Featured Hot Rods One Neat Pile - Shoebox Ford

Never had seen a decent hot rod meet 'til We went to Macungie
( just the Philly indoor convention center winter show )
My wife was laughing at my reaction as we walked in down rhe main drive.
I froze in awe, losing my jaw

 

That’s the way they should be done. Looks like you went to a bone yard in 1964-5 and found an engine for a swap. Bought a transmission adapter and “bolted” it in. Nothing looks better to me than a stock air cleaner with the proper decals. You just doubled the hp of your 51 and probably almost doubled the mpg if you’ve got an overdrive. Looks great.

 

Thanks - that's exactly what I was after! I appreciate everyone's positive comments

 

Well, I think I've settled on these caps (for now) - '60-'61 Ford. Kinda completes the early 60s street car feel I'm going after.

Took it out for a long ride contemplating what's next - have an interesting trade offer brewing - we'll see what happens. My last outing of the year will likely be the hot rod fallout on October 11th. Then I'll take care of some loose ends I've been putting off because I'm having too much fun driving it and start the "winter mods"

 

One thing that has always annoyed me about the car was this ugly steering wheel, screams 70s to me.....higher trim levels got the same wheel and center but with a horn ring added in.....still ugly

Any replacement still needs to be relatively flat to keep the stock column and aftermarket was out because I'm trying to keep the '58-'61 junkyard hotrod vibe - last January a friend of a friend was liquidating some nos 55 Ford stuff at a local indoor swap meet - and he had a bare wheel - only problem, it was green! So I found a nice used horn ring, sanded the wheel down and layed down some gloss black

Much better - '55 was the last year Ford wheels were semi-flat. Not a '59 impala wheel, but it'll do - blinkers still cancel fine too. Thinking I may paint the dash black and chrome the garnish. Just bought a nostalgia chrome tach for the column - that will go on when the floor shift goes in - still haven't decided if I'm keeping the stock trans, a Saginaw 4 speed I have or an S10 t4 - if I go with the sag, I may swap in an 8 or 9 inch too - gonna be a busy winter.

 

Nice!!…..my second favorite motor!……….Mark

 

Snuck the tach in with the column shifter for now

Couldn't wait - actually like it angled and can still see the cluster and turn signal indicators. Matches the other gauges and compliments the dash bezels.

Torturing myself over what to do about the transmission this winter - here's the options:
1) keep it like it is - everything works fine - problem is no self respecting hot rodder would have a column shift in 1961 (the era I've been targeting) which brings me to the next option
2) I have a vintage Fenton floor shift for this transmission

I have even installed the mounting brackets to the trans to see where I'd have to cut the tunnel - you guessed it - butcher city - comes through the side, close to the seat - I'm confident I could make it look good with some surgery - but I still have the stock week kneed trans with a non synchronized first gear and finally the last
3) put in a more modern trans, this one just found me

Thanks Dave! It's a Camaro t5 with an S10 tail....all indications are it will fit nicely with minimal cutting and fabrication - the shifter will be centered but still reachable 2.95 first gear, plenty strong and overdrive to keep the revs even lower - more fun to drive but kills the idea of using old parts - I've obviously cheated with radials and gauges but this is major - as a variation on this theme I have this too

More of a vintage look/feel but I'm back to butchering the hump even more (yes, I know that's traditional)

Which way do I go? Hitting my last show of the season on October 11th

 

If nothing else, please clean the grime that I left on for you, off! I’ll contact you tomorrow because I’ve got an idea for you…

 

It has already been done with that shivrola engine. Who cares at this point.

 

Thanks for that constructive help - no sheetmetal has been cut on this car, only a carefully executed notch in the crossmember that would be covered if reinstalling a flathead - all the floors, rockers, quarters etc are rot free texas originals - people like you confuse me, this is a "period" hot rod site - people got rid of flatheads and replaced them in droves with available OHV engines of the day (olds, caddy, chevy etc) throughout the 50s and 60s - SBF motors weren't available until the early 60s and were never a common swap in the time period this site focus' on - I'd love to see a build thread or details on any of your cars - I bet you'd appreciate my worthless comments too

 

I would do the 5spd. While yes may not be the most traditional but will make driving it way more enjoyable.

 

5 speed and disc brakes on the front! Then continue to refine as you see fit. I really like the coupe.

 

My box has an automatic and I wish it was a five speed now.....

 

Dunno if you knew but a nice shoebox is on my top five bucket list rods.

For transmission. I've always had a weird thing for engine swaps using transmission adapters. That'd be the one thing that'd make me want to just floor shift swap current trans. Lol. But honestly as my main thing is these heaps need to be on the road as much as possible I can't hate on anything that ensures they get more seat time. Also the 58-64 era is the same era I'm obsessed with. Sounds like we're fairly like minded

 

I've got the floor shifter, automatic from an S10. It's great but it's a cruiser tyranny. Zero power. With a five speed it'd be peppier I think. I get good gas mileage I guess, lol.

 

Yeah I'm thinking a nv3500 In my 53 bel air

 

Congrats you've done a great job on your shoebox!!

 

My favorite year shoebox and that one is perfect! Good on you with the upgrades. I love flatties but would have pulled it myself in favor of the SBC just for the driveability and go-factor.
Andy

 

Very kool ride
the 5 speed would compliment the 283 nicely