Projects Big daddy's 1960 El Camino

This one the whole back has been removed, guess it's what they call a back hafted car.

 

You've also got a blower that you could donate to the cause

 

I traded that towards a paint job

 

OK, made things easier by cutting out the floor. Out with the old. But not in with the new lol, turns out, my half *** measurements were no where near being close. The 32" ladder bars are about a foot too long to go anywhere near the factory brackets for the lower links. I have a piece of 3X3 box tube that is about 3/16" wall. I'm gonna make a ladder bar crossmember out of it. I got this **** but now it's time to quit for the day and go play some music!! Peace my friends

 

My solution, and before you start giving me ****, I still have to put gussets in, and I have braces to go from the top of the frame down to my crossmember. It works. I'm happy. Still have to make a crossmember for the coilovers and put the shock mounts on the axle. But it's rolling, and the stance is exactly what I was after. Can't put those pictures up though, my wheels cause a disturbance lol...

 

You could cover the wheels with a little masking paper! hint, hint

 

I thought i would add to this G***ER build thread

 

I remember a car at a run a few years ago. It had the ladder bars mounted just like you are doing. I have seen them fail on street cars so I was interested in how these were holding up.
The mount to the rear axle had failed the axle housing. The mount had tore a patch out of the housing except for a section at the top where it was flexing.I was able to stick my finger in and touch the shaft.
I was coming back from a run with a bunch a friends in their cars. The car I front of me swerved violently into the ditch and then went across the road and ended up in the other ditch. It had the same set up you are proposing. It had sheared a bolt.
The couple and the kids were OK.
I can explained how just adding the extra upper link will do the same thing as you are proposing but with out the danger and trouble.
The extra link actually makes the mechanics the same as the solid ladder bars.
You won’t have enlarge the tunnel etc!
I have owned my original 60 since nov 59.
I have owned three others and put at least 300,000 on them

 

Lloyd, you are probably going to need a stout cross member at the inside rear of the cab for a roll bar so I would make it go full width and support it well. Make some torque boxes to weld onto the new inner rockers to spread the load and bolt the outer ends of the crossmember to them. Then see if the ladder bars can mount to the crossmember nicely.
I ran an 8 3/4 Chrysler rear end in my yellow Stude pickup with drag race ladder bars, coilovers and a wishbone. It was supposed to be primarily a drag race truck but I ended up driving it regularly on the street. I sold it to a friend and he drove it everyday with a milder motor. So traditional straight ladder bars are ok on the street just not perfect. Keep at it, looks great!

 

I still have a long way to go on this setup, but I'm not worried about it. By the time I'm done with it, all will be good. As it sits, the ladder bar crossmember is wonky as ****, but it won't be that way when it's done. Lot of work still left to do. Made a crossmember today for the coilovers, and got most of that done, somewhere in this shop is a box of 5/8" bolts! Now I have to address the panhard bar.

 

What's up *****y Bob for the most part, every model A I've built used ladder bars that I made. I drove the **** out of those cars. The only failure I've ever had was a broken panhard bar bracket, which was a ton of fun. Used a couple of borrowed ratchet straps to hold the rear centered-ish so I could make it home lol.

 

It appears so. I wanted to run a one piece shaft, but I'm not sure that's gonna work. We'll see when I get that far along and when my ship comes in, I'm gonna order a new set of the US Mags slots

 

Don't let em **** with ya Lloyd.

 

What ratio is the rear you pulled out? I may need it.

 

I gave it to wheeldog Bruce, it was a 3:36

 

Looking good
Big Dog

 

Ah Lippy, I looked around the shop today, and with the exception of my buddy Butch stopping by to have a few beers, I didn't see anybody working but me, so I do things my way. And if something doesn't work, I keep going until I get it right I knew I wanted ladder bars on this car from the beginning. It'll be alright

 

cool.

 

if it was my car I would Not put them on.
I had a guy that I did a lot of work on his car & some friend
told him to put them on............................guess what happen
the Car was towed into my shop with the rear end hanging out of the car
it seems he had them a little to low & cought a sewer cover on the
street at 50 mph & it ripped the Rear end out of the Car.

just my 3.5 cents

live learn & die a fool
he Rear

 

I forgot to say that you will be in Deep do do
when the Trunk Monkey is woke up!
He will be ranting raving about all the Noise!

just my 3.5 cents

live learn & die a fool

 

Lmao... thanks.

 

I do not really see a problem at all with your plan Lloyd. As you said, I do things my way. My coupe runs straight ladder bar set up that has been there since the early 60,s. As you know she is raced hard and street driven , sometimes like I stole it. No problems. Now I have to get back to work on her, so you do not feel left out, get back to work.

 

Lmao w***up mad Mike! Guess I should've put it on air ride so that it would have been traditional? Stock ****s ****s

 

That was in the late 60's & early 70's

Just my 3.5 cents

live learn & die a fool

 

Well where do I start... had the 283 sold, was gonna use that money to go buy a 327. Put the car in the shop to fire it up and have it ready to pull after the guy got here and heard it run. Surprise, about a 6" long crack behind the starter, and the freeze plugs shoved out behind the motor mounts. Probably the dumbest damn thing I've ever done. I did drop the lower radiator hose after I put the car outside, but I guess it froze before I did that. So I've been doing bodywork. Got the quarter panels done, tailgate about done, inner rockers done, rear suspension done. Now I'm waiting on another 283 block. Oh the joy.

 

Bummer

 

What a Gigantic kick in the Nutz!!!
Everything else looks good though!