Dan. I'm so glad to see that you decided to go for it yourself! Putting something seriously tweaked back together again is big time tedious and time consuming, but not magic. It's looking sooo good at this point!
Sorry to hear your having all the problems with the A-holes. I had the same issues with the knucklehead in Colorado I ordered a chassis and parts from, plus lied to about body condition from guy I bought body, just like you, never got paid for body panels from the company in Texas, etc etc. Those kinds of issues add considerable time/cash to a project. I love what you've done to the 34, it look great. The extra cash you throw at these things when thieves take from you means you have much more in the car than you planned for. Regardless, even with all the misfortune, you'll have a killer ride some day. Subscribed. BOutlaw
That's a really great looking coupe build you have going. That's a weird deal on the Don Smart situation. I know there was a HAMB thread on him. He has his fans that will post pics of his panels and he also has a few that obviously are not fans. I spoke with him a couple years ago as I was trying to buy some 34 panels. Very nice guy and knowledgeable about 33-34's. We talked quite awhile and hit it off, but I wasn't able to get a price out of him either on the phone, or by mail after he asked me to buy a set of photos of his panels which I did.
thequietone I manufactured the front crossmember. It is in the stock location but is level with the top of the frame. That lowers the front end 4". The axle is moved forward 4 1/2 inches and the spring is mounted to the wish bones which lowers the front more. I'm running a stock V/8 60 front axle (not dropped). I had to move the motor back to clear the raised crossmember which means cutting the firewall. The radiator mounts are raised 3 3/4". I have a 4 1/4" shorter Walker radiator because when doing this on a 33/34 the axle is directly beneath it. I bobbed the forward frame horns. It isn't pinched because I want to use the stock inner fender panels, hood & grill. When considering doing something like this, think about how much easier and faster it would be to put your car together in the stock configuration and how damn good they look that way. What I'm doing, most people will never see or appreciate. You do it for yourself. Of course it's always fun to stand back and watch as some knowitall tells his friends how easy it is to put one of those KIT CARS together. Love your 32 - the one in my avatar is full fendered now. Good Luck Brother
HRP, there is a lot more to this story. I have been getting PM's from others with a similar and "worse" problem. I'm not going to forward their stories, that is up to them. I just hope no one sends money to this guy thinking they are going to get anything sent back. It probably won't happen. If he repairs these issues with all conserned, I'll be glad to post that as well.
Good news - Don Smart did the right thing. Dropped off the Q panels at the shipper and they are on the way. I don't need them anymore but at least it isn't a $2200 loss. I understand he is also contacting others concerning their parts as well. Was this due to the posts on the HAMB? No hard feelings but as for me, he and I are done!
Wooo Hoooo! Glad to hear that they are on their way! I know that was a horrible weight on your mind, and I'm glad it's done. I'm sure there is another H.A.M.B.er out there in your neck of the woods that'll need them, too.
Looks great ! And sorry to read of your "smart" troubles, that's a fucking shame. Any way- yes that's a lot of work not to many go thru. It's a whole bunch of jockeying everything around to get it to work. Just curios what's the ground clearance at the grille chin? I often wondered and asked myself "why in the world would guys swap their 33/34 grills out for something else?". I see now Most have been worked for a lowered stance and that puts the stock grill chin about 1" into the ground at ride height- At least that's what I realized while straightening out mine. Not that a 32 grille ( most common) on them looks bad or a track nose- its just another hotroding observation. I'm struggling with this myself having this discussion in my head right now. Again , Looks great !!
Same car before chop and paint but after channel and chassis mods. The chin is on the ground in the pic
That is one bass ass 33. I love the profile. You done good! The way I see it, everything is compromise. I set the front end up so that the grill is the height of a pack of Lucky Strikes off the ground. I like them with other grills too ( 32 / track nose) but for me, it's gotta have the stock appearing front end. So I do what I gotta do and pay the price. If I ding the grill I'll fix it.
Let the squashing begin. I have it down 6" in the front and about 5" in the rear. It looks really severe when I put the door tops in place. I still have some tweeking to do but I think I like where it's at. The lower rear corners of the roof will need a lot of work as you can see. Wish I had some good pieces to work with but this is where the car took the biggest hit when the shed fell in on it.
Xman... I understand what you are saying, & am still planning to do very similar. The end justifies the means. Love the chop...please keep the pics coming. That green one showed in the above pics was built by Ricky Bobby...it actually has a 32 frame under it. I've always liked that car as well... Sam
your car looks so mean! its a shame all the bulshit you had to go through, but its water under the bridge.. glad you atleas got the product you paid for. your building a hell of a hot rod. keep the updates coming. nice work!
Nothing looks more bad ass then a model 40 with a hard chop! Keep up the great work. I didn't see are you laying the a-posts back? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
First pic shows the roof to Q panel belt line piece that came out of the original body. This is the side with the minimal damage. The drivers side is unusable and will have to be fabricated. The second pic shows the area above the pass door. I am using a piece of 35/36 Ford sedan roof and will section it in. I'm using parts from a 33/34 4 dr roof and 35/36 2 dr roof for repair pieces. They have the same profile as the 33/34 coupe and are cheeper and easier to find.
The Jalopy Journal
