I am kicking the idea of picking up an early chevy (1928) for a project. As a matter of fact it will be my first. One thing I'm seeing for sure is that Ford rules when coming to repop and street rod parts. Are there any sources for early chevy parts? Or does it usually come down to adapting Ford peices and scourering swap meets and the like? Thanks for any direction anyone can provide thanks. Eric
Eric, The biggest factor that must be dealt with concerning old Chevies is the wood used to frame the bodies. Unless you're lucky and find one with perfect wood, it's a major untaking to replace all of the wood with tubing or sheetmetal. It is fun to do something different. Right off the bat you have something that looks different than your typical Model A or '32. Maybe that means something to you, maybe it doesn't. I like '65 Ford Mustangs but would never own one because there are 20 at every car show I attend. Most people replace the chassis with Ford stuff. I guess this is done because the Ford stuff is more common and most people want thier Chevys to look like Fords anyway. To my eyes though, the parallel leaf frame looks racier and afterall form follows function (the parallel leafs will outperform the transverse leaf). Parts are a bitch to find. If you do get the car, PM or email me and I'll give you the list of contacts that I have. Plan on making or adapting most of your parts. Hope that helps! Ed PS- I'm learning that a Ford would have been way easier to build, and they sell for more money when finished. I hate to look at it that way but unless you can afford to keep 'em all you have to.
Eric, What Ed said. If this is your frist project you could be in over your head. Start with something a little easer that way you won't get discouraged and in time get the project completed.
I went ahead and bought the car. Some of the internal has been done and the car is already channeled. I have a few friends in the area that are going to help me with the rest of the body substructure. The more I look at the suspension, the more I like the parralel springs. I'm looking forward to getting into this Ed I'll be sending you a PM shortly. Thanks
Eric, I too have a non-ford. It's true finding parts can be a bitch, but the resultant looks on people's faces is worth the effort when you tell them it isn't a Ford. If you want any suggestions or ideas of how I did something with the body or chassis (I got rid of the wood and used tubing, and am running the parallel leaf springs front and rear) you can get ahold of me here.... Not that I'm an expert or anything, but My Pontiac was my first prewar car as well. Andy
Ok I have one new question. Is there radiator that is a good start to fit in the 1928 Grill Shell? Eric
I had a radiator made by a local shop. He used 2 cut down ford econoline tanks and a remanufactured core. He got me for $175, which is much cheaper than an aftermarket comercially available radiator. I've driven the car in all kinds of temperatures and have had no problems.
EricE -- I used an early Mustang radiator inside of a '35 Chevy grille shell. It fits with plenty of clearance. Nate -- Check out the classifieds section on Stovebolt.org 28Poncho -- What suspension setup do you have?
Front end: MAS racing 6" drop, 2" dia tube axle, '53 chevy spindles (turned down the back bearing race to fit a stock Camaro inner bearing), stock springs with 3 leaves removed, '75 Camaro calipers and rotors. (I know disc brakes are NOT entirely ol' skool, but dammit I drive my car back and forth to work and occasionnally I am real damn glad I had good brakes!!!) I also used a stock Vega steering box and a master cylinder from a '75 Camaro. The '75 Camaro is the only thing I could find with manual disc brakes, as I wanted a swinging pedal and no brake booster. Rear End: Ford 9" with a 3.00 gear out of I dunnowhat... Swap meet special.... 2" lowering blocks on stock springs with 2 leaves removed. You Chevy guys are just a little luckier than the me... You can reverse the eyes on the spring to get it a little lower, whereas the Poncho has a different front mounting point on the front leaf springs which won't permit me to reverse the eye. I'd like to lower the front of the car another 1" or 2, but am not quite sure how I want to do this without compromising ride quality or major surgery on the frame. When you remove any leaves, just make sure to add spacers to the spring keeper, otherwise the front end gets spooky on really rough roads or panic stops.... I'll try to post a TECH on this to explain it better. Andy
I was given a '27 chebbie sport coupe by my grandfather about a month before he passed away last year. In the process of me acquiring it, I have moved across the country and it is is sitting in my friend's backyard in CA. Since my buddy has now opened up his own rod shop, I will undoubtedly pay him to get the body and chassis together and ship it out to me. The plan was originally that he'd be able to teach me a great deal while building it, but being 3000 miles away makes it difficult. I've realized now I have to get this car built in my grandfather's memory! There's a few photos of some of the misc parts here as well as gramps gettin' a trophy back in the day: http://photos.yahoo.com/primered54 My plan is to either have it on an A frame or a homebuilt frame. The wood is rotten as hell, but my buddy Gordon is going to take care of it with tubing as he did with his bantam. If you guys do have a good parts source/tips please let me know as I am sure I'll need it.
I and I reproduction has most of the hardware you need for early shevy cars, however, on trucks they are lacking a few things (like door handles, cause I need a set). A few other places sell wood kits, I am not sure exactly who because I didn't need to replace any of mine. As for body panels, I don't know of anyone who repops them.
I didnt read it all,maybe mentioned already.. but you can buy dropped aksles for these chevyes,set up to accept 49-up chevy brakes\spindles. if not,the 39-40 chevy brakes probably bolts right on to the original axle. (it does on the 33-34`s anyway..) Go the hopped up chevy six route(newer engine!),killer sound,nice performace,with some split manifolds,and several carbs. Ive read somewhere that they soaked\coated the shitty wood in fibreglass,but dont know if its the way to go. sounds a bit unprofesional to me.. but anyway.. Good luck. Z
Looks like I have have all the sheet metal except the hood. So I don't think I will need to get any panels. I guess the first thing will be to finish up the body support frame, it is about 1/3 to 1/2 done. Sounds like the radiator will just be a matter of finding someone local to fabricate something. I keep looking and thinking about the suspension and I am really liking the idea of the parallel springs instead of the radius rods. If I lower it would it be better to cut the frame or just get a heavily dropped axle? Eric Again Thanks for the insight
if the 28 models have the radiator visible in the front(without insert),I would check if a Ford A rad fits there. I know it does in 34 grille shells.They look kinda older than mustang,and cools ok.
EricE - I have a 7" MAS drop axle in mine with small tires (5.60x15) and it STILL looks like a monster truck. I might be able to get a little more out of the springs, but probably not enough to get it looking decent. What I'll probably end up doing is either stepping the frame or moving the spring mounts to the outside of the frame and underslinging the springs (you could get about 4" of drop that way before you would need to notch the frame). It would look totally wild, but I wonder if 4" is enough. Either way would involve re-working the steering, at which point I'll likely go to a cross-steer setup. Ed
I think we're in the same boat as in trying to get the fronts lower.... I've considered the same thing as far as moving the springs, except I was thinking of moving them in-board... it would be clean, but packaging would be a bitch and the leverage of the axle may play a part in ride quality. I have also been thinking of a 1/4 eliptical spring, but I would then have to add a Ford type set-up. When I ran mine as a hiboy it looked proportionate, but when I added fenders, it looks too high in front. My last few thoughts were to section the fenders to close the gap between the top of the tire and the bottom of the fender. My fenders need work anyways, but I'm not a journeyman sheetmetal worker by anymeans.... In all actuallity, I want lowered look, but I want it high enough off the ground that I can actually drive it with scraping all the time. I feel that as long as wheel fills the fender, it looks good, I don't think actual heighth (a pack of smokes high) is important.
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