Projects 1947 Ford Tudor build thread (A.K.A. seemed like a good idea at the time....)

OK more fun with the brakes.....


I am not surprised, that when I went to install the MBM brake booster onto their bracket, it didn't fit. It hit against the X member. (photo taken from below the car)


A little work with a saw and grinder, and it fits....


The thing I was worried about, was that there would be enough room between the master cylinder and the floor, and I was happy to see that here is all kinds of room above it.


a quick sketch of the cylinder onto the floor, and we are ready to cut


MAN!, I don't think there is another spot on the floor that has more bends and curves to it, than right here!


Allright! looks pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.....


Now I gotta figure a way to hold the door in place, on the floor.
I'm sure I will be able to figure out something...

 

Looking good Jeff. Did you decide on weather you are going or not to the Fathers day show?

"Now I gotta figure a way to hold the door in place, on the floor.
I'm sure I will be able to figure out something... "

That is the reason I left mine whole and figured I could check it and fill it from under the car. How often do you need to get to it once its done.

 

I am going to the Eyes On Design show in Grosse Pointe Shores at Edsel Fords Estate on Fathers day. I was able to finagle an invite.

I know someone with a postwar Ford in the field, and I am thinking of just cutting a patch outta the floor about 1/2 inch bigger all around. and putting some fasteners thru the floor. Gotta keep it simple.

busy couple of weeks here, not making much progress on the sedan, but I'll get back on it soon.

 

BODY MOUNTS.......another "while I'm there" thing to do

Do you think I need new ones?


Good thing I bought the bolt kit too


And of course, not that I am surprised, but there was not enough bolts, and there is a bunch of wrong sized ones, as well as not enough of the donut style rubber mounts in the kits. Here is a tip for Vintique---if there are more washers than bolts in the box, ya might be missing something

The original body to frame bolts have a Ford script F on the heads

I thought that was cool. Not that anyone would be able to see them.

I had to pull the rear seat out to get to the one cage nuts. BTW I'd like to kill the designer of the cage nut. Almost all of them rusted the bolt in, and came apart when I tried to remove them. And who thought it would be a good idea to put the cages on the inside of a boxed rocker ?!?!!

f'ing grumble grumble.....

While the seat was out I thought I'd snap some shots of my clean floor, just to brag a little

 

I'd brag to if my car had floors that nice(originally). I may have some of those bushing if you need a few more and can't get them to send you the ones you were short.

 

Who makes these valve covers? I like 'em

 

Cal Custom on the valve covers---old items

Thanks for the bushing offer, I may be able to reuse a few of the donuts, they are not as important as the bushings. But if I need some, I'll let you know

 

THANK YOU for keeping a ford in a ford. And if it makes you feel any better, be glad you didn't do a big block - FUN but not worth the trouble.

You're doing an amazing job, Wanna trade when you're done?!

 

Hmmm, trade for what?

better not, this is becoming the Mrs car

The original battery try fits nicely with no clearance problems. It may be hard to pull the headers in the future, but hopefully I won't have to worry about that.


and I am liking the look down the column to the dash!

 

Great looking dash, you going to redo the door panel and seats also? Seem like you are in the downhill portion now.

 

whew...what an exhausting day....(rimshot!)

I had dual exhaust on the car prior to the engine swap, so all I needed to do was connect the headers on the 302 to the old exhaust, so I bought 4 180 degree mandrel bends, and went to town

Man, it is tempting to fire it up like this.


This is the right side, shows the kicking up over the runningboard brace in the frame.


Now the left side. It was a little bit different, because I had to clear the brake master cylinder.


WOW, Some days I think I actually know what I am doing


Now that it is all tacked up, I just need to weld it solid.


Here they are, all installed. I need to get clamps at the mufflers, but other than that, it is done. I have had success with the wide band style clamps, so that is what I'll use at the mufflers.


Not a bad couple of hours of work.

 

OK, now onto the power steering rack

I was glad to see that there was no clearance problems at all with the power rack, over the manual I had before.



The lines from Gotta Show are a nice kit, but I think if I had to do it over, I would have installed them onto the rack, then installed the rack. Kinda tight in there, and a wrench barely fits. Hope I don't have to take them off in a hurry in the future.



