So to get it this low I need to the fun part which is build the chassis. Right now judging from the pic the bottom of the body is (maybe) 6” off the ground. So I need to bring the chassis down that much. I plan to flatten the front crossmember and reverse the eyes on the leaf and that’ll get me 3” in front. The rear I’ll run an A rear crossmember with a T spring/or and A… and z the frame a bit. The hemi will get lowered in the frame a little too height wise, I’m going to make a thick aluminum firewall that is flush with the front that has a cap that covers the hood lip like the pink one too. That’ll take care of my ugly firewall. I have a set of old chrome reverse with spider caps. F-1 steering, I have a column shift out of a car , I have the headlights and stands that match the pink one. I started to machine the Buick drums, gave them drilled for small ford. as you may or may not know… 32 3 window windshield frames are different and almost 500 bucks… I took a standard one and heated it up and reshaped the corners as a test… well it worked. Plan to make a template and reshape this one to start- it had gone through my shop fire and I had kept it. pulled this chassis out of the weeds today- using the wide 42-48 rear axle from this, it turns freely. Needs new bones… I’m cutting the x member from this and plan on using it in the 32 along with the pedals. I got the zephyr trans out of storage and the cragar adapter I need to run this behind the hemi. Have a steel flywheel and pressure plate. running the Horne 4-2 manifold…. It’s similar to the flathead with 4-2’s in looks just bigger and better. I plan to chop the top another inch. I don’t think it’ll be too bad. I have fiberglass mat and a five gallon bucket of resin and all the tools at the ready. I stopped by my buddy’s junk yard today and found the solution yo finishing the channel. I’m cutting slab sides of fiberglass out of a 1980s era boat. I’ll just use it as material like steel and cut out the 6 x whatever length needed and cut them out from templates and class them on the top and bottom. I would’ve cut them today just needed more tools, didn’t have a cordless grinder with cut off wheels handy…. Heading back over there later this week.
Love the plan and that your documenting it. I love seeing how you tackle each step. A local guy has chopped a handful of glass cars if you want to bend someone’s ear about it. You probably follow him on IG already
Just wondering, If the '32 frame is going to get cut up to lower the rear and the car is channeled, would selling the nice stock frame and buying new stamped rails be a better deal money wise, and maybe time wise?
What do you guys think the pink car has in it for tires-? 5.50x15 whitewalls up front maybe… and 7.60’s or 8.20 out back?
Tell ya what tonight I’ll scale them both to the cowl and you can figure it out pretty easy from there
Sorta Barris Ala Kart - http://kustomrama.com/wiki/Ala_Kart Put me down for one. I've got a miracle FG guy if you need help.
Ok so it looks like the tire height is pretty much the same front and back. But the back wheel is smaller. In this over lay the F is front wheel and the B for back I put the lines over the cowl so you could figure out more or less what the height of the tires are.
Tim, I think that’s perspective, the shot is taken at a slight angle. Here’s some better shots- the black and white is when it was pink- The last shot is when it was brown.
Yeah I agree. But that should at least get you the front tire reasonably close. I think those back tires are maybe one or two inches taller than the front tire. I think the white wall is making the front tires read shorter than they are in the first photo you posted.
I will add that while it’s a good bench mark that I would just do what you think looks cool. I’d take a tuck hot rod over a “well I cloned this…” hot rod any day.
oh man, I’m not cloning it…. I’m doing what I want only a huge head nod to this version- I was just guessing at the wheel and tire size and curious what you dudes thought. I do want to paint it pink, all the way it’s got to be pink!-! My girls will LOVE it and I think it’s kinda punk rock…. And the chop and stance on this car is perfect- I just love it so much. There are things about the original I don’t like… like the chrome grill shell, the flathead, the 4 air cleaners, headlight placement… etc- I LOVE the blue version too- but that’s a whole other vibe. In the blue one they moved the quarters up in the rear and made a wheel well for a narrower ford 9” I assume- it’s a cool look. I’m going to run old 30” tall WWW slicks and some 5.60 15’s and run Buick drums and all that jazz- I was on the fence about putting a t10 and a 9” in this BUT here’s the thing- I absolutely love early closed drive, I love overdrive, and I love column shifts- so fuck all that super strong shit I’m just going to build this to be a cruiser and it should “feel” early, old timey and be fun AF to drive. there is so much more room in these then model a’s I can stretch out in it pretty good.
ALWAYS been a huge fan of chopped and channeled coupes, you go brother, looks like it's going to be perfect piece!
Cool looking car ... until I saw this pic. I am not tall or hefty but, what little interior space is left after the chop and channel looks like something I'd tire of after 5 minutes of driving Enjoy
A bit like high heels, good to look at & very uncomfortable, but they still get worn For some reason I keep being reminded of the Bill Breece coupe, thought it's fendered, Maybe it's the purple paint/pink trim & heavy chop? I don't know. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-bill-breece-coupe.976109/
best analogy ever... Part of the fun of building traditional cars like this is reliving the experience of what it was like because we weren’t there… weren’t able to do it and how bout we try it on for size. I have some close friends who told me NOT to channel it or chop it… leave it be and put a 350 in it and just daily drive it. Leave it practical. As tempting as that was It’s just not me. I considered it heavily… but I got gifted a car I have no money in… that I can literally do whatever the fuck I want with, and the body happens to be a replica of a 32 3 window. imagine if I got my hands on a steel car and was doing this- oh I’m sure people would be roasting my balls… haha because I would be doing it, trust me. when I see cars like Andy’s I have an emotional response… People unchanneled these things for two decades reversing what high school kids did just having fun in the fifties and early sixties…. All so they could build a bunch of full fendered practical cookie cutter cars that would be easier to get in and out of… yes full fendered unchanneled deuce coupes are cool… but chopped and channeled and z’d 32’s are fucking BAD ASS. If I could give anyone building hot rods advice these days it would be to stop being Pussies and build what makes you excited!! Tuck Dean from Dice is having this survivor restored by Kennedy brothers! anyone recognize it?? my HERO.
Boy I don't know that looks pretty comfy to me. Looks like he got the seat low enough that he can lean back and put his knees forward in a comfortable spot behind the wheel. I've got over 11k in a rod with a couple feet less space, and plan on doing more soon. It's all about making the best of your space.
With that front end, the chop and channel and time period you’re not super far away from the silver sapphire now that I see its body sitting in new paint online. gonna be killer Tuck.