Projects 1940 Ford Tudor Deluxe Rebuild

Here are a few pics of it before I put it away before a big storm last week. The poor car needs washed again due to the nice rain we've been getting.

 

Well I haven't been on here in a while but I have made progress on the car. I removed the bumpers and painted them black and also removed the bumperettes to see how I liked it. I tried getting some black chrome paint kit to use on them, but it was a waste of money. I should have just used gloss black in stead of wasting $28 for the black chrome 3 can kit. I also removed the engine and trans and did some work there as well. The engine recieved a new cam and lifters, gaskets and seals, new HV oil pump and HD shaft, new double roller timing chain, holley intake, holley carb, a stall, and the trans got a B&M shift kit and new filter and input and put put seals. Here are some pics from Good Guys back in July.

 

I also finally got my wipers installed and put the LED rear tail lights on. I'll be upgrading to the more expensive style this winter. I've had a few issues with these already.

 

Ok, now for what's next. I finally got my 354 Hemi! I was kicking around to put a 4bt ***mins in this, the Hemi, or a 351C. I made my descion and i'm going to be installing the 354. I have my 377 and TH400 sold and I will use that money to purchase an adapter, headers, and a trans to do the swap. I want to drive this car on the Hot Rod power tour this next year so I'm gearing up to try to achieve some good mileage. I'm going to go with a 46rh dodge trans because it has lock up and over drive. No one makes an adapter to go to a ford sb auto, so I was left with either a 700R-4 or a 518 and 46rh. I have had good luck with the RH's in diesels and I'll stick with that. Here are some bad pics of the 354. It is a 56 and runs great.




My plan is right now to get it in and running. Then see where the money ends up, I'd like to rebuild it and get it in the 400hp range before spring. I also am going to try and make some small repairs to the body and repaint it. I'd like it black, but it isn't going to be ready for black just yet. I think I might go with a midnight blue metallic or something like that. I want to retain these flames and maybe have them silver white and a lighter blue. That's better than hot rod black isn't it?

Also, I want to make some interior upgrades. Mainly change the purple. Plus I want to install a HVAC kit and maybe upgrade the suspension. Does anyone have any preference on spring vs air ride? I'm leaning going air since I need to replace all my front stuff on my MII front end. Why do it twice right?

 

I got the 354 running and removed. Now to try and decide which parts to get to get it in the 40.

 

Right now I'm compiling a parts list and trying to decide which trans to use. It's going to be between a A833 4 speed, or a 700R4. I also am trying to decide if I want to spend the big bucks on speedway's new X member for these. It sure looks nice. Has anyone on here used one yet?

 

I got a 46RH trans to put behind my 354. Now I'm shopping for new MII cross members. Any suggestions?

 

I've been gathering parts to make the transformation and to get this car back to a safe ride. I'll be replacing all the front suspension components, and replacing the fire wall. I'm still trying to decide on power or non power brakes. It really depends how much room is left after I get the x member reworked.




Started fitting the BBC water pump on the Hemi and removed a lot of the stock stuff I won't be using. I have parts coming from Hot Heads and trans parts on the way too.





I've got to get a balancer, figure out what pulleys and alt and PS pump I can use. I'm shooting to have this driveable by May so i can take it to Torque Fest. I'm also planning on shooting it semi-flat black as I have some body work to fix while it's apart. I'm thinking of having the flames redone in blue, silver, and then white.

 

WOW !! I'd completely forgotten about this thread Glad your makin progress !!

 

..........Same here. Good to see you are still inspired and pushing forward with your '40..........Still hoping someone with more talent and resources than myself will take on the task of re-creating the Moreland Sedan.

 

I'd love to build one like Moreland's but not with this car. Someday I might build a blown tubbed version.

Today I pushed it out of my storage area and washed it. It badly needed it! Now it's in the shop and I can get started on it!

 

I used HH pulleys and balancer on my 392 and one spacer for the crank pulley to get it all to line up.

 

4tford, did you use the short water pump, or the long?

 

It was the short pump since I had the timing cover replaced. The long pump was to clear the oem timing cover. I had about 4 1/2 inches of clearence from the fan pulley mounting surface to the radiator mounted in the stock location. Orginally I had three groove pulleys on the engine but went with single groove to clear my electric cooling fan at the crank pulley.

