Projects Tim's (aka anothercarguy) 1938 Ford Club Cabriolet Build Thread

It's been a busy couple weeks...unfortunately, not a lot of time got spent on the '38, but I did get one project done. Back a number of years ago, I bought a set of pedals (sight unseen) that were advertised as '39's. When they arrived, they turned out to be '40 pedals but frankly, I'm not sure I was smart enough at the time to know the difference. When it came time to put the pedals into the chassis, I discovered the issue and went about making a set-up that worked, but in my mind it appears a bit Rube Goldberg in design. It was difficult to photograph the set up in the car, so I submit the following photos of the set-up on the workbench to show what I'm talking about:


The issue with '40 style pedals is the pivot shaft is press fit into the bracket that bolts to the chassis and both pedals "float" on the fixed shaft. This is unlike a '39 where the clutch is fixed to the shaft. The brake pedal still floats on the shaft, but the shaft is allowed to pivot in the chassis bracket thereby transferring the clutch pedal movement to the other side of the chassis bracket and brake pedal to activate the clutch arm. I wanted to change my master cylinder from a disc/disc 1" bore Corvette master cylinder to a disc/drum 15/16" bore master cylinder which also provided a good opportunity to come up with a better attempt on the pedal assembly, specifically for the clutch. I had sent out a couple queries for a genuine set of '39 pedals, but was unsuccessful at the price I was willing to pay (and maybe that's on me).

So first thing was to dissemble the pedal set (along with my Rube Goldberg clutch activator) which involved pressing out the original fixed pivot shaft. Once the shaft was out, I scoured my steel cache and found a piece of cold rolled 3/4" shafting that was longer than the original. I also increased the size of the hole that was bored into the chassis bracket using an adjustable reamer set such that I could press fit a pair of brass bushings into the bracket leaving a gap in the middle for greasing. I also drilled and tapped a hole to install a new grease zerk (I also plan to score a small grove in the bushings so the grease has a place to migrate.

I then cut the new shaft to the desired length and on one side I made and attached the clutch activation arm and mocked it all into place.

I now needed to fix the clutch pedal to the shaft...but it had to be removeable. The clutch pedal had a grease zerk with a thread that was 3/8" NF. With the grease zerk removed, I installed the shaft and center punched it through the grease zerk opening. I then drilled through the shaft and out the other side of the clutch arm. I took a 3/8" NF bolt and machined off the threads on the bottom end to create a threaded pin.

Installing this bolt in the grease zerk, through the shaft and into the other side of the clutch arm locks the clutch pedal to the shaft. (Note that I left the new bushings in place (I installed when I originally rebuilt the pedal assembly). I debated removing them and then making a steel sleeve to take up the space, but I couldn't see a benefit for the effort).

I then installed wavey washers between all the arms and pedals to take up any slop.

So there you have it...a set of '40 style pedals made to work like the more desirable '39 style. And, the new Disc/drum master cylinder also now fits thanks to a few minutes with a carbide bur. I still need to add the clutch pedal return spring...that's the next mini project.

 

Velly interesting! So for clarification, the system in the first two photos is not what you used? You are going to use the simpler system as shown in the last photo? If that is what you are doing it looks very similar to the modification I made in my first 40 with small block chevy and 3 speed trans back in 76. It worked well for me. I like it!

 

You're correct Sam...the first/more complicated version is on the cutting room floor. I'm using the second simpler version.

 

I have to say this linkage system is pretty impressive!

 

Thanks Sam...a classic case of over-thinking the problem.

For the next update, my axle bearings and 1/2" t-bolts arrived so I figured it was going to be a quick press on of the bearings and then finish assembling the rear axle and brakes. The issue I had upon assembly was the rear drums seemed to be spaced too far outboard from the backing plate. Not hugely...but enough that it bothered me. There is a recess in the brake drum that is designed to nestle over and around the flange on the backing plate. The backing plate flange is 5/8" wide. I believe the purpose of this is to keep dirt, debris and water from easily entering within the brake drums but still allow brake dust to work it's way out. Once assembled, the brake drum recess overlapped the backing plate flange by slightly less than 1/8" which didn't seem right to me.

