Projects built lots of cars, but never a 32 roadster...

Your gas tank gap is not unusual. When we first started assembling the Brookville bodies back in the late 90's we strived for a little over a half inch by using a board between the tank and body for a spacer. As I started to buy factory assembled bodies that gap grew to close to an inch. I have tweaked the rear horns on a few but have now learned to live with the gap.

 

Thanks for the encouragement ...if it was 1/2", I'd let it go but it's an inch or so. On top of that, my tail-lights are mounted to the frame and there's also a big gap there too (I like them tucked up nice under the tail-pan). New time the body is off (exhaust fab time), the rear rail stubs are getting pie cut and raised.

 

Hacked out the floor after work today. Man, it going to be tight in the foot-box area.

 

You found (or made) a metal brake

 

Well, the one that was in there will But the brake pedal too far to the right -I called Kiwi connection yesterday and I'm ordering a new one

 

The $65 junkyard seat looks pretty good in the roadster. A little electric carving knife and flap disc on a 4-in grinder shaped the foam right up. This was my first time sitting in it - I think I'm going to shorten the feet on the tracks by about an inch. The windshield isn't laid back yet and when I sit in it I'm pretty much looking right at the top cross- member of the windshield

 

I checked the gap between the tank and body on my Deuce roadster and I get about 5/8", but I wouldn't worry about it if I was you. I like the fact that you have exposed hinges and door handles very cool. Keep up with the pictures, you're doing great work.

 

Sorry SDS, I didn't read all of your post's as far as measurements. The centerline of my steering column from the top of the door is about 11 and 1/2 inches. I'm using a 14 and 1/4 inch steering wheel. It's only going to be a ballpark measurement, as as you know the body gets wider the further back you go. I made up a wood block that I bolted to the steering wheel and attached a 1" dowel to it and eyed it up until I was happy with the location. I don't know if it matters or not but my body is a Wescotts. With the beautiful work you are doing I'm sure you will get it.

 

That brake pedal arm is left over from the first time that I built a car on this chassis... As you can see it is way jogged over to the right, because I have big feet... I'm going to try to make it less dramatically jogged over for this go around

 

I got one of Bill Grau's 5 gauge Auburn style dash insert and installed it the other day... It's pretty awesome! I will post more on the installation when I get a chance

 

I'm beginning to wonder if my engine & transmission is a little high up... The lack of space for my feet beginning to concern me.
I mounted the engine In this location because of a clearance problem with one of the front engine mount frame pads - was very close to the steering box and the input shaft.
I will say that my transmission mount has a 1/2-in spacer under it - I think I'm going to pull that out and come up with some way to lower the mounts (either cut and paste on the steel brackets, or take one half inch off of the hockey pucks) and see what the result is.

 

Wow!
The result of removing just the half inch spacer under the transmission mount is pretty dramatic - It's going to be a decent amount of work to lower the engine down one half inch, but looks like that's what I need to do.
Here's some before and after photos:

 

Where did you get the insert?
Thanks

 

Honestly, you can make the tunnel removable for working, and keep it tight to the trans and shifter... Ive had alot more trans inside the car with a severely channeled car... I have size 14 feet, and was still able to drive fine in a model A... So Just take the time laying out the pedal and steering column etc and you will be fine with it in there a bit... Its only a hump in the floor, but it does give your right heel something to rest against when on long trips... Looking good though man.

 

Dale Grau makes them... He does a five and a six gauge and they're awesome!
HAMB name is thewildturkey46
Tell him Scott sent you

 

As I mentioned, I took the half inch spacer out from under the transmission and then remove the hockey pucks from the engine mounts and replace them with something that's exactly one half inch shorter. I took the car down off of the wheel dollies to get a gander on how much clearance I have left under the oil pan. For reference, the middle of my straight axle is 5 1/4" off the ground, The rod end on the pitman arm is 5" off the ground and The lowest point if the oil pan drain plug area is 5 1/4" (would theoretically be 5 3/4" If I put it back up to where it was). What are your thoughts on that amount of ground clearance on my oil pan? Doing this did gain me considerable more room in the passenger foot area. The transmission has effectively moved 1/2+ over, giving me that back in foot room (see photos below). To do this permanently, I just have to cut the engine mounts off of the frame (there are only heavily tack welded on) and move them downward by one half inch. I'll have to clearance some of the engine mount on the driver side to fit over the top of the steering box, but it won't remove so much meat that it will be a problem. I'll also have to potentially remove some material to give clearance for the u-joint that engages the splines on the steering box. Thoughts?

 

Clearance sounds adequate.
I'm an inch lower.
Axle center is 4 1/4"
Pan 4.0"
55k miles, haven't hit either on the ground.

 

Thanks, and this is a 1932 roadster?

 

Thank you!

 

Yes, it is my avatar. Buggy spring on both ends.

 

Didn't seem that bad before to me, but it's better now without much hassle. On one hand it's an auto, so only two pedals to worry about. But the auto is a bigger trans case which cuts into the cabin. Either way, there is a lot more room there than on a lot of cars I've built or seen.

Here's my old '32 with a Pontiac 350 and a 4-speed.


And here's a '34 with a T5...doesn't show the pedals or shifter sticking through, but probably about the same size tunnel you will have. Plenty comfortable.


Here is a '24 T I build....the gas pedal was on TOP of the transmission tunnel. I wouldn't want to do it again, but it wasn't hard to drive once you got used to it and you gotta do what you gotta do. It's a hot rod, not a Ford Taurus!

 

Pedal, column and seat placement aren't easy, but I encourage you to think about comfort on a 400 mile driving day.
Anything less is not a useful rod.

 

Man, nice metal work!
Thanks for the photos.
How long is the column drop on that 32?

 

For sure, thanks

 

Have any idea what the material and color is of the seat in that T ?
I'm going to paint mine semi-gloss navy blue and want to put a brown/chestnut colored interior in it.

 

You an do an addition if you like and put in a light bar

 

All right, so today I cut a hole in my firewall based on recommendations from a few people (after mocking it up with cardboard of course) and I used my 3D printed column drop to get everything set up - looks like I'll be using a 5-in column drop. I'll have to make that from scratch though, my speedway motors steering column is 1.75 in diameter and I'd have to completely disassemble the wiring harness for the turn signal if I were to use a limeworks drop.

 

I also finished up dropping the engine down by one half inch to get more room in the foot-box before I fab the trans tunnel.

Replaced the 1 1/4" tall hockey pucks with 3/4" of steel spacers (1/2" lower). Then made a couple of fixtures to hold the engine in place while I cut the mounting pads from the frame. Cleaned up the insides of the rails, then hockey pucks back in and welded the pads in their new location...

 

Next up, pie cut the frame behind the buggy spring cross-member and raise the rear portion of the rails/gas tank up to close the gap under the tail pan.