Well, I sold the shoebox to a very happy vancouverite and now have the space and time to start working on my next project. I picked up a 1934 Terraplane Coupe body and frame a few months ago and have been collecting parts to go with it. This is my first build so if you guys see me doing anything messed up let me know. I definateley don't know a darn thing about building cars so I would love some critical input as I try and build this car!!
Found a T10/super T10 mutt trans, its got a steel case and 10 spline but the gears are a late model set of wide ratio 3.42 (first gear) gear set. I figure if I match it up with a tall posi in my ford nine inch rear end it might work nice..whats the tallest you can fit something like 2.72's? anyone got a set?
I'm trying to figure out the engine location, I think it would look best about where it is but it would need to be about three inches higher to clear the cross member, even if I run a remote oil filter...but I think its going to go back about seven inches and down so that the oil pan is about level with the frame, about 5 inches from the tarmac. It won't look as cool but the car will probably handle alot better...I plan on channeling the body to at least cover the frame...it might look better once the body has been channeled.. I'm also gonna push the front axle forward about three-six inches. As you can see I need to replace the roof ...the car must have been stored upside down for awhile.
I got the body off the frame this weekend, and started to clean it up, I also got some wheels from the earlybird swap...need some tires.
Yeah!! its hokey! take a look at this! The previous owner welded the perch pins to the axle and the wishbone, maybe to keep it from moving left and right? I ***ume I can't run it like this, those are supposed to be able to move right? anyway the plan right now is cut all this apart and mount the axle in front of the spring, with the spring attached to the wishbone.
That is no Terraplane or Hudson frame. T & H all had FOUR leaf springs, not the buggy spring front end I'm looking at in your pictures.
IF you remove the front crossmember, replace it with a tube w/front ("suicide") mount, get a Posies flat reverse-eyed spring, mount it over the front axle. (front axle is a '42-'48 best try to get a '32-'36 and have Ansen drop it. He's in Auburn, CA) This will get the crossmember out of the pan's way and bring the front axle forward... Take into account your radiator mounting and height... Way cool subject...Es***es spell ***!
That front axle with the transverse spring is not Hudson. All Hudsons of the '30s had parallel leaf springs front and rear.
Fantastic project! I love the fact that you're using a 472/500 inch Caddy *and* a 4-speed stick - instead of the ubiquitous SBC/TH350. I think your plan for a rearend ratio in the 2.50-2.70 range will be a perfect combo with the 3 .42 first-gear in the 4-spd. Heck, with the stump-pulling low-end torque of the Caddy, you could use a 2.20 first gear-****** with those same gears and still be fine! Mart3406 ====================
you might be correct but this frame originally had parallel leafs... I have whats left of the frame horns and they are for a parallel leaf setup that and ALL the mounting holes line up perfectly with the unmodified body...so I am thinking its the original frame it just been cut up a bit...
thanks for the input mike!! I am going to try to go with a perch off the front of it for the spring and run the front axle in front of the spring...we shall see how it works out when I get back in town ..I want the front end to have a balanced length...if I can't get it correct with the stock cross member I might try your suggestion.
thanks mart!!...what I am trying to figure out is what final gear ratio will give me the best fuel milage/drivability at a 65mph cruising speed with about 32inch tires...any suggestions? can you idle down the highway with a 500?
----------------------- I'd probably shoot for something in the 2.75 to 3.00 range. With a 32 inch tall rear tire and a 2.75 final drive ratio ratio, you'll be turning 1877 rpm at 65 mph And with a 3.00 ratio you'll be at 2048 rpm at 65.mph. I think a 472 or 500 inch Caddy will cruise along very nicely in that rpm range, especially in a fairly light car. By the way, if you use a 9 inch Ford rearend, both 2.75 and 3.00 gear ratios were common in a lot of mid-'70's to early '80's Ford p***enger cars. If you can find one, most of the 9 inch center sections used in the late-'70's Lincoln Versailles that I've come across over the years had either 2.75 or 3.00 gears and most had heavy-duty 4-pinion Traction-Lock differentials too. Are you planning on any engine mods? The big Caddys respond really well to a cam upgrade. Considering you want lots of low and mid-range torque, a fairly mild cam like a Comp Cams 252H or 260H would be ideal and would really wake up the torque monster that's sleeping inside your engine! Mart3406 ===========
I already have a open Ford 9 inch of unknown gearing, and I have a posi unit with 350 gears I picked up cheap, but if I can find a 2.72 Posi for a good price I will go with that for sure . If not I will switch out the ring and pinion of the posi unit. Thanks for the heads up on where to look for a high geared Posi unit! My 500 came with a brand new comp cams mild cam I think it has almost stock lift but with longer duration. The 472 is running and will go in first, that way I can drive the car and rebuild the 500 at the same time and then switch them out when its ready.
