Projects Introducing the Roofus Special

I think I might re-do my door openings (actually have short doors). This inspirational picture is from this thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380814

 

Nope. It's like the Miller-Ford that was at Cincinnatti, different shapes on each side.

 

More...more...more!!!

 

I have liked the boat-tail body work style for a long time.
Here's some art that I did. Maybe you'll get a few ideas.
Anyway... GREAT PROJECT!

 

I went and played some this weekend. Didn't get a whole lot done on Roofus ...just made another A-arm.

...but I did get a Dodge parts truck cut into little pieces and adjusted the valves on the rusty 48 flatbed....and took it for a 50 mile drive. It was a good weekend to me.

 

Oh yeah, looks like I'm gonna have to deal with a cramped footwell.....moving the engine far enough forward to free up foot space puts the radiator too far forward for me visually.

It's better to look good than to feel good...or whatever the Billy Crystal line was.

 

Move the engine over a couple inches.
If the passenger is a little cramped, that is ok.

 

I've used electric water pumps and electric fans to gain space....would that help?

 

I had already planned on doing electric fans.

The biggest issue is the way I plan on laying out my front end. I will have a 1934 ford leaf spring transversely above the front I-beam of my A-arm. The radiator will sit behind the spring.

If I put the radiator above the spring. it would free up several inches.

I guess I need to look at that next time I get a chance to play.


HPIM1028 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

I think I want to try and keep the grill close to the front spindle centerline (for looks).

Trying to avoid getting the grill too far forward.

 

I thought I was going to work on my car this weekend, but sh!t happened.
Dad had a stroke on Friday.
We spent the whole weekend hanging out in the hospital with him. The good news is that he should make a 100% recovery.
He is the most active 71 year old that I have ever been around. He always used the excuse that if anything ever happened, he could use his cell phone to call for help. ...well he was under neath his toyota 4x4 designing a winch mount when it happened. When is left arm went limp, he floped over on his left side and trapped his cell phone that was in his left pocket!
Luckily he was able to pull himself to his feet and walk to the house where my mom was (he never was able to dig the phone out of his pocket with his right hand). She drove him to the hospital.

Word of advice to the old guys...keep you keys and phone where you can reach them with either hand!

 

Man, that sucks about your dad. Super glad to hear he should be okay. The car is looking amazing.

 

man i am hooked on this thread now!

 

The build is coming along nicely Flip.

Sorry to hear about your dad. Wishing he gets better.

 

Apparently he is doing well. I called their house and mom said dad was out stacking up firewood.

Two days after being released from the hospital, he cut down a tree.

 

Time to get on with beefing up the front so it can handle A-arms being attached. Started making boxing plates for my "front framerails". ......More cop car roll bar kick panels to the rescue.


IMG_0658 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0660 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0662 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0665 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

Realized I forgot to go back and trim the front a little more. Did that.


IMG_0671 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0672 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

With an a-arm.

IMG_0674 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0676 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

And the Jag spindles. They look like drop spindles from the factory.


IMG_0677 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0678 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0681 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0680 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0679 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

Got another outer piece made for the passenger side. Not 100% sure about just having the flat sides between the arch and the firewall. The 6.5" framerail height looks very truck-like. I'm thinking about bead-rolling something in the side or something.


IMG_0684 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0688 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0689 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


IMG_0691 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

When I box in the front "framerails" I am going to do a ton of plug welds to really tie it to the tubes on the inside (inner tubes? ).

Oh yeah, the boxing plates are going to extend past the firewall and help tie the front frame to the body truss.

 

Always glad to see progress on this thing.

 

Thing is right.


The tall flat frame is bothering me. What do you guys think about running one exhaust pipe out of each side of the car....through the frame rail. Rear manifold would go out the left hand side. Front one would go under the engine and out the right hand side.

 

Sorry! Kind of came out wrong!!

I wouldn´t. You need to show everyone that you have a straight six.

Could you not make some lightening holes in the frame rail?

Oh and anyway, you´d have some good company in the deep chassis department. Look at this Bugatti ....

http://www.guildclassiccars.com/1933_Bugatti.html

 

No offense taken. To me, "thing" does describe it better than "car" at this point.

Yep, that Bugatti was rather thick in the middle too. Way thicker than mine, i think.

 

I currently have two Ford style front leaf spring packs in my stash. One is what I think is a stock model A spring pack. The other was sold to me as a Posies spring pack from a 34 ford (it does have reversed eyes on the main leaf).

Anybody have any guesses as to how close the spring rates might be between the two? ...and what the rates might be?

Anybody have a guess as to how much the spring pack will compress from free state to being on the ground with a 575 lb motor behind the spring?

I am going to use the transverse spring to hold up the IFS set-up and don't really know where to put the spring crossmember.

 

Anybody have a good guess as to how much the spring compresses from free state to where an average V8 street rod sits? This would be a fair comparison to my project.

 

Actually started installing the boxing plates. I really want these things tied to the inner tubes. I am making plug welds to secure the plates near the inner horizontal edges of the tubes.


HPIM1187 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

Drilled holes two inches apart and ground away the paint

HPIM1188 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

Clamped

HPIM1190 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

Welded

HPIM1202 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

The alxe I "remembered" being a model A....isn't. I think it is a 1940 unit

HPIM1196 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

I think the spring will be better for this application anyways. The wider spring will put the load out farther on the a-arms.

Now I need to figure out what the crossmember needs to look like. Anybody have any guesses as to how much this spring will compress in this car? ...jag engine with a bunch of set-back vs. stock 40 ford ....I don't have a clue.

Spring will be on top of the lower arms ...I couldn't mock that up.

HPIM1204 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM1200 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM1206 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

I'm having trouble deciding on a front crossmember. I'm not sure what would be best.

First idea was a ford style channel that encases the spring.

Second is a t-bucket style that runs a crossmember behind the spring with a perch ober the top of the spring.

Any input?

 

At this point it would be hard to guess. You will need to know how much weight the front tires will be supporting at the point of the crossmember. That requires knowing the total weight and the center of gravity. I would just use the Ford style crossmember that a transverse spring rides in and juggle leafs until you get the height and spring rate you want. It will take some time to get it right. Had you considered parallel leafs on the front?

 

I would lean toward some kind of adjustable mount personally. A racecar should be able to be fine tuned.