Termites and Bowties- Early Chevy Group

Inspiring film.

 

I may have found a suitable width rear axle. It’s a 1970 Camaro “corporate” with a 58” WMS width. I hope it has a gear I can use.

 

Thanks @snoop74/@tb33anda3rd & @Jay, that '31 needed a dropped axle, doubtful on availability. One day I happened to scan eBay for early Chevy parts and that coupe showed up for sale - sadly. Wondering if she had sold...

 

I truly enjoyed this video, thanks

 

You're welcome Mr. Rumblegutz! Great looking Deuce 3W!

 

Everyone sit down for this story. You will not believe it.

Today I went to meet a man about a 1970 Camaro rear axle that was supposed to be the correct width for my Chevy coupe. Internet research and his measurements suggested that it was 58 inches wheel mounting surface to the opposite WMS.

I drove to his house after work. He’s in Columbia, SC where I live but opposite side of town.

I arrived and we measured the axle and it was too wide. More like 61”. Rats!

He said to me "What are you going to put it in?"

I answered, “It's going in a 1934 Chevy two-door business man's coupe.”

He said “I sold a 1936 Chevy coupe a few years ago. It had a Corvette IRS rear axle.”

I said, "SO DID MINE."

Within one minute, we realized he was the man who sold the Chevy coupe to the man I bought it from. We confirmed this with pictures and details about the car.

This is one of the most unusual coincidences I've ever encountered because there was NO OTHER REASON for me to talk to him except that I MIGHT want to buy his Camaro rear end.
Columbia, SC is NOT a tiny community like Hooterville from Green Acres. What are the odds that I’d ever meet the man AND figure out he was a prior owner?

Oh, and the other freaky coincidences are:
1. My first car was a 1970 Camaro. (Pictured below in 1978.)
2. He lives on Montgomery Avenue and I grew up and lived my entire life on Montgomery Avenue (in PA not Columbia, SC) until I moved out and got my own apartment after college.

 

This picture was taken by him in his driveway over 2 years ago. I was standing 40 feet from that exact location when we both realized he was a prior owner.

 

Technical question. I’m test fitting my fiberglass tail pan (probably not the right name for it). Should the tail pan mount flush with the horns on the frame, or does some sort of spacer go between the frame horn and the tail pan? This picture shows the tail pan mounted flush with the horns. The rear body to frame brackets line up well with the holes in the frame.

 

Jay have you seen this manual? https://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1934/index.htm

or this one? https://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/fisher/1934/index.htm

 

Wayne,
Yes, my good friend gave me a copy of the 1934 Chevrolet Repair Manual about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, it does not show any points about assembly of the body panels. It has a small section about glass installation at the very back of the book.

The other reference is the same link I have been referencing regarding the wood skeleton and body pieces. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have any info on bumper installation. I’m 99% sure it bolts on without any spacer between the tail pan and the frame horn.

 

Have you checked with the AACA? They will take points off if you do wrong!!!

 

I’ll get points off for nearly everything I have done so far. Haha!

 

I would think it goes flush, are you running a fuel tank in the rear? Maybe mock that up under it and move some stuff around until it looks “correct”

 

My car had one of those cheese treat panels for a recessed license plate but I just filled it in. Even mine doesn’t match up well

 

I used a small gasket material behind panel, then opened the hole up in the panel to accept a washer/tube spacer to sit flat against the frame so when the bumper brace went on it mounted solid to the frame . before mounting the bumper I put a rubber washer around the spacer to fill the space between the bumper brace and rear panel. I did this with an original panel, your tube spacer will be thicker to clear the thickness of the fiberglass.

 

the panel is only pinched by the rubber gasket/washer seen behind the bumper brace. the bumper is mounted solid to the frame via the washer/tube through the panel

 

I mounted mine with the side brackets. I don't use a bumper.

 

I will use this method. Any impact to the bumper is transmitted directly to the frame.

 

Today I checked the rear axle to make sure it was perpendicular to the frame centerline. I checked the frame for squareness several months ago.
I made a temporary Crossmember at the very front of the frame and then drilled a small hole in the exact center to represent the center line. I then use electrical wire to measure to the you both plate under the leaf spring and compared one side with the other. They matched. Hooray!
Here’s a video. LINK

 

Nice, what’s going to be the next step after that? You have all the wood replaced on the inside?

 

I'd like to see the rear differential (which ever he decides on) mounted up for good...

 

I’m replacing the wood skeleton with steel. Progress has been made but still more to go. Lots more.

 

Gotcha I’m used to seeing you post something so
I just wasn’t sure if I had missed something. Las trine you were working on the door structure I thought

 

Call me OCD.
I rarely have a helper when I’m in the shop working.
I made a metal jig because tape measures flop around too much. The jig will be used instead of a tape measure and I made it rigid so the ends stay parallel to each other. It’s perfectly flat with no flex. It takes a lot of force to get any twist.
Lots of pictures. Too many.
The plan is to drill my 1 + 1/8” hole and lightly tack weld the shackle tube in place. Then use the jig to position the front leaf spring bracket and bolt.
I confirmed that my marks are exactly 43 + 7/16” apart on both sides and square to the opposite side mark on the jig. This jig should be more accurate than using a floppy tape measure.
I’m counting on the leaf spring eyes to be parallel and without any twist. I’ll check before proceeding.

 

I need advice. I feel I'm able to accomplish this fabrication even though I’ve never done it before.
I’m thinking about doing a mini tub to the rear wheel wells. This would allow me to use a more common 2WD S10 rear end. They are far more common than the 4 x 4 S10 rear ends.
S10 2WD is 54.5” wide WMS to WMS.
S10 4x4 is 59”.
The sub flooring frame shown in this picture runs along the outside of the frame just like the factory wood beam. It’s my understanding the wheel well had a flange at the bottom that was nailed to the bottom of that wood beam.
The frame is 42” wide in this area and I’ve done the math. The distance between the vertical sheet metal inside the wheel well is 47”.
A mini tub would give me an extra 2.5” per side to work with.
One additional advantage is that I will have better access to repair my wheel wells and rear quarter panels while the fender wells are off the car.
I value your wisdom. I’m new at this stuff.

 

sounds like a plan

 

You are skilled and brave but I think your time and effort would be better spent looking for a 4x4(or proper width) rear end.

 

I run an S10 two wheel drive rear in my '34 Master coupe with 15x9 wheels and 235 70s. I did not use tubs. It all fits but is close. I've run this set up since 1990.

 

Primed34, what sort of backspacing do your rear wheels have? Do you have fenders on the rear?
Thanks.