Im getting to the point on my chevelle where theres a possibility of me starting a new little project on the side. I want to do a cheap rat rod build using a few parts I have and could probably get for cheap but I have a few questions. First of all I have a chevy 10 bolt rear end from a 66 chevelle I want to use. Im worried that the bolt pattern will limit my choice of wheels and I wont be able to match front ford with the chevy rear? Should I just find somebody who wants to trade me for a ford rear end? I also have a powerglide tranny from a chevelle that would be cool to use. Im still looking for a kool engine to use. I have a straight 6 just sitting out side but Im looking along the lines of a 4 banger now. Something with a good power to weight ratio. I heard it has been popular to use a pontiac 4 these days. Now that I explained some of the parts I need help with things like frame and suspension. I like the idea of the suspension hanging past the frame. I think its called suicide suspension and I need to find a place to learn more about it. Also I dont understand the rear suspension to well either hopefully the pic will explain it to you better. As for the frame Im sure I can build it once I enderstand the suspension. If there is any books or sites you recomend that would be great also. I would like to build this for around 2500 and I think it is possible with all the little parts I laying around the shop I can use. If anybody knows the average price for used suspension like this that would help alot when it comes time for me to work up the money. If this is in the wrong section I am sorry. As you can tell I have little experience with hotrods. Thanks for any help you can give.
rat rod questions
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Look up near the top of your screen....where it says Crankshaft Coalition Wiki......click on that then look through the index there and click on T-bucket plans......You should be able to find everything you need there for building your frame and suspension. Have fun but build it safe....Steering, suspension, and brakes are not the things to cheap out on.
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GM discs can be adapted to 37-41 and 42-48 Ford spindles so the bolt pattern business is a moot point.
If you want something different, and everyone is using Pontiac Iron Duke 4 cylinders, doesn't that make the inline Chevy six cylinder the obvious choice? The power to weight ratio doesn't change much but the visual impact just might! Imagine a trio of single barrels or a duo of "Weber" staged 2bbls on a homemade log manifold (Webers being stock Pinto/Mustang 2.0 & 2.3 4 cylinder carbs from the early 70s to 1980, all the cool guys call them Webers 'cause it's a Weber design).
The car you show as an example might just be the wrong one to emulate...I think it is the one that was actually built a little too low, frame wise, and was destroyed when the frame stopped on the roadbed and the drivetrain didn't.
Don't get crazy and think you can ride around on the road (any road) with a frame or engine pan just a couple or three inches off the pavement. A working suspension usually has a 2-3" up and DOWN in movement. And don't forget the scrub line which allows for FLAT TIRES!
Don't mean to be too abrupt but safety is a major, even, over-riding concern when putting together any car, most especially anything you are not familiar with.
If you want something different, and everyone is using Pontiac Iron Duke 4 cylinders, doesn't that make the inline Chevy six cylinder the obvious choice? The power to weight ratio doesn't change much but the visual impact just might! Imagine a trio of single barrels or a duo of "Weber" staged 2bbls on a homemade log manifold (Webers being stock Pinto/Mustang 2.0 & 2.3 4 cylinder carbs from the early 70s to 1980, all the cool guys call them Webers 'cause it's a Weber design).
The car you show as an example might just be the wrong one to emulate...I think it is the one that was actually built a little too low, frame wise, and was destroyed when the frame stopped on the roadbed and the drivetrain didn't.
Don't get crazy and think you can ride around on the road (any road) with a frame or engine pan just a couple or three inches off the pavement. A working suspension usually has a 2-3" up and DOWN in movement. And don't forget the scrub line which allows for FLAT TIRES!
Don't mean to be too abrupt but safety is a major, even, over-riding concern when putting together any car, most especially anything you are not familiar with.
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That red car is a good picture to emulate..with the parts you have and good attention to using what you can find you may be able to get close on that budget..I would reccomend getting an axle and suspension package complete from speedway or one of the other usual suspects as you want that to be in good condition..I have wound up spending more than I would like fixing old parts at times..
Sam
Sam
thanks for the info guys. I now realize that the car I have drawn out sit unrealisticly low and would drive like poo that way. I think the straight 6 would be good to use now I look at it. A car always takes twice what you think it will cost to build it. And I got some good info. Time to go gather parts. I still want to go old skool style suspension though and Im still going to build the frame. I have some experience doing work with suspension travel and frome building from back halfing my chevelle so Im gonna love this project. Thanks guys this is a great forum.