Here's a photo of the drum and backing plate nestled together on the workbench.

And here's a poor quality photo showing them mounted on the axle with about 1/2" of the backing plate flange sticking out of the drum.

I spoke with the guys at Quick Performance (the source of the drum and loaded backing plate) and they sent photos showing similar assemblies that they completed with similar offsets saying this is normal. Keep in mind this is a Lincoln Versaille disc brake rear axle that's being converted to drums. After measuring further, the brake shoes were right at the edge of the drum and really, the inner most 1/8" of the shoe would ride on the chamfered edge of the drum (rendering that portion of the shoe ineffective). Bottom line, I didn't like it.

I posed the question on the HAMB seeking information on backing plates with possible different offsets or any other experiences and solutions. The most correct answer I received was to order new axles with less distance between the bearing seat and axle flange...which I did seriously consider...and then the hot rodder in me took over. Thinking I have tools, it's only steel...and I'm stubborn...and cheap...and impatient...So I cut the center out of the backing plate with a Zip wheel and mounted the center into the lathe to true up the cut.

The outer portion of the backing plate was clamped into the milling machine so the offending material could be removed.

I then made a jig out of a 3/8" plate of steel, some scrap laying around along with an old bearing race that had the correct outer diameter to center the inner portion. The un-cut backing plate was used as the guide. The deep the offset in the uncut backing plate is apparent in this photo. The drums btw are 11" and the shoes are 2 1/4" wide.

Next was taking the 2 separated pieces of the backing plate and mounting them into the jig for tack welding.

After a mock-up and trial fit, it was time to finish welding the "new improved" backing plate together. I'll include a couple photos of the finished tig welding. It's not quite up to some of the tig welding porn on the HAMB...but I thought it looked pretty good for a relative neophyte.

And finally, a photo of the finished piece installed. I'm happy with the results.

 

Good plan,well executed! I would want to show off that weld too.

 

Impressive job on the backing plates!
Adapt! Improvise! Overcome!

 

Very nice solution!!

 

Thanks guys!

Work on a few suspension upgrades and tweaks has continued. I had a couple conversations with Dale (@Weedburner 40) of Weedetr Street Rod Components about a front sway bar. He advised that they are very worthwhile and that a rear sway bar is also worth the effort. At the time, he did not have a rear sway bar that would work with the style of rear spring kit I had (he has since added one to his catalogue...and it's far less expensive than the NOS Chassis Engineering unit I ended up finding and purchasing. So after I was done with the rear backing plate modifications, I installed a rear sway bar. This required a modification to the rear lower spring plate to add an ear for the sway bar link. After cutting the new ear out of 3/8" plate, the edges were beveled and the 2 pieces were welded into one. The sway bar mounts were added to the chassis and the assembly was installed. I used all-thread and extra nuts as a temporary mock-up to determine the required length for the link bolts and tubing spacers. The kit came with link bolts and tubing spacers, but they were too short due to the addition of the lowering blocks on our chassis. I ordered 3/8" x 10 long grade 8 bolts which have since been installed.


Next up was the front sway bar which I purchased from Dale. My chassis is a conglomerate of parts many of which have been modified, so Dale was extremely helpful in our various telephone discussions and private message discussions on whether this would work and how to best get where I wanted to go. The front axle is a '36 with split and modified '38 bones, the front crossmember is moved forward 1 3/8" as well as flattened to lower the car an additional inch, I had '46-48 "Mickey ears" style perch pins (photo below) etc...so, an out of the box perfect fit would be a lot to expect.

