Projects (Update)Av8 coupster on a budget.

I guess you missed the part where he bought it and has it in his garage

 

Oops Well he pretty much did what I said to do.

 

Yeah everyone does seem spoiled. Here where I live,if that was 1200,it would a been sold 10 mins after it was posted.!one was 2500 and wasn't much more than that car pictured.actually.. Mine was less

 

If I had the money, I would have paid $1200 for it. Already set up for a flatty, with multiple good parts on it. Oh well, another one down the road. A's in California seem to fetch a pretty penny.

 

I am satisfied with my $950 purchase.

 

I think you did really well, it cost me more to get to that point on mine than you did. There's a fair amount of disdain on here for coupesters, but I'm pretty proud of how far I've brought mine. Work continues as it's currently in "post war jalopy" status on its way to "post war hot rod". Make it yours and forget the haters!

 

There is nothing wrong with a coupester that is done correctly. As said, a lot were built like that in the 50's and 60's. I would rather see a coupester done well than see radials on an open wheel RPU, yuck...

Bob Merkt's roadster---

 

This is the kind of thing I look for when going to car shows. There are so many "speedway specials" out now that finding a classic hot rod that is running something that could have been used gets my respect. I don't shun upgrades especially in the safety department. But, finding something unique like this will get attention.

Park a Studebaker truck next to a Chevy 3100. I don't favor one over the other. But, will check out the Studebaker first every time.

Finding anything pre 60's up here is not only hard what you do find is expensive. That body alone would have went for over $1000. Soft top with a windshield chop and that thing is wall art.

 

In Socal. that would be a good start for a good price. I bet at Father's Day Roadster Show you could double your money. But for every guy who said it was too much or looks wrong without a roof, there are 100 who lust for your ride and wish it was theirs.

 

I LOVE THIS ROADSTER.

 

Some of the "disdain" voiced here is earned. I've got to admit, there have been some pretty awful coupesters built in the past. But most of it is just smack talk. Bob Bleed (Merkt) started with a whole lot less than you and his car turned out pretty okay by anybody's standards, so just ignore the fools and get on with your project.

 

Yikes!

 

Ahhh, not to worry... Hardly any welds to cut off.

I just can't see if they cut off the original 1935 rear spring hanger "eye", that is located at the very rearmost end of the trailing arms. The eye looks like a pipe molded to the back.

( because the 35/36 arms are quite desirable, if not ruined.)

 

Nice, no cuts on the rear arms.

You have a bunch of nice pieces there in unpitted condition. Out here in Northeast, it would be a score to find solid parts.

I am sure you can get some Model A guys to help put a plan together with what you have.

Start soaking the motor yet? I just tried the hamb "acetone and ATF" mix on a badly frozen cast iron carb base with stuck butterflies that heat would not free up.... a few days in a sealed container, and I feel movement.

 

That "spring in front" front suspension has a couple of good parts. First, the wishbone legs sit high on the knuckle. If you run a dropped axle these bones offer the most the tie rod clearance.

Ford used the same front axle from late 32 thru 36. It is a good candidate for dropping. Also, you can use 28/34 spring perches and mount your spring over the axle. This will restore a bit of wheelbase and improve the ride.

The spindles you have will work with hydraulic brakes. Even so, I would keep an eye out for a pair of 37 to 48 spindles. They are a direct interchange and they use a clean looking kingpin.

Pictures show the front end on my Model A coupe project; dropped 32 axle, split 35/36 wishbones, and 46/48 spindles.

 

I have a complete 1941 ford rolling chassis. Juice brakes, spindles, banjo rearend.

 

Update:Motor is 37 model with early heads. Junk though.

 

Look at it this way, the discovery that the flathead is bad opens up a lot of doors. A small-inch Chevy small block (265, 283, 327) with a T5 and an open drive line conversion on your banjo rear end will give you plenty of performance along with dependability and parts availability at a reasonable price. You'll have to trim the firewall for distributor clearance but you won't have to push the radiator forward. A nice traditional spring-over-axle front end and you'll be looking like the mid-'50s with a car that you can flog pretty hard without breaking anything - except maybe rear axle keys.

