Projects Im getting Married! Project 46 ford begins!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=704846

new question on some front end issues if you want to check it out...

 

cool car looking forward to seeing you progress ! Best of luck all the ways around

 

alright quick update!



people always like photos but running brake and gas lines isn't that glamorous so this is what i saw all "weekend" when i wasn't looking under the car.

Basicly what got done was finishing mounting the brake lines, I had a couple holes left to drill, some short mc to prop valve lines to make etc.



took a brake to stretch my legs and walked around, then got going on fuel lines. I ran all the way from the carb to about 30 inches short of the gas tank. got them all bent, all the holes drilled and everything clamped in place. mounted the pre pump filter, the pump and another filter further up towards the firewall.

I didn't run brakes or fuel past the rear axle as I figure it'll be much easier once the front end of the car is back bolted in and I can jack up the rear and pull a tire to get at them. all the holes are drilled and the lines made to length so it should go quick.



loaded up the front seat and took it to my Dad, he's going to get it cleaned up better for me during the next week or two so I can focus on other areas as KKOA is growing nearer and nearer. I also got my steering column and shifter, shifter tube etc painted. its rattle can shiney black but seeing as most of its under the dash I figured it would be alright.

The cars' interior seems to originally been a funny tan color so the garnish moldings and column etc looked way worse for were then they actually were because they weren't worn out to tan, they were just always that color.

My front end hasn't been re welded yet as the weldor fried his eyeballs accidently and thus rendered him pretty much blind for a couple days. should be good to go this next weekend though hopefully.

and on the note of front ends! mines straight and square as the rest of the frame and this...




is my trouble maker!

see more on my 'head scratcher" thread

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=704846&page=2

fingers crossed i get the front end installed next weekend, the front spring installed, and then i'll dive into the disc brake swap. if i have some extra time, which at this point i doubt ill paint and install the new gas tank with sender etc and try to finished up all the plumbing. if the front end isnt ready by next weekend ill pout and then replace it on the to do list with mounting the new radiator.

stay tuned for more updates as the happen

 

May I suggest wiring all the coil springs together across their tops, then wire burlap or thin high density foam to the top of the base. This will help get rid of the springiness on the coils. You can also stuff foam into the individual coils to help dampen their effect. Helped on mine when I had the original seat in it.

 

Cool thanx for the idea, I had planed on the foam but the wiring is a good thought.

 

Started another thread about it but to you 41-48 guys how are you running
Your driverside exhaust pipes to get around pedals/mc/steering gear when running duals?

 

So you're the one that bought that damn car before I could!?!? I was 3 days late! Enjoy it man!

 

Haha,yup. It's right off the interstate with the Hamb drags that near I thought for sure someone would stop and snag it. But the guy kept his word and held it for us

 

Usually he has a bunch of crap there, but that was one of the few cars that I really wanted from him. That and those airstream trailers he has.

 

Alright its update time

Got slowed down a little by the heat, the shop thermometer showed 107 at 2pm so i figured id call it a day and find something better to do.... like jumping into the pool haha.



so day 1:

*got the dash back in save for some screws that also hold the windshield molding in
*installed the blinker switch to the column
*installed voltage regulator
*installed drivers side rear view mirror
*mocked up radiator and made mounts
*made a new carb end fuel line and installed
*finished installing fuel filter
*primed and painted new gas tank
*tore out some more old wiring and cleaned the inner side of the firewall more
*measured fuel gauge sender and got a little confused.
*paint center rear view mirror
*haul the frontseat down stairs and started tearing into that
*clearanced holes in front spring mounts U bolt pad.



feels good crossing things off the list! wish there wasnt a second page!



upside of the heat is this roll of duct tape is suuuuuuuuuuper sticky and making for a great set of extra hands!



i dont know what speedways radiator mounts are supposed to go to but its not this. so i grabbed some flat stock.