Upon first mock-up, I discovered the '46-48 perch pins (installed as they are on '46-48 Fords with the offset to the inside) placed the forward ear (that would capture the sway bar link) about 2" inside the sway bar outer end (too far inward). Dale confirmed they needed to be run the opposite way (offset to the outside)...and would require heating and bending to correct the angle. I made those adjustments and again mocked up the sway bar. This corrected the inward/outward alignment...but the angle of the sway bar at full droop and full compression was angled upward more steeply than I thought they should. Also, the angle of the link got more and more as the suspension compressed (such that I feared there was a slim possibility that it might actually over center at full compression). I realize now that I failed to photograph most of these mock-ups, but I did sketch the side view...I also had an interference between the sway bar and the front crossmember/radiator support brackets...but that's another story.

Again, I believe this is a function of my particular combination of bits, pieces and modifications...not of Dale's kit. My first hypothesis was that improvements could be made if, the front ear of the '46-48 perch pins were extended forward and downward to allow the sway bar to flatten out a bit and the sway bar link could be made more vertical. Out came the bandsaw, welders and grinders and the following was the result.

I installed this as a mock-up, but didn't like the new length/leverage the lengthened perch pin ear offered. Back to the drawing board(s). Then it hit me...why not weld an ear to the top of the split bone? This would both lower the sway bar link mount (allowing the sway bar to be more horizontal) and would allow the sway bar to be moved forward allowing it to better clear the front cross member and radiator mounting brackets. This required a return to the '38 single eared perch pins as the lower shock mounts. Upon re-assembly as Ford intended with the offset to the inside, the lower shock would almost make contact with the perch pin (and probably would be the source of a suspension knock as it went over bumps).

Again, I reversed the perch pin and with the addition of heat, bent the ear to the vertical position. This provided plenty of shock clearance.

And, a couple photos of the completed front sway bar install.

The other front suspension improvement I added was a panhard bar. The photo is a bit crowded, but it pretty much runs parallel to the drag link. One side mounts to the driver side frame rail and the other to the passenger side split wishbone. I purchased the panhard kit from @Tudor36 through the HAMB classifieds.

 

Now that the chassis is pretty much done (still need to run plumbing and exhaust, but I'll save that for when the body comes off again)...it was time to put all 4 tires/wheels on the car and let it stand on its own for the first time. I couldn't help myself...and shot several photos. It made me smile.

As a side note...my front wheels are Halibrands, the rears are the Edelbrock knock offs. The rears use a tapered lug nut. The fronts use a shanked lug nut. I have the longest shanks I could get (1 3/8" I believe)...between the lug nut shank length, the wheel stud length, the just shy of 1.750" thick wheel mount surface plus the .250" hat for the spinner mounts...the lug nuts would only be holding by a scant thread or two. I need to come up with longer wheel studs. I guess that'll be my next project.

 

i'll go first...WOW!

 

That’s looking fantastic!

 

Thanks Pat.

 

Thanks Ron.

 

I can't find the words to describe how great that looks!

 

Beautiful job. The stance is about as sweet as anything I've seen.

 

It just looks awesome Great work & detail

 

Tim, your 38 is bitchen. Your creativity in solving the various challenges is amazing. I am glad I could help.

 

That drive to get it 'right' is why I mentioned you in the other thread. Keeping at it and solve while also making things work together, and ending up with a stance that doesn't scream the latest fad, it just works.
Like the huge amount of metalworking you did, it blends into a cohesive whole.

 

Thanks guys! Really appreciate the words of encouragement.

 

I'm trying to get the last few metal fabrication type things wrapped up before I start on the bodywork phase. With that in mind, it was time to get serious about mounting up the rad. After drilling the new firewall to install the support rod brackets, the new PRC aluminum radiator was positioned in place. I've used their radiators in a few builds and like their quality, fitment and the fact that there is no epoxy, they are fully welded. They will also work with you if you have the need for custom locations of outlets, sizing, mounting details etc.. For this rad, I just ordered their off the shelf unit.

Once the rad was mounted, it became clear that fabricated panels for the sides of the radiator are necessary to make sure at least most of the air is directed through the rad, rather than around it.

