Full fendered model A Gasser build thread

Just started the build up of my A pickup so figured I would keep the progress pics in one place for future refrence. Started with a bone stock fresh-from-the-farm '29 pickup, Ran when I got it so I have been just driving the wheels off for the last couple mounths but when it started knockin just figured time to tear her down. Plan to switch the A front crossmember out for a '40 to get the front a little higher with it still ridding nice in front, F1 brakes I have a rebuilt 283 with power pack heads and a WC T5 with S10 tail housing and a 9 inch with 3.76ish gears, still dont know about the gears and weather or not to run a full spool or not. Going to mostly a street truck with ecational track time but a decent driver.
Hear it is when I first got it.....


Here she is torn apart in my back yard


Here is one way to transport an A frame when you dont have a truck, lol. Got alot of looks but no one knew what it was when I was getting gas.

Igot the '40 front crossmember in today with alot of timming and grinding, got all the Nuts welded in the frame and got it squared on the chassis jig. next is filling the million uneeded holes and start boxing

 

good start il b watching this on e

 

Ok I found it now, it does exist .-Weeks

 

Got alot done recently so here is a quick update.....
Got the holes all filled and smoothed, sprayed high heat primer in the inside of the rails to keep the rust out also put backing strips in to help hold the boxing plate in when it is trimmed to get a full weld without having to grind all the weld off.

Boxed it with 3/16 X 4 just grinded about 3/8 from the botton to get plenty of weld in their. I was really debating on making the boxing plate one peice or having a seam in the middle to make fitting easier but figured the extra strength and less weld to warp it the better even thought it is in the jig. Once I was happy with the fit I welded it up moving around and tacking my time of course. The jig I am using belongs to a local old timer, It is so long because he used to make FED chassis on it in the late '60's.


Here is where it is at now all welded up beside the shop getting ready to grind it all. Then get it back in the jig to start putting all the crossmembers in and mounts.

 

I got the frame all grinded and metal finished and back on the jig for all the bracketry. Just thought I would show off the jig I am using that sets up all the engine mounts, trans mounts, master cyl. clutch cyl. and pedals. It locats off the body holes and uses the center of the crossmember to keep it square, makes life alot easier. It dosent quite work with the '40 front crossmember so I am going to machine up a bushing to take up the gap between the '40 and an A that threads into a peice on the jig inside the front crossmember taped to 1/2 fine. It was made in the early '70's and was used to build a dozen or so A's on the road now. He has four of them one for chevy and one ford for both a '32 and A.

 

Pretty slick...

 

Looks like a pretty cool project and I like the Gasser idea too. However, you may want to stay away from a spool if you're going to drive it mostly on the street. If you need a "posi" type rear end, go with a Detroit Locker. At least it will disengage going around a corner.

 

Interesting, look forward to seeing more.

 

oh yeah, cant wait to follow this. very cool.

 

Love the frame transport!! did the same thing with my willys frame (for 300 miles)!!

 

when i took out my center crossmember my frame pinched in in the middle about 3/4 of an inch. i hope you took this into consideration before you boxed ittk

 

The chassis jig has a crossmember right in the middle so that helped hold it and I took a bunch of measurments as I was going to compare with the A blueprints he has. But even with all the jig mine widened in the middle about a 1/4 but the engine mount jig bolts to the body holes so I just used bar clamps to bring it in, bolted the engine jig in and doubled checked my diagnals to make sure it didnt move one rail in more. By the time I make all the crossmembers it will hold it in. The more I think about it and talk with people the more I am getting talked out of a spool because of safety and drivability. Thanks for all the replies and kind words I will keep you guys posted.

 

Got the engine mounts in. I cheated a little, he has a flame cuter and hundreds of templates when he used to make and sell miss. brakets in the '70's so I just looked through the model A crate of templates for the moter mounts for a chevy and cut them out bent and welded them in the frme using the jig. Pretty slick huh?