~dont mind all the extra fittings on that line on the firewall, i need to swap the bolted ones for the lose ones later and didnt want to lose them



made a little tab of cardboard for each mount. i know how things can be a lil different side to side so i figured id play it safe



mocked up i marked everything with some soap stone and got ready to measure for mounts.



you can see that the lower mounts have a little step in them to account for the shape of the stock brake im bolting to.



transferred



fancy drill press...yes we are registered at home depot for the wedding if some one wants to buy me an actual drill press for a wedding gift haha



nipped the corners with a grinder quick



and knocked them into correct shape with my favorite giant king pin from a tractor



prime and paint



halfway installed checking to see how the shield/cover clears. looks good!



there is a motor in there i swear! hmm looks like room for a blower under that hood though..

Day 2:

I ran around getting nuts and bolts and talking to the guy whos working on my wishbones to make sure we get it done by next weekend, and it was hoooooooooot.

so all i really got done was finishing up the rad install, i ran short on bolts and the stores 6 miles one way away from me so it wasnt 100% done last night. i mounted the aluminum early mustang radiator to the stock radiator 'yoke' putting the flange even with the side of the yoke closest to the front of the car and it fit pretty much perfect. the old rad was bolted solid to this piece so i think it aught to be just fine. i used some fat washers on both sides of the bolts where possible and 1/8 inch thick rubber pad in between the flange and the yoke to soak a little of that vibration up.

after that i got the stock cross bar that runs between the fenders between the rad and the grill back in and measured for hoses. I then made sure i had enough new screws for the windshield garnish molding and bolted the new mounts to the gas tank with the padding included. I wanted to make sure that i didnt lose a fitting and to make sure that i had enough bolts. I didnt. ha...

Either was i was going to install the gas tank and the battery tray also this afternoon but i found that no way was the bat going to fit upfront so i admitted defeat and started setting up to run it in the trunk. I'll need to drill some holes for the battery box and figure that was best done with the brand new gas tank not in harms way so until next weekend when i have a box and a long ass cable it'll wait.




and that more or less is what i got done other then being hot enough to have sweat raining out of my beard lol.

next sat-mon night plan:
Sat night: roll the front suspension back under the car and attach wishbones
Sun: heat and straighten out spring perches to square and install new shackles and reversed slider spring. Tear off old brakes and swap on the new disk set up. attach the brake hoses to the rest of the system.
Monday: Install battery, alternator, rad hoses, tail lights, head lights and wire the car!

in any make believe spare time aka the following weekend, ill put the gas tank in and connect all the lines back there now that the rear will be able to go in the air with the front on the ground. go threw the brakes and bend my brake pedal. run trans cooler lines, do an oil change and all the other little stuff im forgetting.

still feeling pretty on track for having the car in salina.

i'll keep you posted obviously.

oh! and i installed a limeworks shift linkage from my stock column to the th35. was pretty simple outside of all the heat i was working in but as an odd side not when i was pushing the shifter around to get things sorted i bumped it with my head sitting up and nocked it all the way to the drivers side!

now the shifter functions normaly and has the same range of motion just on the left! i trying to get it back to the other side but no way is it rotating back. figure there's a pin or something in there that got tweaked when i hit my head and put it over to the other side and it will only let motion go one way like the latch on a door knob. either way it works just fine and now i have my right arm free to keep around my girl as is traditional right

 

oh! and I came home from working on the car for the weekend and Sarah had brought home a pair of long blue smithys for the car! super stoked to hear it rumble now

 

this weekends thrash started late late saturday night after unloading a 28 foot long uhaul truck full of, well my brothers house haha.



with the front re welded i got the front end under the car and the wishbones, now radius rods? connected to the X member to get it all adjusted and sitting were its supposed to go.



this guy seemed bound and determined to help me push every single bolt, but pushing his head against the hand holding the wrench. so helpful right?



after helping him unload the truck my brother Jon came by the help me get the front spring and hangers installed so i could get everything squared up and situated



smile for the hamb!

it took 4 hours alot of hammering, a call to Rocky, alot of heat and some burns we got the bearings out of the spring hangers on the wishbone side so we could put the new shackles etc in.

