Hot Rods My Hot Rod 29 AA Express AAV8 Build

Welcome to the Flatbed Ford Club High test. Nice Hauler!

 

Thanks shutter speed. Just joined this hamb yesterday. Was stoked to see this thread.

 

In that case, welcome to the H.A.M.B.!

Not to hijack @patmanta’s thread, but maybe all us flatbedders should post pics for support and inspiration.

What part of the world you from?

 

Westrn pa. Not sure how to navigate the replies and stuff too well. Working off a phone.

 

You’re doin fine. Sit back and enjoy. You’ll wonder where the time went?!

 

And now...back to Pat.

 

This is so slick.....it deserves a big pic! Nothing like a Hot Rod Truck that can earn it’s keep! Need more info on this GEM!

 

Actually I do still want that PU bed! I just needed something to do to make this look like a truck! I also figure this can be used and or modified to fit inside a bed or swapped out with one as the need arises/changes. It's not super heavy nor difficult to remove. I built it with that in mind. But seeing as the immediate future is so uncertain, I figured I'd do this so I have something to build a little camper tent on so I can have a driveway campout for my summer staycation.

Once I get the platform straight and level, the plan was to put stake pockets on it and then make some bows to stretch canvas or tarpaulin over. Then find my sleeping bag.

 

Patmanta, i like your idea of making a slide off camper, had considered it myself. I saw one in a magazine several years ago, it had a tin roof and wood siding and a little smoke stack sticking out. Was on an A of some sort. Really cute. Do you have a thread on your roadster i saw earlier in your post? It looks very cool, like its flying just sitting there!

 

It’s yours my friend, and I like the way you think. I hope MA opens back up before Fitchburg. My 1st generation flatbed was thrown together with 2x4s and pt decking just to see if I liked it. I did. 2nd gen. got aluminum frame, oak planks, stirrups and stake sides.

From the beginning I’ve imagined a removable camper...maybe just a canvas wall tent, or even a teardrop, minus the undercarriage and wheels. I think your idea of hoops and an arched canvas cover is great!

Hope to see you soon.

 

@High test 63, great minds think alike, eh?
(Click on patmanta’s “Thundercasket” link to follow his roadster build)

 

Thanks! Yeah, the #thundercasket has its own thread (in my sig). It's a LONG read since it has changed direction a couple times and so much has gone on since I first put the pile together without knowing much.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/modified-lakester-build-thundercasket.751582/page-9

Unfortunately I do not think June is going to happen at this point. I'm not inclined to go even if it does at this point. I don't think I want to be in any kind of crowd any time soon.

 

Now, moving on to the front suspension changes, I am using this old dropped axle off my neighbor's cousin's vintage T bucket. First I did it spring over, since I had a long spring (this is a later axle). The bones were tacked on so I had to free them and file everything down. I didn't like it.


I liked the stance, but it wasn't really working out as I had hoped so I changed it back to a spring ahead layout with its original spring. The stance is more TRUCK and less HOT ROD so I am going to move the straight bar crossmember up to get that inch of drop to the nose back.


The next problem is the steering. All of it. That axle was dropped in such a way as it does not have room for any steering arm I have tried to fit. At this point I have a shop press on order to make revisions to some plate arms I got hoping I can make them work with this axle and the F1 spindles.





Also it snowed.

I have had these epay impulse buy vintage homebuilt wishbone mounts for years. They were perfect for this as it turned out. There is a tab under them that let me line them up just right and drill some holes with just a single clamp to help me out. I'm happy with them.


See what I mean about the TRUCK stance?


In the meantime I'm on to the steering box. I have an F4 box that I finally got to fit after jacking the engine up. I have the bottom hole bolted into the stock top hole from the outside so it sits on top of the rail. This gets the geometry in the neighborhood that I can work with and it aligns with the stock column drop. The ball on the pitman looks worn out and too big for a stock A drag link head so I either need to cut it off and have it reamed or drilled out and a Model A ball stud put in. Gonna need to torch it some too to clear the wishbones. You should be able to see a little video here on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sxByXHYL3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link



Got a nice shot from the throne too. I've put some old outdoor nylon courdura I had on the top because I was sick of seeing blue tarp in my driveway. Makes it look and feel a little nicer when I sit in it and make vroom noises. Yes I have since cleaned my driveway up.

 

If it was mine, I would raise the flatbed up....looks too low to me. JMHO
Like on this pic.....timber on top of the frame rail and the cross wood on top of that, instead of right on the frame rail.

 

^^^I’m diggin the party lights!^^^

Pat, the side shot (4rth one up) looks almost like the back of the cab is channeled...
Just an illusion, no?

 

pat, i i hope you don't mind, but here are some shots of how i did a 'spring in front' on my low budget roadster heap. A 36 un dropped axel. Early 60's econoline steering box. Many miles on it. Even a b-ville pilgrimage 10 years ago. Not very sleek looking i'll admit, but it works.

 

Ok. I see, its the lower steering arms that are vexing you, takes me awhile sometimes.

