Well I have decided to delve so to speak into this custom car thing. I am a Hot Rod open wheel guy, I have owned a dozen Model A's Hot Rods over the years and have always been completely happy with that. Then something ( a thread on here actually) got my blood up and I went and bought a 1950 Ford coupe. To say that it is going to be a project is an understatement, lots of work and time will need to be spent on this old wreck of a car. But I am old and retired so what else am I going to spend my time on? Plans for this car are for it to be much more of a Hot Rod than a custom. It will have some custom touches like shaved and decked, frenched headlights, and a few other things. The question I am having the most problem with is the front suspension. It will "NOT" have some Mustang II crap or any of the other front suspension conversions. I am just way to traditional for that. So what have you guys done other than replacing the front suspension, to deal with a rear sump oil pan? There will be no chevy going into this car, instead it's going to get an early 392 Hemi and a 4 speed. It seems to me that this is a great fit a Hemi in this old Ford, but I am going to have to deal with those steering arms that set almost smack dap in the middle of the engine bay. Any of you custom guys got any ideas on how to deal with this problem?
Yeah, I did. First off, the flathead [mine had a 6] had a rear sump so that helps when choosing a motor. Most anything clears the crossmember ....Problem generally lies with the drag link hitting the oil pan. On my last 49, I was able to find a guy who removed all the steering/suspension from his 51 Vicky to replace it with mustang II parts and he actually GAVE me all the NOS shubox parts for mine. I wanted my car low so I used his old coils [he said they were NOS early Olds] and cut 2 loops off each one. I flipped the spindle supports upside down and side to side. Used a carpenter square and a totally flat driveway with a torch to get the wheels to sit straight up and down again. I had to heat and drop the steering arms down to clear the oil pan with the drag link & tie rod. I had about 5/8ths" between the pan and the steering linkage. I used a SBC in mine with spacers on top of the original 6 cylinder mount pads....I boxed them in after the photo. The dropped steering arms also made them shorter which made for quick steering. I also used a 75 Trans Am 1.25" sway bar....made mounts for it under the frame rails. New brakes and radial tires made for a quick handling, flat cornering low car. I love the way it drove but the downside was I could bounce the front end up and down with my foot 'till the bottom of the crossmember hit the ground. Some firmer shocks would have fixed it.[/ATTACH]
Raise the motor and do a little floor pan work. Then use this to help out. You can also run the center link through the pan if necessary or make a notch for it. No limit as long as you can think outside the Box. I have a 392 into a 50 Merc project going on and I refused to remove the Stock heater. Made for a little challange but I did it. It ain't easy being Kool, or warm in my case. The Wizzard
“Back in the day” swapping Olds V8s into Shoebox Fords was quite popular. That swap had steering linkage to pan interference issues as well. The most common ‘work around’ was a dropped center link. As I recall, the pitman arm and idler arm were stock, but the center link was a fabricated piece with shape like a dropped axle between the ends of the link. Search for a thread or google the subject and likely some info will turn up. Those dropped center links were readily available from various sources at the time and somebody may have one hanging in their shop. Might try a want ad here on the H.A.M.B. Ray
i second the "dropped tie-rod" idea. those were widely available in the '50s and '60s, but a notched pan or running the stock tie rod through it seems a lot safer way to go. i think you'll find that the steering box on that car is one of the biggest problems. probably best to have it professionally rebuilt.
I have learned that todays new High Torque starters are a blessing when it comes to steering gears and just a bit more space needed. Even helps with Exhaust issues. The Wizzard
Wow,that engine bay will be full of motor after that swap.I guess all the space you can save somehow is needed with this project.Just an idea,how about swapping the steering box for a rack and pinion? It can be done without any Mustang II shite.If i remember right,Fatman fabrication had those R&P install kits for sale,it used a Cavalier R&P rack.
