I'd like to start working on my coupe and probably put a fairly stock 350 in it but I don't have much experience. It'll just be a daily driver. I want to build the cheapest but safest car I can. Is there a particular more modern frame that would be a good fit or would you box the original frame? What did you do?
Box the frame you have. Buy a $1000 Camaro five speed. Use its master cylinder, its driveline, and rearend but that ECI kit that alows you to upgrade you traditioal front end to a front end with disc brakes. Thats a start. I am building a 32 and trying to keep it under 3000. So for i am ok I bought $800 body $ 150 frame $150 rear end posi-disc brakes from a sonoma. $400 T-5 ****** with v8 bellhousing, clutch, and pressure plate. Free 250ci engine. Free mastercylinder Still searching for clutch linkage+pedal ***embly, steering box+column+wheel, driveshaft, speedometer setup for T-5, Frontend kit from ECI, brakelines, gas lines, Gastank(free from jeep) ,roof jeep, maybe some complete front doors if i can find them. Alternator, fan, radiator, ******/engine mounts. Do you research.
There is no other frame that will work or fit "better". You are faced with either boxing the frame you have, or building a new frame from 4" x 2" x 1/8" wall rectangular tubing. Since, by your own admission, you don't have a lot of experience, then your best bet is to use the frame you have. The old Chevy parallel leaf front axles are hard to work with, so most people weld in a model A Ford front crossmember and go to a 4" dropped front axle, either tubular or I-beam (each work equally well), and although all the traditionalists will want you to use a set of split wishbones, I recommend a set of either hairpin radius rods or a parallel 4 bar setup to locate the front axle. Do a search for my thread "how to build an early hotrod ch***is"---it will answer a lot of your questions.---Brian
I am going start my '31 in a couple weeks and I am going to do as brianangus has mentioned. I am going to box the original frame and s**** the parallel front spring set up for a Model A front end. If that does not get me down to the height I want to be at I may consider pie cutting the frame at the cowl and perhaps pinching it there as well. I don't have a great deal of experience either but I have some good guys that are willing to help hopefully. Boxing the frame cannot hurt so I would make that your first priority. Plus the early Chevy frames are not bad looking frames. I actually prefer them over the flat model a frames. Although they do not have that purdy reveal like the '32's. Let us know how things are going once you dive in to this thing.
I'm building my 28 with the stock frame (boxed about 2/3 of the way back), using the stock front axle with a disc brake kit, mild 350, 200r4 auto and 86 buick rear with the stock rear springs. Have lits of picts if you want- pm me. Jim in Pa
I'm curious as to why you think the parallel leaf front setup is hard to work with, other than the fact everybody does Henry stuff? I used it and it came out cool. Mounted my axle above the spring for the drop. Handles fine and looks different.
On my dads '32, that we built in the late 70s early 80s, we didn't do anything to the stock frame. We removed a couple of springs to lower it and put on '53-54 spindles and Mustang steering box. After 60,000 miles like this, it is time for a re-do. We still plan on using the stock frame, but boxing is A MUST. Its got a warmed up 350 with a 700R and it twists the car on a hard launch. We will be doing like brianangus said with the Model A crossmember with hairpins. The parallel leafs work fine, but Dad wants a bit better ride than the parallel leafs provide. And its a full fendered car, so you don't see much of it anyways. We are also planning a four link in the back to get rid of the leaves back there. Main reason for this is to get rid of the unsightly spring perches that protrude beyond the gas tank.
AMEN. I can't wait to lobb those things off. Also I have heard that using the '53-'54 spindles might work. It's was not very detailed but seeing that you did it, it's making a bit more sense. I just so happen to have the front end off my '54 in my garage right now. Hmmmmmm, I still probably will still list it on the cl***ifieds though. The ford front end is so much cleaner looking.
Kerry---I'm not so sure that "hard to work with" is the correct phrasing, but, there are many more choices available in axle widths, axle drops, and spindle and spring combinations for early Fords than there are for early Chevs---and virtually all of them are "bolt-ins" as opposed to having to weld on the axle. I ***ume that when you moved the Chev axle above the spring, you must have burned off the ears and relocated them from the top to the bottom of the axle in order to attach them to the springs. This can result in anything from a well done, safe modificaton, to a cobbled up and unsafe mess, depending on the fabricating and welding skills of the person doing it.---and its still only one ride height alternative to the stock suspension height.
Kerry's car is FAR from cobbled up. I think the origional thread poster should listen to someone like Kerry that has walked the line with this particular set-up.
I would be interested to see how he dealt with the frame rails. On Dads '32, there is only about 2.5" clearance between the frame and the top of the u-bolts. I would think a serious c notch would be needed, and there isn't much material in the front of a chevy frame horn. Any pics!?!
