Hot Rods Just Another 5-Window Build Thread

Bit of a setback today - unloaded the spare 401 nailhead from JoeD and when I went to install the adapter from a nailhead to a Ford 3-speed (I am using a Cornhusker 5-speed setup for a Mustang bolt pattern behind it), the adapter would not bolt up to the engine. It was too big. I got out my 364 motor and it was the same as the 401, as it should be, and would not fit there either. After a few calls I confirmed that I had the wrong adapter. But, not to fear - JoeD came to the rescue. When I called him with my situation he said he had an adapter that we worked out a barter for. I have always said it's the people in this hobby that make this hobby such a great one. Thank you JoeD!

 

Got the rear frame horns tacked in place - will finish weld tomorrow ....

 

More rear frame horns update .... the pics tell the tale ....

 

I also started on working on the rear fixture setup.

• I started with a 4' piece of thick wall 1x2 3/16" wall rectangle tubing

• I then placed the 40 front spring on the 1x2 having marked off the locations on the the bar where the spring and rear radius rod end up at a 45 degree angle. The spring is sitting on a 3/16" piece of iron to give it a bit of breathing room

• took a piece if 3/16" by 1.25" bar and cut a 45 angle off one end. The Sharpie fit perfectly to mark the spot to make my first hole in the bar ...

• I stripped the spring down to its main leaf to make things easier to handle ...

• I used a 2" shackle to align things up for the second hole and trimmed off the outside ends of some old bushings and inserted them in the spring. I drilled things out but here is where I differed from jacksandeuces setup - I actually used the shackle for a mount .... made a few mistakes with the angled pieces but luckily I bought enough bar!

• one side down, the other is for tomorrow .... spring is 31 1/4" center to center, left to right, the radius rods are the 40 Ford front perch distance, 41 1/2" c to c ....

 

I duplicated the one side to the other - I am satisfied with the results so far ...





With it tacked together I put the two rear radius rods on to see where my first cuts should be ....





I still have to remove the sleeve in the one end and I will have to first remove about 8" or so before shortening the radius rods for a final time .... I did have to remove about an 1/8" off of the shackle mount so the radius rod end could fit in my 2" width fixture. So far, so good but I need to finish weld the fixture and remove that sleeve before I can mount it in the frame sans the rear end to see where my radius rod ends will be mounted. I am using 3/4" rod ends here and for the front radius rods.

I also mounted the tranny to my mock up block - in my rough measurements it looks like this combo is about 1.5 inches longer than the flathead setup in my roadster if you don't count the portion of the back of the nailhead block that will have to tuck under the firewall.




Waiting for the motor mounts to arrive to be ready for fitting the drivetrain into the frame. But, I have to wait for my frame to return from the frame shop - it is going in on Sept 8, right after Labor Day. We'll see what news that brings to the project .... more when it happens ....

 

Enjoying the heck out of this build so far Looking nice for sure

 

Thanks - I am really enjoying it myself as well. Sometimes I feel like things are moving in slow motion but I just keep chipping away at it ... I think I am happiest during a build when my garage is a disaster but the project is coming together and that is exactly where I am at right now!

 

Nice Tom. Fabrication can be slow and tedious and but the final results are worth it. When I built my roadster I just kept thinking to my self, " it will get finished. " Keep at it and keep the pictures coming. Mark.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Mark - I am never without something to do, that's for sure!

 

Thanks for the detailed photographs - very helpful - and nice build, by the way.

 

No problem, Hasty, you are welcome ....

 

Not too much to report - been waiting on parts, life had me sidelined for a few days, y'all know the story. So, got my motor mounts, carb for the engine, got the rear frame horns finish welded, removed the sleeves from the ends of the rear radius rods, and welded up a few cracks where water had gotten inside the tube, froze, and cracked the weld running the length of the rod in a couple places.

BTW, if anyone has any original front 32 frame horns, I am looking for a pair .....

 

So many little things are going on at the moment ....

• I removed the belly pan under the driver seat as I related earlier

• and started making the flat pan I need. Now, this may seem mundane to most but this is a first for me so indulge me just a little, OK?!
• made my measurements and picked up a piece of 16 gauge steel ....

• the middle two lines represent where I will roll two beads for strength, although using 16 gauge it may not be hardly necessary
• I also drilled out and retapped the D-nuts on the inner back panel to install the trunk tray - no pic for this - sorry
• we also got a prototype of the brackets to mount the 35-36 rear radius rods that I made teh fixture for. They do look good ....

