Projects 348 powered 40 Ford sedan

Been working on the drivers side inner fender. Having finished the header, the inner fender didn’t fit anymore . So I re did he back edge, moving it further out, then removed the factory horn mount reinforcements, modified the factory brake hose cutout to work better with the modified brake hose mount. Now on to the passenger side.

 

Nice work on the inner fender!

 

Finally, over a year since I started the headers, they, and the entire exhaust system is finished!! Almost, just the caps to make on the dumps, but thats such a small thing that i'm not counting it. I new it would be a big job, but no idea it would be this much work. Both inner fenderwells have been modified for the headers, but hopefully look pretty stock unless you know what they should look like.

 

Next little thing has been the alternator mount. Where I had put it, on the drivers side, meant that the fan belt wanted to go thru the top rad hose, not ideal

 

So, I looked around at alot of other options, such as a mini modern alternator tucked down oit of sight, but with the motor mount there's no room for one, then I saw the old chyrsler alternators, pretty cool and 'period', but when you actually get hold of one they are huge! I settled on using the one I had, but placing it between the cabs and rocker cover on the passenger side

 

I wanted something 'stock' locking, so I took an Offy/Speedway late flathead offset mount, and modified it, made a mounting plate to bolt it to the head, and a sliding adjuster which traps the mount when the center bolt is tightened. I went for this style of mount for a few reasons, but the.main one being that it offered good support on the front of the alternator and allowed the alternator to hang off the front of the engine a fair bit to line up with the pulleys. Once I was pretty confident it was going to work, I cut of the old alternator mounting tabs, which improved the looks alot. I then made a stainless strap to hold the alternator nice and tight. Of course this meant that I couldnt run the stock tripower hard lines, so found some fuel banjos from Stromberg97 to give me enough room between the carb and alternator. They will need ever so slightly modifying to make sure the seat properly against their gaskets, but if it was easy...This of course has another knock on, being that i'll have to remove the electric choke to run the fuel lines, but I can live with that. Small thumb nails of all this below, so if you want to look you can, but its a bit image heavy, so didnt post 'full' images. I WILL be changing the head mounting hardware, and i'll be filling the threaded holes on the alli Offy mount that are no longer needed. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, I think it looks much better here than on the drivers side, and I think i'll satin black it all so that it hopefully blends in a bit.

 

I think my next step is engine out to fully weld the clutch arm, and while its out, fill all the firewall holes, paint it, and paint the chassis from the firewall forward...easy..

 

Still tinkering, I’ve modified the floor to allow access to the brake and clutch master reservoirs . I made some simple mdd formers and used my flypress with a simple tool to press the beads in, and hammered the return in .

 

Next was the trans cover, I decided to make it into one piece, raise it a bit and make it wider around the bellhousing. I was hoping to use a small Hurst boot with my Hurst short shift base, but the t5 comes thru the floor too much, so I’ve decided to have a simple round boot made which will fit over the collar I’ve added to the new cover. I also modified the floor, making the hole wider so I can fit a new top brace to the x member. I used my mdf Metal forming method again, along with a hammer to shape the new floor panels. First pics of how it started

 

Then made a new tail section, top and mid section..

 

On your third picture down, I cant make out what is there. Is that your die and or bead made from sheetmetal ? I realy like how the finished access hole turned out but I cant make sense of the third picture.

 

Made some more simple mdf formers to make the new beads for the new floor pieces, trimmed those parts and hammered a return in allowing access to the fixing holes in the top of the chassis x for the new top brace

 

And finally made the ‘turret’ to clear the Hurst shifter base and take the shifter boot. I can’t get the pics to post in the right order, but I think y’all clever enough to figure it out

 

Next, get some nutserts in the floor to mount the tunnel cover, and I think engine out, do that firewall, but I’ll check my new ‘list’ which seems to have gotten longer...

 

Thanks. Third pic is the back of the mdf former with the metal pressed into it. The former is basically two pieces of mdf with the same shape in, I push the metal from one side into the other, making the bead.

 

Everything is looking great.

 

Awesome work! Might have to borrow some of your ideas on mine one day.

 

A couple more updates, I’ve made a top x member chassis brace using the original ford brace as inspiration. It’s split to allow installation and removal, and uses the old rivet holes for attaching.
I’ve also drilled my Super Bell I beam. I know there’s been a lot written about cast and forged axles, but knowing that a big manufacturer, Pete and Jakes, supply drilled cast I beams, I contacted them for the details on how they do their’s, and did the same. Onto the next job

 

Nice work ! There are thousands of Pete and Jake's axles out there in service that have done well. Every product has a few failures. We live in a world where there is no such thing as perfection. I love my Super Bells. Loving your progress.

 

Looks fantastic!

 

Thanks for the encouragement all.
To be honest Kan, it had to be a Superbell, just one of those things that I always saw on the cars in magazines when I was growing up, and always wanted. Thats basically what this car is, a list of things I always wanted as a kid.. halibrands, quick change, louvers, superbell, fenderwell headers, w motor, and it all had to be in a 40 sedan.

 

It’s Christmas, what better time to depress yourself. So I pulled the motor, hoping the issue with it not turning over was a trans/fitment issue, but no, it’s stuck!! Still, I’ve now pulled the trans as well and will fill all the firewall holes, and a couple of mods,then I’ll come back to the stuck motor, after I’ve ‘regrouped’..

 

Neil, sorry to hear that bad news. How long ago did we ship that engine to you? I have forgotten when we did that exactly. Have you been turning it over manually periodically? Maybe some atf/trans fluid in the cylinders will free it up?

 

Hi,
To be honest, i'm not sure you did, it was a while ago, Late 2006, via a chap on 348-409 forum in Vermont who had a friend of his build it for me in Greenville NY I think.

When it arrived the flywheel was sitting on the dolly, so i couldnt turn it over. I covered it up, and hid it in the corner of my dry workshop. It then went from the trolley into the car. So no, it was never turned over, my bad, I should have raised it off the dolly, but i didnt have an engine hoist, and these little suckers aren't light..

Ive had diesel and anti sieze in there, removed the rockers and the sump today, just in case it was cam trouble or the possibility the crank was hitting the sump, but it still wont move. Oh well, heads off I guess.

 

the chap was Ron Pausley from over in NY. I had put you in contact with him. He often asks about your progress. I usually see him at Good Guys down in Rhinebeck, NY. Best to pull the heads and look in there or use a scope to look in there first. Either way it sucks big time for sure.

 

That's the guy, so are you Walt?
Such is life eh, suck it up an move on...maybe i can slip in a cam while im in there...

 

Walt I am!

 

Hey Walt, good to hear from you, and even better, I got the W to turn over today! It’s tight, but it’s not seized!I also started filling the holes in the firewall

 

Neil that is encouraging news. When will you be able to test fire it?

 

Nice work . Your enthusiasm is inspiring !