Tman---I wasn't singling out Kerrys ride to trash it. As I said in my post, any time a person has to weld on a front axle, it can be safe and well done, or a horrible disaster, cobbled up. I have never seen Kerrys ride, so I can not judge the quality of work. However, I have owned early Chev hotrods, and I too question just how much suspension travel there really is when the axle is positioned above the spring. Its been a long time now since I had one, but I recall that if I had chosen to go that route, there would have only been about an inch of clearance between the top of the axle and the underside of the frame rail.---Brian
Yeah, you might have more choices but I enjoyed the project. And ti cost a LOT less. Putting in the correct crossmember for the Ford stuff can result in a similar disaster depending on the builders fabrication skills. I did cut off the spring perches, milled a flat spot on the bottom of the axle (could have used a grinder) and welded new perches on. It really was pretty simple. The only real challenge is to come up with some strong ubolt plates that go under the spring that do not compromise on the scrub line. The stock crossmember had to be reworked a bit. Oh yeah, I did rearch the front springs as much to support the hemi at a good ride height as to gain room for the ubolts. No C. Many years ago I did a post on the whole process with pics but I can't find it. Wow, I've been here a long time! I'll try and find a picture tonight. You guys go ahead and do what you like. I just didn't want to be one of the sheep.
I forgot to mention the frame. I made my own x - member, both upper and lower, out of 1x2 11ga. It is boxed in front and benind the X. I'm never going to put enough power to it to tweak it and I've been trying. Best so far is a 12.10 @115.10 with slicks and my blown hemi.
Okay, Kerry---I rest my case. you were able to use the original Chev axle, but to do so, you had to #1--modify the axle, #2-modify the springs, #3 modify the crossmember, and #4-come up with custom u-bolt plates to make it work. For somebody who is sure of their fabricating skills, and dollar conscious, this approach works fine. By the same token, it is also the reason that the majority of rodders out there who build an early Chev hotrod will go to a model A crossmember and pretty well everything else is a "bolt in". I am not promoting a "right way" or a "wrong way" of doing it.---I was just giving my opinion on what I have seen most comonly done on the early Chev hotrods that I have seen in my part of the world.---Brian
You said "bolt in". Ugh. I get tired of folks saying learning the skills and doing it yourself isn't the right answer. 402 sounds like he's just getting started so fine, switch to the Ford stuff. I want to be clear that WAY to many folks who are capable wuss out and do stuff like that "because that's how everybody else does it" or "its easier" instead of using a little enginiuity and coming up with their own solutions. I want to challange folks to look at all options. To me a lot of hot rodding is creativity. Think outside the box. An example. My blower setup is using some v-belt pulleys I made. The m***es kept telling me I was making a mistake and why it wouldn't work. None of them had ever tried it and were just repeating what they had been told. Well it works great! I'm running 7.25# boost @ WOT and have clocked a lot of road and strip miles with the setup. Looks great if I can toot my own horn. Sure glad I didn't listen to them.
And seeing how the original person who started this thread said that they did not have much experience, it makes sense to use the Ford crossmember as well as the other parts. But I guess all we can do it provide our own experience and let him take the plunge which ever method that may be. I would like to see some pics of everyone's setups whether it's a modified chevy or ford. I think it would help us all understand the difficulty of each method.
This is a picture of a friends '31 Chev with a set of Hurst style front mounts that I built for his 350 chev V8, and with a model A crossmember welded in and 4" dropped axle.
And yes, those front mounts did get a tie plate welded between them to take the cantilever loading off the bolts which attach them to the front of the block. It wasn't installed at the time the picture was taken, and---since the 350 was originally designed for side mounts that were not used, I fabricated a set of bell housing side mounts to tie into the frame on each side, to take the stress off the aluminum 350 ****** case.
Thank you Kerry.--Yes, I do advise newcomers to this hobby to take advantage of the "easy way out" as often as I can. God knows, that even with taking the "easy way out" there will be a ton of opportunity in every hotrod build for original ingenuity and "breaking new ground". I enjoy creating, purely for the sake of creating. But then again, I am blessed---I have been a design engineer for 43 years now, am a ticketed welder, and have made most of the mistakes that can be made during a lifetime of rod building. Far too many "new guys" in this hobby get overwhelmed by their projects, and then the projects are abandoned. Taking a few "easy outs" by using tried and true systems may, just may, mean that another hotrod actually gets finished. Damn, I wish I had a Hemi in my roadster pickup!!!
There is no better fitting frame,to put under that 29 Chevy. When my frame was boxed,we had another opposing C-channel formed that fit inside the straight portion of the frame. When welded in,it is inset to leave room for brake lines etc. We won't discuss the front suspension though,because i needlessly went (non-HAMB friendly)IFS.
Thanks a lot for the advice guys. I forgot to mention it's going to be fully fendered just in case a style would change because of the fenders covering it.
damn....if my computer didn't crash and i may have lost all my good pics of my stock chevy front i'd chuck them here....MAS axle above the springs, it's low enought for me....plus i get lots of complaments on the parallel leafs!
I've boxed mine, and as well bobbed that stupid rear spring section of the frame. I will try and scan all my pictures in the next few days.......it was before the digital camera days...... I have lots of good records of removing wood and adding steel frame work and other stuff you may find good. Leon
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