• again, these brackets were designed by jacksandeuces here on the HAMB - they are not my design and we are having them made up with his permission. But I am excited that they are happening ....
• I have also received my Buick motor mounts, biscuits, and now have a power washer to wash to crud off of the motor. MM has been placed int eh cylinders and I have been working the motor back and forth as I am only at a 3/4 revolution and she stops. Little by little she's getting better.

Like I said - lots of little things but I am making progress ...

 

Been taking care of the grands for a week and let me tell you that's a 24x7 job!

A couple things did happen just before they arrived - got my D-nuts...



and here is what they look like installed on the trunk tray piece ... they are crushed over on the front surface



and here is the location on the back panel where I need to install the one



Fortunately this one is in the middle of panel with some access to the back. I just need to cut a portion of the lower lip of my back panel which angles toward the rear (you can't see it in the pic but if you know 32s you know what I am talking about ) so I can get behind it with pliers to crush the round portion over on the outside. I will need some kind of ball or something to get it to crush over. If anyone has any ideas, I am open for suggestions.

Another thing that has happened is that the old body has sold to a HAMB member in Switzerland. Should be leaving in about a week or so and that should definitely free up some room in my garage. I am absolutely slammed in there right now .... (organized?) chaos is what it is ....

 

Will be watching!!! good luck

 

Got a chance to get the back trunk pieces set up in the car. Here is where I cut out an access piece in order to get to the back side of the panel to install the D-nut.


Slipped the D-nut in place and was able to get the front side squashed over enough that it stayed in place without falling out. So, I put the first of the two trunk lid pieces in ....



To be truthful, there is enough room to hold a nut in place but the challenge is to use the D-nut. You can just about see the face of the D-nut behind the first of the two trunk panels. I had tapped the other 5 holes to be 12-24 vs the 6-32 for the D-nut so the rest of the 5 machine screws went in fine. I did elongate the holes in this piece for the rest of the screws - just made life a bit easier. These are UPAC pieces and are very nicely done and complete ....



With that in place I got the second piece in and got it all bolted up, including a couple end bolts to the body - so far it looks pretty good.



Now I need to bolt it up on the back side but first I need to guide the water from the old rumble lid into the trunk tray. I will also install and run some drain lines from the tray to the holes in the floor at the back of the body. I will use some brake lines to attach to the tray, then rubber lines to the body holes.

As for the rain gutter modify to the rear tray, you see in the last pic the right side gutter piece you can buy from UPAC - I will cut, slice, and dice two pieces out of the UPAC rain gutter I picked up here on the HAMB. That will take some planning before I start though ... working on it ....
I also got the new home made under-the-seat floor pan all cut out and ready to make the few indents needed and run the two bead lines. But, for right now, I am off to cut the lawn and do a couple other honey-dos ....

 

Since I can’t do anything with the frame (it’s in the frame shop or at least waiting to go into the frame shop), can’t finish the trunk lid tray (waiting for parts), can’t start on the rear bracket install (don’t have the brackets yet), and I can’t finish the new floor pan (waiting for the pullmax to be free), I started on something new – what the hell, right? I began brainstorming the firewall mods for the Nailhead.

I looked at the Rod and Custom article with Walden Speed Shop modifying a 32 firewall for a Nailhead. As nice as the mod looks, it feels too “sano” for my time frame of a late 50s early 60s build and I do not want to lose floor space as their mod does. So, I figure I can trim out only what I need to make it fit. I may be naïve in my thinking but I am hoping it will be a better look for my car.

Without the frame I can’t make any real cuts but I can “guesstimate” the location of the Nailhead to the 32 firewall using the Rod and Custom article. Here are a couple pics, locating the top of the distributor about where the 32 firewall breaks/angles toward the engine.





That would be about 17” from the top of the framerail. With the Nailhead on its present roll around cart the top of the distributor cap is only about 14” off the floor but that is enough of a template to work with for the moment. I made a paper template and here is how it looks taped to the firewall …



I want to keep the center flat bend of the stock firewall towards the motor so I will hollow out the center for distributor clearance and let the firewall continue to angle in towards the engine as far as I can, putting the back of the Nailhead bellhousing in to the interior. Remember that the tranny adapters narrow down rather quickly to the body of the Tremec, not taking too much additional interior room …





Can’t wait to get the frame back, motor and tranny set in place and see how my plan will take shape …..

