I've had this idea bang'n around my skull for a while now. I got bored earlier so I decided I'd photoshop a bit and get an idea of what it would look like. I'm basicly thinking, T frame, drop axel, Z the hell out of it, a lot of junkyard parts, and make a sectioned sedan body from scratch. For a power plant, I'm still deciding, but it's gona come down to whatever I find that I can squeze some decent power out of. Most importantly I want to keep it cheap and fun with as much HP as I can afford to throw at it. This is gona be my first ground up project and God knows when I'll actually be able to start this thing, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while. It's not gona be period correct, it's not gona be built to show or race and it's just gona have a seat and a steering wheel. Just something cool I can jump in and drive the hell out of when it's all said and done.
I hear ya but I dont see Nuttin...........Tampa's gotta bad rep when it comes to this sheet... good luck body from scratch? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm thats alot of hammering
Sounds like a totally do-able plan Scrapyard! Should be lots of partial bodies floatin' around and if it's similar to the pic it would totally ROCK! I say go for it! Regards, Dave.
looks cool but i dont know were ya gonna set your ass. that rear end and frame are gonna be popin up right in your crotch. love the look of that beast though. Bones
[ QUOTE ] make a sectioned sedan body from scratch. [/ QUOTE ] Decent 2 door Sedan bodies are comparitively cheap,shitty ones are even cheaper. 4 door Sedans should be dirt cheap,but are not as plentiful. The most important parts are from the beltline up. Below that is relatively easy to make if you really want to. Above the beltline is MUCH more difficult.. Study as many pictures as you can find of The Purple People Eater. To get the rear axle that far forward could be a challenge,unless you have REAL short legs. But it is possible. Draw it out to scale,and figure out how to squeeze the rear suspension and frame kick up in there. And post progress pictures here.
looks like you may have to cut out a round section of the door to clear the back tires if they are as close as theyll be in that pic! Nothing like cruisin with your arm hangin out the window and your slicks eat your watch right off your wrist!
FatAss called it ... it's the Purple People Eater. Not that you shouldn't build it. You do plan on keeping the roof open and sitting with your head popping out right? That's the only way you'd fit. Looks like it would be lots of fun, but probably not street legal. That's no fun.
Thanks guys. The doors are going to be a problem as they are set in the pic. So it's gona have to be lengthened just a bit obviously. The cars main goal is functionality. And yeah, it does have an uncanny resembalince to the PPE, which is more or less the look I was after. I like that whole short stuby altered look. Really, I'm just after a new challenge. I want to try my hand at building the body myself. At that point I'll have free reign to do what ever I want as the mood strikes me. I'm toying with the idea of a hump back just to be a little different. I got long legs so I'm gona have to sit on the rear end more or less. S any extra room will be a plus. I would like to keep the roof low so it's only gona be channeled 2 or 3 inches max with a drop floor. As far as legality. If it's got lights the cops shouldn't bother me too much.
[ QUOTE ] I hear ya but I dont see Nuttin...........Tampa's gotta bad rep when it comes to this sheet... good luck body from scratch? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm thats alot of hammering [/ QUOTE ] Drag, What do you mean by a bad rep? Really, I'm not to intouch with the scene around here yet. I spent the last 10 years in Orlando hang'n around a bunch of minitruckers and scooter trash. Besides, you know as well as I do the majority of the Hot Rod population around there is a bunch of mint green lov'n goldchainers.
For a look like that, I'd buy a cheap, off brand 4 door sedan body and shorten hell out of it. That gives you a shorty 1/4 window and maybe even a title. Here's a photo of my old 31 dodge 4 door after the front doors were discarded. I cut the photo to approximate a chopped top. I got the entire car, already shortened with a valid title for a measly $250.. the frame was shortened badly with one rail being 1 inch longer than the other...made a new chassis from box tubing.
Nice job Rocky. That's a nice start. I have a lot of bad luck finding good old tin like that though. Everyone wants an arm and leg for hunk of old swiss cheese. Good ideas though. Hopefully, someone wil smile on me when this thing starts to go together.
Hey Scrapy, I really like the idea and the look of your plan. I think you should just go for it and think about it later. Once you've been driving it for a while you're almost guaranteed to love it as it will be something you designed and built yourself. I really like Rocky's shortened 4 door too. Great stuff!
OK, I changed a few things. The wheels aren't in the way of the doors anymore. I sloped the C piliar in a bit and added a bit of a humpback for a little style. Kinda reminds me of choped up version of Bonnie and Clydes 34,
Excellant idea, Scrapyard! I say that because that's what I did 30 years ago.I had a 30 A sedan that I took 6" outta the top 24" outta the quarter windows. It was channeled 3" too! 92 " wheelbase. I will dig some pics out to post. Unkl and Rocky have a good point, you can pick up a rough sedan for cheap and wack the beecheezus outta it. Mine was on a big rake to clear the rear suspension. To get it as low as you want it, you are going to need a short 4 bar or short trailing arms. Another problem is the drive shaft, it will be short mine was something like 11". Mine shook violently when incountering a dip or depression in the road. You may need to limit your susspension travel. I hope you build it, I miss mine.
You might be able to run a pair of lower trailing arms with a torque arm, like on the latemodel Camaros. Study how the factory did it to avoid a bind. Done properly,it would look and work good. The lower arms could go on the outside of the frame rails.
Here's something I sketched out a year or so ago. It was my thought to build a modified coupe but I decided on a modified roadster soon after. I still have most of the body...but it will most likely be used for a Comp. Coupe. Bonneville project when I get some quarters. Wonder when Posies is going to start building their version?
[ QUOTE ] Here's something I sketched out a year or so ago....but it will most likely be used for a Comp. Coupe. Bonneville project when I get some quarters. Wonder when Posies is going to build their version? [/ QUOTE ] If you don't post it they won't see it. Well unless they're reading your thoughts with the spy satilight (sp). Better get some tinfoil for your hat. BTW good lines Grim. Guess we better hunt you down some quarters.
[ QUOTE ] Where in Tampa? Tim MBL [/ QUOTE ] North Tampa, off Bruce B. Downs. I roll around in a baby blue '60 Caddy on air bags. Can't miss me. Great ideas everyone. Grim I like the sketch. Especially the louvered roof. Very cool idea. Budy of mine has a rolling wreck of a truck with a good vin, so that should be good for some parts and a decent foundation. See what comes of it.
I wonder... Could you get away with a solid mounted rear axle? It would ride like a pain in the azz... and you would want to rubber mount the axle some how so you dont get vibrations. But the guys down on the salt flats usta run a solid mount! That would get rid of some of the problems with the rear suspension... but I wonder if something as long as your thinking could handle the lateral twist going over speedbumps/pot holes? Might be doable... might be worth checking out... or it might be a stupid idear. Looks sweet to me...
I'm not even gona play with a solid mount axel on the street. Works fine on a nice flat drag strip. Ever ride in a car with air bags or hydraulics let all the way down? Or better yet a rigid frame motorcycle? It's hell on the kidney's. You litterally feel every little pebble. After about 20 min your back is hate'n life. And I'm still a pretty young guy. You can always go for a cantilever setup if space is an issue underneth.
... Jeeze, Wasnt thinking about the driver... I was concerned it might crack the welds on the frame! Guess you might could do a shortened 9 inch with coil overs with some locator bars... But thats no fun!
[ QUOTE ] ... Jeeze, Wasnt thinking about the driver... I was concerned it might crack the welds on the frame! Guess you might could do a shortened 9 inch with coil overs with some locator bars... But thats no fun! [/ QUOTE ] LOL! That too . Or you can just do a 2 foot kick up and have all the room you'll ever need
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