I finally got tis little shoebox home. This little car had a really good running Flathead, my mistake was firing it up for a couple of buds. They spent most of yesterday pulling it out and it is now gone. Good friend has a very cool Roadster Pickup that as long as I have known the car had a 348 Chevy engine with three deuces and a four speed. Well Steve informs me that he always wanted a Flathead for that car. I certainly can understand that as when I built my model A I always intended for it to be Hemi powered, but just like my Buddy Steve I didn't have one of those at the time it was ready for power. Now the built Hemi, which has gone thru several transformations since I started building it, is setting in the shop ready to go into my little A bone. So I know what that wanting of something is like. I really had no use at all for the Flathead, other than the joy of looking at it. So I gave it to my friend. This shoebox is also getting a 392 early Hemi, I have a shop full of the things from when I was looking for one for my Model A and when they showed up for what ever reason I just couldn't say "NO". Now to the point of this post, My 50 coupe is in need of front floors, rockers and the trunk floor. In my research all of that is pretty easy to come by as more than one retailer advertises those. I am also going to need the driver side door skin. That I cannot find. EMS does furnish the bottom 6" of a door skin and I can make that work, however it says they are for the 2 door sedan. Does anyone know if the coupe doors are the same?
I'm running a Hemi in my "49 using a factory center sump pan. The suspension is stock with Fatman's dropped uprights and steering arms. I'm also running Headman block hugger headers that I had to dent up a little to clear the steering box. The oil filter is close to the frame mount that comes off the firewall. Trans tunnel is raised too for a manual trans. Things are a little tight, but not too bad.
A remote oil filter will most likely take care of the oil filter clearance issue. I remember some build in a magazine about 50 years ago where they put a tube though the sides of the oil pan to run the tie rod though. Where there is a want there is a way. I remember those adds for the dropped tie rods too, they were in every magazine in the late 50's and early 60's.
Planted a 392" Chrysler in a bud's '50 Ford coupe. (1959) Used a 354" truck pan, deep sump all the way back. Chrysler stick bell and 3 speed std. trans. Measured and bored 2-1/2" holes both sides of pan, welded in a piece of 'muffler moly'...steering link passed right thru pan. (So 'trick'! Saw it in Little Pages...) CAREFUL, as the idler/pitman arms dictate an 'arc', so transverse link does NOT recip in a straight line. Allow for swinging arc... Otherwise? Piece-o'-cake...Hey...Car was a REAL 'sleeper... 'Chevy Eater', in later years.
Pipes, After seeing the very nice car you were able to find, I am a little embarrassed to post a picture of this old car. You found a diamond in the rough Me I just found rough, but it is what it is I guess and will not stay this way for long. I will take and post a picture, just don't make to much fun of me...
Pipes, sorry about the no picture thing, but it rains all the time here and every time I think about a picture it's raining, but they are coming. Guys as to this shoebox thing and an engine swap. I have found myself in possesion of another one of these Fords. For a guy who never ever considered owning one I am collecting the damn things it seems. This newest one I am not sure is considered a Shoebox, as it is a 1953 Ford. If they are not thought of that way the suspension is damn sure the same. This one I actually bought for my wife it is a very cool little Two door wagon. It has now a 6cyl and a three speed, well that's not going to work for her, so I am thinking 327 Chevy ( I have one of those now) and a TH350 maybe. This swap looks pretty straight forward except for that suspension. Those steering arms are smack dab in the middle of the engine compartment. in doing a little research I see some guys mentioning a 64, 65, 66 or maybe a 67 Nova oil pan. Any of you guys heard of this and will it work? I mean I cannot believe it is that easy, but it would be way cool if it was. Any information would be appreciated. This time I do have a picture...
I got one of fat mans kit using thecavalier rack and used my original steering arms and suspension on my 39 plymouth and it worked great
Wagon looks great! As far as the shoebox goes, get on that picture thing! The word is a Chevy II pan will work, though I have heard that some guys still modify the crossmember for clearance. It all depends on the conversion kit you get. Not sure if you’re on Facebook or not but there is a shoebox group there . Chris Whittington, the owner of Shoebox Central is an Administrator there. He has tons of knowledge on these cars and parts. Look up 1949-1951 ford shoebox forum. There is tons of info and builds, as well as a lot of past and present H.A.M.B. members. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
The Jalopy Journal
