Hot Rods >>>1935 Ford Coupe: An Idiots Guide To Buiding A Hot Rod<<<

Django, you tire setup looks cool. What are you running???

 

Are you sure you didn't read my mind when you planned this build? I've got Harrison's old '38 DeLuxe and as he already put a dropped axle in the front that saved me some time and $$$'s. I went to Detroit and bought a '39 top loader and Speed Jems adaptor to SBC complete with flywheel/clutch/PP out of a '40 old time hot rod. I'm going with the 301 I've had laying around in pieces forever (everything new, just never assembled)just because the short stroke (less torque) will help from eating up the driveline. The plan was to shoot for what a recent highschool grad/dropout with a gas station job in the late 50's would have been able to afford to build. The car is exceptional as far as sheetmetal is concerned and the stock finish has a ton of patina (hate that term). The engine will have a single Rochester 4bbl and cast iron manifolds so it should be good for about 200-250hp. Plenty for the old ford drivetrain. I saved the restored hydraulic brake front spindles and complete rearend (3.54)out of the restored '40 coupe I was building for the wife so the conversion to hydraulic brakes is a bolt in. Was hoping to have it finished for the HCP but spring is looking more of a possibility with all of the crap I've got to get done before winter.

Frank

 

Jeffrey,I'm going to be running Firestone 6.00x16 on 4 inch rims the front of my A.With 7.00 on 4 1/2 rims at the rear.It's a nice looking combo.
I think that 5.50 on can look a little 'stretched' when fitted,particularly on a bigger car like yours.
If it's any help, the overall height of the Firestone 6.00x16 is 27.91 inches.

Mark.

 

Yeah I like them both ways for sure. I just wish I could pull a couple more examples of the 5.50's on a '35-'36.

Fab32, I crept into you inner most thoughts and pulled that idea right out from you. I am not going to mention what else I found in your thoughts.....sicko.

 

I've got 5.50 15s and G78 15s.

 

Bad ass project! I'm a sucker for full fender coupes. NICE!

 

Fuck you BOTH I was in my sophomore year of College in 1982. I now have a 17 year old so I know about the kid and marriage thing. I WASTED my money earlier in life on a nice house and in 22 years of marriage the only fun car I had to mod was a 1986 Fiero SE that I bought for $600 that my wife never forgave me for buying. Even when I sold it for $1200 after driving it for 3 years and 60,000 miles as my daily driver.

Working on something else but not as cool as either of your two rides.

I HAVE already had a '66 Impala 4 door hardtop (283 / powerglide for $100 spent more than that on the dual exhaust I had put on it), '66 Chevelle 2 door post with 3 on the tree and inline 6 ($75 and I couldn't sell it at the time for $400), 66 Belair (another 6 banger / powerglide) but NOT ONE of them are as cool as EITHER of your cars.

 

AWESOME!

Damn, this thread got long quick! And look at all the TAGS! HAHAHAHA! I have some reading to do...

 

UPDATE

Alright so this past weekend was the Charlotte Auto Fair. I attended Friday and Saturday trying to sell my '26 (no luck) but I also was on the hunt for some things that I needed to get this '35 going. This is what I ended up with...

-'59 Corvette Intake with matching Carb & accessories.
-Mallory Dual Point Ignition
-NOS Delco Voltage Regulator
-'35 Ford Coupe Seat from Yankee Mike
-Picked up my tires from Coker
-12V Generator
-Original '35 Ford Nose piece with V8 logo

I am pretty pumped as it was a great weekend and I got some things that I needed crossed of my list. I am taking my wheels to get powder coated this week so I can get the tires mounted. I blasted my Backing plates and wire brushed the floor in the car to get it ready for a coat of POR-15. I also started putting the engine together which lead me to a question.....

Are there any tricks to running stock type exhaust manifolds from a SBC in a '35 or '36??? I have one Ram Horn and one Passenger Side Truck manifold. I thought I read something that stated to use a Pass. Truck on the Driver side but the manifold hits the Steering column and does not allow it to fit. Anybody have pics of a SBC in a '35-'36 or even what a truck manifold looks like??? I really did not want to build headers.

 

Anybody???

 

i think you should just get another ram horn and use them. They are the best looking SBC exhaust IMO.

 

Agree with Po Po ram horns look good.

 

PoPo & Razin Cain, you are definitely correct. That would be my first choice but since they dump out in the center it will interfere with the steering box.

I am wondering if I switch to a front engine mount like a Hurst Cradle I will be able to dump the drivers side up front where the side mount is currently taking up space. But then would I have to run a electric fuel pump??? Dominos!!!!!

 

My 39 had the Hurst mount and they just had to notch a little part of the rear of the front crossmember for the fuel pump.

 

JJ

In the first life of my truck, I had the original steering. The steering box and the drivers side rams horn dump were trying to occupy the same space. The pass side rams horn I have makes a rearward turn just before it dumps. So, to make everything work, I switched sides and the "new" drivers side dumped forward. This setup cleared my steering box as if it were made for it.

May not work for you, but then again......

Sorry I missed you guys this weekend. I was at home watching pigs fly (swine flu). The fever Friday night was just about bad enough to produce the aforementioned halucination!

 

Thanks Brett! Sorry dude you had the flu that sucks!!!!

I have tried the passengers side with a different manifold and it seems to be too tight between the box and the block. Maybe a true Rams horn is a bit skinnier so I'll try that. It still will need the different engine mounts though because the front dump will interfere.

 

Very cool project!

 

Never used the hurst mounts,but a friends 36 sedan uses them an like Chris said notch that crossmember an you should be golden.

 

Thanks Myke!!!

Hey Razin Cain, that's probably where I am heading. Now would I have to notch the crossmember for the Fuel Pump or ???? Not sure I am completely following.

 

Yeah, the fuel pump will hit the crossmember, so you gotta notch it a little. I will take a pic of the 39's crossmember for you.

 

350 chevy straight rams horns, vega box.

weedetr sells pipes that go from the rams horns around the box on the drivers side and dumps back under the floor to be ties into your tail pipe/muffler pipe, pre made for less than $100.00 that's what I used...

 

Thanks Buddy. Your always comin' through in a pinch.

 

Also I'm using the chassis engineering motor mounts, but it was ran for years with the hurst mount, and the crossmember is notched to clear a mechanical fuel pump, but I am using an electric one.

 

So Dooley, you switched from the Hurst Mount to the CE?? What was the reason there??

Beautiful car and thanks for the pics!!!

 

The motor mounts were changed in 85, it probably ran fine with the hurst mount, but at that time the Pete and Jake and Chassis engineering stuff for fat fords were all the rage, and the thought was that it provided better support to the engine and tranny, since my tranny mount is toward the rear of the tailshaft past the pan, it would take pressure off the engine/tranny because it was supported in the front and rear, and now it would be supported on the sides...
I don't know if that is all true, and probably would not switch today if I had the choice but we were upgrading it and that is what was out at the time.

 

OK cool. It sounds like this Hurst idea might be a good idea to free some space for the exhaust. I wish I would have known sooner because at the Swap this past weekend I seen really nice ones for $25.

 

Whats Napolian say? "IDIOT!"

 

Dude I am trying not to buy stuff I do not need immediately......oh wait, shit now I do.

"Gosh!!!!"

 

Sorry JJ just got back in front of the keyboards,ye notch for the fuel pump as stated by Chris.Get the motor in there an place your fuel pump won't go on but you will see right away were to notch.I will see if I can get a pic tonite.

 

just to give you an idea...