Hello everyone.This will be my first "Hot Rod" project.Second care project in 20yrs? Anyhow I have purchased a 41 chevy 2dr sedan.engine and tranny already removed.Car has been sitting and previouse owner looked to have started a restoration or hot rod project.All trim off car,front&rrear fender's off and so on.Anyhow I'm starting to put together a hit list on what I need to build this car.I want to go modern suspension,small block.I have a line on a 79 pontiac trans am sub frame complete will all components.As for rear end not sure.10 bolt or 12 bolt or 9"? I want to build the car as a good all around driver.Not really interested in drag racing it.Same with transmission,th350,th400 or 700r?.My left knee isn't in the best of shape so no 4sp or 5sp.Plus I can't drink coffe and drive at the same time .I'm giving myself a time line of 4yrs.That will make me 50yrs young ain: when the car is finished.Any thoughts on this project will be greatly apprciated.Thanxs for looking,
stefanP
Look at these.Primed parts are the radiator support and motor mounts.Bare steel parts are the front crossmemeber pieces.Next I'm waiting for the complete front end components and rear springs and mounting shackels.
Well all the parts have ARRIVED!!!! Looked like Christmas in july!!:thumbup: Haven't opend all the boxes,but there lots of them(9 all together) .I'll post pics later.
Ok I am not the expert that i would like to be but i have built from the ground up four cars in the past year and a half. Crazy addiction. Still working on the fourth now. Regarding the wiring, do not use EZ Wire. They suck and have no tech support what so ever. Painless would be my choice based on quality and price.Chev's of the 40's has a lot of stuff. there is another company called the Filling station that is real good and very helpful. Summit Racing quite frankly is my main source and I think are the best all around supplier i have found. Second choice is Speedway.
Definitely start with the chassis. I used a sbc350 and a 700r in my 38 chop top. Worked out real nice and did not break the bank. White performance can help you with all of your engine needs. I ordered all my engine parts, chrome kit, carb, manifold, and pulley from them. excellent experience, talk to Charlie, he is a master. Don't chop it unless you have alot of money and patience. It is a lot of work. Dont french the doors because the door poppers are a pain in the *****. If you are going to do the interior yourself you will save a ton of dough. I enjoyed the interiors because you can get creative. Try to find some late model seats from a salvage yard. New seats are awesome and have heat and power, real nice and cheap. i used seats from a 2013 malibu in my 38 chevy and 2008 Mercedes e class for my 1930 model A. Dont forget the Air Conditioning.
Here are a couple of pictures.First one is the boxes from Big brown truck.Next are the upper towers getting bolted on tonight.One slight problem(sorta) is there is a space between strut rod bracket and cross member.Check the picture.Anyone else have this issue? Yes the bracket plates are flush with the frame.
Well,all the front end components are bolted in place.Now I have to prime and paint the "A" arms and any related parts that will not receive paint once bolted in place.Also need to decide on what chassi paint will be used.My local napa deals sells the Bill Hirshire chassi black .Also have been looking at Eastwood paints.Stay tuned and stay koooooooooool.90 + HUMIDITYain: all next week here in Connecticut.
stefanP
PLEASE READ ALL PAPER WORK WITH YOUR NU PARTS Well everything is on the front end as far as I can go. You needto purchase or make your own struts in place of the springs IF your building your car from frame up.CE say NOT TO INSTALE SPRINGS UNTIL CAR IS COMPLETE!!!. So next for me is to get the rear spring mounts and shackels installed.Then we paints the whole thing!!!!!!!!!!:thumbup::mwink::drool: stay toon.........
stefanP
OH Ya almost one year but not much to show I have the chassi outside through the weather and the front spindels got rusty.So I just cleaned them up and put on a rubber protective coating.I purchased the stuff at harbor freight tools.Suppose to be a tool coating.Anyway I see if this protects the spindels.Anyway I purchased most of my Street Rod Head Quarters.But all the rubber components like ball joint rubber covers and the leaf spring rubbers are all cracking badly.No I'm not happy.Has anyone else experienced this?? I'm taking pictures and sending them back to SRH to see what they say.The frame has only been through one newengland winter on t he rottiserrie!! I can't imagine what will happen whe I start to drive the car!!
stefanP
Well those parts weren't designed to sit out in the weather year around. Everything that is sitting out should be covered, painted, and greased where necessary. Why not get some cheap plastic tarps and wrap the project up over the winter, and duct tape it on to hold it? All the bare metal that got the rubber coating will more than likely be a real pain to remove later, and if all the rust wasn't cleaned off, it will rust from underneath the rubber coating.
Well we are moving forward.Waiting for the Lokar hand brake cables and we will be finished.Here are pictures I promised.Using the copper /alloy brake line.SWEEEEEEEEEEET Stuff to work with.
Transmision and "mock up" drive shaft have been purchased.Spent time at the car wash power washing and degreessing transmission.Will post pictures when taken with digital camera.Looking at Saturday to mock up trans/engine in chassi.Hold on!!
I figure the drain at the car wash has a filter system or something.Most of the greasy stuff was lite grime.If this offends you,I will keep it to my self.
Doesn't offend me at all.
Just throwing it out there. All sewage usually ends up back where your drinking water comes from is all. It's in your own backyard, not mine.
Just something to consider.
It is definitely a project!
I recently got myself a 1973 Ford Capri MK1.
It's completely rusty, no brakes, the engine's ridiculous.
I'll need a lot of patience, and a lot of money to get the work done.
Good luck to you!
Sorry to be quiet.A little breaK in the action.Tommorro I will be making adapter plates to mount my body on the rotisserier.Then onto the body work!! What I did do in the past couple weeks was to put the body onto the frame and check to see all items are lining up.This included putting in engine and transmission.Had to modify tranny cross member:thumbup:All looks good to go. Stay tuned!
Be careful doing too much body work on the rotisserie, pull it off rotisserie and check it on frame often, or you could end up with a finished body that won't fit on the frame worth a hoot....has happened to more than one rodder out there. Or when bolted back to frame after all work done on the roto....none of the body gaps align and doors won't fit right, or even shut.
Might be best to do a lot of it with body on the frame, so stress points are the same....especially floor pan work. Rough it in, then maybe finish some remaining welds on the roto where it is easy to get a good position for welding.
The major work is replacing outer and inner rocker panels.Before I remove the body ,I will be welding in temporary bracing inside the body. Both in the door area's and across the body from left to rite.I'll post pictures.Thanxs for the good words of advise.
You just have to brace it up well thats all and gap the doors but leave them on until your sure the body hasent flexed...Puggs has a few nice pics of proper bracing on his old mopar...
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