Hey guys, I'll introduce myself since this is my first post here. I'm tony from north Carolina. I'm starting a build on my 1937 ford 5 window business coupe. I inherited the car from my grand dad who p***ed away last year. He was an avid car guy and is the reason I got into them. This was his project he was workimg on when he p***ed so I want to finish it to kind of honor him the best way I can. Anyways the car isn't the best body wise I've got a good bit of rust to battle as well as replacing the entire floor. But luckily he had compiled a large pile of extra body panels and such so I've got a lot to work with. The cars been set up with a mustang II front end and has a sbc 350/th400 as a powerplant. My plans are to start dealing with all the rot first then get her nice and low. Probably will keep it static but air ride is a possibility since I've done several of those setups before. Once we
anyone know the size on the bolts for the front fenders? i can source them all from work for free (lucky my boss is a hot rod guy) just wasnt sure on the size
Good looking project. Your rear wheel looks to be too forward in the wheel well on one pic and positioned to the rear on another pic. . Original frame? rear end? Or Possibly a later model rear end poor position mount? Good luck!
Welcome to the HAMB and thanks for sharing your new project, it looks like a nice start, make Grandpa proud!
as far as i know it is the factory rear end. i looks like its in the right place in person i think it may be the camera angle?
It differentiates it from those swoopy fibregl*** three-window things that the manufacturer describes as '37 Ford Coupes.
He said it has a SBC and auto installed, so I'd lay money that the original rearend is not there. Sounds like he doesn't know what is in there. And that pic sure does seem to show a parallel leaf spring.
I love the old 37 coupes, we are going for a road trip this weekend to pick up another original hibernating 37 coupe this weekend, not not for myself but after 12 months of negotiating and a 27 year hibernation . Even if grandad chose those wheels ,he made a poor choice , sorry that's how I see them.
any of you fellas need any body parts? i have extras of things that i wont be using that id be more than happy to part with for some wompum. and also i really dont care how i look to other people if i call it something different than they do. its my car being built for me and i dont need nor seek anyone elses approval on how i do it. but that being said i can take a good jarring so feel free to give me hell fellers lol
also i picked up the sheetmetal this weekend for replacing the floor and using for some patch panels for the 2 cancer spots on the body. figure since im gonna be cutting out the entire floor anyway i may as well body drop the car while im at it. i want it ridiculous low so looks like a 3" body drop will be in order.
yea boss i agree with you the wheels are beyond ugly. ive got a proper set of wheels being owder coated right now and soon as they are done ill get some rubber on em and ditch those monstrosities haha
" .....i want it ridiculous low ........... body drop ..." Christ on a flaming crutch! I'm gettin' that rodent vibe real bad. Granpaw probably spinnin' in his grave!
so whats wrong with body dropping it? same results as a channel. and im sure my granpaw wouldnt be upset with any decision i make on the car. i swear some of you guys on here are pretty damn close minded on things.
also what about me wanting my car to be as low as possible makes it seem as if im trying to build a rat rod? i was under the impression that paint and a clean body with nice wheels and really low was something cool? guess im wrong but oh well car is still cool to me so thats all i care about. anyways as i said earlier if any of you fine gentlemen need anything for a 37 send me a PM i have alot of spare parts that id like to sell to fund some of the projects other aspects.
Great start! Next to a 33/34, that's the best ford body....greetings from Clayton..... If you never do, you'll never know....
Cool project man! You are suffering from a bit of misplaced terminology though. "Body drop" is Mini Trucker re-name for channel, and annoys the living hell out of most of us traditionalists simply because they couldn't be bothered to use the proper, already in use term. Mini Truckers, like it or not (and I am a former mini truck owner) were usually younger, less experienced guys that had no problem "hacking things up" to get as low as they could with almost no thought to stance or construction quality. Most that have made the switch over to early cars have continued on with the same sort of stance and quality issues, Hence the lack of enthusiasm for mini trucker terms. You don't need to channel this car to get it down low, so don't worry about it. These can be set right on the ground with a sneaky stance and a reasonable ride just by correctly setting up the suspension. Google the name Ryan Reed, study well and take notes! His '37 is as correct and low as they come. Now, the 5 window coupe thing.... Another "right of p***age" kinda thing in our little corner of the world. See, Ford made both 5 window coupes and 3 window coupes in '32-'36 only. After that, the 3 window was gone, and the magic that is ***ociated with those cars was gone as well. Before '32. or after '36, refering to a Ford as a 5 window coupe is redundant and instantly marks you as inexperienced at our game, or if you will, "A rube". I was asked by a mentor in the summer of '77 what kind of car I wanted to build, and I responded "a '30 model "A" five window coupe", and the little circle of guys rolled in laughter! Then they explained "why" in the manner that I am now to you. I still see one of those guys now 37 years later and he STILL calls me the "5 window coupe kid"! Your gonna find that MOST of us have somewhat closed minds when it comes to setting these cars up. That's part and parcel of being on a TRADITIONAL hot rod board. We do stuff the way it has always been done, sometimes taking the latest "trick" off a newly acquired car, and don't stray too far beyond that because most of the late model "tricks" lack soul. As many years as the world has had to look at '37 Fords, there isn't a body mod that hasn't been done, there isn't an accessory that hasn't been hung on one, and a way to set one up that hasn't been tried. Most of the time they look best the way they were intended to look, the traditional way. You'll also find the largest group of talented and knowledgeable people on the planet to help you with what you are trying to accomplish.
The Jalopy Journal
