Projects Modified Lakester Build (THUNDERCASKET)

WOW! Thanks for the photoshop treatment! I'm quite flattered that it inspired you to do that!

I wasn't planning on going quite so flashy and formal with this car but this is certainly food for thought! I REALLY like what you did with the ragtop! I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to approach that eventually and I think you may have nailed it!

Current plans for paint is to do the body, axle, rear and heads Black with the nose, frame, undercarriage & block in White.

Current plans for exhaust are lakes type out the side (no hood sides) with flanges to attach turndowns &/or these monster mufflers I have depending on how I'm using the car. I have these old "cannon" style pipes I've been working with but I also have some torque tube type pipes that I had set aside for a future build I may look at again before I fully commit my existing work on the headers I have done.

Current plans for Nerf bars are to try a vertical oval hoop and or a horizontal U-bend from each end of the rear crossmember out back. Up front I may try a sprint car style rear bumper to surround the nose. I am also thinking side-nerfs (with muffler supports).

BEAST EXHAUST:
(posts from earlier in this thread)

 

I like the first least invasive version. The line with the top of the frame and the bottom of the body draws my eye. It looks like it is channeled in the back but not the front. The photo shop versions show that there is a lot of possibilities here.

 

Hey Pat, just catching up on this build. Rolling it out was what it needed, and the changes you're looking at are right on. I'm wondering what a smaller wheel/tire would do for the front end stance?

 

Yeah, that's where I'm going FIRST, but i am anticipating that I will feel compelled to go the whole 9 (figuratively and somewhat literally as it's looking 6 rear forward & 3 front forward). And when you're up close and personal with the car, it really does seem a bit too tall.

Going to the smallest tire I think I can run as it sits would put me down 1.5" in front and I'd need to find something complimentary out back, live with more than 2° of rake, or kick the rear up to compensate. I will not rule this out.

Though I could pull the wheels off of the 29AA to check. They're radials (155/80R15) but have an OD of almost 25" and a set of 500-16 Firestone ribbed dirt trackers are just under 26" so the ride height difference would only be about 0.575" ish. The rears on there now are 32" Super Traxions on old Jeep wheels.

 

@patmanta you are right about Photoshop adventures eating time...but I enjoy it...grass grows longer but Stogy has fun......I will say many of you fellow Hambers have very creative minds and come up with some pretty interesting inspired Hotrod/Customs.

I will do another mod with the hood side off and get that pipe out...does it restrict the door opening?...It may be optical but it appears that way from my angle...what is the other system?

I'm a fan of a driven look as opposed to spotless showcar but they do look nice all carwash fresh.

You have a vision as most all of you builders do...glad I could present some options...

Just a little background on the deco trim behind your grill shell...its a stretched out wing of a vintage Stewart Warner Badge.



...this was sold a while back on the Hamb...

Credit to Photographer, Owner
​

 

I do a fair amount of graphic design and such for a living, so I suppose I may take a little less joy in it at this point in life but I do still take pleasure in it. I just don't have a lot of patience with my own stuff sometimes!

No, the exhaust runs at a slight angle as does the frame so they > away from each other, clearing the door.

Not sure what you mean by other system though.

 

You mentioned this...which I'm suspecting is a lakes style short angled look like the Gear Drive inspired.

"torque tube type pipes that I had set aside for a future build"

I find comfort in the Vintage Hotrod/Custom/Race scene celebrated here...I will go to my grave enjoying its offerings.

Your into the Art Scene too...cool...

 

I blacked things out a little more to get a better idea of where I need to go. This sh00p is dropped 2"/rear in 6"/front out 3" with the lights moved up.

 

When you are trying to get the front down don't forget this way. It would work with Ford spring too. It would demand lots of body and mount mods but could work.

 

Just one more Pat...I hope you like it...
You never know who your neighbor might be...


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@patmanta I know it's just an artwork but one of the things that catches my eye is the angle of Exhaust and the Wishbone visually entwining...oh and all the rest is pretty awesome too.​

 

Stay tuned, I just got back on here from my week long staycation.

