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Is this your first car build? If so, you might want to back up a bit. Look around at other cars and find something you like. Investigate aborted projects. Often people get in over their heads (sounds like you could...) and give up after collecting a bunch of parts and not getting anywhere. You can get some real good deals that way, but you need to know what you're looking at. You could end up buying a pile of junk and doing the same thing -- getting discouraged.
Since you have a good idea of what you want, start with a chassis and drivetrain. You'll need that no matter what body you choose/end up with, or how much work you do to it. Most any 30s body (Ford or Chevy, fiberglass or steel) will fit a typical 30s style rod frame. You're planning on a lot of body work anyway, so making it fit won't be to much hassle. I'm over simplifying some, I know, but this is pretty safe. Don't do any final paint on the frame until you have the body though. You want some paint on it to keep it from rusting, but spray bomb it at first. Then when you have it fully assembled and the engine mounts and all welded in, get the body. If there are any brackets needed to mount the body, weld on. Now you take it all back apart, sand/grind/smooth any seams you want (bondo on frame seams is fine, just keep it thin), paint, then carefully reassemble.
One more word of advice -- back off the blower. 30s style rods are LIGHT cars. A blower looks cool, but you can easily loose control of the car. A 32 coupe is in a local rod shop now for that very reason. Blown 350, auto trans, 12" tires in the back, 3.73 gears, limited slip. Owner punched it when doing 50-55 on a straight road just to see if it would break the wheels loose. It did, and immediately fish tailed and went in the ditch before he could let off the gas. He'd had a standard diff in it and could do the smae thing with just a slight twitch to the side. Remember, with a standard diff only one wheel is spinning, the other isn't. With the limited slip both lock and you may as well be on a grease covered road once the tires start spinning! Luckily no one was hurt, but the rod needed a new fender, running boards, and a little door work, and the frame rail was bent on that side.
If you really want a blower, it can be added later. If you want to have fun driving the car, stick a single 4V on it at first and get used to it. If that's not enough power for ya, stick a blower on later. It's not much fun having a car you're scared to drive, unless you want to build a garage/trailer queen. I prefer driveable cars.
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01-06-2006, 11:25 AM
Go see Alan at Flatlanders in Norfolk. He's knowledgeable and honest and in your backyard and can sell you what you need.
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