Projects 32 5W Build - The $4K Swapmeet Body / The Old Chrome Coupe

Thank you Neal for sticking with the HAMB, we have lost so many pro builders to other social media. It is a fortunate pleasure to get a front row seat in your shop. Fantastic build!

I can think (and love) Nitti . . .

 

This car epitomizes tradition. The right body, right engine, right trans, right rear, right axle, right rollers......right everything. That's a hell of a nice shop you're working out of too. Wow. Much respect.

I'm guilty of polluting the HAMB with low quality builds, but this car keeps this forum focused. Need more like this.

 

Incredible work as usual. Thank you so much for taking the time to post and share.

 

I've been working on the steering for the 5w. I found this old chrome 37-39 Ford cross steer box that had been pruned and converted to side steer.

I cut off their frame flange and welded on a 32 style 3-bolt flange



I drilled the housing for a fill plug up top and welded up the hole on the side cover

 

A little silver paint on the new flange, nobody will see it inside the frame rail.

Does it kill ya not to use one of your new boxes on this car?

 

My thoughts exactly on the silver paint. It will never be seen.

And I had planned to use one of my new boxes until I found this one. The funky-ness and old chrome sold me though. It had Ford internals, so the pitman arm would have pointed up, so I am swapping those out for an original Nash 16:1 worm and sector set I had. It should make a nice box and fit in well with the other old chrome.

 

I also worked on the column drop. I like the old aluminum aftermarket drops like Moon, but most were not angled for a 32 dash. I found an angled one, but it had been cut for a column shift. Since I have the chrome floor shift trans case, column shift was not an option. I thought about trying to weld up the slot, then just gave in and made a duplicate drop...



I used a carbide burr on a die grinder to match the angled column bore to the old cap


The aluminum plate I had was a little thicker than the old casting, so I took a few cuts off the back side


Here it is compared to the original


It looked a little bulky, so I added the 58 Chevy cigar lighter back in


And in place in the car


Looks right at home with the SW 8 gauge panel

 

The hits keep on coming with this one. Killer!

 

A Milner panel. Gonna chop it and paint it piss yella too?

 

That car ruined my brain as a kid, especially this scene...



So, yes on the chop...no on the piss yellow.

 

So where does the ignition fit in ? thought for sure it would so to speak, drop in ! Oh yeah that gas station scene was good, even if he did scrub the center island.

 

I plan to put a key switch and light switch in the gauge panel, either side of the speedometer and tach

 

Man this is fantastic watching it come together. Can’t wait to see it in Oklahoma. When you made the new oil fill in the steering box did you thread the box or weld a threaded tube in? Always curious how people go about running a cross steer box for side steer. Lots of ways to skin a cat and what not.

 

I suppose as has been said, we should all confirm right from the one in the know the internals on the cross-steering boxes will interchange with other Gemmer types like the 48-52 pickup, Hudson etc. with exceptions ?

 

Ron, I believe the LHD 37-48 gemmer roller sector can only be used in the 48-51 F-1 boxes for “side-steer” applications (shaft comes in below). If you have a RHD 37-48 roller sector it could be used to convert the “cross-steer” box to “side-steer” like Neal is doing with this one. I’ve got a 37 Nash box (gemmer III) that has sector that would be equivalent to a RHD 37-48 car/48-52 pickup sector, which would be the one you’d need. I’ve also got a Chris Craft boat “side-steer” box that has the LHD 37-48 Ford sector that makes the pitman arm point up, instead of down like conventional side steering. Neal, correct me on any points where I’m wrong!

 

Good info. always heard the RHD components were the tricks of the trade, used the f-1 in my avatar of which being a race car restoration the angle at the dash was of little concern, where as a friend opted for an F-100 from 'rarebike' here on the hamb to maintain his correct drop etc. Didn't realize that Chris Craft utilized Gemmer types as well, took the gauges trim etc. from one in a storage lot sale years ago, I guess I missed the boat on that one.....

 

The Gemmer interchange info above all sounds correct. Most Gemmer boxes from roughly 1937 to 1960 share similar components, like bearings, gaskets, adjusting hardware, etc. Dodge, Plymouth, Ford, Nash, Hudson, Chris Craft, Etc all used Gemmer boxes.

 

My Hudson box still lying in wait .

 

For the 3 of you following along, I did some parts trading with my good friend Josh at Carrillo Customs, so I had him take 1-1/2" out of the stock 32 rear crossmember, C-notch and step box the kick ups in my frame. I took him my frame and frame jig, but was impatient and thought I could unload it by myself when I got home. It did make getting the frame out easier though...



A stock crossmember compared to the slightly flattened version



Josh does nice work.



I had grafted a SoCal 1" dropped front crossmember to a stock 32 a few years ago, and that is in my mock-up frame, so I need to get that swapped over to the 5W frame.

 

I really like how you are doing this. It looks great.

jim

 

Agreed. Killer. Just killer.

 

Neal, As one of the three following your creation it will be the 5W you've always wanted. I'll bet there are 3K following this build. Looks great.

 

Neal,
Your '32 Five Window build is looking great, Thank you for sharing your progress and I run your Steering Boxes in all my Projects.
MR CLEAN

 

This is very nice.

 

There's a few of us lurkers here too, a lovely project!

 

I'm one of the 3

 

Yes, Josh does nice work.

 

I love when frame fabrication and finish look like art.

 

now THAT seems like something I would do.

the frame looks great! Its nice to have friends that can do good work!