I thought this would take like 5 minutes and thus being soooooo wrong my schedule went out the window.

before he came out i got the new radiator hoses, belts, thermostate and housing and trans cooler lines run and the fan and alternator mocked up. I also got a bunch of measuring done. i was out there from 5 am to midnite, was a long day.



after he left i got the trans dip stick mounted to the motor so itd stop wiggling around, got the engine to frame ground strap on and installed the alternator. I had to kinda juggle it around and make a few attemps but i ended up making 2 or 3 different trys at a lower mount for it to get it where i wanted it to sit. It probably needs a little more rigidness but ill wait and see before i spend any more time on it.



got dinner and went back out to mount the front spring, those U bolts are a beast to work with :S also its a pain in the ass doing this alone with a 9 billion deg light pointed on you but with some swearing and bleeding i made it happen.



i ended up wtih 2 inch shackles from speedway, how im not realy positive, and even though the stock ones are almost double that i thought id seen ppl using them so i figured id give it a go. it fit fine on the drivers side but the passenger side the spring hits the pan hard bar mount before itd let it bolt together. oh well ill get some 4 inchers made up and everything should be easy peasy. and about a 1/4 inch lower then stock as a perk. looks like i should be able to run a 27 ish inch tall tire all around and have about a 1-2 inch nose down rake.



day two! pull the old brakes off



greassy!



one..



and two. came off real easy and they are totaly complete and in good condition. some new pads and wheel cylinders and i could have run them.



instead...



i pounded an adapter on



mocked up a huge rotor with a pre metric 1975 impala caliper, looks like itll clear the wheels just fine. close but fine. might have to do a teeny bit of clearancing when its actualy put together bit itll be minimal if anything.

i got the passenger side almost finished, i need pull it apart and get the seal to seat better and i think im going to re pack the bearings just for peace of mind before i bolt the caliper up and move onto the other side.

all i got done on the other side is getting the bearing/seat adapter on and switching the outer bearing cup in the rotor out for the correct one.



i probably did some other stuff but i forget, it was two long ass days.



and yes i did manage to burn, smash, cut, and pinch my hands like a crazy.

getting close, i just have to keep telling my self that. getting close.

 

Really nice build man. Good work.

 

Thanx man I'm just ready to have it on all 4 wheels again. Any progress that doesn't put it on the ground doesn't visually feel like I did anything as its had the front or rear totally out for over 6 months. Feels like carving mount Rushmore but not being able to step back far enough to see the whole thing. You know you made progress it's just hard to really see it

 

This may just be the best explanation I've ever read for that sort of progress. I've always found it hard to put that into words but you nailed it right on the head.

 

Looking Good...Keep it up! I like how you ran the lines nice and neat with the hose clamps looks clean!

 

Thanks, the firewall is pretty well ventilated so i figured using as many pre existing holes as possible would be ideal.

beating on those spring perch bushings put me behind by a good chunk but i think if i work on the car the 4th and can talk some one or some two to come help i should still be good to go for KKOA ~knock on wood

 

Co-habitate and in ten years you'll still want to do things together. Marry her and when the car is done she'll have it, the house and the dog. Good luck anyway. Nice car

 

This all looks vaguely familiar...

Build log

Good job! I have a list of things I would do different, you seem to have done them all the better way....

 

Thanks I set out with a plan and have stuck pretty much right to it. There are still things that had I known how things would fit would have possibly done different but I'm still happy with what it's becoming. Now if it would only become something I can drive!

 

I still haven't gotten a front Panhard bar back on, if you use tube shocks, you run out of holes...

The radiator, I should have gone with a stock Mustang, the Afco was WAY to expensive...

Be prepared to replace the front spring bushings if they are from Speedway, mine are dust after only 3 years.

Make sure you use nylocs on all the body bolts, the stock chassis flexes a lot (drive with the hood off for a while, things move up there) and they loosen up...

My trans mount wishbone splitter needed to be spaced away from the X member to help with the caster once the lowered spring gets installed... also, the front end sits too high with all the spring leaves... Had to rearrange them to get it low enough to not look silly with 26" tires.

You won't have this problem... because you aren't taking the body off, but make sure you can take the gas tank out... I put mine in with the body off, and didn't even thing about access to them with the body back on...

Window mechanisms... DO NOT FORCE THEM... They are all riveted, and a PITA to find good ones that aren't stripped or the shaft snapped off.

 

I spent literally 20-30 hours getting the stock gas tank out haha. So I'm aware of that awesomeness. And yeah I put the chincy looking mr roadster spring/shackle bushings in. I'll keep in mind to keep an eye open for something better to use down the road.

