Power Steering on a hotrod?

from one old fart to another..you are spot on ZZ

 

My daily driver 41 pickup parts hauler has dropped axle with stock GM power steering.

I have several early Fords with stock or F-1 boxes and I am Ok with them,
but the power setup helps for parking and convenience on a daily driver.
The pump and box mount low so not visible

For Sale $16,500. Need cash to buy a house.

 

you know you can get those fittings in black anodized?

 

I think that if you think you need it for medical/age reasons, then you shoudl put it on. However, I know my wifes father is in his late 70s and still farms daily and would have no problem driving my 35 w/o power steering, however my weenie wife can barely drive it with power steering.

Therefore, my opinion, run it if you need it, no matter what others think. As long as you are running a cool old car, some anemities for your comfort will not distract from the coolness of the vehicle at all.

 

I'm getting in on this from a little different situation since I was looking up 52 Desoto stuff and found this string. I have a 52 Desoto Firedome mordoor with the biggest power steering box I've ever seen. The hemi is long gone and was replaced with a 318 and TF. I'm looking at a couple of options:
1. Go ahead and run the std SBM pump on the motor and run those "ugly" hoses.
2. Replace the whole column/box ***y with something called a "coaxial" power steering box that was used on some early 50's Chryslers, a '54 for sure. They actually had hoses that attached to the column itself, which made for a smaller box being used. I'm pretty sure this would be a bolt-on replacement as the frames were probably the same
3. Just plug the ports in the box and use it as a manual box, although I'm not sure if that is a viable option as I have heard that some ratios in power boxes were too tough to use manually.

Any input??????

 

GO for it.

(a) nothing wrong with it

(b) using the old generator/pump combo is the cool way to do it.

Paint that unit well, maybe hit the raised letters with another color.

 

Right on. I'm doing the same thing with my 42 merc custom project with a 303 olds. Where to mount a PS pump on the front of one of these engines is not that easy, as there are very few bolt hole locations on the front of the block that would work & look right, so i'm using a 57 chev, generator/power steering pump combo & will plumb it to a 605 power box.That way it's still being close to 50's era correct.I'm getting to old to horse one of these around with a manual box.I just hope I live long enough to finish it & drive it.

 

Hey, why not? It's not anymore pansy than an electric starter on a Harley.

 

Or hydraulic brakes over mechanical brakes!!! Thats it!! My elbow has been killing me for at least 2 weeks since I was trying to lift the steering gear box to a spot it will fit. Damned elbow, back, knees and, and.........