OK, this is the first time I feel like I have actually made progress! Got the front crossmember cut for the mounts and got the mounts bolted in. I still have to clean up the cuts a little and they will be bolted and welded in once finished.
Thanks! I went back out last night and worked a little more. I installed the steering box and then tried installing a set of headers from a 40 Ford on it. To my surprise the headers dang near fit. The rear tube hits the steering column about 1/4" before it mates to the block so I may be able to make em work!!! I'll post some more pics later.
You son of a bitch!!!! That is a pretty good idea though. I might see if I can get one after I pay for my tunnel ram.
Don't knock electric fans on Flatties too much! Looking good Chris, can't believe you don't got this thing on the road yet!
As some famous fucker once said, "Two nations seperated by a common language". Well,I'm off down the frog and toad in me jam jar wearing me best whistle and flute,to the rub-a-dub for a pint of pigs ear.
Got the center crossmember cut and fit, I think it will work out great. I'm going to weld a plate on the frame (like a boxing plate) at the area were the crossmember is, and make some tabs on the crossmember and make the sucker a bolt in. Also some pics of the headers and the fit. Note how close the drivers side is to fitting, even with the steering box. The column hits the rear header tube, so it should be a pretty thing to work around and modify to work.
With the amount of room you have,Chris,I think bolt in is the sensible way to go with that cross member. From the pic,looks like a small notch in the rear pipe will sort the headers. I would imagine there's been a lot of thought and head scratching gone into getting everything packaged into that small space.Nice work mate,keep it up!
Yeah, I think a notch in the pipe will do it, or a little reshape to the whole rear pipe. Yes, a whole lot of mock up is getting done to be sure everthing will work. Pretty much everything but the front engine mounts (they are Vern Tardel) is Ford stuff and it's wierd how it all seems to just fit together. It's actually going way easier than I thought...some people make this job sound near immpossible!! Plus a few Hambers like Loudpedal have given advise and pics so that helps a bunch. Thanks guys!!
Will you be using this engine in the final version, as it looks so perfect with those heads...or will you be swapping heads?
That is the engine that will be in the car and running those heads. I have some factory aluminum heads, but cast iron is higher compression that aluminum so I gotta go with cast...plus I think they look bichin on this thing.
They do look great on there and the color is also perfect. A clean "industrial" feel to it. All business with minimal flash. Very very nice build. I also loved the original build, by the way. Good luck.
Yeah, the color is great. This thing will probably be my signature "patina" look. The frame will be all painted, but a chassis black color so it won't stand out too much.
Great Progress Chris.... Looking at your steering box clearance I don't feel I will be able to fit my 46-48 unit into mine its so big compared to the F1 box. Spence.
Hey Chris loved your roadster before and now its looking even better with the 8,thanks for the imfo and the pics....Rod
Thanks Chris, I'll size it up when I get the engine mocked in - I think I've read somewhere on here about someone using a 46-48 box but in a 32 frame - so that's probably what they did..... just thinking ahead really... have a lot of other stuff to do with the frame before that.... Spence.
You could mount it down low and use it as cross steer, I think that would be a neat set-up. Otherwise you could always locate an F-1 if the 46-47 box won't work. Vern Tardel makes a little "wedge" plate that bolts an F-1 box into a 32 frame and gets the steering box dead srait (F-1 frames are strait rails, 32 frames widen the more it goes back so the F-1 steering column would be crooked without the wedge). Either way I'm sure you'll figure it out and make it look/function great.
Chris, Liking your build. May need to use some of this for my "A" Modified. It's a Vaphead Frame. "A" RPU body, Ford 2.3 w/5 spd. Rear axle is '41 converted to Open Drive with housings swapped side to side and "T" spring. I know mill is not very traditional . . . it's what I got. 41 Dave
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