got my 29 mocked up, decided against Chopping it for now, really want to do a late 50s early 60s style hot rod, not going to channel it I like the highboy look, I have a 57 283 engine and transmission and a early 60s pontiac rear end, 34 for drop front axle, here's my questions to the guys doing traditional hot rods #1 how do I mount the rear axle? #2 do I need to remove the middle crossmember from the frame? # Will I need to recesse my firewall. I'm keeping my points distributor and the sagnaw 3 speed, really want to keep flat plywood floors if possible and I have a set of 48 ford rear radius rods if like to use to mount the rear axle can someone tell me what spring set up to run? I want it low as I can get through the suspension without stepping up the frame or channeling the body and still keep it looking traditional.
I looked at a Model A and if I remember correctly the owner had just made a small dog house around the distributer instead of recessing the whole firewall. Charlie Stephens
It's always been my opinion (which is worth almost as much as an already eaten mcrib lol) that beds on 28/29 fords need raised a couple inches. That alone will give it a lower look
WOW! I like that cab & bed you are starting with. The finished truck badshifter posted needs close study, like the '36 rear radius rod use for a lowered rear, note that the chassis needed to be lengthened to keep the wheels centered in the fenders. I'm off to read the build thread, thanks! Bob
Different year, but in my view the Bruce's Rod Shop (Danny Burroughs') 32 is a great example of how a trad style fenderless early Ford pickup should look in terms of stance, attitude, and wheel and tire sizes. Last picture is the wheels and tires that are on it now.
The low bed high roof is part of the appeal to me. They don't make design sense but they look awesome.
I've got a '29AA. I will fabricate an express bed for it, which is only about 12-13 inches high but low and long. Stock express beds are rare but look just right on those heavy frames.
Fenderless non channeled the bed raised on a 30-31 look better to me I was looking at one not channeled this summer and he had the bed raised and I liked it with out noting it was raised until he mentioned it . I haven't really checked out a 28-20 with a raised bed and no fenders but the cab starts looking really tall with the low bed and the cab on top of the frame fenderless IMO. With fenders if you get the truck low enough they look ok IMO . . I think these look ok on a\ a frame unchanneld IF you run skinny early wheels and tires . If you run mags or wide wheels they look off . They have a it was just stripped down by kid 50's feel non channeled and skinny wheels and vintage tires . Looks like you have some decent parts to work with . I have a square box sort of recess on my fire wall and I have the engine slightly more than many with a SBC . My advice is make a door/ removbale panel above the distributer to get it out easier from the inside the cab . then you can laeve the dash from the seam up alone .
I saw this 30 at a event this summer and he had the bed raised a bit and I thought it looked good with the early hot rod look with steel wheels and skinny tires . Unchanneled with a SBC and a 4speed .
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