Big Jim, that's a great build you got there, it's awesome, that you have the whole family involved! It's something the kids will remember forever! If it wasn't for DAD's like us this hobby/lifestyle would be a whole lot smaller! I for one know if it wasn't for my dad and his buddies being into hot rods, racing and such I probably wouldn't be into it today! Good luck with the build, make sure you take a pic of the kids smiling after the first cruise down the road in it!
Worked on the headlights and shocks. Next up is the steering box. I think it looks a little high in the front but it is as low as I can get it. I'm sure it will settle a bit and I have some weight that will be added so I know it will come down some. Right now the grille is 9-1/2" from the ground and the axle is 4-3/4" from the ground. It has a 4" dropped axle, model A X-member, and a reverse eye spring. I couldn't imagine how tall it would be if I didn't do all these things. The back tire is going to be about 3" taller and the front wheel is going to be 2" smaller so it should move some more from that too. The wind is blowing like crazy and it's snowing it's ass off outside but my garage is a dry 65º with a nice toasty floor. Back to work. Just at night I have to do quiet things or I will wake the dog up and she will wake the whole house up.
That is going to be a great car, would love to build a mean chopped glass 34 2-Door highboy. Perhaps in another life.
Thanks guys. I'm working on the steering and can't find one stupid bolt for the top of the vega bracket. I have a bazillion bolts and can't find one the correct length. One day next week I will just about kill myself tripping over the bolt I need today. Story of my life.
Hey HRP any pointers on setting up the vega box? I know the basic stuff. The car is on its wheels now but the front end is going to come down a bit like I said in the earlier post. Should I add some weight to the car to simulate the settling? I have en empty trans housing in it now so that's even more weight that isn't there. There is no interior and lets not forget my fat ass! I know the caster is going to change some when I change the tires. Should I compensate for that as well? I have the wheels off my wife's car that are the same so I can use those and I know the diameter of my new back tires so I can block up the rear. Am I on the right track here or am I over thinking it?
I've been playing with the headlights and swapped tire that are closer to the correct size and offset. Up top wide tires (I'm not running) and Guide 682-C's and bottom is stock stainless 34 headlights and skinnier tires. So what do you guys think?
Love the headlights and skinnier tires, but I think the headlights need to come down a few inches. Personally, I think headlights look best when the top of the lights is even or lower than the top of the tires. My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383
I don't think I can get them any lower because they are a shock and headlight mount. The guides would give the illusion that they have come down but that's just because they are smaller.
Hi Jim, nice build. I just came across it now. Subbed. Personally I prefer the guides because of the built in turn signals. The height looks spot on to me, because when viewed from the front, the centre of the headlight lines up with the top of the tyre. Too low and the turn signal will be hidden to traffic approaching from the side. My only thoughts are that the headlights could be a tad closer to the radiator (closer spaced). Not sure how you would do this with the combined mount. Steve
Well I haven't updated in a while. I'm still plugging away at it. I've got the steering all figured out, the column has been mounted, new motor mounts are all set. I installed one of those U-bolt-less front ends to hold the spring in and have the bones all mounted in. Things are just tacked in because I know my welding limitations so I'm having it professionally welded. The biggest thing that has plagued me is the holes in the floor. I have never done fiberglass and didn't quite know how to attack it. This past weekend I bit the bullet and gotterdone. I had to set the recess for the distributor up 1" and back 1". I used a purchased T bucket tranny tunnel as the basis to start from and cut toe boards from 2'X2' sheets of 5/32" fiberglass sheets. I also had to fill the hole in the floor for the brakes because I'm adding a booster. It's about 70% done (Just one lay up of 3 layers). I still have to add some roving and trim & smooth the outside. I filled most of the holes in the dash and the firewall as well.
I know. One thing at a time and cross it off the list. Eventually it will get done. The floor was an immense hurdle for me. So with that out of the way it's kinda lit a fire under my ass. I see things going a little faster in my future.
A little update: I'm blowing it all apart today in preparation for getting the frame final welding done by a certified pro welder because I know my and my welders limitations (I have a 110V welder). It took me about 2 hours and I'm down to a bare frame. I have to remove the last couple of brackets from the Mustang IFS and notch the front of the frame for spring clearance. Tuesday she gets welded.