 

OK, SO, I tore my body down and dismantled my subframe, which I had put together a little better than I had thought so it took a lot more time and cutting than I would have liked.

I cut the rear crossmember loose and pulled the torque tube. Then I dropped a new rear crossmember on there that I got from @'54Caddy while picking up YET ANOTHER PROJECT CAR (LOL), which saved me a lot of hassle.

The pictures don't really show it very well, but I'm now sitting down another 2.5" and the rear end has been pulled in about 6" so the rear end & axles are about even with the tip of the tub.

Next up is to get this setup secure enough to roll out and see where I'm at before I drop and kick out the front axle or work on the subframe again.

 

And then what happened?

 

Probably too late, but if it was mine I would move the front wheels forward a little, and move the grill shell assembly back a little.
Looking good, keep up the good work!

 

Same thing that always happens... I GOT SIDETRACKED! LOL! I did some work to the AAV8 build and then started assembling a 29 Tudor project pile for my buddy to take off my hands. I actually just did a parts run to get a truck load of stuff for both.

Thanks! Not too late at all. That is the next major phase after I get the sheet metal and subframe at least clamped back on there. I've got a set of threaded spring behind adapters as well as a set from RJays (for later bones). I've also looked into getting a custom kit from Speedway, which I could finance with that Tudor once I sell it to my buddy and would give me another axle for the AAV8, but the $20 bolt on adapters are in hand now and may be the way I go.

 

This is just strictly personal opinion, but I agree with A Boner that I think you would improve "the look" if the tires stuck out in front of the grille leading edge several inches. I like your build, especially the "sharp" Vee nose and hood and the '27 body, I think it flows together well.

 

...If you click on the thumbnail, then click the arrow (or pic) you can cycle the changes made...

Which involves moving the grille back and shortening the hood 3-4" and moving tire/axle forward 1-2" and trimming aft grill with holes to expose more engine bay after moving it all back...


​

 

The pic with the nose moved back looks way better!

 

Man it's a challenge in Photoshop to get things right but in metal a bit more complex indeed in other Words Whatcha Think Pat?...I'm okay with either but these subtle mods do work positively.

In the good ole days of PS free eyeball and decision making Circa 1947, Hotrods often lacked many perfecting elements...so if they have the Soul with out a 3" change to nail a look they still get my motor revving.
​

 

I just noticed Tommy Lee's speedster in the background. Very cool!

 

@patmanta furthur to suggested change should you consider it might entail modding the grille as moving things back 3-4" may cover the engine bay more than you would like so you could cut and splice like so retaining the lightening holes you introduced while still looking passable and retaining your Original Grille.

Then there's the Hood......Anyways your call in the end...nobody including myself said creating was
not without challenge...




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I appreciate the thought! But the nose is about where it has to be to accommodate the radiator. To shorten it, I would end up having to change the shape and get a new hood.



I do like the overall body shape from above as it is. I still think I just need to move the wheels. The rear end has been moved in (with clamps for now) and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to go about the front end. I will need to do some cutting for clearance. That's fine, but what I need to figure out is how I'm going to go about putting a spring behind the axle.

Remember, there's a whole bunch of steel behind there that JUST fits under the curve of the hood (it has since been trimmed but you get the idea):



I think I will need to run later style wishbones, for starters. There are a couple options for this.
I can drill and sleeve a set of bones from my pile then run these Plain 5-Degree Leaf Spring Pivots from Speedway ((https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Plain-5-Degree-Leaf-Spring-Pivot,49783.html). I would need to do a the measuring and research to figure out where to place them and what size spring I need. This would allow me to move the axle any distance forward I needed to an extent.

I could try to adapt some Jeep Shackle End Spring Hangers, though I'd like them to have a strap over the top of the bone. These also don't have any angle to them like the above pivots do (https://www.amazon.com/Omix-Ada-18271-03-Shackle-Spring-Hanger/).

