Looking to Get Started...

Steering arms bent. ?


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Good eye. Being the ball is on top of the arms I actually heated and rotated them 180*. This let the Tie Rod go back to the exact relationship to the Wishbone as stock and while at it I corrected the Ackerman. Same with the spindle arm the rod from the Box connects to. That in turn meant rotating the Pitman arm on the box to move the connecting ball to the outside and if I remember right the knotch in the sector shaft needed to be filed just a kiss to get the pinch bolt back in. Yep, sounds involved but not really once you get going. I never went shopping for anything that wasn't there when I started installing the Dropped Axle on the stock car. Oops, I take that back. I buy a bag of parts from Speedway to adapt the Hyd. brakes I already had on hand.

 

That is pretty impressive. You make it sound easy and it probably is for you. Looks like it’s as much of an art as it is a science. I’m not there yet. I’d definitely try it if you were here to walk me through it. Ha!


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That's the right way to look at things. It's only difficult until you understand it, no matter what "it" is. You'll get there. I can read the Want To in the way you talk about your project.

 

I used 32 kingpins and 32 spindles to keep the mechanical brakes with the dropped spindle. Not sure if the A kingpins and spindles will line up right with the dropped axle to get the brake actuator to still line up. Might talk with Joe on that. Also, using the 32 spindle, I didn’t have to bend the steering arms, just ream the end from the other side so I could switch the steering ball from one side to the other. Again, I’m no expert on switching and swapping early Ford parts, that combo is just info I stole from other threads...particularly Elrod’s that I’ve referenced before.

 

drdave- thanks. I’ve read yours and elrod’s threads. Great stuff. Lots of variables. Just trying to make sure I am going on the most direct path. I will talk with Joe again. He was pretty confident that all the ‘A’ parts would work. I want to set myself up for juice brakes in the future and not have to do more switching out parts than necessary.


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Seat belts. I used the body mount bolts under the seat for the outside belts and did a center reinforcement for the center belts. All grade 8. Better than nothing. [emoji2]




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More reading material!!!



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Will I require a fuel pump if I install a down draft carb and intake? I am seeing yes... I am seeing no.

 

My take on that is this. Did you increase your need for more fuel than the Gravity drain system can provide? In other words, G.P.M. The next is did you raise the fuel bowl above the fuel level of the Tank? If the answer to both is No then you should be fine without a pump. You already know gravity won't push fluid up hill.

 

Yes. That makes plenty of sense. I was just was curious if anyone here had some first hand experience.

Example: “I’ve tried that and you have to have a carter fuel pump and a fuel pressure regulator set to no more than 3 psi if using a single Stromberg 97 and a downdraft intake. [emoji2]

I’m trying to leverage as much of the experience here as I can. Not as much fun learning everything the hard way (and more expensive). Ha!


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Maybe you'd be ok with a dropped axle, and only head downhill?

 

Alchemy - Good ideas. I was also thinking instead of lowering the back I would raise it another 12 inches. I should be good then.

 

Joking aside. Will this work to lower Pappy’s rear? Looking to get close to 4”s.

Has any one tried this? Concerned about the size and the spring eyes.


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I see that it is on back order anyway.... Trying to plan my way forward to lower the rear.

 

Buy yourself as set of these and mount the Stock A spring V-8 style. Then make a spring perch off the stock crossmember. That will drop the rear 4.5".

 

Pist-n-Broke - I think you keep trying to throw me in the deep end of the pool. Ha! That is a cool suggestion. I didn’t know it was even an option.

 

Buy either the main leaf or the whole spring from these guys: https://www.millworkshotrod.com/collections/suspension/hot-rod

You will know it's the correct spring, not a "universal" like Speedway sells.

 

Great! Thanks!


