TECH WEEK: Channel an "A" the Jordan way!

TECH WEEK: How to channel an “A” the Jordan way...

The Idea: I want to build a nice and low roadster with a stock front axle. I also want as much room inside as possible. I just hate that look when the floors are so high it looks like you’re sitting in a radio flyer.

The Plan: The floors and sub-rails were all rotted out so I needed to replace those. I know lots of guys just build their own from rectangular tubing, but my car is pretty twisted up and I felt using stock replacement parts would help me get the thing straightened out. Plus, I have always liked modifying stock parts, it takes away some of the guess work, (which works well for my skill set) and gives the car a cool semi sorta stock look. This is how I did it garage guy style!

First: The body was rough cut just to get it to sit down over the axles. A little sawzall and cutting action plus a few temporary braces, give the body clearance to sit where I’d like it to.

 

Second: Make cardboard templates of your wheel wells, carefully mark and cut them to a shape that will give you the proper axle clearance and look cool. Now put these away for safe keeping, you will need them later!

 

Third: Install your new Sub-rails and sub rail connectors. I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures during this point as it was really just a lot of grunting, sweating, grinding and drilling to get all the original rivets loose. Some careful measuring made the rails slip into place without too much of a fight. The stock sub rail connectors were just screwed into place to aided in squaring up the body

 

Fourth: I cut and welded in new, stock wheel wells. I then folded the bottom of the skin over and plug welded it to the sub rails. This stiffens up the *** end quite a bit! Then using those ever important templates I saved, I marked the new wheel wells where they are to be cut. BUT WAIT! First we need to brace up the portion of the sub-rail in the rear part of the car. If we just hack out a piece of the sub rail the rear end could sag!

 

Fifth: I don’t have any kind of hydraulic bender so we’re going to have the make this piece the hard way. Using my templates as a guide I cut out a wooden buck. I took a piece of 1”x2” and cut about a million pie cuts in it. I clamped it to the buck, put some heat on the backside and presto! Now weld all million slots up and grind to a nice finish. Line up your new piece in the wheel well and weld it up!

 

Sixth: Now you can go ahead and cut out the axle clearance in the wheel well. I left an inch of fat on each of my cuts so we can fold the skin over and plug weld. This will give us a nice rolled lip in the wheel well. Nothing more hack looking that jagged cut sheet metal hanging in the wind. Folded and plug welded!

 

Seventh: Then it was time to start figuring out how I was going to make room for the drive train through the middle of the car. The plan is to make hoops with the same design as the stock sub-rail connectors and then splice them in, creating a smooth, flowing floor. Basic for most, but complicated for a dummy like me, a little math can save you tons of time when making a circular piece.

 

Eigth: I used my stretcher, some sheet metal bent into 90’s and started making my sides for the hoops. I then cut the filler piece for the center and bent it around a welding bottle. A little line up, some time on the TIG welder, and Viola, a dropped floor brace.

 

Ninth: Cut, splice and metal finish. I bolted the original down while I did this so I didnt screw up the dimensions of the original piece.

 

Tenth: I then began mounting the body. I wanted the body to be fully rubber mounted and not directly bolted to the frame in any way. Hopefully this will keep some of the vibration down. I used a polyurethane body mounting kit for a C5 Corvette from summit. I made a bunch of these (insert pic) which will be cut down to specific lengths and used as the lower body mount and welded to the frame.

 

Eleventh: These are the brackets that will become the upper body mount, and actually welded to the sub-rails using a series of plug welds. A few variations of these brackets will be used throughout the mounting of the body.

 

Twelth: I mounted the rear

 

Thirteenth: Then two in the mid section...

 

Fourteenth: The floor can now begin! I started with the trans tunnel. The same C=pie(D) math was used to construct this piece. Luckily I have access to a slip roll at my work. Then I put some beautiful bead rolls in it with my brand new machine!

 

Recently I transformed my tax return into an awesome new BAILEIGH bead roller. It’s the only 24” powered model on the market that will do 18 gauge steel for $895. All the other manufactures you are talking many hundreds more to do the exact same thing! I love my new BR-18E-24 Bead roller! I sure would love to park a new E-wheel or plannishing hammer next to it (wink wink, nudge nudge).

 

Fifteenth: Then I made some templates for the second and third pieces of floor. I sheared the metal at work, drilled for plug welds, laid out my beads and rolled away!

 

looks great

 

The floors are turning out awesome. With the majority of the channel done, its time to roll this baby out and see how she sits!!

 

Finally: Unfortunately friends, this is as far as I have gotten. I’d love to have my floors and firewall finished for this tech but I just won’t be able to get them done by the 15<SUP>th</SUP>. If only I could get paid to stay home and work on the car! I hope that some of you may be able take an idea home and use it on your car!

 

Killer thread Jordan!!!!

 

Thanks Ian! Its Much better now, got the pics all fixed up.

 

Wow! I dig those floors.... my old time hot rodder buddy told me to run the beads up like you did so moister won't settle in em and rot em out!! Nice job!!

 

Thanks Chad! I ran em up to solve a clearance issue and ended up really liking the look. I never even thought about the rust issue, good point!

 

Good looking model A!

 

Thanks for the great thread. I'm about to start the same procedure on my 31 a coupe, hope I can make it look as good as yours.

 

Wow, nice metal work neighbor!

 

Nice job of it!

 

Awesome work! That floor and tunnel is beautiful.

 

What he said ^^