Rough Concept by JOHANSON posted Oct 16, 2014 at 9:45 AM This is about what I'm looking to do, with a few added touches to make it my own. Nothing complicated.
It's rough. Very rough. That isn't how the headers will be, and there will be an exhaust pipe leading to the back. I just drew it up real quick.
So I forgot about this sprocketed half rear the guy who sold me the flathead gave to me. I'm not sure what year it is, but patmanta helped me out with it. It's a 35-48, but I'd say it's closer the '35 since the 3 speed and aluminum high rise on the motor came from about that time. (It's a 1941, it came off of the same car the distributor and heads came from. Someone ground off the spring hanger.) The block is a '46-'47, though. It still spins perfect, probably rebuilt along with the flathead ten to twenty years ago. If I gathered up a few other same model rear ends and threw them together, do you think these would be fine with the flathead? The most I'm going to do with the flathead is add a dual Offy intake, a mild torque cam, and finned heads along with the standard cooling upgrades, so it'll be by no means a performance engine. Half rear by JOHANSON posted Oct 16, 2014 at 10:37 AM And I also might be able to find scrap front end parts out at my friend's farm this weekend.
I'll handle the driveline and suspension as it comes along. I need to box the frame and reinforce it before I do anything. Wolfes Metal, right? http://www.wolfesmetalfabrication.com/ModelAboxingplates.html And do I HAVE to remove the old crossmembers to tack this on, or can I keep them original? I don't really feel as though I should move them, the frame is square. I would probably make it into a rhombus if I messed with it. And who sells a good center crossmember kit?
You should be fine boxing just the front of the frame with a mild flathead I would think. Did you get the Tardel book yet? http://www.amazon.com/Build-Traditional-Ford-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760309000 You can reach Wolfe's on the HAMB at @metalfaber also http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...40-ford-easy-weld-frame-boxing-plates.938302/ The trick for removing a crossmember and keeping square is to weld in a few sturdy pieces of tubing or angle on the top and bottom to keep it from flexing when you remove the crossmember. Have you gone through the Alliance Vendor List yet? If you join the HAMB Alliance, you get discounts. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?page_id=176 Wheel Vintiques, Coker, and So-Cal are among many on there. I personally like the So-Cal 32 style front crossmember for an easy inch of drop. They also have the "problem solver" K-member available, which might be good for you. You don't really need any of this to start mocking up though.
No, I haven't gotten the book yet. I'm waiting a bit before I do. Doesn't sound too bad. I didn't know about the vendor list until you told me, thanks! Looks good to me, I think I know about what I want to do with the frame at this point. I'll post what all I've done once I've finished boxing it.
Last night I decided to tear the 59a down a little to see whats going on inside(which it looks like someone has replaced the original lifters with what looks like Iskidarian adjustable lifters, maybe it's cammed too! ). I came across two stripped bolt holes in the block on the intake.. It looks like the last owner, who looks to have put a lot of money into this baby, drilled the threads out. Should I take it to a machine shop, or fix them myself, or pretend I didn't see them and leave the dirt dobbers to their new found homes? The lifters, notice the piece of cast iron shrapnel I found sitting on the left. Valve Lifters by JOHANSON posted Oct 31, 2014 at 3:47 PM Unidentified Shrapnel by JOHANSON posted Oct 31, 2014 at 3:47 PM
1928 serial numbers ran from #1 to #810122; 1929 #810123 to #2472695; 1930 #2742696 to #4237500; 1931 #4237501 to 4826746. The serial number is stamped on the top of the frame on the drivers side just behind the front body bolt hole. The number starts with a star and an A and ends with a star. The Tardel / Bishop book on building a V8 A is helpful, I've used it on two flathead powered A's, my avatar and the Sport Coupe I'm working on now. I was in the middle of building my T-Bird when the picture was taken and using the car as a storage area.
Where in Texas are you? I have a Model A rear with spring I sell cheap. Got some other parts but you need a body first to know if I had anything. you can see the rear end setting in front of a chassis I have at www.picturetrail.com/bartmcneill I am in Ada, OK.
Does anyone know of any wooden buck patterns for a scratch model a body? If not, I can find a cowl and design my own off of that.
