Projects Lytles Garage 34 5w Fuel Coupe Build Thread

Excellant job saving that old girl!

Fuel coupes are the cats ass!


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks. I still mess a lot of stuff up, you just learn one way how not to do it. My stuff is far from perfect compared to some of the magicians we have on here, but its the best I can do and I try and make the next piece better than the last.

 

Had to get a visual of a decklid on the car, so slapped this one off my other 34 drag coupe on there. This sucker has 6" louvers in it!!! Now on to making a new one for this car.

 

Super interested in seeing how you tackle the deck lid!

 

I’m thinking, that panel is off the side of an AC unit or a swamp cooler?

 

This is the car the decklid came off of.



This is what it looks like now sitting in storage. Anyone know of a cheap 3w body????

 

Most of the top has been welded up, and got its first round of smoothing.

 

Cut the shin scrapers off the rear of the car and bobbed the horns back. You'll notice the tips were painted red (along with some real blood) to try and warn any would be passerby the danger around them. There were many victims.

 

I like how you sculptured the frame horns instead of just cutting a strait line! Is the white coupe a coupe that your family owns? You are doing top notch work on the coupe!

 

I love it man, great job.

 

Thanks Sam! The white coupe "Cherry Gobbler" is mine. Its a real deal 50's drag coupe from Seattle. It will be awhile before anything happens with it. I'm still waiting for the right roached out 3w body to pop up. I have another 34 5 window body that is worse than this current coupe laying in storage.

 

The roof on the coupe has always looked like hammered dog shit. This is the good side that has had a 1/2 days worth of welding and straightening.



After much research and lots of testing of different hammer units, I ended up building a handheld planishing hammer. Its ultra adjustable, easy to get on and off a vehicle, and able to put as much preload you want on something. I still have to get used to using it though.

 

That portable handheld planishing hammer is nice! I think I would be trying to make some replacement panels for that roof. I am looking forward to seeing the end result of your hammer and dolly work on that roof.

 

Just gotta get it good enough for a slathering of mud!

 

That Coupe is so sick looking! Nice work.....

 

True but I have been watching your work and it looks like your skill set would support new pieces, but yep close enough for slathering mud will work.

 

For more inspiration check out this thread https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-severely-chopped-coupes-and-sedans-thread.1220105/

 

Nice looking Planishing hammer you built there I have some questions about it though what planishing hammer mechanism did you use and where did you get it also what other dies do you have or do you just make what you need I ask because I’ve been following along from the beginning and I have a coupe that’s way worse than yours and I’m too poor to buy anything good I have more time than money keep up the good work


Chrome don’t get ya home

 

Ah yes the elusive hammer. After studying quite a few higher end brands, their hammers looked very familiar. Woodward, Jet, and Mittler Bros look to use the same basic power unit, a GOD DAMN NEEDLE SCALER! Simply with the trigger clamped wide open, using a foot pedal.






Sure as shit, went down to the local Harbor Freight, grabbed a scaler and pulled the needle assembly off the nose and low and behold a captured hammer head was left. So $60 later I had my hammer unit. The specs on it were exactly what I was looking for, high beats per min (4600) and a very small stroke (1/2").




Now you can use it as is, but this is where if you have some time, you can save some weight and height and make it just a lot cooler looking. I cut the top 1" or so off that held the trigger unit, welded up the passage and utilized a plug in the side for the new air inlet. Put that in the lathe and turned the whole thing down and radiused the edge. Took the rest of the body apart and turned it down to 1-5/8" so it will slip inside some DOM tubing for the frame. Flipped the body around and turned down the nose and gave it a smoother radius. Took the hammer and ground and polished it all up. Now you have a svelte and neat looking piece!




As for the lower dies, I wanted to buy a full set that were hardened. Most of the places I talked to only had some individuals and no full sets. I didn't want to buy a few of these guys and a few of those guys, as some have different shank sizes and undercut radiuses. I talked to Baileigh and ended up getting the last full set they had at the time. Then I built the lower die post for them. All in all the dies were the most expensive part of this by a long shot. This was a very fun project that saved me a ton of money over buying one, and it utilized just about every piece of equipment in the shop.

 

Thanks for the info I’m like you I can build a tool such as this easier than I can afford to buy one plus for my home shop it will probly last forever if I were doin things like this on a daily basis I would buy one because I could afford it then lol


Chrome don’t get ya home

 

Amazing workmanship and an awesome car. Can't wait to see it 'finished'

 

Awesome!

 

Love the planishing hammer.

 

any updates?

 

great thread, any updates ?

 

I spoke with Sam (51 Farm Truck ) earlier this summer. He said he had to vacate his shop and build a new one so the project is on hold.