Thread: brookville 32 build ....gonna be a monster

Tweet

ok guys , now im full steam got almost everything i need . been waiting on my body but kenny at brookville came thru 5 months early for me as it was a one year wait at tme of order so . a erly delivery makes me happy ill update this as i have time too. enjoy and if you guys have constructive critism please speak this is my first hotrod build .....but ive built 15 other 50s and 60s and 70s car though ..

since you bought your frame built... was it built with a 3" blower pulley in mind? Looks like it will be very tight for your radiator and electric/mech fan

noit wasnt , the blower motor was a thought after i purchased the frame but the radiator fits fine but i have to run a front fan for which i dont like far as looks but hey i think the blower will turn attension away from the front fan .

With that cool motor, you may not need a fan. Love the whole look, very traditional, yet modern too. The salt flat wheels look great, as does the louvered deck lid. I will be watching this build with great interest.

Any chance you can move the engine back a couple inches to make room for a fan? BTW, if you want to keep that bare body from surface rusting till you get it primed, Gibbs spray is good for that.


Don

wow, looking good. I agree with everyone else, if you can pick up any room at all up front now is the time to do it, believe me it won't be a waist of time. If you need carburetors let me know.

Good start.

It's a bit of a PIA considering where you are now, but might be worth it if you take the long view, the front crossmember can be moved forward 1" easily, and 2 with some front rail contour massaging. The looks of a hiboy support a longer wheelbase well, especially with a big appearing engine. It would entail moving the hairpin rear mounts and the steering box mount as well. Odds are (can't see/measure what your current setup allows) you could move the engine back as suggested, probably about 1". If you made clearance "bulges" for just the right cylinder head and distributor you wouldn't lose much leg room either.

Seems like a lot of work for a short gain, but nothing will ruin the enjoyment of you car faster than being afraid to drive it because it "misbehaves" in slow driving, or overheats on the highway because the front mounted fan causes just enough blockage of the air flow to push it over the edge. (plus they look ugly in a Deuce grille/shell)

thanks guys !! im really thinking this thru to get the car so i can get a fan in there ......im also going to prep the metal then lock it in epoxy primer . far as carbs i have a set of super charger demon carbs for it but thanks for the offer ! today im working on some of the bracking of the body . i wont weld it in till the firewall is mounted and the body is shimmed right but the gaps look so great so far with no work .

some advise hear .....do you guys think it would look bad if i were to make nice new brackets for the radiator to mount it more forward so i dont have a huge job in front of me ....here are the things id have to do or lose
1 less foot room for my 4 spd install if motor is set back
2 front cross member is tig ed in and very well
3 id have to cut my drilled front boxed plates for which was alot of work
4 im lazy and dont want more work then nessasary lol

Ok, you asked, so here is my opinion, for what it is worth.

This car is not a cheap build, you have invested tons of money in the very nice components you have bought so far. It would be a shame to shortchange the build by compromising now. You will never be totally happy with it, and regret not taking the time to do it right the first time.

I don't like the front mounted fan option. I agree with Bob (boy, Bob and I agree on something ) that it doesn't look right on a Deuce. Moving the radiator forward also puts it into the wrong spot cosmetically IMO.

Some suggestions would be to move the engine back some and recess the firewall if needed, or use a different blower pulley setup, if available. You would only need to pick up a couple of inches to enable you to slide a good electric puller fan behind the radiator.

Never would want to tell a guy how to build his rod, but a Deuce is a very special car, and certain things make or break one. Yours has all the earmarks of becoming a stunning rod, both in sights and sounds. I would bite the bullet now and do something to get more engine room. The crossmember moving idea is good too.

It will be some work, no matter what you do, but better now than once it is painted and running. JMO.

Don


PS: I looked at your pictures again. You could cut out the crossmember and buy a new one and weld it in ahead of the existing one, as suggested. Not the huge job you might envision. Plus, you have simple hairpin rear mounts that would be easy to move ahead. I know it sounds unappealing to you, but we all have gone back and redone things that were already done once, just to make them better.

I would move the cross member ... BEST SOLUTION ... just not the easiest.

On my 32's, I always recess a section of the firewall 1 inch ... for HEI distributor clearance.





Once painted, it is barely noticeable and takes very little inside room.

as i look at the setup i also remember i have a C notch in my frame as well so i dont think im gonna bother moving the member as it is welded in exteemly well and would be more effort then i can exlain you would have to see it to adgree with me , so im gonna mount the radiator and see where im at again and then deside what to do ill post pics as well . the motor may have to be moved back ..

all advise is greatly appreciated and im very happy that you guys take the time to help me .....

Just another suggestion. On my red roadster, it's blown, I scratched and dug for every little bit I could get. This is what I did.
1. Reassessed the firewall
2. put an extra bubble in it for distributor clearance, I use the ones that look like a mag, diameter wise they are much smaller.
3. I used a electric water pump, they are shorter than a mechanical and you don't use a pulley, so you pick up a little more room.
4. Machined my lower blower pulley and alternator pulley and moved my alternator back to line up the belt.
I gained enough to build a shroud and electric fan. If you look at my cars I don't scrimp on parts or quality. My car still over heats in the right conditions. I'm on my 3rd style fan, 4th design fan shroud. What everyone on this site is telling you, is a real problem. Please take this the way it is meant, to help you.
Ken

hey guys , i mounted my radiator and shell . i have 1 3/4 inches from the blower belt and the radiator . lil close ... can some of you guys measure your fans for me and tell me the brands as well i need overall diameter as well as measurements thru out from the motor on fan to the outer most portion of the shroud . i think if i can mount one dead center and keep the center of it between the pullies i can start there but i maybe in better shape then i thought ..

ken your knowledge is appreciated and always taken into consideration

Moving the crossmember makes the wheelbase longer ... which in turn makes for a better riding roadster.

I helped fellow years ago with his 29 Model A and we make a pair of " feet " brackets that went off the crossmember to sit the radiator on. He had fenders and could not move the axle forward. The feet brackets functioned well but he needed a longer hood ( I guess you are going hoodless ). He could not use a headlight bar ( you most likely were NOT using one anyway ). The headlight bar would not met the fenders braces ( Like you need fender braces on your car ) .

BUT ... the added length made the proportions of the 29 weird ... at least to me .
His headlight had to be mounted to the shell ( a some what popular modification ) but looked like poo on his car.

Most of us ENJOY seeing a car go together ... keep us posted

I've got a 16 inch SPAL sitting at the shop for my T. I'll measure it today for you.

Mine is a little tight too ( I should have allowed another inch or so in frame length when we built it) but the fan tucks up nicely in there, as the plastic housing is pretty shallow on the outside, and tapers in only a little to the fan motor.

Sounds like you have a workable solution going on.

Don