Hot Rods The "Whatever" project

And another thought has flitted across my gray matter, not that it matters. I have a 34 i-beam that is in good shape, considering that it was last used under a farm trailer. Found along the roadside between Saratoga Springs and Gloversville on Rt 29 a few years ago. Its 4 inches wider than my tube axle at 50 1/2 inches kingpin to kingpin. This would give me a flange to flange width of 58 inches.

I'm considering using it for the front, however currently the qc flange to flange matches width with the tube axle setup to within 1/8 inch at 54 inches flange to flange. If I change, I'm considering changing the rear axle also. Sounds crazy right? This will free up the Winters qc for something else I'd like to build, assuming I ever find a 37 Chevy coupe body in usable condition (I only need the outer skin...)

My question to all you real hot rodders is, what is the width, flange to flange of various old Ford banjo rears? I've never used one. The closest I've ever come to them is the rearend under my brother's Model A, and that was only to move it around the garage back home for years. That's his story to tell, so I'll not mention it again.

Another option would be a Grand National style 9-inch Ford, with matching dimensions i.e 58 inches flange to flange.

So ideas for doing this? I'm open to rear axles that have decent parts availability. Thanks...

 

Thanks Marty. That helps me get it into the mind on how to do it for the Whatever. Currently I have 1 section of tubing long enough to make a hoop, so later I'll lay it out full size and see what it's going to take... After snowblowing!

 

If you decide to keep the current rear axle those Ford I-beam axles can be safely cut and narrowed by TIG welding.

 

Yes, I've seen that done. If I stay with the qc, and go with the Ford axle, I can actually get the wheels lined up much more easily using wheel offsets. If you go back and look at the hubs on that qc, they are old style billet steel grand national hubs, heavy and BEEFY. More importantly, they are full floating hubs with very big tapered roller bearings. So going with wheels with 2 inches less offset on the rear would line up the tracks again.

I'm thinking of doing this change to gain some room up front for suspension clearance improvements. The rear is fine, so it really doesn't need to be wider. But I want to keep the track widths the same front and rear.

Of course if I can figure out how to put a gentle bow into a 2 inch od 1/4 inch wall dom tube, I could just make another front axle, and gain the clearance I'm looking for. Sort of a Stapp style sprint car axle... Maybe I should talk to bcchopit. Torrington CT isn't that far from where I am in upstate NY.

 

Depending on what you want to upholster with, between my foam cutting abilities and the sewing machine stuffed in the closet, we can probably put something together for you... is eastern Mass. still local?

I'm reading, I'm reading! It's about all I can do right now, with no garage and no real shop, and no real fix-it / make it better projects currently, I'm going a bit stir crazy (or is that still crazy? - don't answer that!).

 

Close enough once good weather is back! Almost a day trip for you young 'uns.

 

Any progress this week?

 

Depends on the definition of progress. I made measurements and figured out how I'm going to structure the inner support structure. That lead to a short list of steel to buy this week. Maggie used to buy the steel for Lenox Machine way back when, so a little consulting regarding suppliers in the area.

I'm going to buy a bit more than I need right now, as I have 2 other projects in mind. The mini is one, and I still want to use all the old race car parts on the other.

So price quotes and delivery fees and schedules tomorrow. The good news is that my back seems to be much better now.

 

Dave , call me tomorrow about a steel source 8 miles from us.
Stretch

 

Okay thanks Stretch! I'm open to alternate suppliers than Albany Steel. Kivort only has pipe. I'll try to call around 9 am...

 

Hey finally found a source of steel that will deliver to my small neighborhood cul de sac. And the cost is reasonable! It'll be on order tomorrow! Yay! Now to go back to Marty's #10 post and plaigerize his internal bracing for the body.

It is said "Imitation is the greatest compliment!" Well then I've been complimentary to Marty more than anyone could tell.

 

Steel on order and paid for. Now I have a week give or take to make a rack along the long wall of my garage to store it. Currently the rack holds 12 footers. Oops! Failure to plan...