The lines come assembled on the rack side, then you cut them to fit at the pump. Nicely finished off look.

 

So I painted the rest of the underhood panels for the car



an of course, I couldn't just spray bomb 'em, I had to make them purdy



I'm telling ya, there is something wrong with me

 

Well, I took the radiator in to the shop and had two of the four necks removed, so I thought I'd put it in and check things out.

Looks purdy


and I guess this rules out any mechanical fan, or even a puller!


Now I am seeing where the big block would have NOT been a good idea

 

it's been hit and miss here lately

there is a whole lot going on up front. Good thing the upper radiator cover will block the view from under the hood.


16" fan as a pusher, trans cooler, and horns. Only need to make room for an overflow jug up front here too

Well, the transmission sits a whole lot higher with the Chassis Engineering mounts than it did on the homemade ones behind the flathead. I know I planned on changing the whole huge Lokar bracket mess, but I went ahead and reinstalled it.

The linkage is above the floor now


So I will have to make a new tunnel to clear everything (welded up linkage is temporary)

Will the "fun" ever end???

 

while not totally thread related, I wanted one of these for a while, and came across one today.



not much new on the engine swap, but hopefully in the next few weeks I'll finally get to fire the puppy up!

 

"and came across one today."

picked it up did you?

 

picked
came across
saw it sitting in the open in the attic
bought

ya know.....potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto

 

It's like De ja vu...


Here's my build log... or B-log... It was meant to show my club were I was at, so some of the captions are a bit inside...
http://traditionalhotrod.com/images/PoorBoys/PoorBoys.html

These cars look a lot bigger and heavier than they actually are... They weigh about the same as a gen 1 Camaro, so even a small block makes them pretty darn fun, and the back seat is big enough to conceive and entire family in comfort... Empty space does weigh anything.

 

WOW you're not kidding Deja Vu

Mine will go back together and not look any different that it has for years, but will be quite the jewelry box when I open the hood.

 

details, details, details.......

ok. New fuel line from tank to pump -- CHECK

exhaust tighted at collectors, hangers hung, clamps installed -- CHECK



timing set -- CHECKISH

spark plug wires routed and terminated -- CHECK



radiator hosed measured, located, and cut to fit -- CHECK



chassis wire harness purchased and installed -- I knew I forgot something....I'll order that tomorrow

 

zipties and anchors and zipties and zipties.......

Ron Francis fuse panel mounted


and engine wires nicely routed


The engine side of the firewall, showing the little button eads for the fuse panel mount. ( I really like the reflection of the engine too)


A few more wires, and some gas, and I am ready to light this engine up for the first time!!

stay tuned

 

Driving my 46 with the small block ford and been working on it a couple of years in the building. I did my own mounts and crossmember so didnt run into some of the problems you had. I used chassie eng. rear springs and hangers in the rear and it was a perfect fit though. Good luck with the finish on your project.

 

It is ALIVE!!!!!
took some doing, but it finally fired once I figured out I had the timing way off.

Now reassembly begins

 

Congratulations on the fire up Jeff. Timing is over-rated.
Since you changed your trans mount, did that affect your drive shaft/pinion angle?
At the pace you are going I am sure you will be driving it out of the garage as a complete car in the spring if not sooner.
Wish mine was back to that stage.

 

There's nothin' like hearing it fire up for the first time-That's a big day!-congrats!!

 

thanks guys
it was a great feeling hearing it run, can't wait to drive it. Still some tuning to do.

the trans mount put the trans higher and then forward, so I have not checked the angles, but it was damn near a straight line before.

 

well.....crap

sounds as if I did something to damage the transmission. Same trans I have been running for years, with a different bellhousing and torque converter. Now growls loudly and won't turn the tires while up on the jackstands.

ratzafrikenratzafratz !

 

Does your torque converter have a drain plug?
You may have the trans and the flywheel lined up wrong.
Or it's not seated completely in the third spline. Just a couple of things to check.
If it worked before the engine was removed it should just be an alignment issue.
Good luck.

 

Holy CRAP this engine must be making some serious horsepower !

Well I pulled the trans out today, and this is what I found.



Not sure how that happened, unless it was almost broken before while running the flathead, then it couldn't handle the 302