Does my butt look fat with no Z- progress pics

Well, what do you think.....(should you actually ask for opinions on the HAMB???)

I want to keep my rumble seat to see if it is functional (I know ). However, it makes my rear look like a big bumble bee......

Does my butt look fat in these jeans....

I guess I could put a 35 and up front spring behind the rear axle, which would move my center of my axle forward and out of my fenderwell. Then, I guess I could add the difference back into the frame.....is that how it's done?

 

I guess I'm just used to lowered hot rods.....

 

DON'T CHANGE A THING!!!!That car sits beautifully right now. If anything, drop the front a little. just a touch. that would be as close to traditional as you could get...

 

I agree. I like it.

 

I like it high. Since you asked, I would leave it.

 

Yep, I agree- leave it as is. It has a real traditional hot rod look to it just like she sits.

 

In my opinion it looks just right. I just today took my A highboy roadster out for its very first drive . Took advantage of this beautiful sunny Ohio winters day. Keeping my rumble seat for grandkids.

 

My most humble opinion is that it looks absolutely bitchin'. They said bitchin' in the 50's, right?

My only suggestion would be to use taller tires in the rear to (a) even out the proportions and (b) give it a little rubber rake.


Ed

 

you did what I wanted to do today..!!!! when I left work I thought to myself.....60 is plenty for a roadster day.......I'm gonna try to make the jalopy showdown...

I'm realy suprised at the reaction......I just think it's about 5" too high......I need to look at the rolling bones pics again, i really like the ones with the high butts! maybe I'm not that far off.......

at least I'm differenty than everyone around here.......all low street rods....actually there are only two or three A hot rods round here.....none traditional..

 

the rear tires is a good point, I bought these used for 40 or 60......was going to run them for a while but I see one it developing a knot or two

 

just looked at some of the rolling bones pics......there tires are up to the fender line....mines' much higher.....

looks like they get the killer stance for a bit lowered front axle, smaller front tires, a Z in the rear?? and larger tires in the rear.....

 

I know you won't hate me if I say it's WAY too high in the rear.

Cut something

What is the "Look" that you really want. That is what you need to ask yourself right now.

I will be the the first in line here to give you props for building the car yourself and look forward to seeing it someday. But I will give you my opinion if asked.

Don't settel for a look you aren't gonna be happy with. We have talked and I have a feeling you would like it to sit alittle lower, right

Keep up the good work, the car is gonna be worth all the effort.

 

Flathead youngin'- Car is looking great! Are you putting fenders on it?
The bones guys are pinching fronts, spring down behind axle z in rear. There cars sit lower without being real low. I think they have found the look that works for them.
It's your car, drive it as is and see if you like it. FWIW, my 29 roadster sat low, full fendered but I gave up the rumble because there was little room for the lower pad.
Hope to see more progress pics, keep up the great work.

 

Dude that thing is sitting HIGHER than stock in the photos.
its gotta come down a couple of inches at least!
maybe try a reverse eye main leaf and remove the two shortest leaves from the pack?

 

Nope, I was looking for opinions.... I know what I want, but I don't want to lose the rumble seat....the wife can sit in there and the 16 month old can sit in a car seat (belted) in the front. The ONE thing that I want to do with this car more than anything, is to go out on Friday night and get ice cream and a footer with the family. When the little one is a bit older, she could just sit between us in the front.

But, yes, it certainly isn't the look I'm really after....

How could you not want to take this with you to get some ice cream!!!


This is the look I want with a lower front end....

 

No fenders, Abone.....

The spring was heated and dropped by some unkown hot rodder in the past....same with the front.....has a great traditional flavor with a little living on the edge mixed into it..

I made my own spring perches for the rear. I could have possible shaved another 1" off if I had made the shorter....more than that and the spring would have rubbed the housing...

I took out 4 or so leaved from the top of the spring pack and put them on the bottom side......saved about 1-2" there and probably 2-3" with the heated spring......so it should be about 4" lower than stock...espcially without 21" tires...doesn't look it though, huh?

