I'm running a stock Mallory dual point distributor....circa early 50's. I got bulk clothe covered wire from Antique Auto Ranch and use rajah ends. It seems to work just fine for me. I was really on the fence about the transmission deal. My goal was to build a hot rod like my dad would have had in high school and my cutoff was 1955. I talked to several guys and finally came to the conclusion that, since I drive it everywhere all the time, the T5 was the way to go. Not to say a nice V8 3 speed isn't totally cool, but shifting the full syncro T5 is like butter and that extra couple gears make cruisin' down the freeway a breeze. For me, the T5 was the best and I'm completely happy with it. Its the only part on my car that's not pre-55 but it makes the drive so enjoyable I wouldn't change it. Hope that gives you a little help with your decision. Good luck on your build.
Bring a pair down this weekend and we'll try them on. I'm sure you've got a couple NOS sets hanging in your garage.....
I really like what you have done with the car! The chop looks great, makes me want to do mine also. I have a similar car to yours. 1931 5 window coupe, original flat 4 I had rebuilt, t5 trans from an s10(best mod so far). I also did 46 ford hydraulic brakes and actually used the original steelies from the same car. I'm trying to keep it as original but at the same time drivable and safe so some newer stuff is needed. I also went with a 4 inch drop axle in the front. It looks like your rear is lowered? If so what did you use to lower it? I plan on keeping my fenders as well.
Thanks captain j. I think the chop really makes the car. As far as the height of the rear....I used a model T rear spring but had a new main leaf made that was reversed eye and 3" shorter eye-to-eye. After doing it, I should have stepped the frame like Tardel describes. It would have been WAY easier and I'd be able to go even lower, but I think its turned out fine in the end. Good luck on your coupe....hopefully my thread has given you some useful info.
really great car. I love the chop, looks absolute killer to me. And I am absolutely in the 32 grill stuff but I gotta admit that I liked the 31 model A grill you had on the first pictures even better.. kinda strange and a new experience for me!
it is pretty refreshing to see a full fendered A, and the 3" looks just perfect! such a rad car, man! i didn't see i mentioned in the thread, but if you were to do the chop again, would you bother with the staggered cut or just go with a straight cut? i ask because i'm deciding between 3 and 4" on my coupe, deciding between staggered and straight cut...
See first post: "After reading an article in Rod and Custom we decided to try a staggered cut on the sail panels. According to the article, it helps with fit and structure. After it was all said and done I think we all agreed it really just meant more welding and finishing work, but it turned out nice."
oh yeah... that swear I can read every word of something and miss huge portions of it. must be all those times I was dropped on the head as a baby Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
So I put a new "modern" front seal in when I had the engine work done at antique auto ranch and it initially worked fine, but didn't take long at all before it started to leak......BAD. Its bad enough that the pooled oil in the front cross-member gets blow back on the firewall and passenger rear fender....not to mention the little puddles of oil that form under all the low spots on the engine after driving it very far. That isn't going to work, so last week decided to fix the problem. After reading a bunch online I've decided to go back to the original rope seal, as it seems the old timers vote 9 to 1 in favor of the original. I put the car up on jack stands an pulled the pan only to find that there was a small metal pretzel in the bottom of the pan. Turns out Ford never put a pretzel in the engine, so what I really found was the rear main cap drain tube after it had been beaten to a pulp in the windage tray. Everything looks fine including the threads in the main cap for the tube, so I ordered a new tube and will install it this weekend. I also installed a 160 degree thermostat because the old girl runs too cold normally....like around 110 on the trip to Spokane for the Swamp Stomp a couple weeks ago. She doesn't have a problem cooling when its hot but when its cold I want her to warm up enough to run well and not cause damage. I should have her on the road again by Sunday and ready for the Spokane Swap Meet this next weekend. FlatJan, I know exactly what you mean about the grille shell. I really liked the commercial A grille the car came with, but I've always wanted a '32 grille and when I found the filled/peaked commercial grille that was the same color/patina it was meant to be. I'm not getting rid of the A grille, but I am definitely happy with the way the '32 grille looks on the car.
The Jalopy Journal
