Hot Rods 34 Ford pickup daily driver build thread---UP DATE---

Well, Ive always wanted a 32-4 Ford pickup-to drive daily. So about 3 months ago I found one on C-list in Michigan. It had a 38 Ford flathead in it and juice brakes. After striking up a deal and agreeing to pick the truck up on Saturday morning; Friday after work I went to bed so I could be up by 2 AM to leave and get the truck (6 hours away) I got there by 8 in the morning. When I got there I was greeted by an 80 some year old man named Dick , retired iron worker. He's owned this truck since 1967. In a pic below he’s getting one last shot of him with his project never finished because life happened. I hauled it off about 2 hours later because he offered me a cup of coffee and a bunch of cool stories. The truck wasn’t in too bad of shape…but the frame was shot behind the cab, I thought it might break on the 6 hour trip so I tied it to the trailer a little differently than I normally would. About an hour into the trip I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the bed was at a weird angle and thought “that damn frame broke!” So I pulled over…the frame was fine but what I didn’t know was that the bed wasn’t bolted down! It almost flew off! Didn’t have any more tie down straps so I took one off the truck to hold the bed on. – off again. Well the trip went fine until I got 2 hours away from home –looked in the rear view mirror and saw the bed was at a weird angle again “damn the beds about to fly off again!” pulled over and got out…wasn’t the bed this time….the frame broke in half just as I thought it might. It was still on the trailer ok so I took off again and got home. –it sucks getting a vehicle OFF of a trailer that is shaped like a V !!!

The whole idea behind this truck is its going to be used for my daily driver, so there’s not going to be any crazy rare speed equipment or cool stuff like that, just keeping it simple with a 350/350 and 9 inch. Its going to be full fendered with a hood and full length bed, no chop either. I plan on using it as a truck too, if I need to get an engine or car parts I just hop in the 34 and go get it

After getting the thing disassembled I decided to have a couple friends of mine at Dropped Axle Productions in Cincinnati build me a chassis for it-as well as most of the fabrication work and rust repair. Those dudes can build a HOT ROD : Jack Strunk (owner of Dropped Axle Productions; Jacks been building cars since the 60’s), 32CoupeDeville here on the hamb (jacks son), and Josh Highly all are working on it. They started with American stamping rails and used the original front and rear crossmember from the 34, and flattened them. A mono leaf sprung superbell axle up front and a 9 inch out back. Its going to be slammed, the 550’s up front will be tucked in the fenders. After they get done with all the hard stuff Im going to do all the easy stuff in my garage…paint, wiring, brake lines…all that stuff. (im making this as easy on me as I can…it would take me 10 years to do a complete build if not) Not sure how far im going to go with the paint but it will be rolling on 49-51 mercury wheels whitewalls-with a tire rake. Heres a couple of shots of me picking the truck up, tear down, and build.

 

The frame part sucks!! But I'm sure knowing you got the truck made it a little easier to bear.. I'll be watching this one.

 

I'm really starting to want a 32-34 pickup for a DD too. I'll be watching.

 

more pics of teardown and of the new frame....you can see the crossmembers have been flattened. That is ride height! Dropped Axle Productions makes that tube crossmember.

 

Heres when I took the cab down to them in the back of my S10...you can accomplish anything with an S10 and enough tiedown straps. I got some wierd looks flyin down the highway. Then a shot of the cab on the new frame....

 

Here is a shot from a few hours ago, they got the engine and trans mounted, the firewall finished, a spot on the cab corner that had alittle rust, and the floor mostly done. They also got the bed on (had to make a new bed crossmember and fix a lot of stuff that was wrong with the bed-it was pretty beat) you can see how its going to sit, im going to run alot taller back tires, but its gonna look rad. You can get an idea of how fast these guys work, it hasnt been that long. Like I said I picked the truck up 3 months ago. If everything goes as planned it hopefully will be running by summer. My causin owes me a big favor and is going to let me use his powdercoat booth to do the chassis and all the suspension. Its moving along.

 

yeah it sucked alittle, I was hoping the frame would have been usable but I just figured, I was buying the sheet metal...not a frame (you can get a frame easy...not 34 Ford trucks) The main part that sucked was getting it off the trailer...the running boards were touching the trailer. And it was late and no one was with me, so I had to walk the thing off with a 2x4 by shoving it under it .....took forever; I even broke a sweat

 

Nice looking truck so far, where in Michigan was it? Never saw that one, Damn!

 

It was in Muskegan

 

I keep trying to read your posts but get distracted by your avatar!!

 

I said it before and I'll say it again, I love these trucks.
Good start, and got lot's done so far.
Congrats.

 

All the early V8 pickups from 33-41 have the same trouble with the frames rotting away in the groove between the rear of the X-member and the frame rail. Dirt, cowcrap, whatever pack up in there and hold any moisture around until the steel gives way under power or old age. Nothing unusual about that damage at all.

 

i like 34s.......looking good...

 

Great start - love those trucks.

Mart.

 

....Good lookin truck......done a lot of work in the last 3 months

 

Great start. Awesome project! I have a '34 I'm doing as a DD also. Subscribed!

 

Love it, you're in good hands with Jack and Drew.

 

Congrats! Glad to see another one of these that will be put back on the road again. Subscribed!

 

Very cool, looks like it's coming together nicely.

 

The truck is really taking shape,,gotta love those 32-34 Ford trucks. HRP

 

I'm working on a 32, and have been since I brought it home back in June last year. You seem to be ahead of me at this point. This is my first 30s era vehicle and I am learning a little at a time. Mine wasn't nearly as complete as yours, so I've had to scrounge up a lot of parts. I too am going with a SBC, 700R4, and 9 inch. I am the 3rd guy to tackle this truck, and there were plenty of miss steps proceeding my involvement. Therefore, I have been re-doing much of what had already been done, like I said before, I've been learning. I am going to subscribe to your thread, great job so far, keep us posted.

Bill

 

Kickass Steve, looks like it'll be a fun hauler!

 

Love it! course im bias.
Keep us update, Love to watch these come together.

 

I don't think I've ever seen such a dent free cab. I also like the way the doors line up...so that's what it supposed to look like. It should work as a daily quite well..keep up the good work!

 

That truck is going to be a BLAST! watching this one for sure, keep up the good work.

 

Very Cool! I miss my old 34 ..Was a hot rod that was built in 1960/61 originally.I bought it in 1991.The guy I sold it to ruined it by making a street rod.Had a 50 Merc Dash,59 Vette Running Gear, lots of fun..

 

yeah, they are the best hot rod shop around here that I know of

 

yeah thats badass, how much chop?

 

its like a wheelbarrow you can drive Ha

I just came to check out the avatar

truck looks pretty nice

 

I think it was about 3 or 3.5".. basically what I did to my 34 5 W Coupe is what I wanted to do that 34 Truck 20 years ago minus the flatty though.