The third option is to either buy repop bones and a new spring from Speedway OR a whole new custom kit based on the Speedway Motors Straight Axle Front Suspension Kit, Drilled I-Beam (https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Spee...ont-Suspension-Kit-Drilled-I-Beam,351946.html) since my truck build needs a dropped axle anyway. This is by far the more expensive option, but my understanding is that the Speedway repop bones have a threaded bung in them already that accepts the leaf spring pivots (see above) which places the center of the spring 3" behind the original (axle center) position.

 

All Good Pat...I think the adjusting of the wheel/axle position is going to be the ticket...

That 3/4 Top View rocks...That triangular profile is so spot on...and as I said I'm okay with it as it is now...

Enjoying the journey...neat Hotrod...and Heck, what's it like having Tommy Lee for a Neighbour?...​

 

LOL, IDK HE DOESN'T SAY MUCH!

Thanks, yeah, I wasn't sure I was sold on what I had created or that I had executed what I had envisioned for the body until I got that top down look. The height of the stance and the awkwardness of the wheelbase made it too hard to see.

I don't think I posted these in this thread but here it is next to my AAV8 shop/push truck build:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-hot-rod-29-aa-express-aav8-build.1124353/

 

HOT this weekend but I buttoned the shop up and ran my little AC all weekend so I could work in there. It's got me thinking about some kind of DIY extraction hose rig for dust and burn off since I had to keep opening the bay doors to let the nasty out while I cleaned and tacked up my rear crossmember and tubing for the kick.

I ended up using some 2" tubing since it's what I had in .120" wall whereas the 2.5" I had on the mockup was .188 wall (I bought and used this for the AAV8 truck frame). I think this is probably the way to go since the rear suspension is not fully weighted and I expect it to squat down that half inch on its own once it is. The nifty new panoramic auto darkening welding helmet I got from @Mikel50 made it much easier to see my ugly tacks as I made them.




I'm going to make up a couple gussets for the underside of the crossmember and some bracing from the frame to the top of it next.

I got the subframe base flipped over and back in the car. It looks like my center holes were done with reasonably square symmetry because they lined up right. I had to nudge the back about a quarter inch to the driver side but it's looking good now.


Also this weekend, I watched The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow. It's streaming in full on Amazon Prime, FYI.

 

Not much to report from the past couple weeks. I had a big weekend for my nightclub gig and this past weekend was HOT. I ended up mostly fussing with window shades and the AC in my shop Saturday and Sunday most of what I did was test fit and tweak on the body.

So I have decided I might switch approach back to running a stock subframe. Mine is roached, So I've been putting my feelers out for a good one. I'm just getting a bit tired of fooling around with making this one since the original build out was to make it channeled an inch or so. I would rather get on with building the car than dick around with fabricating the subframe if i can just throw a little money at it and save me that time. This build has dragged on too long already and I'm looking for quality time savers now.



Also, my mom got me the Contour SCT for my birthday, so You'll probably be seeing some bare metal in the future!



Also, BOLO/APB/ATL on my girlfriend's cat for anyone reading this in the Allson or Brighton, MA areas. This is a HUGE drag on us right now.

 

Been a busy couple weeks. Just coming off my staycation last week. I hit up the New England Dragway swap for a quick swing through last weekend then hit up the Milltown show this past Saturday. Last week, I mostly just worked on the car with my little shop AC struggling along.

I reinforced the rear kick with some brackets I made (not pictured). They're tacked on for now; I've gotta put my 0.30 wire back in the machine before I finish weld them (I really should have done that before I started but I was too antsy to get going I guess).

Then I moved up front and started playing with the stance up there. I got it set up one way with the perches I got from RJays about 7" back with the spring I had (which is obviously too long for this).


