Here are a few progress pictures from a ratty body to a body that's a little less ratty (not a RR). Its still sitting too high for my taste, and a dropped axle is planned but I'm not sure about taking leaves out of the rear spring since it has a rumble seat, and I could pack a few big wuns out there in back... we'll have to wait and see .. Some details: 1931 coupe, 1950 8BA (by Walt Dupont), 1946 side shift with a hurst shifter, 46 rear axle, 40 ford wishbones, 35 wires, f1 crossmember and pedals, F3 box, bearclawlatches, compact battery, '46 column and steering wheel, a ton of patch panels (original and repro), roof rechopped... now at a minus 4.5 inches (it was lap welded before), Alumnum radiator (sorry), Offy 2x2, 12 volt gen, 46 gas pedal, 46 shocks, 46 brakes on all 4, 9-inch clutch, Speedway header kit, and a vintage gas tank I got at Hershey which is damn cool! Special thanks to Hambers; wooster, chopt top kid and flthd31 for measuring their coupes so I could get this one closer to factory specs. ....still got a ways to go ! I'll drive it in the spring one way or another (good thing spring is still a few months away up here!)
I like it! I am also building an A-V8 at the moment. You could step the frame in the back per the Vern Tardel/Bishop book and it drops the rear about 2.5-3 inches. I did it to mine and really like it but it envolves some subrail work to do it. I do for some reason like it high thought. Keep it up!
Our cars are very similar! chop looks about the same, rumble seat, height looks about the same, even the firewall dimple for the oil filler looks the same! I love the patina on yours (it's not p***e' to me)! We just have to face it... we've got old Jalopys (Jalopies?)! I'm getting pumped to hear and smell a flathead again! Hey, what are you using for a steering box?
I used a model a steering column that I shortened 6 inches and moved back about six inches to clear (barely) the exhaust manifold.
Awesome coupe! As you could probably guess by my avatar I love the stance as is. A stock height hot rod is very different from everything we are used to seeing these days in "traditional " scenes. But open up books on hot rods from the 30s and 40s and you'll see em everywhere. Keep up the good work!
another update (I wonder how many av8's are on the HAMB..hundreds!?) tractor supply matte black... Hood is off for start up... Sorry about the checker board firewall, but I like 'em... interior wood made out of oak pallets, shaped with a band saw and belt sander... I didn't have any of the window/door jamb wood or brackets and the roof was welded shut with a sheet of galv (cut that out (PITA)).. Bought the left side brackets and used them as patterns to make the right side, could've made both sides and sent them back.. but man that's cheesy... red couch leather.... going to start it today, I hope.... (with walt's help) Gl*** should be ready this week...
I'll be running the hood seen in my avatar almost all the time, one cannot trust the weather up here... but the checker board was fun to do!
Looks great! This car has really come along nicely. Can you give us some details on the side shift transmission with hurst shifter?
Thanks Paul, Lovin' that Chevy! ...a lot of long winter nights in the garage, thank god it's got heat! It's funny, there were nights when I had to force myself out there to work on it and then find myself getting into something and working till midnight. ....my G.F. has a ton of patience and that helps a lot.... ...had some fuel leaks, and the battery went dead the night before I wanted to start it (elec. drain someplace..) time to work out a few more bugs! ( hope I don't find a busted exhaust valve! :-( ) I'll try starting it as soon as Walt has a free hour..or two. For you flathead guys Walt (Dupont) has some interesting flathead videos on youtube, just google "Walt Dupont flathead", you should find 'em.
Had a few questions about the side shift trans and the shifter... The shifter is an old hurst 3-speed with the round removable stick, I got for $10 at Hershey... I made a bracket for the shifter out of a strong piece of angle steel and shaped it so it would bolt onto the two upper rear bolts on the trans, then welded a plate on the end of it to accept the shifter and added a support bracket that ran to one of the shift cover bolts. The stick I went with is a model A shifter with the bottom cut off but retaining the "ridge". I ground the ridge down to a collar so it could slide into the hurst replacing the hurst stick. Of course the shifter is right where your leg goes so I put an S bend in the stick so it would allow some leg room, welded a small tang from the collar down about 3/8 of an inch, and cut a slot in the hurst to accept the tang, this will keep the model A handle from spinning in the shifter. Since the factory shift arms point down I made two new shift arms that point upwards out of an old tie rod as they were just the right size to fit over the shifting rods that came out of the trans and welded 3 inch levers on the tie rod pieces, each with three holes so I could pick the best one. The shifting rods are made from the 46's column shift rods cut waaay down to fit... It all shifts smoothly, and for 10 bucks it was a pretty good deal, and as you know side shifters are cheap right now, much cheaper than a 39 shift handle alone.
A few pics of the F1 cross-member and wishbone support... The frame was boxed when I got it, so I drilled holes in the boxing plates and welded nuts into the holes... I figured if there came a time when I needed to remove the trans I could drop the crossmember out There are 6 3/8 grade 5 bolts on each end of the crossmember. The master cyl is an F1 that sits lower in the crossmember and the crossmember was shortend on each end, but the measurements would be pretty much different for everyone since the model A frame tapers from front to back the front bones are 40's with the model a yoke, I should have flipped it over (it's a little tight to the steering box), but since the front axle was sitting at 7 degrees caster I left it as is
Thanks for the Transmission and shifter details Pat. That's an excellent example of using your head and saving some money. I have always thought that a side shift could be used in an AV8 if someone put enough thought into it. Nice job! I bet it actually shifts better than a top shift too!
The Jalopy Journal
