Hi, Just joined the H.A.M.B. a little bit ago although I've been a reader/lurker for quite a while. I was wondering how old a car had to be in order to be welcomed here. My project is a 1958, so it might well be too new to be included. Wanted to be sure about things, you know? Not get off on the wrong foot and all. Thanks —
Welcome to the HAMB, your '58 will be fine, but we sort of like cars to look like they were built no later than 1965. Bob
Yeah, it's not just the year of manufacture of the car, but the entire build. A 1958 model year built as one would've been built prior to 65 is great. A 58 model year car built with modern equipment would not. With those parts that don't quite fit, i.e. disc brakes, don't talk about them. Some things get a pass, i.e. electric fans. Some don't, i.e. S10 frame swaps. Some things are controversial, i.e. air bag suspensions (some say they pre-date 65). Some things aren't controversial at all, i.e. billet anything.
Welcome. Where are you from? Feel free to post pics of your '58 project even if it's not in great shape....
Here's a thread with a great explanation of the rules: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/post-pulled-due-to-off-topic.1066463/#post-12103406 Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Thanks for the heads-up on how far things go around here, it doesn't seem as though they stretch far enough to include what I'm building. No big deal ! I'm sticking around just to read and lurk and, hopefully, I'll find that '53 Stude again (I had a Starliner coupe in High School.) and join in on the fun then. My current project is a '58 MGA that I'm building to emulate this: Always good to have all of the information ahead of time, thanks again !
It's our gift to you! Hopefully it will make up for all those combination Birthday/Christmas gifts over the years.
"This bug eye certainly looks HAMB friendly to me." I found another photo of what seems to be a tribute or perhaps reproduction of that bug eye in another slightly different/more evolved configuration. This is even closer to what I'm planning for the MGA. Since I'm working on it regardless, maybe I'll post some initial progress pictures later on as progress is made and it'll either be accepted or not. Again, no biggie either way. Honestly NOT trying to force the project in where it doesn't belong, you know ? I understand that THE H.A.M.B is not only for traditional hot rods only, but is also strictly for American made cars. Of course if someone posts DON'T on this thread ahead of time, I'll certainly obey !
Some furrin' stuff sneaks in every once in a while----Anglia's, Thames, Prefects, Holden's. I think there might have even been an MG or two on here before, V8 powered of course. I think VW's are frowned on though.....
What kinda drivetrain you gonna run in it? Vintage, it should be very HAMB appropriate. Modern LS, nope... won't fly here.
"What kinda drivetrain you gonna run in it?" I've been collecting and trading parts for this for a while now, I'm hoping that it will be one that will be a low- buck used up all of the stuff on hand kind of builds. The engine is a Ford 289 base with various small block parts from various sources. The stamped steel "Powered by Ford" valve covers came from a 351 that was in a school bus at the junk yard. The two barrel Motorcraft carb came from an old electrician's van that was the next isle over from the bus. I know that a four barrel would be a better choice for power, but the engine has a two barrel cast iron intake that I wanted to keep. I found a set of long tube headers that were on a '62 Comet drag car, got the radiator from the same car. The trans is an automatic from a Mustang as I can't work a clutch anymore, maybe after the new knee, but that's a ways off form me right now. The narrowed rear end came from an early four lug Mustang, I got it for the highway gearing. Front wheels are narrow Cragars, rears are widen steel with six inch slicks, I have a pair of ancient "screw-on" Moon disks for the fronts or rears, depending. Right now thinking the fronts in spite of the cool Cragars that I found. Maybe move the Cragars with slicks to the rear and use some different skinny steel wheels with Moon disks up front. I traded a Mustang II front suspension for one from an early Beetle that included a Beetle frame head section to mount it with. The bug eye(s) in the photos above are both running VW torsion beam front ends and I wanted to try to stay with them. Seems really sort of neat and different and has a genuine "use what you have" feel to it all. The trunk has a louvered panel from a '57 Fiat 600 almost ready to be riveted on and is starting to look cool. Still need to heat up and re-shape the corners to follow the curvature of the original MGA trunk. Otherwise, just moving ahead. Maybe shoot some pics as things get further along, maybe it'll all be OK for the H.A.M.B. but maybe not. I like what's happening with it, so that's good enough for now. If this "question" post is going over the line as it progresses, PLEASE just get rid of it, OK? Wanted to find out what was right for this forum and it sort of got away from me. Throw it out if it's already gone too far a field ! !
Too bad, that keeps this one out ! The trans is an AOD (not available in any pre-'65 Ford product) mostly because I already had it and I'm keeping this project at the rock bottom of the spending ladder, but also because I want the over-drive for highway/long distance driving. Everything else is pre-'65 or would have been available in '65, but not the transmission.
That's terrific ! I'm also kind of using the automatic because of my bad knee(s). One already went under the knife with bad results, the other one to suffer the same fate soon. I have little faith in my doctor so expecting the worse . . .
Hey @TVC, sounds like a neat project. The Bugeye belongs to my good pal Bill Bierman of St. Louis, Missouri. He built it as a tribute to the car that his dad and uncle raced back in the '60s. Here's another shot of it, and if you're looking for the full story, check out issue #67 of The Rodder's Journal. Best of luck!
Nice ! I looked at a preview of issue #67 and no mention of/photos of the little Bugeye, a little reluctant to pick it up. The front suspension looks like early VW or VERY early TVR in the first photos of the car, but seems to be coil-over (?) in later pics. True ? Not true ? Wondering ?
It's a two-page mini-feature in the RJ Times section at the front of the magazine. I can track one down and shoot you some photos later on if you'd like. The front suspension is indeed VW, first with tube shocks and later coil springs.
Thank you ! No need to put yourself out for me; now that I know that the information and photos are in the issue, I'll buy one on-line. A MUST have if I'm going forward with this MGA. I think that, if the Bugeye is running coils in place of the simple tube shocks, that I ought to pick up on the idea and do the same. Just to be safe and sure, you know ?
Wondering now about the drive train. I guess that transmissions are pretty much a "freebie" as far as being period correct. So many late model automatics and such that I guess that it't a "don't ask, don't tell" kinda thing. Now I'm wondering about the engines. I've read through threads covering HEI distributors and 302 Ford engines and I'm wondering/hoping that it's more open than I've been lead to believe. I ask because I'm working with a 289 and also have a 302 in much better shape with more go-fast equipment on and in it. Outwardly the engines are nearly identical except for the timing cover (dip stick placement and fuel pump boss) just wondering if it comes down to the details or is the general "look" sufficient to pass. The body is a '58, the chassis is mostly stock, the drivetrain is now being decided. Of course the engine will have a standard distributor, stock valve covers, long tube headers, stock two barrel intake and two barrel carb. No fuel injection or turbo or any of that sort of crap. What's the call on modern engines?
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