Hey Guys, I’m starting a new ’30 Tudor ‘driver’ build… I don’t really want to re-invent the wheel … literally. I’ve been lookin’ thru a lot of threads for inspiration and maybe some advice. I want to keep the fenders on and the roof un-chopped… Kinda like the Jewel, but closer to a lump of coal. Here’s what I’ve got so far… A decent enough body still sitting on a stock chassis & running gear… 4” dropped I-beam front set-up, reversed-eye mono spring & hairpins… 8’ rear w/ coil overs & ladder bars… SBC/350 combo (I know, flame-on… but, the wife is gonna drive this one, so no stick)… I’m still on the fence as whether to buy or build the chassis… Yes, I have the tools and skills to do either. Just don’t know if the hassle (time) offsets the cost… I like the look of steel smoothies with moons and wide whites. Just not sure about what sizes will work with fenders. Any suggestions?
You asked Joe..... I would study up on AV8s. I would use the original chassis with 39 up brakes and period modifications to the chassis for the AV8. I would probably use split bones and Ford rear suspension. I would use steel 15 or 16 inch Ford wheels 5 x 5 1/2 pattern. The Chevrolet would have ramhorns and look like a 283. I would use a Lokar or Gennie type shifter. I would probably use a 49-51 ford car rear or a 9inch. Maybe a column and steering wheel from a 40s-50s Ford. PS 8" rear is OK too. I too would leave the body intact with full fenders.
F-one has some good suggestions. but sbc and auto is a bit old guy street rod stuff. so common it does nothing to add cool to your car. In fact it even takes away cool as people say "350/350 again!" How about Y-block, olds, Buick etc with a manual trans. Dependability is in the maintenance of the engine not the brand. With it on a stock chassis I would consider a hot for banger as its already there, 39 brakes, lowered and hay presto a cheap hot rod that's not like the others. If you buy a chassis you start to slip into the realm of catalogue built cars. we've all seen them. you walk around them and you know what catalogues are on there shelf, and there's a hundred others the same.
Don't disagree with your taste, Aussie57wag, but you did see the blurb about it being his wife's car (so no stick), didn't you? I bring that up because I have the same dilemma? Wanna use stock rebuilt suspension with lowered spindles, disc brakes, shock mount relocator kit, and power rack conversion for the wife's '48 Plymouth, but not sure how it'll drive for her. For me, it would be fine, but if she don't like how it drives, she ain't gonna drive it! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I must confess if it was mine, and your frame is good, I would media blast it, install u-channel boxing plates (@patmata knows a seller), weld in a flat crossmember in front and a Tardel style rear kick up. I wouldn't run a mono leaf, just because the the ideer of one defect in the spring and you go to no spring in a second!! [emoji33] If you desire to run a SBC, go all in on the look, or be ready to face a lot of flack for it. But they are good mills, but you set you era to post 55/56, so follow true! If you like en with fenders @Bull has a very nice one, and a good build thread in here!! I feel no love for a 350/350 combo, but nor em I a hater. And I agree with the two above!!
Yep, missed the bit about wife's car. I told my wife if she wants to drive a cool car she can learn to drive a stick or keep driving her little jap import.
Some other benefits of the SBC is it fits better than a SBF. I like your plans. My son and I are building a similar ride 31 PU. What are you going to do for a gas tank?
Well dropped and not chopped full fenders and an SBC. Why not? You already got the frame and the skills and tools. Why buy a different frame? you can build it and be done with it. Besides the original frame has numbers and can be titles without doing something hinky. I personally am not a big fan of the coil overs. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't use them, I probably wouldn't myself but that is your choice. I would run steelies and no caps abut again that is a personal choice. Build sounds OK to me.
Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I already know about the "wrong engine" thing... My Willys p/u came from the factory minus the blown Hemi... I have the rams horns for my 283 and plan to run 3x2 intake to dress it up... little to no chrome.
Stance makes or breaks a car. Getting a full-fendered sedan down into the weeds is tough but well worth the effort to separate it from the typical catalog car. Do whatever it takes (narrow I-beam, changing wheel offsets, raised motor mounts, raised rear floor, etc.). The gold sedan previously pictured is a perfect example of great stance. However, I saw it at the Jalopyrama and it has a *V-6* under the hood. Don't make excuses for the SBC/T350 combo. It's your (and your wife's) car and do what ya gotta do. Just use a full hood. One other thing: Use as many stock Ford parts as humanly possible to separate it from a catalog car.
LOL you could always throw a belly button flatty in it I guess. Definitely needs a T5 or an AOD though if you go that route. I mean hell you got to keep it trad.
As far as the chassis is concerned, I would look into a TCI chassis. The chassis you have under your car is going to need to be boxed and have cross members and other assorted brackets, shock mounts, master cylinder etc. Model A frames are about 80 years old and it's going to need a lot of work to get it into the shape you want. A TCI chassis will be built in a jig and you can be sure it is true. The other benefit to a TCI is that you can add as many options as you want or get the basic chassis and do your own add on's. Sure you can do the work but you will first have to build some sort of jig first.
Man, I wish it was that easy! My wife drove a stick for years (a Volvo, yet she can't get my 5 speed Ranger out the driveway with less than 20 stalls! For me, it's a go or no go type deal, either you can or can't drive a manual. Sure, every car needs a little getting used to, but it's all basically the same......her, not so much! She likes the Ranger, but in 15 years, she's yet to master driving it.....????? Back to Mr. Coffee's dilemma, it's pretty much a matter of personal desire. What do you value your time at vs money spent on a new chassis. How big of a hurry are you in to get this thing up and running, and how much time do you have to spend on doing it? Personally, for my wife's '48, I want to reuse the stock stuff because my '48 came to me with a Fatman front clip and well.......I'm not THAT impressed! I'm curious to see if the stock front end with the above mentioned upgrades will give a comparable ride. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I've seen a fuel cell mounted out back in a luggage trunk that looks fairly stealthy. If we get rear ended we'll look like a Pinto... but at least we won't be wearing it.
