Back in October I got this well as me and my buddies call, VADD (Vehicle Attention Deficit Disorder) and bought a 1934 ford truck cab out of New York. My $600 cab is there but lets just say 50% is probably rust, the doors are in need of some major help. But I have done some sheetmetal work before and I like a challenge. In my past I have build a twin turbo sbc GMC Typhoon, before that I restored 2 Chevy Nova's ('62 convert and '63 hardtop), and just finished a new paint job on my girlfriends '96 camaro. I wanted something different and I have had this urge to chop a top and do some extensive metal work and modificiations. Now as you can probably see the problem for me (6'4") is the cab is really small. After I chop 4" or so out of the top it won't get any better. So my plans are to widen it 4", lengthen it 2" in the cowl area, and 3" through the doors, as well as chop the top 4". In the end I don't want people to know what I did so I am trying to keep the proportions. My $600 rusty cab is perfect to cut up IMO, granted a lot of welding and fab work to fix. My other goal for this project is to do it on a budget. My typhoon budget was just dumb since I never really had one and is a lot of the reason it sat in the garage for 7 years. This project is going to be low buck but still a quality built vehicle. Not some rat rod piece of shit. Good thing is between myself and my dad we have a few parts stashed away from past projects and cars. So build the list so far looks to be Engine/Trans 283 chevy (free, came out of a 64 impala has a flat cam, plan is to hone, new bearings, cam, etc) Tri-Power intake Custom throttle bodies with fuel injectors (sorry guys I like fuel injection) I want to get 20+ MPG, not looking to make lots of power just fun. 200r4 (light and cheap with OD) Body 34 ford truck cab (wider, longer, shorter) Custom bed 1 pc hood but no sides Interior ? Frame Custom frame (4 link rear) Going to run fenders (to hide the a arms, and for the road trip part) I want it to handle like a little go cart Here is somewhat my goal for it. This past Monday I started taking it apart, doors are off now, rear window is out. Be ready to start cutting top off soon. Now on to the road trip part of things. My dad and I when I was younger did a lot of car things, well in 2000 when I moved from Seattle to Louisville KY area doing those things has been a bit difficult. With his health up and down at times I thought it would be cool to make a road trip, and what would be even cooler would be do it in this truck. So I got to thinking what would be cool. Route 66 is a historic car trip to make, starting in chicago ending in LA. If I am on the west coast we might as well head back home to Seattle, now we could take I-5 as I have done many times before, but I have always wanted to travel highway 101 from one end to the other. I have spent a lot of time on sections of 101, but never traveled the complete route so thats our route to Seattle. From there I may fly back to Louisville (pending vacation time) and my dad and brother may finish driving the truck back. Obviously this trip won't happen this week or even this year, so I have set a goal of 2012, giving me enough time to build the truck and it so happens I get another week of vacation from work that year. In total is is just under 4,000 miles of course it will be a lot of back roads not the interstate. 300 miles a day on average would be my plan, just enjoy the sights. So in the plans right now is to get the body mods all done, rust repair done, etc. In august I am going to be in Seattle again and my dad and I are going to drag the 283 out and tear it apart, make sure its usable before we ship it out. My Dad made some tools for me today to help align the sheetmetal when you weld them back together, they will be shipped soon. (so its a long distance father son project again). NOTHING will be outsourced by others. If my dad and/or myself cannot do it, then it won't be done. He has a sewing machine, I have basically a machine shop and all the welders I could need so we should be good. I have been thinking all week about how and where to make the cut lines on this thing, even loosing some sleep over it (I am not normal). Today I had to cut, my blood was flowing and after 35 years I finally am de-virginized in chopping a top. That is a 4" chop, debating about taking another 1/2" out of the front to give it just a slight rake. Pieces are much easier to handle now so I can blast and get the rust out of here.
Kick ass plan. You have to be reeeeeal good friends with someone to cram yourself and them into a 34 Ford truck and haul ass across country. Good luck, -Abone.
Ah the joys on New York sheetmetal! Cool project, and great idea for a father/son project and ultimate drive. I'll be watching this one come together!
No roadtrip planned yet but my dad and I have similar project. Ambitious timeline, I'm guessing spring 2013 delivery for his "pile of parts" pickup. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=473875&showall=1
Worked on welding the chop back up today, trying to weld it in a way once it is done you will never know it. Also doing some minor mods only a few 32-34 ford truck experts would notice. I will see who can figure out from this blurry picture what I did.
Nice touch with the back window.. I think I would have done all the stretching and widening and Then chopped it, but that's just me..
i debated in what order to do things for over a month, in my head did it several different ways. Finally just started to work and do something. So far its doing ok, but as with everything you do in life I will probably have a I should have done it X way when its all done. Either way I will make it all work.
newyork must be a burial ground for these old p/u s a friend hauled 3 of them back to ma from there a 32 a 33 and a 34 , the 32 stayed at the shop the33 went to oz and i scored the 34 , still in pieces lol
Don't shoot me guys, this was a rusty cab to start with but today I cut it apart into several more pieces. Again I am 6'4" and just would not fit very well in a stock cab, so it got 3" wider and longer today. (I plan to maybe extend the cowl later). I am really trying to not mess with the proportions of the truck. In the end I don't want anybody to know whats up, just wonder and think something is different here. Lots of metal work, but hey that is what makes this hobby fun right? The strips of metal are temp obviously, just trying to get everything lined up so I can study it before making it all final and nice and shiny. I had originally planned to go 4" wider but changed my mind mid way.
