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What is the worst thing you have seen done on a build?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Edsel58a, Nov 13, 2012.

  1. Edsel58a
    Joined: Jan 17, 2008
    Posts: 804

    Edsel58a
    Member

    This one for me is easy, I looked at a 54 Ford truck once that had a Mustang II suspension in it. To get the column and rack joined, the builder (not sure if seller built) welded a Craftsman 1/2" drive swivel at the base of the column an extension with the spline welded to it!!!!!!!!!

    Wish I had a pic of it.

    No, I did not buy it
     
  2. Andy
    Joined: Nov 17, 2002
    Posts: 5,117

    Andy
    Member

    I saw a car where the builder shortened a pinto cable steering shaft by cutting it off and putting the end in a piece of pipe and putting a bolt thru the cable and pipe. I also worked on a car built at a pro shop that had rounded off all the splines on a Vega box steering shaft and put on a U-joint and just used the two set screws.
     
  3. charlieb66
    Joined: Apr 18, 2011
    Posts: 549

    charlieb66
    Member

    Looked at a car a few years ago, no front sheet metal. The front suspension was real weird for a street rod. Asked the owner wht it was, he answered that it was from some mid sized Cadalic, and it was installed backwards. I questioned how did he connect the steering, he opened the passenger door and there was the steering wheel on the right side.
    Later heard that once he got it running he couldn't drive it and replaced it with a MII.
     
  4. ParkinsonSpeed
    Joined: Oct 11, 2010
    Posts: 429

    ParkinsonSpeed
    Member

    I saw a guy weld a frame up with a 110 welder with flux core set on the low setting... Then spent an hour grinding the welds off for a super clean look with no gussets. I hope he doesn't put his life into his own hands because he sure wasn't going to listen to me about it.
     

  5. outlaw256
    Joined: Jun 26, 2008
    Posts: 2,022

    outlaw256
    Member

    ^^^^ you better hope he dont put YOUR LIFE in his hands.like drivin on the same road and at the same time as you!!! or anyone else for that matter...
     
  6. A 53 Chevy with a small block that had the motor mounts brazed to the inside frame rails.
     
  7. afaulk
    Joined: Jul 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,194

    afaulk
    Member

    A guy that I know took his drag car to the local track and when he unloaded it off the trailer the entire front suspension fell off. He had a hell of a time getting it back on the trailer.
     
  8. GREASER815
    Joined: Dec 2, 2008
    Posts: 973

    GREASER815
    Member

    A guy that bulit a frame for his roadster out of pallet racking.....
     
  9. Chaz
    Joined: Feb 24, 2004
    Posts: 5,016

    Chaz
    Member Emeritus

    I once saw a 32 Ford that didnt have a small block Chevy in it.
     
  10. teejay99
    Joined: Sep 26, 2009
    Posts: 356

    teejay99
    Member

    Geez Chaz , that's a rarity ...wish you had a pic , I've never seen that before !

    T
     
  11. Edsel58a
    Joined: Jan 17, 2008
    Posts: 804

    Edsel58a
    Member

    what?
     
  12. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member

  13. Man,I had one of those.:D HRP
     
  14. 100dollardodge
    Joined: Nov 4, 2012
    Posts: 17

    100dollardodge
    Member

    I have seen more than a few street rods with "street glow" under them. You know those fast and furious lights under the car? might as well have euro tail lights and those bumble bee exhausts.
     
  15. VoodooTwin
    Joined: Jul 13, 2011
    Posts: 3,453

    VoodooTwin
    Member
    from Noo Yawk

    x100000000000000.
     
  16. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,829

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    here's some steering I redid on a 1940 Ford Pickup.... in the second picture I was under the car looking up. the red you see is the firewall. also notice the boxing plate in the frame is no longer welded
     

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  17. CodeMonkey
    Joined: Sep 13, 2012
    Posts: 94

    CodeMonkey
    Member
    from Moline IL

    A bit left of field: back in the early 80's I remember seeing a pinto hatchback converted into a 4WD, including 32" tall tires. They used 4x4's (the kind that come from trees) for the font subframe. I didn't get close enough to see what else was cobbled together.
     