 

Dave glad that Stone Bridge Iron & Steel worked out for you.
Stretch

 

See, don't you wish your garage was bigger now?
There's always the upper level (aka rafters) of your super shed... you could probably hang your entire chassis up there, no? Think of the extra floor space if you just used the ceiling square footage up instead of your floors and walls!

 

Yes indeed! Not crazy expensive, small truck that can get in the yard, and you know how small our circle is... Already have some designs for the tubing soon as it gets here. Marty Strode posted some pictures of a t with doors and inner structure that I can plaigerize for my situation.

Today was a good day. Got 2 new crossmembers made andtacked in, and that big ugly old front crossmember out. The front crossmember is located so that I can attach the front underside of the nose to it. Well if I was any good at taking pictures this would show the nose and crossmember colocated perfectly for making a solid support for the front of the nose. Maybe tomorrow for another attempt to get a good picture. What it does show is the new rear mounts for the nose, and how much room I've gained for a radiator.

The upper crossmember is probably temporary, as it's awfully close to the engine and where I'd like to get a fan in there. Space, the final frontier!

Now with that stuff located I was able to design and start on the front panhard bar mounts, both axle end and frame end. I could use 1/2x1/2 rod ends, but what I have is 5/8x1/2 due to the size of the tubing I've been using for radious rods, tie rod, drag link, hairpins...

Being cheap, and just having spent a bit of cash! for new tubing for superstructure stuff, and that I have a bunch of the other tubing left over (I tend to buy lots more of stuff than I really need...), that's what I'm going with. It will be practically bulletproof!

So for the short term for setup, I'm going to tack the axle end bracket to a 2 inch muffler clamp, and use that for setup porposes. It's not fishy, and it gives me the ability to align everything prior to finalizing the panhard bar height and path. FYI, porposes are mammals, not fish...

I know its been a long day and I'm getting silly! SWMBO also wants supper, and that's next.

 

While waiting for the garage to warm up this morning I started to dream up more crossmembers and some x-bracing. Looking at the picture posted above, I see that one x-brace, or maybe a k-brace can go at the bottom of the frame in front of the engine up to where the bottom tubes start to curve up. There's also going to be some 3-dimensional x-brace under the body that will incorporate the transmission mount. And I can fit an x-brace between the frame kickup above the rear axle. That should help with torsional stiffness.

And Marty's pictures of the inner structure with a few little changes, should also add a small amount to chassis torsional stiffness. Oh well, I'm not building a road racer, well not in the SCCA sense....

 

To the tune, "Back in the saddle again...", back in the garage again, out where a bandsaw's your friend... Man I gotta get a life!

Seriously, got into the garage the lastcouple of days, and finally! figured out the bracketry for the front panhard bar. Got it all made today, and tacked to the axle and frame. When I pull the axle to finish weld the bracket on I intend to gusset it on the right side. And mitering that upright on the left side, well it took the most time getting the fitup on the bottom right. I probably have 1 1/2-2 hours just in that. I keep forgetting to try that trick Marty does with a strip of thin sheetmetal to fit things like that until I'm 3/4 done. And my Eastwood tubing notcher doesn't go to that extreme an angle. Maybe the next time I buy something from SWAG, the order will include their addon that increases the angle.

Of course if I still had access to a mill...

 

Dave G , getting it done .
Stretch

 

Well, attempting to... 3 days in a row in the garage, and everything hurts for a week. but at least I know I'm still alive! Later today, there's a couple of cross braces that need to be made.

 

Lol, for some reason this just popped into my head...

 

Dave
I feel for you, that whole back pain thing can really knock the wind out of your sails.
I'm not sure what the cause of your pain is but knowing we are in the same age group I'll assume that you, like me, have arthritis related pain, the only thing that allows me to function is Tylenol Arthritis formula, I use it as maintainence daily.
Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor, lawyer or paid actor.........but I do have a dog in the fight.

 

Arthritis and 4 blown out discs, 1 surgery, not much feeling in my feet (which was a sort of blessing when I dropped the buggy spring and its big ugly mount on my left foot). So I whine and bitch a bit, take Tylenol like you, and just take each day as it comes.