Look around for Ron Covell articles, but I'm a bit confused as to why you think this is the way to go. You live in TX; there are plenty of good Model A bodies down there and driving a few hours or a whole weekend to go get one will damn sure be quicker, easier, and cheaper than fabbing one from scratch.
Before you get to buying or scrounging too many parts, take a deep breath and decide exactly what it is you want to build as has already been suggested. Otherwise you'll end up with a whole yard full of parts you can't use and no money to buy the ones you do. Good planning is the key to good hot rod building.
That's what I'm doing right now. I'm planning it out while it's cold and I can't work on it. I'm drawing everything out and seeing which route would be the cheapest. I've been keeping tabs on craigslist for bodies, but I haven't had any luck. When a body does come up, it's either sold before I can get to it, or the owner is trying to sell it for California prices. They don't realize the cost of living is about half as much as most places in the U.S., so we don't get paid as much around here. There was a body posted on craigslist a few months ago that was rusted through, missing both of the doors and trunk lid, it was riddled with bullet holes, the cowl was gone, it looked like it had been tossed around and run over, and he had it listed for 6,000. I talked to him, he wouldn't lower the price a cent, and he finally got fed up that no one would buy it for the price he wanted and called the scrap yard.
And I bet that scrap yard gave him $6.00 for it. You might call around to the local scrap yards and try to find it. They may have enough sense to hold on to it and seek a buyer rather than shred it. Does the coupester have doors? I'm actually a bit of a coupester fan myself. $1200 isn't too bad if it's complete. This time of year can be slim pickings. If you don't find something, wait until the Spring when folks are getting their winter projects done and selling their unused parts.
Either this guy doesn't like me, or he sold it. He talked to me for a few minutes over text like he still had it, and he just bluntly said 'It's sold'.
As many have learned (usually the hard way) it is sometimes better to spend a little more up front for a body than trying to fix a piece of junk. Keep looking something will show up. Charlie Stephens
That might be a player. Coupesters - roadsters made from cut-off coupes - are beginning to emerge as a "legitimate" body style for hot rods and can be very good looking if built well. Coupesters have been around forever in the hot rod world but have been looked down upon by many who consider them "red-headed step children" of real roadsters and real coupes. Do a search and see what pops up. I may be going 'way too far out on a limb here, but I predict that coupesters will become very popular in years to come. Why? Because they represent an affordable way for a guy to get into an open car AND because they can be just as good looking as a real roadster IF they are skillfully built.
He sold it. There's a guy down the road from me, I think I've talked about it before, he's got a pickup frame, full suspension, cowl, and a flathead 4. I talked to him about a drivable 52 f2 he was selling for 1200 a while back, so he might sell it for a reasonable price. Not sure what year it is, though, I haven't gotten a good look at it. It's either a late model t or an a. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
A guy I know just offered me a 28/29 Ford Tudor for 1000, the tudor has been shortened into a pickup cab. I'd like to lengthen it back into a sedan, do any of you know where to get the window panels?
You're going to need another Tudor body or at least the missing sections from one. I'm pretty sure I've never seen those reproduced commercially. You'd also need to lengthen or replace the subframe I'd suspect as well. I'd suggest you stay away from that body unless you want to build it as it is.
The guy bought it from the guy that I bought my frame from, and if I remember correctly, that is the original body for my frame. The cab looks pretty good, I would just rather have it all original(mostly). I'll see if I can find those panels somewhere. I've got a few weeks to decide what I would want to do with it.
Are you talking body or complete car? I wouldn't suggest trying to convert the body back into a sedan. Charlie Stephens
I have built 2 cars with a 170 and a 180 Harbor Freight welder. The thickest metal I've encountered was 1/4" and both welders will weld 3/8". My 41 ford front end had the spring sitting behind the axle, so I'm running a suicide front end. Made the car 4 inches longer. You can see it in this picture.
Your sketch looks like roll up windows. It actually looks like a sport coupe. I've wondered if you could take a sport coupe and make a retractable top. I hate side curtains if I live long enough to get to that point.
Good luck with your build, learn all you can from these guys before you spend money you don't need to.
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