The stance looked pretty cool, but, solve one problem, make two more. The steering geometry isn't ideal and the pitman is deep in the red zone as far as scrub line goes (I'm talkin like <2" off the ground). So, that's going to be a challenge. Moving the cross steer box and switching to side steer both present new challenges. This is a bummer because I had my drag link totally parallel before, LOL.




oof!

Actually, it's more like THREE PROBLEMS because I don't think I can run my old sprint car radiator anymore because it's in the way now. I'm probably going to have to rework a Falcon/Mustang radiator or one of those chopped 32 aluminum jobs off ePay. I seem to have about 20-21" height and 17" width to fool with and keep clear of things. I cut off the cage I made for the old one too.



I left off trying to see how things fit with the spring perches moved up just behind the axle. I've got a bit more grinding to do to get the bones smooth enough up there for the brackets to slide up. Once I'm happy with wherever I end up, I'll order a new spring, likely a standard eye since the reverse eye may be dropping a bit too low with the stacking of the drop from the axle and the spring position combined.

I don't dare mount these perches any lower though because, for starters, I'm VERY close to the tie rod with the shackles all the way to 90°. I'm hoping I can avoid having to run dropped ends because I'm not sure how much more clearance I've got to play with down there since I'm already running 3.5" drop arms.



Oh, and my frame horn shock mounts will need to move too now.

I ended up finding a subframe on ePay and got it shipped to my door. Wasn't cheap, wasn't outlandish, and the T subframes still aren't reproduced so, it is what it is. I've looked it over real quick but it didn't arrive until late Friday and I was out of shop time for the week at that point. I'll be updating on that once I get the stance issues sorted.

Oh, and the cat was found safe too!

I think that about covers it. Once I get my buddy's Tudor rolling as well as this one, I'll get some driveway shots to see if I did good.

 

Got back into the shop this weekend (skipping a few car shows to do so) and started to get my subframe put together.



I'm fairly certain this is actually a roadster subframe but for my purposes that doesn't really matter. I didn't get things all the way set up but I at least know where to cut that will do what I need it to do. I'll probably make a structure out of some 18ga and 1" box tubing to finish out the back end.

Here are my kick up brackets in their tacked state. I need to switch my wire back out to 0.30 before I finish weld them.



Here are a couple pictures from the Road Devils CC Boston show I went to last weekend instead of working on my cars:

 

I've been struggling a bit with this build lately; starting to wonder if I will ever see it run let alone drive it. Mostly because I keep having to make fairly significant changes in what I was hoping would be the beginning of the home stretch.

I'm also starting to doubt myself on the nose design. I'm worried it's not going to really work when the car is all together. It's also the major feature driving a lot of these drastic changes. The wheelbase would be fine as it is if I just threw a 28 or 32 shell on there and called it a day.

BUT, Saturday I powered through some of that self doubt to get a few hours in on the ol Thundercasket.

I put the body panels back together on the new subframe and discovered that this is indeed a Roadster subframe and that a roadster subframe is narrower behind the doors and back than a Touring subframe which was a deflating realization. I'm going to have to come up with a solution for that now too.

Moving back to the front end, I came up with a bit of a solution for that problem area. Since I'm having trouble finding and fitting an off the shelf radiator and the spring behind setup seems to be problematic, that told me that the area to focus on was the front crossmember.

If I buy myself a couple inches of radiator drop, I'm in good shape. If I suicide perch the front spring, I can run spring over and my dropped steering arms should still clear safely. I have not finalized my design or started much of any fab or deconstruction, but here is the basic idea:

I'm thinking I will put in an engine cradle crossmember under the engine mounts to hold things together while I work on this AND to stiffen the front end a bit. I am a little concerned about a little bit of flex under weight I have observed which this should remedy. I've got a piece of the original touring car's running board crossmember I'm thinking I'll use there.

Then I will remove this and reset the front spring setup.



Then I will install this 3" angle iron in its place and give it some sort of perch setup. I am working on ideas to make that happen now but here is the general idea.




I'm taking some notes on the Hinman Roadster's setup, even though this mockup and setup I've got is not an exact analog.