Happy New Year everyone! My New Years resolution is to finish this car. Actually by this time next year I'm hoping to have it at the upholsterer so we can hit the road in the spring of 2016. If it happens sooner all the better. So on to the update...We got the frame all final welded and when I got it back I did some more work to it. I boxed the front frame horns and cut slots for the nerf bars to bolt in and I added a front spreader bar (also welded in). The frame is at the powdercoater and should be back in about a week. In the mean time I have broken everything down and I've been painting and detailing like crazy. The rear end is all stripped, cleaned, & repainted as well as the split bones, steering arms, front axle, trans cross-member, steering box, and the brake brackets. The coilover shocks were fun. They were new (still had the tags on them) but they were all rusty and crusty from just sitting there (purchased in I think 1987 by the previous owner). The tops were just aluminum castings that had undercoating, paint over spray, and were all oxidized from sitting so I polished these and the bottom locking spanner nuts (also aluminum). The coils will be blasted and painted tomorrow (Black) and the bodies were stripped of all their paint and repainted red. But before I could do that I had to fix the oil leaks at the adjustment screws at the bottom. Some new o-rings, crush washers, and refilling the shock with oil and some bleeding and we are good to go (Big thanks to the Mrs. for the help). That one saved me about $300. I have my fingers crossed they work okay and stay working for years to come. Santa got me a pertronix upgrade for my points distributor so I installed that. The transmission is at the the shop getting a makeover and I've been wrestling with colors. I've got it down to Dearborn blue or Washington blue (leaning towards the Washington blue). Whelp, that's it in a nutshell.
Well the frame is back and I have been starting the final assembly process. The front end is almost all in and back down on the wheels. The transmission is back, I cleaned it and painted it. I installed the shifter as well. I have the rear-end and the 4 bar suspension all done and installed. I got the coil-over shocks all painted and polished and put back together (I'm waiting on a new set of bushings then those will go in). I put all 4 nerf bars on just to get them out of the way. I'm going with all stainless hardware with lock nuts (yes I'm using loctite, grease, and anti-seize where needed). I've been painting my ass off. Once I get the coil-overs in the engine and tranny get mated together and they go in. It's going pretty fast (especially for me). I'm a slowpoke. By spring I'm hoping to be able to send it out for exhaust and work on the underside of the body while it's gone. The more parts I get put on this car the more room I have in the garage. Funny how a completed car takes up less space than one all exploded. Lets see what else did I do? The intake is painted and the carbs and fill tube are installed, the brake booster, master cylinder, pedal assembly, tranny mount, water pump, pulley's are all painted and ready to go on.
Wow, now its really coming together. Just wondering about loctite on stainless. I was told by an engineer that you shouldn't use loctite on stainless. Can't remember why though.
Thanks Jeff. I put anti-seize on stainless (especially with lock nuts) loctite on plan steel bolts and grease on things that need, well... grease.
BIG-JIM, you are a really inspirational hot rodder and family man. Your progress has motivated me to get my butt off the couch and finish the "glass" modified I have sitting in my garage. You and you family are going to have one fun summer if it ever stops snowing back there. Drive careful and SMILE!
Nice to see progress on this project. Gets fun at this stage when you can pull down the bolts for the last time. Eric
I bought a 32 roadster project a few years back have no regrets its a blast to drive and it wont rust.
Thanks guys it feels good to be an inspiration to people as others have been an inspiration to me here on the HAMB. I'm still plugging away at her. I have the chassis almost ready to pop the engine and trans in. All the brakes are run but not bled yet. The steering is all in and I just need to run the fuel line. I'm trying to do the best job I can with the grey matter I have between my ears. It's not perfect but nothing I own is. Besides you can't see it going 70! Shes come a long way but I still have a long way to go.
nice job, please paint those lettered tires flat black (inside of rear tires) they will look bad on your otherwise nice car....scrub em up real good to get that blue protective stuff off, then just cheap flat black spray paint em.thanks.
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