Meanwhile I have nibbled all my finger nails off waiting for an update as you leave us wanting more. What's you eta to have this thing running? My will be about a month or two. Sending my engine to be rebuilt perhaps this weekend. Excited to see your progress.
I better sort out some updates pronto! I hope to have it rolling/driving by Christmas and painted in the New Year. Hey! Just finished reading your build up thread from start to end. Very cool, especially seeing how you adapted the '36 bones to the '40 rear. As you properly know I did the exact same thing and found all the same problems, especially the axle cases being larger diameter!
Thanks, likewise! Yep that was a big "DOH!" moment... water under the bridge now. I look forward to your big update. Cheers!
Its taken a few months but the floor is finally finished. From the boot to the doors was mostly pre-fabbed panels which sped things up a bit but they still needed a load of work to fit and look right. From riser onwards has all been fabbed from sheet. Its as close to a stock floor as possible, we even put the battery access hole and cover back, which can be seen on the left. The steering was put in with the gearbox to see how the shifter rods sat and it came immediately clear that arms clashed with the firewall. A small section was removed from the firewall, just enough to gain clearance for the arms. The area was boxed and blended back into the recesses in the firewall. Looks factory and shifts through the gears perfect. The shifters original position is on the right side of the column. Due to the Lincoln dash the shifter went right across the speedo both obscuring the view and also running the risk of putting your fist through the speedo when the red mist falls! The solution was to do the old time trick of flipping the shifter to the left side of the column. When this is done it puts the "H" pattern upside down, but in this day and age is no bad thing because 1st is now up instead of down just like a modern 'box. Floorboards and trans tunnel in place. The left hand floorboard is just a ply template at the moment because the firewall has been reshaped so does the floorboard. The shifter and handbrake holes in the trans cover will be filled as they are not needed anymore, unless anyone has a later trans cover they won't rid off! The centre console mocked up to check for fit with the trans cover. Amazing good fit already. Rear end is in and brakes are functioning. Wheels and tyres are in the shed ready to be bolted on. It will be a roller next week. And to finish.... I picked up these two pieces, don't know why, its not like I'm building a custom...
Progress! Where'd you get that grille?(not the Packard piece but the shell) Is it fiberglass?Or a Winterfront? I've been looking all over for one and haven't had any luck yet....
Great progress ! I love the dash. This will be one cool ride when you are done. Keep the updates coming.
Dash and console are the absolute bollocks!Can't wait to see it with the instruments in. Nice one Clark!
Wow enbloc that's awesome. Really making some headway for sure. I am running those very same Lincoln brakes but need to get them turned before I can paint them. Funny you are showing your dash because I am having issues with how I want my own to look. It was either stock gauges with chromes dash, then I looked at my '39 Cadillac gauges with a black dash. Finally I got home last night and fell in love with my '53 Desoto gauges with a black dash see what you have going on makes me feel small again. Zephyr dash's are boss hoss. Looking really good though keep it up!
Thanks guys. Yes, its a Winterfront. All steel construction. I got mine off Ebay. They're not as rare as you'd think. I've seen 3 or 4 on Ebay over the last couple of months. They always seem to be in good condition as well. I guess due to limited use and life spent hanging on the garage wall.
Thanks for the info! I can start looking for a Winterfront to go with my Lasalle grille Love the Lincoln dash, too--it seems to be the dash of choice for several 35/6 customs. Tasty.
lookin good Clark.... do you have the steering lowered or is it in the stock '40 location when switched to that mount in the frame? get ahold of mike about that grille....I think the concensus was to cut the hood for the peak, when he was thinking about running one... you might even be able to see some photoshop pictures???
I have no idea if the steering column is in a stock '40 location, but I can tell you that its at its lowest setting on the adjustment slots in the bracket so I would think its slightly lower than stock? From messing around with the grille and looking at old pictures the Packard grilles look better mounted higher rather than lower. Not sure I would go as high as cutting into the hood but definitely have the grille up to the hood line. Another point to consider is the fact that the Packard grille is fairly short, so again the higher its mounted the bigger the blank space at the bottom of the grille. The bumper does go some way to hiding that dead space. Not if you've got Lincoln Zephyr bumpers though... I didn't know Mike was thinking of a Packard grille as well or that there are photoshops of the car. Poor mans LaSalle!!
Clark, There aren't enough EARLY style Customs in this country, so I realy look forward to seeing your '36 when its done! Nick.
those lincoln bumpers are overrated.... who would want them.... i'm just gona run one to push off an old race car on the dirt track..... just to protect my '35 grill you kow! are you going to run desoto bumpers? now that your heading for the custom grill... going to run '40 chevy lights?
Clark, Thanks you soo much for taking the time to document all that you're doing. Have a bone stock '36 Three Window here at the house and you've made me appreciate the fact that other peoples poor work won't have to be corrected. When the economy allows the build will begin. you've provided alot of inspiration ! Johnnie.
Ha Ha, yeh, just going to use them as nudge bars! I think its going to be fairly stock bodied apart from the chop at first and then give it a make over when I've got all the right parts. I would love Desoto bumpers and Buick headlights are far cooler than Chevy!
Looking great, would be interested in any more info you have on the Columbia re-build.... Due to tear mine apart soon.
What sort of thing are you looking for? No, don't need amber turn signals or any turn signals for that matter due to its age. I'll have some sort of turn signals on it just to make life easier.
The Jalopy Journal