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Everyone has to start somewhere.
First place to start is TOOLs, not the car.
Talk to guys in the body shop, talk to guys in the mechanical shops.
They have different tools for each area...
You will need at LEAST a full two car garage...no washer or dryer...cannot share with another car.
You now have spent all your money on tools....but you are ready.
Check with older body shops of lien vehicles, my friend found a 69 charger for cheap behind a bodyshop.
Most likely the vehicle you will find will not be advertised, or there will be a typo in the search. Found my 47 Ford pickup that way. Look around....

 

Sorry, I keep forgetting the New Guys have 1-800- Visa. I started doing this stuff long before that so hand building was the way it got done. I'll try to adjust my advice so it's more fitting to the times. That will probably mean just less of it. Over the years I've had plenty of Customers supply there own Mail Order parts and the vast majority of it all never got the job done 100 percent.

 

No please don’t stop! Your comments, recommendations, and advice are very much appreciated.


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For me being I'm a pretty fair Fabricator/Welder/Builder things like the above idea just seems very simple. I forget how much is behind me compared to many others. I also understand "I don't think like normal people" and accept that I'm a misfit. I don't know how many times at the end of a day I've heard Customers say "I'd have never thought of that". I don't know if it's a Blessing or a Kurse or even where it comes from. It's just what I do. What I do know is that my Candle is getting very short and if I don't throw out some of what I have done it will all go with the Light when it goes out.
What I was getting at with the weld on bracket comment is sort of what I did on the chassis below. That is actually a V-8 rear Axle but look at the location of the spring eyes to center of housing. That set of Frame rails are Flat and the drop is outstanding with a Stock Model A spring. For me it just ment not going shopping and just doing what I do.

 

Post-n-Broke - Looks great! I am already planning another more frame up type of build. I am thinking roadster AV8... However, for now, I am sticking with more of a ‘less invasive’ build up on my banger coupe (more bolt on) late 40’s... younger guy with not much money building in my backyard on weekends. I am having a blast!

 

Do you mean closer to something like this? The chassis posted above lives under it.

 

I just ordered a Model B 4 into 1 header, Burns Single Downdraft Intake, and a Stromberg 97 carb with linkage kit from Red’s. I’m considering pulling the trigger on a higher compression head too.

Questions - I like the manual timing. I think it is fun and a neat characteristic of the Model A; however, it sounds like I need to upgrade the dizzy to realize the performance of these bolt on parts. Should I go with the Model B or FSI distributor? Also should I go more conservative on the head? Snyder 5.5:1, 6:1 or a 7:1? I would like to hear your comments, recommendations, and advice regarding the head and the distributor choices.

 

When it comes to Carbs I have always felt there is a "To Big" for most motors. It also seems to be pretty common. In a total stock motor like yours I may have chosen a 94 instead of the 97. More because of the Venturi size, not Jet size. For comparison think back when we were Kids and a Guy would buy a new 750 Holley for his 283 because it sounded better than a 600. Air/Fuel ratio is often over run and performance pays for it.
I was told that 6 to 1 is as far as you want to go on a Babbit motor and is where we stopped on my motor as well as the first few B-Vill motors. Once we went to insert bearings Archie added more squeeze. I had no reason to question his reasoning and my little Banger is plenty healthy. If your in touch with any 4 cyl sights at all, bring it up and see what others have to say about it.
The B-Ville car I'm referring Peat Richardson's Lickety Split. My finger prints were all over that thing. Lot's of Fun, many records.

 

Is the 97 the wrong carb? I might be able to change it out before it ships.

 

If it were me and I had a stock Cam in my Model A motor I would have bought the 94. If your going to step up the Cam the 97 might be okay. There are formulas out there that help make choices. I generally listen to my Motor builder for these answers. A flow bench really is where the answer lies and he keeps records so he don't have to start out shooting in the dark. This is the case where Bigger isn't always better. I have a friend up in Seattle that just took off a 97 and installed the new 94 but the weather is Crap so he hasn't actually driven it yet. He did tell me it seems to respond much better to free revving. I'll get an up date once he puts some miles on it and pass it on.