Hello, I'm thinking over my little 27 T project, just looking at photos, trying to get ideas and whatnot. I've never done anything quite like this little ******, as I'll be building the frame from scratch, etc. I plan on Zing the frame, but my question is do I still need to channel it too? I want it to sit pretty low, but I dont want to drag the frame everywhere I go either. I notice that alot of T frames are almost flat, with maybe a slight kickup in the rear. I'm planning on doing a quarter eliptic leaf spring rear suspension, and hopefully a spring-over in the front with wishbones.
I think he's saying that you'll have to decide. Channeling is a decision for you to make. Your height should help you decide. Also, look for pictures of similarbuilds to help you figure out which route you should take. That said, I'd probably channel it a little.
In MY opinion. I would channel it just enough to cover the frame. For example if you are built the frame from 2x3 tubing then channel it 3 inches. That way it covers up the frame which I think makes for a better look and also if you happen to drag bottom anywhere you wont be ripping the bottom of your doors off, it would be s****ing frame..Which you still don't want but is better than smashing up the bottom of your body. Your way to determine how much to "Z" the frame is decided what heighth your rearend will sit at and figure out how much suspension clearance you need over it then build your frame rails at that height then "Z" them down to the heaight at where you are wanting the body to ride. Same basic thing upfront. But all of this requires you to know what tire size you are going to run, what type of suspension, Bacically the demensions of everything... I like to channel my projects because if you chop the top quite a bit you have to sit lower down in the car. It makes it more comfortable cruisin with your arm resting on the window and not having to be above your head. The channel will bring your windown height down a little bit....I hope this answers alot of your questions but this is only the way I do things...My way may not be the right way but it works...It is all up to you.
Not a lot of room in a 27T body to start with and if you channel it too much you'll end up sitting on it rather than in it. There are some cars that look great until you put a driver in them and he looks like he's sitting in a hip bath. Fad T's are an extreme example of this. My 27T body sits on top of the ch***is - but it's a boxed, pinched and Zee'd 1921 Model TT one ton truck ch***is and I wanted to show it off. A solution may be to channel the body the width of the frame but have the floor attach to the bottom of the frame so that you can sit inside the frame - others have done this and there are some interesting build ups on The HAMB which show how it's done. Try this out by mocking it up before you make any decisions - if you're making the ch***is you have a great deal of control over this.
Sit in the body imagine a ****** tunnel 3 petals and a steering column, Then answer it yourself, Im having all kinds of problems squeezing my size 12's down there, on my roadster and it's widened 1" and channeled 2 1/2
Dan, everyone is giving you good information. You must decide for yourself what works for you. My T sits pretty low to the ground but I have never bumped or rubbed the frame in a driveway or on a speed bump. If you take a look at my T, you will notice the engine sits real high in the frame. My oil pan does not extend below the frame. This also means that a 3 inch channel puts the trans tunnel in the interior with you. My tunnel runs from the firewall all the way to the back of the seats. For me, I like that look and don't really mind sitting on the floor ( seat cushion and base are about 4 inches high ). It also means lack of needed room for a third pedal so I have to run an automatic. I like the tight quarters for my feet but a lot of people have said to me that they could not drive my car because there is so little room.........so you have to make the call !! But one hell of a good question.
LOL bowtie...love your signature..its NOT illegal to be a biker! Thanks everyone for th great information. My idea for frame construction is to use 2x4 rails laid flat under the body, and 2x3 in the back, notched toget good weld where it ties to the 2x4, and I'd like to custom-build an unboxed front section that has a more "nostalgic" look. So with the rails under the car laying flat instead of on edge, I'd limit how much it hangs down. It really is going to be a matter of messing around with it and seeing what looks right, but I wasnt sure I had to do both to acheive the look I want. hrm2k...is your body channeled? I do love the stance of your car. I'm not worried about height...I'm about 5-10, my wife about 5-5. My biggest concern is being able to get in and out of such a low car. If the rocker has 4 to 5 inches ground clearance then the seat will end up being about 10 inches off the ground...I'd have to get on my hands and knees to get in and out! Thats cool though...it wont be built for cross-country treks. Thanks again everyone...great advice and information!
