Projects 28 Tudor with 270 Dodge hemi

I start this thread of my 28 model A tudor project, if somebody find it interesting. All start loooong ago, in year 2001. I do not know why, but my number one hot rod that I have always wanted is 28-29 A tudor, not a coupe or roadster, but tudor. There was a rough looking but exactly pretty good one for sale, so I just had to have it. It was kind of driveable, but not good enough for the traffic.



During first winter I tear it to pieces, fixed cracks and older repairs on frame, get brakes on working order, fixed leaking gas tank and so. Also had new main leaves for the springs made with reversed eyes.





I did not get it registered for street use during summer 2002, only drive it to some hot rod meetings.



During next winter I chopped top 3 inches and registered it for summer 2003.




Drive a little around town and even to Sweden to Ekens Gassers swap meet in November when it was freezing cold. Well I was young, restless and crazy. Nowadays I’m not quite young, restless… getting slow but surely still crazy!


(That is me standing on passenger side front tire, drinking beer and having fun at Sweden.)

During winter 2003/2004 i just made new intake and headers to make it look more like a hot rod.



Summer 2004 I was at mid summer rockabilly party, revving up the engine with open headers to make some flames out of pipe, when water pump just blew up and fan flew through the radiator. So it was time to start make a real hot rod out of it.

I had already bought a Dodge 270 Red Ram Hemi, T-10 four speed out of mid sixties Mustang and an early Cadillac rear end. So I teared the tudor into pieces again, made a jig for the frame, boxed it and kicked the rear.



Then life threw other things in the way. So fast forward 20 years.
Now I’m back in business and try to make some progress. First thing is to get the frame finished. Main thing is find right position of engine and try to get everything fit around it.

I’ll use VW bus steering box, which was told to be almost bolt on to model A frame. Not quite, I would say. I made a 3D printed jig, which was positioned to the original bolt holes, so I could get hole for the output shaft inline both inner and outer wall of the boxed frame rail. I measure angle of the steering colum and tried get input shaft of the box at same inclination. After drilling bolt holes for the VW box, the frame rail was almost cut through, so I guess I have to made some reinforcement for it later. By the way, do anyone know where to get U-joints for VW steering box input shaft?











When steering box located, it is time to get motor located. I have already moved firewall about 2 inches backwards, just drilled original spot welds away and added 2 inch sheet metal strip and redo the spot welds. I had a 4 row radiator bought from tractor parts store, which would be otherwise been good fit with -34 truck grill, but it turned out to be just little too tall. But I could check the engine fitting lengthwise with that radiator anyway, try to find lower radiator later. By the way, I removed cowl from body, cause it is much easier to lift on and off the frame during test fitting the engine/trans combo.



Vertically I placed engine so that oil pan is set about an inch lower than original model A, there is still room for steering box, column shaft and headers. At least I hope so (do not have column shaft yet, so can’t be sure)


I have frame on jig set horizontally both length and side ways, but I set engine leaning 1 degree down at rear. That compensate tire difference 5.60-15 front and L78-15 rear and let the tail of transmission be about 11/16” lower, which help clearance with floor.

It is all for now, I’ll keep you updated for progress. Hopefully it will not be another 20 years until next update

 

Check with Borgeson Steering for their u-joint options. They have a list of available diameters and splines.

 

Wow that's awesome. Quite the span of time but you are getting there. Great job and looks great.

 

Projects have a way of getting pushed to the back burner (phrase about being set aside). Glad you are back on it. That hemi looks great in the car! I am in awe of those like you who can keep rodding alive in distant lands.

 

Great to see that this car is progressing again! I remember seeing the car several times in early 2000's.

 

Some progress done. Now when the position of engine and transmission have been set, it is time to check if everything can be fitted around it. I started with pedal assembly. I bought a set from fellow HAMBer called MR K. some years ago. Real nice set, high quality, I recommend it. But some modifications need to be done, to fit it to model A.

I marked the placement of original model A pedal axle and tack welded the new set at same position. The set was designed for wider car, so I need to shorten pedals about 2 inches and make clutch pedal to brake pedal and counterwise. I also cut clutch pedal so, that bending is now opposite way. After that done everything seems to fit OK. Of course I leave everything just tack welded, cause there might come up some need for modifications later on.



Original set up




Pedals modified, tight fit, but works.

 

The pedals fitted, time to make the X-member. My friend made some C-profile with oval holes more than 20 years ago for this project. So it was just about time to use them!

I first made crossmember under the tail of trans and rear part of X. The rear wings needed to be made tapper to match the frame rails, so I pie cut the profile.



Then rear part the X-member was tack welded in place



For the front wings of the X i made them as long as possible to leave room for master cylinders on driver’s side. There should be enough room for battery and remote oil filter on passenger’s side, hopefully…



I guess next it is time for trans tail mounting. Stay tuned

 

Not much happened here, but some updates anyway. Made trans tail mount from a scrap sheet metal part found at trash at my work place. This is recycling at it’s best! Used two biscuit style motor mounts, little overkill for trans mount, but I just happened to have them on the shelf.




Frame side bracket



Trans side bracket



Final assembly

The trans mount done, it is time make motor mount. That is more complicated and also visible part, so I won’t make that from scrap metal with angle grinder and drill. I made 3D model of it and 3D print to check the fit before I order the steel parts for it. By the way, I will make couple extra mounts, if some one else would want one too.