  18. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,829

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    fixed it with the parts below. also check out the axle pads. they are about 1.5" wide. one good burnout would probably twist the rear end out of the u-bolts. I didn't fix that, he wanted the truck back.:confused:
     

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  19. propwash
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,857

    propwash
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    47 Ford coupe with a 371/hydro in it. X-member removed and the frame was strengthened with pieces of channel that were C-clamped to the rails and then the clamps were welded in place, the trans crossmember/support/mount was similar material fastened in the same way. Needless to say, I trailered it home even though the seller told me he drove it all over like that.
     
  20. 31Apickup
    Joined: Nov 8, 2005
    Posts: 3,367

    31Apickup
    Member

    When I got my Model A mostly in pieces back in 1975, the frame was a hacked roller. This was the front axle, an econoline that they cut the parallel leaf pads off and then welded some round stock in I-beam recess and drilled the spring perch holes for a stock model A spring. I thought this was scrapped years ago, but came across it in the back attic of my Dad's garage.
     

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  21. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,829

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    had a 49 Chevy sedan with the motor/trans at 3 degrees down, and the rear pinion was 4 degrees down. same car had about a foot of the trans crossmember cut out and a piece of 1 x 1 angle iron was bolted in to hold up the transmission.

    one more great thing the previous owner did was put in rear dump exhaust manifolds on the 350. well with the underfloor brake pedal the brake arm came down and hit the manifold before the master cylinder went through its full travel. the brakes were shit and the guy just kept driving, he even told me after he put the V8 in, the brakes stopped working well. best part? he was a mechanic at a dealership. guess there is no computer code for "brake arm hitting the exhaust manifold dumbass."
     
  22. THE_DUDE
    Joined: Aug 22, 2009
    Posts: 2,601

    THE_DUDE
    Member

  23. CanUFelix
    Joined: Jan 29, 2009
    Posts: 503

    CanUFelix
    Member
    from venice CA

    im sure there's a lot worse but here's two of the many asshat things the previous owner did to my roadster. gradually working through righting the wrongs....and there are MANY!!!

    throttle pedal held into toe board with washers and staples

    Gas tank held in place with blue foam and rubbing up against rough angle iron behind the seat.

    Genius....this guy calls himself a serious builder and sneers at rat rodders. its what you get when you buy sight unseen. I'll never learn.
     

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  24. 500 single
    Joined: Jul 8, 2006
    Posts: 119

    500 single
    Member

    A lot of the stuff I see on here makes me kinda self-consious about my own work, and inspires me to try harder.

    But not these:)
     
  25. Johnnyboy69
    Joined: Sep 13, 2011
    Posts: 8

    Johnnyboy69
    Member
    from Pomona, CA

    Crooked frame was the worst thing I saw on a 34' ford. It just didn't look straight and the guy said it was 100% perfect. That's Pomona Swap Meet for you :/
     
  26. Metal Mangler
    Joined: Nov 4, 2011
    Posts: 29

    Metal Mangler
    Member
    from Washington

    Anyone that builds a car with any part of the steering or frame below the scrub line. People always say oh its no big deal...its isnt until you get a flat or a blowout at freeway speed.

    Matt
     
  27. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    A lot of what the guys showed was more common than one would think in the 70's and early 80's.

    I was re-torquing the head on my 48 close by the Michigan Hot Rod repair tent at the 73 Street rod Nationals in Tulsa when they drug in a rod that had broken down in town that had 1/2 in electrical conduit with the ends hammered flat bolted on for a four bar style radius rod setup with 5/16 or 3/8 bolts to hold them to the axle and frame. The owner had actually driven it several hundred miles that way.

    Steering wise, I believe this came from an earlier thread on the same subject.
     

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  28. 67coronet
    Joined: Aug 2, 2009
    Posts: 167

    67coronet
    Member

    Bought a 55 Chevy with a new 283 and 3 on the tree. Was told it had air shocks on back. Drove two blocks and almost wrecked it! Looked under rear and it had muffler clamps on the shocks! That was in 1978. Still have the car but now has coil overs under him.
     
  29. BIG-JIM
    Joined: Jun 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,374

    BIG-JIM
    Member
    from CT

    The motor mounts on my 34 Tudor were paper thin and bugger welded on. As an extra added bonus he (the previous owner) used a washer as a steering support.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Third picture of me cutting them out.
    [​IMG]
     
  30. blue 49
    Joined: Dec 24, 2006
    Posts: 1,820

    blue 49
    Member
    from Iowa

    I happen to have built my frame from pallet rack crossmembers and I don't see a problem with it. I've got 15,000 miles on it so far.

    Blue
     

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