Yeah.. nice look but those must be titanium skid plates on the front of the frame.. or maybe little still casters hidden inside.. ha!cboy said:Speaking of scrub lines...check out this one. It's a beautiful rod, but I wouldn't want to blow a front tire on it, or even have one go flat. You'd be plowing asphalt. And this car was featured in Hot Rod mag.
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-Stephen
check out www.jalopyjournal.com click on "hamb" . there is all kinds of rat rod stuff happening there . a word of advice ......dont use the term "rat rod " on that site , i've seen guy's get flamed pretty good for using that .
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Your dream machine
You have a very perfect and reliable six you can use. There are always tons of speed parts available for that in-line. Did you know you can get nearly 400HP out of that six of yours? They make all kinds of goodies at a reasonable and affordable price. You can set up dual turbos, or add a Vortex to it or add setup four deuces and dual exhaust. Your ten bolt third member can be improved by changing out the axle shafts to Ford bolt pattern. And while your doing this, it gives you every reason to actually freshen up your bearings and ring/pinion setup. Then you will have a fresh third member for your build.
So don't go and toss good parts out the door just yet, sit down and plan this build out. Draw it out and map your plans. Set up a goal line for each event. Check out the cost of rebuilds compared to buying something already built.
You will find you save more then 50% on the outlay of your hard earned money. Plus all the knowledge you will gain from doing this your self.
Rebuilding your in-line six and some added goodies, around $1500.00
Rebuild on the transmission, I would go with a OD, like a 700r4, simple cause they make a stand alone module for this tranny with out having a computer.
You can find a good one for around $1200.00 if you shop carefully.
The third member can be done for around $500.00, which is far more reliable then buying something out of a junk yard and not knowing how it was treated over the years. Plus a new one is over $800.00 up to $3,500:sweat:
Lets face the reality point in todays world of building cars. Inflation has driven everything up, so face the music and except this straight up. The engine build is a ball park figure for the six. That would include machine shop work, re-build kit, and make sure your crank assembly is balanced, critical issue, over just slamming it all together from the bench.
A little get-a-bout is cool to have, just remember the brakes and wiring kit, and all the other little things that are required in a driver on todays road ways. Safety is your number one issue. Not just for your sake, but mostly for everyone else on the road around you. Good luck on the build.
On an average, when done correctly, it will cost you about $10K to build a safe "Rat-Rod" or any other type of "HotRod" for the road.
You have a very perfect and reliable six you can use. There are always tons of speed parts available for that in-line. Did you know you can get nearly 400HP out of that six of yours? They make all kinds of goodies at a reasonable and affordable price. You can set up dual turbos, or add a Vortex to it or add setup four deuces and dual exhaust. Your ten bolt third member can be improved by changing out the axle shafts to Ford bolt pattern. And while your doing this, it gives you every reason to actually freshen up your bearings and ring/pinion setup. Then you will have a fresh third member for your build.
So don't go and toss good parts out the door just yet, sit down and plan this build out. Draw it out and map your plans. Set up a goal line for each event. Check out the cost of rebuilds compared to buying something already built.
You will find you save more then 50% on the outlay of your hard earned money. Plus all the knowledge you will gain from doing this your self.
Rebuilding your in-line six and some added goodies, around $1500.00
Rebuild on the transmission, I would go with a OD, like a 700r4, simple cause they make a stand alone module for this tranny with out having a computer.
You can find a good one for around $1200.00 if you shop carefully.
The third member can be done for around $500.00, which is far more reliable then buying something out of a junk yard and not knowing how it was treated over the years. Plus a new one is over $800.00 up to $3,500:sweat:
Lets face the reality point in todays world of building cars. Inflation has driven everything up, so face the music and except this straight up. The engine build is a ball park figure for the six. That would include machine shop work, re-build kit, and make sure your crank assembly is balanced, critical issue, over just slamming it all together from the bench.
A little get-a-bout is cool to have, just remember the brakes and wiring kit, and all the other little things that are required in a driver on todays road ways. Safety is your number one issue. Not just for your sake, but mostly for everyone else on the road around you. Good luck on the build.