Here is the trans crossmember out of 3X3 3/16 wall notched for the tranny and boxed with 4 inch 1/8 wall pipe. It is going to have a piece of 1/4 L put long ways with three holes drilled and taped to bolt on a saddle mount for the tranny, so I can change the clutch without removing the moter or body and the frame still has a solid crossmember going across. Also if I want to change trannies I can just make a new saddle for a TH350 or one for a B&M hydro for the drags and switch back to the 5 speed for going to work on monday without cuttin and welding on the frame.

Here is the saddle I was talking about. This one is for a TH350 in an A, he has a dozen or so diffrent templates for diffrent moter tranny and frame combos that all interchange in the crossmembers

Here is some eye candy. This is a customers car, probly one of the nicest genie '32 bodies you will ever see. The doors are stuffed with news paper and we happened to find a piece with a date on it and it was 1930. I was fortunate enough to talk with the owner who bought the car in the mid '60's , he is in his 70's. He said when he got it it was a dry lakes car with a nailhead in it then he turned it into a street rod in the '70's. Unfortunatly it is just getting a going throught and keeping the current 350/350 but keeping the stewart warner curved glass guages it had when he bought it but very cool non the less.

 

Got my frame out of the chassis jig for the last time, here is its new home for awile next to a'32 chassis. I got the front end slid under and pie cut the wishbones to get the 7* caster. I just tacked them now till I get the rear suspention in and some weight on it. It looks a little too hight now but with everything it should drop about 2 to 3 inches, also I have 7 leafs in the spring now and I can always play with that a little. Next on the list is making the wishbone mounts, welding the bungs in the wishbones, and front shock mounts.

 

Nice work! Great to see how you are putting together. Going to build a similiar build, but with a coupe. It gives me ideas on how I am going to build mine. Keep the pics coming.

 

Thanks for the encouragment. Glad to hear it is helping someone elses build, That is why I am posting the progress. I got the caster all dialed in but left the wishbones tacked for now. Flame cut some hiem mounts and got them tacked on the frame. I purposly welded the front crossmember in level realitive to the frame and I am going to use the adjustable spring perches to keep the spring from binding because I am debating on weather to drill more 5/8 holes up the hiem mounts to make the caster adjustable. But I think it could be kinda overkill for a street car.

I also hole sawed the middle crossmember for a 1 inch sleeve and welded it in and cleaned it for the E brake cable to go through. I am going to use stock A E brake mounted on a bracket welded to the crossmember. I am also using the stock A pedals and Wheel but a '60's hurst shifter. The steering wheel has multiple names carved in it that I thought was cool so I carved mine in, Also I am all for keeping a original steering wheel with a car if at all possible, just a little fettish I have.

 

Good looking job so far!

 

Here is the engine mount jig I used to build the mounts. All the pieces are just flame cut from 1/4, bolted to the jig and welded out.


I cut out my my master cylinder mount out of 3/8, also on the flame cuter using a template. Unfortunatly the local old timer that is helping me with the build forgot what cylinders originaly fit on the bracket so I am cut out a blank bracket and hole sawed for the '62 chevy cylinders and drilled and taped three 3/8 course for the mounting bolts and got it welded on the chassis. In the first pic you can also see the front shock mount I cut out of 3/16 and drilled for a 1/2 bolt, but I am waiting to get those in until I set the moter and trany in to get some wight on it, hopefully this week some time

 

Big update today, I dug out the 283 I had rebuilt when I first got the truck and bolted it in along with the WC T5. All the mounts all lined up and bolted right in no problem, so far,lol. Just a stock rebuild '63 truck moter with power pack heads and just imagine original corvette valve covers and fuel pump, Mallory duel point dizzy, early eldibrock intake and a holley 4160 I have stuffed away for this project. I am looking for a truck bellhousing with the clutch fork on the pass. side to free up some room.


Here is the trans saddle I was talking about earlier.

 

Subscribed!Been planning on doing a 30 coupe,this helps me a lot.
Thanks for the great info!