Do you you have any shots of your front upper shock mounts? I'm about to tackle that and wondered what you did.

Thanks for all the tid bits of advice/heads up

 

I just used the tubular ones that came with the Posies kit... They came loose eventually too, don't rely on the stock caged nuts in the frame... and put fender washers front and back...

Page 5 top right corner...

http://www.posiesrodsandcustoms.com/images/pages1631.pdf

looks like they use a different style in the kit now.

Here's the only shot that has them in it.


I had to cut the panhard bar stud off the wishbone to get the tube shock to clear, that the reason there is no Panhard on mine... Stilll figuring out what to do there

 

Ok I can see it now. I think speedway carries the same if not a very similar mount for the 35-40. Ive got a few ideas of what to do but seeing as every single 46 I've looked at has different upper and lower front shock mounts from the last one I looked at I figured it was worth asking

 

Here's how I put the front shocks on my '47.

Stock mount on axle, fabricated frame mounts, Chassis Eng adjustable shocks.

I used Chassis Eng shackles with the Posies spring. Seem like they are decent.

I haven't made the panhard bar yet, but will make it out of 7/8" DOM and Pete & Jakes bushings.

I welded a double shear bracket on the left rail and will use a modified stock wishbone mount on the right.

The anti-roll bar is from Weedetr Street Rod (weedburner 40 on here).

 

alright so here is our "its way hot pre 4th of july update"



the car is on the ground!
I didn't take many photos as it was hot as balls and i was trying ot make progress but i made sure to get this one hell i even had some one video me putting it on the ground off the stands for the first time ever haha. it looks like with the same sized tires all the way around if the front spring settles the same as the back has~ with no gas in the tank~ i should sit between 3/4 to 1.5 of nose down rake and tuck just a little tire front and back

my brother came by and helped and we got the split bones mounted, some shackles made, the spring taken out of the cross member, onto the axle and back into the cross member and sat it down.

To all these guys that when i asked how long it took for them to do the front wishbone split and they replied " an afternoon or a 6 pack of beer" i've gotta be honest. you either dont live in the same realm of time that i do or you ment a case not a 6 pack.

anyhow, i also managed to get the front brakes done on both sides save for bolting on the calipers, i had a little delay in figuring out the clips that speedway included. you know, the ones that don't do anything.

I also managed to get the battery box installed bolted to the trunk floor, the battery cable holes drilled and gromited<- probably not a real word, the cables run and supported to ground/starter and a hose connected to the battery vent and run out of the car.

i then set to work on the gas tank. i got the fuel sender all shortened up and installed and after fighting some bracket confusion got it in the car and mounted up. as well as removing the old fuel neck and putting the new one and cap in.

i think i did some other stuff to? swapped out the t bolts on the valve covers for alan keyed button headed bolts, finished my trans cooler lines, cut my lower rad hose to short and will make attempt 3 next time haha, trying to mount the fan but found that my spacer was still! to short and needed a 1.5 inch one. i might have to take the radiator out to get it on though, its getting waaaaay tight in there.

got to the store today and got everything i should need to continue, going to go up tomorrow and get a "bonus" day of work in. with out the heat index its supposed to be 103 so we'll see what actually gets done but im hopeful.

oh! i roughly mocked up my exhaust tips so i could se what sorts of bends are going to be needed and mocked up and figured out brackets for my front shock mounts.



chrome trumpet tips, cool huh



more updates on thursday wish me luck

 

post 4th of july update:

103 deg with out the heat index.

got a good chunk of hours in with Sarah before we called it quits. We managed to get the brakes finished on the passenger side front, was a little bit of work getting the new rubber line to work with the stock frame rail tab but 45 minutes of grinding and cutting we got it fit unfortunately as soon as it was all bolted up we found that the caliper bracket hits the bolt that locks the king pin in place because the nut etc on the bolt is so long so its all gotta come back off and get notched. color me impressed.

after that we got the fan spacer and fan bolted on... after realizing that we had to pull the radiator out to get the bolts in. let me tell ya, rubber hoses that are clamped down pretty good do not want to come off when its that hot out :S either way we got it out and got the fan on with juuuuuuuust enough clearance to feel ok about it and sarah put the rad back in and got all the cooler lines and rad hoses connected. The lower is the 3rd hose but we finaly got it. the first try the diameter was wrong, the second time i cut to much off, the 3rd time golden!

we also measured with a string for the alter belt since ive bee having bad luck grabbing the correct one from the store.

