I own a fab shop... some time while I was napping...a new trend stepped up from the past... been years and years since we installed and IFS on a pre 36 ford...in fact we have removed more beside being none traditional and just not how you do things...and the $ factor that devalues the hot rod.. add a fendered car and you have such a crappy ride.... but... being in the business to make a buck....is this a one off deal??? or is the trend from 1980 comming back???
Me , I have 3 straight axels , Thinking of switching one to IFS, Or Torsion bar straight Axle with 4 bar . If I do not like I would / will cut it off .
Trends come and go and sometimes come back. Some trends from the 80's early 90's are considered old school by the youth of today . Not everyone wants 1920's handling in a vehicle they plan driving at 80MPH in traffic on twisty roads. I enjoy my IRS , IFS 28 A with mid 90's street rod stuff. I can run it as hard as my vette . Id build it traditional if I was building it today . On a fendered car I don't get all bothered by seeing a IFS I had to actually look for to see. If the customer wants it and is paying build it for them . If I had a real 32 id not remotely consider a IFS . Hot rods are always about imagination and right now traditional copys of what was traditional then are becoming almost belly button builds . Will some new trend or old trend made new like traditional is now come back? Very possable. Might see billet in 50 years again LOL.
I've had both types of suspension and I personally prefer the traditional axle, set up right they ride very go but I will agree the independent rides excellent ,if set up correctly. In my opinion, visually the dropped axle looks cleaner and better on a '32 Ford but I don't want to force way of thinking on anyone else. I had a couple of 1940 Fords and one had a dropped axle the other had independent front suspension, but road well and you couldn't see the ugly junk yard mustang II I stuck under the car. HRP
When the first Jaguar or Corvette independent suspension was installed under the rear of a pre 35 car, was it hailed as a new and beneficial upgrade OR bashed by purists who felt it was unacceptable ? The high dollar car show guys loved it and it became a desirable street option. What about just using coil over shocks instead of leaf springs,..........hailed or decried ? People often use coil overs in the rear and up front instead of leaf springs. I think "Tex" Smith was the first to use coil overs, but they weren't the nice ones we have today. Obviously just butchering the front of a car and inserting the wrong front suspension can ruin the looks of a car. Personally, I feel that many of the new designs for installing one in a 32 are pretty decent looking. Remember, a lot of these get installed in 35-48 model hot rods where you can't see them. There is a whole segment of our industry that makes these suspensions and makes their living selling them......so there must be some people out there who like them. Some people think a 4 bar is unacceptable and only a hairpin is real tradition. Me, I like em all................ Acceptable in the rear but not up front ? View attachment 6490959
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