Just curious...what are you using for a manual trans flywheel for the Caddy engine? Also, what are you using for a bellhousing? I'm guessing a stock Pontiac, Olds or Buick bell....or??? I'm probably stating the obvious here too , but don't forget that since the Caddies only ever came stock with automatics, that you'll have to drill the end of the crankshaft to accept a pilot bearing. Speaking of pilot bearings too - a low-buck tip - if you want a heavy-duty roller pilot bearing instead of plain bronze bushing - rather than buying an aftermarket one from Moroso or similar supplier, just order a pilot bearing from a GM dealer for a Chev or GMC pickup with a 6.2 diesel. The GM 6.2 diesel piece is a slick item. It's about half the price of an equivalent aftermarket roller pilot bearing, it'll fit the Caddy crank once you drill a hole for it and the inside bore of the bearing is the correct size to mate with the input shaft on your T10 4-speed. Mart3406 =================
I have a BOP bellhousing/unknown flywheel and bushing and clutch all ready to go!!....the running 472 I got was pulled out of a church summer camp bus...they needed a little more torque for thier flock plus trailer and gear to get over grants p***. I guess whatever stock motor comes in those big buses wasn't cutting it so they had a caddy motor droped in. I even got to drive the bus around the junkyard before we pulled the motor!!
Well after a vacation on a tropical island with my crazy inlaws I got back to work, it took me 4 days of hammering, heating, oiling, heating hammering, grinding, drilling, cuting and more hammering to get my front end apart, the perch pins were welded and rusted solid, and so were my kingpins, but I got it apart. I was having a hard time hammering and keeping my aim so I drilled a hole into the perch pins the size of the steel rod I was using to push out the pin, wedged in the pin, freed up a hand and got much more consistent hammer blows. Now the question is where to find the right size spring, I need one 33 inches eye to eye, I haven't found any ready made ones that size so I think I need to find someone to modify the one I have. Anyone know of anyone local that can modify leaf springs?
Please tell us that you are going to put fenders back on this and not build a strange ratrod. I somehow get the feeling that you have been mislead by others to believe that it would be cool to run this coupe without them. You are from Yelm afterall and I can understand the inclination to go backwoods and all(just kidding) but please take the time to locate the proper parts to build this coupe into something other than a car you will get ridiculed for. It's worth it to do it right from the beginning. Just some dumb opinionated advice. Take it or leave it it's your car. I like your enthusiasm though. It has some real potential. Rightway Spring in Tacoma will fix you up with a spring if they are still around. Good luck.
Thanks I'll check them out....I'm not trying to build a ratrod...sorry it looks that way....and thanks for the advice I don't think I have the option to take it to be honest unless you have some 34 terraplane coupe fenders for me? and a hood, oh and a grill and a ch***is and and interior and a decklid etc etc ..unfortunately I Have what I have and unless I found a complete car that was missing a body there is no way this car is going to become anywhere close to original again, everything I have for this car you have seen pictures of...If I had the money and the luck to find a 33/34 ford coupe or even an olds...heck anything more comeplete or cool to do a fenderless car from...Id be doing one.
HELLVIS-you sir are a very courteous and kindly gentleman. Welders should not be sold to people who haven't p***ed an IQ test.
HELLVIS-you sir are a very courteous and kindly gentleman. Welders should not be sold to people who haven't p***ed an IQ test.
The bodies for Ford's 33-34 3 window coupes were built by Murray, the same out fit that built your Terraplane body. Ford rails with custom width crossmembers would make up a really nice hi-boy that would leave a bunch of folks scratching their heads. Many of the basic lines and styling cues are VERY simular.
yeah, I think what throws it off of from a more traditional fenderless highboy, or lakester style rod like a ford is that the tail section isn't "bobbed" because the gas tank was in the body not under it. You can't drop the gas tank and have that short look....I thought of using ford rails for thier beautiful swooping lines and have been keeping my eye out for a complete ford ch***is.
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