 

Very nice, and thanks for the info. I went with the long pump to keep the stock timing cover basically to save some $$$ right now. Yours is way shinier than mine will be for now too. Very nice!

I just noticed that your engine mounts look to be from a first gen dodge ***mins app. If they are, and you ever need stronger ones..... A company called Auto World in Montana produces poly first gen ***mins mounts if you ever need them.

 

Today I removed all the stock suspension parts and began the install of the tubular control arms. I did not have any luck sourcing a drill bit the size of the outer diameter of the spacer. So, I found a hole saw that was the same size. I cleaned the inside of the cross member, ground it, and tacked a 1/4" piece of s**** in there. Drilled a hole in the center, and then used the hole saw to cut the hole in my cross member to get the spacer in it. Once that was done, I had to enlarge the front bolt hole to 5/8". Then I slid the spacer in, and put the lower control arm on. I have to trim the spacer to allow the inner washers to be used. Right now it's too tight to get the control arm on and the washers. I'm guessing who ever designed these wants you to drill both holes to the outer dia of the spacer. But I'm using the front as a locating device. I have to check my caster and camber before I weld it up. I have a lot of clean up to do to this cross member. Hopefully I can get some stuff done over the weekend. But as usual, it's getting busy. I have to go to my Grandmother's birthday party tomorrow afternoon, and church and Easter/more b-day celebrations Sunday. I doubt I get much done.......

 

In that side pic the front frame horn looks like it comes out of the crossmember a couple inches higher than behind the crossmember. If it does, do you have alignment problems with the front sheetmetal and radiator?

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't catch that yet. Yes this car had poor fitment of the sheet metal. Wow, I hope the LH side at least matches the RH side.........

Now that I'm sitting her ethinking about this, on most MII installs, don't you have to clearance the lower portion of the frame rail to allow the rack to clear? Maybe whom ever did this raised the front frame horns up instead of just notching them? IDK but I'll be finding out tonight.

 

You still planning to use the strut rod?

Or a better way to say it: You are still planning to use the strut rods, aren't you?

 

You have a big job ahead of you. It sure looks like the anti-dive angle is severe compared to the ones I have done using a Heidts or TCI. Perhaps you can check the angle. I would suggest that you consider taking out the original crossmember and putting in a new one. I think that would straighten out the frame. It appears you have the welding skills to clean up the ch***is.

 

No. This style of control arm doesn't use the strut rod. You have to weld a gusset on the back side of the control arm spacer which welds to the back side of the cross member. I plan on adding a larger gusset which will go up to the frame from the back side as well.

 

When I get off work tonight I'm going to go look at the LH frame rail and see if it matches the RH side. I don't know if I will cut out the entire cross member right now or not. The car drove really well for having a hacked, worn out, stock MII front under it. The only real issue I had was it had bad bump steer. Mainly bridge approaches and such. My plan was to repair this frame so I can drive it a year or maybe two, and then purchase a new frame for it. That plan may not be doable with this mess. Do you by chance know what the anti-dive angle should be?

 

I have another question for you guys too. Where does your front sheet metal attatch to the frame at? Mine attatches with one bolt in the bracket on the front frame horn, and 2 in the frame through the inner fender. So it has 6 bolts holding it to the frame. I really thought it was weird that there is no core support at all.

 

Definitely add the bracket off the frame to put the bolt in double shear. You got a lot of stress that needs to be dissipated.

 

Yes sir, that's part of what I'm going to do. I don't need any other issues with this cross member.

 

I made a support out of 1 inch square tube that runs from side to side between the frame rails and attaches on the lower edge of the frame rail. There are a series of holes and I attached the tube there just forward of the crank pulley. I then built supports running from the square tube to the inner fenders were the radiator support bracket attaches it keeps the front end sheet metal from flopping around.

 

Sounds good. I'm going to do some thing more than it had for sure. I'd love to have the sheet metal fitting better than it did before.

 

Today I started cleaning up the LH frame rail. I will have to live with the anti-dive angle situation. My idea to cut it and move the front down wasn't looking to be a good idea. So I decided to leave it and strengthen it every where I can. I also got the lower control arm on. I'm having the spacers cut down today, and I'll weld them in tomorrow.

 

Today I removed the running boards and started removing the toe boards. I'm getting ready to remove the fire wall. My gas tank and exhaust showed up today too.

 

Lookin good!