Hot Rods Rusty has a new project- father son build , 26 T roadster!

Early dirt track racers use to trim springs unequal length to tune the front suspension and rear on cross leaf springs to improve handling.

 

Early, and some still do used a dead perch. I know of one running vintage modified.

Thanks,

jim

 

Pops had this axle and wishbones laying in his stash so this will be our front bones. It fought me but I have it apart. Time to order up some tie rod ends and bungs from speedway.

 

Got the frame out from under the roadster, I will start disassembling it and get it cleaned up so I can get it on my work bench/frame table. also got the front bone cut down and the spring hangers cut off. and dug out a T spring that I was going to use in my modified.

 

Did some disassembling on the frame this afternoon after work, I also got the turtle deck off. Next project will be getting the rotten trunk floor out.

 

After a bit of snow overnight and work getting in the way I got the trunk floor off . Then the next task was to get the frame up on the table and get it leveled and squared so I can start modifying, I’m going to spread the back of the frame to resemble a model a frame instead of the straight T ladder frame configuration.

 

Have things marked out, cut and tacked back together to add length to the frame. Well at least one rail ! Doing this so we can run the T spring off the 35/6 bones behind the axle

 

Well being a hard headed Dutchman I wrestled the body up on my work bench/frame table by myself, I asked my son and pops to help me lift it up but I’m not a very patient person. I cut the ends of the crossmember off so I can step the rear and capped the ends. I will drill thru the end and bolt the crossmember to the subrails. The step will get cut at an angle and boxed, should be plenty strong.

 

I have the rear of the frame put together and tacked. I also cut out the area where the spare tire mounted to the sub rail and added a Ford script from a 47 Ford pickup hood. I guess it’s my jam because I used the other script from the hood on the back panel of my T modified.

 

Looks awesome Rusty...your really humming along there...

 

Looking good Rusty!

 

You amaze the hell out of me buddy, as I sit here reading about the build I'm so pumped to get the 38 Willys frame back in the garage and get back on boxing the frame, getting the suspension back on to the frame. Between you and Taggart and his 29 pickup, and the 61 up a running I've got the FEVER really bad. I'll be following the build and that flattery is totally cool with T5 and 9 inch. Tell the old guy hey from me. I think you've got a great plan going, it will be great to follow the build. Super nice car to start with for the age that it is. Just to let you know your one hell of a builder, could being a model car builder have something to do with it, I know that one of the thing's me and Taggart live off of. Will drop back later as it goes.

 

Thanks Tony,
I consider myself a hack that knows just enough to be dangerous.
You hit the nail on the head with the model cars, although they are small you can get a really good idea on stance and other key features that can help on the 1 to 1 scale. I haven’t picked up a model kit for 10 years and every winter I say I’m going to do one but it doesn’t happen.

 

I'm thinking on that trunk floor for the turtledeck (assuming you keep the turtledeck instead of using a pickup bed or stake bed), it might work well to cut a floor section out of a late model pickup bed at the pick-a-part that already has the ribbed reinforcements stamped in, just cut to the dimensions since it's basically a flat piece. You could probably find a donor bed that has damaged sides but a good floor.

 

It's cumming along nicely! The FORD script is cool.

 

Didn’t get a whole lot accomplished this weekend, I did get the ford script all welded in and I piecut the frame at the cowl. A cutting wheel width cut from the top and down the side gave me about an 1-1/2” sweep up. This will give the frame a bit more shape and give the body the allusion of being raked.

 

Damn you ‼️ I like that ford script idea ..... I’d steal it but you know me ‼️‼️ The build is looking good ‼️

 

Dang that’s sexy

 

You can steal it Ernie, just have to find a 46/7 pickup hood.

 

So I have part of a 46-47 Ford hood hanging off my fireplace mantle...cool!

 

I got a package from speedway this afternoon with our wishbone bungs and tie rods. Tacked two of them on. Found a set of T rear u bolts this weekend so I gave them a citric acid bath and wire wheeled them. And then I bolted our dummy flathead to the cornhusker trans adapter and added the new t5 to the back . Set it close to where it’s going to go.

 

Looking good Rusty!

 

I built my mounts for the wishbone to attach to the frame. Took a picture of three because I made four and misplaced one in my messy shop. Hope it turns up soon I guess it’s a sign to stop and clean the shop! Also ruffed out some motor mounts, just have to determine height to set them at. And the last thing I had time to do has do some initial grinding on the new speedway steering arm. Anyone who knows these, they are a huge chunk of waterjet squareness and need a bunch of work to look good.

 

So we got word today from the guy that is going thru our motor and he found a surprise. I originally rolled the crank thru and measured 4” stroke the bore is 3-3/8” so that puts it up to 284 cubes. Anyway we find out the crank is offset ground so now it’s 4-1/8 stroke so that bumps it up to 296 cubes. This thing is going to be wicked!!!

 

Wicked indeed...love those Wishbone mounts...and those pipes are awesome...

 

I have my rear wishbone mounts tacked on the frame and rear end. I heat and bent the spring mounts on the bones so they line up with the crossmember. Tomorrow when everything is cooled down I will test fit the rear spring.

 

I got both motor mounts built and set to height. I’ve been kicking around ideas for the transmission crossmember. While taking parts outside to the cast off parts pile I looked at the broken front crossmember I got with the extra frame I used to add length to my stock frame. So with a chunk of left over frame rail and the broken front crossmember I’ll make new member from cast off broken pieces. A ton more cutting and piecing together but I’ll get it. This crossmember will also double for the pedal mount so it’s going to have to be plenty stout.

 

Big delivery today!! Got our Okie Joe dropped 32 heavy axle today. We decided on a 2-1/2” drop to keep a uniform look on the drop. Man I’ll tell you guys this is the second axle we’ve had done and I highly recommend Okie Joe!

 

Got the old broken in half front crossmember turned transmission crossmember built and tacked in. It’s getting welded in with no drop out. I figured on a T highboy if you had transmission problems it going to just as easy to take the radiator off and pull the motor/ trans in one piece. Thought it was kool having the Ford script pressed into the metal.

 

We can reverse that spring on our spring bench. Did mine was super easy. Just let me know.