So after the holidays I will need to decide what to do with this 47 coupe. It's a complete car but in rough shape. Everyone I talk to tells me to S-10 frame it or clip it. Why can't I just rebuild the stock suspension? Redo all the brakes and make it safe? Am I missing something? Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
My Dad used to just love '46 to '48 coupes. Sometimes he'd have five or six at the same time. My favorite combination in these is retaining the stock suspension with a good rebuild, tube shocks, dropped axle, a Saginaw 525 box for steering with the stock column. A 327 with a '39 style top loader or a floor shift conversion on the stock box, stock banjo rear with 3.78's in. The car is a bit heavy for the trendy 3.54's. The right size rubber on stock steelies, 15" Merc wheels are even cooler. French the headlights and tailights, punch every inch of the hood full of louvers! Even cooler with 2 1/2" out the top, but not neccesary. A mild dechrome and my favorite color on these, Nassau Blue Iridescent. A white and black tuck and roll and it's 1960 all over again. You might notice, I have a soft spot for them too!
Do not put it on an S-10 frame. I would also be hesitant on clipping it. Mustang II or stock but dropped front suspension. Just my $.02
Wow. There's a lot of ideas. Didn't think of louvres in the hood. I have already decided to not chop. A bit over my head and it would be biting off more than I can chew. The car comes with a flathead but I am thinking about not using it. I already have one flathead and wouldn't mind a bit more hp on this one. Though I'm reluctant to go SBC... Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Some pictures would be helpful, but as the other guys have already siad - rebuild what you have sounds like a good plan.
Thanks. I think I've already decided to stick with the stock suspension. I don't really want to drive a mustang II. Now I just need to decide on an engine. I'm leaning toward a 289 I think. I'm afraid I won't be as happy with another flathead. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
You can find more info in my build thread but I run a stock front axle with a reverse eye 3 inch drop posie slider leaf with 3 inch shackles and parallel spring set up in the back and it honestly rides like a nearly new car on the highway. Could use a little quicker steering for in town slow turns but it's fine as is. With stock seats I put 700 miles on it in about 5 or 6 weeks and not once did I think it road or handled bad. Or get soar from sitting for hours. I'd say unless you want it realy low do stock front end. A shorter front tire, drop axle and steering arms and you get it down a couple more inches but don't expect to be knocking soda cans over. A strong hell no to the s-10 frame
For the life of me I just don't understand the attraction to S-10 running gears. I had a new one in the 80's and thought it was a POS.
Oh, and the sbc drops in like it was made for the car with chassis eng mounts but trans clearance is VERY tight. If I were to do it again I'd go with a manual and move the master cylinders from under the floor to the firewall. It's a big car... Except in the engine bay and underneath, it gets very tight very fast.
Just like how I feel about mustang II. I realize the ease of aftermarket parts. I'm glad to hear I can drop a bit with springs. I think I'll leave the stock axle alone Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
With some help from a few friends I did the S10 frame swap on mine. It is cheap, and it works very well if you want better handling at high speed, but be warned: If your plan for it includes ever trying to sell it then I would not do the swap. At least 1/2 of potential buyers will be totally put off by the swap. Basically if your not going to drive it over 70 mph and don't mind having small exhaust system, difficult transmission fit up, etc, then the factory frame works just fine. If you want a blown big block with 7" setback, TH400, 4" exhaust over the axle, etc... the factory frame doesn't work very well.
That's a good point about resale. I hadn't thought of that. Of course that probably because I only seem to be able to buy and not sell. There won't be any 700hp big block so it sounds like the stock suspension will work. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
#1 don't put it on a S-10 frame,,you can rework the frame that's under the car. #2 refer to # 1,,,you are not missing anything but everyone that are telling you to use the S-10 frame are. HRP
my '47 Ford Coupe had dearched, reversed eye stock spring pack with two leaves removed 2nd & 4th (?) from top, Tokico shocks (better than Monroe,etc)that were for the rear of early 60's Corvette. it was the lowest could go and still be able to turn wheels without tires (205/65/15) rubbing. had standard stabilizer bar , and another stock cross bar that can not remember name of right now. used new 3" lowered parallel leaf springs on rear.
Thanks HRP for your two rules. I will follow them. I think I'll do as jalopy joker has described. Now to decide a drivetrain! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Blanket statements are rarely accurate. The stock 46 frame isn't well suited to larger engines or transmissions, it was designed for a 100 hp flathead at ~65 mph max. In hindsight it is somewhat surprising that I never wrecked mine with the stock steering & brakes powered by a fairly weak 350/4 speed. Later, when I had a 460/c-6 in the stock frame, the front pulley was less than 1/2" away from the radiator, headers wouldn't fit inside the frame rails, etc... The stock brake system is barely capable of stopping the car from 100 mph in the shutdown section of a typical dragstrip. The stock frame won't fit a 28x10.5" slick inside the fenders... Compare that to the stock G-body / S10 front suspension parts common on drag cars running low 9's @ 150. With a 120 hp flathead the stock frame & suspension will be fine, but it is certainly not a good choice for everyone. It was before my time, but I suspect lots of gassers crashed...
When I built my 47 convert I bent up new channels for the front legs of the X, tacked them in behind the existing legs, and then trimmed the old original ones out. The net result was moving the legs back about 2.5". This created more room for a TH350, more room for exhaust, and I was still able to use a under floor MC set-up. I had this car set-up with M-II that was raised up one inch, parallel leaf rear set-up with ant-roll bars on both ends. The car handled really nice. Doing it again I would run an I-beam, super-low spring, and maybe even a dropped front crossmember. Post up some pics. Good luck!
Check out the latest R&C. Its not a feature car, but near the back. It is a 46 coupe. It caught my eye right away. It is pictures from back in the 50's or 60's. Anyways, i love the look. It would be simple to attain. You may want to check it out.
Stick with the stock frame, upgrade the brakes, install an 8 or 9 inch, drop in a good 302/c4 and drive. Dunno how many cars I walked away from that were clipped, swapped. Chevy 350.... no way.
....and if you want to keep it traditional, instead of a 289 run a 292 Y-block, that would look really cool under the hood!
I change my status..... I agree with Roadsir 100%.... forget the 289/302.... Y block for sure, even stock sound great. No grumbling about dependability or parts from anyone..... its all Bunga Bunga. I have a Y block in a 54 Ford, logged thousands of problem free miles on it, Maiden voyage after being driven about 5 miles in 3 years was from Miami to Cleveland. Water pump did start leaking, about 2 years later, Autozone had one for me in a day for $27.
One of the things I have been thinking about is modifying or flatening the front crossmember. We really only gain 2" of drop with a 4" axle because the stock axle allready has a drop in it. Speedway Motors gets $450 for a Magnum axle... It's hardly worth it. So if we take a high speed grinder and cut the top out of the crossmember, then fab in a new top plate raised 3" we have gained the equivlent of a new axle and reversed eye spring. My concern is the potential interference between the frame and the wishbone as the car rides. I know Speedway sells a raised crossmember, but knocking those rivits out is tough with the front sheet metal on. Besides it's bought as opposed to made.
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