Pipes, I understand what you are saying, damn man cars what are we all thinking? I mean we take these hunks of metal spend unbelievable amounts of time and money to make them the way we think they will be cool. I must be some kind of disease or something. I did go and looked at this little 50 coupe today. Not really the best idea I have ever had, It is something of a mess. Needs floors and rockers, body is really straight other than that though. Comes with a really good running Flathead V8 and tranny, and the only glass in the car is the back. Price is right at less than a grand though, hell the Flathead is worth some part of that deal so I'm in. Only hope I have another car in me as I am an old guy, and I am finishing up a glass 34 Ford 3 window. This one will be a Hot Rod though not a custom. I have this idea in the back of my mind and this car will fulfill that idea. I have 4 early Chrysler Hemi's left over from my Model A, one of those goes into the Model A and it is built and ready to go. One of the others is going to go into this little shoebox along with a 4 speed I also have. So it will be a Hot Rod. Got a lot of homework to do first though as I have to learn about these cars. It is doable though just takes time I suppose...
That "Sectioned but Un-chopped Customs!" thread is my baby. I'm a big ol' custom fan, and I'm glad it could provide some inspiration. Best of luck!
Here's the link, in case anybody's interested: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/index.php?threads/1008007/
Peanut, I hate you man! There I was all happy and content, then you have to post some damn thread that I just couldn't ignore. Now I'm starting a whole nuther direction with my Car thing. It's on you, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. All kidding aside your thread on those sectioned cars really played well with me. Of all of those cars featured on that thread the shoebox Fords, a car I had never given much thought to before, really rang a bell with me. Thanks for starting that thread I enjoyed it a lot.
Haha, sorry Hombre! [emoji12] Honestly, you can blame those brave, creative, and talented souls who pulled off those incredible sectioning jobs and had the balls to leave the roof alone. I may be in the minority, but I'd rather see a car sectioned than chopped!
Well it’s time to get started actually doing stuff.. unfortunately the axles wouldn’t fit in my buddy’s lathe , so plan B on the Bridgeport.. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
well axles are all redrilled for stock bolt pattern and the hub cut down, so today i dragged it out from out back and gave it a good wash down. monday its getting taken to my buddys garage, where we will start ripping out the rear suspension then putting the 9" rear housing ,lowering springs, blocks shocks and new drum brake set up in it.then get the Rocker panels and the few small holes on drivers floor patched. then its the Aerostar front coils, shocks,steering upgrade kit, and the disk brake upgrade and the power brake booster set up for the fire wall. hopefully in a coupe of weeks it will have a nice new stance and i can drop the motor and trans in and get it running.
I believe it is. The previous owner bought the car in 1967 with a blown motor. From the original owner .The only thing he did was put a Chevy 283 in it and took out the front seat, he said he was going to put buckets in it.he never got it on the road because he needed a different transmission.it sat in his garage until I bought it last year. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Wow, great find and I love the direction you’ve taken. Just found and read this thread. Subscribed so I don’t miss any updates.
Update! well finally got some garage time and we didnt mess around. got my 9 inch 66 bronco rear housing and started chopping off the perches and the tabs. figured that might be only thing that wouldgo smoothly today but the old girl surprised me. Every nut and bolt that we layed a wrench on can right off.. as a matter off act when we put it on the lift my buddy's dad, spent over 10 mins dragging out his torch set .untangling the hose hooking it all up with the intentions that there would be tons of cutting. Nothing.. not a one..he was so annoyed, that we felt bad and for shits and giggles let him cut off the old exhaust pie that was sill connected. We undid the leafs and emergency brakes and shocks then rolled the rear end right out from under the car. put the new 3 inch lowering springs up, new shackles,bushings and bolts then set the perched on the leafs and the 9 inch went right in. we eyed it up and measured a few times then popped on the 3 inch blocks (which are getting cut down !) put the temp center section in and the new ales and bearing and seals, then the new drum brakes. ended up having to deflate the tires to get them on the car(which is why the blocks are getting cut down!) I got to say that in 4 hours we were so far ahead of where we figured we'd be that all of use where amazed. i think the 51 really must want to get back on the road..that or something ir going to really bite me in the ass tomorrow..
pretty stoked... tomorrow going to swap over the emergency brakes cable then cut the blocks down.. sucks because i really dig the stance as it is.. but we had to let all the air out of the tire to get it on.. but i just had to see how it stood. after that its onto the front suspension.. cant wait.. Anyway heres a before and after. it used to stand 12 inches off the ground in front of the rear wheel to the rocker. now its 7.5 inches..
Lucky you! I want to do a 9" in my 50, but I've never played w/ setting one up before. What's your process for locating the perches to get the correct pinion angle?