 

No big update or anything, just been cutting out rear end brackets and some other little things. Here are a couple teaser pics, mocked up the front fenders to make sure my shock mounts will clear and to see ride hight in the wheel well. Also got a '57 truck 9 inch rear. Plan to start the rear and get it rolling. Plans are 9 inch with A spring missing a couple leafs and tube ladder bars....

 

I started on the mounts to get my '57 9 inch under the A today. Here is the jig for the ladder bar mounts, I still need to make the spring mount and rear shock mount and ladder bars. Also found a mustang steering box I am going to use that I need to mount.

 

Looking good.....

 

Frame looks awesome! Good luck on the rest of the build.

 

Looks like you are doing a great job .....keep up the good work!

 

Some very nice work there. Tom (Tired Old Man)

 

Anymore updates?

 

Thanks for all the kind words. I got a little lazy latly posting pics, too buzy working on it lol. I got it back from the chassis shop so I am back working with hamer and a chizle.
I got the cab on, no big suprizes fortunatly, the fire wall dosent even need resesed just notched for the dizzy and valve covers. I tried to cut as less as possible but still being able to pull the covers and dizzy out of the truck. I am stuck using a mallory though, good thing I have a small army of them. and I am waiting on my pair of original corvette covers to do finall welding and cleaning on the firewall incase they are bigger.


The shifter location is perfect with the S-10 tailhousing. I am going debating to section the peddals a inch or so but I am going to wait till I get a steering wheel and colum and seat to see. I aslo got the battery box in on the right side of the trans and all the brake line tabs, just little stupid stuff now.


I also got the rear end in, it is a '57 truck 9 housing. I still need to take the spring to the local shop to get reversed and lowered and I am going to make my rear ladder bars.

 

My plan was to use the stock A E-brake until I found this at the salvage yard. It is from a '67 chevy truck, I like it because it has less travel than an A to free up some in-cab room, and I like the look of it. Today I made a bracket out of 1/4 to mount it on the floor. I have to work the shifter a little to make it clear though.



My other score at the salvage yard was the mustang steering box that I have been looking for. It is also a early one with the long shaft so it saves me some time dealing with u-joints. I got it mounted but the shaft is in the right spot but it is about 6 inches too short witch works out because my plan is to get a model A steering shaft and TIG weld it to the mustang shaft so I can use the stock A steering wheel. still have to figure out a colum though. There is more room for the exhaust than it looks in the pic. Like my mock-up Corvette valve covers?



Next on the list is to heat and bend the peddals to clear the colum. I also need to make the bottom arms for the pedals, the stock '40 ones put the push rods too close together for the truck master cyl.

 

I started on my rear ladder bars and got the rear mounts tacked on the frame. I got the top bar in to make the frame mount and I am still going to have a bottom tube that ties into the top on some where close to the rod end and have something tieing them together in the middle still undecided exacly what now. People say not to mount them on the out side of the rails but the same setup is ok on the front with tube axle and hairpins so whats the difference on the rear? Also I made the 41 inches long and I used rubber four link bushing on the rear end mount for a little bit of give, and the way I look at it the front suspention pivots for the car so why would the rear have to also. That is the way I seen cars on the road sence the '70's set up and still going strong so that is the way I am untill someone make a good enough argument to make me think otherwise.



Also bent my pedals to clear the block and frame and for the pads to clear the steering colum and made my pedal arms for the truck MC. I still have to make the pushrods and set up a place for the springs to clip into. They still need a little bit of tweeking to make the pedals even and straight.



This pic was just a little playing around one day and bolted up the Corvette valve covers. I am undecided on to clean and polish the covers or just run them with the patina on them.



A little farther along in mockup. I put the hood and shell on to start making the mount for the '65 mustang radiator. next is to mount radiator, mount for slave cylinder, exhast, rear shocks, finish ladder bars, and make my steering dampner mount and then tear in apart for paint.