Hot Rods >>>1935 Ford Coupe: An Idiots Guide To Buiding A Hot Rod<<<

Surgery? I hope your getting a set of balls installed and dump that Olds or flatty in this thang.

 

Chris, I just spit beer all over my screen! bawahahaha

-Shiny

 

JJ That's a short water pump on that 350.(I had it in my 56).As far as the exhaust manifold get the truck rams horns that dump out the back,take the passenger side and use it on the drivers side.Someone on here told me to do that and it fits.Everything is where it should be.It put that engine in by myself and everything fell into place.

 

I don't need to prove I have balls, I play with Tigers fucker!!! Right Vic?

Yeah i figured but I am still running into clearance issues with the radiator and the fan so I think there is something going on whether the engine is too high or could be a 1/4" back. Krusty40 came by the shop tonight to show me his setup on his '40. I know there is a lot more room in a 40 because of the radiator not leaning back but the Hurst mount looks like it places the engine lower which make the fan further. As soon as I get my stitches out I am going balls to the wall!!!! Thanks man for the tips.

 

Corvette ramhorns will clear your box, I got a 36 3 window that was a jalopy, but I am going to sell it ,cause i found a better body. Love the patina on your car, just give it a wax job and your done. It seems more and more guys are building early v-8 Fords, I like them alot ,and though I sell model "A" bodies for a living, I just dont fit in them, I,ts like a fat chick trying to wear a size 5 dress.

 

A little late for the party but here's 5.50 15's on the front with a stock axle. I now have wide whites on wide fives on it now with a dropped axle (by 296V8) I'll get some pic's up tomorrow.

 

Hey, JJ,

I LOVE your new car!! I also like the idea of keeping on a budget to allow for some of the other stuff going on in your life, and working with what you have in front of you.

Here are some thoughts on the motor mounts. Although this is a different application, I used Vern Tardel’s front motor mount brackets on my ‘56 265” in a ‘28-’31 Model A chassis. These mounts are very well made and reasonably priced and also cleaner looking and take less room than the Hurst style cradle. We also used stock ‘55-’56 Chevrolet biscuit style motor mounts which are available from the tri-five aftermarket sellers, and are much less bulky and a lot less clunky looking than the set up from C/E.The frame mounts are also ‘55 to ‘56 Chevy, and again, simple, cheap, compact. The problem with these type of mounts is the mechanical fuel pump won’t fit, using an electric is mandatory.

We worked with various ram’s horns for a while, but I finally conceded to the fact that tight tuck headers would just be easier to use. While not period “correct” for a 50’s/early 60’s hot rod, I’m making a few concessions here and there, and the headers is one of them. I don’t particularly like the “look,” but their use just makes the installation easier. Call me lazy, I guess.

The other note is that by using the stock Henry running gear, (banjo, torque tube, three speed, and adaptor,) the front to rear location of the motor is pretty much cast in stone as to the clearance at the firewall and the distance to the fan. You may gain small amounts by moving the motor up, or down, but what you are seeing is pretty much what you are getting. As others said the stock radiator is probably a large part of the problem. On my coupe, I ended up checking out Walker, but my budget just couldn’t stand the heat. They apparently love that copper, these days. I ended up getting Gary over at Independent Technologies to order me a Griffin from Speedway. With his discount and free shipping, I landed the Griffin here for about $200 less than the Walker. Before deciding, I was hesitant, and ended up talking to one of the reps at Griffin. The things are made right down the line from you in S.C. I was impressed with what the guy told me, and he helped allay some of my fears. I’ve never run an aluminum radiator, and it is another of those concessions, but, hey, there are other concerns . . . like $$$. When I got the thing here, I was very impressed by the workmanship, and it is much lighter, and, even thinner than the stock or the replacement Walker, which is just where you need "thin."

Hope some of this helps. Good luck with the thing, and good luck in your family planning endeavors! GA

 

35 5w=perfection.
nice car.

 

Thanks 43gman!!!! That was a lot of great information. Chris told me about the Tardel front mounts but since I do not have the catalog and they are not listed I forgot to inquire. I am looking into all angle of how to tackle so the info is much appreciated.

As for the Radiator, I need to start calling Manufacturers and asking how think their particular '35 radiators are. If I could pick up a 1/2" from a Walker or a Griffen that may be the way to go. I just need to get out there and take down all my measurements before calling so that I have a reference point.

Hey where are you in NC? You should definitely make you way to Charlotte for Good Guys if your a good bit away. If you at all close we have shop nights on Wednesdays and we would all love to see your Model A because that thing is Rad!!! Thanks again for the info.

