ROCKSTARS,,,How'd You Get Your A$$ Sooo Low??

After wrapping up my Gambino Kustoms 4-link and notch, I got all giddy and threw on my wheels to see just how far they'd tuck up under my Chevy. Yeah, it's low...but with the tires hitting inside the wheel well, I still have a few inches before I bottom out. As the old saying goes...I don't hit the end, but I beat the hell outta the sidewalls!

For those of you who are laying frame or close to it, how much did you brace the body before you cut out the wheel wells? Did you just trim out the wheel wells, or did you completely rebuild 'em? I've heard of using trailer fenders...who's done this? Pics?

Gracias.

Bryan

 

Hey Bryan, Just throw some 13's on the back you be fine bro!

 

Or how about just making the bottom of the car longer?
he he

 

Ah yeah, Phil...you know how I roll! But what am I gonna throw on my Sentra if I take off the 13s???

 

In my minitruck, I uesed trailor fenders and they worked pretty good. Summit actually sells a tub kit and I know there are other tub kits that include the wheel wells & center pan to cover the big hole in your trunk. That is what I am doing to mine.

 

im curious about bracing the body before removing the wells. is that an important step? will it flex that much?

better safe than sorry i guess.

 

Did you build some kind of tunnel or cover for the notch kit?? Would that brace the sides of the trunk enough to hold it in place?

 

Not yet, but I plan to...not before I deal with the wheel wells, unfortunately.

And,,,I think I'm already pushing it by cutting out all the sheetmetal to get the notch in and get the bars to clear...





Once I get the driveline tunnel built and get some of the sheet replaced, I'll be feeling better. What I'm really worried about are the supports that come off the wheel wells and attach near the package tray...those will have to be removed to allow the wheels to travel higher. It's not like I can't just brace everything to be safe and start cutting, but I'm looking for tips 'cause as always...I have a deadline looming overhead...

Thanks,

Bryan

 

That sounds like a plan, I would think once all the floor is done it will be a whole lot stronger.

when you fill in the floor and then are you going to sheet metal over the notch , then what if you cut the top of the wheel wells off and added a few inches of metal in the middle,then weld the top back on?? does that sound like it makes sense?

 

looks good, how long before we get a side shot ?

 

that is some top notch work man,it looks good and its nice too see it not completely butchered like most do,nice to know there are still guys that think before they cut!

 

in the herpie it took a pair of 195/75 14's and hacking of the wheel wells. i didnt brace but im sure it wouldnt hurt. suicidedoors.com sells wheel tubs and notch cover for like 160.00

 

I am currently doing the same job on my 50'. I raised the top half of the wheel well on one side last night. I will try to get a pic for you its not done yet but it might help. also i think bracing is a good idea. my floor is all cut out like yours from the notch and 4-link. I did not brace mine because i added alot when i chopped it. so there is alot of extra in my package tray area already.

 

I had to just trim the fender well, not cut it all out. I cut a rectangle on the very top of the well. I cut along the seam front to back where inner wheel well meets the outer (right by the rear 1/4). And the parallel cut the width of the tire. I then cut across a few inches into the rear brace (where the spare tire holder is spot welded to) and in the front a few inches into where the rear quarter window brace is. My car lays frame front to back now. (these cuts are for the 4x4 s10 rear I have in the car that is the same width as stock).

Because of the cuts I made the rear quarter flexes a bit if you press down on the tail light but I am planning on making a sheet metal box to weld on top of the rectangle cuts I made.

Mike

 

That's the plan, except I have to cut the wheel wells before I put the sheet metal over the notch. I don't want to set up my bag brackets until I know how low it'll sit.

Hopefully in the next few days, but definitely within a couple of weeks...sucks, I was really hoping to make it to the Strangers BBQ this year, but as you can see, it's not happening. I picked a great week to give up meth...

Meddler...I hear ya. It's so tempting to just get all Freddy Krueger and start cutting shit up. This would've been SO much easier with the body off...

Thanks for the good words and advice.

Bryan

 

Mike...glad to hear you've made so much progress on your car. Pics???