Right now the heat is on in the garage. I'm going to make some chips and sparks this afternoon. Simple stuff not heavy. Pictures later

 

Got a little bit done today. Made a crossmember up front and started on the support bracket for the nose.
I know, terrible pictures, can't really see the x-member down in there. When I finish the nose bracketry I'll pull the nose and get better pictures. At least I got something done!

 

Philosophical question: Does taking delivery of an order of steel constitute getting something done in the garage? I say yes. Anybody want to weigh in?

Funny story tho: I had just rounded the corner of the grocery store from produce by the delicounter, when my cell rang. It was the steel supply asking if today was a good day for delivery. In 20 minutes! And I'm just starting, and its 10 to 15 minutes back to the house depending on who I get stuck behind on the road. Of course I said okay, I'll see the driver in a few.

Get the basics we needed, cashed out, and beat feet home. The driver was just finishing getting the steel unstrapped and cutting the banding iron off the 6 sections of 1.5 inch dom tube.

We unload the steel, sliding it under the Whatever as I didn't get an area set up to store it yet. Wait, what was that 6 sections? I only paid for 5! Looked at the receipt the driver hadme sign, and they hadchanged the 5 to a 6. This company isn't really a steel supply, in the sense that they supply others with metal. Rather they do it on these small orders as a good neighbor policy deal.

So they had ordered in the dom tube for me, and evidently got 6 sections delivered, all banded together. Instead of putting 1 section on the rack that they would never use, they just adjusted the order quantity, and sent it out!

Now this is a $200 chunk of steel, and I know there is a bit of markup and delivery fee was $50, but just the same, they ate a bit of profit. That is how customer service should always work! Will I buy from/thru them again? In a heartbeat! Probably within the next week, as they also have a short rack, open to picking thru, and I could use some oddball chunks of steel for various projects.

And that random length of 2x4x.125. It is 26 feet long! I only need 16 feet for its intended project, so now to decide what I can use 10 feet for...

 

Got the under cowl support hoops bent and started on fitting them in. Spent more time making a new die pin for my tubing bender than anything else, but that's my own fault. Wasn't paying attention to the pin. I didn't get it fully engaged before making one of the bends. Bent the pin, so made a new one.

Tomorrow I'll make some mounting tabs and finish fitting the hoops. Then the steering column and finally get back to the seats and pedals.

And pictures...

 

YES it definitely counts as progress on a build, as does making lists of Things to Do, sketching parts, placing phone calls, and posting on the HAMB.

Anything that moves you to the final goal counts as progress.

Get well soon.

 

I try and do something every day no matter how small it seems. Sooner or later it shows up as progress as everything done is one less thing to do.

 

Got sidetracked. Had to adjust the height of our bed to get it as low as possible. Next is find a good mattress that is around 6 inches thick. Mobility issues, like feces, happens.

Been trying to do something every day. It's not always possible, so like you say, it adds up, even if it's only a 5 minute project.

First thing I have to do tomorrow is clean up the garage. I haven't been the tidiest lately. Lots of detritus has accumulated on the benches lately. I put the tools away, but bolts, oddball parts, things that were considered for use and weren't, and other bits and bobs just seems to collect haphazardly, and as I know from recent events, big toe damagingly, just looking to get to their lowest energy levels, which we all know, is the floor. Ouch!

 

Finally got back in the garage today. Fitted mostly the 2 hoops under the cowl. There's a lot more to do to get it done and bolted down but the hard part is done.
The first shows both in place kind of... The next one shows the front hoop by itself. I have to narrow it a half inch give or take. Then remove some of the body's floor flange to get the feet down on the frame rails.
The last picture is an overall view showing the stuff done last time when I was too lazy to get the nose out of the way. I did tack the nose front support to the first straight crossmember today, no big deal. Now we have a clear view of the k member, and how much room I have for a radiator with the old big front crossmember out of the way. Yes I will clean up the front of the rails. I'm going to splice in 2 new short sections of the box tubing to get rid of the holes.

That's all for now... 13 days to the swap meet at Morris Ford April 10th!

 

Looks like some good progress! Keeping my fingers crossed for some good weather on April 10th...