 

Tom,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,How you coming. Some of us need a fix. LOL. Mark.

 

Tom,
Glad to see you making progress on the coupe. Looks good to me.

I've got a couple of questions about the Tremec trans you are using.
Obviously you have an S-10 tailhousing to move the shifter forward. Is this the trans with the 2.95 low gear? Which O/D ratio does it have? Are you using the original input shaft?

Thanks and keep up the good work. I am enjoying following along.

 

Ted - the trans is a 88-93 T5Z that can take gobs of torque which is good for the Nailhead. The tailshaft conversion John Mullen (johnrods) and I did a while back. Basically we removed both tailshaft housings, measured where the gear is for the speedo, used an ac compression fitting after trimming off the rolled over end, slipped it and the plastic gear over the T5z tailshaft and epoxy glued it in place.
We did have to use the S10 top housing long shifter rod to mate to the S10 tailshaft shifter location but that was the other only change. That was the only real tricky part if I remember. I have some pics I will post here.
As for the gear ratios, it is a 1352-251 assembled by Tremec (1352-249 is the borg warner version before they stopped production):
R - 2.76
1 - 2.95
2 - 1.94
3 - 1.34
4 - 1.0
5 - 0.63

The T5z was especially built for racing applications according to most sources.
John may chime in with further info. I also have the "quick or short shift" adapter to cut back on the long throws associated with T5 shifters ...

I hope I have answered your questions ...

 

Sounds good Tom and with that overdrive ratio you should be able to run a pretty low rear end gear and still cruise at a decent r.p.m. Have you thought about a rear gear yet?

 

Mark - with going to Charlotte, Carlisle, and Hershey swaps that has eaten up most of my time as of late. But I have been making some progress which I will relate to all shortly. In going to those swaps I made some nice finds for the project that I am excited about as well ....

 

Looking great.

 

Ted- presently I have a 3:23 rear gear that I have and 31" tires. Initially that sounds too high but the Buick is pretty torquey. 5th up and down hills may not work well but dropping to 4th will not make the engine scream. At 60 I will be doing about 1350 rpm in 5th, at 70 1550. Go to a 3:50 gearset you go up 100 rpm, 3:73 200 rpm from the 3:23.
On paper the 3:70 seems best - if anyone is running a Buick with a similar combo I would live to hear their real world results. Where does a basically stock 364 Buick like to run Rpm wise?

 

So - for some updates. I picked up these 36-8 Packard 110 headlights several years ago from my good friend Earl, Gabby here on the Hamb. I purchased trim rings and mounts from OTB for a little bling but the buckets have a distinctive top chrome piece. At 2014 Hershey I found another headlight with a pitted but whole chrome piece - now I knew what it looked like. This Hershey I found a beautiful pair, nice chrome, ready to go, and for a song as they say. I set them up the other day and I really like the look ....
I bought mounts like all blc lights have and once I block off the big hole in the bottom I will complete the mount. The lights will mount in the same location, just extend further back. The will be no further forward of the radiator than guide or blc lights ....

I also have the frame table here but no place to put it. The old body I sold is still here - I need to get it gone soon.

The 364 was a little stuck even though it turned smoothly when I got it. A little aero kroil and it is now free again. It feels tight, not loose, as if it had been rebuilt. Still working in this one.

Jacksandeuces dropped cover a couple weeks ago and he helped me get the trunk lid fitted. The lower lip was off and he performed a little magic and it now fits great. ... I will get a pic out.

One of my Carlisle finds was a really nice steering wheel. The upper and lower loops are a green gel that so far looks to be a great wheel to use with the car ....


Picked up a nice tach unit at Charlotte - I hope to be able to hang this off my column. All I had to do was replace the lens and it works great ...






I keep chipping away at it. Between all the swap meets I have nearly every thing I need save for a driveshaft, and with expenses I broke even in all 3 swaps .... more to come ...

 

Just found your thread Tom, Looks good.

 

Wow just started reading and I saw the first body and thought "Tom like a challenge !!!" But now seen another much nicer body

 

401 Nailhead !!! whats not to like cool motor Tom

 

Looking good Tom. HRP

 

waiting to see how you mount the rear