Projects "Freakin' A" 60s hot rod drag coupe

Im lookin foward to seeing freakin A goin down the strip. Very COOL!

 

Other than a little more metal work on the body and firewall, my dad and I installed the dash.

It is a 33 Pontiac and I believe my brother got it from a HAMBer.



We modified the model A dash piece that screws to the top. My dad wants to have a cool dash pad in the car, so this piece will be the shell for that.


All fitted up. It was pretty simple since it had the right width.



We plan to use surface hinges on the trunk lid, so we used the factory trunk hinges to trick out the dash. No laying on your back in this car!


And the plate for the center.

 

This is an awesome build...When you mentioned it was like working on a model I thought of one of My Dads models built in the 60's that would be good inspiration for your build.

 

Sweet! Definitely inspiration. We are even talking about having 4 tail pipes.

 

FOld down dash is pure genius!!!!

 

We've been working on mounting the engine and transmission. A friend had this really clean '72 TH400 transmission that was supposedly out of a motor home. If that is true, it may be stronger with a lower 1st gear. We had concerns of the strength of the TH350 behind the blower. Plus our Auto Stick shifters fit TH400s.

We started by cleaning up the frame rails. I ground out a lot of welds and rewelded them. I made up some basic front engine mounts for fitting the motor.





Once things were cleaned up, we dropped in the motor and located it where we wanted it and mocked it up to check clearances. It is roughly 3 inches further back than before. I remade the dimple in the middle of the cowl deeper because we couldn't pull the Mag with blower and carb adapter on. The headers wrap around the firewall cleaner and tighter now.

 

We needed to get the car moveable as soon as possible, so the 1st order of business was to make the transmission crossmember and pull the jack stand out from under the trans.

We used the center section from the former crossmember. My dad and I came up with this fixed crossmember, of which the center is removable for easy installation and removal of the engine/trans. I had intentions to mimic the appearance and channel design of the front spring crossmember, and this design allowed for this incorporation.

I cut these plates from some 3/16 steel. The top was then boxed in with 10 gauge. Holes were drilled to allow for lines to be run through. The old man hammered the yoke shield from a piece of 10 gauge.

 

Here's a dark picture of the shifter we are using. It is a Hurst Auto Stick 1.

 

I agree! and the trans crossmember is very neat .
Cheers RM

 

That transmission crossmember is gorgeous.


iPhone - TJJ app

 

love it!

 

Sooo badass! Can't wait to see it run! Looks great, keep it up!

 

That trans crossmember is a work of art! I love the hinged Pontiac dash, too. Brilliant, man!

 

Very cool!

 

This car is just awesome. I'm a model A fan anyway, but this car is great. It just looks "right" I've subscribed to this as I look forward to seeing it finished, and hopefully you'll post a vid of it running

 

My dad and I were talking about the aerodynamics of a full fendered coupe... or the lack of. The front fenders at high speed have a potential to catch air and act like wings (a friend had this experience once upon a time and wound up in the ditch). The old man came up with the idea to punch louvers in the back side of the fenders. In theory, this should help to relieve pressure under the front fenders. Plus it looks cool.

So, we made a trip up to our friend Kerry's shop, Hopperstad Customs. He punched some 4 inch louvers in for us. Thats me holding the dummy end of the fender, and Kerry doing all the work.

 

Thanks! When it runs, there will be smokey burnout videos.

 

Rock solid Ideas and execution......Littleman

 

Love that crossmember, a work of art!

 

Thanks Littleman.

I happen to be flipping through my old magazines the day after we louvered the fenders.

This little coupe from December 1960 Hot Rod is so REALLY close to what we are doing to ours. All the similarities are totally coincidental.

 

Holy Cow .... what a crazy ride this is gonna be. Great work!

 

Those louvers are awesome. They're going to look great when you get the fenders back on. Hopefully it's just an optical illusion, but in the one pic where you buddy has his hand under the louver die, it looks like he's missing some fingers. I just thought it was kind of ironic.

 

Illinois needs more barbers.....haha....

Looking awesome man....one of my favorite "in-progress" HAMB builds...

 

He is missing his right index finger and knuckle. You wouldn't even know it by the way he works.

 

I cut about 2 1/2 inches off last week after the furnace at the foundry I work in torched a bit of it.

 

yes!!!!

 

Nice fabrication skills! Very clean and well thought out.

 

Jesus christ

 

WOW December 1960 article I would Love to see the casting number on those heads.. verry odd

 

I'm glad you're able to appreciate the LOOK of the louvers! 'Cause I'm thinking by the time the air squishes its way through those little slots, the lift potential already done happened! That loooover'd coupe in the old magazine is BITCHIN'.