Another update, been walking around the truck looking at it just making sure I don't mess up the lines by making it bigger. Even sat in it, it just feel cool sitting in it. Had a buddy sit in it also and he has a few pounds on me and I am not a small person to start with. he even fit ok, granted I don't have any pedals in it yet. The other good news is I ordered and paid for my 32 frame rails today. (thanks Riley Automotive) Obviously I will need to make some adjustments to them but I wanted that 32 look, again to help "hide" the mods I have done. I am heading back to west coast to see family wednesday but the girlfriend is picking them up for me at nats here in Louisville thursday.
latest update from tonight, decided to get a frame underneath to help support the body as I get it all welded back together. The more I look the more rust I see that needs repair but o well, that is why its a hobby.
I have the engine now all cleaned up and painted and have started working on the motor mounts and engine location so I can finalize the cab location itself. Not the greatest picture due to sunlight.
I'd really like to see the details in the door stretch and the cab widening. I and my father are building a 33 truck and we wondered how we were going to "fit" in the standard cab. The sheetmetal fabrication and or spare doors/body panels to stretch the cab appear beyond my ability to do cleanly.
I might have missed it but, are you going to stretch the doors with two spares or scratch build the additional pieces?
Great thread! Keep the posts coming, this is really enjoyable. Excuse my ignorance, but back to the road trip part, is highway 101 the section from B to C on your map?
Your cab looks about the same shape mine was in I would have traded you. It can be done so keep up the good work
You can bet I'll be keeping an eye on this thread- I've got a '34 Ford Truck of my own! Well, okay... right now it's just a cab, but one day it will be a '34 Ford pickup again. Hopefully...
I have all the spare pieces from chopping the top, which will happen in the doors also. I don't know if those pieces can fit in all the places yet but I will be looking. Otherwise I will just build one panel at a time to fill in the gaps. I've done some metal work before, I do have a lathe, mill, mig, tig, plasma, etc so its all possible. If someone had spare parts to donate that would be good but I don't have any plans for UPS to deliver those. LOL Spare cabs are worth too much to use as parts, heck by time I am done I might just build the cab all over 1 piece at a time.
I'm intrigued. you're doing most of the stuff my fat ass was considering to fit back in the 5 inch chop/6 inch channel. I'm subscribed.
I am open to any suggestions, ideas people have. I am still debating about front suspension, leaning 80% solid axle but my concern is the ride (never driven solid axle, but guy at work has offered to let me drive his model A). I plan to drive this thing and wear it out again.
Just remember, when it comes to stuff like ride/braking/steering, those all contribute to the "feel" of an early hot rod. Start fucking with the formula too much, and you're gonna end up with a truck that looks old, but drives like a new corvette....then what's the point? You're gonna have every joe and gumble, outside of the HAMB, telling you that you won't be able to drive your hot rod with a straight axle, or drum brakes, or manual steering...... Listen to the guys here! haha. If you do it right, you'll be the one laughing down the highway like a little kid....and you'll know how it felt to scream down the road in a straight axle, V8, hot rod....just like they did back in the day! and that's the point! -Steve
Jeff, I certainly would keep an open mind on running the solid axle. I've only driven a couple dropped axle rides and I had the same questions for my dads truck since it is full fendered and would hide the MII assembly. I've talked with several HAMBers who have built literally dozens of great solid axle cars and without exception they have all said solid axle front ends can be tuned to ride very good by experimenting with combinations of springs and to a lesser degree shocks. One guy was emphatic that the rear suspension was the real ride quality killer in light weight coupes, something along the lines that "it was the back end that beats you to death not the front". My dad and I are sticking with a dropped axle. After reading all the information, a MII when designed for the car (not junkyard hackjob) is typically a better riding/handling base because of its inherent independence. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=501270 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=470069
I think Steve comment right there put me at 99% now. I did get some done this weekend despite feeling like total crap since sat, still do. Dad is flying out Oct 21st-26th to spend some time with me and on the hot rod. He has been in his garage off and on all week blasting parts and preparing to bring them with him. This is a father son project even though we are seperated by 2500 miles. Starting on transmission crossmember now, motor mounts are done. From there I can remount the cab and figure out where i want it to give me the best firewall clearance I can.
Atta boy! That's what I'm talking about! Good to see that it's a father/son project too. Keep at it. Steve
Couple of questions, are you putting a full hood on it? Fenders? Depending on what you plan on doing, you gotta take the extra steps to make sure that stock parts are gonna line up where you mounted the cab. This might be an obvious statement....but I had to spend hours and hours and hours and hours getting my rad/grille shell/hood and cowl to line up on my 29. It's mounted on a deuce frame, but I used the stock length model A hood and a chopped rad with stock shell.
Hey Jeff I'd cram you in one and fly. Well maybe you'd need to loose a couple of pounds. I think it sounds like a plan also. I'm not big on the electronic injection thing but if it makes you happy what the hell. The chop looks good as is. Anyway I'm with flamedabone on this one, sounds like a plan.
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