I guess I could build some sort of homemade rumble seat. It wouldn't have to be the nice, big, plush cusions I have now...

what about the front spring in the rear of the axle and extending the frame to center the axle back into the wheel well.....wouldn't have to lose my rumble, right?

 

If you used a 40 rear spring behind the axle and lost that a high arch rear crossmember, you might be able to do it with a dense foam cutdown cushion in the rumble seat.
Lot of work but could have your cake and eat it too soo to speak. After all you are just talking local runs, right?

 

Mr. Youngin'. I don't usually chime in too much around here, but since you asked....you're going to thank yourself for lowering the rear and getting the car to sit right. I have recently gotten my first ground up project on the road, 31 Coupe, and I've gone through what you are going through. You sit there and stare at your original frame/parts and wonder what it'd look like "if"......."I don't know how to Z a frame so It'll look cool anyway if I leave it alone"......
I have to say from experience that going for it, and taking this opportunity to learn some of these techniques, like z-ing the frame is well worth the effort. Plus you get to learn lots, and build your confidence. If you have questioned the stance of your roadster this much (nice! by the way) you feel there is something you need to do about it, so do it! I didn't think I could Z a frame, and well, with the help and encouragemant of a Mr. Josh Mills, I figured it out. I z'd that sucker about 6" and it made all the difference in the world. I am running a Posies rear spring over reverse eye setup which helps. I agree that some 7.50 x 16's in the rear would help with proportion. This setup doesn't leave room for a seat, though.?.
You could always go with some 4.50 x 16's in the front to lower it a bit.
Anyway, sorry to be long winded. Good luck, wish I had that project when I was more of a youngin'. I'd prolly be smarter at all this.
Here's a pic of my coupe, first time I backed it out on the street to look at it. I wasn't going to chop it either.....ended up taking 2.5" out and was glad I did, for the look, and for the knowledge/experience. As a good friend of mine said, "If you don't have the balls to get the tools out and do it, you should be doin' somethin' else." I think you do.
Have fun,
Z

 

hey man that looks kool, I agree with the bigger rear meats, 7.50 16's would look the goods!

Like the other's have said, it sits kool now, if your not happy do what you gotta do, and it will still look kool, I once saw a high-boy tub next to a chop't n' channel'd tudor, the tudor was lower than the belt line on the tub, both looked kool, it's up to you.

I guess this doesn't help you much though aye

Outback

 

i REALLY like it
personally i would put blackwall 7.00's on the back and 6.00's on the front
and run a non dropped 32-36 front axle with a reverse eye spring to get it level then run the stock 29 grill shell with a full hood...but thats just me, i've regressed into the 30's/early 40's

that's not what your going for it seems
soo...why not try a 26/27 spring in the rear with a couple leaves taken out
my car is on a 32 frame its not Z'd at all aside from the factory 32 curve and i had to put about an inch or so ontop of a full T spring to get it high enough for the wheels to lign up with the wheelwells nice. the T spring will fit in the A crossmember. also if the T is still too high you could reverse the eyes on that to go even more

take a straight side pictures of your car and print out 2 copies about the size of a full piece of paper, then take the one and cut along the ground line between the wheels, leaving the wheels attached to the ground only andcut right around the tires
then lay this piece over the other one. you can slide it up and down and move it around untill you get the car to look like you want, height, rake, etc.
its pretty primative way of doing it but i think it helps alot. your seeing YOUR car all the ways possible. then when you decide what you want...everything else is just work and a matter of figuring out how to do it. the hardest part ive found about these things is working aimlessly. or THINKING you know what you want and trying it without a good plan. if you just go at it and see what happens. you may end up with a tire not perfectly matched to the wheel well or too much rake, or not enough etc. also if you want bigger tires, just leave a little extra and take a black marker and draw them slightly larger.
i think i spent more time with mine rolled out in the driveway staring at it then i did actually working on it some days...but you have to constantly check your progress and make sure your not gona end up with something your not happy with. when its all said and dont and you walk past it at a car show or park outside of a restaurant you want to think to yourself, damn that thing is cool. when you go to a show and theres 6 other 29 roadster you want yours to be the one you'd most like to take home. build it how you want it, none of the steps are hard its all just a matter of planning and elbow grease

im sure you will figure it out and be ready to race me at the jalopy showdown!
good luck
zach

 

Here's a couple pics of AV8Paul's roadster.
It's a good looking car and a little different from what you see nowadays.
Even so, it sits a lower than your A.

