With the completion of my first project (66 C10 Shop Truck) in sight, compiled with some ideas and motivation from build threads like @LostInOC and @J.Ukrop, I think I have come to a conclusion that I want to build a 28/29 or 30/31 roadster just like a young man would've in the 50's. Ramshackle, meaning a severe state of disrepair, is about what I am looking for in this project due to the fact that my labor is much more plentiful than my wallet. My budget is pretty thin, which I believe will force me to get out, look around and find deals on parts and pieces, hopefully meet a few HAMBers along the way and ultimately do my part to keep hot rodding alive in my generation. Anyways, my early plans are to find a frame or a rolling chassis and work my way up from there. I would love to build on 32 rails but my budget is leaning more towards A rails to begin with. I plan to go with a flathead and a 3 speed. What do you guys suggest for suspension? Any specific year to keep an eye out for when it comes to crossmembers, wishbones, rear end, etc. to go with the A rails? Also, I am actively looking for A or 32 rails, perimeter chassis or a roller in the SW Missouri area.
We are on the same path...I had an accident which changed my financial picture and then we had a baby! A smarter man would give up but I'm still plugging away... - get involved with or join your local model A/T club the restorers are getting older and are purging their stock of leftover parts and sometimes whole cars - comb your local craiglist/marketplace/newspapers make it ritual...believe me the days when you don't look are the ones when someone posts a rdstr body or a '32 frame! - don't buy expensive shit hoping to flip it for stuff or money for the build... Matt @IronTrap will probably tell you different but the market where I am is smaller and more niche-y than ever but that being said if you want a flathead or a buick driveline etc. it might be easier to buy the whole truck/car and flog the rest than putting out the big bucks for someone's already done engine - stick to your budget and be willing to walk away from stuff you really desire if the price is too high... time and patience will save you a lot of $ -Lastly dont spend all your time and money on cosmetics or you run the risk of burnout...get it together and drive it which will renew your enthusiasm...then tear down and polish/paint Keep us posted
No kidding, we just had a baby in march. I can't help but dream of looking over at her grinning ear to ear on the way to get some ice cream in a roadster one of these days. Glad to hear you are still plugging away at it. I appreciate the advice and hope to have some updates sooner than later.
Too bad your not closer to me. I have a titled 26 T Roadster on A rails. Lots of bits to go with it. Not exactly what your looking for, but "Ramshackle" it is. Would be great for TROG. The thread is "Yard Art Roadster" if interested. I dig your idea. A true period beater. Should be all kinds of perfectly aged metal out your way. Keep it simple and it will stay affordable. Best to find a running flathead instead of building one up. They get pricey if you have to rebuild one. If you could find a whole v8 sedan for parts you may be further ahead in the parts area. Trucks are good to pick from too. Good luck with the project.
I'm pretty set on an A body. That 26 has potential though! Sounds like you've got a good stockpile of parts to make it happen. Thanks for the advice. The comment on buying a running flathead is definitely the most common piece I have heard so far.
don't get too big $$$ a parts pile... it may become a target... sell to finance ??? buy the grill, lights, hood, interior etc. as you need it... my $0.02.
I'll be the voice of reason here. Not knowing your money situation, but with a new member to the family, be prepared for the long haul. Family comes first, and life will get in the way. You might be getting that ice cream with your teenage daughter. Good luck, and persevere.
Yes sir, family will always be first. I’m blessed with a good job and a few extra dollars to play with old cars. My girls do a good job of keeping me in line.
Oh man....I feel like I could write a book on this. First thing is patience. Don't get into a "I need this part" mindset. Others will come around. These things aren't rare. Second. You need to network. Go out and meet local guys into this stuff. That's how you find the part you need for cheap. Third. Look for parts lots you can buy with 1 or 2 parts you need and sell or trade off the rest. You need to be careful here. A "good deal" can quickly turn into "I paid good money for scrap." You need to learn your parts and be able to identify what is desired and what isn't. 9 times out of ten I can buy a lot of parts sell 1 or 2 pieces and pay for it and keep what you need for you build. As far as what parts you want for things like suspension, every choice has its pros and cons. To many to list. They all work. Some are better than others. If it was mine I'd be on the look out for a 32 heavy or 33-36 axle and 32-34 bones.. I highly recommend the bishop/tardel book on building an av8. Should cover everything you really need to know in more detail than I can give in 1 post.
32 axle =$400. 34 axle =$50. 32 wishbone =$400. 34 wishbone =$100. A lot of price difference on just those two little parts. And after the wishbone is split, only one in a million will be able to tell the difference anyway.
Something else to think about. If you're willing to deviate a bit from the HAMB mantra 'traditional at all costs', while building 'YOUR' car you should be able save to about 27k, and cut about 12yrs off the build time.
Take a look at @trevorsworth ‘s thread, similar path to what you’re looking to take https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/jumping-in-the-deep-end.1201655/
I think it can be done traditionally and affordable. I may be wrong but I’m sure going to try it. Just speaking from my experience building my first truck is that money is spent when you run out of patience or talent. I plan to try and build as much of it as I can and try to utilize parts that guys are taking off their cars when they upgrade to newer engines, transmissions or rear ends. We’ll see what happens!