One point from this post too...the S10 and similar width rears may get just a little more clearance than the bitchen Camaro rear I used...the tire hits more toward the outside of the wheel well and not all the way at the top.

Bryan

 

Rusk..
Ive been a bit lazy lately, Ill post some pics from a few weeks ago when I just finished up mocking in the setup and without the wheel wells cut out. Now I have everything finished chassis wise and painted the frame, completely smoothed out and painted the firewall, finished the steering setup (I used the stock column, thanks to 50chevy.com for all the ideas I stole too). I just didnt paint the rear part of the frame so I can still weld on mounts for the tank and compressor.

Where are you going to mount the tank and the compressor? I was thinking of on top of the notch (I braced the notch on top the same way you did so I was thinking of putting in some more square tubing in across and mounting everything there).

I was also thinking of sealing off the cabin of the car and keeping the actual notch in the trunk open to show off a bit, at least for a little while .

 

A couple for ya Rask, Ill post a new topic with the current pics this weekend.......ish.

 

I had to cut some more of the wheel well since this pic. was taken but, it gives you an idea.
I also had to cut some of the lower 1/4 window "box" 'cuze my tires go up so high. this means I can only roll my 1/4 windows 2/3rds down, but I can live with that.
when aired out, the inside-top of my 1/4's are about 1 inch from touching the tops of my tires. but I run tall tires, if you use a smaller tire and a fender skirt you might not have to butcher as much as I did.

 

this is chopstix's ride, its a 51 coupe.

 

Hoppy,

What size tank is that in the first picture?

 

I haven't quite decided yet...if I want to mount it on top of the bridge bars, I'll have to make mounts that sit in between and 1/2" below the top of 'em because it won't clear the covers for the decklid springs. If I did that, I'd be showing my stuff off too 'cause it'd be a pain in the ass to cover everything with sheet. But hell...after all that work, it's almost a shame to hide it!

Thanks for posting those pics...nice work on your '54.

Bryan

 

its a 16gl re-pop mustang tank.
you can get them anywhere for around $100 more or less.
they work great, chopstix is using a 20gl in his 51.

 

Damn Hoppy, thanks for those pics! It's interesting to see the difference between the sedans and the coupes as far as where the supports are and that the 1/4 window box has to be cut on the sedans. The only other model Chevy I've cut up like this is a '54 4-door...that's a whole 'nother beast!

Did you brace the body before cutting those out? Are you running the wheel wells open, or did you cover 'em?

Thanks, Bryan

 

I left as much of the braces in as possible but, no I did not add any bracing before cutting, I prob. should have, too late now. nothing has moved, and I drive the piss outta it.

I am runnig open wheel wells right now, well for the last 2 years LOL!
too much other stuff going on to finish it.

 

Polytoxic where did you get your air bag set up im doing a 51 hard top and that looks sweet.thanks

 

hahaha...damn, I've seen pics of your car from all kinds of shows, so you definitely put the miles on it. I just got my seat back from upholstery, pearl white tuck 'n roll...should I worry about dirt flinging up and making my new seat look like my shirt does when I'm riding my 10-speed in the rain?....handle bars flipped up, of course

Here's my car as it sits...it's hard to tell in this crappy pic, but I'm still lower in the front...my car looks like it's "presenting"...



Bryan

 

Looks really good Bryan, As far as your tank, Why dont you flip it upside down and mount it underneath the package tray, then you can still see the work, Dont cover up nothin! thats my motto, then again I roll backwards and run no trunk from time to time!! Cuz Im a fool like that

 

Rusk, looking good man!
I put in some insualtion and dropped in the back seat so its not too bad, but this summer I hope to do it right and fill in the wheel wells.

rustypipes, if my set up looked like yours, I would NEVER put the truck back on!
it looked sweet runnig around Paso w/out it.

 

Thanks Hoppy.

Phil...I'd like to run my tank like that, but it's one of those wide 6 gallon ones that Gambino sells, so it won't fit between the springs and it's just a bit too tall to mount of the spring housing. That's what I get for welding my bridge bars first.

I dig the trunkless look, though...rolling around in reverse and shit, pretending like your hoodless...you San Hoe guys are so cutting edge!

Bryan