Note that the rear wheel - wheel, not tire - sits higher than the bottom of the wheel well.
This brings it down to where it looks righteous and is right in line with the trad look from back in the day.
Very few roadsters from the 40's sat low like they do nowadays.

I'm sure Paul would chime in here with how he got the car to sit like it does.
Looking from here, the mods are minimal and should get you where you want to go as far as height, stance and retaining the rumble seat.

 

Just looks like an old highboy to me. Definately dated, maybe if you put some big ol' hoops on it, but then you'd have to make it as close to stock as possible. Hooops on a stocker = hotrod, right?

Looks good to me bro, I probably wouldn't take it to an Auto-cross but I would drive the wheels off it for sure.

Maybe a little down in the snout like has been suggested, but I wouldn't change it much at all stance wise. Leave it trad instead of the new old school.

The way to test that rumble is with a Mother In-law. If you don't gots one I'll loan you mine.

Oh yea did I mention that I like it?

 

what is the measurement from the rear bottom corners of the frame to the ground? what is the measurement from the bottom center of the front crossmember to the ground? my 29 is stitting on a stock 31 frame and 19" wheels and it looks the same height as yours.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55439

I have a T spring but it's several inches wider. I couldn't even come close to getting 45degrees out of my shackles. As a matter of fact, the T would land about where my perches are welded. But, yes, it would lower it to a good level....

I'll be ready to run ya! ...bout my luck, when I dump the clutch for a hard take off, that'll be when my weld lets loose on my driveshaft....6 hours from home....you'd better get that ragged out flatty ready! you won't be a match for my 4:11 rear...

 

maybe you could have a spring shop make you a new main leaf with the eyes closer together then just eliminate the 2nd leaf for the T spring?

my ragged out old flatty spun the hides all the way into 2nd the other day...no need for 4.11

zach

 

To my untrained eye it looks a hair too tall.

I'd try a shorter tire in the front and taller in the rear.

If thats not enuff, maybe some of the real "traditional" guys could chime in on using a rear spring with less arch to it.

How does Mke Bishops sit? I believe he did a stock frame height Z in the rear. Would that lose your rumble seat?

Oh btw, the radiator shell looks a tad too high. See C9's post from a while back on that proportion.

Build it the way YOU want it. It's looking awesome, btw. Good job.

 

C9- yes, paul has the look in the rear that I seek....larger tires, mild Z???

triplex- I'll get those #'s when i get home....I'm curious

porkbeaner- thanks, it's growing on me........i like the more traditional look and i also like the lowered A's that are popular righ now........for now, this one is going to keep the traditonal look...

zaemo- DANG! that's got it! if i build a coupe, i may copy....


Zach.......anyone taking wagers! i may have something up my sleeve when i pull in...

Where is the showdown again, I have a buddy fairly close that I may be able to stay with...

 

Here's an angled shot of AV8's Bluey.

Considerably lower than what you're aiming for, but it has the look.

To my eyes, this car is the one that defines all the rest when talking about A roadsters on A frames.
A guy couldn't go far wrong copying this car.

One of the things that make it is the side exhaust constructed from torque tubes.
It fills in the body overhang area - visually speaking - and lends an allusion of lowness.

I suggest very highly that you get a copy of Mike's book, "How to Build a Traditional Ford Hot Rod." and do a little perusing.

The book shows all the chassis work and has all the measurements.
Setting up the rear crossmember et al isn't all that difficult.

Trad don't get no better than Bluey....

 

I have Mike's book and had every intention on Zing the frame just like he did. Bluey has been my guid the whole way through. If I Z it the same amount he did, I only lose about 3" or so (looking at his pics)....I could modify SOMETHING as a seat for passengers.....


Funny thing is, I used to think bluey sat too high in the rear....