Thanks Shooter54, appreciate it.

 

Looking foward to seeing this finished. I love the lines on 35-36 fords. Rad car bro!

 

Thanks man, your plymouth has been a source of inspiration even though they are different styles. You're making great progress and the engine on that thing is like candy!!!!

 

Just to add to you info pool... There is a water pump riser made by " Snow White " here in Cal. that uses an Opel water pump, and is an additional 1" shorter than a Chevy pump. It will also raise your fan up 5" or 5.5... I forget exactly. Last I checked they were around $300 with the pump.

 

By reducing the size of the water pump and the raising 5" won't I be back in the same place since there is less space at the top then at the bottom?

 

We moved to Wilmington a little over 4 years ago. That guy from Pittsburgh that has that little blue pickup came by here in a great big "man's truck" a couple years ago one day to see some junk I had for sale. I thought we got along pretty good, but I ain't seen or heard from him or his two killer dogs since that one visit. Umm, "Stephan" is his name, I think? His name on here is, "Blackie," or, "Bluey," or something like that? Hahaha! Anyway, thanks very much for the invite, and as soon as this thing gets going, maybe that kid and I can make a trip out? (If he is still around and talking to me.) GA

 

Ooops, forgot, go here:

http://www.verntardel.com/collections/chassis

Also, here's a link to some more information on our '29 coupe,

http://hagillette.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

 

Hahahaha!!!! 31Whitey is his name on the HAMB and Stephan his is real name. Hands down one of the Raddest dude on the planet. I have yet to meet him in person but I talk to him on the phone and we shoot the shit every now and then. He definitely has some cool shit.

Let me know when your ready to make the trip out. You really should try for Goodguys the last weekend in October whether your car is running or not. I am trying to get 31Whitey to come out also.

 

You are getting good advice from several people already, but do feel free to contact me via pm or email if I can offer anything in addition. I have a '35 coupe with SBC and I have learned (the hard way) about how things fit (and don't) under the hood. Good luck with your project. '35-36 coupes are cool.

 

43gman that blog that you have is cool. You seem to be the real deal and the description of that Chevy engine in Pete's coupe was perfect. It's almost like you were describing how I want my engine to look and the story behind it. It's awesome!!!!

Jack Luther, thanks for the info. I'll definitely get a hold of you if problems keep arising. Any pics of your '35 and the engine setup?

 

QUESTION:

Is there any difference between the Hurst Engine Mount and the ORIGINAL 56-60 Corvette engine Cradle mount??? They look very similar but I am not exactly sure if there was something different that would not work on my block. I have a line on one instead of getting a Speedway one. Just fishing again.

 

Like I said before this is an Idiot's Guide to building a Hot Rod. Did some searching for Corevette Engine Mounts and came up with this pic...



These mounts mount over the water pump as to keep the center of gravity down low by mounting the engine lower in the car. At least that's what I have come up with from looking at them.

Still wondering if they have ever been used in a Hot Rod Applications or perhaps the first Hurst Type mount was prototyped after flipping a original Corvette mount???

 

^ is this kinda what your talking about http://www.speedwaymotors.com/1955-1994-Small-Block-Chevy-Engine-Mount,6725.html i know its not a real hurst mount but for $50 it doesn't sound to bad to me

 

That's why the 1" front to back is nice....plus a centered fan is going to cool better....I have like 9" of core above my fan blades and none on the bottom.

On my 35....if I go up 5" with the short chevy water pump that's on it now, I'll be about 1/4 " from the radiator core. I might be able to get a little more clearance ajusting the radiator out at the top ?

So with the "Snow White " riser I'd have 1.25" between the core and the fan blades.

And this would center the fan to the radiator and allow for a bigger fan. In my case I have a clearance issue with my lower 3 belt pulley A/C P/S . The riser would put me above that pulley so I could run a bigger fan in diameter and blade depth. This would cool way better.

My radiator is a recored original with mods to the tank.

A few pic's to show you.....

If you need any specific pic's let me know...I may have them or can shoot more.
It's a retro rod so don't panic

 

^ Pic's
A couple of the stock fire wall and clearance.

 

SEARCHER I'll tell what you do have right off the bat is a fan blade that pitches the blades backwards as Bloodyknuckles was saying. The fan blade that I have is a stock '58 Four blade that has the mounting point for the fan in the center unlike yours. That could account for a 1/4" of space if not more.

