Tryin' to finish dads last ride!!

GREAT intro, but sorry about the loss of Pops. Welcome to the H.A.M.B from Chicago...

 

I have actually learned quite a few things from youtube!! Theres some pretty valuable stuff on there! Would love to take a course but need more dough for that lol

 

Sorry for youre loss but thats one bad ass ride...

 

I'm don't now where you are financially but in state tuition at a community college is usually couple hundred dollars. The crappy part is books are usually more than the class. I pay around 4-5 hundered to include books for classes in my area. If you learn how to weld, doing the work yourself will save you alot of money and pay for itself in the long run. Also, once you master the art you will have a trade skill for life. just my .02

 

I sure do feel for you. My Dad's last ride in my avatar. He did not live to see it finished. Reading your post sure makes me appreciate the fact that he was ALLWAYS in my life, i am glad to have had 50 years with him. I am sure you will do justice to his memory and his car, keep it forever.

 

Speaking from experience (implying that I once did this myself and it was a mistake) you will want to change that panard bar attachment on the rear end. This was not intended for suspension attachement. You will be better off attaching it to the axle tube.

 

Hmmmm... Good idea. You think it should still be as close to the center as possible??

 

Oh this car will never leave my posession!! lol

 

OK so the floorboard is NON EXISTANT and I'm a lil lost for where to begin since this is my first endevour.... any tips or ideas?? I have everything tool wise that I need to do this with, just no idea where to start without f'n things up....

 

Only suggestion I have is research, research, research. Learn from me. I had to do many things 2 or 3 times to "get it right". The best builders around are on this site, and many are working out of a home garage. Easier said then done, but don't rush it. Good luck and keep posting pics.

 

Thanks for the advice!! Heres a few pics to get a better idea of what I'm workin with.....

I think I may start a new thread to show progression so far... KEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR IT!!!

 

All I can say is templates, templates , templates.....make good cardboard , or preferably , posterboard templates, check them for fit , mark adjustments on them , make new ones until there perfect...and make ALL the floor pan parts that you need & fit them together...in cardboard/posterboard...add any structure you will need to mount the seat/seatbelts to , beforehand as well, & a drive shaft hoop or 2 wouldn't hurt as well ..cause it is scary when one tries to come thu the floor to get ya'...I suspect you will be doing steel floor board & not the wood originals...so I would make them out of some 18-20 ga steel...a few tastefull beads here & there, and it will be perfect...and then this fourm has more sheetmetal tips...http://metalmeet.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=5....Hope this helps ..Shawn
PS...Really spend some time planning all the things you need to do....like adding some driveshaft hoops ...seat attachments,and will they need crossmembers???do I need structure to bolt the shifter to???what kind of body mounts and where??I would also get the major repair on the body done before putting in the floor....but that is just me...I am not saying finish body work...just panel repair/replacement/modification ready for dough /lead...I would also mock-up all my brake & fuel lines and how to conceal them or make them look super clean....it is all easy without the floor/body , not so much afterward...Just a few thoughts...Shawn

 

Here is how Kisam is doing hers. Maybe this will give you some ideas.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=420970&page=13

 

lOOKS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS. FOR THE FLOOR I WOULD START BY MAKING PATTERNS WITH A PIECE OF CARDBOARD, YOU CAN DO IT IN SECTIONS AND MASKING TAPE THEM TOGETHER, USE 1" SPACERS ON TOP OF THE FRAME TO ALLOW FOR YOUR RUBBER CUSHION BLOCKS THAT YOU'LL NEED WHEN YOU MOUNT THE BODY TO THE FRAME WHEN THE FLOOR IS WELDED IN PLACE. ONCE YOU GET THE MAIN FLOOR IN PLACE YOU CAN MOVE TO THE TRANS HUMP, AND THE SEAT BASE FRAME WITH THE SAME SYSTEM, I WOULD DO IT IN STEEL, NOT PLYWOOD. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PROJECT. i BET YOUR DAD IS LOOKING DOWN FROM ABOVE WITH A SMILE..

 

shawnspeed has put up a great start! take a look at that link to kisams floor - specifically the one with the sub-structure. Sure, you dont have to have that much support, but usually it will only help. The more support you have, the easier it is to get away with larger floor pieces and fewer bead rolls. Also, less warpage from weld seams. PLAN AHEAD for all your needs - once you put that floor in things get much harder. Where will your seats bolt? Seat belts? How will you remove the body? etc... one of these days i'm going to make an excel sheet that has every part of the body you need to have accounted for BEFORE you start building - as unexciting as that is, planning ahead is your best bet.

Also, keep in mind that while you can build the floor, what will you secure it to? Looks like you have some pretty significant holes to deal with before you have any good surfaces to secure a floor to. The lower doorsill/rocker panel/frame support should be a starting point. once that is intact and strong, then the floor can go to it, and the body securely on the other side. hard to strap the stockings to the garter if there is no garter...

 

The panard should be as long as possible, and mounted as close to the axle level as possible. Yes, that is ideal and it doesnt always work, but the idea is that it prevents the back and forth motion by allowing an axis of swing that is as gradual (little) as possible. shoot me a pm if that doesnt make sense, i might be able to come up with a picture or two

 

No, being close to the center isn't a requirement for that setup to work. Research some other similar rear suspension designs.

 

Soooooo, its been almost 2 years to the date since I last logged on to the H.A.M.B....
Been a lot of personal shtuff that put a halt to Dads Last Ride.
I no longer live in Watertown and now live in Janesville Wi. And I dont have a garage anymore so my ride is parked in a friends garage. I need to find somewhere I can work on it. It shoulda been done by now. :/

 

Soooooo, its been almost 2 years to the date since I last logged on to the H.A.M.B....
Been a lot of personal shtuff that put a halt to Dads Last Ride.
I no longer live in Watertown and now live in Janesville Wi. And I dont have a garage anymore so my ride is parked in a friends garage. I need to find somewhere I can work on it. It shoulda been done by now. :/

 

Good luck with the project. Do your dad proud!!

 

Good to see you back. I wondered what happened when I didn't see any updates. Take your time finding a new place to work on your car. Make sure you have all of the support elements, secure shelter, heat, lights/electricity (enough to cover welding requirements), location (not too far away that you spend most of your hot rod time traveling to and from). Remember, this car will be with you the rest of your life, no need to rush anything you'll regret later.

Frank

 

Yeah with all the shtuff goin on in life and now a little rodder on the way, its been hard to find time. I DID find a temp home for Dads Last Ride though. I love my friends.

 

It would be really cool if Dads Last Ride was used to pick up the new little rodder, a memory cherished for a lifetime............