On an average, when done correctly, it will cost you about $10K to build a safe "Rat-Rod" or any other type of "HotRod" for the road.
wow thanks for all the info! the last few days I have been doing nothing but reading up on what im getting into. I have bought a few books and I am starting to plan out every single little thing I am going to have to do. Thanks for setting on the right path guysLordMaximo said:You have a very perfect and reliable six you can use. There are always tons of speed parts available for that in-line. Did you know you can get nearly 400HP out of that six of yours? They make all kinds of goodies at a reasonable and affordable price. You can set up dual turbos, or add a Vortex to it or add setup four deuces and dual exhaust. Your ten bolt third member can be improved by changing out the axle shafts to Ford bolt pattern. And while your doing this, it gives you every reason to actually freshen up your bearings and ring/pinion setup. Then you will have a fresh third member for your build.
So don't go and toss good parts out the door just yet, sit down and plan this build out. Draw it out and map your plans. Set up a goal line for each event. Check out the cost of rebuilds compared to buying something already built.
You will find you save more then 50% on the outlay of your hard earned money. Plus all the knowledge you will gain from doing this your self.
Rebuilding your in-line six and some added goodies, around $1500.00
Rebuild on the transmission, I would go with a OD, like a 700r4, simple cause they make a stand alone module for this tranny with out having a computer.
You can find a good one for around $1200.00 if you shop carefully.
The third member can be done for around $500.00, which is far more reliable then buying something out of a junk yard and not knowing how it was treated over the years. Plus a new one is over $800.00 up to $3,500:sweat:
Lets face the reality point in todays world of building cars. Inflation has driven everything up, so face the music and except this straight up. The engine build is a ball park figure for the six. That would include machine shop work, re-build kit, and make sure your crank assembly is balanced, critical issue, over just slamming it all together from the bench.
A little get-a-bout is cool to have, just remember the brakes and wiring kit, and all the other little things that are required in a driver on todays road ways. Safety is your number one issue. Not just for your sake, but mostly for everyone else on the road around you. Good luck on the build.
On an average, when done correctly, it will cost you about $10K to build a safe "Rat-Rod" or any other type of "HotRod" for the road.
The front suspension on the red T in your pic is not a suicide front end. It is a quarter elliptical front suspension. A suicide front suspension uses a single cross spring. The front suspension in that pic does not have front brakes!!!! But you can build yours with them. This thread has some pics of how a quarter elliptical front spring suspension can be built. You can buy springs from Posies or build your own by cutting up some rear springs from the rear end of a car with a semi elliptical suspension.
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/quarter-elliptic-front-springs-straight-axle-100463.html#post708256
These front suspensions where very popular with the dirt track racers of the 20's and 30's. Here is a link to a 24 Chevy manual which shows them on that year car.
http://www.tocmp.com/manuals/Chevy/1924Owners/1924ChevroletOwnersManualC/1924-56_JPG.html
There is more info on the site about quarter elliptical front spring suspensions as well.
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http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/quarter-elliptic-front-springs-straight-axle-100463.html#post708256
These front suspensions where very popular with the dirt track racers of the 20's and 30's. Here is a link to a 24 Chevy manual which shows them on that year car.
http://www.tocmp.com/manuals/Chevy/1924Owners/1924ChevroletOwnersManualC/1924-56_JPG.html
There is more info on the site about quarter elliptical front spring suspensions as well.
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Check out Speedway and other suppliers. They have some basic chassis packages and you can buy a frame kit pretty cheap. If you can weld, the tubing will cost you maybe $150. I used an econoline front axle with a posis spring. With all new disc brakes and everything, I have maybe $400 into the whole front end.
I think a $2500 car is very doable if you don't mind scrounging for parts. I had planned to do mine for that but the big block 4 speed put me over a bunch.
I think a $2500 car is very doable if you don't mind scrounging for parts. I had planned to do mine for that but the big block 4 speed put me over a bunch.
Any links to info on using an econoline front axle? I have been surfing another forum called ruffrodders and using and econoline front axle sounds like a good idea. I have been looking at zipper's stuff for about a year now and cant get myself to like them for some reason. I guess its because there in production and theres a handful of people who have them and I want to build my car into something nestalgic like a 1930s dirt track racer. Plus I would end up putting like 30k into a car like that
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