With the further aid of CAD (Cardboard assisted drafting), 18 gauge steel was cut, bead rolled and then installed on each side of the rad. There needed to be enough room between the radiator side panels and the sides of the hood to allow the hood sides to be removeable but still direct most of the air towards the radiator.

Next was the fan shroud. I prefer engine driven fans wherever possible. So, with the water pump, pulley and fan mocked into place, I marked the fan circumference on the protective cardboard taped to the radiator. I also like to have the front of the fan 1/3 to 1/2 inside the shroud, so I measured the depth the shroud would need to be (1 3/8" in this case). The rad was then removed and placed horizontally on the bench.

And, spacers were added to a cardboard cut out of the fan circumference.

A few measurements were taken and sketches made. The details were then transferred to steel, cut, folded, hammer/dollied (the flange next to the fan blades) and welded. The resulting 2 piece shroud was fabricated. I make them in 2 pieces to aid removal and installation for future servicing.

Here's the shroud in place after finishing the weld and installing nutserts to hold it in place. I've used this set up on a number of cars and, knock wood, they've all cooled very well.

I'm not sure whether I'll have another update before Christmas...so I'll take this opportunity to wish anyone that's still following the build a very Merry Christmas and all the best to all of you and your families for the Holiday Season!

 

Merry Christmas to you and your family too!
Very nice work on the shroud Tim!

 

Nice job on that shroud! How did you form that 90 degree flange at the top of the fan?

Merry Christmas 1

 

it almost looks like hand done!...nicely!

 

Thanks guys, indeed, the flange was done by hand, I worked my way along using pliers to start the bend and then finished with hammer and dolly.

 

I've been doing a bit of work around the decklid. First was adding a set of adjustable bump stops so I could close the decklid in a consistent location. I know that the weatherstripping has a say in the matter, as does the trunk latch, but I wanted something more positive. I made the little "shelves" on the large side because I intended to also add a set of locating pins for the decklid to close onto (again, to consistently locate the truck from side to side). Well after a couple attempts, I realized the angle the trunk lid closes at relative to the "shelves" was not going to work with pins...so that idea was abandoned.

Next was a couple trunk rain gutter drains. I drilled a hole on each side of the latch and then through the bottom of the tool tray and inserted some 3/8" OD tubing. I welded them in at the rain gutter and JB welded them at the tool tray.

View attachment 6301358 View attachment 6301359

 

I admire your attention to detail Tim.

 

You gonna drive that baby in the rain!!!!!!

 

Thanks Gene, hope to see you (and maybe your project?) this week.

Bill, It's going to arrive at the car show in a hermetically sealed garage on wheels, get carefully dusted at the hotel and then rolled in front of the host hotel entrance for an afternoon of power parking! That is, IF the weather permits. Like a log! We drive 'em!! See you Tuesday...and I'm looking forward to it!

We have a hardware chain in Canada (Home Hardware) that has their own line of Alkyd rust paint (Beauti-tone). It's very similar to Rustoleum and Tremclad, except it is fully tintable to any non metallic color. They use one of those color scanning cameras and are able to match the paint almost perfectly. My intent is to use this paint on the underside and interior (under the upholstery) of the car (tinted to match the planned outside color). So, with that plan in mind, I removed the rear fenders and gave them a fresh sanding with 80 grit on the DA sander and treated them with phosphoric acid to neutralize any remaining rust that might be deep into any of the microscopic pits. It also leaves a zinc like coating as a future corrosion resistance barrier.

Then the alkyd primer was brushed (I haven't got the alkyd tinted topcoat paint yet) on the underside of the fenders.

The fenders were re-installed (the difference in color between the phosphoric acid treated fender and the non-treated steel of the body is evident) and then the first day of "making dust winter" began! The whole car will get a skim coat of filler followed by hours of block sanding. I like my cars to be laser straight.

 

I wish I would of thought of that drain detail. Congrats on reaching the dust making phase of your project!