30 Roadster on Duece Rails Project-It begins

Jerry, thanks for the updates, I am on the verge of the same project and your thread is like a book on how to accomplish the job and avoid many mistakes , thanks and keep those posts coming, great job,I just hope I can have the patience to do it half as nice, ,,,Sam

 

I'm in with a 354 HEMI.

 

right click, save... right click, save... Very good write up Jerry! Keep em comin!

 

Jerry,
Great work! You are doing exactly what I want to do and you are giving me a great plan to follow. I just couldn't get beyond square one, having never done this before. Now I have some ideas.
What gauge steel are you using for the floor?
How are you tying the subrails to the rear of the body?
Thanks for taking the time to share with us all!
Dar

 

take a close look at the floor pics I posted, you can see the welds along the inside of the wheel housing

 

Valve covers back from the chrome shop...pic didn't turn out so good. They look pretty nice.

 

Man o man Jerry, that looks like hell..... a helluva lot a work.

Great job man.

Brant

 

Thanks..it's coming along slowly. I appreciate everyone's nice comments and suggestions

-Jerry

 

Frame is all boxed up and is fully welded. The boxing plates were notched for the crossmembers. I decided on recessing the plates into the frame about a 1/4 inch itstead of welding them on the outside. Of course the precut boxing plates didn't just slide is as expected..they took some grinding in the rear kick up area.
Everything was tacked into place and then lots of 3 inch long beads were made. Weld a bead, skip about a foot, do another, move to the other framerail. Back and forth, again and again, over and over and over and over again until it's all glued up..you get the point. My welding is slowly getting better. I've been practicing for about a year or so on s**** pieces in the shop and doing little jobs..making brackets etc.......not bad for a music teacher.

The ****** crossmember will be going in next

 

Also got the old bushings pressed out and the new ones pressed in on my spindles. Getting ready to put the front end together. I have to get the kingpins fitted to the new bushings next and also find a front spring.

 

Looks good!

 

Thanks.. Going to start putting the front end together today. I'm waiting for a seal and bearing kit from speedway to come so I wont be able to get it all done. I'd like to get the spindles on the axle with the spring in place..etc My spindles are round back late 40's spindles and my brake parts..hubs, backing plates, ...are from a 49 F-100 Pickup. The speedway kits lets you put the truck brakes on the p***enger car spindles. The kit is not bad either at $39

 

Lookin good Jerry, Nice work!

 

Jerry, It's looking like it's coming along nicely. Your old parts are just as you p***ed them on and will probably remain that way for a good long time at the rate I get my stuff done. HAHA. If you keep up this pace you will be on the road by spring.

 

Jerry, Hard to believe that's the same pile o' parts I saw around Haloween! It's the attention to detail that separates the men from the boys, and you seem to have that nailed. (BTW, when the hell do you sleep????)
Jerry

 

Keep the pics coming, I am interested in the same match up

 

Jerry, are they there yet?

 

Hey there....I was out all day...and I'm over at my parents place tonight..I'll check when I get in. Thanks I appreciate you letting me use them for mockup

(42 Chevy taillights)

 

very helpfull tech

 

Don't ream them, take them to a machine shop with a hone they use on connecting rod small ends, you'll get a far better fit.

 

Yup..already sent out and done

 

More progress ...

Cut the original shackle mounts off of the front wishbones that I am using.

I wanted to use the lower bolt on shock mounts that fit onto the bottom of the spring perches. After putting the wishbones around the axle and sliding the perches all the way in..there just wasn't enough meat hanging down below the get the lower mount and a bolt on...and I'm using the longer perches which are supposed to allow you to do this.

Anyhow, a little bit of material was taken out of the top of the wishbone arm. Not too much..but enough to allow the perch to drop through enough so I could get the lower mounts on. The tops were notched and hit with a grinder to smooth them out. Everything will be blasted and painted later on.

 

Steering arms were heated and bent down for clearance

 

Cut the wishbones to the length I needed and welded the tie rod bungs in. After, they were hit with the grinder and blended in.

Also fabricated mounts for the tie rods..I had some other ones but they were too big..these are more subtle. I wanted to put the mounts under the frame. Some guys run the tie rod right into the 32 frame which looks nice..but I wanted to go a different direction. Also, positioned the mount halfway between the very top of the side frame reveal line and the bottom where it runs parallel....I'm not trying to be a fanatic...Just want things to look nice.

The bones should be pretty parallel with the frame with the weight of the motor

 

Here's a pic of the front end ..just about finished. Have to put on the upper shock mounts and get the brakes on. Again, special thanks to my friend Eli for helping me out.

 

I'm going to be putting an automatic in it.

Wilcap makes a killer ****** adapter that lets you put a TH350 on the caddy engine. Speedway has the kit. Everything bolted on perfectly...should have for what it cost me. Also fabricated side mounts and tacked the frame mounts in too.

After the frame mounts are fitted to the engine and I see how much I have to notch the firewall...the caddy will be pulled out and painted.

 

Those headlights are total piles of ****!!!

I have an E&J disposal business....if you need them taken care of all you have to do is mail them to me and I'll take care of the rest.

 

Looking great, I love an A on 32 rails...

 

Are you getting $500 a pound???

Hahah

 

Go KAT go!!! one step closer...

evel