There will be some more work to do on the body but I seam to get many things going at once. I like to see progress and then come back on things that I didn't finish. Its all good in my book. I picked up the steel, some 1x1 and some 1x3. I saw another guy on the Hamb doing this and I liked it so why not. I covered the frame rails with a 1x3 and tied it all together with the 1x1. Its turning out good.
So now its time to get the chop going. This is my 1st hot rod and did what research I could. Its a scarey thing since one you cut it there's no good way to go back. I wanted at least 4" and was thinking about 6 but it would make the tie back to hard with the difference in the a pillars. I setteled for 4" I had some red tape that was 4" so I just put it on as clean as I could and got to cutting. is really a simple thing one you get started. about an hr later the roof was in the driveway. Cool Man
Well, now that I can breath again. Time for a beer. I called on the gang and we set the top back on after the lower sides of the pillars cut off. there is still wood in some of it. Dam Chevys, Its time to put some steel back in that car. We set the top on and it fiit great. I had just a bit of trimming to do and I was welding away. Two days of work and its to a point I can move on. I did learn that I need some backer steel when welding the top together since it burns holes to easy. I will get it figured out.
Jeeze, you are really getting at 'er man. Good work so far. Now, I may be a little biased seeing as I hate tilt columns in old cars...but I vote for the solid column option Yup, when you lift the roof off you get this 'impending doom' feeling "Will it ever go back together again?? What have I done!"
So here I am. The car has come a long way since the 1st day. My buddy let me drive his 32 coupe and man that was soo cool. Its a true hot rod. Nothing but bad ass HP. I was going to install a turbo 350 but after driving his there was no way that was going to happen. I had to have a stick. I ended up with a Burg Warner T-5. My car will most likely never be what his is but at least I have a stick. I have spent the past month working on the motor and tranny and they are in the car now. The motor is running and ready to just about make the trip down the road. I'm working on the tranny cross member, under the floor peddle assembly and break lines for the next few weeks. I also have the new steering column on its way. I will do better on the posts since my computer is back up and running in the garage.
The steering column is a solid shaft 30" long from Speedway. along with all the other joints that cost an arm and a leg. Dam man, $9.99 for a drive shaft joint the size of your fist and $70.00 for a little tinny one. Go Figure??? The motor is in along with a radiator from a fellow Hamber ( SY1356 ). all I need now is a fan and all my other stuff that will be here tomorrow. All it takes is a fist full of $100.00 bills.
Its on the list. My wife is on me about it also. Its to boxy the way it is now. I will also have to do the doors. Carl
Love following this thread! This and other recent posts on '31 GM coupe top chops will certainly help me when I attempt to chop my '31 Pontiac. Your car is looking good! Keep up the good work!
Just picking on you.The chop looks great now the fun part all that window cornish. Thats where I am at on mine.Keep on getting it
Carl5 you are moving fast, and it's looking good! I'm getting ready to chop my '32 Chevy this week I hope. I think I'm gonna do 3". I gotta ask you, when you chopped the front pillar do you think chopping near the top was the best place to chop it? I mean, do you think chopping it there is the best spot so that the top and bottom line up the best? If you get a chance check out my thread "1932 Chevy subframe". Thanks. Jim
Thanks guys for the good words. Like I said, it not going to be a show car but it should turn out to be a cool ride that looks & runs good. Maybe I will get lucky and it will turn out better then I think. I did get a bunch of parts today that will go on this weekend. Having steering will be nice. Carl
Chopper You have a good post with a lot of good input from some great builders. I cut the A-pillars at the top since that is where I saw the lesser of a problem with aligning it back up. Here is a picture of what I have left to align. 1/8" is about it and it will be done. I was thinking about cutting the top hinge off to clean it up.
Hey Carl I dropped in to checkout your build. Nice work, those seats will look good in the car. Kenny
Stayed with it this week and the weekend. I built the tranny cross member out of some 2x2 square stock. I did put rubber motor mounts in, so I also put the stock rubber tranny mount in also. That will help with noise I hope. I then lazered the motor to the rear and aligned the front U-joint so that it all lines up. It's all bolted in now and painted. The last thing I have to do is check the angle of the tranny tail housing and the rear and make sure that they are the same. If not I have the rear only tacked in so it wont take much to change the angle.
My Mom and Dad were in town this weekend so I had some help. My dad and I worked all day Saturday on the break and clutch assemble. The bracket and pedals that I bought from Putz here on the HAMB had to be modified quite a bit since the set up was for a booster break set up. Just some more steel work. All I have left to do is to finish the angles of the pedal pads so that they are not so flat. It's just about done and ready to have the break lines installed. Last night Brad came by and we bent the Muncie shifter to the proper angle, drilled it out and installed it on the Borg-Werner tranny. It will look cool after the boot is installed.
So the last thing I did this weekend was trying to install the steering column. After looking for an 1-1/2 for my hole saws I went to Home Depot and bought a new 2" bit, drilled out the fire wall and fit the column. It looked great but the dash was in need of some work so here we go. Time to rebuild the dash and the wood around it. This is the start but more will come this week. I hope to have the column in by Friday since we will be on the lake all weekend for the 4th. 4 days on the water and I will be having withdraws from the garage.
Sheep Dip I agree Doing it your self is where its at, I cant wait to see it go down the road either. That will be a GREAT day. I checked out your Biography and that is so true. Love it. Carl
Keep up the good work!! and keep the pictures comming!! Got to like those Chevy's!! (Mine's a 31 3 window but your getting yours done alot faster than mine is) Got some pictures in my album of my progress so far. Later, Wally
You know, Its not all about building the car its about hanging out with Friends, Her are a few pictures of my buddy Josh in his 32 and Tony in the 31. My dad turned 80 this week and he was born in 1931. That's to cool man. then I have my boy Danny playing Fred Flintstone and my wife Dab in the drivers seat, you have seen here working earlier in this thread and here friend Hope. Let the good times roll.
Looks good. Wont be long & you will be driving it. Thats cool that the hotties are getting in on the fun also.
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