I used a 66 bronco housing which was 58 inches drum to drum. I cut off the original perches and shock mounts, ground them down smooth. We unbolted the old rear and suspension and bolted the new springs up. I had ordered new perches for the rear which was 3 inch diameter. The new springs were 2 inches wide and with a half inch locator hole,so that’s what I got from Summit Racing.. think they were 23 bucks. Stuck the perches on top of the leaf springs on the locator tab, then slipped the rear in through the leafs. Measured side to side to make sure it was even distance, was something like 4 1/4 inches from spring to the rear flange on both sides. Once we did that we slipped the blocks under the rear and put the U bolts on and bottom shock plate. Once that was snug, threw a spare center section I had in there then put the brakes on and the axles. Tightened every thing up then rechecked the measurements and got the level for checking the degree out and got it around 5 . Tightened the U bolts up again and fought with trying to get the tires in it. . My buddy is going to make me up 2 more sets of blocks, a one inch and a two inch. Once we decide which one will work better and allow me to change a tire with out in bolting the leaf springs, we will set it all one more time then weld the perches on permanently. That’s about it Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
pic of it on the ground with the 3 inch lowering springs,and 3 inch blocks, and stock front end. Still need to cut down the blocks and put in the aero front coils and the steering upgrade kit as well as the front disc brakes. the lift arms barely make it under the frame in the back..
3 inch blocks are out, 2 inch blocks are in, and still need to deflate the stock tires to get them on the car.. my buddy says he going to make some 1 inch blocks.. love the stance but im tempted to just let it ride on the 3 inch lowering springs alone. hoping to get a chance to put the front coil spring on this weekend and see how it looks with the front end down some. As of right now,i made the horrifying decision(for a ford guy) to leave the 283 in the car. it only has 6000 miles according to the previous owner who took it out of a brand new wrecked car in 67. I just need to get a trans. I was given a 200r that needs a rebuild..and got the number of someone that can rebuild it for 600. Right now im just dying to get this thing on the road. At least it will be a bit more traditional..
The car will settle with use. The drive shaft will probably hit the floor boards at the rear seat base. (A bit of cutting and rudimentary patchwork will remedy this.) I'd ditch the blocks, and fill the car with babes! (Or would have, in my younger days! ) The 283 sounds tits!
I know ! i know!! it pains me, but rest assure it will once again be ford power.. its just a matter of priorities. I promised the wife id remodel the kitchen so im trying to slip the car in there at same time! it should see the 347, or a 300 ford 6 by next summer.. this summer its just a bit to tight..
OK. I believe you and I know how life gets in the way. Mine has only half of the bodywork done, in primer, empty trim holes, silver painted bumpers, car is not painted, and being driven. But then again it needed more body work than I thought and I wanted to drive it this Summer.
Great find Pipes. I just bought a 51 coupe last week . Its from Texas and is rust free(no holes). Trying to get the flathead to run ,would like to keep it. My plans Are much like yours-mild custom-WWW -lowered-bubble skirts etc. I will try to get pics this week. Your car looks great!
Thanks! When you get them post them up! I wish I had a flathead in mine, but for now I’ll run the Chevy mill as much as it bugs me and all my Chevy buddies are busting my balls about it..
Don't worry about what your buddies say. Do what YOU want and can AFFORD .When my buds say I should do this or that I just hold out my hand and say "Im takin donations,lets start with 1000 dollars". That shuts them up. And if my flathead doesn't work out, its getting a SBC since I have 2or3 already sitting around. I want this car to be reliable,fun to drive ,and built on a budget,since I have 5 others that always need something!
Yeah, it’s a fun thing I admit.. but being a ford guy all my life and never owning a single Chevy anything.. just takes some getting used to. At this point in my life it’s about what gets me down the road and have fun doing it.. so I’ll take the razzing from the Chevy guys and the slight embarrassment to all the ford guys in my family, but I’ll have a hell of a time when I’m driving it!
You mentioned a 200r. I think you would be very happy with that. I put a 454 and 700r in my 56 Cady and love it! You just have to set up the TV cable properly and I used a stock Qjet to get the correct linkage geometry. I would think the 200 is the same, but I have never used one.Heard good things about them though. With a setup like that,you should get great mileage!
I’m hoping so. It came out of my best friends dad’s 85 elcamino . He went with A 700 r i think he said. Gave me the trans and is hooking me up with the guy that rebuilt his. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I love the lowered look of your car. I have an idea that I may try on mine . Cut the springs behind the axle and bag it. Ive read that this works and I would design it so I could drop the suspension to facilitate changing tires. I would have to play with the pinion angle and may have to cut the tunnel but its something to think about. Maybe someone else has done this before and can shed some light.
fordcoupegy; If you cut off the back half of the rear springs you will need a pair of upper control arms. The front half of the spring will not control the Diff roll (spring wrap). Also on my 51 I had to "adjust" the drive shaft tunnel to get 2" of up travel and My car don't really sit that low. The Wizzard
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