I went our and measured the distance from the Firewall to the radiator after seeing Krusty40's '40 Coupe last night. His car seemed like it had a ton of room and the measurement from the firewall to the radiator was 29 inches. On my '35 it seems to be around 26 inches which only confirms that I am dealing with a whole other animal. Every bit of space I can get will be much needed.

Thanks Searcher for those pics. I might have to run one of those fans. What is it and where did you get it??? I was thinking I could pick up some space by switching over to a Walker Radiator (2.5 thick I think) from the original which was about 3" thick. Also seeing how this is not going to be a car that wins at Pebble Because of it's fit and finish I might be able to position the Radiator and Grille out wards and 1/8-1/4" to gain the space I need.

 

I don't know the maker of my fan. It's 15 " with fairly shallow blades.
These radiator are only like 17" wide.

What points did you measure from to come up with 26" ?

Also, my distibutor is stock... you can see the clearance in the pic above.

 

UPDATE!

So not a whole hell of a lot has been going on while I have been patiently waiting for my stitches to come out and my back to heal after a small surgery.

I have on the other hand been ordering the parts that I need (or think I do) to start make some progress. Something have come in and others are on the way so I should be busy for the next couple weeks working on this thing trying to keep your attention and asking questions along the way.

I started last week by cleaning the floor and wire brushing any scale that was found. Like I said, there is no rust or rot in the floors anywhere and I'd like to keep it that way. So POR-15 was my choice to coat the floor with and get them ready for Lobucrod's insulation which I have to order today. Here is a pic of the Metal Prep doing it's work before I eventually put a couple coats of POR-15 on last night.



I'll take a pic of the finish product soon but it pretty much looks like ever floor that is almost 75 years old that has been coated with a coat of shiny black stuff.

I think I found the reason why the fan was running into the radiator which is sort of embarrassing to list but what the hell. I think the support rods that came with the car were intended for a '28-'31 Ford because of them only measuring about 27" long. Sacramento Vintage Ford has them listed as 32 1/2" which would give me a great deal more room in between the radiator and fan. I am hoping this clears that issue up because it's easy and I can do easy.

I did however find a Hurst Mount so that I can free up some space to run the exhaust. I am skeptical about this mount though. It is stamped with HURST but on both sides which I have never seen. It also appears to interfere with the timing cover but I know there are supposedly 1/4" spacers that go in between the block and cradle so that might help. I just hope I did not buy some backyard version. Anybody know if these "U" shaped spacers came in the kit from Hurst? Are they necessary for installation on 35-40 Fords?



I also started looking into how to mount my Pontiac Steering wheel that I picked up a couple weeks back. Here are some pics of it disassembled.







My plan is to order the speedway adapter for early Ford columns and make adjustments from there. I think I may have to section the column tub a bit so that I can get a nut on that keyway. Anybody ever install a early 50's GM steering wheel on a Old Ford column? Ideas?

I have also been blasting parts and prepping them for a couple coats of Single Stage black so I can get this car on the ground again.

>>>Jordan has my axle and should have it dropped in a day or two.
>>>Ordered a Durant Mono Leaf from Eric (Vaphead).
>>>Sacramento Vintage Ford is supplying the new
-Wheel Cylinders
-Top Insert and Rubber lining
-King Pin and Bushing set
-Perch Bolt
-Brake Hoses (front and back)
-Hood Trim Clips
-Motor Mount for flatheads
-Radiator Support Rods

and a bunch of other misc. shit that will help the car stop or drive better hopefully.

I still need to get a bunch of engine parts so that I can hopefully start looking to fire this thing in a few weeks. I need a pulley set, Coil, Radiator brazed up, carb rebuild kit, spark plugs, 56 Chevy exhaust manifolds, Wiring etc.

I'll keep chipping away.


Note: Thanks for all the new tags down at the bottom, I am the Tiger Reacharound Master!!!

 

I apologize for delayed response, but I had your same vision a few years back and finally finished (minus interior). Good luck, looks like a great body to start with.

 

Looks like you're making some headway. Keep jammin'. Those are my favorite cars off all time. I just bought a '41 Packard grille for the one that exists only in my dreams...

 

That thing is beautiful man!!! Love the subtle colors and the stance is spot on. I am in love.

Dude, keep collecting. You never know when one will pop up and then you'll be ahead of the game. A Packard grill would look real cool!!!

 

Hey JJ, I took 20 minutes of my day to pop these babys from and old 36 front and I had. Mine didn't give me NEAR the greif yours did