As long as you don’t fall into the trap of jamming all the ‘hot’ traditional stuff into it, traditional can definitely be cheap. I just avoid anything ‘32… working great so far.
Well today I came across a 28 A rolling chassis for a few hundred bucks and I think this might be a good place to start. What do you guys think?
Looks like a solid start. Check to verify the rivets holding the crossmembers in haven't rusted out and gotten loose. I would go ahead and jack the front up to check the kingpins too. If the rivets are rotted out I would skip it unless it's free. Looks like you still have the braking system, that's good if you intend to stick with mechanical brakes - which can be done with a V8 and they work fine. A lot of guys told me otherwise when I was just getting started but I have seen it with my own eyes now and the guy drove the thing like 60 miles on the highway to get where I saw it. Retaining the A rear end and mechanical brakes will shave a significant amount of the cost off an AV8 build and as long as you aren't getting crazy with the power output or trying to do burnouts and wailing on it the A rear will put up with it just fine. You can always upgrade later as a separate project down the road.
A frame is a good start, but it ain't a car without a vin number. Whether your frame or body come with a title, make sure you have good papers and transfer that number correctly into the frame. Be sure to completely remove any old unrelated numbers before restamping if necessary. Best to figure out the vin before you get too deep. Nice score BTW. Your already ahead finding a roller.
Well, a deal was struck and my buddy who lives closer to where the roller is located is going to pick everything up for me on Wednesday. I told him as long as nothing is rusted out/through, go ahead and get it. Now I need to figure out which direction I want to go with suspension parts. I'd like to go with a 3-4" drop axle upfront, just not sure whether to use the original 28 axle and bones or if it'd be beneficial to go ahead and look for something like a 40 axle and wishbone setup since I plan to run juice brakes. Is there anything to gain from swapping front axles?
I should mention I plan to reverse the eye spring on my own in addition to the drop axle. I will be doing a rear step on the frame and removing some rear leaf's while I am at it, but I am just going to focus on the front end for now until I know exactly what my plan is.
Hey @Lakeside65, welcome to the world of traditional hot rodding! Thanks for reading my thread. I was in a very similar spot to you (build-wise) not-so-long ago. Everyone has provided excellent advice thus far. My two cents? Have a mental picture of the exact car you want to build. Tastes change as the project progresses, but it's important to have an eye on the prize—even if it's a long way off. For me, it's critical to sketch things out, make lists and take notes. They'll be helpful during the build, and they're fun to look back on months later. The most important part, for me at least, was knowing when to ask for help. The fact that you started this thread shows you're heading down the right path. The amount of knowledge here on the H.A.M.B. is staggeringly large. You won't believe how many neat people you'll meet along the way. Feel free to reach out at any time. I'll be following along!
Do you want to stay original parts or are you going to order from a catalog? Orignal dropped axles can be hard to find an pricey. Juice brakes can fit your 28 axle/spindle with an adapter kit. Spindles will interchange. 32-36 front axles are nice because they have some drop. Later axles have some drop too, but the perches are closer to the king pins and if you split your bones you will have turning radius problems. After market axles are the affordable route. You just need to know if you need a 2 inch or 2 1/4 thick axle. Depends on the bones you use. Model A bones are kinda short. 33-34 bones are longer. 32 bones are the longest. Anything can be altered. On a budget it will depend on what is available to you. I would find your drop axle first and then find the bones to fit it. Round back or square back spindles will accept juice brakes. Try and find a complete front axle assembly to harvest the parts. Trying to piece it together will cost more.
Have the original A axle dropped. Most of the guys charge around $250, which is cheaper than the new dropped axle you would buy. And you will have a real deal axle, not some Chinese cast iron junk. Be very careful there are some real sketchy new axles out there. Ask here before you buy ANY repro parts and we can let you know if they are trustworthy.
I plan to have the original axle dropped, probably by Sids. I know plenty of local guy's that have used him with good luck. I don't mind to extend the stock bones but at that point would it be smarter to just split them? I'm not dead set on a crossmember yet but I assume that will play into which bones I use as well. 32 K member sounds like the easy way out but my budget doesn't want to pay for anything 32 lol. F1 crossmember and pedal assembly sounds like the ticket.
If the A axle is in good shape, then have Sids drop it. If the A bones are used you will have to split them. If you can find an F1 crossmember with pedals it would be cheaper than the 32 K-member. Prices are going up on both. Depending on your skill, you could fab your own mount. Might save you some coin. Alchemy is right about the repop axles, be careful. I bought one, but I accept the risks for my purpose.
Just to make sure I've got the right information here, the A bones must be split for clearance with the flathead instead of the factory banger?
I do not, I meant to get one on order tonight. I will have to do that when I get home this evening. It sounds like it will answer the majority of my questions.
The A bones connected to the bellhousing of the banger. The later bones connected to the trans crossmember. The A bones will have to be split if using anything other than a banger. They are the shortest bones.
Lots of good info in that book. Vern also published a whole series of how to books. Get the how to books as well.
The Jalopy Journal
