GDay Guys Ive finally got the project to a rolling ch***is stage. Who'da guessed it wouldve cost more than my original budget and taken about 3 times as long? I even bought stuff that was the wrong size or stuff from the wreckers that didnt work (but the guy said it was a good one!!) and wasted a lot of $$. My wife said that if it was my hobby then why was I swearing and throwing **** around the garage? Anyhow, its almost ready for the 1st engineers inspection soo fingers crossed. The real funs gonna start when I try to square up the floppy gl*** body - cos I now its way out of whak... Thanks heaps to all the Hambers whove given advice over the last coupla years....couldnta done it withoutcha. Steve (Im not Flattie any more as you can see - got one of them new fangled V8's instead - but hey its still traditional cos the disk calipers are finned to match my prized Offy valve covers
looking good steve, pitty about the brand X but hey, thats cool. like the kick up in the rear. what is the plan all in all?
Steve great job !! But Im afraid Im with Flatoz on this one...whats the deal with ditching the Flathead ? I mean a 27 T with a Ch...Ch....Chev? Whats the world coming to?? lol Rat
Hey Flatoz heres what I want it to look like... but mine sits a littler higher. BTW whats Brand X? Steve
No Guys! It gets worse...Its not a Chev Its a P76 - But I like to call it a Nailhead cos the Rover/P76 V8 is a dead copy of the Buick 215. Ill put the Offy valve covers on an you tell me it aint so (the tops lay flat). Theres heaps more Aussie content here too - try Gemini booster, Commodore calipers, Falcon rotors and diff - If i can scoire a petrol tank from a Camira It'll be too Dinky Di for words - Like that scene from the Castle where they have to move the various cars out of the drive. Oh yeah, tie rod ends are HK Kingswood. Steve
looking good steve, thats a fair kickup on the rear, how will you go with rego? got any more photos?? these cars take twice the time and money you thought they would, but thats ok, in the end its all worth it!
Hey Steve I thought that looked like an aliminium block.....nice score. What are your plans for the motor ? Rat
Nice looking progress. My roadster had three motor changes, BB Chev, 289 Ford, before I ended up going with the Flathead. Main thing is to get it on the road.
Thanks for the feedback guys - The purpose of this project is to build a trad styled rod (as far as possible/legal) for as little as possible. That has meant sourcing stuff from the wreckers and making as much as I can. with a mate who has access to a lathe Ive been able to tap heavy tube to make ladder bars, panhard bars etc. I did a couplka TAFE welding courses which gave me the confidence to fabricate heapsd of brackets and engine mounts trans mounts all the rear suspension mounts etc. Stuff I farmed out was final Mig welding of the whole ch***is and TIG welding of the rod ends we made (they sure look purty) and also my steering wheel I made out of 2 Flathead conrods (see pic) I opted for a stock axle for $20 and split wishbones ($50) which saved over a grand on the cost of 4 bars and a dropped axle. I like the wide swoopy look of the original axle which is heaps wider than a superbell. Some things though are non negotiable so although i started off with pursuit rims from a Falco, I replaced the front 2 with smoothies and plan to do the same tpo the rear. Grill shell will be major part of the look so a 32 (gl***) was a must. Insert I plan to go aluminium plate with big holes - theres a aussie rod kicking around - someones avatar - that Ill copy - looks killer! I bought a heap of 3" ss pipe to use as exhaust - I plan to make 4 foot long exhaust/mufler like a TBucket running undernath rails with a perforated SS shroud - I got all the stuff from s****yard for $60. The body's gl*** of course - I actually got onto a guy selling a steel body but I stupidly said I wanted to build a hotg rod and he went all twitchy and said he wouldnt sell a rodder the door handles! Anyway this body is wider than the original and a Falcon diff (commercial 3.23 ratio) fits just nice. I can get a Itsasnap harness for a good price and that will be a major expense at just over $300. I reckon the rest of the build will noty be too costly although i dont know about the w'screen - i want a decent 32 style one -not elcheapo cast aluminium posts. ive heard some guys have made nice screen posts outr of bicycle forks. I could go on about the details (like the repro brit Mini fuel cap - its a big chrome mother that looks like its off a 1930's racing car (or a Mini). Anyway needless to say its become an obsession - I draw sketches of the rake and exhaust systenm at meetingfs at work. The real challenge for me is to build it cheap but not cheesy (read street machine) Thats why I can live with the disc brakes and tupperware body. Steve
Looks real good! What model Falcon diif did you use, and do you have any better detailed pics of the rear of the ch***is with the ladder bars etc. Michael
Rat Bastad We just puled it down and replaced bearings and gaskets. Oh and the pistons were cracked so i got a set of Land Rover ones - they fit and are a bit higher compression. I put a double row timing chain in and seated the valves. We just honed the bores and Im running a 350 holley instead of the smaller WW Stromberg. There are lots of things I couldve done inc;luding a cam and 4 barrell intake but I ran out of $. Do you know what low buck options I have for the radiator to go inside a 32 grill shell
The Jalopy Journal
