Ever since the Showdown 2010 i been gathering parts and pieces to build a modified. I gathered an old XKE twincam 6cyl, a model 'a' frame, some wide5 stuff and about a month ago came across a '27 touring car cut down for a body. So i started the build...i am not much on explanations, so are on your own to figure out what i'm doing - you have a question i'll be happy to answer. My shop is dirty so if you want to follow a build with glistening floors and tools aligned by size on a bench - you are in the wrong place.
Cool! Looking forward to the progress pics. Did you make those boxing plates? How many hole saws did it take?
nice progress. I had mine setting at about 15" (outside to outside) at the front crossmember. decided it was to narrow (for a V8) and ended up at 17".
Will definitely be following this one! Going to be starting my own soon, and i'm using the front half of a touring body as well. . Looks like a good start!
Take nothing for granted, especially with a '27 on A rails. (no different from anything else, really, BUT! Notice the excessive taper of the frame staying within the rocker and cowl lines (top view) Looks like everything can squeeze in there, right? Be sure everything fits within the narrow front...Nose will cover, but make doubly sure the radiator will fit between. (if it is to sit on top, it will be Midget-Short!) Allow for a sextet of headpipes to drop inside the frame rails, and the carbs are also within liveable parameters. (ask me how I know...) I'm excited about this build, the Jag is a beauty. (I also have '27 T's, 4 of 'em. Coolest hot rod going, if you can fit in it!) Nice frame jig, too. Lay out the whole car, you will stumble across stuff that you didn't anticipate...I promise.
Gotta love the '27, sweetest of them all. The above pic is an intermediate step in the framerail development. I had finished reforming the rearward section and that toe'd in the front - as seen in the pic. I then made a small cut in the frame at the firewall and brought the rails back to the stock crossmember. I also made two 7deg piecuts in each framerail, the first about 4" after the firewall to raise the frame and the 2nd about 8" behind the crossmember to bring the crossmember back to the original Ford angle. Theres a couple pics showing this process, and a pic showing a modified framerail sweep and an unmodified one. Heres a few pics of the body, i blew it apart and am in the process of building it for the chassis.
A few more. If you've noticed i have done away with the original subframe. To put the strength back into the body most of what you are looking at is 16ga steel. The other thing is that when i reformed the frame rails to match the body i opened the center area up, the seats will be below the top of the frame rails and that is what you are looking at being formed. The 'tunnel' is not for the driveshaft - it is for a suspension piece, the driveshaft will be above that tunnel.
Very cool project... When you get to the point that you need one, I can build you a custom track nose out of aluminum. jst PM me. subscribed
OJ, This is going to be one neat but clean and different Modified ! Love the idea of a Hot Rodded Jaq six between the rails. Looking forward to seeing the new track nose ! Dave
holy crap, a build thread! i didn't people actually built shit anymore. thought it was all barn finds and which set of porta walls look best threads! go for it! dig the mill choice.
Your flooring and seat pockets are works of art. My '27 tub has a very tired subframe I was going to repair... I think I'm going to compliment you and imitate your 16 gauge runners and lower boxing! Superb save for a 'T' body. I did an 'A' frame for my '27 bobbed roadster...when on my frame jig, I removed the body and glanced at the frame rails...they looked like an "A"-member for a Navajo teepee! (I did the 'Vee' at the firewall, and brought them forward...but they sure were a trapezoid before I brought 'em out at the firewall! Optical 'delusion'...) LOL
I think i have found out why these engines aren't common in hot rods. I'm kinda bummed out right now, but would value your opinions on which way to go. I set the motor into the frame rails last night, i knew there were height problems and it was kida long but....
That pretty well summed it up for me too, PFU. Whad'dya think, an iron duke? one of those mercruiser ford 1/2 of a 460? anybody got an old dirty offy-drake under the bench to cut loose?
OJ, Don't give up yet. Can you: -Lower the engine a little down between the frame rails? -Raise the body (un-channel it) just a bit?
what are you going to use for seats. Like you, I dropped the floor inside the rails on my modified (3" in the rear tapering up to 1.5" at the firewall. the floor is slopped). the seat will be on sliders so when you move it forward it raises slightly (so my wife can drive it or others who are not 6 ft tall). I can only fit about a 17" wide seat once the driveshaft tunnel is fab'd up.
While I am building my 26 RPU a wee bit differently with a sort of hiboy style sitting on top of 32 style rails I fabricated myself from 2x6x1/8" tubing, I also started with the front half of a touring car. If you check out my build thread you can see that I widened the rear of the seat back to come out to the corners of the body, it looks clean that way, like it was made that way. I also reformed the top lip across the back of the bucket so it flows with the sides of the body. Another thing you may wish is that you stretched the body a little. Mine is lengthened 4" behind the doors and when I sit in it I can tell it's going to be pretty comfortable with the extra length. I can stretch my legs out nicely and I'm 5' 10". Without the extra length it would be cramped for knees and legs. I don't understand at times the desire to have these cars so low slung, and to have so little room to sit inside. My car is by no means gonna sit really high and I'll have room for my Y Block etc etc. Larry. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460009
Yep OJ, you've got your self a situation. When I looked at the first pic I thought "Holy shit, I don't remember him putting a Detroit Diesel in there!". It's way too big proportionally for the body in my opinion. I think Just Gary is right, un-channel the body and lower the engine to get a new perspective. It may still be too big, but I think these two items will really help the flow of the car. Also, if you haven't already follow Blue One's build. Lots of neat tips and tricks on his thread.
Well, that Jag is one neat engine but it just wasn't right. How about this one? Am i back on the right track boys? Are we getting somewhere now?
A brief update, between the jag and the hemi i welded the frame boxing members (man did that shrink the frame rails!, got a problem to solve there), i finished the rear kicks and have a nice rear crossmember and a real nice open drive banjo. The engine came with an offy adaptor to bolt a '37ish toploader and an aluminum flywheel. It came from an old gasser and been sittin under a bench for decades. A little bit of luck and i'll have a roller by next week.
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