As far as going with a new chassis vs. building the old one... I've heard that the stock frames tend to crack where the boxing plates are welded due to a higher iron content in the old steel. Has anyone experienced this? I'm not planning to run big power or auto-cross this thing, just relatively normal cruising & road trips.
I don't get this rant about sbc they are sixty tears old the first swap was done in 1954 look up doan spencer and the dream truck to quote david allen coe if that aint traditional I will kiss your ass im done
There is a lot more to it than just throwing boxing plates and some coil overs at a stock a frame... No offense , but people need to know their limitations, just the fact you asked this question in that manner makes me think you will be miles ahead with a store bought frame , complete rolling A frames can be bought very reasonable , especially in California ... Look into classic streetrod mfg , it will save you some head scratching
I'm a Ford guy but this needs to be said. As much as I like Y blocks, FEs, Challengers, Windsors, even Rockets, Nailheads,J2s, Blue Flames, Hemis, Wedges, Straight 8s, ect. ect. ect....two engines stand out from all others. The first is the Flathead Ford V8. The second is the Small Block Chevrolet ...Period. The thing is, a SBC with 50s-60 era parts....ram horns, intakes, power pack heads, dual points and stuff like generators is every bit as rare these days as some of the more exotic or era choices. When is the last time you have seen a era SBC with era accessories? That stuff is getting harder to find like everything else from those days. Familiarity breeds contempt I guess.
No offense taken @thirtytwo, I probably oversimplified the the process of preparing a chassis for the road by focusing on the welds at the boxing plates. The gentleman that told me about the problem was trying to convince me to go with a new frame.
Thanks for the words of encouragement @F-ONE and @studebaker46. My 283 is an early 59 block with pretty much all stock bolt ons. I'm gonna try to keep it simple. Maybe 3x2 intake, maybe the stock 4bbl... time will tell. Still should be correct for an early 60s style build.
I believe some of that old ford steel is some of the best stuff you will find anywhere but if your model a frame is nice it's probably worth around 300 or if its fully complete more ... Especially with popularity of TROG now.. If your planning on coil overs 4 bar .. All that newer type stuff it'd probably be penny wise to buy a roller or at least one of the " econo" versions where most the tabs are welded ect , but I believe you can still buy a boxed a frame for around 800
Well for what its worth. Personally I would get some 2x3x1/4" tubing and make your own frame. Setting up the rear coil overs etc this gives you 2 things, a stronger frame, and better steel to attach your ideas to and a better way to tailor the ride height to what you want.. But that's me. The stock frame boxed, and add some cross members, should be fine honestly. On the 350/350 comment... But if I can make a suggestion. 327 or 283 with a 2 speed glide is much more respectable than the old boring 350. I hardly look at cars with a regular 350/350 combo in them anymore. 327 with 3 duces sitting up top... Offy valve covers, that's a statement.
I was originally thinking 'glide, but then a friend gave me a th350... that frees up the money for wheels!
One thing to remember about a fuel cell is that a ruptured fuel cell does not automatically mean fire. Maybe I am more optimistic then my fellow cynics but I never leave the house, having a wreck in mind. LOL Too new for who? I don't think its too new at all but I don't doubt that someone does. Of course you have to remember that my favorite engine of those that I own, and normally my go to, is based around a steel 350 crank and a set of pink rods. Anyway it sounds like an interesting option.
Just queries, how do you from 6 feet away call if it's a 283, 327 or a 350? I'm as much in to early SBC, as some of the other guys on here. But it's the TH350 that annoys me more then the SBC 350. When it comes to the look, going with a 3x2 setup, script valve covers, ramhorns, generator and hugger orange or engine red, then a 350 can look as good as a 327! Except for the front mounts, and the bracket/acc holes in the later heads, they are the same. But I prefer to see front mounted SBC, but that's the only thing I see wrong with them. At least a junkyard chevy mill, dressed up and put in to a rod is late fiftys era perfect! And I would go with a boxed stock model a frame, but if no-one is available, the 2x4 is as good as it gets. Just need to dress it to look right.
There is an advantage to stock frames that everyone is overlooking here. They have numbers and the numbers are how you title one. That is not to say that I am beyond stamping a new chassis. I am actually going to look at a Ford sedan tonight and the main reason I am considering it is not that it fits the bill for hot rod fodder but that it is on a stock chassis and stock chassis means numbers. We could all argue the early or late SBC all day and never find two people who agree. the later engine is basically the same with a few extra bobbles. once its dressed properly it looks just fine. Most girls look better with some cloths on anyway.
It's not so hard to take that that brand new crate 350 and make it look old. If You pay for it, I'll get you a 350 to visually fool anyone. Pull it out of the crate and drop it in, well that's just lame.
Bring your trailer and come up to Oregon, I've got something at the house with your name on it. TCI frame. 4" dropped front axle, brakes around with m/c and bled, Ford rear end, wheels and tires, complete steering, dash with full gauges etc. etc. etc. This was a driver until recently and would be again with little effort. Oh, and if you don't like your Model A body I've got one of those bolted to the frame right now. Cheers.
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