Projects "Freakin' A" 60s hot rod drag coupe

Just a quick picture to show that there are things happening on the car. No more 4 link or half rack steering. I'll share some more in depth photos when I finish making the new front end components.

 

suscribed! great work...keep it coming

 

I think it's time for a few updates.

After sandblasting the frame, this is what the welds looked like where it was boxed by a previous owner. The pits were filled with bondo.


I ground out these welds and redid them with the TIG. I also cut off the 4 link brackets and dressed the frame up there.


Then finished the welds off with a little filing and sanding. The boxing is now clean back to the trans crossmember. The rest will get finished off when I cut out the drive shaft loop and work over the rear crossmember for the rear suspension.

 

The disc brakes are going and the half rack is gone.

We are using these '40 ford backing plates with these nice 5 on 4.5 aluminum hubs. We're planning to use '39 Lincoln drums.


I have a little repair work to do on them, but otherwise I think I can make them work.

 

We picked up some lengths of tap tube to make hairpins for the front. My dad also picked up the batwings, clevis ends, and chrome tie rod ends.


Tap tube is pretty thick stuff, but I didn't want to take any chances with it collapsing, so I filled it with sand anyway and capped the ends. Neighborkidswillys loaned us this piece of pipe to bend it around. I tacked it to the table and my dad clamped the tubing down. He heated it with the torch while I walked it around the pipe.






I bored out some smaller pieces of the tap tube on the lathe and tapped them for the Ford tie rod ends. Then started building the actual hairpins. They were cut to length and the other ends were tapped for 5/8 clevis ends.

 

Next order of business was to start making frame mounts for the hair pins.

I've been getting some ideas from old altered ch***is designs. My dad and I decided that it would be cool and functional to add a truss bar under the frame rails that would also tie into all of the mounts... hairpins, ladder bars, and rear springs.

Like this one for example



We machined some pieces on the lathe and formed the other steel pieces in to a I-beam design like the engine mounts. The idea is to make them look cast like the engine mounts and for the truss bar to run through them.


Then they are ***embled and get ugly heaps of weld for me to sculpt.


using rotary grinders and sanders I work it into this finished piece.

 

My dad picked up some lengths of 1 1/8 tubing to make the truss bars out of.

We used the same method for bending it. Filled it with sand and capped the ends.



Here is a mock up of how it will go together. I just have a few things to tie up, then it can be tacked and finish welded.

 

Clever idea for the truss rods and "queen posts" for the hair pin ends. I bet there are some old railroaders in your family! Could you show some of the details on how you terminated the ends of the truss rods? Gary

 

Damn it...Thats soo bad ***! I'm glad to see this build rolling along...you guys do some bad *** work!

 

^^^^Ditto that!

 

This is a great build! The stance and the unchopped body are awesome. Very well thought out. It's also really cool that you and your dad are doing this together.

 

I think we had a cousin that was in the railroad.... and there are railroad tracks in our backyard.

I don't have any pictures of that yet. That is one of the areas that needs some finishing. I also have a little more shaping to do on the other bracket. But my dad fabbed up some bullet shaped ends out of the tubing we are using for the sleeves that finish the end of the truss to frame rail.

There will be lots more pictures of this before it is done.

 

SLICK! I really dig the truss bar design and the 'bone mounts. You guys are turning out some nice pieces.

 

Loving this.

 

oh this thread is so awesome. fabrication work is just plain killer. Keep up the great work. cant wait to see what you think up next.

 

This is a damn cool build, fantastic work. Looks like you've been drinking from the same well as Brian B*** the way you're sculpting and finishing up those mounts etc.

 

nice work fellas

 

Great work! Your icebox is cool, too.

 

nice!

 

Just found this thread, post on S.F.C.C. social group alerted me. Fantastic workmanship and stying throughout, wish I had your skills, talent, and work ethic.

 

Thanks! I'm glad you noticed that. I'm rather proud of that little score. 1939 GE B5 mini fridge. I found it in the back of a thrift shop an old nitro rail driver owns.

 

One of the coolest threads ever. This is so rad!!!!

 

I addressed the rust pitting on the '40 ford backing plates the other day. I'd like to see these get chromed at some point, so the surface needed to be smoothed out. I posted some pictures earlier in the thread showing the deep pitting on the bottom edge of the LF. Almost all of the pitting was shallow enough to surface out, however, the deep pitting on the LF, need to be welded up and smoothed out. The recess for the spindle I'm not as concerned with, since I would paint that area.

They aren't perfect, but they are good enough for now, until I get back to them for speed drilling.



Here's where the deep pitting once was.

 

We are having some company over at the shop this week to bench race and check out the projects. So, we finished ****oning up the front suspension brackets, bolted on the backing plates and new hubs, and dropped a motor in it.

 

And pics of parts going together...

 

Good stuff !..............Littleman Dave

 

Kick ***!

 

real nice

 

Mmmmmmmmmmm!

 

Looks great, I love unchopped coupes