This is a traditional hot rod forum so you'll get a lot of pro-flathead talk, but most of it is just that, talk. If you are determined to run a flathead, spend some time with the guys who are actually driving a flathead-powered hot rod in areas where it actually gets hot like Oklahoma. Ask them about how much it actually cost them to build their motor and how much it would actually cost to rebuild it if it broke or cracked. Ask them how far they actually drive the car. Chances are your own research will reveal the flathead powered hot rod in 2015 to be much like a trophy wife - beautiful and sweet talking but actually demanding as hell and a genuine pain in the ass to be married to.

Don't take my word for it, ask around and see what you learn.

 

Is it cracked or just stuck?

 

Even if it's just stuck i can't imagine it not needing a full rebuild based on the pics. I think he'd be money ahead to find a later running flathead or an early SBC based on budget and the owner's preference. Use the old motor as an anchor.

 

You're always ahead with a good running engine.

From what I can see, that flathead is NOT boat anchor material but a good rebuild core candidate. Outside it's cleaner than most of what I've seen in the Northeast and I do not see any obvious cracking. The pistons and valves are junk but elbow grease and mystery oil should get them out.

As far as what fits into @Swiss50chevy 's build plan and budget, that's up to him and what he's got available as far as engines, tools, time, skill, and machine shops. I'm dealing with rebuilding my 8ba currently. I also just got the new Tardell book on building Flatheads, which might be a good one to add to the collection if this or another flathead are going into this build.

 

I'd go SBC, 50's build, just because I have a pile of SBC's. The parts you have would make a good 40's era build though, comes down to, if you want a flathead, and of you wanna spend the $ for a flathead.

Dunk that flathead into a garbage can with molasses derusting mix and let it sit a while, see if it will free up or at least disassemble, might have a good core that can be built or sold.

 

Well it looks like you would only be doors a deck lid and windshield stations away from a coupster, or doors a decklid and a roof away from a coupe. Do you want either one of those?

 

I'd vote for the 'Coupester'...Two ways to go, if I were doing it.
1. Repop coupe door skins, with 1" X 1.5" thinwall rec tubing, easy framing.
2. Likewise for trunk lid, formed and framed rec tubing. Deck skin could be rolled from flat, but without louvers the lack of the 'crown' shape will be real obvious.

I did a '29 'Coupester' for a young guy in the mid '70s. His insistence on roadster door skins made it necessary to lengthen the quarters, and the 'catwalk' ahead of the deck lid.
I did find a useable upper cowling, and used a roadster windshield.
MUCH work.

Coupes are easier, but they're for chickens.

 

Can I rock the boat a little bit. Of course I can.

I am a small block chevy guy so what I am going to say is going to come as a shock but maybe not an SBC at all. There are so many engine options out there and if you look around a bit you can almost always find something affordable sometimes more affordable than an SBC. I run SBCs because they are fast not because they are cheap.

This is not your standard belly button statement here, anything without a belly button is a monster.

 

Here is a coupster I bought in the early 80s for 3500. Was originally built around 1959/1960... 371 Olds w/Hydo. Put a lot of miles on it and sold it in the late 80s for 6500. My kids loved it ! Some of my hard core buddies would kid me about getting a real roadster but it was all in good fun. That's what it's all about .after everything is said and done
.....

 

Brawk, braaaawwwwwk.

I am more of a coupe guy myself. One of the fellas was teasing me about that a while back, I ride a bike but don't like roadsters.

That said I do like a coupster as much as a stock roadster. I like them better built from a regular coupe than from a sport coupe, the reveal on a sport coupe is different or something. I can't really put my finger on it but they seem to work out better made from a regular coupe. Done well they are nice cars.

I have to admit something here, if I bought a coupe that the top was trashed or bought one without a roof and didn't have a line on a roof cheap it would be a roadster when it was done.

 

That car is terrible, buy it and ship it to my house immediately.