Sarah got the dash installed and all bolted up with the garnish moldings etc and i found out the tail lights did NOT want to come out. the trim ring set screws were not rusted but barely had even a dip in them for a screw driver so out came the dremel to slot them. got those off and the two screws that hold the bucket to the car were so rusted in place that tons of soaking it in kroil it still snapped the tips off a handfull of screw drivers with out as much as a surface marring on the screw before i took the grinder out and made them come out. gotta drill out the holes now for the new bolts 4 hours to swap something that involves 6 screws. blah. haha.

I want to say we got some other stuff done but i dont recall right now. I didn't take any photos other then this one.



because its the only one that matters haha. 4th of july, 103+ deg and shes out there busting ass because she'll be damned if we dont make Salina. Pretty sure I complained more then she did about the heat haha.

shes off work for a while so sat night threw monday later afternoon the both of us can wrench on the 46 and try to get shit done. I picked up 2 or 3 belts, and every U bolt/strap combo i could possibly maybe need, got 2 new used tires mounted up and my drive shaft could be done saturday before we leave so we're ready to roll

just need some good vibes sent our way that progress isnt so hard fought for this weekend and comes a littler easier. we're getting close.

 

alright update time,
got a whole bunch done. Sarah had the weekend off and came to help me from sat night to monday afternoon, man stuff goes so much faster with two people!



she picks up on stuff super fast. We found that the brackets that hold the calipers on that came with the speedway kit hit the king pin locking bolt. which in stock configuration worked as a steering stop but with the bracket face being about an inch further in it wouldnt let us steer but an inch at most.

in the above photo i was setting everything up to notch the brackets and when i turned around she had stripped everything off down the the bare spindle and gave me the bracket to cut. got it done and when i finished the second bracket she'd already re assembled the brakes on the first side!

If i hadn't already asked her to marry me I would have then!



the list is getting pretty short and i feel confident about finishing it off next weekend with her help. I've got one run to the parts store to do, a tie rod on its way from speedway~ stock one doesnt have any wobble in it or anything but it looks like its made out of rust so i figured better safe then sorry and ordered a new set up, and my drive-shaft aught to be ready this afternoon.

hopefully ill drive it 50 miles home this coming Monday, but just in case i told the boss man i might not come in Tuesday or Wednesday if i have to keep wrenching. next weekend is my self imposed cut off date for KKOA as i want to be able to drive the car to work and back for a good week before taking a 6 hour one way drive into Kansas.

if your keeping track i want to say we got the alternator brackets tweaked and shimmed to line the pulley up better with the correct belt on. with how it was previously when belt tension was put on it everything twisted funny. got the front disc set up installed along with the rubber hoses, measured for front tie rod, got the pan hard bar and bracket tweaked so it had no tension on it at its new lowered state. got the sway bar installed with new dog bones, drag link re connected, new tires mounted up on the front and installed, split bones tightened up, trans mount bolts installed and cranked down, motor mounts tight end down, oil and filter change, rad filled, steering column and braced bolted to car/dash, dash holes measured for adapters to be made to fit new gauges, new res valve for front brakes installed, prop valve bolted in place, brake pedal bracket bolts swapped, headlights and assembles pulled out ready for new plugs and lights, parking lights and assemblys out and ready for new guts, new tail light buckets/assembly/wires and bulbs installed, gas filler hose fitted to gas cap and ready to stick on the tank, carb pulled off re tapped a trouble hole and re installed, rear jacked up and ready to weld on rear upper shock mounts, front toe board/floor panel primed and painted, front upper shock mounts primed and painted, lower front shock mounts designed, front shackles painted.

prolly forgetting something but thats what we got done, the park lights and the tail lights fought us like mad other wise we would have been more productive. id sat it took the better part of 5 or 6 hours to change the tail lights out and a good hour to pull the park lights apart :O

hopefully ill be driving soon and with video!

 

Nice going, Tim...keep strokin!

 

Thanx Rocky