32 Chassis: Rolling Bones, Ionia, and Patina Steve

great looking chassis what pedals did you use on this??

 

purtty .....

 

damn nice

 

Here's a try to answer everyone questions, thanks for all the interest

The 5 window in the background is a very solid rust free body,it is my next project.

The car belongs to a Bob in Tonica Ill, he is hoping to have the car on the road this summer.

Larry, Thanks for the input on the shocks, I have become aware of the issues with the shocks since I first talked to the Bone's Boys three years ago, as long as the shocks are fabricated this way we are going to add a very heavy oil like STP to the shocks and try to make them work, if not we will refabricate a different shock system.

I built the pedal assembly, and used two 39 ford pedals and modified the pedals and the levers.

The rear suspension is a ladderbar system that pivots on hime joint that can't be seen under the center section.

The open drive was just a choice that was decided on , it could have been a closed drive.


Thanks for all the positive comments and and constructive input

 

awesome, I like it

 

very cool coupe, cannot wait to see more.
Al.

 

I don't want to start a big controversy,There has been a long thread on the HAMB about welding forged steel, I am of the believe that you can. I and many of my friends have been welding forged steel for many years with success.I have a welded pitman arm and a welded steering arm on my 32 and have driven it that way for many years.That does not necessary mean it is correct, I know there are those that will say it is not safe.This is one of those on going issues that people have very strong believes on both sides of the story.
The steering arm is a 32 original Henry ford forged steel arm and original Henry Ford steel 40 spindles,

I like that the steering arm it looks like it is original Ford in style.

 

On '32 spindles the steering arms are part of the spindle from the factory.

Frank

 

Yes the steering arm is part of the spindle of the 32 spindel , that is why I cut it off and welded it to the 40 spindle so it would look like an original part the weld needs a little filing to clean it up. I wanted it to look more stock then the typical bolt on steering arms.
The stock arm normally fallows the curve of the axle downward, I have reversed that curving upward because this car will have a Schroeder cowl mounted steering.

 

Steve,very sweet,wonder if Bob in Tonica is the same Bob I bought a 59 pan from few years ago,isn't the 5-window on a chassis yet?

 

I sure Bob has a lot of old bikes and has been very active with them over the years

 

That's why Doane Spencer put them in the Z in his front rails, under the shock mounts...

 

Not for nothing, but that steering arm scares the hell out of me... You did it so if you trust your work that's fine by me, but to me, I think the bolt on arm would look stronger and therefor better...

It would also be more period correct. IMHO...

 

That's why Doane Spencer it them in the Z in his front rails, under the shock mounts...
WHAT?????????????

 

I disagree with you on the period correct, I always thought hot rodders back in the day improvised by finding parts in the junk yard rater the buying them over the counter. What can be more period correct then a 40 ford spindle and a 32 steering arm.
I know there is a lot of controversy about the welding of forged parts and there strength, the arm was welded on by a friend of mine who is a certified welder, 35 year union pipe fitter that has welded on nuclear power plants, I believe that is a good as it gets.

I take what I do very seriously and believe this to be safe.

 

If you look closely at these pictures (Sorry, best I have on this computer) you'll see that the front of Spencer's frame is Z'd and that the shocks are located in the thick spot created by the rails overlaying each other right behind the crossmember... The motor mounts on top of that...

This was so that he could keep the steering arm as short as possible in order to have the best shock action possible with this type of shock...

You can also see that he used a stock ford arm that was heated and bent slightly... Not cut and lengthened...

 

I think guys were much more likely to take a piece of flat-stock and bend up an arm or some tubing, than they would be to cut a forged steering arm off another spindle and weld it to another steering arm... I think they would have seen that as too much work and a potential failure point.

I'm not saying it isn't period correct... I'm just saying the alternative might be more so...

And if you trust your work, that's all that matters... This is supposed to be fun.

I'm a worrier... At the very least, I think I'd leave it bare for a while and check it for cracks often...

I think welding forged is ok... I just think welding steering components is risky... Especially the arm at the wheel... There's a lot of force there.

 

Steve,

Can you show how you make the clutch pedal move the the arm thats on the other side of the brake pedal??

Looks like something Im trying to do.

 

Hi Rob haven't talked to you for awhile
the clutch pedal is attached to the shaft , the lever on the other end that actuates the clutch rod is attached to the other end of the shaft, the brake pedal rotates on that shaft and the shaft rotates on the bushings where the shaft goes through the frame and the bushing on the end.

I believe 39 or40 ford pedals work this way ?

You know I,m not sure this makes sense ????? give me a call and I can try and explain it or I can make a drawing and fax or e-mail it to you,

Let me know Steve 612 860 4323

 

this looks great

 

Looks like a cool chassis.

Regarding the steering arm.

I actually have some 39 ford spindles with the 32 steering arm welded on, these came off of an old hot rod. Driven for many years.

Another budy of mine has the same spindles, with the 32 arm on them too. He picked them up many years ago.
He is actually a life time hot rodder, and he remembered that in the old hot rod magazines there was an Advertisement by Ansen, where they would modify your juice brake spindles to fit in your stock 32-34 ford.

he said you would send them your spindles and they would come back with the 32-34 steering arm welded on the later spindle.

This is not a new way to skin the cat,

But I do understand why it scares some folks.

nice work on the chassis.

looks like someone could have some fun.

cheers

 

That makes sense. Im trying to do it with a 34 truck pedal setup in an A roadster, so I might need to change my approach.

Thanks, Rob

 

Hello is that you Steve ? Do you still have the blue 59 pan Later , weird beard BOB

 

I can't put my finger on it but I have a photo of the Spencer chassis in a 1948-49 show. There is a clear flowing kickup in the front. Don't know if the restored cars has it or not. Hope someone can post a photo of it.

 

What would be wrong using a stock '32 spindle (Magnafluxed) and making a backing plate bold hole adaptor plate?

 

Steve, again, awesome chassis!!
Hope you don't mind a couple more photos of the Doane Spencer Roadster to (maybe) help answer some of the above questions.....



(I took these in the basement of the Petersen Museum in Jan., 2009)

 

Wow, Steve. That is really nice. This is the kind of thing that really makes me want to redo my coupe.

Jeff

 

Nice work!

 

Yeah, it really is nice work...
I don't want to sound like I'm ripping it, just giving creative criticism on something that would be relatively easy to change if you thought it needed changing...

It's all just fucking hot rods...

 

Nick, Doane's old roadster looks pretty lonely and uncared for down in the basement instead of upstairs where it belongs. I think it needs to be in my garage where I could give it a HUG!