noting, the wheels are not in any way the final set. I'll be going back to traditional skinnies... they're just to roll around on.

 

interesting.

 

Thanks. I'm sure I'm going about everything 100% the wrong way, which gives a lot of people a reason to be skeptical.

I promise, the idea is far from a rat rod. Everything except the body will be brand new, painted, and perfect, even the canvas on the top. Only the body's skin will retain the patina it has now.