Projects My AV8 flathead build.. blown...

So i have asked lots of questions around here and posted many pics..but its time to start the official build thread.... my love for a model a coupe came from my uncle who had a hot rod black 30 coupe with a 406 sbc, full fenders, hood and side panels.. never was it completley done but i remember screaming down a back road in it barley being able to see out of the chopped top... it sure was a head turner.....
so many years later i finally brought home my own model a... at first when i was shopping for a car i was going to purchase a project.... i never reall looked at buying a car that was all done or one that was so original i hated to cut it up.. i love my hot rods, but im also one that appreciates an untouched original car. a real piece of american automotive history....
i spent many years in my grandfathers barn working on old tractors and old cars and trucks.. he also was one for a good ol hot rod or a nice classic car.. many in which we still have today. i remember peaking over the fender of his 48 oldsmobile while he hand ground the valves in it, fighting with them so it would run properly... i was so young i never did get to ride in that car. ..
anyways, in september of 2012 i was cruising around on ebay, as usual, and i stumbled on this model a coupe.... no i have been on the market for one for a while now.... looked at many, lots were more than i wanted to tackle, then some couldnt be bought... i found a clean, orignal car from arkansas originaly, now sitting in minnesota.... it was not all painted up.. it was untouched..it cought my eye... it had a phone number in the add... i called.......... with in ten mins i had a deal struck to end the auction early. next morning i wired money and it was all mine.......... i am so impatient, i payed double for a hot shot hauler to have it here in 2 days.... which also happened to be the day before i got married. so of course i drove the car to the wedding...
i drove it all summer with the banger.... loved it.... but it was not what i always wanted... so i had a 37 flathead v8 in the corner of the garage....some day i would get around to putting it in.... well today is that day... here is some pics from the first day of the project.... including when i got it home and such...... enjoy..




















finally out!!
now time for a test fit with the flathead v8... i know i know i should pull the fenders off.. i will once i get radt to make motor mounts and such.. this engine had funny manifolds on it so i wanted to see how those were gonna work out.... it fits good.. looks like i am going to have to do an f1 box.. i wanted to keep it factory steering even though its not the best idea. i wanted to keep the car all stock and hide the engine under the hood and side panels... make it look original but run a lil better with a nice sound.......






not sitting down in all the way due to steering box.



and thats the progress on first day! tomorrow we will continue.

 

Subscribed! HRP

 

oh.......................i cant belive i almsot forgot..........i gotta go pick this up after work on friday...... when i scored a deal on this guy, i decided its time to hot rod the model a..

 

well after a phone call from russco..... i have my steering issues all figured out... hopefully. Thanks russco! appreciate the advice

i burnt the motor mounts out on our cnc plasma table this morning and ill have them fabbed up and hopefully all set in this evening. debating on pulling entire body.

 

Will be following.

 

Looks like its gonna be a nice build. That's a score on the blower too. Just mock everything up, also when I was building mine a couple measurements in the book must have been misprinted so double check everything first. Good luck and keep us posted on the progress. Mike

 

What was the problem.....hard to tell from the close up pics. And what is the solution.

 

" debating on pulling entire body." Don't pull the body. Put the motor in and drive it.
The engine swap and blower setup will take longer than you think. Drive it.

Too often, we bite off too much and lose the fun of the car. Did I mention Drive it?
All the best,
Dale
Cleveland OH

 

Thanks guys! Ill keep that in mind . I've done several frame off vehicles so its not so much of more than I can chew, but your right, I don't wanna loose the fun. I'm gonna put it together and drive it... For now...

 

plasma cut mounts,

they will look like this all done.. yes there are easier ways to do it but i like to build things my own way.

 

Subscribed! I like where this is going.

 

here's some reading on the B/T book, as someone says it's a guide NOT a blueprint...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490850&highlight=bishop


looking forward to your build, at this rate you'll be driving it by the weekend...



K

 

Figured I better double and triple check everything just because everyone makes mistakes ..even my tape measure !

 

I remember doubting myself for like 2 nights because the measurment in the book for the rear frame step wasn't close to what I was figuring it to be. Finally I went with what I was figuring and it was good, then I heard it was misprinted in the book.

