Projects 30 Ford coupe build

I've never bought anything from them, but my friend has them build the third members for his stock car. They started out small years ago and have really grown over the decades. Must be doing something right.

 

Been slowly chipping away at small tasks now that fall is here and the camaro is put away. Got the mid mount frame mounts finished and welded solid. Picked up a cooler for the tranny and fabbed up some mounts. Didn’t want to mount it to the frame side as I will be running the fuel lines and battery cable on that side of the frame. Fabbed up a shield for the fuel pump, got the bottom rad hose trimmed to fit. Used a 55-57 lower rad hose and had to cut it down a bunch to make it work. Got the gas pedal mounted and did all the seam sealing on the firewall. Scored me some NOS Wittek hose clamps for the fuel lines and heater hoses. Super stoked about that little find. Inching closer to finishing all the stuff needed before it’s time to go to paint. Saving my pennies for that!




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Looking good!

 

Just Kidding...Good Job Fitness...when you start that thing up there will be seismic waves generated in BC...

 

Coming down the home stretch Fitnessguy! She's coming along real nice!

 

Thanks man, ya been a fun journey. Cool looking coupe in your avatar. would love to see more pics, shoot me a PM with some if you have em

 

Gotta better idea - Under my avatar, click on 31chevymike. Click on my user id again and it will bring you to my profile page. From there, you'll see Albums on the list and you'll be able to get a neat history on my '31! LONG LIVE 5 WINDOW COUPES!!!!

 

I'll be setting up a build thread of my own soon enough. Watched your build from the start!

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Hey James ... what was this magic spray and where did you find it?

 

This is the product. Got it at Lordco. Works like a hot damn!!




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Glad this stripper is working good, I'm using POR-15 gel paint stripper/remover and is working well, only one layer at a time. What did you say you were using the stripper on?

 

Thanks ... I'll be all over that like a fat kid on a hot dog. Worked for 2 hours with a heat gun and got about 1/2 of one door done. This looks less labor intensive

 

I used it to strip the old original underlay that was sprayed on the inside of the doors on the coupe.



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I think it almost works like oven cleaner. When you spray it on it sort of foams and bubbles up and within a couple minutes you can scrape the material off no problem. Thank god for toxic chemicals! Ha ha ha


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Hey Fitness you putting accessory swim fins on the Ole Hotrod?..Watcha bolting and unbolting we needs an update...

 

Weeeeeeeell I ordered up the upholstery for the seat today! Got a bunch of little stuff done yesterday. Pulled the front suspension off and finished welding in the mounting bracket for the so cal steering dampener. Finish welded the motor mounts, welded in the notch that I had to make on the crossmember to clear the tranny. Painted up all the frame work that I have done. Put in the new kingpin keepers and spindle stops. Just marking stuff off the list getting ready to give the car over to paint jail. I started staring at the perfect original paint colour on the studebaker trunk of my Dad’s that I have stored at my store and the more I looked at it the more I love the colour!! Not sure if you would call it a maroon but it’s pretty darn close. Gonna bring it to my painter and see if we can maybe get it matched. Pretty sure I might go with that colour if possible. We shall see. That enough of an update for you?! Ha ha Going to drop the rearend this weekend so I can mount the bumpstops and pull the centre section. Will be putting in a posi unit and throw a set of 4.11’s in there which I still have to order. Getting closer...




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Keep up the great work Fitness! Working my way down to a bare chassis on mine.

 

If anyone recognizes that studebaker colour let me know. I think it may be “holiday red”?


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Yes...Busy Beaver...
but what about the swim fins...
heck maybe now its snow shoes...

Looks like the pin is going to be pulled on the springs soon...I think I may need stops as well.
the tires hit the wishbones and steering depending on direction turned.

Looking good...Fitness



Hey I did not mention that also since the So Cal damper (wished I got the chrome one) was added I have not had one incident of DW and it was a problem with my car big time between 40-60kph. I will add the alignment was adjusted as well and I believe he said 0 for toe. This Mechanic was not a old ford guy but was a European racer mechanic and she rides true and again no DW.

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Hey Stogy, the steering damper is a good idea, thinking I was going to add one. But I like the idea of going with a front chromed panhard bar to make sure she wont bump steer, eliminating that infamous tire wobble. Also, I thought that dropped axles always should have toe-in, so as the car increases speed, the tires start to turn out as I guess to zero or tires become straight...

 

ChevyMike this has been argued up and down...here...I have tried many things suggested with negative results and I had a 250 mile jaunt so I bit in and had it done. My axles not dropped and as eluded many times I may be bandaiding the real problem but these two options eased something that nothing short of freaked me out. There is a distinct shortage of mechanics that I trust with this old machine...This guy did it for me and it really has been trouble free. You are right there are several options to address this...@Fitnessguy has taken both. Its bad enough having a death wobble with the weight of a smallblock on the front end...imagine with a 409...

 

The panhard bar front and rear is a no brainer in my opinion. In regards to the steering damp. U see them in so many applications like the panhard, why not have it? Heard a few guys say that and the panhard bar makes the front end too busy which makes zero sense to me. When u have the grille shell, motor and everything else there guys ain’t looking down at the suspension parts! Especially when there’s a sweet 409 with two fours and lake headers hangin off her!


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This is always the argument and I understand the feelings about these more modern ride enhancers that may have even been a part of some or many period vehicles original equipment. What I mean by that is the evolution of speed /hotrod evolved without these attachments. I would suspect that if a guy or gal has the genius of understanding as Henry did how to set up the type of suspension we love under the Hotrod it works without the stuff we are adding ie. panhard and damper.
I think the genius of that understanding doesn't come easy and a chosen few...many of who are members here know or know someone who gets it. This is Vintage Science...I don't have a bottomless pit of money to pay exorbitant prices to replace all the components to nail the problem and many have only to resort to the above mentioned which may be part of finding the problem sometimes due to a lack of knowledge of the suspension by mechanics who really don't get it and like money.

Lots of period racing and speed runs were and continue to be done using just Henry's finest set up like a Swiss Watch well into the 200 mph range (I know it's not just a Ford thing) but there are other things available and it easily compensates for a front end that has an elusive minor issue.

Your right Fitness your setup is gonna have a substantial roof over it.
I don't like the look of it but it gives me a quality drive right now and maybe
someday I will find a trustworthy reasonable technical person to nail the reason.

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Good day in the shop today. Dropped the rearend so I could install the bumpstops. Will be pulling the centre section as well to install the new gears and posi. Pulled the exhaust all off and finished ground so they are ready to take to get ceramic coated. Just keep stroking off items on the to do list!



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Well this came in the mail today... I can claim to be cool now! Ha ha ha Was pretty stoked when the publisher Terry, who I have got to know a little over the last few years, asked if he could put my build in his mag. Anyone that hasn’t checked out CHR magazine should! Terry is a great guy that has his own cars including a kick ass Ford wagon race car and turns all his own wrenches and continues to promote the hobby north of the 49th!




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How cool is this - you've got a great spread in a neat mag and you're not even on the road yet! You're Model A is coming together great Fitnessguy!

 

Thanks man, ya it’s a pretty cool deal. Should mention Mr. Norwell did the artwork on the cover of this issue. CHR always does a cool cover like this for the December issue.


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