Hi guys, A little backround. I'm attempting to build a mid 30's Indy race car, not at all period correct, but from 10 ft it will look pretty good I hope. I do have herb adams book chassis engineering. What i have so far. A 235 inline 6 with bell housing, pressure plate and a muncie 3 speed. It has the 848 head. No driveshaft yet. An inline 8, pontiac etc to much money for a rebuild A 1937 nash forged I beam dropp axel, spindles, hubs and tie rods, measures 63 1/4 inch castle nut to castle nut. Spring perches are roughly 28 inches apart. By the way parallel springs front and back. I just bought a 10 bolt rear end out of a 71, 72 Elcamino. Measures outside to outside drums, 61 inches. It is pretty much a complete rear end. 3.08 ratio limited slip. c clip axels. Bolt pattern on all wheels is 5 4 3/4. I'm getting ready to buy frame material. I'm having bent 2 by 4 channel, 10 gauge. 3 10 ft sticks for 90.00 bucks. Roughly so far 600.00 invested. My question for the day. I drove a long way, round trip for the rear axel. Ratio and limited slip my considerations I overlooked a little bit length of the axel. 63 inch front and 61 inch rear. With wider tires and wheels on the rear than on the front I can more than gain the 3, 4 inches shorter axel in the rear to make the rear end wider when finished than the front. Also 16's rear, 15's frony, or 18's rear, 16's front, as an example. A bit of a slingshot look. Rake being considered. I still need a few pieces for my mock up. Steering box and linkage, Driveshaft, wheels and tires. One more little tid bitt, My neighbors son wrecked a t-5 out of an s 10. If the case is good i could probably get it for practically nothing and rebuild it, as an option for a tranny. I know they didn't use them back in the day. However great for cruising. One last thing for now I intend to do the bare minimum to make it street legal. My ears and mind are open, What do you guys think? Thanks for reading.
You need to watch the video posted on the Friday Art Thread, about an old Indy Style roadster with a flathead V8! Al Hook
Sounds like a blast. Try finding other threads on here for other builds. Speedster, Single Seater, Track Car and such in the search field. Look at the recent Trip No. posts from Ryan. Not the period you are building, but great inspiration. Here's Trip No. 6 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=60727
Most cars have a greater track width in the front. It makes for better turning stability and smaller turning radius. Check out @onekoolkat1950 single seater build for inspiration https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-single-seat-racer-build.1024839/
If it is to be a single seater space is at a premium. Do not use a manual. You will have to have the shifter between your legs. BTDT. Not good for street driving. I used an inline six / C4 auto on my latest build. Check out my complete build below. Mine will be street legal too.
My single seat speedster has the T5 between my legs, but will create a linkage so it looks more period correct with shifter on outside of body. Not hard to do from the little research I’ve done. Couldn’t imagine shifting between my legs while driving.
All be it tight, mine will be a 2 seater. There were a few years where the Indy cars had 2 people racing the cars and that will be my design. Must have been a hell of a ride. My intention is 2 have all the pertinent parts, IE rolling chassis, frame, crossmembers, axels, wheels and tires, engine, radiator, steering, tranny, and driveshaft in as much of a mocked up form before I hard weld everything.. In my thinking it will give the car a chance to settle into its own comfort zone, if you will. Rake of the car. axel width, front and back, overall height. What I consider, my best attempt to square and true all pertinent areas under load if you will. I might have to change things as I go forward, we will see. I don't mean just tacked, only welded enough for everything to support itself. Also bolts, Panhard with heim joints and jam nuts etc. Maybe I'm thinking wrong, we will see. Hey flyer I took a little time to check out your build thread. I like it pretty cool. Nice faux job on the overhead cam and Q C rearend look. I thought about using a pontiac inline six with an overhead cam, but I already have the 235 I talked to my neighbor that has the S 10 T 5 that needs rebuilding. he said he would give it to me. I'll give him something for it. They hay our field. FYI. I've settled on something similar in proportions and dimensions to Gary Ash's studebaker build. After that, "Katy Bar The Door." LOL I can assure you mine wont look anything like his or be as refined. No money for splined hubs and wheels, straight 8's. He was very period correct. I my be full of it but my target budget NOT including body , seats, gauges , floorboards, gas tank and anything else I haven't mentioned is 2500.00. So far I am at 600.00
Crusty, Vintage Indy, I looked more closely at an overview with measurements of Gary Ash's studebaker build and you are correct. On his car the front is just ever so slightly wider than the rear axel. Or the tracking i mean. I'm going for what i call the sling shot look. Nice rake front to back and rear axel track slightly wider than the front. We will see how it turns out. Thanks for the post.
Sounds like fun. If you are on FB snoop Speedsters Down under https://www.facebook.com/groups/1530498137244108 Those guys have the two people early 30's style race car down to the finest details.
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