 

Looks like this is going to be a fun build. Great job. Will be watching.

 

Nice car,and I see your bride is equally as thrilled. Build it ,drive the wheels off it then build again. That my friend is what it's all about,and I see you will live it .
Good luck,looks great.

 

This sounds very cool.

 

Gary, even though the wife has a goofy look on her face , she is very much so glad with what I am Doing to the car... She gets the biggest kick out of what people say and how they act when we stop somewhere in it... She also is the one who said...." You better buy that round thingy that goes on top of the engine". Meaning the supercharger . Ha... She's the best . And she is right beside me working any chance I let her .

 

Motor mounts are tacked up and ready to be welded and all smoothed out ..

 

Sweet

 

This style manifold otta make it squeeze right down in. Ill know more tomorrow when I actually get the fenders off the car and get the engine in place .....

 

That car looks great and it seems like its only going to get better with time!

 

Dude! Cool! Good to see fenders staying on an "A" coupe! I know you have already burned your engine mounts out, but maybe somthing to consider... I have always built cars that sit very low. As a side effect of that I have alway set my engine mounts up so that they are a bit higher in the frame than most. Best thing about that is it gives just an extra bit of room around things like steering boxes and such for exhaust headers or manifolds. The F-1 box I suggested earlier on your other thread has the worm cming in from the underside which picks up even more room too. Hopefully that's the way you decided to go on that. The engine doesn't have to be too much higher than Bishop/Tardel say it should be, just an inch or so will work wonders. You still should have tons of room fro your blower too. And, if I may be so bold, you really should look at some "W" type headers for that engine when it is supercharged. Dead stock single carbed naturally aspirated those manifolds were almost too small for the flathead.

 

Alot of great A-V8's going together lately - I really like where you are headed with this. Subsribed.

 

This is going to be a good one. Keep the progress pictures coming.

Frank

 

Guys,
Thanks for all the kind words.. I'm going to do what I can to make sure this car is done right. We will see what I get into. I do understand the flow issue with these type of manifolds. They will have to work for now with my budget and just buying the blower system. Upgrades such as headers can always be added later ... Also I wanted to add, I'm making the mounts bolt in... I have a nice looking plate that goes on the outside of the frame with 2 weldcert nuts in it. This will allow me to easily change the mounts out if I need higher ones . Welding is nice and strong and ill weld it after I make sure every single thing is fit and fit well.... There is one more car on the hamb, the question mark coupe , it is blown and has fenders and such...I like it alot ... I will say this.. Russco, your blue coupe is in fact the Inspiration behind my car .... Your car was perfect to me... Down to every detail ... But I'm gonna have to leave the fenders and stuff on and see how I like it.. Pennsylvania doesn't share the same interest with me in open wheel cars so I best leave em on for a while.... I take constructive criticism well, so please make your suggestions and comments

 

todays first update.
decided to go with the f1 box...... ended up i started removing my stock model a box and checking it out and it is completey wore out.. and has several tights spots when turning to the left. sooo im going to install the f1 like everyone suggested. im doing mine a little different. i am going to trim the flange off around the shaft housing, and i will plasma cut a new one to weld on, however i do belive i may lower it down in the frame as much as possible to give me the maximum amount of clearance for headers.. i want the engine as low as possible. with the blower on top of the flat head, it will be tall. ive considered since i have two good 97's, that i may buy a 2 into 1 carb plentum to go on top of the blower... i attached a video, one of the coolest flatheads...
http://youtu.be/BRgUmnBGkGQ

 

ill make mine fit liek how this guy did his... very nice work and this will allow me to make sure i have it as tight to the frame as possible...

 

as far as a wishbone and petals, i am not using the 32 k member and such.
im ordering parts from this kit : http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/3937

even though i am building a hot rod, im saving all the original model a parts just in case some day when im old and grey i wanna switch it back.. using all these parts is a simple fix to keep the most stock model a parts on the car.

anyone used this stuff before.?

 

That looks like it will work nice. The A boxes are just OK when they are not worn out so I think that's a good move, plus you may end up with a little more room now.