Technical 34 coupe help!!!

I have had the remains of this early 34 coupe hot rod for someyears and I'm wanting to put it back to look like it did. It has no front axle setup in it and I have no idea of what they have used in the way of an axle spring setup. It appears the axle is in front of the spring and the only setups I've seen have the axle behind the spring. Can someone explain to me what I need to find to make this setup please?

 

The spring looks to be above the axle to me, just with a lot of positive caster.

 

Looks like the standard 'spring over axle' to me. The giveaway is the spring perches.
The rack and pinion hanging under the axle looks like more of a concern to me.....

 

Thanks, so what would a standard 'spring over axle' be from?

 

Standard Ford of the era

 

1928 to 1936 Ford. The axle in the pics could be the standard 1934 axle. Looks right.
Check out the attachments below.

 

Looks like you will need a stock 1933-1936 Ford front axle. The axle chart above is a little bit misleading. There is a difference between a 1932 axle and a 1933-36 axle. A 1932 axle is heavier and thicker in appearance and the 1932 axles are all the same. The 1933-36 axles are somewhat thinner in appearance compared to the 1932 axle and again are all the same. All 1932-36 axles will have a 2 inch perch boss. You should also be looking for a 1932-34 front wishbone as well if you don't already have one.

 

That's a good help, what year spring will we need and what sort of perch bolts? Maybe this setup was all standard to 1934?

 

yup..looks like a standard 34 axle/perches/spring setup mounted suicide style with frame horns cutoff

 

Awesome, thanks a lot all.

 

Agree with “twenty8” on the axle & the concern for the rack & pinion steering. That steering must be attached to the axle to work properly & I have no idea how you attach the steering column to the rack. Wonder why the car survived but without the front axle & steering. What is left of steering column & links to steering??

 

Ah its an Aussie car. Any pics of how it is now? Just remember building it safe is much more important than building it as it was.

 

Hi Pete, not an Aussie car it's a Kiwi car. Not building it to drive, just presevering it and trying to make it look close to what it was. Since those phot's were taken it has been painted orange and that is the way it will stay while I have it. It was a real wreck when I got it but it's now looking a bit more precentable.

 

Hi mate. Going by those photos it looks like an old Invercargill rod from years back if I'm not mistaken. Was around the time of Wild Honey. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Sorry Allan should have seen you were from NZ, the EK/FB made me think of Aus. If it helps it looks like Hydraulic Ford brakes. Im not sure what year but 39 up. Others may be able to help more. As others have said that steering looks sketchy and I'd be loathed to replicate that if I was you.

 

I do not know how the shocks were mounted. Looks like behind the axle to the outside of the wishbone, but I do not see a mount.
I wonder what kind of trailing arms were used? Split bones or homemade?

Oh and your steering wheel is on the wrong side....

 

Here's my hypothesis: 34 axle, split wishbones, perches (with top shock mounts cut off), spring. The spindles and brakes are 40-41. Looks like the tube shocks mount to the backside of the axle or the outside of the wishbone. Probably 50 F-1 mounts on the topside.

And for sure do not replicate that rack steering. Not a good idea, and hard to execute.

 

I know nothing except that's one racy looking hot rod coupe.

 

More thoughts on steering column to rack & pinion. Think u will need one more likely 2 u-joints & a splined shaft so steering can follow suspension movement of axle/rack. Never seen that done before as couple have mentioned. Years ago saw a coupe with rack on axle steered via ( I think? ) Ford Pinto flexible shaft steering ( looked like heavy cable ). Not sure about that setup & Ford only used short time. Understand u want to build like original & not a driver. Good luck, will follow

 

Totally correct, would you have any photo's of this car? It was built by Tom Blain in the mid 60's in Invercargill. I have pictures of it outside Roger Devlin's (Wild Honey) house in Dunedin with Roger in the pictures.

 

Allan do you have any pics of it now you can share?

 

It is a work in progress, slow progress. It arrived in a bad state but it is now more stable. If I do get the front axle setup sorted I certainly will not be putting the rack where it was, I do appreciate all the concern.

 

1a 153 by Allannz posted Jun 12, 2011 at 8:41 PM

This was before paint.

 

Yep seen that photo also. If you're after information about the car try Barry (The Duck) Nicol he is on FB. He was a mate of Roger Delvin's and that photo you have may be one that he took . He may be able to point you in the right direction.

 

Do you have pics of the front end and how its all mounted now Allan, its hard to tell but it appears most of its there and in the correct location?

 

I don't have any useful info to add but I just wanted to say that this is pretty cool and I like that you're going to great lengths to preserve it. Was the roof cut off entirely at some point? Looks like it took a lot of metalwork to get the body back in one piece, but it also looks like it turned out really nice.

 

Thanks for your comments on my project. Yes the roof was totally hacked off, it looked like they used an axe!! Anyway someone used parts of a sedan roof to hold it together and that is how I got it. I'm a bodyman by trade so doing the metal work was no big bother to me. It's just nice to see it looking more like it did back in the 1970's.