I channeled my 27 just enough to cover the frame rails. biggest problem I ran into with lowering the car a ton was the trans tunnel and driveshaft. The lower the body sits, the higher the trans tunnel got, so I had to find a happy mediam, which was a 3 inch channel on the body(same as frame height). I had teh most success lowering the overall stance of the car by lowering the suspension, and moving the front spring on to the top of the spring mount. I had my frame built by spirit cars in arkansas and had them put 4 inches additiional rise on the rear section, that helped to get teh rear axle up int the frame higher. the 1/4 elips look killler too, saw a guy who did them on a lifted jeep. i have
Very true. I'm 6'2" and my knees wanted to occupy the same space as the steering wheel in that car. That said, as a p***enger, I should be fairly comfortable in Hrm2k's car.
Thanks Italianrich...and I do have concerns over the trans tunnel...want to use a bench, so I know the tunnel will have to p*** through the seat, but thats no biggy...getting the rear suspension up into the trunk area is a minor concern too, but thats why I thought the quarter eliptics would be the way to go...they look like they can be a good space-saver, and lets be honest, a car that weighs 2000 pounds, has a wheelbase of around 100 inches, and 3 inches of suspension travel aint ever gonna ride worth a **** anyway! Figuring out how much lift to put in the front and back Zs is my biggest question, but I dont even have steel for the frame at this point...I'm just gathering ideas. Thanks for the input.
Yeah, and again, I'm not as tall as you guys...I do worry about width though. I'm wide across the shoulders, and mamma's not tiny either, so I worry about us fitting in it, but I guess it will just be cozy
you be the judge as to the ride. Shot this with my little digital camera while driving with my left hand...............and I am old so I shake naturally The ride is not a lot less than your average neon size car.........a lot more noise and wind but not too far different.
Probably closer to 1500 lbs, and they can be made to handle good, some hot rods went head to head with sports cars, granted the sports cars caught up in the corners somewhat. Anouther thing to consider is transmission, I'm running a t-10, behind my 283, but if i were to run a '39 box instead, it would save some room too Your best bet is set the body on blocks, set the front and rear axle and even motor (it helps to have a spare bare block) in place and figure it from there Now anouther question, are we talking coupe or roadster??
Channeling it won't effect how low your frame sets. If you're talking about channeling it so you don't have to make the frame set as low then it is a toss up. Do you want to drag the frame or the body? I like a '27 T on top of the ch***is for one reason they already don't have any leg room prior to channeling. This comming from a fella with a 30" inseam.
Nice video hrm! Man it sounds awesome. Can you see static around the distributor at night? How freakin fun. ****gy...it's a coupe, and I do have plans to increase headroom slightly, which seems ***-backward as I'm chopping it, but thats all about the look. When it comes to headroom, an extra half-inch can make a big difference, and if my ideas work then it wont make the roof look any taller. PnB, you make a great point...do I want to drag the frame or the body? That kinda settles it for me, that and the fact that there is very little extra room inside anyway, and it sounds like I can accomplish what I want without a channel job. If all goes as planned the car will have an IHC flathead 6 with a 4-speed behind it. It's a small ******, so I think I can save some room there too. And I suppose depending on what rear-end I go with, if I find one with a really low pinion shaft height, I could keep the driveshaft lower and therefore minimize the tunnel intrusion in the cab?
I am a fan of "just enough to cover the frame rails". In my case, I mean visually. Since the car will be pretty low, you don't need a channel that is as deep as the rail. I did 3" of channel on my A, which is on a 2x4" frame. You cannot see the frame, unless you are far away, or lying on the ground. Also, it leaves the stout rail as the lowest point, in the case of bottoming out, rather than vulnerable sheet metal. On a 2x3" frame you might need just 2" to accomplish this.
I pretty much share the same mentality...I dont even really care if it's visible, like in the case of your car, where as you say, if you see it from a distant angle, or get down very low, and I too would prefer to have it remain lower than the body. Thanks.
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