Hot Rods 1938 dodge gasser build thread “simplicity and speed”

Here’s a photo dump of pictures coming your way to start with I installed the 69-72 Chevy truck style steering box behind the axel for cross steer much like a Vega box. The only kicker with this car is it’s got a whopper mid sump oil pan that hangs down quite a bit so I had to work around that with a 3/8 plate and a gusset on the back side to make sure it stays put.


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Once

I boxed the frame whole center of the frame ( outer rails and X member) and moved some of the X member holes around to create a tapered hole paturn with the stock X member parts.


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Then I devised a plan to make my 4 post lift into a fixture table using 1/4 thick 12” C Chanel and sleeved 3x2 square tubing. The Angle iron locks the C Chanel into the U Chanel in the lift and I put some 1/2 bolts under them to lock it all in place. It works wonderfully and made my life much easier than building a table.


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After getting the front of the frame welded and most of the boxing finished up I re installed the front suspension. We came to the conclusion that if we came this far we might as well weld up all the holes in the frame and then I finished the shock mounts as well.


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I also mocked up all the front sheet metal one last time before sending it off to body. I filled the bumper holes fixed some funk and changed the lower half of the fenders since running boards won’t be needed anymore.


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And in between sanding the frame I took a break and fixed the rear lower valance and inner part as well. It was really rough but I got it bubbly and smooth again.


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Great work, this thing is sitting Right! What's with the Zephyr?

 

Very nice!!

 

need a tech post on how to make the firewall! Stuff like that is not common knowledge IMO.
This is making me want to do bad things to my 37 Desoto LOL

 

Wow I didn't know you could run a tap into DOM with a hand drill. Awesome.

 

I had a buddy drill the hole on a lathe and I used an impact! Impacts make life easier


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It’s my dads, it started this whole lifestyle of working on crazy cars. It’s next on the list for sheetmetal love body and paint.


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Progress looks great and you're moving along nicely....

 

Quick update! Yesterday I got the bottom of the X member to be removable in order to drop the transmission in the future. Some things you just have to do to make your life easier down the road.


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Great work, I sent you a message with some secret photos.

 

Last update! I got the steering arranged and figured out. As far as the column when it gets a cage put in it the drop down bars to hold the column will attach to the cage.

I made new body mounts for the front of the fire wall and finished up the fire wall inside and out. Once the motor and trans get put back in I’ll probably have to make a trans tunnel but for now this is the floor set up.

some triangles for the front of the frame to fill in the big void that would more than likely twist under tension.

I made a removable front pan hard bar as well. Removable because honestly I don’t think this front end will need it but if I’m building might as well check all the boxes. Especially since the front end has a spot for it.

Finished up welding the rear fenders and made a delete for where the running board went as well

Finally here it is rolling out of the shop off the jig lift and ready to head to the body shop for some more patches and body and paint











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Lots of nice fab work on you Dodge. Should be sweet when your done.

 

Hey man thank you!! I can’t wait to get it tearing up the road!!!


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Great "build space" you have there.

 

Yeah baby!
You make it look easy and it's fun to watch LOL.

Excellent. Genius.
Gotta remember that one.

 

That's for sure.

 

Very nice work, neat project.

 

Bitchin', subscribed!

 

Pavement pounder.

FF, I was calling it "your" car.
Looking over your thread again.
You're building it for a friend.

Supercharger maybe?

And I'm sure you know this. Maybe too late anyway to matter. The pickup truck oil pans are rear sump.

 

I didn’t know that! Thanks for the info. The motors already ready to go so I don’t think it’s going to get winded with a blower. With how much compression I’m sure the bottom end would fall out but maybe injection some day.


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440! with Trick flow heads pretty sweet, anything else interesting on the engine ?
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Oh jeez... I was looking at the mock-up motor and forgot you showed the finished engine ready to go. Looks well-built, too. Supercharger probably not needed.
Can you show a better shot of the valve covers? What flavor are they? Not a lot of nice finned aluminum valve covers for the B RB engines.
Thanks.
Oh yeah... the rear sump set up.
Dodge pickups. Pan, pick up of course, and the dipstick and tube that attaches to the pan. Getting a little bit scarce, but less expensive than the aftermarket ones I've seen.

 

There are front, mid and rear sump configurations. Front and middle use the same pickup and dipstick. As you know, the front sump well is often in the way of steering and other components. Mid sump hump is about 5 inches from the front of the pan.
Notice the little dog leg at the outer edge of the mounting surface of the pan... right side, near the front. I look for that to distinguish front from back to verify sump location. Also, the drain plug is on the bottom of the well for the front and middle sump, it's on the back of the pan at the bottom for the rear sump.
The original rear sump setups are getting rare enough that some guys who have more skills than money cut the pan and reverse it. Have to extend the pickup also and deal with the dipstick. In lieu of a dipstick, I was thinking a site window in the side of the pan could work.