 

I actually like the low bed look with the tall cab and long wb. It's deliberate. It's also not quite as low as it would seem since the frame is stacked to make a kick up (6") so I may only be about 2" lower than that. The 114" wb with the 6' length and 47" ~ 48" width may be making it look lower than it is. The whole truck is pretty low on its own. The bed sits at about lawn chair height or so which was also deliberate. I wanted the flatbed tucked between and below the tops of the tires. The stake sides and/or top bows will change this look a bit too once I get there.

The cab isn't all together currently so it's a little floppy. It is not channeled though; the frame kick may make for that illusion. I didn't want to chop or channel this one but instead see what I could do with a mostly unaltered cab on the AA frame. I'm fairly pleased with where it is going at the moment. I am mulling ideas to improve visibility now though which may lead to making some peep windows above the windshield and a mesh, plexi, or punched visor.

Yeah, it's a drag (LOL).

Thanks for showing me your setup! I like seeing other people's solutions to these challenges!

 

When the average person looks at your homemade hot rod, they have no clue of the hours and solitary hours of sitting and staring at parts, that you could actually afford,that never were intended to go together, that it takes to get one finally going down the road in a reasonably safe manner.

 

it's funny how this hobby illustrates the need for a better tool sometimes. I'm in a holding pattern on this one because I am having trouble cutting a curve in a bracket for the steering box. I discovered that I would need a variable speed jigsaw if I wanted to stop cooking the teeth and spitting blades across the room in this effort. So I got one coming this week, stay tuned!



(I am also trying to fix my bandsaw whose motor went up on me a couple months back. had to order some new hardware for that which isn't here yet either).

 

Got this variable speed Bosch jigsaw. It might be the nicest power tool I own now. I just cut a semi circle in 3/16" steel with absolutely no fuss, which is an enormous improvement for me in the shop.



I was able to get the steering box bracket roughed out yesterday.



Turned my attention to the rottenleonard engine cradle mount. Got that tacked up before I went in for the day. I'll clean that up and finish the welding this week so I can mount the engine and make sure I don't need to move the steering box before I drill the top down bolt holes and do the finish work on it.

 

So, the engine cradle did not immediately fit the 1955' 265. I had to slot one hole and open the others. The pattern isn't wrong, it's just not right for this block and I don't know enough about the differences in the early SBC to have known or expected that apparently. I got it on there but I am unhappy with it.

I also de-tabbed the steering box and found that I should have done that first. The tab had been causing more interference than I thought, so my bracket is drilled too high and I need to start over. I also think I need to move the box back an inch and out a quarter inch now.

 

That’s called “zeroing in on it”!
...the Hot Rod Way.
Carry on Friend!

 

Honestly I really wish I did not have to do any of that. The hurst style mount thing just ate up my day on a 30 minute operation. The steering box mount thing just means a relatively easy solution with work already done isn't going to fly (it sits in a better spot with closer to factory geometry and clears the wishbones). I got a bit disgusted with it and walked away. It was too hot in the driveway lately anyway even with the sun shade up now so I just turned my attention to the car and its pedals.

 

Just remember everyone who builds a car goes through the same frustrations you're going through now. Even small progress is good progress and setbacks and changes are all part of it. Piece by piece brother. You got this.

 

I'm


Sent from my KFSUWI using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Man of few words haha

 

Here is where it looks like I need to be right now.
The bottom hole on the F4 box flange now goes through the hole for the stock shaft (biased to the top).



Gotta center the pitman but it's still close enough to work with like this. Putting it through the frame would make the steering geometry harder to deal with.



It clears the wishbone BUT it does look a little goofy sitting with the flange an inch out and parallel to the wheels. But I think that is the correct way to go at this point.
< see?


The wheel seems to still want to sit nice and clear the windshield with this setup. I don't THINK that I will need to shorten it but I didn't think I needed to move the box back before either so we will see! I have sat in it with this 17" wheel and I do still fit. Right now I have a HUMVEE seat frame sitting on the stock riser and some plywood with just some 3" closed cell packing foam on top and back. It is surprisingly comfortable. I am overall happy with how low this truck looks and feels now. Once I drop the nose down by moving the crossmember I think I will have the stance I want back too. I will need to do that before I get the steering fully dialed in anyway.

ALSO, I need a torch setup. I do not have a lot of space and I don't want to spend $300+ just to bend some steering arms, pitmans, and the brake pedals on the Thundercasket. I have a vintage torch, but no regulators, hoses, or bottles. Anybody know if those little bottle Oxy & MAP-Pro rigs from the hardware store will work with a real torch? I hate to be cheap but, I also don't want to bleed more green just now any more than I want to figure out where to put a pair of 60 bottles. If you have ideas or examples of smaller, affordable kit I'd love to see it.

 

Dont know if they will work with a real torch, but do know that they go through the small tanks pretty fast when doing serious work

 

I've got one on loan currently but I've been focusing on my other build since June apparently and haven't done a thing with the truck since then! I did just get the steering arms that went with this front axle from my neighbor yester day though so I should finally be able to start getting the steering together before it's all under 2' of snow. If I get another warmish day here I may try to get those on there with a tie rod finally.

I've been digesting and re-thinking the steering box bracket some since then too. I may make it differently so it bolts to the outside and not the inside like it is doing now.