I’m building a old school 34 Fordor and could use some help. I know I need some help and guidance in a few areas. I’m going with a small block, 350 turbo, manual four wheel disc brakes and an under dash vintage air heritage knee knocker. I have a 4 inch dropped Pete and Jakes tube axle and a 8.8 2010 Ranger rear end. I have Bay’s rockers and front door inner and outer lowers. I will have to make or get the back lower door parts made. I have a copper and brass US Radiator with a trans cooler and condenser with line extensions. The car was driven home in PA started in ‘72 and abandoned with a partially installed corvette diff. I bought it off eBay after the auction $12k. The doors and rockers look like they came from NY but the rest of the car is CA fresh. I will need help with the doors, rockers, and cutting 3” off the long end of the 8.8 so I can put the short axle in both ends. I’m not a body guy and a poor welder. I took bondo off my 36 because I thought the dents on the left front fender looked better than a poorly shaped repair. I’m looking for a little better finish on this car, but a sympathetic restoration is better than one that looks poorly executed. Someone that’s done a 33 or 34 could easily guide me. I’ve had the car since the snow but have been throwing everything at it.
It has a mustang steering box. I could use some help with steering column length and wheel diameter. I don’t know how long of a column I need to get past the dash. Or if I will need a big wheel to muscle the wheels at a dead stop. Floor shift and tilt. I’m planning on using the factory bench and I’m tall. I have no idea how short the front tires have to be. It had 215-70 14s and they were way too tall to drive without beating up pristine front fenders.
I'm waiting for the old school part. For this, nothing beats mocking up! Pedals, seat, a dummy column and dummy steering wheel. Do that to get you into the ballpark. As close as possible. Then do the same with a real column and wheel. At the end of the day, only you have your shape, so mock up the seat, steering and pedals to suit you, not paint by numbers. That's my advice anyway.
Sounds like you’re asking for a local to come be a second set of eyes and a helping hand, maybe even a little mentorship. If that’s so, knowing where you are located would be helpful
Lexington KY I assumed that if you ran a side steering box there has to be a minimum length just to mount the column under the stock dash plus the upper part of the column. I didn’t want to pony up a bunch of money for a special column or have to get a no frills column and strap on turn signals like on the 36 unless I have to. Or be stuck with the wrong column. I appreciate the mock up advice. I plan on driving the car until I’m forced off the road. Just planning ahead.
Figure out the seat position…pedal locations..steering column length and steering wheel diameter and dish…steering box location, and exhaust manifold clearance…engine pipe, and brake pedal linkage clearance, before you weld anything solid!
Engine looks high in the front to me. As a general rule I like to place them near the original location as it means less problems with firewall and floor/transmission clearance. Your crank bolt should line up with the hand crank hole on the spring mount. Nice grill, is it a new Drake ?
Thank you I appreciate the feedback. I don’t have any experience with a 33/34 or putting a small block in one. I gave all my small block stuff and hoists away after I got the 36 with an EAC/8BA. No room for any error on placement there. The crank center is sitting 3-1/2” above the center line of the crank hole. I have room to drop the engine down in the front easily by changing the motor mounts and it could go back another 1/2 -3/4” inch to clear the front spring U-bolts and cross member without undoing the firewall work. The seller threw in the engine and transmission and set them for the transfer in the mounts that were welded in in the 70’s. I wish I would have moved it before the tunnel work. I have enough room but could use extra right foot space. The grill is all Henry and was re-chromed in the 70’s by the first builder. The car and parts are incredible except the lower doors and rockers. All the regulators, latches and handles operate as they should. Even the worst window channel is salvageable and useable.
There aren’t even any cracks on the front fenders. The only rust is on the front of the right rear where it met the worst rocker that is almost completely gone. The same for the rear wheel openings just a little at the rocker locations.
I built my "33 in the late 70s and used a mustang box and Volvo disk brakes. That made it necessary to put the brake pedal on the left side of the steering column. I hated having to left foot brake. Thats all being changed now. I recommend that you go with the now standard Vega box. Skip the "EZsteer" as it doesn't have enough travel.
The Borsegson made one, not the black painted off-shore build one everyone sells that is a lot cheaper!
I haven’t posted anything on here for quite a while. Based on suggestions I’ve implemented some but probably not as far as the members suggested. Some for different reasons. I dropped and shoved the motor and transmission back as far as I could without pulling it all out and welding new mounts in. I also didn’t want to redo the firewall. It gave me room for a bigger fan and dropped it some. My big priority is getting the car going. I’m 62 and I don’t want to be talking about getting it on the road for for years to come. I gave away my engine hoist to make room for the 36 and didn’t plan on using it! Famous last words. I considered a Vega cross steering option to the Mustang side steering it came with. I don’t see the change giving me much foot room right of the brake pedal swing. Under floor mounted for now. I will have to heat and bend the pedal arm to clear the column. My 13ee doesn’t have much space left of the column. I’m using the factory bench so as long as I have flat floor under the accelerator to rest my foot it won’t matter where I set my butt as long as I’m square in the saddle. I believe I can make it work with a tight tunnel over the 350 turbo. I can always change that configuration later. The body and fenders less the hood sides were taken to the metal. I treated and rust cured the body and doors down to where the inner and outer door bottoms, rockers and tail pan will be repaired with patch panels where available. Including the frame, underside and interior. I cut down the 8.8 and installed the four link. I haven’t figured out where to put the pan hard bar with the four link and rear disc brakes. I’m working through a U.S. radiator fitment difference to the great Henry one it came with. The dummy neck and grill mount holes are off and too low for the turn back on the hood tops. I converted the front 47-53 Chevy spindles with caged roller bearings to early GM discs in the front. I had to get Speedway to sell me bushings instead of spindles. I had to keep the Chevy bolt pattern to do that. I’m using the 8.8 discs in back. Manual discs with a one inch piston, 6/1 pedal, manual proportional valve and 2-2psi residual pressure valves after it. I haven’t bled them as I’m still sorting the pedal modification and hard mounting of the pedal/master cylinder frame. I’m planning on running Torque Thrust D 14*6 with 175/14/75 and 16*8 with 235/16/75. Most of the interior panels and headliner panels are roughed in. I’m still working on the back corners but I have a pattern and a system that works. I’m sewing/bonding Habitat leather sofas reclaimed for the benches door panels and headliner panels. I have a lot of things going on for one person and I’m trying to do most things myself. It’s that depression mentality and I don’t like to pay people to do most things I can or will try. I could have used some help. I’m over my head but figuring it out. Chances are I will end up implementing suggestions that would help fixed things I’ll find annoying but I’ll get it on the road sooner than later.
The 8.8 is not exactly where it will up. After the pan hard bar is figured out I will get the tires, coil overs and dial in the four link and add small spacers if I have to.
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